CN112640344B

CN112640344B - Hybrid HARQ feedback scheme for self-contained bursts on NR-U

Info

Publication number: CN112640344B
Application number: CN201880097042.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 骆喆; 陶涛; 刘建国; 武卓; 孟艳; 沈钢
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Current assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date: 2018-08-29
Filing date: 2018-08-29
Publication date: 2023-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-29
Also published as: WO2020042034A1; CN112640344A

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product in which a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless network receives data from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT). The UE decodes data, where the data has a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs). In response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, the UE transmits an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding. In response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, the UE transmits a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimate. A method, apparatus and computer program product for a network access device are also disclosed.

Description

Hybrid HARQ feedback scheme for self-contained bursts on NR-U

Technical Field

The present application relates generally to hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) enhancements for unlicensed New Radios (NRs), and in particular to the transmission of HARQ acknowledgements/negative acknowledgements (a/N) for respective data in the same shared Channel Occupation Time (COT).

Background

This section is intended to provide a background or context to the application that is disclosed below. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived, implemented or described. Thus, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to what is described in this section and is not considered prior art by inclusion in this section.

In the recent 3GPP RAN1#93 conference, i.e., the report draft of 3GPP TSG RAN WG1#93v0.2.0 of 3GPP TSG RAN conference #93 in korean silhouette from 5 months 21 to 25, agreeing that transmission of HARQ a/N for corresponding data in the same shared COT (self-contained COT) is considered beneficial, and a mechanism to support this is encouraged.

The protocol is defined as follows: the transmission of HARQ a/N for the corresponding data in the same shared COT is considered to be beneficial. Considering the current NR UE processing time required, if possible, all HARQ a/ns for the corresponding data are struggled to be transmitted in the same shared COT. The mechanism used to support this needs to be validated. It will be appreciated that in some cases, the HARQ a/N must be transmitted in a separate COT from the COT in which the corresponding data is transmitted. The mechanism used to support this needs to be validated.

Fig. 1 shows an example of a HARQ feedback scheme in a self-contained COT with additional gaps. See (nokia Shanghai bell R1-1806110) "HARQ enhancement for unlicensed NR at 3gpp TSG ran #93 conference in 21 st 5 months of 2018 to 25 th korean still mountain. In this example, a gap (blank portion) is reserved for the UE to decode PDSCH and prepare PUCCH. The UE must perform LBT before transmitting the PUCCH of a/N, and the PUCCH of a/N may be blocked due to LBT failure.

However, the receiver requires time to decode the data before transmitting the a/N. For example, at least 4ms is required from the end of the PDSCH to the earliest possible start of A/N transmission in LTE-LAA or MF, while the table of FIG. 2 shows the smallest symbol (N1) from the end of the PDSCH to the earliest possible start of A/N transmission in NR.

Two concepts are presented to address decoding latency issues for self-contained COTs. First, in some cases, the HARQ a/N must be transmitted in a separate COT from the COT transmitting the corresponding data. Second, a gap is added between the last data transmission and the start of the transmission a/N.

However, it can be observed that the first concept does not achieve the goal of transmitting all HARQ a/ns for the respective data in the same shared COT. The second concept is inadequate because it requires additional clearance; during this gap, channel occupancy initiated by the transmitter may be lost.

The present invention surpasses these techniques.

Acronyms or abbreviations that may be encountered in the specification and/or drawings are defined within the context of the present disclosure or are defined as follows:

3GPP third Generation partnership project

Fifth generation of 5G

A/N ACK/NACK

ACK acknowledgement

BER error rate

CB code block

CBG code block group

CCA clear channel assessment

CDF cumulative distribution function

COT channel occupancy time

CI downlink control information

DL downlink

DMRS demodulation reference signal

gNB next generation node B

HARQ hybrid automatic repeat request

LAA admission assisted access

LBT listen before talk

LLR log-likelihood ratio

LTE long term evolution

MCOT maximum channel occupancy time

MCS modulation coding scheme

NACK negative acknowledgement

NR new radio

NR on NR-U unlicensed spectrum

OFDM orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

OS OFDM symbols

PDSCH physical downlink shared channel

PRB physical resource block

PUCCH physical uplink control channel

PUSCH physical uplink shared channel

RAT radio access technology

RE resource element

Rel version

RRC radio resource control

RS reference signal

RSRQ reference signal reception quality

TB transport block

UCI uplink control information

UE user equipment

UL uplink

Disclosure of Invention

This section is intended to include an example, and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the word "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Thus, any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. All of the embodiments described in the detailed description are exemplary embodiments provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims.

The present invention proposes a hybrid HARQ feedback that includes an actual a/N of early data and a fast a/N of subsequent data in one COT, and that can immediately transmit all a/ns of corresponding data in the same shared COT without gaps after final data transmission. The hybrid HARQ feedback also includes a missed indicator of the previous COT, where the transmitter will retransmit data corresponding to the erroneous fast ACK at the next COT.

