CN111684741A

CN111684741A - Method and apparatus for multi-layer data transmission

Info

Publication number: CN111684741A
Application number: CN201880088717.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 纵金榜; 田力; 曹伟; 袁志锋; 袁弋非
Original assignee: ZTE Corp
Current assignee: ZTE Corp
Priority date: 2018-02-09
Filing date: 2018-02-09
Publication date: 2020-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2038-02-09
Also published as: WO2019153213A1; CN111684741B

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a spreading sequence codebook is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device includes: transmitting a reference signal to a wireless communication device; receiving a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) signal from the wireless communication device; determining a Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) index from a first MCS table for the wireless communication device based on at least the CQI signal; and receiving a first set of uplink transmission data from the wireless communication device.

Description

Method and apparatus for multi-layer data transmission

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for multi-layer data transmission.

Background

In the past decades, mobile communication has evolved from voice service to high-speed broadband data service. With the further development of new services and applications, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), large-scale machine type communication (mtc), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), etc., the demand for high performance data transmission over mobile networks will continue to grow exponentially. Based on the specific requirements for these emerging services, wireless communication systems should meet various requirements, such as throughput, latency, data rate, capacity, reliability, link density, cost, energy consumption, complexity, and coverage.

Disclosure of Invention

The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve the problems associated with one or more of the problems presented in the prior art and to provide additional features that will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In accordance with some embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example, and not limitation, and that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, while remaining within the scope of the invention.

Conventional methods relying on random access by user terminals and scheduled data transmission between a base station and user terminals do not provide satisfactory performance for the aforementioned services due to limited device capacity, high latency and high signaling overhead. To meet these demands in 5G/NR (new radio) communications, a contention-based unlicensed data transmission method is being considered. The grant-free data transmission method refers to a method in which a transmitting user terminal can perform autonomous data transmission without transmitting a scheduling request signal to a base station or acquiring a dynamic grant signal from the base station. Advantages of the grant-free data transmission method include reduced signaling overhead, reduced terminal power consumption, and reduced latency, among others.

The unlicensed method may be an orthogonal or non-orthogonal resource allocation technique. In the orthogonal resource allocation technique, although the resources themselves are orthogonal, different user terminals may randomly select the same resource for data transmission, resulting in "collisions". When collisions occur, channel performance can be significantly affected. Therefore, the orthogonal grant-free resource allocation scheme is not efficient in terms of resource usage. On the other hand, the non-orthogonal grant-free resource allocation scheme based on sequence spreading enables processing of data at the transmitting user terminal and uses advanced receivers at the base station, which can efficiently handle scenarios such as multi-user overlap or collision without compromising channel performance. For example, if modulated data from a transmitting user terminal can be spread to the symbol level by a low correlation spreading sequence, the probability of collision can be controlled to a significantly lower level even in the case of overlapping transmissions on the same resource from multiple user terminals or different user terminals using the same spreading sequence. In addition, the low correlation spreading sequences may also reduce multi-user interference, enhance system capacity, and may also reduce the complexity of the receiver at the base station.

Quadrature amplitude modulation, or "QAM," is a form of modulation that is widely used to modulate data signals onto a carrier for wireless communications. QAM is widely used because it offers advantages over other forms of data modulation such as Phase Shift Keying (PSK). An advantage of moving to higher order QAM (e.g., 256QAM or higher) is that there are more points in the constellation, thereby transmitting more bits per symbol more efficiently, resulting in higher bandwidth efficiency. For example, from 16QAM to 256QAM, the constellation points increase from 16 points to 256 points, and the theoretical bandwidth efficiency increases from 4 times to 8 times.

The disadvantage is that the constellation points are closer together and therefore the link is more susceptible to noise. Furthermore, another disadvantage of using higher modulation is due to a higher demodulation threshold resulting in a loss of transmission performance. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new method that supports high bandwidth efficiency and high code rate for both orthogonal and non-orthogonal resource allocation at lower modulation orders.

In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication node comprises: transmitting a reference signal to a wireless communication device; receiving a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) signal from the wireless communication device; determining a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) index from a first MCS table for the wireless communication device based on at least the CQI signal; and receiving a first set of uplink transmission data from the wireless communication device.

In another embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device includes: generating a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) signal based on a reference signal received from a wireless communication node; receiving, from the wireless communication node, a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) index in a first MCS table for future uplink transmissions; transmitting a first set of uplink transmission data to the wireless communication node.

In yet another embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device includes: receiving a first uplink transmission data set and a first processing configuration from a wireless communication device, wherein the first uplink transmission data set is derived from dividing a second uplink transmission data set into a predetermined number of data segments on a predetermined number of data layers, respectively, and is processed by at least one process, wherein the first processing configuration contains the predetermined number of data layers and a first modulation order, and wherein the predetermined number of data layers is transmitted from the wireless communication device using one of: explicit indication and implicit indication.

In yet another embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication node comprises: dividing the first uplink transmission data set into a predetermined number of data segments on a predetermined number of data layers, respectively; processing the predetermined number of data segments on the predetermined number of data layers according to a first processing configuration to form a second uplink transmission data set; and transmitting the second uplink transmission data set and the first processing configuration to a wireless communication node, wherein the first processing configuration contains the predetermined number of data layers, and wherein the predetermined number of data layers is transmitted to the wireless communication node using one of: explicit indication and implicit indication.

Drawings

Various aspects of this disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawing figures. It should be noted that the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions and geometries of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion.

