WO2020064939A1 - Rmsi and ssb rate matching - Google Patents

Abstract

A method by a user equipment, UE, of decoding a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, includes decoding data in first resource elements in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, that carry downlink control information, DCI, that indicates second resource elements in the PDSCH that carry PDSCH data, wherein the PDSCH data comprises system information block, SIB1, data. The method determines a presence of a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block in third resource elements that comprise a subset of the second resource elements, and decodes data in the second resource elements other than the third resource elements to obtain the PDSCH data.

Description

RMSI AND SSB RATE MATCHING

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/737,265, filed September 27, 2018, entitled "RMSI AND SSB RATE

MATCHING," the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present application relates to wireless communication systems.

[0003] The New Radio (NR) standard in 3GPP is being designed to provide service for multiple use cases, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC), and machine type communication (MTC). Each of these services has different technical requirements. For example, the general requirement for eMBB is high data rate with moderate latency and moderate coverage, while URLLC service requires a low latency and high reliability transmission but possibly with moderate data rates.

[0004] One of the solutions for low latency data transmission is shorter transmission time intervals. In NR, in addition to transmission in a slot, a mini-slot transmission is also allowed to reduce latency. A mini-slot may include from 1 to 14 OFDM symbols. It should be noted that the concepts of slot and mini-slot are not specific to a specific service, meaning that a mini-slot may be used for either eMBB, URLLC, or other services.

[0005] In Rel-15 NR, a UE can be configured with up to four carrier bandwidth parts in the downlink with a single downlink carrier bandwidth part being active at a given time. A UE can be configured with up to four carrier bandwidth parts in the uplink with a single uplink carrier bandwidth part being active at a given time. If a UE is configured with a supplementary uplink, the UE can in addition be configured with up to four carrier bandwidth parts in the supplementary uplink with a single supplementary uplink carrier bandwidth part being active at a given time.

[0006] For a carrier bandwidth part with a given numerology m, a contiguous set of physical resource blocks (PRBs) are defined and numbered from 0 to N§w^e _Pi - 1, where / is the index of the carrier bandwidth part. A resource block (RB) is defined as 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain.

[0007] Numerologies

[0008] Multiple OFDM numerologies, m, are supported in NR as given by Table 1, where the subcarrier spacing, Af, and the cyclic prefix for a carrier bandwidth part are configured by different higher layer parameters for downlink and uplink, respectively.

Table 1: Supported transmission numerologies

[0009] Physical Channels

[0010] A downlink physical channel corresponds to a set of resource elements carrying information originating from higher layers. The following downlink physical channels are defined:

• Physical Downlink Shared Channel, PDSCH

• Physical Broadcast Channel, PBCH

Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH [0011] PDSCH is the main physical channel used for unicast downlink data transmission, and also for transmission of RAR (random access response), certain system information blocks, and paging information. PBCH carries the basic system information needed by the UE to access the network. PDCCH is used for transmitting downlink control information (DCI), which primarily includes scheduling information needed for reception of PDSCH.

[0012] Frequency resource allocation for PDSCH

[0013] In general, a user equipment (UE) determines the resource block (RB) assignment in the frequency domain for PUSCH or PDSCH using the resource allocation field in the detected DCI carried in PDCCH.

[0014] In NR, two frequency resource allocation schemes, type 0 and type 1, are supported for PUSCH and PDSCH. The scheme used for a particular PUSCH/PDSCH transmission is either defined by an RRC configured parameter or indicated directly in the corresponding DCI or UL grant in RAR (for which type 1 is used).

[0015] The RB indexing for uplink/downlink type 0 and type 1 resource allocation is determined within the UE's active carrier bandwidth part, and the UE, upon detection of PDCCH intended for the UE, first determines the uplink/downlink carrier bandwidth part and then the resource allocation within the carrier bandwidth part.

[0016] Figure 1A illustrates a user equipment (UE) 100 and a network node 200 serving the UE 100 in a wireless communication system. The network node 200 may be a base station.

In the case of NR, the network node 200 may be a termed gNodeB or gNB. Transmissions from the UE 100 to the network node 200 are referred to as "uplink" or "UL" transmissions, while transmissions from the network node 200 to the UE 100 are referred to as "downlink" or "DL" transmissions.

[0017] Figure IB illustrates an exemplary arrangement of radio resources in NR. In particular, an available bandwidth is divided into a plurality of subchannels having a subchannel spacing of DT In NR, a plurality of OFDM symbols are transmitted in each of the channels. A single OFDM symbol with its corresponding cyclic prefix in a single subchannel is referred to as a resource element, or RE.

[0018] An NR slot consists of 14 symbols. Figure 2 shows a slot with 14 OFDM symbols. In Figure 2, T₅ and T_symb denote the slot and OFDM symbol duration, respectively. A slot may also be shortened to accommodate DL/UL transient period or both DL and UL transmissions. Potential variations are shown in Figure 3, which illustrates a DL-only transmission with a late start (Figure 3(a)), a DL-heavy transmission with a UL part (Figure 3(b)), a UL-heavy transmission with DL control (Figure 3(c)) and a UL-only transmission (Figure 3(d)).

[0019] Furthermore, NR also defines Type B scheduling, also known as mini-slots. Mini slots are shorter than slots and can start at any symbol. Mini-slots are used if the transmission duration of a slot is too long or the occurrence of the next slot start (slot alignment) is too late. Applications of mini-slots include, among others, latency critical transmissions (in this case both mini-slot length and frequent opportunity of mini-slots are important) and unlicensed spectrum where a transmission should start immediately after listen-before-talk succeeded (here the frequent opportunity of mini-slots is especially important). An example of mini-slots is shown in

Figure 4, which illustrates a mini-slot with two OFDM symbols.

[0020] SS/PBCH Block [0021] NR defines two types of synchronization signals; PSS and SSS and one broadcast channel; PBCH. Further PSS, SSS and PBCH are transmitted in one SS/PBCH block (also referred to as a Synchronization Signal Block, SS Block or SSB). One or multiple SS/PBCH block(s) can be transmitted within one SS/PBCH period. Multiple SS/PBCH blocks are used when multiple transmissions are needed to cover the intended coverage area (e.g. a cell), for example, using transmissions in different non-overlapping, or partially overlapping, beams (i.e. beams with different directions). Sequentially transmitting in each of these beam directions is referred to as a beam sweep, e.g. a SS/PBCH block beam sweep. Another reason for using multiple SS/PBCH blocks may be that repetitions of the SS/PBCH block transmissions are needed to allow a UE to accumulate enough energy from multiple SS/PBCH block transmissions (i.e. soft combining) to decode the SS/PBCH block when the UE is located at the edge of the coverage area. Such a set of beam swept or repeated SS/PBCH block transmissions is referred to as a Synchronization Signal Burst Set (SS Burst Set or SS/PBCH burst set).

