PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10903969-B2
Application Number: US-201815918854-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Modular control channel formats for uplink control information in a cellular communication system

Abstract:
This disclosure relates to performing cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information. A wireless device may determine a slot structure for uplink communication. The slot structure may be selected from multiple possible slot structures. Uplink control information may be transmitted via one or more uplink control channel modules during a slot. A number of uplink control channel modules on which uplink control information is transmitted during the slot may be selected based at least in part on the slot structure for uplink control communication.

Claims:
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium; and 
 a processor coupled to the memory medium and configured to cause a wireless user equipment (UE) device to:
 determine a slot structure for uplink communication; 
 determine an uplink control channel module structure and a number of symbols for reference signals of the UE device within the uplink control channel module structure to use for transmitting uplink control information via an uplink control channel, wherein the uplink control channel module structure is determined from a plurality of uplink control channel module structures corresponding to different numbers of symbols, wherein the number of symbols for reference signals of the uplink control module structure is determined based at least in part on an amount of the uplink control information to be transmitted, wherein, when the number of symbols for reference signals is determined to be one and the number of symbols of the determined uplink control channel module structure is five, the reference signal is located in a third symbol in the uplink control channel module structure; and
 transmit the uplink control information via the uplink control channel according to the uplink control channel module structure and the determined number of symbols for reference signals within the uplink control channel module structure, wherein the uplink control channel has a format that is modular, wherein two of the uplink control module structures are used for the uplink control information transmission. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the two determined uplink control module structures are transmitted on different subcarriers. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the two determined uplink control module structures are transmitted on different symbols. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE device to:
 determine a slot type for the uplink communication from at least a first uplink slot type and a second uplink slot type; and 
 wherein the uplink control channel module structure is determined based at least in part on the slot type. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein to determine the uplink control channel module structure, the processor is further configured to cause the UE device to:
 select a first uplink control channel module structure for the first uplink slot type; and 
 select a second uplink control channel module structure for the second uplink slot type, 
 wherein the first uplink slot type comprises more uplink symbols than the second uplink slot type, wherein the first uplink control channel module structure comprises more symbols than the second uplink control channel module structure. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE device to:
 determine a number of symbols for uplink control information of each of the two uplink control module structures. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE device to:
 determine an order of symbols for uplink control information and symbols for reference signals of each of the determined uplink control module structures. 
 
     
     
       8. A method, comprising:
 by a wireless user equipment (UE) device:
 determining a slot structure for uplink communication; 
 determining an uplink control channel module structure and a number of symbols for reference signals of the UE device within the uplink control channel module structure to use for transmitting uplink control information via an uplink control channel, wherein the uplink control channel module structure is determined from a plurality of uplink control channel module structures corresponding to different numbers of symbols, wherein the number of symbols for reference signals within the uplink control channel module structure is determined based at least in part on an amount of the uplink control information to be transmitted, wherein, when the number of symbols for reference signals is determined to be two and the number of symbols of the determined uplink control channel module structure is five, the reference signals are located in a second and fourth symbol in the uplink control channel module structure; and 
 transmitting the uplink control information via one or more uplink control channel modules according to the uplink control channel module structure and the determined number of symbols for reference signals within the uplink control channel module structure during a slot. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein a first slot structure comprises a 7 symbol slot structure, wherein a second slot structure comprises a 14 symbol slot structure. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, by the UE device:
 determining a slot type for the uplink communication, 
 wherein the uplink control channel module structure for the uplink control modules is determined based at least in part on the slot type. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the slot type is determined from at least a first uplink slot type and a second uplink slot type. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the first uplink slot type comprises an uplink-only slot type, 
 wherein the second uplink slot type comprises an uplink-centric slot type. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the uplink control channel module structure is determined from at least a 5 symbol uplink control channel module or a 7 symbol uplink control channel module. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, by the UE device:
 determining an uplink control channel module format for the uplink control channel module(s), 
 wherein the uplink control channel module format is determined from at least a first uplink control channel module format and a second uplink control channel module format, 
 wherein the first uplink control channel module format comprises more symbols for the uplink control information and fewer symbols for reference signals than the second uplink control channel module format. 
 
     
     
       15. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:
 an antenna; 
 a radio operably coupled to the antenna; and 
 a processor operably coupled to the radio; 
 wherein the UE device is configured to:
 determine a slot structure for uplink communication; 
 determine an uplink control channel module structure and a number of symbols for reference signals of the UE device within the determined uplink control channel module structure to use for transmitting uplink control information via an uplink control channel, wherein the uplink control channel module structure is determined from a plurality of uplink control channel module structures corresponding to different numbers of symbols, wherein the number of symbols for reference signals within the uplink control channel module structure is determined based at least in part on an amount of the uplink control information to be transmitted, wherein, when the number of symbols of the determined uplink control channel module structure is five: 
 when the number of symbols for reference signals is determined to be one, the reference signal is located in a third symbol in the uplink control channel module structure; and 
 when the number of symbols for reference signals is determined to be two, the reference signals are located in a second and fourth symbol in the uplink control channel module structure; and 
 transmit the uplink control information via one or more uplink control channel modules according to the uplink control channel module structure and the determined number of symbols for reference signals within the uplink control channel module structure during a slot. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The UE device of  claim 15 , wherein a first slot structure comprises fewer symbols per slot than a second slot structure, wherein the UE device is further configured to:
 select one uplink control channel module on which to transmit uplink control information for the first slot structure; and 
 select two uplink control channel modules on which to transmit uplink control information for the second slot structure. 
 