An example of an embodiment of the invention is a method comprising: receiving, by a User Equipment (UE), data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, by the apparatus, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of another embodiment of the invention is a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored therein, the computer program when executed by a computer being configured to provide instructions for controlling or performing the following operations: receiving, by the UE, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, by the apparatus, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); means for decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and means for transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and means for transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention is a computer program comprising: instructions for receiving, by a UE, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); instructions for decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and instructions for transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and instructions for transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of another embodiment of the invention is a method comprising: transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); receiving an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); receiving an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of yet another embodiment of the invention is a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored therein, the computer program when executed by a computer being configured to provide instructions for controlling or performing the following operations: transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); receiving an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus comprising: means for transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); means for receiving: an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention is a computer program comprising: instructions for transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); instructions for receiving: an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

Drawings

In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a diagram of a HARQ feedback scheme in a self-contained COT with additional gaps;

fig. 2 is a table showing the smallest symbol (N1) from the end of PDSCH to the earliest possible start of ACK/NACK feedback in NR;

Fig. 3 is an example of a hybrid HARQ feedback scheme for DL;

FIG. 4 is a table of simulation parameters;

fig. 5 is a diagram of a delayed CDF for retransmission TBs;

fig. 6 is a graph of the mean of the delay for retransmission TB;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary system in which the exemplary embodiments may be practiced;

FIG. 8 is a logic flow diagram of an exemplary method, execution results of computer program instructions embodied on a computer readable memory, functions performed by logic implemented in hardware, and/or interconnection means for performing functions in accordance with the exemplary embodiments; and

fig. 9 is a logic flow diagram of an exemplary method, execution results of computer program instructions embodied on a computer readable memory, functions performed by logic implemented in hardware, and/or interconnection means for performing the functions according to the exemplary embodiments.

Detailed Description

The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. All of the embodiments described in the detailed description are exemplary embodiments provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims.

The present invention proposes a hybrid HARQ feedback scheme for self-contained COT, wherein the hybrid HARQ feedback comprises the actual a/N of early data in the COT and the fast a/N of subsequent data. The actual a/N is obtained by decoding the data, while the fast a/N is estimated by some metric (e.g., RSRQ of DM-RS) instead of actually decoding the data. All a/ns of the corresponding data can then be transmitted immediately in the same shared COT without gaps after the final data transmission.

Fast a/N estimation can be achieved by one of two options. Option 1: the receiver compares the RSRQ of the DM-RS of the data with a threshold that depends on the MCS of the data. If the measured RSPQ is below the threshold, a NACK will be transmitted. Otherwise, an ACK will be transmitted. Option 2: the receiver attempts to decode some early part of the data (e.g., the first few OFDM symbols). The intermediate results (e.g., BER or LLR for bit 3) may be used to estimate the a/N of the data.

If a fast NACK is acquired, the transmitter may retransmit the corresponding data at the next COT. If a fast ACK is acquired, the transmitter may transmit new data at the next COT.

Because fast a/N is based on estimation rather than actual decoding, an actual ACK may be mistaken for a fast NACK (false alarm), or an actual NACK may be mistaken for a fast ACK (missed detection). Note that while false alarms are harmless, missed detection can cause the receiver to lose data. Therefore, the missed indicator of the previous COT is also included in the hybrid HARQ feedback. If a missed check is acknowledged, the transmitter will resend the data corresponding to the erroneous fast ACK at the next COT.

Fig. 3 shows a detailed embodiment of a hybrid HARQ feedback scheme for DL, in which it is assumed that a UE needs at least one slot (14 OS) to complete decoding of PDSCH of a slot.

At the first COT, the gNB transmits PDSCH to the UE at three consecutive slot numbers m, m+1, m+2 (with a pre-loaded DMRS at OS #2 and 3), with the corresponding DCI of the DL grant being transmitted at OS #0 and 1 of the same slot. Then, the UE transmits UCI for the hybrid a/N of slots #m, m+1, m+2 at the end of the first COT (at os#0 and 1 in slot #m+3). For PDSCH at slot #m, m+1, the actual a/N is transmitted since decoding has been completed, while for PDSCH at slot #m+2, the fast a/N is transmitted.

At the second COT, the gNB transmits PDSCH to the UE at four consecutive slots #n, n+1, n+2, n+3. The UE transmits the actual a/N for slot #n, n+1, n+2, the fast a/N for slot #n+3, and the missed detection.

In one embodiment, the fast a/N is determined by comparing the RSRQ of the DMRS (at slot #m+2 or n+3) to a threshold related to the MCS of the PDSCH. The threshold is predefined by the specification or configured by RRC signaling. In another embodiment, the fast a/N is estimated by BER of several early received CBs or CBGs, where the data (PDSCH) of a slot consists of several CBs or CBGs. Before receiving all the OSs, the UE attempts to decode the CB or CBG transmitted at the early OS of the slot. BER of early CB or CBG is used to estimate the probability of a/N.

