Patent Description:
Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication and to techniques and apparatuses for control channel element (CCE) and blind decode (BD) limits for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

Further prior art is known from the prior art document <CIT>.

The invention made is captured in the independent claims attached. Further optional features are captured in the dependent claims attached.

The invention made is disclosed in the embodiments referring to <FIG>.

Controller/processor <NUM> of base station <NUM>, controller/processor <NUM> of UE <NUM>, and/or any other component(s) of <FIG> may perform one or more techniques associated with control channel element (CCE) and blind decode (BD) limits for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), as described in more detail elsewhere herein. For example, controller/processor <NUM> of base station <NUM>, controller/processor <NUM> of UE <NUM>, and/or any other component(s) of <FIG> may perform or direct operations of, for example, process <NUM> of <FIG> and/or other processes as described herein. Memories <NUM> and <NUM> may store data and program codes for base station <NUM> and UE <NUM>, respectively. In some aspects, memory <NUM> and/or memory <NUM> may comprise a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions for wireless communication. For example, the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the base station <NUM> and/or the UE <NUM>, may perform or direct operations of, for example, process <NUM> of <FIG> and/or other processes as described herein.

In some aspects, UE <NUM> may include means for receiving configuration information for a plurality of carriers; means for determining, for the plurality of carriers, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped CCEs or a plurality of blind decodes that satisfies a per-span capability of the UE; means for receiving communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution; means for determining an effective number of carriers for a given subcarrier spacing based at least in part on a total number of carriers of the plurality of carriers, a number of carriers of the given subcarrier spacing, and the threshold associated with the monitoring capability, wherein the threshold identifies a total number of carriers for which the UE supports per-span blind detection or CCE limitation; means for determining the distribution, with regard to a first carrier and a second carrier associated with the given subcarrier spacing, based at least in part on respective per-span capabilities of the first carrier and the second carrier and on the effective number of carriers; means for selecting respective slots of the plurality of carriers; means for determining, for a set of carriers, of the plurality of carriers, a set of values based at least in part on dividing respective maximum numbers of blind decodes or respective maximum numbers of non-overlapped CCEs across respective sets of spans of the respective slots of the set of carriers by respective maximum numbers of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs indicated by respective per-span capabilities for the respective sets of spans; means for determining the distribution so that a sum of the set of values does not exceed a total number of carriers for which the UE supports per-span blind detection or CCE limitation; and/or the like. In some aspects, such means may include one or more components of UE <NUM> described in connection with <FIG>, such as controller/processor <NUM>, transmit processor <NUM>, TX MIMO processor <NUM>, MOD <NUM>, antenna <NUM>, DEMOD <NUM>, MIMO detector <NUM>, receive processor <NUM>, and/or the like.

In some aspects, BS <NUM> may include means for transmitting configuration information for a plurality of carriers; means for determining, for the plurality of carriers, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped CCEs or a plurality of blind decodes that satisfies a per-span capability of the UE; means for transmitting communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution; means for determining an effective number of carriers for a given subcarrier spacing based at least in part on a total number of carriers of the plurality of carriers, a number of carriers of the given subcarrier spacing, and the threshold associated with the monitoring capability, wherein the threshold identifies a total number of carriers for which the UE supports per-span blind detection or CCE limitation; means for determining the distribution, with regard to a first carrier and a second carrier associated with the given subcarrier spacing, based at least in part on respective per-span capabilities of the first carrier and the second carrier and on the effective number of carriers; means for selecting respective slots of the plurality of carriers; means for determining, for a set of carriers, of the plurality of carriers, a set of values based at least in part on dividing respective maximum numbers of blind decodes or respective maximum numbers of non-overlapped CCEs across respective sets of spans of the respective slots of the set of carriers by respective maximum numbers of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs indicated by respective per-span capabilities for the respective sets of spans; means for determining the distribution so that a sum of the set of values does not exceed a total number of carriers for which the UE supports per-span blind detection or CCE limitation; and/or the like. In some aspects, such means may include one or more components of BS <NUM> described in connection with <FIG>, such as antenna <NUM>, DEMOD <NUM>, MIMO detector <NUM>, receive processor <NUM>, controller/processor <NUM>, transmit processor <NUM>, TX MIMO processor <NUM>, MOD <NUM>, antenna <NUM>, and/or the like.

In some RATs, two sets of scheduling downlink control information (DCI) formats are supported: a fallback DCI (e.g., DCI formats <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> in <NUM>/NR) for downlink (DL) and/or uplink (UL) scheduling, and a non-fallback DCI (e.g., DCI formats <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> in <NUM>/NR) for DL/UL scheduling. In some deployments, such as an enhanced ultra-reliable low latency communication (eURLLC) supporting deployment, two additional DCI formats may be used: a DCI format <NUM>-<NUM> for UL scheduling and a DCI format <NUM>-<NUM> for DL scheduling. The two additional DCI formats may have flexible sizes, meaning that the bitwidth of many fields of the two additional DCI formats is configurable. Therefore, these two additional DCI formats can be configured with a small size to improve physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) reliability or with a larger size to improve scheduling flexibility and/or provide more functionality. The choice between these two approaches (e.g., small size or larger size) can be made by the scheduler.

