Patent Description:
Wireless communication systems are rapidly growing in usage. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephone calls, many mobile devices now provide access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the global positioning system (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these functionalities.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) has become the technology of choice for the majority of wireless network operators worldwide, providing mobile broadband data and high-speed Internet access to their subscriber base. LTE defines a number of downlink (DL) physical channels, categorized as transport or control channels, to carry information blocks received from medium access control (MAC) and higher layers. LTE also defines a number of physical layer channels for the uplink (UL).

For example, LTE defines a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) as a DL transport channel. The PDSCH is the main data-bearing channel allocated to users on a dynamic and opportunistic basis. The PDSCH carries data in Transport Blocks (TB) corresponding to a MAC protocol data unit (PDU), passed from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer once per Transmission Time Interval (TTI). The PDSCH is also used to transmit broadcast information such as System Information Blocks (SIB) and paging messages.

As another example, LTE defines a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) as a DL control channel that carries the resource assignment for UEs that are contained in a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message. Multiple PDCCHs can be transmitted in the same subframe using Control Channel Elements (CCE), each of which is a nine set of four resource elements known as Resource Element Groups (REG). The PDCCH employs quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation, with four QPSK symbols mapped to each REG. Furthermore, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> CCEs can be used for a UE, depending on channel conditions, to ensure sufficient robustness.

Additionally, LTE defines a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) as a UL channel shared by all devices (user equipment, UE) in a radio cell to transmit user data to the network. The scheduling for all UEs is under control of the LTE base station (enhanced Node B, or eNB). The eNB uses the uplink scheduling grant (DCI format <NUM>) to inform the UE about resource block (RB) assignment, and the modulation and coding scheme to be used. PUSCH typically supports QPSK and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). In addition to user data, the PUSCH also carries any control information necessary to decode the information, such as transport format indicators and multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) parameters. Control data is multiplexed with information data prior to digital Fourier transform (DFT) spreading.

A proposed next telecommunications standard moving beyond the current International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) Standards is called 5th generation mobile networks or 5th generation wireless systems, or <NUM> for short (otherwise known as <NUM>-NR for <NUM> New Radio, also simply referred to as NR). <NUM>-NR proposes a higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users, also supporting device-to-device, ultra-reliable, and massive machine communications, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption, than current LTE standards. Further, the <NUM>-NR standard may allow for less restrictive UE scheduling as compared to current LTE standards. Consequently, efforts are being made in ongoing developments of <NUM>-NR to take advantage of higher throughputs possible at higher frequencies.

<CIT> discloses methods, systems and devices for channel state information feedback to facilitate high-performance beamforming or precoding in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems.

"<NPL> discloses various aspects and enhancements of UCI transmissions.

<CIT> discloses a method by which a terminal measures channel state information (CSI), a method by which a terminal transmits CSI, and devices for supporting those methods.

Embodiments relate to apparatuses, systems, and methods for enhancement of UIC multiplexing, such as to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impinging on and/or impacting (e.g., tightening) processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting.

The techniques described herein may be implemented in and/or used with a number of different types of devices, including but not limited to cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and any of various other computing devices.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way.

While the features described herein may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail.

The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:
Memory Medium - Any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include an installation medium, e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks, or tape device; a computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; a non-volatile memory such as a Flash, magnetic media, e.g., a hard drive, or optical storage; registers, or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may include other types of non-transitory memory as well or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first computer system in which the programs are executed, or may be located in a second different computer system which connects to the first computer system over a network, such as the Internet. In the latter instance, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory mediums which may reside in different locations, e.g., in different computer systems that are connected over a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as computer programs) that may be executed by one or more processors.

Computer System - any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), mainframe computer system, workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, personal digital assistant (PDA), television system, grid computing system, or other device or combinations of devices. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

User Equipment (UE) (or "UE Device") - any of various types of computer systems devices which are mobile or portable and which performs wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile telephones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS™, PlayStation Portable™, Gameboy Advance™, iPhone™), laptops, wearable devices (e.g. smart watch, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices, etc. In general, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and/or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) which is easily transported by a user and capable of wireless communication.

Processing Element - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing a function in a device, such as a user equipment or a cellular network device. Processing elements may include, for example: processors and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware elements such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), as well any of various combinations of the above.

Various components may be described as "configured to" perform a task or tasks.

The communication area (or coverage area) of the base station may be referred to as a "cell. " The base station 102A and the UEs <NUM> may be configured to communicate over the transmission medium using any of various radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies, or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), <NUM> new radio (<NUM> NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternately be referred to as an 'eNodeB' or 'eNB'. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of <NUM> NR, it may alternately be referred to as 'gNodeB' or 'gNB'.

In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next generation base station, e.g., a <NUM> New Radio (<NUM> NR) base station, or "gNB". In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and/or to a NR core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs).