Fig. 1A illustrates an example wireless communication network showing achievable modulation as a function of distance from a BS in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 1B illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless communication system for slot structure information indication, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary conventional 64QAM CQI table with 16 entries or index values in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary conventional 64QAMMCS with 32 entries or index values according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

4A-4C illustrate 3 exemplary modified 64QAM MCS tables with 32 entries or index values according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 5A illustrates a method of performing uplink multi-layer data transmission in a grant-based scenario, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 5B illustrates a method of performing multi-layer uplink transmission in an unlicensed scenario, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 illustrates an exemplary data processing diagram showing processing performed by a UE after receiving scheduling information from a BS, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 7A illustrates an implicit indication of a number of data layers using a Zadoff-chu (zc) root sequence, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B illustrates an implicit indication of the number of data layers using time-frequency resources, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 7C illustrates an implicit indication of the number of data layers using DMRS (demodulation reference signals) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure that various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described or illustrated herein. Further, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely exemplary. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods or processes disclosed may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present the various steps or actions in a sample order, and the invention is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although shown in different figures, the same or similar components may be indicated by the same or similar reference numerals. A detailed description of configurations or processes well known in the art may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention. Further, the definition of terms takes into consideration its functionality in the embodiment of the present invention, and may vary according to the intention, use, and the like of a user or an operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the entire contents of the present specification.

Fig. 1A illustrates an example wireless communication network 100 showing achievable modulation as a function of distance from a BS102 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In a wireless communication system, a network side communication node or Base Station (BS) may be a node B, an E-utran node B (also referred to as an evolved node B, eNodeB or eNB), a femto station, etc. A terminal side node or User Equipment (UE) may be: telecommunication systems, such as mobile phones, smart phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, laptop computers; or a short-range communication system such as, for example, a wearable device, a vehicle with an in-vehicle communication system, etc. The BS102 and the UE104 are represented by network and terminal-side communication nodes, respectively, and are generally referred to herein as "communication nodes. Such a communication node may be capable of wireless and/or wired communication in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that all the embodiments are only preferred examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that the system may include any desired combination of UEs and BSs while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 1A, a wireless communication network 100 includes a BS102 and a UE104 moving within a cell 110 or coverage area established by the BS102, wherein respective positions of the UE104 from 104a to 104b to 104c to 104d to 104e respectively represent the UE104 moving from an edge of the cell 110 to the BS 102.

Wireless transmissions from the transmit antenna of the UE104 to the receive antenna of the BS102 are referred to as uplink transmissions, while wireless transmissions from the transmit antenna of the BS102 to the receive antenna of the UE104 are referred to as downlink transmissions. The BS102 and the UE104 are contained within the geographic boundaries of the cell 110.

When the UE104 is at an extreme cell edge 110 with a longer distance between the BS102 and the UE104a, e.g., at 104a, the path loss becomes significant, so the UE104 will transmit at maximum power over a long distance and most importantly, perform the most robust modulation (QPSK, quadrature phase shift keying). Therefore, in this case, the data rate between the BS102 and the UE104a is relatively low.

As the UE104 approaches the BS102, the path loss decreases and the signal level at the BS102 increases, so the SNR improves. Accordingly, the BS102 instructs the UE104 to reduce power to minimize interference to other UEs and/or the BS 102. However, once the SNR level exceeds the threshold and higher order modulation is supported, the BS102 will instruct the UE104 to switch modulation to improve overall network capacity and bandwidth efficiency. For example, the BS102 instructs the UE104 at location 104b to switch from QPSK to 16QAM, and further to switch to 64QAM, 256QAM, and 1024QAM when the UE104 moves to

locations

104c, 104d, and 104e, respectively, each having improved channel quality compared to the previous location.

UEs

104a and 104b acquire their synchronization timing from BS102, and BS102 acquires its own synchronization timing from core network 108 through an internet time service, such as a common time NTP (network time protocol) server or an RNC (radio frequency simulation system network controller) server. This is known as network-based synchronization. Alternatively, BS102 may also acquire synchronization timing from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) (not shown) via satellite signals, particularly for large BSs in large cells with a direct line of sight toward the sky, which is referred to as satellite-based synchronization.

Fig. 1B illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless communication system 150, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. System 150 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating characteristics that need not be described in detail herein. In one exemplary embodiment, as described above, the system 150 can be employed to transmit and receive data symbols in a wireless communication environment, such as the wireless communication network 100 of fig. 1A.

The system 150 generally includes a BS102 and two

UEs

104a and 104b, which are collectively referred to hereinafter as UEs 104 for ease of discussion. BS102 includes BS transceiver module 152, BS antenna array 154, BS memory module 156, BS processor module 158, and network interface 160, with the various modules optionally coupled to and interconnected with each other by data communication bus 180. The UE104 includes a UE transceiver module 162, a UE antenna 164, a UE memory module 166, a UE processor module 168, and an I/O interface 169, with the various modules coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary through a data communication bus 190. The BS102 communicates with the UE104 over a communication channel 192, which communication channel 192 may be any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for data transmission as described herein.

As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the system 150 may further include any number of blocks, modules, circuits, etc., in addition to the components shown in fig. 1B. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as hardware, computer readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Persons familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner that is suitable for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.

Wireless transmissions from the transmit antenna of the UE104 to the receive antenna of the BS102 are referred to as uplink transmissions, while wireless transmissions from the transmit antenna of the BS102 to the receive antenna of the UE104 are referred to as downlink transmissions. According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 162 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 162, which includes RF transmitter and receiver circuits that are each coupled to a UE antenna 164. Alternatively, a duplex switch (not shown) may couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, BS transceiver 152 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 152 that includes RF transmitter and receiver circuits that are each coupled to an antenna array 154, according to some embodiments. Alternatively, a downlink duplex switch may couple a downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna array 154 in a time-duplex manner. The operation of the two

transceivers

152 and 162 are coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver is coupled to the uplink UE antenna 164 for reception of transmissions over the wireless communication channel 192, while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna array 154. Preferably there is tight synchronization timing with minimal guard time between changes in duplex direction. The UE transceiver 162 communicates with the BS102 through the UE antenna 164 via a wireless communication channel 192 or with other UEs via a wireless communication channel 193. The wireless communication channel 193 can be any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for data side link transmission as described herein.