In some RATs, such as 3GPP Release <NUM> of <NUM>/NR, different PDCCH monitoring capabilities are defined. As an example, a feature group (FG) <NUM>-<NUM> (which may be mandatory for Release <NUM> UEs to support) may indicate that the UE is capable of monitoring all PDCCH candidates for scheduling data that are within the first few symbols of a slot. As another example, an FG <NUM>-5b (which may be optional for Release <NUM> UEs to support) may be defined based at least in part on a span concept. A span is a number of consecutive symbols in a slot where the UE is configured to monitor PDCCH. Each PDCCH monitoring occasion is within one span. A slot can include multiple spans, and a span can include one or more PDCCH candidates. Different span configurations may be supported. Span configurations are described in more detail in connection with <FIG>.

In a <NUM>/NR network, a base station transmits a PDCCH (e.g., including control information, such as DCI) based at least in part on a search space set. A given search space set defines candidates that may carry a PDCCH within the search space set, where each candidate is associated with one or more CCEs. A CCE may be composed of multiple resource element groups (REGs). A REG may include one resource block and one OFDM symbol. One or more search space sets may be associated with a control resource set (CORESET). In a <NUM>/NR network, a base station may flexibly schedule and transmit the PDCCH. In other words, transmission of the PDCCH in the <NUM>/NR network is not limited to a particular set of frequency resources and/or time resources in a given radio frame, as in the case of, for example, a LTE network. PDCCH frequency domain and time domain resources are configured on a per CORESET basis. Thus, once a UE is configured with a CORESET, the UE has information that identifies which resource blocks in the frequency domain are assigned to a search space set associated with the CORESET, as well as information that identifies a number of consecutive symbols occupied by the search space set.

In order to receive a PDCCH associated with one or more candidates of a given UE-specific search space set (i.e., a search space set that may carry control information specific to one or more particular UEs), a UE may attempt to decode a PDCCH in candidates of the search space set. For example, the UE may determine one or more CCE indices associated with a candidate, and may attempt to decode the PDCCH (e.g., using a blind decoding procedure). In some cases (e.g., 3GPP Release <NUM> of <NUM>/NR), limits on the number of non-overlapping CCEs and BDs are defined on a per-slot basis. Thus, a large number of CCEs/BDs (in the extreme case, all of them) may be configured within one span. This significantly increases the UE complexity, particularly when attempting to conform to processing timelines that are suitable for supporting ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) applications. On the other hand, if the scheduler chooses to distribute the CCEs/BDs across different spans, the number of CCE/BDs per span may not be sufficient. For example, for a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of <NUM> kilohertz (kHz) and a span capability of (X,Y) = (<NUM>,<NUM>), each span can have <NUM> CCEs. Hence, only one candidate of aggregation level = <NUM> can be supported. Span capabilities are described in more detail in connection with <FIG>.

To address the above issues, 3GPP Release <NUM> of <NUM>/NR introduces a PDCCH monitoring capability that is based at least in part on a span configuration of the UE. To improve scheduling flexibility, the number of non-overlapping CCEs and BDs per slot are increased as compared to 3GPP Release <NUM> of <NUM>/NR. Furthermore, to relax the UE complexity, a per-span CCE/BD limit (also referred to as a per-span capability) may be specified. This PDCCH monitoring capability may be referred to herein as a span-based monitoring capability or a Release <NUM> monitoring capability, whereas the PDCCH monitoring capability defined on a per-slot basis may be referred to as a slot-based monitoring capability or a Release <NUM> monitoring capability. In other words, slot-based monitoring is monitoring for which CCE/BD limits are defined per slot, whereas span-based monitoring is monitoring for which CCE/BD limits are defined per span.

A UE may report PDCCH monitoring capabilities for a set of cases. For example, the UE may report PDCCH monitoring capabilities for Case <NUM>, Case <NUM>, and Case <NUM>. The PDCCH monitoring capability for Case <NUM> identifies a number of component carriers (CCs) for which the UE can perform slot-based monitoring. The PDCCH monitoring capability for Case <NUM> identifies a number of CCs for which the UE can perform span-based monitoring. The value of the threshold number of CCs for Case <NUM> can be smaller than <NUM>. The PDCCH monitoring capability for Case <NUM> identifies the number of CCs for which the UE can perform slot-based monitoring and the number of CCs for which the UE can perform span-based monitoring on different cells. As used herein, slot-based monitoring may refer to a monitoring configuration in which CCE and BD limits are per slot (e.g., a Release <NUM> monitoring configuration). Each of the numbers of CCs (for slot-based monitoring and span-based monitoring) can be smaller than <NUM>. The sum of the numbers of CCs for which the UE can perform span-based monitoring and slot-based monitoring may not be larger than <NUM> and may or may not be smaller than <NUM>. In some cases, the UE may report the numbers of CCs for the which the UE can perform span-based monitoring and slot-based monitoring separately from each other.