[0022] For a half frame with SS/PBCH blocks, the first symbol indexes for candidate SS/PBCH blocks are determined according to the subcarrier spacing of SS/PBCH blocks as described in [1].

[0023] The candidate SS/PBCH blocks in a half frame are indexed in an ascending order in time from 0 to L-l. A UE 100 determines the 2 LSB bits, for L=4, or the 3 LSB bits, for L>4, of a SS/PBCH block index per half frame from a one-to-one mapping with an index of the DM-RS sequence transmitted in the PBCH. For L=64, the UE determines the 3 MSB bits of the SS/PBCH block index per half frame by PBCH payload bits. In addition, a half-frame indicator is present in the PBCH payload bits. [0024] Not all candidate SS/PBCH blocks have to be transmitted. If the intended coverage area (e.g. a cell) can be covered with fewer SS/PBCH block transmissions, e.g. using wider beamforming, then a smaller number of SS/PBCH blocks can be transmitted than the full number of candidate SS/PBCH blocks. Any combination of the candidate SS/PBCH blocks may be used. For instance, if there are 8 candidate SS/PBCH blocks and only 4 of them are used for SS/PBCH block transmissions, these 4 candidate SS/PBCH blocks may be the first 4 candidate SS/PBCH blocks, the 4 last candidate SS/PBCH blocks, the first, the second, the fifth and sixth candidate SS/PBCH blocks or any other combination of 4 candidate SS/PBCH blocks out of the total 8 candidate SS/PBCH blocks.

[0025] A candidate SS/PBCH block is also referred to as a "candidate SS/PBCH block position" or a "candidate SSB position".

[0026] The UE 100 may assume that SS/PBCH blocks transmitted with the same block index on the same center frequency location are quasi co-located with respect to Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average gain, average delay, delay spread, and, when applicable, spatial Rx parameters. The UE 100 does not assume quasi co-location for any other SS/PBCH block transmissions.

[0027] Remaining Minimum System Information (RMSI)

[0028] System Information (SI) is divided into Minimum SI and Other SI. Minimum SI is periodically broadcast and includes basic information required for initial access to a cell and information for acquiring any other SI broadcast periodically or provisioned on-demand, i.e. scheduling information. The Other SI encompasses everything not broadcast in the Minimum SI and may either be broadcast, or provisioned in a dedicated manner, either triggered by the network or upon request from the UE 100.

[0029] The Minimum SI is transmitted over two different downlink channels using different messages ( MasterlnformationBlock and SystemlnformationBlockTypel). The term Remaining Minimum SI (RMSI) is also used to refer to SystemlnformationBlockTypel (SIB1). Other SI is transmitted in SystemlnformationBlockType2 and above.

[0030] The MasterlnformationBlock (MIB) is always transmitted on the BCH (and carried on PBCH) with a periodicity of 80 ms with repetitions made within the 80 ms period. The MIB includes parameters that are needed to acquire SystemlnformationBlockTypel (SI Bl) from the cell.

[0031] The SystemlnformationBlockTypel (SI Bl) is transmitted on the DL-SCH (and carried on PDSCH). SIB1 includes information regarding the availability and scheduling (e.g. periodicity, Sl-window size) of other SIBs. It also indicates whether the other SIBs are provided via periodic broadcast basis or only on-demand basis. If other SIBs are provided on-demand, then SIB1 includes information for the UE to perform SI request.

[0032] When the UE decodes PDSCH, it needs to know if the PDSCH transmission is multiplexed with an SS/PBCH block. The UE gets this information either through dedicated signaling or by reading broadcast information in SIB1. This has the implication that when the UE receives PDSCH carrying SIB1 it does not have knowledge of whether the PDSCH is multiplexed with any SS/PBCH block(s). In Rel-15 NR, this problem has been solved by allowing the UE to assume when receiving the PDSCH scheduled with SI-RNTI in PDCCH TypeO common search space, the UE shall assume that no SS/PBCH block is transmitted in REs used by the UE for a reception of the PDSCH. That is, according to the current standard, an SS/PBCH block may not be multiplexed with a PDSCH carrying SIB1 information to ensure that the UE's assumption is correct.

SUMMARY

[0033] Some embodiments provide a method by a user equipment, UE, of decoding a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH. The method includes decoding data in first resource elements in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, that carry downlink control information, DCI, that indicates second resource elements in the PDSCH that carry PDSCH data, wherein the PDSCH data comprises system information block, SIB1, data, determining a presence of a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block in third resource elements that comprise a subset of the second resource elements, and decoding data in the second resource elements other than the third resource elements to obtain the PDSCH data.

[0034] Decoding the second resource elements other than the third resource elements may include rate matching the PDSCH data based on the second resource elements excluding the third resource elements.

[0035] Determining presence of the SS/PBCH block may include receiving an indication in the DCI of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the second resource elements.

[0036] The indication in the DCI may include a bit in the DCI indicating presence of one or more SS/PBCH block(s) in predetermined SS/PBCH block locations within the second resource elements. [0037] The indication may include a bitmap indicating presence of one or more SS/PBCH blocks at predetermined locations within the second resource elements.

[0038] The bitmap may include a plurality of bits that indicate presence or absence of SS/PBCH blocks at a corresponding plurality of candidate SS/PBCH block positions in an

SS/PBCH burst set.

[0039] Determining the presence of the SS/PBCH block may include receiving an indication in a PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the second resource elements.

[0040] The indication may include a bit in a payload of the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block that is outside or inside a master information block, MIB.

[0041] Determining presence of the SS/PBCH block may include receiving an indication via higher layer medium access control, MAC, or radio resource control, RRC signaling of the presence of the SS/PBCH block.

[0042] Determining presence of the SS/PBCH block may include searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block,

[0043] Searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block may include estimating a signal to interference plus noise, SINR, of a physical broadcast channel, PBCH, and/or synchronization signal (SS) portion of the SS/PBCH block, comparing the SINR to a threshold, and in response to the SINR being greater than the threshold, determining that the

SS/PBCH block is present in the third resource elements. [0044] Searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block may include correlating data carried in the third resource elements with a known synchronization signal sequence.

[0045] The method may further include detecting a synchronization signal in the SS/PBCH block, and based on the synchronization signal, decoding a master information block, MIB, carried in the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block.

[0046] Determining presence of the SS/PBCH block may include detecting presence of a first SS/PBCH block, and based on presence of the first SS/PBCH block, assuming presence of subsequent SS/PBCH blocks in the PDSCH.

[0047] The third resource elements carrying the SS/PBCH block may be transmitted with different beamforming than the second resource elements excluding the third resource elements.

[0048] Determining presence of the SS/PBCH block may include assuming presence of the SS/PBCH block.