     
     
       17. The UE device of  claim 16 ,
 wherein when two uplink control channel modules are selected, the uplink control modules are transmitted on different subcarriers and on different symbols of the slot. 
 
     
     
       18. The UE device of  claim 15 , wherein the UE device is further configured to:
 determine a slot type for the uplink communication from at least a plurality of possible uplink slot types; and 
 wherein the uplink control channel module structure is determined based at least in part on the slot type. 
 
     
     
       19. The UE device of  claim 18 , wherein to determine the uplink control channel module structure, the UE device is further configured to:
 select an uplink control channel module structure comprising more uplink symbols for an uplink slot type comprising more uplink symbols than for an uplink slot type comprising fewer uplink symbols. 
 
     
     
       20. The UE device of  claim 15 , wherein the UE device is further configured to determine one or more of:
 a number of symbols for the uplink control information of each of the one or more uplink control channel modules; or 
 an order of symbols for the uplink control information and symbols for reference signals of each of the one or more uplink control channel modules.

Description:
PRIORITY INFORMATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/475,250, entitled “Modular Control Channel Formats for Uplink Control Information in a Cellular Communication System,” filed Mar. 23, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as though fully and completely set forth herein. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present application relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     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 (i.e., user equipment devices or UEs) 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. Additionally, there exist numerous different wireless communication technologies and standards. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1×RTT, 1×EV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), BLUETOOTH™, etc. 
     The ever increasing number of features and functionality introduced in wireless communication devices also creates a continuous need for improvement in both wireless communications and in wireless communication devices. In particular, it is important to ensure the accuracy of transmitted and received signals through user equipment (UE) devices, e.g., through wireless devices such as cellular phones, base stations and relay stations used in wireless cellular communications. In addition, increasing the functionality of a UE device can place a significant strain on the battery life of the UE device. Thus it is very important to also reduce power requirements in UE device designs while allowing the UE device to maintain good transmit and receive abilities for improved communications. 
     To increase coverage and better serve the increasing demand and range of envisioned uses of wireless communication, in addition to the communication standards mentioned above, there are further wireless communication technologies under development, including fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) communication. Accordingly, improvements in the field in support of such development and design are desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments are presented herein of apparatuses, systems, and methods for cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information. 
     In some instances, cellular communication may be performed in a manner such multiple possible slot structures and/or formats used. Further, at least in some instances, it may be possible to dynamically select from among the possible structures and/or formats. For example, at least according to some embodiments, 5G NR communication systems may support multiple slot structures and formats, e.g., including 7 symbol and 14 symbol slot structures, as well as uplink-only, uplink-centric, downlink centric, and downlink-only slot formats. Such flexibility may facilitate efficient scheduling of transmission slots, at least in some embodiments. 
     In conjunction with such various possible slot structures and/or formats, a modular system for providing uplink control information may be used. For example, it may be possible to define one or more uplink control channel modules that fit within a 7 symbol slot structure, and to simply use multiple such modules if a 14 symbol slot structure is used, e.g., rather than defining entirely different control channels for different slot structures. 
     According to some embodiments, it may still be possible to select from multiple possible uplink control channel module structures and/or formats for the uplink control channel modules, e.g., to provide more flexibility in conjunction with different possible slot formats. 
     For example, uplink control channel module structures having different numbers of symbols may be defined, which may allow for an uplink control channel module structure having more symbols to be selected for a slot format having more available uplink symbols (e.g., to fully utilize the available uplink symbols), while an uplink control channel module structure having fewer symbols to be selected for a slot format having fewer available uplink symbols (e.g., to ensure that the uplink control channel module structure can fit within the available number of uplink symbols of the slot). 
     As another example, uplink control channel module formats having different arrangements of symbols may be defined, which may allow for an uplink control channel module format having more symbols dedicated to reference signals (and thus fewer symbols dedicated to uplink control information) to be selected in conditions that warrant a greater pilot to data ratio, while an uplink control channel module format having fewer symbols dedicated to reference signals (and thus more symbols dedicated to uplink control information) to be selected in conditions that do not require as high of a pilot to data ratio. Note that formats that are differently ordered with respect to the arrangement of symbols dedicated to reference signals versus symbols dedicated to uplink control information, and/or any of various other possible format variations, are also possible. 
     Note that the techniques described herein may be implemented in and/or used with a number of different types of devices, including but not limited to base stations, access points, cellular phones, portable media players, tablet computers, wearable devices, and various other computing devices. 
     This Summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. 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. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary base station in communication with an exemplary wireless user equipment (UE) device, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a UE, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a base station, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5  is a communication flow diagram illustrating aspects of an exemplary possible method for performing cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates several exemplary possible 5G NR slot formats, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates exemplary possible 5G NR uplink control channel modules that can be used for slots having a 7 symbol slot structure, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates exemplary possible 5G NR uplink control channel modules that can be used for slots having a 14 symbol slot structure, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates exemplary possible 5G NR uplink control channel module formats for a 5 symbol uplink control channel module, according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates exemplary possible 5G NR uplink control channel module formats for a 7 symbol uplink control channel module, according to some embodiments; and 
         FIG. 11  illustrates exemplary possible 5G NR uplink control channel module formats for a 6 symbol uplink control channel module, according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     While features described herein are 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. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to be limiting to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Acronyms 
     Various acronyms are used throughout the present application. Definitions of the most prominently used acronyms that may appear throughout the present application are provided below:
         UE: User Equipment   RF: Radio Frequency   BS: Base Station   GSM: Global System for Mobile Communication   UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunication System   LTE: Long Term Evolution   NR: New Radio   TX: Transmission/Transmit   RX: Reception/Receive   LAN: Local Area Network   WLAN: Wireless LAN   AP: Access Point   RAT: Radio Access Technology   IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers   Wi-Fi: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) RAT based on the IEEE 802.11 standards       

