Apple Inc.

Yingyang Li

Salvatore Talarico

Yongjun Kwak

Gang Xiong

Jose Armando Oviedo

Alexei Davydov

Guotong Wang

Yushu Zhang

Carlos Horacio Aldana

Lopamudra Kundu

Bishwarup Mondal

Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for wireless communication using an unlicensed spectrum. An access point (AP) operating in the unlicensed spectrum includes a processor circuitry, a transmitter, and a receiver. The processor circuitry is configured to perform a listen before talk (LBT) procedure using an LBT parameter and a maximum channel occupancy time (MCOT) that is compatible with another wireless protocol using the unlicensed spectrum. The processor circuitry is configured to divide a transport block (TB) into a plurality of code block groups (CBGs) for transmission over the unlicensed spectrum. The transmitter is configured to transmit the plurality of CBGs to a destination, and a receiver is configured to receive hybrid automatic repeat and request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) information corresponding to the transmitted plurality of CBGs. The processor circuitry is further configured to determine a HARQ-ACK assessment for the TB based on the HARQ-ACK information corresponding to the transmitted plurality of CBGs, and adjust a contention window size based on the HARQ-ACK assessment for the TB.

Contention window size update for CAT.4 LBT for CBG based retransmission in NR systems operating on unlicensed spectrum

Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for a wireless communication system in an unlicensed spectrum. A user equipment (UE) device of the wireless communication system includes a processor circuitry and radio front end circuitry. The processor circuitry is configured to acquire a channel occupancy time (COT) in the unlicensed spectrum, and determine a number of remaining consecutive subframes allocated for physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission to a base station. The processor circuitry is configured to generate uplink control information (UCI) to indicate a COT sharing boundary occurring at an end of the remaining consecutive subframes. The radio front end circuitry is coupled to the processor circuitry and configured to transmit the UCI in the PUSCH) transmission during one of the remaining consecutive subframes. The processor circuitry is also configured to monitor downlink transmissions from the base station following the COT sharing boundary.

COT sharing procedure for configured grants in NR systems operating on unlicensed spectrum

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for multiplexing of PUCCH for beam failure recovery and other signals. A UE may determine a transmission dropping rule and a transmission power scaling rule for a PUCCH which is dedicatedly configured for secondary BFR transmission, such as a PUCCH-BFR, when it is multiplexed with at least one other signal. The PUCCH-BFR and the at least one other signal may be multiplexed in a CC or in multiple CCs. The UE may determine a transmission dropping rule, e.g., so that UE can transmit an uplink signals with higher priority and drop the other uplink signal with lower priority to avoid beam collisions. The UE may determine a transmission power scaling rule, e.g., so the UE may scale transmission power within a CC and/or across CCs. The UE may multiplex the PUCCH-BFR with the at least one other signal according to the rules.

Multiplexing of PUCCH for beam failure recovery and other signals

Some embodiments of this disclosure include systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for use in a wireless network for time-domain resource allocation for configured grant transmissions in New Radio (NR) systems. For example, some embodiments are directed to an electronic device including radio front end circuitry and processor circuitry coupled to the radio front end circuitry. The processor circuitry can be configured to generate a radio resource control (RRC) signal including a bitmap for configuring time-domain resources for configured grant (CG) operation. The processor circuitry can be further configured to transmit, using the radio front end circuitry, the RRC signal to a user equipment (UE) to configure the time-domain resources. The bitmap comprises a plurality of resource units and wherein each resource unit in the plurality of resource units corresponds to a symbol, a slot, a subframe, or a radio frame.

Time-domain resource allocation for configured grant transmissions in new radio (NR) systems

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for multiplexing of PUCCH for beam failure recovery and other signals. A UE may determine a transmission dropping rule and a transmission power scaling rule for a PUCCH which is dedicatedly configured for secondary BFR transmission, such as a PUCCH-BFR, when it is multiplexed with BFR multiplexed with at least one other signal. The PUCCH-BFR and the at least one other signal may be multiplexed in a CC or in multiple CCs. The UE may determine a transmission dropping rule, e.g., so that UE can transmit an uplink signal with higher priority and drop the other uplink signal with lower priority to avoid beam collisions. The UE may determine a transmission power scaling rule, e.g., so the UE may scale transmission power within a CC and/or across CCs. The UE may multiplex the PUCCH-BFR with the at least one other signal according to the rules.

Methods, systems, and computer programs for enhancing HARQ-ACK timing procedure. In one aspect, a method can include encoding, by a next generation NodeB (gNB), one or more sets of physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) with respect to a listen before talk (LBT) operation on an unlicensed spectrum, transmitting, by the gNB, the encoded one or more sets of PDSCHs to the UE, and determining, by the gNB, scheduling for receiving a HARQ-ACK from the UE corresponding to the one or more sets of PDSCHs based on the LBT operation.

HARQ-ACK transmission and retransmission in wireless communication system

Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for use in a wireless network for resource allocation during initial access. Some embodiments are directed to an apparatus including processor circuitry and radio front circuitry. The processor circuitry can be configured to determine, in accordance with a predetermined requirement, multiple physical resource blocks (PRBs) to be used for transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) before a dedicated PUCCH resource configuration. The radio front end circuitry coupled with the processor circuitry can be configured to transmit the PUCCH using the determined PRBs and before the dedicated PUCCH resource configuration. The dedicated PUCCH resource configuration can include initial access before Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection setup.