In some cases, the UE may be configured with a number of carriers that exceeds the threshold identified by the PDCCH monitoring capability. For example, if the UE is configured with both Release <NUM> and Release <NUM> PDCCHs across different carriers, and if the number of DL carriers exceeds the UE's capability for monitoring Release <NUM> PDCCHs and/or Release <NUM> PDCCHs, the number of non-overlapped CCEs to be received or BDs to be performed may exceed the UE's capabilities on one or more carriers. Therefore, it may be beneficial to split the CCEs and/or BDs across carriers with different PDCCH monitoring capabilities (e.g., slot-based versus span-based), different SCSs, and different span patterns. However, there may be ambiguity as to how this distribution is to be performed, particularly in cases when the UE is configured with both Release <NUM> PDCCHs and Release <NUM> PDCCHs.

In some aspects, this distribution may be performed separately for a set of carriers associated with Release <NUM> PDCCHs (e.g., Release <NUM> carriers), and for a set of carriers associated with Release <NUM> PDCCHs (e.g., Release <NUM> carriers). In this case, the UE or the BS may determine the number of non-overlapping CCEs or BDs across the carriers and per scheduled cell for the carriers configured with the Release <NUM> PDCCH and the Release <NUM> PDCCH separately. For carriers configured with the Release <NUM> PDCCH, a value <MAT> may represent the number of CCs for which the UE can perform slot-based monitoring, and the distribution of BDs (e.g., represented by M in the following equations) and non-overlapped CCEs (e.g., represented by C in the following equations) may be determined as follows:.

However, there may be ambiguity as to how CCEs and/or BDs should be distributed for Release <NUM> carriers, particularly for different span configurations and different SCSs. For example, the per-span CCE and BD limits or capabilities may impose additional challenges that are not present for the slot-based limits or capabilities of Release <NUM>. Furthermore, different span configurations may be associated with different CCE limits and/or BD limits. Therefore, the Release <NUM> technique for distributing CCEs and/or BDs among a set of carriers may be inefficient or unsuitable for distributing CCEs and/or BDs on a set of carriers associated with Release <NUM> PDCCHs that exceed the UE's capabilities.

Some techniques and apparatuses described herein provide distribution of BDs and/or CCEs across a plurality of carriers associated with Release <NUM> PDCCHs when a number of the plurality of carriers exceeds a UE's capabilities. For example, some techniques and apparatuses described herein provide distribution of the BDs and/or CCEs based at least in part on respective SCSs and/or span configurations of the plurality of carriers. In this way, span-based limitation of CCEs and/or BDs may be enforced for carrier combinations associated with per-span monitoring or a combination of per-span and per-slot monitoring, which improves conformance with UE capabilities, improves scheduling flexibility, and reduces complexity.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of spans in a slot for physical downlink control channel monitoring, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. <FIG> shows a set of slots that are associated with respective span configurations, shown by reference number <NUM>. A span configuration may identify a minimum gap X between the starting symbol of two spans and a maximum span duration Y. If a UE monitors a PDCCH on a cell according to combination (X, Y), the UE supports PDCCH monitoring occasions in any symbol of a slot with minimum time separation of X symbols between the first symbol of two consecutive spans, including across slots. A span starts at a first symbol where a PDCCH monitoring occasion starts and ends at a last symbol where a PDCCH monitoring occasion ends, where the number of symbols of the span is up to Y.

The spans corresponding to span configurations (<NUM>, <NUM>), (<NUM>, <NUM>), and (<NUM>, <NUM>) are shown by reference numbers <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, respectively. The spans shown by reference number <NUM> are shown using alternating diagonal hatching, since these spans are adjacent to each other and would be difficult to differentiate otherwise. The spans shown by reference numbers <NUM> and <NUM> are separated by symbols that are not included in a span, which are shown by white rectangles.

The minimum gap X is shown for span configurations (<NUM>, <NUM>), (<NUM>, <NUM>), and (<NUM>, <NUM>) by reference numbers <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, respectively. It should be noted that X defines a minimum gap, so starting symbols of a pair of spans associated with span configuration (<NUM>, <NUM>) may be two or more symbols apart from each other. Furthermore, the maximum span duration Y defines a maximum span duration, so the span <NUM> may have one-symbol or two-symbol spans while still being within the definition of the span configuration (<NUM>, <NUM>).