The UE transceiver 162 and the BS transceiver 152 are configured to communicate over a wireless data communication channel 192 and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 154/164 capable of supporting specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some embodiments, BS transceiver 152 is configured to transmit a set of Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and configured slot structure related information (SFI) entries to UE transceiver 162. In some embodiments, UE transceiver 162 is configured to receive a PDCCH including at least one SFI field from BS transceiver 152. In some demonstrative embodiments, UE transceiver 162 and BS transceiver 152 are configured to support industry standards, e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not necessarily limited in application to a particular standard and associated protocol. Rather, UE transceiver 162 and BS transceiver 152 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

The BS processor module 158 and the UE processor module 168 are implemented or realized with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, a processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, or the like. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

Next, the UE processor module 168 detects a PHR trigger message on the UE transceiver module 162, the UE processor module 168 being further configured to determine at least one second set of SFI entries based on at least one predefined algorithm selected based on other calculated parameters or received messages and the received at least one first set of SFI entries configured by the BS 102. The UE processor module 168 is further configured to generate at least one second set of SFI entries and monitor the PDCCH received on the UE transceiver module 162 to further receive the at least one SFI field. As used herein, "set of SFI entries" means an SFI table or an SFI entry.

Further, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a firmware, in a software module executed by the

processor modules

158 and 168, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof.

Memory modules

156 and 166 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the

memory modules

156 and 166 may be coupled to the

processor modules

158 and 168, respectively, such that the

processor modules

158 and 168 are capable of reading information from the

memory modules

156 and 166 and writing information to the

memory modules

156 and 166, respectively.

Memory modules

156 and 166 may also be integrated into their

respective processor modules

158 and 168. In some embodiments, the

memory modules

156 and 166 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by the

processor modules

158 and 168, respectively. The

memory modules

156 and 166 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the

processor modules

158 and 168, respectively.

Network interface 160 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and/or other components of base station 102 that enable bi-directional communication between BS transceiver 152 and other network components, as well as communication nodes configured to communicate with BS 102. For example, network interface 160 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, network interface 160 provides an 802.3 ethernet interface that enables BS transceiver 152 to communicate with a conventional ethernet-based computer network. In this manner, the network interface 160 may comprise a physical interface for connecting with a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). As used herein, the term "configured to" or "configured to" with respect to a particular operation or function means that the device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and/or arranged to perform the particular operation or function. Network interface 160 may allow BS102 to communicate with other BSs or core networks via wired or wireless connections.

Referring again to fig. 1A, as mentioned above, BS102 repeatedly broadcasts system information related to BS102 to one or more UEs (e.g., 104) to allow UEs 104 to access the network within cell 101 in which BS102 is located and generally operate properly within cell 101. A plurality of information such as, for example, downlink and uplink cell bandwidths, downlink and uplink configurations, and configurations for random access may be included in the system information, which will be discussed in further detail below. Typically, BS102 broadcasts a first signal over a PBCH (physical broadcast channel) that carries some primary system information, e.g., the configuration of cell 101. For purposes of clarity of explanation, such a broadcasted first signal is referred to herein as a "first broadcast signal". It should be noted that BS102 may then broadcast one or more signals carrying some other system information over respective channels (e.g., Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)), which are referred to herein as "second broadcast signals," "third broadcast signals," and so on.

Referring again to fig. 1B, in some embodiments, the primary system information carried by the first broadcast signal may be transmitted by BS102 in a symbol format over communication channel 192. According to some embodiments, the original form of the primary system information may be represented as one or more sequences of digital bits, and the one or more sequences of digital bits may be processed through a plurality of steps (e.g., encoding, scrambling, modulating, mapping steps, etc.) to form the first broadcast signal, wherein all steps may be processed by the BS processor module 158. Similarly, according to some embodiments, when the UE104 receives the first broadcast signal (in symbol format) using the UE transceiver 162, the UE processor module 168 may perform a number of steps (demapping, demodulation, decoding steps, etc.) to estimate the primary system information, such as, for example, bit positions, bit numbers, etc. of bits of the primary system information. The UE processor module 168 is also coupled to an I/O interface 169 that provides the UE104 with the ability to connect to other devices, such as computers. The I/O interface 169 is the communication path between these auxiliary devices and the UE processor module 168.

In some embodiments, the UE104 may operate in a hybrid communication network, where the UE communicates with the BS102 and other UEs, e.g., between 104a and 104 b. As will be described in further detail below, the UE104 supports sidelink communications with other UEs and downlink/uplink communications between the BS102 and the UE 104. As discussed above, sidelink communications allow

UEs

104a and 104b to establish direct communication links with each other or other UEs from different cells without requiring BS102 to relay data between the UEs.

Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary conventional 64QAMCQI table having 16 entries or index values according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Since the table contains only 16 possible index values (0 to 15), only four bits are required to specify each index value. As shown in fig. 2, the 64QAM CQI table contains 6 entries for QPSK modulation, 3 entries for 16QAM modulation, and 6 entries for 64QAM modulation. Referring to fig. 2, as an example, it should be noted that different bandwidth efficiencies 204 may be achieved for the same modulation order 202 at different code rates 203. For example, the 6 entries for the maximum modulation order 64QAM have different bandwidth efficiencies 204, which increase with increasing code rate 203.