Note that a UE <NUM> may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, the UE <NUM> may be configured to communicate using a wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and/or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.) in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, <NUM> NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.). The UE <NUM> may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigational satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M/H or DVB-H), and/or any other wireless communication protocol, if desired. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

<FIG> illustrates user equipment <NUM> (e.g., one of the devices 106A through 106N) in communication with a base station <NUM> and an access point <NUM>, according to some embodiments. The UE <NUM> may be a device with both cellular communication capability and non-cellular communication capability (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and so forth) such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer or a tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

The UE <NUM> may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, the UE <NUM> may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE/LTE-Advanced, or <NUM> NR using a single shared radio and/or GSM, LTE, LTE-Advanced, or <NUM> NR using the single shared radio. The shared radio may couple to a single antenna, or may couple to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communications. In general, a radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation as well as other digital processing). Similarly, the radio may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware. For example, the UE <NUM> may share one or more parts of a receive and/or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies, such as those discussed above.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an access point (AP) <NUM>. It is noted that the block diagram of the AP of <FIG> is only one example of a possible system. As shown, the AP <NUM> may include processor(s) <NUM> which may execute program instructions for the AP <NUM>. The processor(s) <NUM> may also be coupled (directly or indirectly) to memory management unit (MMU) <NUM>, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) <NUM> and to translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory <NUM> and read only memory (ROM) <NUM>) or to other circuits or devices.

The AP <NUM> may include at least one network port <NUM>. The network port <NUM> may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide a plurality of devices, such as UEs <NUM>, access to the Internet. For example, the network port <NUM> (or an additional network port) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or an enterprise network. For example, port <NUM> may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide connectivity to additional networks, such as the Internet.

The AP <NUM> may include at least one antenna <NUM>, which may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE <NUM> via wireless communication circuitry <NUM>. The antenna <NUM> communicates with the wireless communication circuitry <NUM> via communication chain <NUM>. Communication chain <NUM> may include one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains or both. The wireless communication circuitry <NUM> may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN, e.g., <NUM>. The wireless communication circuitry <NUM> may also, or alternatively, be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including, but not limited to, <NUM> NR, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Global System for Mobile (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, etc., for example when the AP is co-located with a base station in case of a small cell, or in other instances when it may be desirable for the AP <NUM> to communicate via various different wireless communication technologies.

In some embodiments, as further described below, an AP <NUM> may be configured to perform methods to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impinging on (e.g., tightening) processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting as further described herein.

<FIG> illustrates an example simplified block diagram of a communication device <NUM>, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the block diagram of the communication device of <FIG> is only one example of a possible communication device. According to embodiments, communication device <NUM> may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet and/or a combination of devices, among other devices. As shown, the communication device <NUM> may include a set of components <NUM> configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system on chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, this set of components <NUM> may be implemented as separate components or groups of components for the various purposes. The set of components <NUM> may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to various other circuits of the communication device <NUM>.

As shown, the SOC <NUM> may include processor(s) <NUM>, which may execute program instructions for the communication device <NUM> and display circuitry <NUM>, which may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to the display <NUM>. The processor(s) <NUM> may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) <NUM>, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) <NUM> and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory <NUM>, read only memory (ROM) <NUM>, NAND flash memory <NUM>) and/or to other circuits or devices, such as the display circuitry <NUM>, short to medium range wireless communication circuitry <NUM>, cellular communication circuitry <NUM>, connector I/F <NUM>, and/or display <NUM>. The MMU <NUM> may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or set up. In some embodiments, the MMU <NUM> may be included as a portion of the processor(s) <NUM>.

As noted above, the communication device <NUM> may be configured to communicate using wireless and/or wired communication circuitry. The communication device <NUM> may be configured to perform methods to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impinging on (e.g., tightening) processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting as further described herein.

As described herein, the communication device <NUM> may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features for a communication device <NUM> to communicate a scheduling profile for power savings to a network. The processor <NUM> of the communication device <NUM> may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor <NUM> may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition) the processor <NUM> of the communication device <NUM>, in conjunction with one or more of the other components <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.

Further, as described herein, cellular communication circuitry <NUM> and short to medium range wireless communication circuitry <NUM> may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in cellular communication circuitry <NUM> and, similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in short to medium range wireless communication circuitry <NUM>. Thus, cellular communication circuitry <NUM> may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry <NUM>. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry <NUM>. Similarly, the short to medium range wireless communication circuitry <NUM> may include one or more ICs that are configured to perform the functions of short to medium range wireless communication circuitry <NUM>. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of short to medium range wireless communication circuitry <NUM>.

The network port <NUM> may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide a plurality of devices, such as UE devices <NUM>, access to the telephone network as described above in <FIG> and <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates an example simplified block diagram of cellular communication circuitry, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuitry of <FIG> is only one example of a possible cellular communication circuit. According to embodiments, cellular communication circuitry <NUM> may be included in a communication device, such as communication device <NUM> described above. As noted above, communication device <NUM> may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet and/or a combination of devices, among other devices.