A span configuration may be associated with a per-span capability for a number of BDs and/or a number of non-overlapped CCEs in a span. A per-span capability for a number of BDs may identify a maximum number of BDs that can be configured in a span shown by reference number <NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>, and a per-span capability for a number of non-overlapped CCEs may identify a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs that can be configured in a span shown by reference number <NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM>. These per-span capabilities may also be referred to as a BD limit and a CCE limit, respectively.

A UE may report a capability regarding one or more span configurations supported by the UE. For example, the UE may report that the UE supports one or more of span configurations (<NUM>, <NUM>), (<NUM>, <NUM>), and (<NUM>, <NUM>). The UE may determine which span configuration is to be used for a communication based at least in part on a search space configuration. For example, a search space configuration may indicate search space candidates, and the UE may identify a span configuration that aligns with the search space candidates. In the case that the search space configuration aligns with two or more span configurations, the UE may use a largest CCE limit and/or a BD limit of the CCE limits and/or BD limits associated with the two or more span configurations.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example <NUM> of distribution of blind decodes or non-overlapped control channel elements among a plurality of carriers for physical downlink control channel monitoring, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. As shown, example <NUM> includes a UE <NUM> and a BS <NUM>. The operations described in connection with example <NUM> and example <NUM> are largely described by reference to determining a distribution of BDs. However, these operations can readily be applied for determining a distribution of CCEs as well. For example, references to a variable M, which is commonly used herein to refer to a limit for a BD, may also be understood to refer to a variable C, which is commonly used herein to refer to a limit for a CCE.

As shown in <FIG>, and by reference number <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may be configured with a plurality of carriers. For example, the BS <NUM> may provide configuration information to the UE <NUM> for the plurality of carriers. In some aspects, the configuration information may indicate whether each carrier, of the plurality of carriers, is associated with a Release <NUM> (e.g., slot-based) PDCCH monitoring configuration (e.g., is a Release <NUM> carrier) or a Release <NUM> (e.g., span-based) PDCCH monitoring configuration (e.g., is a Release <NUM> carrier).

As shown by reference number <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may determine that a number of carriers associated with per-span BD or CCE monitoring exceeds a threshold. For example, the plurality of carriers may include two or more carriers that are associated with PDCCHs configured for span-based monitoring (e.g., Release <NUM> PDCCHs). If a number of the two or more carriers exceeds a threshold associated with a monitoring capability for span-based monitoring of the plurality of carriers, then the UE <NUM> may determine that the number of carriers exceeds the threshold. In some aspects, the threshold may be referred to herein as <MAT>. In some aspects, the UE <NUM> may perform the operations described with regard to reference numbers <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG> without determining that the number of carriers associated with per-span BD or CCE monitoring exceeds the threshold. For example, the UE <NUM> may optionally determine whether the number of carriers exceeds the threshold.

As shown by reference number <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may determine a distribution of non-overlapped CCEs or BDs, across the plurality of carriers, that satisfies a per-span capability of the UE <NUM>. For example, different carriers can be associated with different capabilities (e.g., for slot-based versus span-based monitoring), different SCSs, and/or different span configurations. The UE <NUM> may determine the distribution so that a per-slot monitoring capability of the UE <NUM> is satisfied while taking into account the different capabilities, SCSs, and/or span configurations. As shown by reference number <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may receive communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution. Examples of determining the distribution are provided below.

In some aspects, "hard splitting" is referred to herein. Hard splitting may refer to dividing a plurality of carriers into two or more groups of carriers based at least in part on one or more properties of the plurality of carriers. For example, if a set of carriers is hard-split based at least in part on SCS, then all carriers of the set of carriers associated with a first SCS may be placed in a first group, all carriers associated with a second SCS may be placed in a second group, and so on. As another example, a plurality of carriers may be hard-split into a group of Release <NUM> carriers and a group of Release <NUM> carriers. A group of carriers, formed by hard-splitting a plurality of carriers, may be associated with a set of BDs or CCEs that are to be distributed among the group of carriers. "Soft splitting" may be performed within a group that is formed by hard splitting a plurality of carriers. For example, a set of CCEs or BDs, of a group of carriers, may be soft-split among the group of carriers based at least in part on one or more rules, described below.

In some aspects, the UE <NUM> may distribute the non-overlapped CCEs and/or BDs based at least in part on SCSs and span configurations. As an example, the UE <NUM> may hard-split a plurality of carriers in accordance with SCSs and span configurations of the plurality of carriers to form groups of carriers with the same SCS and span configuration, and may soft-split non-overlapped CCEs and/or BDs of a group of carriers among the group of carriers. For example, let <MAT> represent a group of carriers associated with a particular span configuration (x, y) and a SCS of u. Let <MAT> represent the per-span limit on the number of BDs for a given span under the (x, y) configuration for a carrier with an SCS of u. In this case, <MAT> gives the total number of BDs across one span in each of the carriers with SCS = u and the span configuration (x, y). Furthermore, on each scheduled carrier and for a given span, the UE <NUM> may distribute the BDs and/or non-overlapped CCEs based at least in part on a rule that the UE <NUM> is not expected to perform more than <MAT> BDs. In some aspects, the distribution of the <MAT> over the sans is performed by the BS <NUM> as long as the per-span limit given by the minimum conditional above is satisfied. The operations described above may be performed using the equations described elsewhere herein for determining the BD and/or CCE distribution for a Release <NUM> carrier. The UE <NUM> and/or the BS <NUM> may perform similar operations for the number of non-overlapped CCEs (e.g., using <MAT> and <MAT>).