In the illustrated embodiment, the highest supported modulation order is 64 QAM. It should be noted that different CQI tables may be used to support higher modulations, such as 256QAM and 1024QAM, with each higher modulation order having at least one entry. Thus, when radio conditions get better or get worse, or when switching transmission modes (e.g. from downlink to uplink or vice versa), there is at least one CQI table with at least one entry with an optimal modulation order applicable to maximize bandwidth efficiency and data rate while maintaining a sufficiently low error rate. It should be noted that the exemplary 64QAM CQI table shown in fig. 2 is merely an example, and that different numbers of entries for respective modulation orders 202 at different code rates 203, and thus with different bandwidth efficiencies 204, may be constructed in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary conventional 64QAMMCS having 32 entry or index values according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Since the table contains only 32 possible index values, i.e., 0 to 31, only five bits are required to specify each index value. As shown in fig. 3, the 64QAM MCS table contains 11 entries for QPSK modulation, 8 entries for 16QAM modulation, and 13 entries for 64QAM modulation. It should be noted that the exemplary 64QAM MCS table shown in fig. 3 is merely an example, and that different numbers of entries for various modulation orders 302 and different TBS indices 303 may be constructed according to various embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, the MCS table of fig. 3 may be modified to support modulation orders higher than 64QAM without increasing the number of bits under the DCI/UCI format that need to be uniquely specified or the number of entries/index values in the MCS table. In some embodiments, the MCS table may be generated based on computer simulation results, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the specific examples of MCS/CQI tables described herein, and that any MCS/CQI table with different supported modulation orders may be configured or used, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. For example, in the scenarios discussed above, the MCS table may be configured to support higher order modulation (e.g., 1024QAM) to improve overall network capacity and bandwidth efficiency, according to some embodiments. Such scenarios include, for example, when there is a high SNR in the current channel, the UE104 (e.g., 104e in fig. 1A) is close to the BS102, the direct line of sight between the UE104 and the BS102 is strong; when the UE104 is stationary or moving at a small rate, especially in a very small cell BS area (e.g., a home base station), and under excellent environmental conditions.

Fig. 4A-4C illustrate 3 exemplary modified 64QAM MCS tables with 32 entries or index values according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Similar to the 64QAM MCS table currently used in LTE communications shown in fig. 3, the modified 64QAM MCS table contains 11 entries for QPSK modulation, 8 entries for 16QAM modulation, and 13 entries for 64QAM modulation. It should be noted that the exemplary modified 64QAM MCS table shown in FIG. 4A is for example only, and may be constructed for various modulation orders 302 and not according to various embodiments of the present inventionA different number of entries with the TBS index 303. In some embodiments, the MCS tables of fig. 4A-4C may be modified to support modulation orders higher than 64QAM without increasing the number of bits under the DCI/UCI format that need to be uniquely specified or the number of entries/index values in the MCS tables. In some embodiments, the MCS table may be generated based on computer simulation results, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the modified 64QAM MCS table contains 2 new columns: new modulation order Q _n402 and a predefined number of data layers N _Layer(s)404. According to some embodiments, Q may be based_m302 and Q _n402 to configure N _Layer(s)404. In some embodiments, N_Layer(s)＝Q_m/Q_nAnd N is_Layer(s),Q_mAnd Q_nIs a positive integer. In some embodiments, Q_nIs a constant for all 32 entries in the modified table. FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the relationship between Q and Q, respectively_n2 modified 64QAM MCS tables at 2 and 1. Different Q_nThe values result in different respective numbers of data layers N_Layer(s). For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when Q_nWhen 2, N is for QPSK modulation, 16QAM modulation, and 64QAM modulation, respectively_Layer(s)2, 4 and 6. When Q is shown in FIG. 4B_nWhen 1, N is used for QPSK modulation, 16QAM modulation, and 64QAM modulation, respectively_Layer(s)1,2 and 3. As will be discussed further below, BS102 further selects an entry of MCS index 301 in the modified MCS table for UE104 based at least on the CQI report received from UE 104. Then, in some embodiments, the UE104 can use the allocated MCS index and thus the corresponding new modulation order Q _n402 and a predefined number of data layers N _Layer(s)404 for uplink data transmission and processing.

FIG. 4C illustrates Q-while-Q according to some embodiments of the present disclosure_nExemplary modified 64QAM MCS table when not constant. In the illustrated embodiment, the 11 entries for QPSK have the same new modulation order Q of size 1_n422, 8 entries for 16QAM and 13 entries for 64QAM have the same new modulation order Q of size 2_n422. Under this configuration, 16QA for QPSK modulation, respectivelyFor M modulation and 64QAM modulation,

N

_Layer(s)2, 2 and 3. In some embodiments, BS102 may include different qs_nA plurality of modified MCS tables of values. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the specific examples of MCS tables described herein, and any MCS table having any supported modulation order, any number of entries for each modulation order, and any number of layers may be configured or used in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. As will be discussed in further detail below, BS102 selects an MCS table from a plurality of MCS tables based on parameters such as, for example, channel quality.

Fig. 5A illustrates a method 500 of performing uplink multi-layer data transmission in a grant-based scenario, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that additional operations may be provided before, during, and after the method 500 of fig. 5, and that some other operations may be omitted or only briefly described herein.

The method 500 begins at operation 502, where the BS102 transmits a downlink reference signal (DLRS) to the UE104, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, multiple DLRSs are transmitted from BS102 to UE104 using a beam scanning technique, e.g., using respective transmit beams of BS102 and receive beams of UE 104. In some embodiments, the DLRS from BS102 may be a voice reference signal (SRS), or transmitted on channels such as, for example, a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

In some embodiments, the DLRS is interleaved in time and frequency, which allows the UE104 to perform complex interpolation of the channel time-frequency response to estimate the channel effect on the transmitted information. In some embodiments, the DLRS may also be a specific cell reference signal (CSRS) or a specific UE reference signal (UESRS).

The method 500 continues with operation 502, where the UE104 measures and estimates a CQI value based on the DLRS from the BS102, which is affected by factors such as, for example, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), and signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio (SNDR). In some embodiments, the SNR determines an important criterion for the UE104 to determine the CQI index, while the exact mapping relationship between the SNR and the CQI index varies slightly depending on other factors. In some embodiments, the SNR, typically expressed in decibels (dB), has a linear relationship with the CQI index.