     Terms 
     The following is a glossary of terms that may appear in the present application: 
     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 comprise 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 system 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. 
     Carrier Medium—a memory medium as described above, as well as a physical transmission medium, such as a bus, network, and/or other physical transmission medium that conveys signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals. 
     Computer System (or Computer)—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” may 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 or devices which are mobile or portable and which perform wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile telephones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), tablet computers (e.g., iPad™, Samsung Galaxy™), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS™, PlayStation Portable™, Gameboy Advance™, iPhone™), wearable devices (e.g., smart watch, smart glasses), laptops, 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. 
     Wireless Device—any of various types of computer systems or devices which perform wireless communications. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile) or may be stationary or fixed at a certain location. A UE is an example of a wireless device. 
     Communication Device—any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communications, where the communications can be wired or wireless. A communication device can be portable (or mobile) or may be stationary or fixed at a certain location. A wireless device is an example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device. 
     Base Station (BS)—The term “Base Station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a wireless communication station installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system. 
     Processing Element—refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing a function in a device, e.g. in a user equipment device or in 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. 
     Wi-Fi—The term “Wi-Fi” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a wireless communication network or RAT that is serviced by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and which provides connectivity through these access points to the Internet. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on IEEE 802.11 standards and are marketed under the name “Wi-Fi”. A Wi-Fi (WLAN) network is different from a cellular network. 
     Automatically—refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuitry, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.), without user input directly specifying or performing the action or operation. Thus the term “automatically” is in contrast to an operation being manually performed or specified by the user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic procedure may be initiated by input provided by the user, but the subsequent actions that are performed “automatically” are not specified by the user, i.e., are not performed “manually”, where the user specifies each action to perform. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting check boxes, radio selections, etc.) is filling out the form manually, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user actions. The form may be automatically filled out by the computer system where the computer system (e.g., software executing on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills in the form without any user input specifying the answers to the fields. As indicated above, the user may invoke the automatic filling of the form, but is not involved in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user is not manually specifying answers to fields but rather they are being automatically completed). The present specification provides various examples of operations being automatically performed in response to actions the user has taken. 
     Configured to—Various components may be described as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is a broad recitation generally meaning “having structure that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the component can be configured to perform the task even when the component is not currently performing that task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors may be configured to electrically connect a module to another module, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, “configured to” may be a broad recitation of structure generally meaning “having circuitry that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the component can be configured to perform the task even when the component is not currently on. In general, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuits. 
     Various components may be described as performing a task or tasks, for convenience in the description. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to.” Reciting a component that is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph six, interpretation for that component. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2 —Exemplary Communication System 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system in which aspects of this disclosure may be implemented, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the system of  FIG. 1  is merely one example of a possible system, and embodiments may be implemented in any of various systems, as desired. 
     As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station  102  which communicates over a transmission medium with one or more (e.g., an arbitrary number of) user devices  106 A,  106 B, etc. through  106 N. Each of the user devices may be referred to herein as a “user equipment” (UE) or UE device. Thus, the user devices  106  are referred to as UEs or UE devices. 
     The base station  102  may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or cell site, and may include hardware and/or software that enables wireless communication with the UEs  106 A through  106 N. If the base station  102  is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternately be referred to as an ‘eNodeB’ or ‘eNB’. If the base station  102  is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternately be referred to as a ‘gNodeB’ or ‘gNB’. The base station  102  may also be equipped to communicate with a network  100  (e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and/or the Internet, among various possibilities). Thus, the base station  102  may facilitate communication among the user devices and/or between the user devices and the network  100 . The communication area (or coverage area) of the base station may be referred to as a “cell.” As also used herein, from the perspective of UEs, a base station may sometimes be considered as representing the network insofar as uplink and downlink communications of the UE are concerned. Thus, a UE communicating with one or more base stations in the network may also be interpreted as the UE communicating with the network. 
     The base station  102  and the user devices 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 (WCDMA, TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LAA/LTE-U, 5G NR, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1×RTT, 1×EV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc. 