Consider a first example where the UE <NUM> is configured with <NUM> Release <NUM> carriers and is associated with a threshold number of <NUM> Release <NUM> carriers. In this example, <NUM> carriers, CC1 and CC2, have a span configuration of (<NUM>, <NUM>) and an SCS of <NUM>, and <NUM> carriers, CC3 and CC4, have a span configuration of (<NUM>, <NUM>) and an SCS of <NUM>. Furthermore, the UE <NUM> has a per-span capability for the (<NUM>, <NUM>) span capability of w and for the (<NUM>, <NUM>) span capability of z. In this case, <MAT> BDs across one span of CC1 and one span of CC2 in total. Furthermore, on each span, the UE <NUM> may distribute no more than min{w,<NUM>. 5w} = w BDs. Furthermore, <MAT> BDs across one span of CC3 and one span of CC4 in total. On each cell, the UE <NUM> may distribute no more than min{z,<NUM>. 5z} = z BDs. Now consider a second example where the UE <NUM> is configured with <NUM> Release <NUM> carriers and is associated with a threshold number of <NUM> Release <NUM> carriers (so that the capability of the UE <NUM> is exceeded). In this case, <MAT>= <MAT> BDs across one span of CC1 and one span of CC2 in total, and on each span, the UE <NUM> may distribute no more than min{w,<NUM>. 5w} = w BDs. Furthermore, <MAT> BDs across one span of CC3 and one span of CC4 in total, and on each span, the UE <NUM> may distribute no more than min{z,<NUM>. 5z} = z BDs.

In some aspects, if the UE supports multiple span configurations, and if the span pattern is valid for multiple supported span configurations, the UE <NUM> may select the span configuration with the largest CCE/BD limit per span. In this case, the hard-splitting of the plurality of carriers based at least in part on the span configuration may take the selection of the span configuration with the largest CCE/BD limit per span into account, or may be performed based at least in part on the selection of the span configuration with the largest CCE/BD limit per span.

In some aspects, the UE <NUM> may determine M based at least in part on respective spans of a first carrier and a second carrier. For example, the number M may be an upper bound on the BD limit for a span, and conformance with M may be determined by reference to the number of BDs in a first span on a first carrier and a second span on a second carrier. In a first aspect, referred to as Definition <NUM>, the first span and the second span may be arbitrary spans on the first carrier and the second carrier. For example, Definition <NUM> may indicate that the number of BDs for any combination of spans on the first carrier and the second carrier is not to exceed the BD limit for a span. In a second aspect, referred to as Definition <NUM>, the first span may be an arbitrary span on the first carrier and the second span may be a span on the second carrier that at least partially overlaps the first carrier in time. For example, Definition <NUM> may indicate that the number of BDs for any combination of a span on the first carrier and a span on the second carrier that overlaps the span on the first carrier is not to exceed the BD limit for a span. In a third aspect, referred to as Definition <NUM>, the first span may be an arbitrary span on the first carrier and the second span may be a span on the second carrier that starts with a same symbol (e.g., a same OFDM symbol) as the span on the first carrier. For example, Definition <NUM> may indicate that the number of BDs for any combination of a span on the first carrier and a span on the second carrier that starts with a same OFDM symbol as the span on the first carrier is not to exceed the BD limit for a span.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example <NUM> of spans on a pair of carriers for physical downlink control channel monitoring, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. <FIG> provides an illustration used below to describe Definition <NUM> and Definition <NUM>. As shown, example <NUM> includes a CC1 and a CC2. CC1 includes Span1 and Span2, and CC2 includes Span3 and Span4. As shown, Span3 partially overlaps Span1 and Span2 in time, though Span3 does not start with the same OFDM symbol as Span1 or Span <NUM>. Under Definition <NUM> (described in connection with reference number <NUM> above), <MAT> may be satisfied over any combination of a span from CC1 (e.g., Span1 or Span2) and a span from CC2 (e.g., Span3 or Span4). In particular, the number of BDs in Span i of CC1 + Span j of CC2 should not be more than <MAT>. In addition, the number of BDs in no span should be more than the per-span capability defined for the considered span configuration. In some aspects, Definition <NUM> may apply for fully aligned spans (such as spans associated with a same starting symbol and length).