[0049] Determining presence of the SS/PBCH block may include performing first speculative decoding of the PDSCH data assuming that the SS/PBCH block is present and second speculative decoding of the PDSCH data assuming that the SS/PBCH block is not present, checking a first cyclic redundancy code, CRC, associated with the first speculative decoding and a second CRC associated with the second speculative decoding, and determining presence of the SS/PBCH block based on comparison of the first CRC and the second CRC.

[0050] A user equipment according to some embodiments includes a processing circuit, a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory comprises machine-readable computer program instructions that cause the processing circuit to perform the operations of decoding data in first resource elements in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, that carry downlink control information, DCI, that allocates second resource elements in the PDSCH that carry PDSCH data, wherein the PDSCH data comprises system information block, SIB, data, determining a presence of a

synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block in third resource elements among the second resource elements, and decoding data in the second resource elements other than the third resource elements to obtain the PDSCH data.

[0051] Some embodiments provide a method by a network node of transmitting data on a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH. The method includes multiplexing a

synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block with a system information block, SIB1, to form a multiplexed signal, and transmitting the multiplexed signal on a downlink channel towards a user equipment, UE.

[0052] The method may further include transmitting to the UE an indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal.

[0053] Transmitting to the UE an indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal may include transmitting the indication in downlink control information, DCI, in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH.

[0054] The indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the PDSCH signal may include a bit in the DCI indicating presence of the SS/PBSCH in all possible locations of the

PDSCH scheduled in the DCI. [0055] The indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal may include a bitmap in the DCI indicating presence of the SS/PBSCH in one or more locations of the PDSCH scheduled in the DCI.

[0056] The bitmap may include a plurality of bits that indicate presence or absence of SS/PBCH blocks at a corresponding plurality of candidate SS/PBCH block positions in an SS/PBCH burst set.

[0057] The method may further include transmitting an indication in a PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the second resource elements.

[0058] The indication may include a bit in a payload of the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block that is outside a master information block, MIB.

[0059] A network node according to some embodiments includes a processing circuit, a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory includes machine-readable computer program instructions that cause the processing circuit to perform operations of multiplexing a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block with a system information block, SIB, to form a multiplexed signal, and transmitting the multiplexed signal on a downlink channel towards a user equipment, UE.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0060] Figure 1A illustrates a user equipment and a network node serving the UE in a wireless communication system.

[0061] Figure IB illustrates an exemplary arrangement of radio resources in NR. [0062] Figure 2 illustrates a slot for transmission/reception of data with 14 OFDM symbols in a wireless communication system.

[0063] Figure 3 illustrates various transmission options for a slot in a wireless communication system.

[0064] Figure 4 illustrates a mini-slot with two OFDM symbols in a wireless

communication system.

[0065] Figure 5A illustrates a downlink shared channel carrying a PDSCH format with 30 kHz subcarrier spacing in which a PDCCH and PDSCH are alternately transmitted.

[0066] Figure 5B illustrates a configuration in which each slot includes a single PDCCH block and a single PDSCH block that includes two SS/PBCH blocks carrying SSB1 and SSB2, respectively.

[0067] Figure 6 illustrates operations of a user equipment according to some embodiments.

[0068] Figures 7A and 7B illustrate operations of a network node according to some embodiments.

[0069] Figure 8 is a block diagram that illustrates some elements of a network node according to some embodiments.

[0070] Figure 9 is a block diagram that illustrates some elements of a user equipment according to some embodiments.

[0071] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a wireless network in accordance with some embodiments; [0072] Figure 11 is a block diagram of a user equipment in accordance with some embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0073] Inventive concepts will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present/used in another embodiment.

[0074] The following description presents various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. These embodiments are presented as illustrative examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosed subject matter. For example, certain details of the described embodiments may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the described subject matter.

[0075] Current Rel-15 specifications for NR allow the UE to assume that no SS/PBCH block is transmitted in the REs used by the UE for receiving PDSCH carrying SIB1. This has the implication that SS/PBCH blocks cannot be multiplexed in an efficient way with PDSCH carrying

SIB1, e.g., through a combination of FDM and TDM multiplexing "around" an SS/PBCH block. [0076] Thus, there is a need for methods for the UE to determine if some REs are used by SS/PBCH block(s) in the same OFDM symbol(s)/resource element(s) in which PDSCH carrying SIB1 is scheduled.

[0077] Some embodiments described herein provide that the UE is made explicitly or implicitly aware of whether SS/PBCH block(s) are transmitted in the REs used by the UE for receiving PDSCH carrying SIB1. Some embodiments described herein may allow SIB1 and SS/PBCH block(s) to be multiplexed in the REs used by the UE for receiving PDSCH in a resource efficient manner, which may allow compact transmission (in time and frequency) of both SS/PBCH block(s) and SIB1.

[0078] According to some embodiments, the UE is made aware of whether or not a subset of the REs allocated for PDSCH carrying SIB1 are occupied by SS/PBCH block(s). If this is the case, the UE assumes that PDSCH is not transmitted on those REs and decodes the PDSCH by rate matching the PDSCH around them. Rate matching refers to the process of

encoding/decoding data bits to be transmitted in such a manner that the number of encoded bits matches the amount of resources available to carry the encoded bits. Code rate refers to the proportion of the encoded bits that are non-redundant. That is, if the code rate is k/n, for every k bits of useful information, the coder generates a total of n bits of data, of which n-k are redundant. A lower code rate means that more redundancy bits are inserted during the coding process and a higher code rate means that fewer redundancy bits are inserted. Rate matching implies that when more resources are available for transmission, the data bits may be encoded at a lower code rate (i.e., with more redundancy), while when fewer resources are available, the data bits may be encoded at a higher code rate with less redundancy. To decode a signal, a receiver must use the appropriate code rate to properly decode the encoded signal. The code rate used by the receiver to decode the PDSCH is based on the number of resources that are assumed to carry the encoded bits in the PDSCH. Accordingly, "rate matching around" the REs carrying the SS/PBCH block means that the UE does not consider those REs when calculating the code rate for the PDSCH.

[0079] An example of this is shown in Figure 5A, which illustrates a downlink shared channel, DL-SCH, 50 carrying a PDSCH format with 30 kHz subcarrier spacing in which a PDCCH and PDSCH are alternately transmitted. In the example shown in Figure 5A, each slot 56 includes two PDCCH blocks 52 and two PDSCH blocks 54. The PDSCH carries SIB1 data, which is multiplexed together with SS/PBCH blocks 58 containing SSB1, SSB2, etc., on the resource elements allocated for the PDSCH. In the example shown in Figure 5A, each PDSCH block 54 includes one SS/PBSCH block 58. Other configurations are possible. For example, Figure 5B illustrates a configuration in which each slot includes a single PDCCH block 52 and a single PDSCH block 54 that includes two SS/PBCH blocks 58A, 58B carrying SSB1 and SSB2,

respectively.