The cellular communication circuitry <NUM> may couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-b and <NUM> as shown (in <FIG>). In some embodiments, cellular communication circuitry <NUM> may include dedicated receive chains (including and/or coupled to, e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly. For example, as shown in <FIG>, cellular communication circuitry <NUM> may include a modem <NUM> and a modem <NUM>. Modem <NUM> may be configured for communications according to a first RAT, e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A, and modem <NUM> may be configured for communications according to a second RAT, e.g., such as <NUM> NR.

In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry <NUM> may be configured to perform methods to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impinging on (e.g., tightening) processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting as further described herein.

As described herein, the modem <NUM> may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features or for time division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operations, as well as the various other techniques described herein. The processors <NUM> may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor <NUM> may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition) the processor <NUM>, in conjunction with one or more of the other components <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.

As described herein, the modem <NUM> may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features for communicating a scheduling profile for power savings to a network, as well as the various other techniques described herein. The processors <NUM> may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor <NUM> may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition) the processor <NUM>, in conjunction with one or more of the other components <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.

In some implementations, fifth generation (<NUM>) wireless communication will initially be deployed concurrently with current wireless communication standards (e.g., LTE). For example, dual connectivity between LTE and <NUM> new radio (<NUM> NR or NR) has been specified as part of the initial deployment of NR. Thus, as illustrated in <FIG>, evolved packet core (EPC) network <NUM> may continue to communicate with current LTE base stations (e.g., eNB <NUM>). In addition, eNB <NUM> may be in communication with a <NUM> NR base station (e.g., gNB <NUM>) and may pass data between the EPC network <NUM> and gNB <NUM>. Thus, EPC network <NUM> may be used (or reused) and gNB <NUM> may serve as extra capacity for UEs, e.g., for providing increased downlink throughput to UEs. In other words, LTE may be used for control plane signaling and NR may be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE may be used to establish connections to the network and NR may be used for data services.

<FIG> illustrates a proposed protocol stack for eNB <NUM> and gNB <NUM>. As shown, eNB <NUM> may include a medium access control (MAC) layer <NUM> that interfaces with radio link control (RLC) layers 622a-b. RLC layer 622a may also interface with packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer 612a and RLC layer 622b may interface with PDCP layer 612b. Similar to dual connectivity as specified in LTE-Advanced Release <NUM>, PDCP layer 612a may interface via a master cell group (MCG) bearer with EPC network <NUM> whereas PDCP layer 612b may interface via a split bearer with EPC network <NUM>.

Additionally, as shown, gNB <NUM> may include a MAC layer <NUM> that interfaces with RLC layers 624a-b. RLC layer 624a may interface with PDCP layer 612b of eNB <NUM> via an X<NUM> interface for information exchange and/or coordination (e.g., scheduling of a UE) between eNB <NUM> and gNB <NUM>. In addition, RLC layer 624b may interface with PDCP layer <NUM>. Similar to dual connectivity as specified in LTE-Advanced Release <NUM>, PDCP layer <NUM> may interface with EPC network <NUM> via a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer. Thus, eNB <NUM> may be considered a master node (MeNB) while gNB <NUM> may be considered a secondary node (SgNB). In some scenarios, a UE may be required to maintain a connection to both an MeNB and a SgNB. In such scenarios, the MeNB may be used to maintain a radio resource control (RRC) connection to an EPC while the SgNB may be used for capacity (e.g., additional downlink and/or uplink throughput).