Under Definition <NUM>, since span1 of CC1 overlaps with Span3 of CC2 and Span2 of CC1 also overlaps with Span3 of CC2, then the maximum total number of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs for Span1 and <MAT>, and the maximum total number of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs for Span2 and <MAT>. Furthermore, M (e.g., the maximum total number of blind decodes) for each of the <NUM> spans may be less than the per-span limit for the corresponding span configuration. In some aspects, Definition <NUM> may apply for spans that are not fully aligned (such as spans associated with different starting symbols or lengths).

Returning to <FIG>, In some aspects, the UE <NUM> may distribute the non-overlapped CCEs and/or BDs based at least in part on SCSs, span configurations, and numbers of spans per slot. As an example, the UE <NUM> may hard-split a plurality of carriers in accordance with SCSs, span configurations, and numbers of spans per slot of the plurality of carriers to form groups of carriers with the same SCS, span configuration, and number of spans per slot. The UE <NUM> may soft-split non-overlapped CCEs and/or BDs of a group of carriers among the group of carriers. In this case, let <MAT> represent the number of the carriers that satisfy a span configuration (x, y) with n spans per slot and configured with SCS = u. Let <MAT> represent the limit on the number of BDs summed over the number of spans in a given carrier under the (x, y) span configuration for a carrier with SCS = u. <MAT> may provide the total number of BDs across the carriers with SCS = u, an (x, y) span configuration, and n spans per slot.

As an example, consider a UE <NUM> for which an <MAT> for the Release <NUM> PDCCH is <NUM> and which is configured with <NUM> carriers. For this example, the per-span limit on the number of BDs for a (<NUM>, <NUM>) span configuration is <NUM>, for a (<NUM>, <NUM>) span configuration is <NUM>, and for a (<NUM>,<NUM>) span configuration is <NUM>. The <NUM> carriers include CC1, CC2, CC3, CC4, CC5, and CC6. CC1 and CC2 have a SCS of <NUM>, a (<NUM>,<NUM>) span configuration, and <NUM> spans per slot, meaning that the total BD limit in a slot for CC1 and CC2 is <NUM>* <NUM> = <NUM>. CC3 has an SCS of <NUM>, a (<NUM>,<NUM>) span configuration, and <NUM> spans per slot, meaning that the total BD limit in a slot for CC3 is <NUM>*<NUM> = <NUM>. CC4 and CC5 have a SCS of <NUM>, a (<NUM>,<NUM>) span configuration, and <NUM> spans per slot, meaning that the total BD limit in a slot for CC4 and CC5 is <NUM>*<NUM> = <NUM>. CC6 has a SCS of <NUM>, a (<NUM>,<NUM>) span configuration, and one span per slot, meaning that the total BD limit in a slot for CC6 is <NUM>*<NUM> = <NUM>.

Based on the above values, <MAT> BDs across all spans of CC1 and CC2. In this case, the per-span limit of <NUM> BDs may still be respected. <MAT> BDs across all spans of CC3. In this case, the per-span limit of <NUM> BDs may still be respected. Similar operations may be performed for CC4, CC5, and CC6.

In some aspects, the UE <NUM> may distribute the non-overlapped CCEs and/or BDs based at least in part on SCSs and span configurations. As an example, the UE <NUM> may hard-split a plurality of carriers in accordance with SCSs of the plurality of carriers to form groups of carriers with the same SCS using the equation <MAT>. The UE <NUM> may soft-split non-overlapped CCEs and/or BDs of a group of carriers among the group of carriers based at least in part on span configurations. In this case, for each carrier, the UE <NUM> may divide the maximum number of BDs across different spans by the per-span BD limit of the associated span configuration. Then, the UE <NUM> may sum such values across carriers with a given SCS. The UE <NUM> may distribute the BDs and/or CCEs so that the sum is smaller than or equal to the value derived from dividing the maximum number of BDs by the per-span BD limit of the associated span configuration.

As an example, consider a UE <NUM> with <MAT>. In this example, four carriers are configured with a Release <NUM> PDCCH:.

For the SCS of <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may determine an effective number of carriers of <NUM>*<NUM>/<NUM> = <NUM>. For the SCS of <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may determine an effective number of carriers of <NUM>*<NUM>/<NUM> = <NUM>. The UE <NUM> may then distribute the BDs of the carriers with SCS of <NUM>, and the BDs of the carriers with SCS of <NUM>, as shown below:.

In some aspects, the UE <NUM> may perform soft splitting across carriers configured with a Release <NUM> PDCCH with the same or different SCS and/or span configuration. For example, the UE <NUM> may select a slot of a carrier, of a plurality of carriers, with the smallest SCS value. For other carriers of the plurality of carriers, the UE <NUM> may select all slots that overlap in time with the slot of the carrier with the smallest SCS value. The UE <NUM> may take the maximum number of BDs across different spans of the slots within the slot defined by the smallest SCS, and may divide the maximum number of BDs by the per-span BD limit of a span configuration associated with that span, to determine a set of values corresponding to the plurality of carriers. The UE <NUM> may distribute the BDs so that a sum of the set of values is smaller than or equal to the value indicated by pddch-BlindDetectionCA-r16.