In yet another embodiment, the hybrid HARQ feedback is carried by a bit map. For example, for the first COT of FIG. 3, bit map "101" indicates an actual ACK for slot #m, an actual NACK for slot #m+1, a fast ACK for slot #m+2, and no omission indicator. For another example, for the second COT of FIG. 3, the bit map "01101" indicates the actual NACK for slot #n, the actual ACK for slots #n+1 and n+2, the fast NACK for slot #n+3, and the missed detection occurring for slot #m+2 at the first COT.

Fig. 4 has a table of simulation parameters. Using this table, fig. 5 and 6 show a performance comparison of DL self-contained COT between the proposed hybrid HARQ feedback scheme (denoted by "hybrid") and the two existing HARQ feedback schemes discussed in the prior art above, i.e., the first option (denoted by "next") and the second option (denoted by "gap").

Fig. 5 shows the CDF for the delay of retransmission TBs using three HARQ feedback schemes, respectively. The delay is calculated from the interval between the time slot when the TB was originally transmitted from the gNB and the time slot when the TB was finally decoded by the UE.

Fig. 6 shows the mean value of the delay corresponding to the CDF of fig. 5.

From fig. 5 and 6, it can be seen that the proposed hybrid HARQ feedback scheme is superior to the other two existing schemes for DL self-contained COT with respect to the delay of retransmission of TBs.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one possible and non-limiting exemplary system in which the exemplary embodiments may be practiced. In fig. 7, a User Equipment (UE) 710 is in wireless communication with a wireless network 700. A UE is a wireless device, typically a mobile device, that may access a wireless network. The UE 710 includes one or more processors 720, one or more memories 725, and one or more transceivers 730 interconnected by one or more buses 727. Each of the one or more transceivers 730 includes a receiver Rx 732 and a transmitter Tx 733. The one or more buses 727 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optic or other optical communications devices, or the like. One or more transceivers 730 are connected to one or more antennas 728. The one or more memories 725 include computer program code 723. Note that the YYY module allows the use of control resources for the function of data transmission using any method or example in which such embodiments discussed herein may be practiced. The UE 710 includes a YYY module 740, the YYY module 740 including one or both of the portions 740-1 and/or 740-2, and the YYY module 740 may be implemented in a variety of ways. YYY module 740 may be implemented in hardware as YYY module 740-1, such as being implemented as part of one or more processors 720. YYY module 740-1 may also be implemented as an integrated circuit or by other hardware, such as a programmable gate array. In another example, YYY module 740 may be implemented as YYY module 740-2, and YYY module 740-2 is implemented as computer program code 723 and executed by one or more processors 720. For example, the one or more memories 725 and the computer program code 723 may be configured, with the one or more processors 720, to cause the user device 710 to perform one or more operations described herein. UE 710 communicates with base station 770 via wireless link 711.

A base station 770, which in the illustrated embodiment is a Radio Access Node (RAN), a gNB, an NR/5G node B, or possibly an evolved NodeB for LTE long term evolution connected to a 5GC, but may be any similar access point to a wireless network, provides access to the wireless network 700 by a wireless device such as UE 710. The base station 770 includes one or more processors 752, one or more memories 755, one or more network interfaces (N/W I/F) 761, and one or more transceivers 760, interconnected by one or more buses 757. Each of the one or more transceivers 760 includes a receiver Rx 762 and a transmitter Tx 763. One or more transceivers 760 are connected to one or more antennas 758. The one or more memories 755 include computer program code 753. Note that the ZZZ module allows the use of control resources for the function of data transmission using any method or example in which such embodiments discussed herein may be practiced. The base station 770 includes a ZZZ module 750, which ZZZ module 750 includes one or both of portions 750-1 and/or 750-2, which may be implemented in a variety of ways. The ZZZ module 750 may be implemented in hardware as a ZZZ module 750-1, such as implemented as part of one or more processors 752. The ZZZ module 750-1 may also be implemented as an integrated circuit or by other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, the ZZZ module 750 may be implemented as a ZZZ module 750-2, with the ZZZ module 750-2 implemented as computer program code 753 and executed by the one or more processors 752. For example, the one or more memories 755 and the computer program code 753 are configured, with the one or more processors 752, to cause the base station 770 to perform one or more operations described herein. One or more network interfaces 761 communicate over a network, such as via links 776 and 731. Two or more base stations 770 communicate using links 778, and a base station can communicate with other entities via links 776, where both links 776 and 778 can be wired or wireless or both, and can implement, for example, an Xn interface.

The one or more buses 757 may be an address bus, a data bus, or a control bus, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of wires on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optic or other optical communication devices, wireless channels, etc. For example, one or more transceivers 760 may be implemented as a Remote Radio Head (RRH) 795, wherein other elements of base station 770 are physically located in different locations than the RRH, and one or more buses 757 may be implemented in part as fiber optic cables capable of connecting the other elements of base station 770 to RRH 795.