[0080] Reference is now made to Figure 6, which is a flowchart of operations that may be performed by a UE 100 according to some embodiments. According to some embodiments, a UE 100 may decode the PDSCH by first receiving the PDCCH and decoding first REs carrying DCI that allocate second REs scheduled for the PDSCH that carry SIB1 data (block 602). That is, the UE 100 first receives the PDCCH and analyzes the PDCCH to determine what resources carry the PDSCH. The UE 100 determines the presence of an SS/PBCH block in third REs among the second (PDSCH) REs (block 604). That is, the third REs comprise a subset of the second REs. The UE 100 decodes the REs that carry the PDSCH, namely, the second REs scheduled for PDSCH other than the third REs that carry the SS/PBCH block (block 606). Because the UE disregards the REs that carry the SS/PBCH block when decoding the PDSCH, the UE 100 may apply the proper coding rate to the PDSCH data so that the PDSCH may be reliably decoded.

[0081] It will be appreciated that the order of operations of blocks 602 and 604 may be reversed in some embodiments, i.e., in some embodiments, the UE 100 may determine the presence of SS/PBCH blocks in the REs scheduled for PDSCH prior to reading the PDCCH.

[0082] In some embodiments, determining the presence of SS/PBCH blocks in block 604 may include receiving an indication in the DCI in block 602 that an SS/PBCH block is multiplexed with the PDSCH. The indication can be one bit indicating the presence of SS/PBCH block(s) in all possible locations within the scheduled PDSCH. For example, in the configuration shown in Figure 5B, a single bit in the DCI may indicate that SS/PBCH blocks are present in both blocks 58A, 58B in the slot 56. The locations of blocks 58A, 58B may be predetermined and thus known in advance by the UE 100.

[0083] In further embodiments, a bitmap may be provided in the DCI that indicates the presence of individual SS/PBCH block(s) with the scheduled PDSCH. In the current Rel-15 NR specification, the maximum length of a PDSCH allocation is one slot and the number of SS/PBCH positions per slots is 2. Thus, a bitmap of length two would be sufficient to identify the presence of SS/PBCH blocks in both locations. In case of multi-slot PDSCH, the bitmap may be extended, for example, to two times the number maximum number of slots that can be scheduled using multi-slot scheduling. Alternatively, the length of the bitmap may match the maximum number of SS/PBCH blocks that can be transmitted. [0084] In some embodiments, determining the presence of SS/PBCH blocks in block 604 may include receiving an indication in higher layer signaling, e.g., medium access control- control element (MAC-CE) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling during an operation such as a handover or a secondary cell activation that occurs when the UE 100 is in RRC connected mode.

[0085] In other embodiments, the presence of SS/PBCH blocks may not be explicitly signaled to the UE 100, and the UE 100 may instead detect the presence of SS/PBCH blocks within the PDSCH by other means. Thus, for example, determining the presence of SS/PBCH blocks in block 604 of Figure 6 may include detecting the presence of SS/PBCH block(s) within the scheduled PDSCH. The detection can, for example, be done by searching for SS/PBCH blocks within the scheduled PDSCH prior to decoding the PDSCH. In some embodiments, the UE 100 may search for SS/PBCH blocks within the PDSCH by correlating signals received on REs on which the SDS/PBCH may be present with known synchronization signals (e.g., PSS/SSS) and comparing the correlation result to a correlation threshold. In other embodiments, the UE 100 may estimate a signal to interference plus noise, SINR, of a physical broadcast channel, PBCH, and/or synchronization signal (SS) portion of the SS/PBCH block. The UE 100 may compare the SINR to a threshold, and if the SINR is greater than the threshold, determine that the SS/PBCH block is present in the PDSCH.

[0086] In a variation of this embodiment, the UE 100 can detect the presence of a synchronization signal in the SS/PBCH block and subsequently read the MIB carried by the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block. If the MIB is successfully decoded, the UE 100 may then decode the PDSCH excluding the REs corresponding to the SS/PBCH block indicated in the MIB. [0087] In yet another embodiment, determining the presence of SS/PBCH blocks in block 604 may include detecting the presence of a first SS/PBCH block (that could be transmitted in REs different from the ones of the scheduled PDSCH) and then based on the detected presence of the first SS/PBCH block, assume the presence of a second SS/PBCH block within the scheduled PDSCH. The situation would typically occur of the SS/PBCH blocks use different beam forming compared to the SIB1 transmissions, so that a UE might detect SIB1 but not the SS/PBCH block multiplexed with that particular SIB. One configuration may be that the SS/PBCH blocks are beamformed, but SIB is transmitted in an omni directional pattern. For example, assume that the UE 100 detects the SS/PBCH block called SSB2 in Figure 5A. Then when the UE 100 tries to decode SIB1 that is multiplexed with SSB3, the UE 100 may assume that SSB3 is present based on the determination that SSB2 was present, even if the UE 100 cannot detect SSB3 due to the fact that it is beamformed in another direction. The procedure is the repeated for decoding SIB1 multiplexed with SSB1 (assuming that the data is buffered) and SIB1 multiplexed with SSB4. For the UE 100 to know which SS/PBCH blocks to rate match around, the network node 200 can transmit offsets in the DCI when scheduling SIB1 indicating how many SS/PBCH blocks forward and backward in time relative to the current SIB the UE 100 should rate match around. An alternative would be to use a bitmap in the DCI to indicate the same thing. The bitmap could also be transmitted in the MIB, jointly coded with the

information (RMSI-PDCCH-Config) pointing out the CORESET and search space for receiving SIB1. The bitmap in the MIB could be a single bit indicating whether the subsequent candidate SS/PBCH block position is used for transmission of an SS/PBCH block, or two bits, indicating whether SS/PBCH blocks are transmitted in the two subsequent candidate SS/PBCH block positions, or three bits indicating whether SS/PBCH blocks are transmitted in the three subsequent candidate SS/PBCH block positions, etc. If the bitmap consists of a number of bits equal to the number of candidate SS/PBCH block positions, it can indicate the presence or absence of SS/PBCH block transmissions in each of the candidate SS/PBCH block positions. In that case, the bitmap does not have to be interpreted relative to the SS/PBCH block carrying it, but could be interpreted as showing the presence or absence of SS/PBCH blocks starting from the first candidate SS/PBCH block position (in the SS Burst Set / SS/PBCH block beam sweep). This information allows a UE to rate match around the transmitted SS/PBCH block(s), but to not do it around empty candidate SS/PBCH block positions.