In some embodiments, the <NUM> core network (CN) may be accessed via (or through) a cellular connection/interface (e.g., via a 3GPP communication architecture/protocol) and a non-cellular connection/interface (e.g., a non-3GPP access architecture/protocol such as Wi-Fi connection). <FIG> illustrates an example of a <NUM> network architecture that incorporates both 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to the <NUM> CN, according to some embodiments. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., such as UE <NUM>) may access the <NUM> CN through both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., such as gNB or base station <NUM>) and an access point, such as AP <NUM>. The AP <NUM> may include a connection to the Internet <NUM> as well as a connection to a non-3GPP inter-working function (N3IWF) <NUM> network entity. The N3IWF may include a connection to a core access and mobility management function (AMF) <NUM> of the <NUM> CN. The AMF <NUM> may include an instance of a <NUM> mobility management (<NUM> MM) function associated with the UE <NUM>. In addition, the RAN (e.g., gNB <NUM>) may also have a connection to the AMF <NUM>. Thus, the <NUM> CN may support unified authentication over both connections as well as allow simultaneous registration for UE <NUM> access via both gNB <NUM> and AP <NUM>. As shown, the AMF <NUM> may include one or more functional entities associated with the <NUM> CN (e.g., network slice selection function (NSSF) <NUM>, short message service function (SMSF) <NUM>, application function (AF) <NUM>, unified data management (UDM) <NUM>, policy control function (PCF) <NUM>, and/or authentication server function (AUSF) <NUM>). Note that these functional entities may also be supported by a session management function (SMF) 706a and an SMF 706b of the <NUM> CN. The AMF <NUM> may be connected to (or in communication with) the SMF 706a. Further, the gNB <NUM> may in communication with (or connected to) a user plane function (UPF) 708a that may also be communication with the SMF 706a. Similarly, the N3IWF <NUM> may be communicating with a UPF 708b that may also be communicating with the SMF 706b. Both UPFs may be communicating with the data network (e.g., DN 710a and 710b) and/or the Internet <NUM> and IMS core network <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a <NUM> network architecture that incorporates both dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and <NUM> NR) access and non-3GPP access to the <NUM> CN, according to some embodiments. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., such as UE <NUM>) may access the <NUM> CN through both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., such as gNB or base station <NUM> or eNB or base station <NUM>) and an access point, such as AP <NUM>. The AP <NUM> may include a connection to the Internet <NUM> as well as a connection to the N3IWF <NUM> network entity. The N3IWF may include a connection to the AMF <NUM> of the <NUM> CN. The AMF <NUM> may include an instance of the <NUM> MM function associated with the UE <NUM>. In addition, the RAN (e.g., gNB <NUM>) may also have a connection to the AMF <NUM>. Thus, the <NUM> CN may support unified authentication over both connections as well as allow simultaneous registration for UE <NUM> access via both gNB <NUM> and AP <NUM>. In addition, the <NUM> CN may support dual-registration of the UE on both a legacy network (e.g., LTE via base station <NUM>) and a <NUM> network (e.g., via base station <NUM>). As shown, the base station <NUM> may have connections to a mobility management entity (MME) <NUM> and a serving gateway (SGW) <NUM>. The MME <NUM> may have connections to both the SGW <NUM> and the AMF <NUM>. In addition, the SGW <NUM> may have connections to both the SMF 706a and the UPF 708a. As shown, the AMF <NUM> may include one or more functional entities associated with the <NUM> CN (e.g., NSSF <NUM>, SMSF <NUM>, AF <NUM>, UDM <NUM>, PCF <NUM>, and/or AUSF <NUM>). Note that UDM <NUM> may also include a home subscriber server (HSS) function and the PCF may also include a policy and charging rules function (PCRF). Note further that these functional entities may also be supported by the SMF706a and the SMF 706b of the <NUM> CN. The AMF <NUM> may be connected to (or in communication with) the SMF 706a. Further, the gNB <NUM> may in communication with (or connected to) the UPF 708a that may also be communication with the SMF 706a. Similarly, the N3IWF <NUM> may be communicating with a UPF 708b that may also be communicating with the SMF 706b. Both UPFs may be communicating with the data network (e.g., DN 710a and 710b) and/or the Internet <NUM> and IMS core network <NUM>.

Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above described network entities may be configured to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impinging on (e.g., tightening) processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting, e.g., as further described herein.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE (e.g., such as UE <NUM>), according to some embodiments. The baseband processor architecture <NUM> described in <FIG> may be implemented on one or more radios (e.g., radios <NUM> and/or <NUM> described above) or modems (e.g., modems <NUM> and/or <NUM>) as described above. As shown, the non-access stratum (NAS) <NUM> may include a <NUM> NAS <NUM> and a legacy NAS <NUM>. The legacy NAS <NUM> may include a communication connection with a legacy access stratum (AS) <NUM>. The <NUM> NAS <NUM> may include communication connections with both a <NUM> AS <NUM> and a non-3GPP AS <NUM> and Wi-Fi AS <NUM>. The <NUM> NAS <NUM> may include functional entities associated with both access stratums. Thus, the <NUM> NAS <NUM> may include multiple <NUM> MM entities <NUM> and <NUM> and <NUM> session management (SM) entities <NUM> and <NUM>. The legacy NAS <NUM> may include functional entities such as short message service (SMS) entity <NUM>, evolved packet system (EPS) session management (ESM) entity <NUM>, session management (SM) entity <NUM>, EPS mobility management (EMM) entity <NUM>, and mobility management (MM)/ GPRS mobility management (GMM) entity <NUM>. In addition, the legacy AS <NUM> may include functional entities such as LTE AS <NUM>, UMTS AS <NUM>, and/or GSM/GPRS AS <NUM>.

Thus, the baseband processor architecture <NUM> allows for a common <NUM>-NAS for both <NUM> cellular and non-cellular (e.g., non-3GPP access). Note that as shown, the <NUM> MM may maintain individual connection management and registration management state machines for each connection. Additionally, a device (e.g., UE <NUM>) may register to a single PLMN (e.g., <NUM> CN) using <NUM> cellular access as well as non-cellular access. Further, it may be possible for the device to be in a connected state in one access and an idle state in another access and vice versa. Finally, there may be common <NUM>-MM procedures (e.g., registration, de-registration, identification, authentication, as so forth) for both accesses.

Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above described functional entities of the <NUM> NAS and/or <NUM> AS may be configured to perform methods to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impinging on (e.g., tightening) processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting, e.g., as further described herein.

In current implementations, slot aggregation and/or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) repetition may be used to enhance uplink transmission reliability, e.g., such as for ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) between a base station and a wireless device as being specified by 3GPP Release <NUM>, Release <NUM>, and beyond. However, with PUSCH processing timelines in these specifications, timely channel state information (CSI) reporting may be an issue as physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with repetition may block CSI reporting, at least in some cases.

In some implementations, e.g., such as specified by 3GPP Release <NUM>, PUSCH slot aggregation (e.g., data transmission scheduling that may span one or multiple slots) may be configured via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, e.g., between a base station and a mobile station. In such implementations, each transmission may be a single layer transmission and a single uplink downlink control information (DCI) can trigger the mobile station to transmit over a specified, e.g., k, number of slots. In some implementations, a slot (or set of slots in case of slot aggregation) may be front-loaded with control signals and reference signals to obtain low latency. For example, as shown in <FIG>, multiple slots (e.g., where each slot includes one or more symbols, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols) may be scheduled such that physical downlink control channel signaling (PDCCH) <NUM> occurs at a beginning of a slot (e.g., in a first symbol and/or a first set of symbols) and physical uplink control channel signaling (PUCCH) <NUM> occurs at an end of a slot (e.g., in a last symbol and/or last set of symbols, thereby allowing PUSCH signaling (e.g., PUSCH repetition <NUM> and PUSCH repetition <NUM>) to occur in the remaining portions of the slots (e.g., remaining symbols and/or remaining sets of symbols). As shown, multiple slots (e.g., slot n through slot n+<NUM>) may be scheduled in repetition. In other words, a single DCI may trigger the mobile station to transmit over slots n through n+<NUM>, where each slot includes <NUM> OFDM symbols.

In addition, in some implementations, e.g., such as specified by 3GPP Release <NUM>, two types of configured grants may be supported. For example, a type <NUM> grant may be defined as a grant in which all transmission parameters are configured by RRC signaling. As another example, a type <NUM> grant may be defined as a grant in which some transmission parameters may be configured by RRC signaling and some transmission parameters may be activated via a DCI. In some implementations, e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>, repetition can also be configured via RRC signaling and may be combined, in some implementations, with slot aggregation. Thus, as shown in <FIG>, slots may be configured (scheduled) to include a first symbol (or set of symbols) for PDDCH signaling <NUM>, a last two symbols (or a last set of two symbols) for PUCCH signaling <NUM> , and <NUM> symbols (or <NUM> sets of symbols) for PUSCH repetition <NUM> (e.g., as configured via RRC signaling).

Additionally, in some implementations, e.g., such as specified by 3GPP Release <NUM>, repetitions may occur in a single slot (e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>) or span multiple slots (e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>). In such implementations, each PUSCH repetition transmission may be referred to by repetition index (e.g., if there is no segmentation for the repetition as illustrated in <FIG>, e.g., repetitions <NUM> and <NUM>) or by repetition index and segment index (e.g., if there is segmentation for the repetition as illustrated in <FIG>, e.g., repetitions 1210_1 and 1210_2 as opposed to repetitions <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and/or <NUM>). Thus, in some implementations, a repetition version may span slots.

In some implementations, a repetition number, e.g., which may indicate a number of slots over which PUSCHs are transmitted with a prescribed number for the same transport block, may be signaled by PDCCH dynamically to the wireless device. For example, as introduced in 3GPP Release <NUM> ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) enhancements. In some implementations, a duration of each repetition counted in OFDM symbols can be smaller than, equal to, and/or larger than <NUM>.

In some implementations, the PDCCH may trigger the wireless device to transmit PUSCHs with different transport blocks over consecutive slots or consecutive L symbols. In some implementations, the number of OFDM symbols utilized by the first PUSCH or the last PUSCH may be smaller than the number of OFDM symbols utilized by other PUSCHs, for example as encountered in unlicensed spectrum access.