As an example, consider a UE with a threshold for span-based monitoring (e.g., <MAT>) of <NUM>. In this example, four carriers are configured with a Release <NUM> PDCCH:.

In the above slot configuration, the UE <NUM> may select a single slot of CC3 and CC4 and may select two slots of CC1 and CC2 that overlap the single slot of CC3 and CC4. For CC1, the UE <NUM> may take the maximum number of BDs across the spans in the two slots and may divide by the per-span BD limit of <NUM>. For CC2, the UE <NUM> may take the maximum number of BDs across the spans in the two slots and may divide by the per-span BD limit of <NUM>. For CC3, the UE <NUM> may take the maximum number of BDs across the spans in the slot and may divide by the per-span BD limit of <NUM>. For CC3, the UE <NUM> may take the maximum number of BDs across the spans in the slot and may divide by the per-span BD limit of <NUM>. The UE <NUM> may distribute the BDs so that the sum of the values determined above does not exceed the <MAT> value of <NUM>, and so that the per-span capabilities of the UE <NUM> are satisfied for each span according to the SCS and span configuration of the corresponding carrier.

As indicated above, <FIG> and <FIG> are provided as one or more examples. Other examples may differ from what is described with respect to <FIG> and <FIG>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example process <NUM> performed, for example, by a UE, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Example process <NUM> is an example where the UE (e.g., UE <NUM> and/or the like) performs operations associated with CCE and BD limits for a PDCCH.

As shown in <FIG>, in some aspects, process <NUM> may include receiving configuration information for a plurality of carriers (block <NUM>). For example, the UE (e.g., using antenna <NUM>, DEMOD <NUM>, MIMO detector <NUM>, receive processor <NUM>, controller/processor <NUM>, and/or the like) may receive configuration information for a plurality of carriers, as described above. In some aspects, a number of carriers, of the plurality of carriers, exceeds a threshold associated with a monitoring capability of the UE. In some aspects, the monitoring capability is for span-based monitoring of the plurality of carriers. In some aspects, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped control channel elements (CCEs) or a plurality of blind decodes satisfies a per-span capability of the UE. For example, the distribution may be among a plurality of sets of carriers, and each set of carriers of the plurality of set of carriers is associated with a respective subcarrier spacing and a respective span configuration.

As further shown in <FIG>, in some aspects, process <NUM> may include determining, for the plurality of carriers, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped CCEs or a plurality of blind decodes that satisfies a per-span capability of the UE (block <NUM>). For example, the UE (e.g., using controller/processor <NUM> and/or the like) may optionally (as indicated by the dashed border of block <NUM>) determine, for the plurality of carriers based at least in part on the number of carriers exceeding the threshold, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped CCEs or a plurality of blind decodes that satisfies a per-span capability of the UE, as described above.

As further shown in <FIG>, in some aspects, process <NUM> may include receiving communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution (block <NUM>). For example, the UE (e.g., using antenna <NUM>, DEMOD <NUM>, MIMO detector <NUM>, receive processor <NUM>, controller/processor <NUM>, and/or the like) may receive communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution, as described above.

In a first aspect, the per-span capability is a first per-span capability and is specific to a first span configuration, a first set of carriers of the plurality of carriers is associated with the first span configuration, and a second set of carriers of the plurality of carriers is associated with a second per-span capability specific to a second span configuration.

In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the distribution is based at least in part on the first per-span capability and the second per-span capability.

In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, the distribution is based at least in part on a rule indicating that, for a given span associated with a given subcarrier spacing and a given span configuration, the UE is not to receive a number of non-overlapped CCEs or perform a number of blind decodes that exceeds a minimum of a maximum number of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs indicated by the per-span capability for the given span, and a maximum total number of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs across respective spans of the plurality of carriers.

In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, the respective spans comprise a combination of a first span on a first carrier, of the plurality of carriers, and a second span on a second carrier of the plurality of carriers.

In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the respective spans comprise a first span on a first carrier, of the plurality of carriers, and a second span on a second carrier, of the plurality of carriers, the second span at least partially overlaps the first span.

In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, the second span starts with a same modulation symbol as the first span.

In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, when the UE supports multiple span configurations for the given span a search space or control resource set configuration is aligned with the multiple span configurations, the given span configuration is a span configuration, of the multiple span configurations, associated with a largest number of non-overlapped CCEs or blind decodes per span.