Note that the description herein indicates that a "cell" performs functions, but it should be clear that the base station forming the cell will perform these functions. The cell forms part of a base station. That is, there may be multiple cells per base station. For example, for a single base station carrier frequency and associated bandwidth, there may be three cells, each covering one third of the 360 degree area, so the coverage area of a single base station covers approximately an ellipse or circle. Further, each cell may correspond to a single carrier, and the base station may use multiple carriers. Thus, if there are three 120 degree cells per carrier and two carriers, the base station has a total of 6 cells.

The base station 770 is coupled to some other network node 790 via a link 731. Link 731 may be implemented as an interface that is not necessarily wireless. Another network node 790 includes one or more processors 775, one or more memories 771, and one or more network interfaces (N/W I/F) 780 interconnected by one or more buses 785. The one or more memories 771 include computer program code 773. The one or more memories 771 and the computer program code 773 are configured, in conjunction with the one or more processors 775, to cause the NCE 790 to perform one or more operations.

Furthermore, the base station or Radio Access Network (RAN) also has "logical" elements, i.e. a Central Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU). A CU is a logical node, which may include functions such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, etc. (i.e., a gNB function) in addition to functions specifically allocated to DUs. The CU may control the operation of the DU through a forward (F1) interface. The CU may also be referred to as BBU/REC/RCC/C-RAN/V-RAN. A DU is a logical node that may include a subset of functions (i.e., the gNB functions) according to a function partitioning option. The operation of the DUs may be controlled by the CU. DUs are also known under other names (e.g., RRH/RRU/RE/RU). The DU may also contain intra-DU interfaces, e.g. E1 interfaces between its users and control plane functions.

Wireless network 700 may implement network virtualization, which is a process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity (virtual network). Network virtualization involves platform virtualization, which is typically combined with resource virtualization. Network virtualization is categorized as either external (grouping many networks or network parts into virtual units) or internal (providing network-like functionality to software containers on a single system). Note that to some extent, virtualized entities resulting from network virtualization may still be implemented using hardware such as processors 752 or 775 and memories 755 and 771, and that such virtualized entities also produce technical effects. With the cloud, the RAN and core may also be located in whole or in part in the same cloud element. In addition, the N2 and/or other interfaces may also be replaced with a data store or the like.

Computer readable memories 725, 755, and 771 may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Computer readable memories 725, 755, and 771 may be means for performing a memory function. Processors 720, 752, and 775 may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital Signal Processors (DSPs), and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture. Processors 720, 752, and 775 may be means for performing functions such as controlling UE 710, base station 770, and other functions described herein.

In general, various embodiments of user device 710 may include, but are not limited to, cellular telephones (such as cellular telephones, smart devices), personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) having wireless communication capabilities, portable computers having wireless communication capabilities, image capture devices such as digital cameras having wireless communication capabilities, gaming devices having wireless communication capabilities, music storage and playback appliances having wireless communication capabilities, internet appliances permitting wireless internet access and browsing, tablet computers having wireless communication capabilities, as well as portable units or terminals that incorporate combinations of such functions. In addition, various embodiments of user devices include machines, communicators, and device categories that are not primarily or not at all used by human interaction.

Embodiments herein may be implemented in software (executed by one or more processors), hardware (e.g., application specific integrated circuits), or a combination of software and hardware. For example, in an embodiment, software (e.g., application logic, instruction set) is maintained on any one of various conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this document, a "computer-readable medium" can be any medium or means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the instructions for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer), an example of which is described and depicted, for example, in fig. 7. A computer-readable medium may include a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory 725, 755, 771, or other device) that may be any medium or means that can contain or store instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

The current 3GPP release 8 based architecture in LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low latency requirements bring content close to the radio, which can lead to local disruption and multiple access edge computation (MEC). The 5G (and the evolved LTE connected to the 5G core) may use edge cloud and local cloud architecture. Edge computing encompasses a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data acquisition, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer ad hoc networks and processes, and can also be categorized into local cloud/fog computing and grid/mesh computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloudelets, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, and augmented reality. In radio communications, the use of an edge cloud may mean that node operations are to be performed at least in part in a server, host, or node operatively coupled to a remote radio head or base station comprising a radio section. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It should also be appreciated that the labor allocation between core network operation and base station operation may be different from that of LTE, or even non-existent. Other technological advances that can be used are Software Defined Networks (SDN), big data and all IP, which can change how networks are built and managed.

One possible way to perform the embodiments described herein is to use an edge cloud of a distributed computing system. An exemplary embodiment includes a radio node connected to a server. Implementing the exemplary embodiments of the system allows the edge cloud server and the radio node to communicate with each other as separate devices via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity communicating via a wired connection.

Fig. 8 is a logic flow diagram of an exemplary method of the present invention, execution results of computer program instructions embodied on a computer readable memory, functions performed by logic implemented in hardware, and/or interconnection means for performing the functions, according to an exemplary embodiment. Some or all of method 800 may be performed in module YYY or module ZZZ, as appropriate.