[0088] In yet another embodiment, the above described bitmap consisting of 1 or more bits is placed in 1 or more payload bit(s) on the PBCH wherein the payload bit(s) is/are not part of the MIB. The benefit of placing the bitmap in PBCH payload bit(s) outside the MIB is that the content of the MIB can remain the same in all SS/PBCH blocks (of the SS Burst Set e.g. SS/PBCH block beams sweep), while the bitmap in the PBCH payload bit(s) outside the MIB be different in different SS/PBCH blocks (of the SS Burst Set e.g. SS/PBCH block beams sweep).

[0089] In further embodiments, the UE 100 may always assume the presence of SS/PBCH blocks when decoding PDSCH carrying SIB1. This is the inverse behavior of what is currently specified for Rel-15 NR. In that case, the network node 200 would always reserve space in the PDSCH for the SS/PBCH blocks.

[0090] In still further embodiments, the UE 100 may speculatively decode the PDSCH with different rate matching assumptions, for example, by assuming in a first case that an

SS/PBCH block is present and in a second case that an SS/PBCH block is not present. The UE 100 may calculate a metric, such as a bit error rate or SINR, for each assumption and determine the presence or absence of the SS/PBCH block based on the calculated metric. In addition, the UE 100 may compare the CRC of the SIB1 message for the two assumptions to determine the presence or absence of the SS/PBCH block.

[0091] Figures 7A and 7B illustrate operations of a network node 200, such as a gNB, according to some embodiments. Referring to Figure 7A, a network node 200 may multiplex an SS/PBCH block together with a SIB to form a multiplexed signal (block 702) and transmit the multiplexed signal on a downlink channel to the UE (block 704). Referring to Figure 7B, the network node 200 may transmit an indication to the UE 100 of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the REs allocated for the PDSCH (block 708). The indication may, for example, be transmitted in the DCI in the PDCCH as described above or transmitted via higher layers in, for example, an RRC or MAC-CE message.

[0092] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a network node 200 of a communication system. The network node 200 may implement a RAN node such as a gNodeB (gNB) or eNodeB (eNB) in the communication system, although embodiments described herein are not limited to particular standards. As shown, the network node 200 may include a network interface circuit 207 (also referred to as a network interface) configured to provide communications with other nodes (e.g., with other base stations, RAN nodes and/or core network nodes) of the communication network. The network node 200 may also include a wireless transceiver circuit 202 for providing a wireless communication interface with UEs. The network node 200 may also include a processor circuit 203 (also referred to as a processor) coupled to the transceiver circuit 202 and the network interface 207, and a memory circuit 205 (also referred to as memory) coupled to the processor circuit. The memory circuit 205 may include computer readable program code that when executed by the processor circuit 203 causes the processor circuit to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, processor circuit 203 may be defined to include memory so that a separate memory circuit is not required.

[0093] As discussed herein, operations of the network node may be performed by processor 203, the wireless transceiver circuit 202 and/or the network interface 207. For example, the processor 203 may control the network interface 207 to transmit communications through network interface 207 to one or more other network nodes and/or to receive communications through network interface from one or more other network nodes. Moreover, modules may be stored in memory 205, and these modules may provide instructions so that when instructions of a module are executed by processor 203, processor 203 performs respective operations (e.g., operations discussed herein with respect to Example

Embodiments).

[0094] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a UE 100 of a communication system. As shown, the UE 100 may include a wireless transceiver circuit 102 for providing a wireless communication interface with network nodes, such as base stations, access points, etc. The network node 100 may also include a processor circuit 103 (also referred to as a processor) coupled to the transceiver circuit 102 and a memory circuit 105 (also referred to as memory) coupled to the processor circuit. The memory circuit 105 may include computer readable program code that when executed by the processor circuit 103 causes the processor circuit to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, processor circuit 103 may be defined to include memory so that a separate memory circuit is not required.

[0095] As discussed herein, operations of the UE 100 may be performed by processor 103 and the wireless transceiver circuit 102. For example, the processor 103 may control the wireless transceiver circuit 102 to transmit communications to one or more other network nodes and/or to receive communications from one or more other network nodes. Moreover, modules may be stored in memory 105, and these modules may provide instructions so that when instructions of a module are executed by processor 103, processor 103 performs respective operations (e.g., operations discussed herein with respect to Example

Embodiments).

[0096] Embodiments

Embodiment 1. A method by a user equipment, UE, of decoding a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, wherein the PDSCH comprises a plurality of resource elements that define time/frequency resources in a communication channel, the method comprising:

decoding (602) data in first resource elements in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, that carry downlink control information, DCI, that allocates second resource elements in the PDSCH that carry PDSCH data;

determining (604) a presence of a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block in third resource elements among the second resource elements; and decoding (606) data in the second resource elements other than the third resource elements to obtain the PDSCH data.

Embodiment 2. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein decoding the second resource elements other than the third resource elements comprises rate matching the PDSCH data based on a number of the second resource elements excluding the third resource elements.

Embodiment 3. The method of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, wherein the PDSCH data comprises system information block, SIB, data.

Embodiment 4. The method of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises receiving an indication in the DCI of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the second resource elements.

Embodiment 5. The method of Embodiment 4, wherein the indication in the DCI comprises a bit in the DCI indicating presence of one or more SS/PBCH block(s) in all possible locations within the second resource elements.

Embodiment 6. The method of Embodiment 4, wherein the indication comprises a bitmap indicating presence of one or more SS/PBCH blocks at

predetermined locations within the second resource elements.

Embodiment 7. The method of Embodiment 6, wherein the bitmap comprises a plurality of bits that indicate presence or absence of SS/PBCH blocks at a corresponding plurality of candidate SS/PBCH block positions in an SS/PBCH burst set.

Embodiment 8. The method of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining the presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises receiving an indication in a PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the second resource elements.

Embodiment 9. The method of Embodiment 8, wherein the indication comprises a bit in a payload of the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block that is outside a master information block, MIB.

Embodiment 10. The method of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises receiving an indication via higher layer medium access control, MAC, or radio resource control, RRC signaling of the presence of the SS/PBCH block.

Embodiment 11. The method of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises:

searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block;

Embodiment 11A. The method of Embodiment 11, wherein searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block comprises:

estimating a signal to interference plus noise, SINR, of a physical broadcast channel, PBCH, and/or synchronization signal (SS) portion of the SS/PBCH block;

comparing the SINR to a threshold; and

in response to the SINR being greater than the threshold, determining that the SS/PBCH block is present in the third resource elements.

Embodiment 12. The method of Embodiment 11, wherein searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block comprises correlating data carried in the third resource elements with a known synchronization signal sequence. Embodiment 13. The method of any of Embodiments 11 to 12, further comprising:

detecting a synchronization signal in the SS/PBCH block;

based on the synchronization signal, decoding a master information block, MIB, carried in the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block.