Further, in some implementations, e.g., such as specified by 3GPP Release <NUM>, a wireless device may have a specified timeline for certain actions. For example, <FIG> illustrates scheduling diagrams for a wireless device to provide a channel state information (CSI) report (e.g., slot n), for the wireless device to transmit uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) data, e.g., transmission of RRC signaling and/or application data (e.g., slot n+<NUM>), and for the wireless device to transmit UL-SCH data and provide a CSI report(s) (e.g., slots n+<NUM> and n+<NUM>). As shown in slot n, a CSI timeline may include two orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols (or sets of OFDM symbols) for receiving on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), e.g., PDCCH <NUM>, <NUM> OFDM symbol (or set of OFDM symbols) for receiving a channel measurement resource (CMR), e.g., CMR <NUM>, and <NUM> OFDM symbol (or set of OFDM symbols) for receiving an interference measurement resource (IMR), e.g., IMR <NUM>. The wireless device may then require <NUM> OFDM symbols (or sets of symbols) for preparation of the CSI report (e.g., Z') to be transmitted on the PUSCH <NUM>. In other words, the wireless device may require <NUM> OFDM symbols (or sets of symbols) after receiving on the PDCCH for preparation of the CSI report (e.g., Z). As shown in slot n+<NUM>, an UL-SCH timeline may include <NUM> OFDM symbols (or sets of symbols) for receiving on the PDCCH followed by <NUM> OFDM symbols (or sets of symbols) for preparing UL-SCH data (e.g., Z) to be transmitted on the PUSCH. As shown in slot n+<NUM> (and continuing into slot n+<NUM>) a CSI + UL-SCH timeline may include <NUM> OFDM symbols (or sets of symbols) for receiving on the PDCCH followed by <NUM> OFDM symbol (or sets of symbols) each for the CMR and IMR. The wireless device may then require <NUM> OFDM symbols (or sets of symbols) for preparation of the CSI report(s) and the UL-SCH data to be transmitted on the PUSCH after receiving the IMR. In other words, the wireless device may require <NUM> OFDM symbols (or sets of symbols) (e.g., Z+d) after receiving on the PDCCH for preparation of the CSI report(s) and the UL-SCH data.

As shown in <FIG>, PUSCH transmissions without CSI reporting can be processed much faster (<NUM> OFDM symbols) as compared to PUSCH transmissions with CSI reporting. Thus, if a base station requires a wireless device to send a fresh (e.g., new/updated) CSI report(s) and UL-SCH data simultaneously (e.g., as part of a single scheduling grant), the minimum allowable scheduling time between the PDCCH and the PUSCH becomes much larger as compared to not preparing a CSI report(s). Thus, in some instances, the base station may be required to choose (and/or balance) between fast UL data transmission (e.g., omitting CSI report(s)) and updated/new (e.g., fresh) downlink CSI report(s).

Embodiments described herein provide system, methods, and mechanisms for a UE, such as UE <NUM>, and a base station, such as base station <NUM> and/or gNB <NUM>, to enhance system performance (e.g., UL throughput) without impinging on (e.g., tightening) the UE's processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting. Some embodiments may be implemented as part of ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) between the base station and the UE. URLLC is a category of cellular communication under development at least with respect to 3GPP fifth generation (<NUM>) new radio (NR) communication (e.g., 3GPP Release <NUM>, <NUM> and beyond). According to some embodiments, URLLC may have extremely low latency and high reliability requirements, e.g., such as less than <NUM>% packet error rate at a <NUM> delay bound. Note, though, that while URLLC having <NUM>% packet error rate at a <NUM> delay bound as a requirement may represent one possible example of a scenario in which high reliability low latency communication may be desirable, other possible latency and reliability requirements for URLLC may also be possible, and also that other types of cellular communication may also have very high reliability and low latency requirements and so may also benefit from the techniques described herein, at least according to some embodiments.

In some embodiments, PUSCH repetition may be exploited such that a CSI report(s) is not multiplexed on a first repetition, but instead, on a later repetition. For example, <FIG> illustrates an example in which a CSI report(s) is multiplexed on a second repetition, e.g., the CSI report(s), triggered by PDCCH <NUM> and based on CMR <NUM> and IMR <NUM>, may be multiplexed on repetition <NUM> as opposed to (or instead of) repetition <NUM>. Note that in some embodiments, 3GPP Release <NUM> and/or <NUM> timelines (and/or timelines of further 3GPP releases) may be enforced and/or maintained on a per-repetition basis, hence, such multiplexing of the CSI report(s) (e.g., on repetition <NUM> instead of (or opposed to) repetition <NUM>) may not violate a standardized timeline. In some embodiments, there may be multiple candidate positions (e.g., within PUSCH repetitions) to insert (or multiplex) an UL DCI. Thus, in some embodiment, one or more rules may be introduced to determine on which repetition a CSI report(s) may be multiplexed. For example, in some embodiments, a difference between an N2 value and a Z value, for each subcarrier spacing (SCS), may be used to identify an earliest possible repetition that satisfies an imposed minimum timeline, e.g., with a first symbol at least d'' symbols after a first symbol of a first repetition (e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>). For example, as illustrated by <FIG>, a first symbol d'' symbols after a first symbol of repetition <NUM> may occur in repetition k. In other words, the earliest possible repetition may be identified as the repetition in which the first symbol is at least d" symbols after PDCCH monitoring. Note that in some embodiments, as the N2 value differs for different UE uplink processing capabilities, d‴ may be based on (and/or depend on) N2 (and/or uplink processing time capability) and/or SCS. In some embodiments, the last repetition may be identified as the repetition on which the CSI report(s) may be multiplexed. In some embodiments, d" may be defined as <NUM> symbols for <NUM> SCS, <NUM> symbols for <NUM> SCS, and/or <NUM> symbols for <NUM> SCS.