In the exemplary method 800, in step 802, a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless network is depicted receiving data from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT). In step 804, the UE decodes data, wherein the data has a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs). In response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupation time, the UE transmits an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in step 806. In response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, the UE transmits a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimate in step 808.

Fig. 9 is a logic flow diagram of an exemplary method of the present invention, execution results of computer program instructions embodied on a computer readable memory, functions performed by logic implemented in hardware, and/or interconnection means for performing the functions, according to an exemplary embodiment. Some or all of method 800 may be performed in module YYY or module ZZZ, as appropriate.

In the example method 900, in step 902, a network access device is depicted transmitting data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data includes a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs). In step 902, the network access device receives an actual acknowledgement or actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

Although various aspects of the invention are set out in the independent claims, other aspects of the invention comprise other combinations of features from the described embodiments and/or the dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, and not solely the combinations explicitly set out in the claims.

Without limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the claims appearing below in any way, an advantage or technical effect of one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein is that the hybrid HARQ feedback currently proposed herein reduces latency of subsequent data in the COT as compared to the first option discussed in the prior art section above.

Without limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the invention or claims appearing below in any way, an advantage, benefit, or technical effect of one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein is that the hybrid HARQ feedback currently proposed herein does not require a gap between transmission and HARQ feedback caused by decoding latency, as compared to the second option discussed in the prior art section above. This avoids the risk of LBT blocking of HARQ feedback.

The different functions discussed herein may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other, if desired. Furthermore, one or more of the above-described functions may be optional or may be combined, if desired.