     Base station  102  and other similar base stations operating according to the same or a different cellular communication standard may thus be provided as one or more networks of cells, which may provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UE  106  and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards. 
     Note that a UE  106  may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, a UE  106  might be configured to communicate using either or both of a 3GPP cellular communication standard or a 3GPP2 cellular communication standard. In some embodiments, the UE  106  may be configured to perform cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information, at least according to the various methods as described herein. The UE  106  might also or alternatively be configured to communicate using WLAN, BLUETOOTH™, one or more global navigational satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one and/or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M/H or DVB-H), etc. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary user equipment  106  (e.g., one of the devices  106 A through  106 N) in communication with the base station  102 , according to some embodiments. The UE  106  may be a device with wireless network connectivity such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a wearable device, a computer or a tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device. The UE  106  may include a processor that is configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE  106  may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively, or in addition, the UE  106  may include a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) that is configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein. The UE  106  may be configured to communicate using any of multiple wireless communication protocols. For example, the UE  106  may be configured to communicate using two or more of CDMA2000, LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, WLAN, or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication standards are also possible. 
     The UE  106  may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols according to one or more RAT standards. In some embodiments, the UE  106  may share one or more parts of a receive chain and/or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication standards. The shared radio may include a single antenna, or may include 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. 
     In some embodiments, the UE  106  may include separate transmit and/or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol with which it is configured to communicate. As a further possibility, the UE  106  may include one or more radios that are shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radios that are used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE  106  may include a shared radio for communicating using either of LTE or CDMA2000 1×RTT (or LTE or GSM), and separate radios for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH™. Other configurations are also possible. 
       FIG. 3 —Block Diagram of an Exemplary UE Device 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary UE  106 , according to some embodiments. As shown, the UE  106  may include a system on chip (SOC)  300 , which may include portions for various purposes. For example, as shown, the SOC  300  may include processor(s)  302  which may execute program instructions for the UE  106  and display circuitry  304  which may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to the display  360 . The processor(s)  302  may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU)  340 , which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s)  302  and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory  306 , read only memory (ROM)  350 , NAND flash memory  310 ) and/or to other circuits or devices, such as the display circuitry  304 , radio  330 , connector I/F  320 , and/or display  360 . The MMU  340  may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or set up. In some embodiments, the MMU  340  may be included as a portion of the processor(s)  302 . 
     As shown, the SOC  300  may be coupled to various other circuits of the UE  106 . For example, the UE  106  may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash  310 ), a connector interface  320  (e.g., for coupling to the computer system), the display  360 , and wireless communication circuitry  330  (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, CDMA2000, BLUETOOTH™, Wi-Fi, GPS, etc.). The UE device  106  may include at least one antenna (e.g.  335   a ), and possibly multiple antennas (e.g. illustrated by antennas  335   a  and  335   b ), for performing wireless communication with base stations and/or other devices. Antennas  335   a  and  335   b  are shown by way of example, and UE device  106  may include fewer or more antennas. Overall, the one or more antennas are collectively referred to as antenna  335 . For example, the UE device  106  may use antenna  335  to perform the wireless communication with the aid of radio circuitry  330 . As noted above, the UE may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards in some embodiments. 
     As described further subsequently herein, the UE  106  (and/or base station  102 ) may include hardware and software components for implementing methods for at least UE  106  to perform cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information. The processor(s)  302  of the UE device  106  may be configured to implement part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). In other embodiments, processor(s)  302  may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, processor(s)  302  may be coupled to and/or may interoperate with other components as shown in  FIG. 3 , to perform cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information according to various embodiments disclosed herein. Processor(s)  302  may also implement various other applications and/or end-user applications running on UE  106 . 
     In some embodiments, radio  330  may include separate controllers dedicated to controlling communications for various respective RAT standards. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , radio  330  may include a Wi-Fi controller  352 , a cellular controller (e.g. NR controller)  354 , and BLUETOOTH™ controller  356 , and in at least some embodiments, one or more or all of these controllers may be implemented as respective integrated circuits (ICs or chips, for short) in communication with each other and with SOC  300  (and more specifically with processor(s)  302 ). For example, Wi-Fi controller  352  may communicate with cellular controller  354  over a cell-ISM link or WCI interface, and/or BLUETOOTH™ controller  356  may communicate with cellular controller  354  over a cell-ISM link, etc. While three separate controllers are illustrated within radio  330 , other embodiments have fewer or more similar controllers for various different RATs that may be implemented in UE device  106 . 
     Further, embodiments in which controllers may implement functionality associated with multiple radio access technologies are also envisioned. For example, according to some embodiments, the cellular controller  354  may, in addition to hardware and/or software components for performing cellular communication, include hardware and/or software components for performing Wi-Fi preamble detection, e.g., for detecting Wi-Fi physical layer preambles transmitted in unlicensed frequency bands that might be relevant to possible communication in unlicensed spectrum by the UE  106 . As another possibility, the cellular controller  354  may include hardware and/or software components for generating Wi-Fi physical layer preamble signals, e.g., for transmitting as part of uplink communications by the UE  106  that occur in unlicensed frequency bands. 