The method continues with operation 504 in which, after the UE104 determines the CQI value, a corresponding CQI index between 0 and 15 is derived based on a default 64QAM CQI table (e.g., the exemplary 64QAM CQI table shown in fig. 2) in accordance with techniques understood by those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, a predefined 64QAM CQI table is configured and notified to the UE104 by the BS102 through higher layer signals (e.g., RRC messages) above the physical layer.

The method 500 continues with operation 506 in which the derived CQI index is transmitted back to the BS102 via a CQI report, which is typically carried on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and/or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). The time and frequency resources that the UE104 may use to report CQI are controlled by the BS 102. In some embodiments, CQI reporting may be done periodically on PUCCH or PUSCH, with periodicity preconfigured by higher layers, or triggered on PUSCH by BS102 upon reception of DCI format 0 or a random access response grant. In some embodiments, the CQI report may be a 4-bit wideband CQI, a 2-bit differential subband CQI, or a 3-bit differential spatial CQI.

The method 500 continues with operation 508 where, according to some embodiments, the BS102 selects an MCS index for the UE104 based on the CQI information from the UE104 by selecting an entry in a modified MCS table. In some embodiments, the CQI information may be in the form of a CQI index value, as shown in fig. 2. Next, the number of resource blocks and MCS for each CQI value are determined by the BS102, thereby appropriately allocating resources to the UE 104. Based on the CQI value, a range of MCS index values in the corresponding MCS table is then selected by BS 102. Next, as known in the art, a specific MCS index value and a resource block number may be determined based on a corresponding Transport Block Size (TBS) table together with a code rate 203 shown in a corresponding CQI table. In some embodiments, as discussed above in fig. 4A-4C, the particular MCS index value selected by BS102 based on CQI information from UE104 includes the original modulation order Q_mTBS index, corresponding modified modulation order Q_nAnd the number N of layers_Layer(s)The information of (1).

In some embodiments, when BS102 contains multiple modified MCS tables, BS102 first determines a particular MCS table for UE104 based on the received CQI information including channel quality and spectral code rate. According to some embodiments, BS102 may further select an MCS index for UE104 from a particular MCS table. In some embodiments, different UEs within the same cell may obtain different MCS indices from different MCS tables. In some embodiments, the modified MCS table is derived from a conventional MCS table and the original modulation order, i.e. Q, is omitted_m。

The method 500 continues with operation 510, where the BS102 transmits scheduling information back to the UE104 depending on the CQI index, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the scheduling information is carried by Downlink Control Information (DCI). In particular embodiments, the scheduling information includes allocated time-frequency resources, transport block sizes for uplink data transmission, modulation and coding configurations, and data processing configurations (i.e., N_Layer(s)) And the like. In some embodiments, if BS102 receives a CQI index from UE104 having a relatively large CQI value, BS102 transmits data having a large transport block size. Conversely, if BS102 receives a CQI index from UE104 with a relatively small CQI value, BS102 transmits data with a small transport block size. In some embodiments, in addition to N_Layer(s)In addition, BS102 may specify other data processing configurations to UE104, including spreading sequences, random phase vectors for various data segments on various data layers. In some embodiments, the data processing configuration along with the modulation and coding configuration are cell-specific, especially in grant-based scenarios.

The method 500 continues with operation 512 in which, according to some embodiments, the UE104 divides the uplink transmission data set into N data segments respectively located on N data layers and prepares the N data segments for uplink data transmission. Multi-layer data transmission is provided by dividing the uplink transmission data set from the UE104 into a plurality of data segments, e.g., N data segments. In some embodiments, based on the received scheduling information (i.e., N)_Layer(s)、Q_nRandom phase vectors, time-frequency resources, etc.) to split and process the uplink transmission data set. The individual data segments are prepared through a number of processes before being stacked back together and transmitted on the physical channel. In some embodiments, the scheduling information may further include a spreading sequence in non-orthogonal multiplexing access (NOMA). This will be discussed in further detail below in fig. 6. Since each data segment carries 1/N of source data bits, the code rate on each data segment is reduced to 1/N. Furthermore, the reduced code rate using the multi-layer data transmission methods presented herein may result in a reduced modulation threshold as compared to single-layer data transmission. Therefore, data transmission based on this method can improve the decoding success rate, thereby improving transmission performance.

Fig. 6 shows an exemplary data processing diagram 600 illustrating a splitting process performed by the UE104 after receiving scheduling information from the BS102, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The plurality of processes may include, but are not limited to, data splitting, channel coding, scrambling/interleaving, modulation, sequence spreading, resource mapping, and data segment stacking. In the illustrated embodiment, the source information bits are first divided into N data segments on N data layers, i.e., 1, using a serial-to-parallel converter 602^stData layers 620, 2^ndData layers 622, …, N^th A data layer 624. Each of the N data layers contains 1/N source information bits from the UE 104. Each data segment on each data layer is then channel coded with a channel encoder 604 before being adapted by a rate matching process to form the final appropriate code rate. Adjacent data symbols are mapped to adjacent SC-FDMA (single-carrier frequency division multiple access) symbols in the time domain before being mapped across subcarriers. Following this scrambling/interleaving process performed by scrambler/interleaver 606, the individual data segments on the individual data layers are modulated by modulator 608, sequence spread using spreader 610, and resource mapped using resource mapper 612. In some embodiments, each data segment has its own independent CRC (cyclic redundancy check) process. In some embodiments, the random phase vector may be multiplied by each data segment on each data layer to reduce inter-channel interferenceAnd (4) cross-correlating. According to some embodiments, the process for introducing a random phase vector (not shown in fig. 6) may be located between the resource map and the data segment stack. As shown in fig. 6, this data processing may be performed by UE processor module 168 (fig. 1B), according to some embodiments. It should be noted that the process flow diagram 600 in fig. 6 is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Thus, it should be understood that the serial-to-parallel converter 602 for data splitting may be implemented at any location during scrambling/interleaving, modulation, and sequence spreading. For example, instead of splitting the source information bits directly, the UE104 may perform data splitting after scrambling/interleaving. The processes at the BS102 are configured according to data processing performed at the UE104, which will be discussed in detail below.