An example of an embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 1 is a method comprising: receiving, by a User Equipment (UE), data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 2 is the method of item 1, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are transmitted in a first COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 3 is the method of item 1, wherein the estimating is based on signal quality or partial decoding output.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 4 is the method of item 3, wherein the signal quality is based on comparing a reference signal reception quality of the demodulation reference signal with a threshold value.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 5 is the method of item 3, wherein the threshold is determined based on at least one of: modulation coding scheme of data; a predefined specification; decoding capability; and configuration based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 6 is the method of item 4, wherein a fast negative acknowledgement is transmitted in response to the reference signal reception quality being below a threshold, and wherein a fast acknowledgement is transmitted in response to the reference signal reception quality not being below the threshold.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 7 is the method of item 3, wherein the partial decoded output of a TB in the plurality of transport blocks that was not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time is estimated based on a bit error rate of an earlier received code block or group of code blocks of the TB, and wherein the TB includes the plurality of code blocks or group of code blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 8 is the method of item 1, further comprising: in response to sending the actual negative acknowledgement or the fast negative acknowledgement, the corresponding retransmission TB is received at a second channel occupancy time, wherein the second COT is subsequent to the first COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 9 is a method according to item 1, the transmitting comprising: the actual ACK/NACK or the fast ACK/NACK is sent in a bitmap, wherein bits in the bitmap are associated with acknowledgements or negative acknowledgements of TBs, and wherein the type of acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement for the bits is determined explicitly or implicitly.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 10 is the method according to item 1, wherein TBs transmitted before slot n-k are able to be decoded before slot n and TBs transmitted between slots n-k+1 to n-1 are unable to be decoded before slot n, wherein n is the slot transmitting an acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement, k is the decoding delay, and wherein the decoding delay is predefined by the specification, or determined by the decoding capability, or configured by RRC signaling.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 11 is the method of item 1, further comprising: responsive to a fast ACK/NACK having been sent in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK/NACK corresponds to a TB in the plurality of transport blocks that was not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and decoding the corresponding TB before the end of the second COT; based on the decoding of the corresponding TB, a supplemental indicator of the corresponding TB including the actual ACK/NACK is transmitted. Note that the second COT need not immediately follow the first COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 12 is the method of item 1, further comprising: a supplemental indicator comprising an actual NACK is transmitted in response to the fast ACK having been sent in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK corresponds to a TB in a plurality of transport blocks that were not decoded before the end of the first COT, and/or wherein a decoding result of the corresponding TB before the end of the second COT is incorrect. Note that the TB not being decoded before the time ends means that the time is insufficient to complete decoding of the complete TB and obtain the decoding result. Thus, in this case, the decoding result of the complete TB is not available, the UE can estimate or guess the decoding result only based on the signal quality or the partial decoding output, and generate a fast ACK/NACK. Otherwise, if there is enough time to complete decoding of the complete TB, decoding results may be obtained based on the decoding decision. If the TB is decoded correctly, an actual ACK is sent. If the TB is incorrectly decoded, an actual NACK is sent.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 13 is a method according to item 11 or 12, the transmitting comprising: the actual ACK/NACK, the fast ACK/NACK, and/or the supplemental indicator are transmitted in the bitmap, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK correspond to TBs received in the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 14 is a method according to item 11 or 12, further comprising: responsive to the supplemental indicator including the actual NACK being sent in the second COT, a corresponding retransmission TB is received at a subsequent COT, wherein the subsequent COT is subsequent to the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 15 is an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, by an apparatus, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 16 is the apparatus of item 15, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are transmitted in a first COT.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 17 is the apparatus of item 15, wherein the estimating is based on signal quality or partial decoding output.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 18 is the apparatus of item 17, wherein the signal quality is based on comparing a reference signal reception quality of the demodulation reference signal to a threshold value.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 19 is the apparatus of item 17, wherein the threshold is determined based on at least one of: modulation coding scheme of data; a predefined specification; decoding capability; and configuration based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 20 is the apparatus of item 18, wherein a fast negative acknowledgement is transmitted in response to the reference signal reception quality being below a threshold, and wherein a fast acknowledgement is transmitted in response to the reference signal reception quality not being below the threshold.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 21 is the apparatus of item 17, wherein the partial decoded output of a TB in the plurality of transport blocks that was not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time is estimated based on a bit error rate of an earlier received code block or group of code blocks of the TB, wherein the TB comprises the plurality of code blocks or groups of code blocks.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 22 is the apparatus of item 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: in response to sending the actual negative acknowledgement or the fast negative acknowledgement, the corresponding retransmission TB is received at a second channel occupancy time, wherein the second COT is subsequent to the first COT.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 23 is the apparatus of item 15, wherein transmitting comprises: the actual ACK/NACK or the fast ACK/NACK is sent in a bitmap, wherein bits in the bitmap are associated with acknowledgements or negative acknowledgements of TBs, and wherein the type of acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement for the bits is determined explicitly or implicitly.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 24 is the apparatus of item 15, wherein TBs transmitted before slot n-k are capable of decoding before slot n and TBs transmitted between slots n-k+1 through n-1 are not capable of decoding before slot n, wherein n is a slot transmitting an acknowledgement or a negative acknowledgement, k is a decoding delay, and wherein the decoding delay is predefined by a specification, or is determined by a decoding capability, or is configured by RRC signaling.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 25 is the apparatus of item 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: responsive to a fast ACK/NACK having been sent in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK/NACK corresponds to a TB in the plurality of transport blocks that was not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and decoding the corresponding TB before the end of the second COT; based on the decoding of the corresponding TB, a supplemental indicator of the corresponding TB including the actual ACK/NACK is transmitted. Note that the second COT need not immediately follow the first COT.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 26 is the apparatus of item 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: a supplemental indicator comprising an actual NACK is transmitted in response to the fast ACK having been sent in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK corresponds to a TB in a plurality of transport blocks that were not decoded before the end of the first COT, and/or wherein a decoding result of the corresponding TB before the end of the second COT is incorrect. Note that the TB not being decoded before the time ends means that the time is insufficient to complete decoding of the complete TB and obtain the decoding result. Thus, in this case, the decoding result of the complete TB is not available, the UE can estimate or guess the decoding result only based on the signal quality or the partial decoding output, and generate a fast ACK/NACK. Otherwise, if there is enough time to complete decoding of the complete TB, decoding results may be obtained based on the decoding decision. If the TB is decoded correctly, an actual ACK is sent. If the TB is incorrectly decoded, an actual NACK is sent.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 27 is an apparatus according to item 25 or 26, wherein transmitting comprises: the actual ACK/NACK, the fast ACK/NACK, and/or the supplemental indicator are transmitted in the bitmap, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK correspond to TBs received in the second COT.

An example of yet another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 28 is an apparatus according to item 25 or 26, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: in response to the supplemental indicator including the actual NACK being sent in the second COT, the corresponding retransmission TB is received at a later COT, wherein the later COT is after the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 29 is a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, is configured to provide instructions for controlling or performing the following operations: receiving, by the UE, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 30 is an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, by the apparatus, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); means for decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and means for transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and means for transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 31 is a computer program comprising: code for receiving, by a UE, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT); code for decoding data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and code for transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and code for transmitting a fast acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) based on the estimation in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 32 is a method comprising: transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); receiving an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 33 is the method of item 32, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are received in a first COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 34 is a method according to item 32, further comprising: in response to receiving the actual negative acknowledgement or the fast negative acknowledgement, the corresponding TB is retransmitted at a second channel occupancy time, wherein the second COT is subsequent to the first COT.

An example of another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 35 is a method according to item 32, the receiving comprising: the actual ACK/NACK or fast ACK/NACK is acquired in a bitmap, wherein bits in the bitmap are associated with acknowledgements or negative acknowledgements of TBs, and wherein the type of acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement for the bits is determined explicitly or implicitly.