Embodiment 14. The method of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises:

detecting presence of a first SS/PBCH block; and

based on presence of the first SS/PBCH block, assuming presence of subsequent SS/PBCH blocks in the PDSCH.

Embodiment 15. The method of Embodiment 14, wherein the third resource elements carrying the SS/PBCH block are transmitted with different

beamforming than the second resource elements excluding the third resource elements.

Embodiment 16. The method of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises assuming presence of the

SS/PBCH block.

Embodiment 17. The method of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises performing first speculative decoding of the PDSCH data assuming that the SS/PBCH block is present and second speculative decoding of the PDSCH data assuming that the SS/PBCH block is not present; checking a first cyclic redundancy code, CRC, associated with the first speculative decoding and a second CRC associated with the second speculative decoding; and determining presence of the SS/PBCH block based on comparison of the first CRC and the second CRC.

Embodiment 18. A user equipment, comprising:

a processing circuit;

a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit; and

a memory coupled to the processing circuit, wherein memory comprises machine-readable computer program instructions that cause the processing circuit to perform the operations of any one of Embodiments 1 to 17.

Embodiment 19. A method by a network node of transmitting data on a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, comprising:

multiplexing (702) a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block with a system information block, SIB, to form a multiplexed signal; and

transmitting (704) the multiplexed signal on a downlink channel towards a user equipment, UE.

Embodiment 20. The method of Embodiment 19, further comprising:

transmitting to the UE an indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal.

Embodiment 21. The method of Embodiment 20, wherein transmitting to the UE an indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal comprises transmitting the indication in downlink control information, DCI, in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH. Embodiment 22. The method of Embodiment 21, wherein the indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the PDSCH signal comprises a bit in the DCI indicating presence of the SS/PBSCH in all possible locations of the PDSCH scheduled in the DCI.

Embodiment 23. The method of Embodiment 21, wherein the indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal comprises a bitmap in the DCI indicating presence of the SS/PBSCH in one or more locations of the PDSCH scheduled in the DCI.

Embodiment 24. The method of Embodiment 23, wherein the bitmap comprises a plurality of bits that indicate presence or absence of SS/PBCH blocks at a corresponding plurality of candidate SS/PBCH block positions in an SS/PBCH burst set.

Embodiment 25. The method of Embodiment 20, further comprising transmitting an indication in a PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the second resource elements.

Embodiment 26. The method of Embodiment 25, wherein the indication comprises a bit in a payload of the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block that is outside a master information block, MIB.

Embodiment 27. A network node, comprising:

a processing circuit;

a transceiver coupled to the processing circuit; and

a memory coupled to the processing circuit, wherein memory comprises machine-readable computer program instructions that cause the processing circuit to perform the operations of any one of Embodiments 19 to 26 [0097] Explanations are provided below for abbreviations that are mentioned in the present disclosure.

Abbreviation Explanation

eNB E-UTRAN NodeB

gNB NR NodeB

LTE Long Term Evolution

NR New Radio

RRC Radio Resource Control

UE User Equipment

eMBB enhanced mobile broadband

URLLC Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communication

MTC Machine Type Communication

OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

PRB Physical Resource Block

PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

DCI Downlink Control Information

RB Resource Block

RRC Radio Resource Control

RAR Random Access Response

NR New Radio

DL Downlink

UL Uplink

SS Synchronization Signal

PSS Primary Synchronization Signal

SSS Secondary Synchronization Signal

PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

SSB SSB/PBCH block

RMSI Remaining Minimum System Information

SI System Information

MIB Master Information Block

SIB System Information Block

RE Resource Element

MAC-CE Medium Access Control - Control Element

RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

CRC Cyclic Redundancy Code

[0098] Citations are provided below for references that are mentioned in the present disclosure. [0099] Reference [1]: 3GPP TS 38.213 vl5.2.0

[0100] Further definitions and embodiments are discussed below.

[0101] In the above-description of various embodiments of present inventive concepts, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of present inventive concepts. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which present inventive concepts belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0102] When an element is referred to as being "connected", "coupled", "responsive", or variants thereof to another element, it can be directly connected, coupled, or responsive to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected", "directly coupled", "directly responsive", or variants thereof to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, "coupled", "connected", "responsive", or variants thereof as used herein may include wirelessly coupled, connected, or responsive. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. The term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. [0103] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements/operations, these elements/operations should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element/operation from another element/operation. Thus a first element/operation in some embodiments could be termed a second element/operation in other embodiments without departing from the teachings of present inventive concepts. The same reference numerals or the same reference designators denote the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

[0104] As used herein, the terms "comprise", "comprising", "comprises", "include", "including", "includes", "have", "has", "having", or variants thereof are open-ended, and include one or more stated features, integers, elements, steps, components or functions but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, elements, steps, components, functions or groups thereof. Furthermore, as used herein, the common abbreviation "e.g.", which derives from the Latin phrase "exempli gratia," may be used to introduce or specify a general example or examples of a previously mentioned item, and is not intended to be limiting of such item. The common abbreviation "i.e.", which derives from the Latin phrase "id est," may be used to specify a particular item from a more general recitation.

[0105] Example embodiments are described herein with reference to block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations of computer-implemented methods, apparatus (systems and/or devices) and/or computer program products. It is understood that a block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by computer program instructions that are performed by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor circuit of a general purpose computer circuit, special purpose computer circuit, and/or other programmable data processing circuit to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer and/or other programmable data processing apparatus, transform and control transistors, values stored in memory locations, and other hardware components within such circuitry to implement the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block or blocks, and thereby create means (functionality) and/or structure for implementing the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block(s).

[0106] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a tangible computer- readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block or blocks. Accordingly, embodiments of present inventive concepts may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) that runs on a processor such as a digital signal processor, which may collectively be referred to as "circuitry," "a module" or variants thereof.

[0107] It should also be noted that in some alternate implementations, the

functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the flowcharts. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the

functionality/acts involved. Moreover, the functionality of a given block of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams may be separated into multiple blocks and/or the functionality of two or more blocks of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams may be at least partially integrated.

Finally, other blocks may be added/inserted between the blocks that are illustrated, and/or blocks/operations may be omitted without departing from the scope of inventive concepts. Moreover, although some of the diagrams include arrows on communication paths to show a primary direction of communication, it is to be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the depicted arrows.

[0108] Many variations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the present inventive concepts. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of present inventive concepts. Accordingly, the above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the examples of embodiments are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments, which fall within the spirit and scope of present inventive concepts. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of present inventive concepts are to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the present disclosure including the examples of embodiments and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the detailed description.

[0109] Additional explanation is provided below.

[0110] Generally, all terms used herein are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and/or is implied from the context in which it is used. All references to a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any methods disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and/or where it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Likewise, any advantage of any of the embodiments may apply to any other embodiments, and vice versa. Other objectives, features and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will be apparent from the description.