In some implementations of multi-slot PUSCH or PUSCH with repetition, a first transmission (e.g., a first slot in the multi-slot PUSCH or first PUSCH in PUSCH with repetition) may be designated to carry an aperiodic CSI report(s), e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>. As shown, PUSCH Tx1, which is the first PUSCH transmission after PDCCH <NUM>, may include CSI <NUM> (e.g., CSI <NUM> may be multiplexed onto PUSCH Tx1). However, to improve throughput, in some embodiments, a later transmission may be designated (and/or) used to carry an aperiodic CSI report(s), e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>. For example, as shown, PUSCH Tx4, which is not the first PUSCH transmission after PDCCH <NUM>, may include CSI <NUM> (e.g., CSI <NUM> may be multiplexed onto PUSCH Tx4). In some embodiments, using (and/or designating) the later transmission may potentially provide more processing time for a UE to generate updated CSI report(s)s. In some embodiments, a last slot in a multi-slot transmission and/or a last transmission in PUSCH with repetition may be designated. In some embodiments, a first slot in a multi-slot transmission or a first transmission in PUSCH with repetition which meets a minimum CSI processing timing (e.g., delay requirement <NUM>) may be designated. In some embodiments, RRC signaling may be used to configure a relative slot index/transmission index identifier (ID) for CSI multiplexing. In some embodiments, e.g., with dynamic grants, a slot index/transmission index for an actual CSI multiplexing can be given by a minimum of (K, ID), where K is a number of slot aggregation or number of PUSCH repetition. According to the invention, a UE autonomously (e.g., without base station/network input) selects a PUSCH repetition in which it transmits a CSI report(s).

Further according to the invention, the UE indicates this repetition to the base station dynamically by using a different demodulation reference signal (DMRS). Further according to the invention, a DMRS used for the PUSCH repetition that is multiplexed with a CSI report(s) is different from a DMRS used for a PUSCH repetition with UL-SCH channel only.

In some embodiments, to limit loss in reliability of the PDSCH, a length of the PUSCH repetition which carries CSI report(s)(s) may be increased to ensure that a coding rate of the PUSCH is not changed. Note that such an increase may alter (or move) starting positions of subsequent repetitions. In some embodiments, as illustrated by <FIG>, subsequent repetitions may carry only PUSCH transmissions, e.g., repetitions after the repetition with the CSI multiplexed onto it may carry only PUSCH transmission). As shown by <FIG>, repetitions <NUM> and <NUM> may have a standard (or same) length, e.g., as measured in symbols and/or sets of symbols, however, repetition <NUM>, which includes CSI <NUM>, may have an increased length to compensate for the multiplexing of CSI <NUM>. In some embodiments, as illustrated by <FIG>, subsequent repetitions may carry both PUSCH transmissions and CSI-report(s). As shown by <FIG>, repetition may have a standard length, e.g., as measured in symbols and/or sets of symbols, however, repetitions <NUM> and <NUM>, which each includes CSI <NUM>, may have increased lengths to compensate for the multiplexing of CSI <NUM>. Note that such a scheme may increase reliably of the CSI report(s) <NUM>, e.g., as compared to reliability of CSI <NUM>. In some embodiments, a number of repetitions with CSI multiplexing may be different from a total number of subsequent CSI repetitions. In some embodiments, this scheme may be implemented while keeping PUSCH repetition length unchanged.

In some embodiments, to limit loss in reliability of the PDSCH, one or more additional repetitions may be added to a total number of PUSCH repetitions to ensure that reliability of the PUSCH transmission is not negatively impacted by multiplexing a CSI report(s), e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>. As shown, each repetition <NUM> to <NUM> may have a same length, however, since CSI <NUM> is multiplexed onto repetition <NUM>, repetition <NUM> may be added. In some embodiments, a number of extra repetitions may be fixed (and/or configured), e.g., via RRC configuration, may be modified based on rules e.g., via a CSI report(s) size, and/or may be dynamically signaled in a DCI, e.g., via a number of repetitions if CSI is multiplexed.