       FIG. 4 —Block Diagram of an Exemplary Base Station 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary base station  102 , according to some embodiments. It is noted that the base station of  FIG. 4  is merely one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station  102  may include processor(s)  404  which may execute program instructions for the base station  102 . The processor(s)  404  may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU)  440 , which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s)  404  and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory  460  and read only memory (ROM)  450 ) or to other circuits or devices. 
     The base station  102  may include at least one network port  470 . The network port  470  may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide a plurality of devices, such as UE devices  106 , access to the telephone network as described above in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The network port  470  (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility related services and/or other services to a plurality of devices, such as UE devices  106 . In some cases, the network port  470  may couple to a telephone network via the core network, and/or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., among other UE devices serviced by the cellular service provider). 
     The base station  102  may include at least one antenna  434 , and possibly multiple antennas. The antenna(s)  434  may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE devices  106  via radio  430 . The antenna(s)  434  communicates with the radio  430  via communication chain  432 . Communication chain  432  may be a receive chain, a transmit chain or both. The radio  430  may be designed to communicate via various wireless telecommunication standards, including, but not limited to, NR, LTE, LTE-A WCDMA, CDMA2000, etc. The processor  404  of the base station  102  may be configured to implement and/or support implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor  404  may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. In the case of certain RATs, for example Wi-Fi, base station  102  may be designed as an access point (AP), in which case network port  470  may be implemented to provide access to a wide area network and/or local area network (s), e.g. it may include at least one Ethernet port, and radio  430  may be designed to communicate according to the Wi-Fi standard. The base station  102  may operate according to the various methods as disclosed herein for wireless devices to perform cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information. 
       FIG. 5 —Modular Control Channel Formats for Uplink Control Information 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart diagram illustrating a method for a wireless device (e.g., a cellular base station or wireless user equipment (UE) device) to perform cellular communication using modular control channel formats for uplink control information, according to some embodiments. 
     Aspects of the method of  FIG. 5  may be implemented by a wireless device and a cellular base station, such as a UE  106  and a BS  102  illustrated in and described with respect to various of the Figures herein, or more generally in conjunction with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the above Figures, among other devices, as desired. Note that while at least some elements of the method of  FIG. 5  are described in a manner relating to the use of communication techniques and/or features associated with NR and/or 3GPP specification documents, such description is not intended to be limiting to the disclosure, and aspects of the method of  FIG. 5  may be used in any suitable wireless communication system, as desired. In various embodiments, some of the elements of the methods shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, may be substituted for by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown, the method of  FIG. 5  may operate as follows. 
     In  502 , the UE may determine a slot structure for uplink communication. The slot structure may be selected (e.g., by a cellular base station serving the UE) from at least two possible slot structures. For example, at least according to some embodiments, it may be possible to employ a 7 symbol slot structure or a 14 symbol slot structure according to NR, at least for subcarrier spacing configurations up to 60 kHz. 
     The UE may determine which slot structure is in use in any of a variety of ways. As one possibility, the slot structure may be indicated by the UE&#39;s serving base station in broadcast system information. As another possibility, slot structure may be indicated by the UE&#39;s serving base station in downlink control information scheduling upcoming communication slots. Other techniques may also be used, as desired. 
     According to some embodiments, the UE may further determine a slot type/format for the uplink communication. For example, there may be multiple possible types of uplink communication slots, such as an uplink centric communication slot (e.g., that provides mostly uplink symbols but also provides at least one downlink symbol for providing downlink control information and/or for other purposes), and an uplink only communication slot (e.g., that provides only uplink symbols). In some instances, there may also be a downlink centric communication slot type (e.g., that provides mostly downlink symbols but also provides at least one uplink symbol for providing uplink control information and/or for other purposes). The slot type/format for each uplink communication slot may be determined by the UE based at least in part on downlink control information provided by the serving base station (e.g., in the same slot, in the case of an uplink centric slot, or in a previous slot, in the case of an uplink only slot, according to some embodiments). 
     For example, the base station may occasionally or continuously schedule upcoming uplink and/or downlink transmission slots for communication with one or more wireless devices (e.g., including UE  106 ) served by the base station. The uplink and downlink transmission slots may be selected from multiple possible uplink transmission slot types and multiple possible downlink transmission slot types, at least according to some embodiments. For example, the multiple possible uplink transmission slot types may include the previously mentioned uplink only and uplink centric transmission slots, while the multiple possible downlink transmission slot types may include a downlink only transmission slot and the previously mentioned downlink centric transmission slot, as one possibility. 
     The uplink and downlink transmission slot types may be dynamically selected by the BS  102  from the multiple possible uplink transmission slot types and the multiple possible downlink transmission slot types for any of a variety of possible reasons. Having flexibility in slot types to choose from may allow the BS  102  to schedule transmission slots in an efficient manner, for example in view of how much downlink data is buffered at the base station for each wireless device served by the base station, how much uplink data is buffered at each wireless device served by the base station (e.g., which may be known by the BS  102  based on buffer status reports received from these wireless devices), and/or any of various other possible considerations. 