Referring again to fig. 5A, the method 500 continues with operation 514, where the UE104 transmits uplink signals to the BS102 based on the selected modulation, coding, and data processing configuration, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the various data segments on the various data layers in the uplink transmission signals from all the UEs 104 are then decoded by a decoder at the BS102 according to the coding, modulation, and data processing configurations. BS102 further demaps and demodulates the data segments on the various layers. In some embodiments, BS102 stacks all data segments on all data layers together, followed by descrambling/deinterleaving, decoding, and CRC checking. It should be noted that the data stacking process may be configured anywhere between the processes performed by the BS102, depending on the location of the data splitting process on the UE 104.

In some embodiments, the BS102 need not be configured to transmit a spreading sequence or a random phase vector to the UE 104. In this case, the UE104 selects a data processing configuration from a predefined pool of configurations. In some embodiments, the predefined configuration pool is obtained when the UE104 is combined with the cell of the BS102 through an RRC (radio resource control) message on a PDCCH (physical downlink control channel). In addition, the UE104 also transmits the selected processing configuration back to the BS102 to enable the BS102 to successfully decode the uplink transmission data set received from the UE 104. In some embodiments, different UEs 104 may select different processing configurations, such as spreading sequences and random phase vectors, and the BS102 decodes the uplink transmission data sets from the various UEs 104 according to their particular data processing configurations. In some embodiments, these processes are performed by transceiver module 152 and processor module 158 (fig. 1B) on BS 102. Since each data segment carries 1/N of source information bits, the code rate on each data segment is reduced to 1/N. Furthermore, the reduced code rate using the multi-layer data transmission methods presented herein may result in a reduced modulation threshold as compared to single-layer data transmission. Therefore, data transmission based on this method can improve the decoding success rate and thus improve transmission performance.

Fig. 5B illustrates a method 520 of performing multi-layer uplink transmission in an unlicensed scenario, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that additional operations may be provided before, during, and after the method 520 of fig. 5B, and that some other operations may be omitted or only briefly described herein.

The method 520 begins at operation 522, where the UE104 processes data for uplink transmission, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the UE104 processes data according to a data processing configuration, including a data spreading sequence, a random phase vector, and the like, which may be selected from a pool of data processing configurations according to the number of data layers selected by the UE 104. In some embodiments, the UE104 acquires a pool of data processing configurations from the BS102 when initially engaging a cell of the BS 102. In some embodiments, the default MCS index is determined by BS102 through an RRC message during semi-persistent scheduling (SPS). In some embodiments, the UE104 may determine Q further based on channel quality and package size_n、N_Layer(s)And time-frequency resources. The UE104 also transmits a modulation, coding, and data processing configuration back to the BS102 to enable the BS102 to successfully decode the uplink transmission data set received from the UE 104.

In some embodiments, different UEs 104 may select different modulation, coding, and data processing configurations, e.g., Q_n、N_Layer(s)A coding scheme, a spreading sequence and a random phase vector. According to some embodiments, the UE104 divides the uplink transmission data set into N data segments on respective N data layersAnd N data segments are prepared for uplink transmission. As discussed above, multi-layer data transmission is the division of the uplink transmission data set from the UE104 into multiple data segments, e.g., N data segments. Before the data segments are stacked and transmitted on the physical channel, the individual data segments are prepared through a number of processes, as discussed in detail in fig. 6. The BS102 then performs coding on the uplink transmission data sets from the various UEs 104 according to their particular modulation, coding, and data processing configurations.

In some embodiments, the number of data layers, N, in a data processing configuration may be explicitly indicated (hereinafter "explicit indication"), implicitly indicated (hereinafter "implicit indication"), or a combination thereof, from the UE104 to the BS102_Layer(s). In some embodiments, explicit indication refers to indicating some information (e.g., resources) by information bits in a control signal, such as an RRC message. In some embodiments, the explicit indication may be provided by, for example, a format of a bitmap in Uplink Control Information (UCI), wherein a modulation and coding configuration I in the UCI is configured_MCSAnd number of data layers N_Layer(s). For example, when N is_Layer(s)When 4, 2 bits of data in the UCI may be used to inform the BS 102.

In some embodiments, implicit indication refers to indicating some information (e.g., resources) by information in the preamble or reference signal. In the case of implicit indication using a preamble signal, various methods may be used. For example, a Zadoff-Chu (ZC) root sequence may be used to indicate N_Layer(s). In some other embodiments, Cyclic Shift (CS), Orthogonal Cover Code (OCC), comb structure, time-frequency resource, and RNTI (radio network temporary identity) may also be used to implicitly indicate N_Layer(s). When processing uplink transmission data received from the UE104, the BS102 determines N_Layer(s)。

Fig. 7A illustrates an implicit indication of a number of data layers using a Zadoff-chu (zc) root sequence, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, assume N_Layer(s)Is 4 and the number of ZC root sequences is 64. According to some embodiments, the ZC root sequences may be divided into 4 groups according to their ZC root sequence indices. At the placeIn the illustrated embodiment, the first 16ZC root sequence index 702[1,2,3, …,16]Indication of N _Layer(s)704 is 1; a second 16ZC root sequence index 702[17,18,19, …,32 ]]Indication of N _Layer(s)704 is 2; a third 16ZC root sequence index 702[33,34,35, …,48]Indication of N _Layer(s)704 is 3; and according to the illustrated embodiment, a fourth 16ZC root sequence index 702, namely [49,50,51, …,64]Indicates N _Layer(s)704 is 4. It should be noted that fig. 7A is merely an example. The ZC root sequences may be divided into different number of groups and N for each group using the index according to the ZC root sequences_Layer(s)Are within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 7B illustrates an implicit indication of the number of data layers using time-frequency resources, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, there are 4 Resource Blocks (RBs) 712, namely RB1, RB2, RB3, and RB4, and 4N for uplink data transmission_Layer(s). Each RB for uplink data transmission may be used to indicate a different N_Layer(s). In the illustrated embodiment, the first RB 712 (i.e., RB1) indicates N _Layer(s)714 is 1; the second RB 712 (i.e., RB2) indicates N_Layer(s)Is 2; the third RB 712 (i.e., RB3) indicates N_Layer(s)Is 3; and a fourth RB 712 (i.e., RB4) indicates N_Layer(s)Is 4. It should be noted that fig. 7B is merely an example, and one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate upon reading this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while still remaining within the scope of the present invention. For example, the BS102 may include different numbers of RBs for uplink data transmission, and each RB may indicate a different N_Layer(s)。