In some embodiments, as it is imperative for a UE to send HARQ ACK to a base station as soon as possible, 3GPP Release <NUM>, <NUM> and/or beyond HARQ feedback multiplexing can be retained, e.g., HARQ multiplexing over different repetitions/slots for PUSCH. In some embodiments, if an identified nominal repetition where CSI is multiplexed into needs to be segmented, e.g. one small segment and a large segment, to avoid the dilemma of choosing a suitable beta for HARQ ACK and a suitable beta for CSI, the large segment of the identified nominal repetition may be chosen for CSI multiplexing, e.g., as illustrated by <FIG>. In other words, to avoid segmentation of CSI <NUM>, it may be multiplexed onto segment <NUM> of repetition <NUM> instead of segment <NUM>. In some embodiments, a number of resource elements (Res) for CSI reporting can also be scaled according to a ratio of the number of REs available in a large segment and a number of REs available for a nominal repetition.

<FIG> illustrates a block diagram of an example of a method for enhancing system performance without impinging on a UE's processing timeline for UL-SCH data and/or CSI reporting, according to some embodiments. The method shown in <FIG> may be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the Figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown, this method may operate as follows.

At <NUM>, a UE, such as UE <NUM>, may receive, from a base station, such as base station <NUM> and/or gNB <NUM>, a request to send a refreshed (and/or updated and/or new) channel state information (CSI) report, e.g., during monitoring of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). In some embodiments, the base station may also request the UE to send (transmit) uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) data.

At <NUM>, at a first transmit opportunity, the UE may transmit first PUSCH. In some embodiments, the first PUSCH may be a first repetition of data. In some embodiments, the first PUSCH may be a first scheduled transmission of a multi-slot transmission of PUSCH (e.g., with or without repetition). In some embodiments, UL-SCH data may be multiplexed onto the first PUSCH. In some embodiments, the first transmit opportunity may occur at least <NUM> symbols after completion of the PDCCH monitoring. In some embodiments, the symbols may be OFDM symbols.

At <NUM>, at a second (or later) transmit opportunity, the UE may transmit second (or later/additional) PUSCH. In some embodiments, the CSI report(s) may be multiplexed onto the second PUSCH. In some embodiments, the second PUSCH may be a second (or later) repetition of data. In some embodiments, the second PUSCH may be a second (or later) scheduled transmission of a multi-slot transmission of PUSCH (e.g., with or without repetition). In some embodiments, the second transmit opportunity may occur at least <NUM> symbols after completion of the PDCCH monitoring. In some embodiments, the symbols may be OFDM symbols. In some embodiments, e.g., when the second PUSCH may be an additional repetition of PUSCH, a length of the PUSCH may be increased to ensure that a coding rate of the PUSCH is not altered. In some embodiments, e.g., when the second PUSCH may be an additional repetition of PUSCH, an additional repetition of PUSCH may be transmitted to ensure that reliability of the PUSCH transmission is not negatively impacted by the multiplexed CSI report(s).

In some embodiments, the second transmit opportunity may be identified as a transmit opportunity (or repetition) that starts at least a specified number of symbols after a first symbol of the first repetition. In some embodiments, the specified number of symbols may be dependent upon at least one of UE uplink processing time capabilities or subcarrier spacing (SCS).

In some embodiments, the second transmit opportunity may be defined by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. In some embodiments, the RRC signaling may configure a relative slot index/transmission index for CSI multiplexing.

In some embodiments, the second transmit opportunity may be defined by the UE. In such embodiments, the UE may indicate, to the base station, the second transmit opportunity via a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). In some embodiments, the DMRS for the second transmit opportunity may differ from a DMRS for the first transmit opportunity.

In some embodiments, the second transmit opportunity may include a first segment occurring in a first slot and a second segment occurring in a second slot. In such embodiments, the CSI report(s) may be multiplexed onto the larger segment. For example, when the first segment is larger than the second segment, the CSI report(s) may be multiplexed onto the first segment. As another example, when the second segment is larger than the first segment, the CSI report(s) may be multiplexed onto the second segment.

In some embodiments, the UE may transmit (or retransmit) the CSI report(s) onto third (or subsequent later) PUSCH transmitted in a third (or subsequent later) transmit opportunity. In some embodiments, when the second and third PUSCH may be additional repetitions of PUSCH, a length of the PUSCH for the second and third PUSCH may be increased to ensure that a coding rate of the PUSCH is not altered.

In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE <NUM>) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets). The device may be realized in any of various forms.

Claim 1:
A method performed by a user equipment, UE, the method comprising
the UE (<NUM>),
receiving (<NUM>), during monitoring of a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, a request to send uplink shared channel, UL-SCH, data and one or more channel state information, CSI, reports;
transmitting (<NUM>), at a first transmit opportunity, the UL-SCH data, wherein the first transmit opportunity includes a first repetition of a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH;
selecting a later transmit opportunity and indicating the
later transmit opportunity to a base station (<NUM>) via a demodulation reference signal, DMRS, wherein the DMRS for the later transmit opportunity differs from a DMRS for the first transmit opportunity; and
transmitting (<NUM>), at the later transmit opportunity, the one or more CSI reports, wherein the later transmit opportunity includes a later repetition of the PUSCH.