     The BS  102  and the UE  106  (as well as the BS  102  and one or more other wireless devices served by the BS  102 , potentially) may perform wireless communication according to the scheduled uplink and/or downlink transmission slots. In  504 , e.g., as part of the wireless communication between the UE and the BS, the UE may transmit uplink control information to the BS via one or more uplink control channel modules. The number of uplink control channel modules used in a given slot may depend on the slot structure, e.g., including how many symbols are included in the slot. For example, for a slot having a 7 symbol slot structure, one uplink control channel module may be used. For a slot having a 14 symbol slot structure, two uplink control channel modules may be used. 
     A structure of the uplink control channel module(s) in a given slot may further depend on the slot type of that slot, at least in some instances. For example, for an uplink centric slot, there may be fewer uplink symbols per slot than for an uplink only slot, and so it may be the case that an uplink control channel module structure having fewer symbols is used for a slot having an uplink centric slot type than for a slot having an uplink only slot type. As one possibility, the uplink control channel module structure may be selected from a 5 symbol uplink control channel module (e.g., which may be used for uplink centric slot types) or a 7 symbol uplink control channel module (e.g., which may be used for uplink only slot types). Alternatively, one uplink control channel module structure may be used regardless of the slot type. For example, a 5 symbol uplink control channel module may be used for both uplink centric slot types and for uplink only slot types, as one possibility. Note that other uplink control module structures may also or alternatively be used, and/or uplink control module structures may be selected differently, as desired. 
     Further, the UE may determine a format of the uplink control channel module(s) used to transmit uplink control information for a given frame. The format may be selected from multiple possible formats, which may differ with respect to how many of the symbols of the uplink control channel module are used for reference signals and how many of the symbols are used for data bits (e.g., the uplink control information), and/or with respect to which symbols of the uplink control channel module are used for reference signals and which are used for data bits. The UE may determine which format to use based on any of a variety of considerations, potentially including (but not limited to) the amount of uplink control information to be provided (e.g., whether there is just ACK/NACK information to be provided, or also channel quality indicator (CQI)/channel state information (CSF) and/or other control information to be provided), the current channel conditions (e.g., as a higher pilot to data ratio may be desirable in poorer channel conditions), and/or any of various other possible factors. 
     Note that while a ‘long format’ uplink control channel that utilizes modular control channel structures/formats that span multiple symbols, such as primarily described with respect to  FIG. 5 , may be used in some instances, it should be noted that it may also be possible that a UE be configured to also or alternatively utilize a ‘short format’ uplink control channel in some instances. For example, an uplink control channel that spans just one (or an otherwise small number) of symbols may be used in conjunction with downlink centric slot types (e.g., which may include relatively few uplink symbols), and/or for UEs that have higher link budgets (e.g., for which a more compact uplink control channel may thus be suitable), according to some embodiments. 
       FIGS. 6-11 —Exemplary Possible Long Format Physical Uplink Control Channel Design for 5G NR 
       FIGS. 6-11  and the following information are provided as being illustrative of further considerations and possible implementation details relating to the method of  FIG. 5 , and are not intended to be limiting to the disclosure as a whole. Numerous variations and alternatives to the details provided herein below are possible and should be considered within the scope of the disclosure. 
     According to some embodiments, 5G NR may support multiple formats for uplink control channels. These may include a short duration format, e.g., that may be transmitted in or around the last transmitted uplink symbol(s) of a slot, and a long duration format, e.g., that may be transmitted over multiple uplink symbols of a slot, e.g., to improve coverage. The short format may provide faster uplink control feedback, while the long format may help with link budget optimization and coverage, according to some embodiments. 
     For the long format, it may be the case that Discrete-Fourier-Transform-Spread-Orthogonal-Frequency-Division-Multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM) may be supported, e.g., for lower peak to average power (PAPR). Transmit diversity may also be supported, e.g., such that multiple transmit antennas may be used in conjunction with control signal transmissions for the long format uplink control channel. Additionally, in at least some instances, intraslot frequency hopping may also be supported, and/or time division multiplexing between reference signals and uplink control information may be supported (e.g., at least for DFT-S-OFDM). 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a variety of exemplary possible slot types/formats that may be used in 5G NR, according to some embodiments. As shown, the slot formats may include a downlink centric slot (e.g., slots  610 ,  640 ), an uplink centric slot (e.g., slots  620 ,  650 ), a downlink only slot (e.g., slot  630 ), and an uplink only slot (e.g., slot  660 ). 
     According to some embodiments, the downlink centric slot format may include both downlink control information and data and uplink control information (e.g., HARQ ACK/NACK) for the downlink data within a single slot. The uplink centric slot format may include downlink control information (e.g., scheduling information and potentially downlink HARQ ACK/NACK, e.g., for previous uplink data) and uplink data and control information within a single slot. The downlink only slot format may include downlink data and possibly downlink control information. Similarly, the uplink unidirectional slot format may include uplink data and possibly uplink control information. 
     As shown, the downlink centric slots may include a portion (e.g., one or an otherwise relatively small number of symbols) for providing downlink control information (e.g., via a NR-physical downlink control channel (NR-PDCCH)), a portion (e.g., a majority of the symbols of the slot) for providing downlink data (e.g., via a NR-physical downlink shared channel (NR-PDSCH)), and a portion (e.g., one or an otherwise relatively small number of symbols for uplink control information (e.g., a short format version of the NR-physical uplink control channel (NR-PUCCH)), with a switching gap (e.g., ½ symbol, 1 symbol, etc.) between downlink and uplink portions. 