An example of another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 36 is a method according to item 32, further comprising: in response to a fast ACK/NACK having been received in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK/NACK corresponds to a TB in a plurality of transport blocks that were not decoded prior to the end of the first channel occupancy time, a supplemental indicator of the corresponding TB is received that includes the actual ACK/NACK, the supplemental indicator indicating that the corresponding TB was decoded prior to the end of the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 37 is a method according to item 32, further comprising: a supplemental indicator comprising an actual NACK is received in response to the fast ACK having been sent in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK corresponds to a TB in a plurality of transport blocks that were not decoded before the end of the first COT, and/or wherein a decoding result of the corresponding TB before the end of the second COT is incorrect.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 38 is a method according to item 36 or 37, the receiving comprising: the actual ACK/NACK, the fast ACK/NACK and/or the supplemental indicator are obtained in the bitmap, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK correspond to the TBs transmitted in the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 39 is a method according to item 36 or 37, further comprising: responsive to the supplemental indicator including the actual NACK being acquired in the second COT, the corresponding TB is retransmitted at a later COT, wherein the later COT is after the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 40 is an apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); receiving an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 41 is the apparatus of item 40, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are received in a first COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 42 is an apparatus according to item 40, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: in response to receiving the actual negative acknowledgement or the fast negative acknowledgement, the corresponding TB is retransmitted at a second channel occupancy time, wherein the second COT is subsequent to the first COT.

An example of another embodiment of the present invention that may be referred to as item 43 is an apparatus according to item 40, the receiving comprising: the actual ACK/NACK or fast ACK/NACK is acquired in a bitmap, wherein bits in the bitmap are associated with acknowledgements or negative acknowledgements of TBs, and wherein the type of acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement for the bits is determined explicitly or implicitly.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 44 is an apparatus according to item 40, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: in response to a fast ACK/NACK having been received in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK/NACK corresponds to a TB in a plurality of transport blocks that were not decoded prior to the end of the first channel occupancy time, a supplemental indicator of the corresponding TB is received that includes the actual ACK/NACK, the supplemental indicator indicating that the corresponding TB was decoded prior to the end of the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 45 is the apparatus of item 40, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: a supplemental indicator comprising an actual NACK is received in response to the fast ACK having been sent in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK corresponds to a TB in a plurality of transport blocks that were not decoded before the end of the first COT, and/or wherein a decoding result of the corresponding TB before the end of the second COT is incorrect.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 46 is an apparatus according to item 44 or 45, the receiving comprising: the actual ACK/NACK, the fast ACK/NACK and/or the supplemental indicator are obtained in the bitmap, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK correspond to the TBs transmitted in the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 47 is an apparatus according to item 44 or 45, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: responsive to the supplemental indicator including the actual NACK being acquired in the second COT, the corresponding TB is retransmitted at a later COT, wherein the later COT is after the second COT.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 48 is a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, is configured to provide instructions for controlling or performing the following operations: transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); receiving an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 49 is an apparatus comprising: means for transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); means for receiving: an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that may be referred to as item 50 is a computer program comprising: instructions for transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); instructions for receiving: an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks; a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that can be referred to as item 51 is a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium bearing computer program code according to item 31 now therein for use with a computer.

An example of another embodiment of the invention that can be referred to as item 52 is a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium carrying computer program code according to item 50 now therein for use with a computer.

While various aspects are set forth above, other aspects include other combinations of features from the described embodiments, not just the combinations described above. The different functions discussed herein may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other, if desired. Furthermore, one or more of the above-described functions may be optional or may be combined, if desired.

It should also be noted herein that while the above describes examples of embodiments of the invention, these descriptions should not be interpreted in a limiting sense. Rather, various modifications and adaptations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising:

receiving, by the UE, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT);

decoding the data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and

transmitting an actual acknowledgement or an actual negative acknowledgement (actual ACK/NACK) based on the decoding in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time;

a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) is transmitted based on the estimate in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are transmitted in the first COT.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimation is based on signal quality or partial decoding output.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the signal quality is based on comparing a reference signal reception quality of a demodulation reference signal with a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold is determined based on at least one of:

a modulation coding scheme for the data;

a predefined specification;

decoding capability; and

configuration based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method comprises,

wherein in response to the reference signal reception quality being below the threshold, the fast negative acknowledgement is transmitted, and

wherein the fast acknowledgement is transmitted in response to the reference signal reception quality not being below the threshold.

7. A method according to claim 3,

wherein the partial decoding output of the TB in the plurality of transport blocks not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time is estimated based on the bit error rate of an early received code block or group of code blocks of the TB, and

Wherein the TB includes a plurality of code blocks or code block groups.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to sending an actual negative acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement, a corresponding retransmission TB is received at a second channel occupancy time, wherein the second COT is subsequent to the first COT.

9. The method of claim 1, the transmitting comprising:

transmitting the actual ACK/NACK or the fast ACK/NACK in a bitmap, wherein bits in the bitmap are associated with acknowledgements or negative acknowledgements of TBs, and

wherein the type of acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement for the bit is determined explicitly or implicitly.

10. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the TB transmitted prior to slot n-k can be decoded prior to slot n, and the TB transmitted in slots n-k+1 to n-1 cannot be decoded prior to slot n,

where n is the time slot in which an acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement is transmitted and k is the decoding delay, and

wherein the decoding delay is predefined by a specification, or determined by decoding capabilities, or configured by RRC signaling.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the fast ACK/NACK having been sent in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK/NACK corresponds to a TB of the plurality of transport blocks that was not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, and decoding the corresponding TB before the end of a second COT;

Based on the decoding of the corresponding TB, a supplemental indicator of the corresponding TB including an actual ACK/NACK is transmitted.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the fast ACK having been sent in the first COT, a supplemental indicator including an actual NACK is sent,

wherein the fast ACK corresponds to a TB in the plurality of transport blocks that was not decoded before the end of the first COT, and/or

Wherein the decoding result of the corresponding TB before the end of the second COT is incorrect.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, the transmitting comprising:

the actual ACK/NACK, the fast ACK/NACK and/or the supplemental indicator are transmitted in a bit map, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK correspond to TBs received in the second COT.

14. The method of claim 11 or 12, further comprising:

in response to the supplemental indicator including an actual NACK being sent in the second COT, a corresponding retransmission TB is received at a subsequent COT, wherein the subsequent COT follows the second COT.

15. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are transmitted in the first COT.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the estimation is based on signal quality or partial decoding output.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the signal quality is based on comparing a reference signal reception quality of a demodulation reference signal to a threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the threshold is determined based on at least one of:

a modulation coding scheme for the data;

A predefined specification;

decoding capability; and

configuration based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18,

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the partial decoding output of the TB of the plurality of transport blocks not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time is estimated based on a bit error rate of an earlier received code block or code block group of the TB, wherein the TB comprises a plurality of code blocks or code block groups.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: in response to sending an actual negative acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement, a corresponding retransmission TB is received at a second channel occupancy time, wherein the second COT is after the first COT.

23. An apparatus according to claim 15,

Wherein the transmitting comprises: the actual ACK/NACK or the fast ACK/NACK is transmitted in a bitmap,

wherein the bits in the bitmap are associated with an acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement of a TB, an

24. An apparatus according to claim 15,

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

26. An apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

27. The apparatus of claim 25 or 26, wherein the transmitting comprises: the actual ACK/NACK, the fast ACK/NACK and/or the supplemental indicator are transmitted in a bit map, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK correspond to TBs received in the second COT.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product, the computer program when executed by a computer configured to provide instructions to control or perform the following:

30. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for receiving, by a UE, data in a wireless network from a network access device in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT);

Means for decoding the data, wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs); and

a component for:

31. A method for communication, comprising:

transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs);

receiving based on the decoding in response to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time

An actual acknowledgement or actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks;

responsive to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks is received based on the estimate.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are received in the first COT.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to receiving an actual negative acknowledgement or a fast negative acknowledgement, retransmitting the corresponding TB at a second channel occupancy time, wherein the second COT is subsequent to the first COT.

34. The method of claim 31, the receiving comprising: the actual ACK/NACK or the fast ACK/NACK is acquired in a bitmap,

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to the fast ACK/NACK having been received in the first COT, wherein the fast ACK/NACK corresponds to a TB of the plurality of transport blocks that was not decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time, receiving a supplemental indicator of the corresponding TB including an actual ACK/NACK, the supplemental indicator indicating that the corresponding TB was decoded before the end of the second COT.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

in response to the fast ACK having been sent in the first COT, receiving a supplemental indicator comprising an actual NACK,

37. The method of claim 35 or 36, the receiving comprising:

the actual ACK/NACK, the fast ACK/NACK and/or the supplemental indicator are acquired in a bit map, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK correspond to TBs transmitted in the second COT.

38. The method of claim 35 or 36, further comprising:

in response to the supplemental indicator including an actual NACK being acquired in the second COT, retransmitting the corresponding TB at a subsequent COT, wherein the subsequent COT follows the second COT.

39. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the actual ACK/NACK and the fast ACK/NACK are received in the first COT.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

42. The apparatus of claim 39, the receiving comprising: the actual ACK/NACK or the fast ACK/NACK is acquired in a bitmap,

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

45. The apparatus of claim 43 or 44, the receiving comprising:

46. The apparatus of claim 43 or 44, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

47. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program that when executed by a computer is configured to provide instructions to control or perform the following:

48. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for transmitting, by a network access device, data in a first Channel Occupancy Time (COT), wherein the data comprises a plurality of Transport Blocks (TBs);

a component for:

receiving an actual acknowledgement or actual negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) corresponding to a transport block of the plurality of transport blocks based on the decoding in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time;

for receiving a fast acknowledgement or fast negative acknowledgement (fast ACK/NACK) corresponding to another transport block of the plurality of transport blocks based on the estimation in response to the transport block of the plurality of transport blocks not being decoded before the end of the first channel occupancy time.