Fig. 7B further illustrates a configuration of resource blocks for uplink data transmission, in accordance with some embodiments. For example, RB 712 occupies a subframe 715, including a first slot 717 and a second slot 718 (e.g., slots 0 and 1), which form 1 resource block 712 having 12 subcarriers 720 in the frequency domain. Each of two slots in one subcarrier 720 includes 7 SC-FDMA (single-carrier frequency division multiple access) symbols 719.

In some embodiments, an implicit indication of the number of data layers may be carried in the orthogonal cover code. In some embodiments, OCC may be added to carry DMRS (demodulation parameters)Reference signal). OCC groups may correspond to different numbers of data layers. For example, according to a particular embodiment, OCC group [ 11 ]]Indication of N_Layer(s)Is 1; OCC group [1-1]Corresponding to N_Layer(s)Is 2; OCC group [ -11]Corresponding to N_Layer(s)Is 3; and, OCC group [ -1 [ ]]Corresponding to N_Layer(s)Is 4.

In some embodiments, an implicit indication of the number of data layers may be carried in the RNTI (radio network temporary identity) of the UE 104. According to some embodiments, when establishing the RRC connection, the UE104 is then configured in UTRAN (universal terrestrial radio access network) mode and the RNTI for the UE104 may be used as the UE ID on the shared transport channel. RNTI Inclusion can be used to carry N_Layer(s)A designated bit of information. According to some embodiments, for example, the RNTI contains 2 bits, where 00 corresponds to N_Layer(s)Is 1; 01 corresponds to N_Layer(s)Is 2; 10 corresponds to N_Layer(s)Is 3; and 11 corresponds to N_Layer(s)Is 4.

In the case of using a reference signal for implicit indication, various methods may be used. In some embodiments, N may be implicitly indicated by DMRS (demodulation reference signal)_Layer(s). For example, according to a specific rule known in the art, in NR, DMRSs mapped to physical resources are determined by parameters such as symbols in the time domain, OCC, comb, and the like.

Fig. 7C illustrates an implicit indication of the number of data layers using DMRS (demodulation reference signals) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, there are 12 antenna ports 732 divided into 4 groups. In the illustrated embodiment, group 1 includes

ports

1000, 1001, and 1002; group 2 includes

ports

1003, 1004, and 1005; group 3 includes

ports

1006, 1007, and 1008; and in accordance with the illustrated embodiment, group 4 includes

ports

1009, 1010, and 1011. Then, with N _Layer(s)734 configure the groups. Referring again to FIG. 7C, group 1 indicates N_Layer(s)Is 1; group 2 indicates N_Layer(s)Is 2; group 3 indicates N_Layer(s)Is 3; and group 4 indicates N_Layer(s)Is 4. When a UE104 selects a set of antenna ports, the corresponding N_Layer(s)Is also assigned to the UE 104. On the BS side, N for a UE104 may be determined based on the antenna ports to which DMRS signals are mapped_Layer(s)。

The method 520 continues with operation 524, where the UE104 transmits an uplink signal to the BS102 along with the selected modulation, coding, and data processing configuration, according to some embodiments. The UE104 communicates the selected modulation, coding, and data processing configuration to the BS102 to enable the BS102 to successfully decode the uplink transmission data set received from the UE 104. In some embodiments, different UEs 104 may select different data processing configurations, e.g., spreading sequences and random phase vectors, and the BS102 performs decoding of the uplink transmission data sets from the various UEs 104 according to their particular data processing configurations. In some embodiments, BS102 then processes the respective data segments on the respective data layers in the uplink transmission signals from all UEs 104 according to the coding, modulation, and data processing configurations configured by UEs 104. For example, BS102 may perform reverse data processing based on the modulation order, spreading sequence, random phase vector, and number of data layers specified by UE 104. In some embodiments, BS102 may stack all data segments on all data layers together, followed by descrambling/deinterleaving, decoding, and CRC checking. It should be noted that the data segment stacking process may be configured anywhere between the processes performed by the BS102, depending on the location of the data splitting process on the UE 104. In some embodiments, these processes are performed by transceiver module 152 and processor module 158 (fig. 1B) on BS 102. Since each data segment carries 1/N of the source data bits, the code rate is reduced to 1/N over each data segment. Furthermore, the reduced code rate using the multi-layer data transmission methods presented herein may result in a reduced modulation threshold as compared to single-layer data transmission. Therefore, data transmission based on this method can improve the decoding success rate and thus improve transmission performance.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Similarly, the various figures may depict example architectures or configurations provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functionality of the present invention. However, such persons will understand that the invention is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

It will also be understood that any reference herein to elements using a name such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the number or order of those elements. Rather, these names may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, reference to first and second elements does not imply that only two elements are used or that the first element must be somehow before the second element.

In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

One of ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that any of the illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two, which may be designed using source coding or some other technique), various forms of design code or programs containing instructions (which may be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or a "software module"), or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or as a combination of such technologies, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or performed by an Integrated Circuit (IC) that may include: a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and/or transceivers to communicate with various components within the network or within the device. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration, to perform the functions described herein.