     As shown, the uplink centric slots may include a portion (e.g., one or an otherwise relatively small number of symbols) for providing downlink control information, e.g., via the NR-PDCCH, and a portion (e.g., a majority of the symbols of the slot) for providing uplink data (e.g., via a NR-physical uplink shared channel (NR-PUSCH) and/or uplink control information (e.g., via a long format version of the NR-PUCCH), with a switching gap between downlink and uplink portions. 
     Note that it may be possible to provide slot aggregation using the illustrated slot formats, for example by scheduling an uplink centric slot followed by one or more uplink only slots, and/or by scheduling one or more downlink only slots followed by a downlink centric slot, among various possibilities. For example, as shown, downlink only slot  630  may include a symbol for the NR-PDCCH, which may indicate the slot format, and may also include an indication of how many additional downlink only and/or downlink centric slots follow the first unidirectional downlink slot (e.g., downlink centric slot  640 , in the illustrated example) and/or may include an indication of when to transmit uplink HARQ ACK/NACK information for the downlink slot(s) (e.g., in downlink centric slot  640  following downlink only slot  630 , in the illustrated example). In this case, it may be possible to skip the NR-PDCCH in one or more of the aggregated slots after the first aggregated slot. 
     Similarly, for uplink slot aggregation, an indication of any slots scheduled to use the uplink only format may be provided prior to the scheduled uplink only slot(s), e.g., using a downlink centric (or possibly downlink only or uplink centric) slot, at least according to some embodiments. For example, as shown, uplink centric slot  650  may be provided prior to uplink only slot  660 , and may indicate the slot format, and may also include an indication of how many additional uplink only slots follow the first uplink centric slot (e.g., uplink only slot  660 , in the illustrated example). 
     For some or all of the slot formats, there may further be multiple possible slot structures. For example, as one possibility, a slot may include 14 symbols or may include 7 symbols (e.g., at least for subcarrier spacing up to 60 kHz). Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a robust and scalable control channel design for the long format NR-PUCCH that can support different slot structures and provide a variety of design features (e.g., DFT-S-OFDM support, transport diversity support, intraslot frequency hopping, and/or TDM of RS and UCI), that doesn&#39;t rely on a large number of control channel formats. In other words, a modular design for the long duration control channel may be desirable, at least in some instances. 
     For a system in which 7- or 14-symbol slot structures are possible, and in which at least uplink centric and uplink only slot formats are possible, as one possibility a 7 symbol slot may include either 1 symbol for DCI+5 uplink symbols+1 guard symbol (e.g., for an uplink centric slot) or 7 uplink symbols (e.g., for an uplink only slot), and a 14 symbol slot may include 2-3 symbols for DCI+10-11 uplink symbols+1 guard symbol (e.g., for an uplink centric slot) or 14 uplink symbols (e.g., for an uplink only slot). In such a system, one possibility for the uplink control channel modules may include providing a 5 symbol NR-PUCCH module and a 7 symbol NR-PUCCH module. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the possible use of such NR-PUCCH modules in the 7 symbol slot structure for the uplink centric slot format and for the uplink only slot format. As shown, for the uplink centric slot format, one 5 symbol PUCCH module may be included, while for the uplink only slot format, one 7 symbol PUCCH module may be included. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the possible use of such NR-PUCCH modules in the 14 symbol slot structure for the uplink centric slot format and for the uplink only slot format. As shown, for the uplink centric slot format, two 5 symbol PUCCH modules may be included, while for the uplink only slot format, two 7 symbol PUCCH module may be included. In both cases, intraslot frequency hopping may be used, e.g., such that the first PUCCH module is provided using different subcarriers than the second PUCCH module. 
     Note that the exemplary scenarios illustrated in  FIGS. 7-8  are not intended to be limiting to the disclosure as a whole, and that numerous other possible ways of using NR-PUCCH modules in conjunction with such slot structures are also possible. As one such possibility, the uplink portion of an uplink centric slot could include a different number of symbols (e.g., 4, 6, etc., for a 7 symbol slot; 7, 8, 9, 12, etc., for a 14 symbols slot). As another such possibility, it should be noted that the two hopping segments of the PUCCH within a 14 symbol slot, as shown in  FIG. 8 , may be different NR-PUCCH modules. For example, the first segment could be one type of module (e.g., a 5 symbol NR-PUCCH module), while the second segment could be a different type of module (e.g., a 7 symbol NR-PUCCH module). As another example, the segments may have different formats (e.g., even if the module types are the same), for example, in which the RS ratios and/or locations within a segment may differ between the two segments of a given slot. 
     For example, for each of the PUCCH module structures (e.g., 5 symbols or 7 symbols), it may further be possible to select from multiple PUCCH module formats.  FIG. 9  illustrates three such possible formats (along with multiple RS/UCI patterns for each) for a 5 symbol PUCCH module structure. As shown, a first format  910  may include more UCI bits with a lower RS ratio (e.g., 4 symbols may carry UCI while 1 symbol may carry RS), while a second format  920  may include fewer UCI bits with a higher RS ratio (e.g., 2 symbols may carry UCI while 3 symbols may carry RS). In either case, providing an even number of UCI symbols may allow for simple transmit diversity using space-time block codes (STBC), while still supporting single carrier waveforms. A third format  930 , which may include an intermediate number of UCI bits and RS ratio (e.g., 3 symbols may carry UCI while 2 symbols may carry RS), is also shown. Other formats are also possible. Additionally, each format may be able to support various RS patterns, as shown. These may include front-loaded RS (e.g., which may be more time-line friendly/get channel estimation information to the BS sooner), distributed RS (e.g., which may be more resilient to high doppler), back-loaded RS (not shown), clustered RS, etc. 
       FIG. 10  similarly illustrates three such possible formats (along with multiple RS/UCI patterns for each) for a 7 symbol PUCCH module structure. As shown, a first format  1010  may include more UCI bits with a lower RS ratio (e.g., 6 symbols may carry UCI while 1 symbol may carry RS), while a second format  1020  may include fewer UCI bits with a higher RS ratio (e.g., 4 symbols may carry UCI while 3 symbols may carry RS). In these formats as well, providing an even number of UCI symbols may allow for simple transmit diversity using STBC, while still supporting single carrier waveforms. Again, a third format  1030 , which may include an intermediate number of UCI bits and RS ratio (e.g., 5 symbols may carry UCI while 2 symbols may carry RS), is also shown. Other formats are also possible. Similar to the 5 symbol PUCCH module structure, each format may be able to support various RS patterns, as shown, potentially including but not limited to front-loaded RS, distributed RS, back-loaded RS, and/or clustered RS. 