[0111] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Other embodiments, however, are contained within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0112] Figure 10: A wireless network in accordance with some embodiments.

[0113] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any appropriate type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described in relation to a wireless network, such as the example wireless network illustrated in Figure 10. For simplicity, the wireless network of Figure 10 only depicts network Q.Q.106, network nodes OO160 and OO160b, and WDs Q.Q.110, 0.0.110b, and OOHOc (also referred to as mobile terminals). In practice, a wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable to support communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device, such as a landline telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. Of the illustrated components, network node Q.Q.160 and wireless device (WD) Q.Q.110 are depicted with additional detail. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless devices' access to and/or use of the services provided by, or via, the wireless network.

[0114] The wireless network may comprise and/or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and/or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to specific standards or other types of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of the wireless network may implement communication standards, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile

Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and/or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 standards; and/or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave and/or ZigBee standards.

[0115] Network Q.Q.106 may comprise one or more backhaul networks, core networks,

IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), packet data networks, optical networks, wide-area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks

(WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices. [0116] Network node Q.Q.160 and WD Q.Q.110 comprise various components described in more detail below. These components work together in order to provide network node and/or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connections in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and/or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the

communication of data and/or signals whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0117] As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and/or with other network nodes or equipment in the wireless network to enable and/or provide wireless access to the wireless device and/or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and may then also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units and/or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Yet further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell/multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSCs, MMEs), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and/or MDTs. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node as described in more detail below. More generally, however, network nodes may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to enable and/or provide a wireless device with access to the wireless network or to provide some service to a wireless device that has accessed the wireless network.

[0118] In Figure 10, network node QQ160 includes processing circuitry QQ170, device readable medium QQ180, interface QQ190, auxiliary equipment Q.Q.184, power source Q.Q.186, power circuitry Q.Q.187, and antenna Q.Q.162. Although network node Q.Q.160 illustrated in the example wireless network of Figure 10 may represent a device that includes the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise network nodes with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that a network node comprises any suitable combination of hardware and/or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Moreover, while the components of network node QQ160 are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a network node may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component (e.g., device readable medium QQ180 may comprise multiple separate hard drives as well as multiple RAM modules). [0119] Similarly, network node Q.Q.160 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which network node Q.Q.160 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeB's. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, network node QQ160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device readable medium QQ180 for the different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna QQ162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node QQ160 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node QQ160, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node QQ160.

[0120] Processing circuitry QQ170 is configured to perform any determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by processing circuitry QQ170 may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry QQ170 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination.

[0121] Processing circuitry Q.Q.170 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node QQ160

components, such as device readable medium QQ180, network node QQ160 functionality. For example, processing circuitry QQ170 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium QQ180 or in memory within processing circuitry QQ170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein.

In some embodiments, processing circuitry QQ170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0122] In some embodiments, processing circuitry QQ170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ172 and baseband processing circuitry QQ174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ172 and baseband processing circuitry QQ174 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ172 and baseband processing circuitry QQ174 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0123] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB or other such network device may be performed by processing circuitry QQ170 executing instructions stored on device readable medium Q.Q.180 or memory within processing circuitry Q.Q.170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry Q.Q.170 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device readable medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a device readable storage medium or not, processing circuitry Q.Q.170 can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry QQ170 alone or to other components of network node QQ160, but are enjoyed by network node QQ160 as a whole, and/or by end users and the wireless network generally.

[0124] Device readable medium QQ180 may comprise any form of volatile or non volatile computer readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and/or computer- executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry QQ170. Device readable medium QQ180 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructions capable of being executed by processing circuitry QQ170 and, utilized by network node QQ160. Device readable medium QQ180 may be used to store any calculations made by processing circuitry QQ170 and/or any data received via interface QQ190. In some embodiments, processing circuitry QQ170 and device readable medium QQ180 may be considered to be integrated. [0125] Interface Q.Q.190 is used in the wired or wireless communication of signalling and/or data between network node QQ160, network QQ106, and/or WDs QQ110. As illustrated, interface Q.Q.190 comprises port(s)/terminal(s) QQ194 to send and receive data, for example to and from network QQ106 over a wired connection. Interface QQ190 also includes radio front end circuitry QQ192 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, antenna QQ162. Radio front end circuitry QQ192 comprises filters QQ198 and amplifiers QQ196. Radio front end circuitry QQ192 may be connected to antenna QQ162 and processing circuitry QQ170. Radio front end circuitry may be configured to condition signals

communicated between antenna QQ162 and processing circuitry QQ170. Radio front end circuitry QQ192 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. Radio front end circuitry QQ192 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters QQ198 and/or amplifiers QQ196. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna QQ162. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna QQ162 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry QQ192. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry QQ170. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

[0126] In certain alternative embodiments, network node QQ160 may not include separate radio front end circuitry QQ192, instead, processing circuitry QQ170 may comprise radio front end circuitry and may be connected to antenna QQ162 without separate radio front end circuitry QQ192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of RF transceiver circuitry QQ172 may be considered a part of interface QQ190. In still other embodiments, interface Q.Q.190 may include one or more ports or terminals QQ194, radio front end circuitry QQ192, and RF transceiver circuitry QQ172, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and interface Q.Q.190 may communicate with baseband processing circuitry QQ174, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0127] Antenna QQ162 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals. Antenna QQ162 may be coupled to radio front end circuitry QQ190 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly. In some embodiments, antenna QQ162 may comprise one or more omni-directional, sector or panel antennas operable to transmit/receive radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. An omni-directional antenna may be used to transmit/receive radio signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to

transmit/receive radio signals from devices within a particular area, and a panel antenna may be a line of sight antenna used to transmit/receive radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In certain embodiments, antenna QQ162 may be separate from network node QQ160 and may be connectable to network node QQ160 through an interface or port.

[0128] Antenna QQ162, interface QQ190, and/or processing circuitry QQ170 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node and/or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna QQ162, interface QQ190, and/or processing circuitry QQ170 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node and/or any other network equipment.

[0129] Power circuitry Q.Q.187 may comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry and is configured to supply the components of network node Q.Q.160 with power for performing the functionality described herein. Power circuitry QQ187 may receive power from power source QQ186. Power source QQ186 and/or power circuitry QQ187 may be configured to provide power to the various components of network node QQ160 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). Power source QQ186 may either be included in, or external to, power circuitry QQ187 and/or network node QQ160. For example, network node QQ160 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry QQ187. As a further example, power source QQ186 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry QQ187. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0130] Alternative embodiments of network node QQ160 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 10 that may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and/or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node QQ160 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into network node Q.Q.160 and to allow output of information from network node Q.Q.160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node Q.Q.160.