In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, the distribution is based at least in part on a rule indicating that, for a given span associated with a given subcarrier spacing, a given span configuration, and a given number of spans per slot, the UE is not to receive a number of non-overlapped CCEs or perform a number of blind decodes that exceeds a minimum of a maximum number of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs indicated by the per-span capability for the given span, and a maximum total number of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs across respective spans of the plurality of carriers.

In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, determining the distribution further comprises determining an effective number of carriers for a given subcarrier spacing based at least in part on a total number of carriers of the plurality of carriers, a number of carriers of the given subcarrier spacing, and the threshold associated with the monitoring capability, wherein the threshold identifies a total number of carriers for which the UE supports per-span blind detection or CCE limitation; and determining the distribution, with regard to a first carrier and a second carrier associated with the given subcarrier spacing, based at least in part on respective per-span capabilities of the first carrier and the second carrier and on the effective number of carriers.

In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, the respective per-span capabilities of the first carrier and the second carrier are based at least in part on respective span configurations of the first carrier and the second carrier.

In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, determining the distribution further comprises selecting respective slots of the plurality of carriers; determining, for a set of carriers, of the plurality of carriers, a set of values based at least in part on dividing respective maximum numbers of blind decodes or respective maximum numbers of non-overlapped CCEs across respective sets of spans of the respective slots of the set of carriers by respective maximum numbers of blind decodes or non-overlapped CCEs indicated by respective per-span capabilities for the respective sets of spans; and determining the distribution so that a sum of the set of values does not exceed threshold associated with the monitoring capability of the UE.

In a twelfth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, the distribution is based at least in part on a rule that the per-span capability is not to be exceeded for each span of the respective sets of spans.

In a thirteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through twelfth aspects, a number of carriers, of the plurality of carriers, exceeds a threshold associated with a monitoring capability of the UE, wherein the monitoring capability is for span-based monitoring of the plurality of carriers, and wherein determining the distribution is based at least in part on the number of carriers exceeding the threshold.

In a fourteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through thirteenth aspects, the configuration relates to a larger plurality of carriers including the plurality of carriers, wherein the larger plurality of carriers includes one or more carriers associated with a slot-based monitoring configuration, wherein the plurality of carriers are associated with a span-based monitoring configuration, and wherein the distribution is based at least in part on a hard split between the plurality of carriers and the one or more carriers.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example process <NUM> performed, for example, by a base station, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Example process <NUM> is an example where the base station (e.g., BS <NUM> and/or the like) performs operations associated with CCE and BD limits for a PDCCH.

As shown in <FIG>, in some aspects, process <NUM> may include transmitting configuration information for a plurality of carriers (block <NUM>). For example, the base station (e.g., using controller/processor <NUM>, transmit processor <NUM>, TX MIMO processor <NUM>, MOD <NUM>, antenna <NUM>, and/or the like) may transmit configuration information for a plurality of carriers, as described above. In some aspects, a number of carriers, of the plurality of carriers, exceeds a threshold associated with a monitoring capability of a UE. In some aspects, the monitoring capability is for span-based monitoring of the plurality of carriers. In some aspects, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped control channel elements (CCEs) or a plurality of blind decodes satisfies a per-span capability of the UE. For example, the distribution may be among a plurality of sets of carriers, and each set of carriers of the plurality of set of carriers is associated with a respective subcarrier spacing and a respective span configuration.

As further shown in <FIG>, in some aspects, process <NUM> may optionally (as indicated by the dashed border of block <NUM>) include determining, for the plurality of carriers, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped CCEs or a plurality of blind decodes that satisfies a per-span capability of a UE (block <NUM>). For example, the base station (e.g., using antenna <NUM>, DEMOD <NUM>, MIMO detector <NUM>, receive processor <NUM>, controller/processor <NUM>, and/or the like) may determine, for the plurality of carriers, a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped CCEs or a plurality of blind decodes that satisfies a per-span capability of a UE, as described above.

As further shown in <FIG>, in some aspects, process <NUM> may include transmitting communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution (block <NUM>). For example, the base station (e.g., using controller/processor <NUM>, transmit processor <NUM>, TX MIMO processor <NUM>, MOD <NUM>, antenna <NUM>, and/or the like) may transmit communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution, as described above.

Claim 1:
A user equipment, UE (<NUM>), for wireless communication, comprising:
means for receiving configuration information for a plurality of carriers, wherein a number of carriers, of the plurality of carriers, exceeds a threshold associated with a monitoring capability of the UE (<NUM>), wherein the monitoring capability is for span-based monitoring of the plurality of carriers;
means for determining a distribution of at least one of a plurality of non-overlapped control channel elements, CCEs, or a plurality of blind decodes satisfies a per-span capability of the UE (<NUM>), wherein the distribution is among a plurality of sets of carriers, and wherein each set of carriers of the plurality of set of carriers is associated with a respective subcarrier spacing and a respective span configuration; and
means for receiving communications on the plurality of carriers in accordance with the distribution.