If the functionality is implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can cause a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. In addition, for purposes of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, memory or other storage devices and communication components may be employed in embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the above description for clarity has described embodiments of the invention with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the invention. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic elements or controllers. Thus, references to specific functional units are only to references to suitable means for providing the described functionality rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless communication node, the method comprising:

transmitting a reference signal to a wireless communication device;

receiving a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) signal from the wireless communication device;

determining a Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) index from a first Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) table for the wireless communication device based on at least the CQI signal; and

a first set of uplink transmission data is received from the wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first uplink transmission data set results from dividing a second uplink transmission data set into a predetermined number of data segments on a predetermined number of data layers, respectively, and processed by at least one process, wherein the predetermined number of data layers are each configured by a first modulation order and a corresponding second modulation order in the first MCS table.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the first MCS table from at least one MCS table based on at least the CQI signal; and

transmitting the MCS index to the wireless communication device for future uplink transmissions.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first modulation order is less than or equal to the corresponding second modulation order.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first modulation order Q_nIs based on Q_n＝Q_m/N_Layer(s)Is arranged wherein Q_nFor said first modulation order, Q_mIs the corresponding second modulation order, and N_Layer(s)For a predefined number of data layers, Q_n、Q_mAnd N_Layer(s)Is a positive integer.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one procedure is performed before or after dividing the second uplink transmission data set into a predetermined number of data segments on a predetermined number of data layers.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one process comprises at least one of: channel coding, scrambling, modulation, sequence spreading, layer mapping, and data segment stacking.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first uplink transmission data set is transmitted according to a first transmission configuration, wherein the first transmission configuration includes at least one of: the first modulation order and a predefined number of data layers.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first transmission configuration is determined based on the MCS index and the first MCS table.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first MCS table is selected from at least one MCS table according to at least the CQI signal.

11. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

generating a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) signal based on a reference signal received from a wireless communication node;

receiving, from the wireless communication node, a Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) index in a first MCS table for future uplink transmissions; and

transmitting a first set of uplink transmission data to the wireless communication node.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

dividing the second uplink transmission data set into a predetermined number of data segments on a predetermined number of data layers; and

processing the predetermined number of data segments to form the first uplink transmission data set;

wherein the predetermined number of data layers is configured by a first modulation order and a corresponding second modulation order in the first MCS table.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first modulation order is less than or equal to the corresponding second modulation order.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first modulation order Q_nIs based on Q_n＝Q_m/N_Layer(s)Is arranged wherein Q_nFor said first modulation order, Q_mIs the corresponding second modulation order, and N_Layer(s)For a predefined number of data layers, Q_n、Q_mAnd N_Layer(s)Is a positive integer.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing comprises at least one of: channel coding, scrambling, modulation, sequence spreading, layer mapping, and data segment stacking.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first set of uplink transmission data is transmitted according to a first transmission configuration, wherein the first transmission configuration comprises the first modulation order and a predefined number of data layers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first transmission configuration is determined based on the MCS index and the first MCS table.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first MCS table is selected from at least one MCS table according to at least the CQI signal.

19. A method performed by a wireless communication node, the method comprising:

receiving a first uplink transmission data set and a first processing configuration from a wireless communication device;

wherein the first uplink transmission data set results from dividing a second uplink transmission data set into a predetermined number of data segments, each on a predetermined number of data layers, and is processed by at least one process, wherein the first processing configuration comprises a predefined number of data layers and a first modulation order, and wherein the predetermined number of data layers is transmitted from the wireless communication device using one of: explicit indication and implicit indication.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing comprises at least one of: channel coding, scrambling, modulation, sequence spreading, layer mapping, and data segment stacking.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first processing configuration further comprises a set of spreading sequences and a random phase vector.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number of data layers is configured according to the first modulation order and a corresponding second modulation order.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first modulation order Q_nIs based on Q_n＝Q_m/N_Layer(s)Is arranged wherein Q_nFor said first modulation order, Q_mIs the corresponding second modulation order, and N_Layer(s)For a predefined number of data layers, Q_n,Q_mAnd N_Layer(s)Is a positive integer.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the explicit indication is carried by Uplink Control Information (UCI).

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the implicit indication is carried by one of: zadoff-chu (zc) root sequence, reference signal sequence after cyclic shift operation, Orthogonal Cover Code (OCC), comb structure, radio network temporary id (rnti), time-frequency resource, and demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

26. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

dividing the first uplink transmission data set into a predetermined number of data segments on a predetermined number of data layers, respectively;

processing the predetermined number of data segments on the predetermined number of data layers according to a first processing configuration to form a second uplink transmission data set; and

transmitting the second uplink transmission data set and the first processing configuration to a wireless communication node;

wherein the first processing configuration comprises the predetermined number of data layers, and wherein the predetermined number of data layers is communicated to the wireless communication node using one of: explicit indication and implicit indication.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the processing comprises at least one of: channel coding, scrambling, modulation, sequence spreading, layer mapping, and data segment stacking.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first processing configuration further comprises a set of spreading sequences and a random phase vector.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmitting is performed according to a first transmission configuration, wherein the first transmission configuration comprises a first modulation order and a predefined number of data layers.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the predetermined number of data layers is configured according to the first modulation order and a corresponding second modulation order.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the first modulation order Q_nIs based on Q_n＝Q_m/N_Layer(s)Is arranged wherein Q_nFor said first modulation order, Q_mIs the corresponding second modulation order, and N_Layer(s)For a predefined number of data layers, Q_n、Q_mAnd N_Layer(s)Is a positive integer.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the explicit indication is carried by Uplink Control Information (UCI).

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the implicit indication is carried by one of: zadoff-chu (zc) root sequence, reference signal sequence after cyclic shift operation, Orthogonal Cover Code (OCC), comb structure, radio network temporary id (rnti), time-frequency resource, and demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

34. A computing device configured to perform the method of any of claims 1-33.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 33.