     Furthermore, additional PUCCH module structures (e.g., in addition or as alternatives to 5- and 7-symbol PUCCH module structures) may also be possible. As one such example,  FIG. 11  illustrates a possible 6 symbol PUCCH module structure, including several possible RS/UCI patterns. As shown, the 6 symbol PUCCH module structure  1110  may include 4 symbols carrying UCI and 2 symbols carrying RS. Similar to the PUCCH module structures previously illustrated and described herein, such a structure may be able to support various RS patterns, as shown, potentially including but not limited to front-loaded RS, distributed RS, back-loaded RS, and/or clustered RS. 
     Note that the illustrated formats are provided by way of example only, and any number of additional structures, formats, and/or patterns for each format may also or alternatively be used, as desired. For example, structures with different numbers of symbols, patterns with different symbol ordering, and/or formats with different proportions of UCI to RS may be used, among various possibilities. 
     In the following further exemplary embodiments are provided. 
     One set of embodiments may include a method, comprising: by a wireless device: determining a slot structure for uplink communication from at least a first slot structure and a second slot structure, wherein the first slot structure comprises fewer symbols per slot than the second slot structure; and transmitting uplink control information via an uplink control channel, wherein the uplink control channel has a format that is modular, wherein one uplink control module is used for the first slot structure, wherein two uplink control modules are used for the second slot structure. 
     Another set of embodiments may include a method, comprising: by a wireless device: determining a slot structure for uplink communication, wherein the slot structure is selected from at least a first slot structure and a second slot structure; and transmitting uplink control information via one or more uplink control channel modules during a slot, wherein a number of uplink control channel modules on which uplink control information is transmitted during the slot is based at least in part on the slot structure for uplink control communication. 
     According to some embodiments, the first slot structure comprises a 7 symbol slot structure, wherein the second slot structure comprises a 14 symbol slot structure. 
     According to some embodiments, the method further comprises, by the wireless device: determining a slot type for the uplink communication; and determining an uplink control channel module structure for the uplink control modules based at least in part on the slot type. 
     According to some embodiments, the slot type is selected from at least a first uplink slot type and a second uplink slot type. 
     According to some embodiments, the first uplink slot type comprises an uplink-only slot type, wherein the second uplink slot type comprises an uplink-centric slot type. 
     According to some embodiments, the uplink control channel module structure is selected from at least a 5 symbol uplink control channel module or a 7 symbol uplink control channel module. 
     According to some embodiments, the method further comprises, by the wireless device: determining an uplink control channel module format for the uplink control channel module(s), wherein the uplink control channel module format is selected from at least a first uplink control channel module format and a second uplink control channel module format, wherein the first uplink control channel module format comprises more symbols for uplink control information and fewer symbols for reference signals than the second uplink control channel module format. 
     A still further exemplary set of embodiments may include an apparatus, comprising a processing element configured to cause a device to implement any or all parts of the preceding examples. 
     Another exemplary set of embodiments may include a device, comprising: an antenna; a radio coupled to the antenna; and a processing element operably coupled to the radio, wherein the device is configured to implement any or all parts of the preceding examples. 
     A yet further exemplary set of embodiments may include a non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions which, when executed at a device, cause the device to implement any or all parts of any of the preceding examples. 
     A still further exemplary set of embodiments may include a computer program comprising instructions for performing any or all parts of any of the preceding examples. 
     Yet another exemplary set of embodiments may include an apparatus comprising means for performing any or all of the elements of any of the preceding examples. 
     Embodiments of the present invention may be realized in any of various forms. For example, in some embodiments, the present invention may be realized as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the present invention may be realized using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. In other embodiments, the present invention may be realized using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs. 
     In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory memory element) may be configured so that it stores program instructions and/or data, where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, e.g., any of a 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. 
     In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium (or memory element), 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. 
     Although the embodiments above have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180312
Publication Date: 20210126
Grant Date: 20210126
Priority Date: 20170323
Inventors: ZENG, WEI
KIM, YUCHUL
ZHANG, DAWEI
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04W72/21", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D30/70", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/0446", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0092", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0053", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0048", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1671", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1664", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1664", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0048", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1671", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0053", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/21", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1664", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0048", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0092", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0053", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0092", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1671", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/0446", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/0413", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/1284", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0092", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/0446", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1664", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L1/1671", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0048", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L5/0053", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 63583713