Resource allocation for physical uplink control channel during initial access in NR-unlicensed

Some embodiments of this disclosure include systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for use in a wireless network for generating and using slot format indicator (SFI) and channel occupancy time (COT) structure in new radio (NR) systems operating on unlicensed spectrum. For example, some embodiments are directed to a base station that includes radio front end circuitry and processor circuitry. The processor circuitry can be configured to generate a slot format indicator (SFI) associated with a channel occupancy time (COT) structure. The SFI indicates whether one or more slots associated with the COT structure are to be used for downlink (DL) symbols, uplink (UL) symbols, or flexible symbols. The flexible symbols form one or more gaps in the COT structure in response to the flexible symbols not being overridden as a DL transmission or a UL transmission. The processor circuitry can further be configured to transmit the SFI to a user equipment (UE).

Channel occupancy time (COT) structure in new radio (NR) systems operating on unlicensed spectrum

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for controlling a number of allowed downlink/uplink (DL/UL) switching points. For example, the method may include acquiring a shared channel occupancy time (COT) that includes one or more DL bursts and/or UL bursts. The method may also include utilizing one or more of the DL bursts or the UL bursts as a reference burst. The method may also include deriving a metric for controlling the number of DL/UL switching points in the shared COT based on the reference burst. The method may also include comparing the metric to a threshold value. The method may also include setting the number of DL/UL switching points in the shared COT based on the comparison of the metric to the threshold value.

Controlling the number of downlink-to-uplink and uplink-to-downlink switching points within a shared channel occupancy time in new radio systems operating on unlicensed spectrum

The present application relates to wireless devices, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for multiplexing Configured Grant (CG) transmissions in New Radio (NR) systems operating on unlicensed spectrum. In one embodiment, a method for signaling a wireless system is disclosed, comprising: determining, by a user equipment (UE), that a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) overlaps with a configured grant (CG) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) within a PUCCH group; multiplexing uplink control information (UCI) with a CG UCI based on the determination; and transmitting, by the UE to the wireless system, the multiplexed UCI with the CG UCI.

Multiplexing configured grant (CG) transmissions in new radio (NR) systems operating on unlicensed spectrum

Techniques discussed herein can facilitate determine of Uplink (UL) resources for New Radio (NR) operation in unlicensed spectrum (NR-U). One example embodiment is an apparatus employable by a UE comprising one or more processors configured to: process at least one bitmap via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, wherein each bitmap of the at least one bitmap comprises X bits, wherein X is an integer greater than one; and determine, based at least on the at least one bitmap, for each time resource of at least one Configured Grant (CG) period, whether that time resource is configured for Uplink (UL) transmission via an unlicensed carrier, wherein each CG period of the at least one CG period comprises P time resources, wherein P is an integer greater than one.

New Radio (NR) time-domain resource allocation for configured grant transmissions in NR systems operating on unlicensed spectrum

Systems, devices, and techniques for beamforming in wireless communication systems are described. A described technique performed by a user equipment (UE) includes monitoring a downlink reference signal from a base station; transmitting, via a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process number, a beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) in response to a change in a quality of the downlink reference signal, wherein the BFRQ comprises new beam information; receiving, by the UE, a downlink control information (DCI) message to trigger a PUSCH transmission corresponding to the HARQ process number; and transmitting, by the UE after at least a predetermined number of symbols from a last symbol of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) reception containing the DCI message, information via a PUCCH in accordance with the new beam information. The UE can apply the new beam information to uplink and downlink channels.

System and method for beam failure recovery request

Some embodiments of this disclosure include systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for a shared channel occupancy time (COT) procedure in a wireless channel of unlicensed spectrum. The shared COT can be utilized among one or more user equipment (UE) and a 5G Node B (gNB). A UE contends for access to the channel to acquire the COT, and transmits in the uplink (UL) according to the UEs time-domain configuration. When the UL transmission does not utilize the entire COT, the UE can signal to the gNB that the COT can be shared. In particular, the UE transmits an indication of a COT boundary that the gNB can use to determine when to transmit DL data in the shared COT. The COT can also be shared between two or more UEs in addition to the gNB.

System and method for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing in an unlicensed spectrum

Some embodiments of this disclosure include systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for use in a wireless network for facilitating retransmission procedures in New Radio (NR) technologies. Some embodiments are directed to a method that includes determining a contention window size (CWS) of an uplink/downlink (UL/DL) communication channel in a new radio unlicensed (NR-U) spectrum. The method also includes adjusting the CWS based on: defining a reference UL/DL burst set at a predetermined time length independent from a subcarrier spacing and partially spanning an UL/DL burst, and counting one or more code block groups (CBGs) in the reference UL/DL burst. The method further includes scheduling a retransmission of an UL/DL communication in the NR-U spectrum based on the adjusted CWS.

Contention window size adjustment for retransmission operations

Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for an access point (AP) for a wireless communication system operating in a licensed and an unlicensed spectrum. The AP includes processor circuitry configured to determine a plurality of interleaved interlaces based on a bandwidth of a physical uplink channel and a subcarrier spacing (SCS). The processor circuitry is configured to identify a plurality of resource blocks (RBs) corresponding to a first interleaved interlace of the plurality of interleaved interlaces, which are based on a number of subcarrier per RB. The processor circuitry is configured to allocate the plurality of RBs corresponding to the first interleaved interlace among one or more user equipments (UEs), and generate an indication of the allocated plurality of RBs, the first interleaved interlace, and the one or more UEs to transmit to the one or more UEs via radio front end circuitry coupled to the processor circuitry.

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Yingyang Li