[0131] As used herein, wireless device (WD) refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and/or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term WD may be used interchangeably herein with user equipment (UE). Communicating wirelessly may involve transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and/or other types of signals suitable for conveying information through air. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and/or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a WD may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the network. Examples of a WD include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a cell phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless cameras, a gaming console or device, a music storage device, a playback appliance, a wearable terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet, a laptop, a laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop-mounted equipment (LME), a smart device, a wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, etc. A WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle- to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and may in this case be referred to as a D2D communication device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (loT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another WD and/or a network node. The WD may in this case be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the WD may be a UE implementing the 3GPP narrow band internet of things (NB-loT) standard. Particular examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or home or personal appliances (e.g. refrigerators, televisions, etc.) personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD may represent a vehicle or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation. A WD as described above may represent the endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, a WD as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0132] As illustrated, wireless device QQ110 includes antenna QQ111, interface Q.Q.114, processing circuitry QQ120, device readable medium QQ130, user interface equipment QQ132, auxiliary equipment QQ134, power source QQ136 and power circuitry QQ137. WD QQ110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by WD QQ110, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, just to mention a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or set of chips as other components within WD QQ110.

[0133] Antenna QQ111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals, and is connected to interface Q.Q.114. In certain alternative embodiments, antenna QQ111 may be separate from WD QQ110 and be connectable to WD Q.Q.110 through an interface or port. Antenna QQ111, interface QQ114, and/or processing circuitry QQ120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a network node and/or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front end circuitry and/or antenna QQ111 may be considered an interface.

[0134] As illustrated, interface QQ114 comprises radio front end circuitry QQ112 and antenna QQ111. Radio front end circuitry QQ112 comprise one or more filters QQ118 and amplifiers QQ116. Radio front end circuitry QQ114 is connected to antenna QQ111 and processing circuitry QQ120, and is configured to condition signals communicated between antenna QQ111 and processing circuitry QQ120. Radio front end circuitry QQ112 may be coupled to or a part of antenna QQ111. In some embodiments, WD QQ110 may not include separate radio front end circuitry QQ112; rather, processing circuitry QQ120 may comprise radio front end circuitry and may be connected to antenna QQ111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may be considered a part of interface QQ114. Radio front end circuitry QQ112 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. Radio front end circuitry QQ112 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters QQ118 and/or amplifiers QQ116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna QQ111. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna QQ111 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry

Q.Q.112. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry Q.Q.120. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

[0135] Processing circuitry Q.Q.120 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other WD QQ110 components, such as device readable medium QQ130, WD Q.Q.110 functionality. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, processing circuitry QQ120 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium QQ130 or in memory within processing circuitry QQ120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0136] As illustrated, processing circuitry QQ120 includes one or more of RF transceiver circuitry QQ122, baseband processing circuitry QQ124, and application processing circuitry QQ126. In other embodiments, the processing circuitry may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments processing circuitry QQ120 of WD QQ110 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry QQ122, baseband processing circuitry QQ124, and application processing circuitry QQ126 may be on separate chips or sets of chips. In alternative embodiments, part or all of baseband processing circuitry QQ124 and application processing circuitry QQ126 may be combined into one chip or set of chips, and RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In still alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 and baseband processing circuitry Q.Q.124 may be on the same chip or set of chips, and application processing circuitry Q.Q.126 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In yet other alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ122, baseband processing circuitry QQ124, and application processing circuitry Q.Q.126 may be combined in the same chip or set of chips. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may be a part of interface QQ114. RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may condition RF signals for processing circuitry QQ120.

[0137] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by a WD may be provided by processing circuitry QQ120 executing

instructions stored on device readable medium QQ130, which in certain embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry QQ120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a device readable storage medium or not, processing circuitry QQ120 can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry QQ120 alone or to other components of WD QQ110, but are enjoyed by WD QQ110 as a whole, and/or by end users and the wireless network generally.

[0138] Processing circuitry QQ120 may be configured to perform any determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being performed by a WD. These operations, as performed by processing circuitry QQ120, may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry QQ120 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored by WD QQ110, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination.

[0139] Device readable medium QQ130 may be operable to store a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructions capable of being executed by processing circuitry Q.Q.120. Device readable medium QQ130 may include computer memory (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM) or Read Only Memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., a hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non- transitory device readable and/or computer executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry QQ120. In some

embodiments, processing circuitry QQ120 and device readable medium QQ130 may be considered to be integrated. User interface equipment QQ132 may provide components that allow for a human user to interact with WD QQ110. Such interaction may be of many forms, such as visual, audial, tactile, etc. User interface equipment QQ132 may be operable to produce output to the user and to allow the user to provide input to WD QQ110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface equipment QQ132 installed in WD QQ110. For example, if WD QQ110 is a smart phone, the interaction may be via a touch screen; if WD QQ110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alert (e.g., if smoke is detected). User interface equipment QQ132 may include input interfaces, devices and circuits, and output interfaces, devices and circuits. User interface equipment QQ132 is configured to allow input of information into WD QQ110, and is connected to processing circuitry Q.Q.120 to allow processing circuitry Q.Q.120 to process the input information. User interface equipment QQ132 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity or other sensor, keys/buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. User interface equipment Q.Q.132 is also configured to allow output of information from WD QQ110, and to allow processing circuitry QQ120 to output information from WD QQ110. User interface equipment QQ132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, vibrating circuitry, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits, of user interface equipment QQ132, WD QQ110 may communicate with end users and/or the wireless network, and allow them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0140] Auxiliary equipment QQ134 is operable to provide more specific functionality which may not be generally performed by WDs. This may comprise specialized sensors for doing measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communications etc. The inclusion and type of components of auxiliary equipment QQ134 may vary depending on the embodiment and/or scenario.

[0141] Power source QQ136 may, in some embodiments, be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic devices or power cells, may also be used. WD Q.Q.110 may further comprise power circuitry QQ137 for delivering power from power source QQ136 to the various parts of WD Q.Q.110 which need power from power source QQ136 to carry out any functionality described or indicated herein. Power circuitry QQ137 may in certain

embodiments comprise power management circuitry. Power circuitry QQ137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in which case WD QQ110 may be connectable to the external power source (such as an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Power circuitry QQ137 may also in certain embodiments be operable to deliver power from an external power source to power source QQ136. This may be, for example, for the charging of power source Q.Q.136. Power circuitry Q.Q.137 may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from power source QQ136 to make the power suitable for the respective components of WD QQ110 to which power is supplied.

[0142] Figure 11: User Equipment in accordance with some embodiments

[0143] Figure 11 illustrates one embodiment of a UE in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, a user equipment or UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and/or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter). UE QQ2200 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-loT UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and/or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. UE QQ200, as illustrated in Figure 11, is one example of a WD configured for communication in accordance with one or more communication standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS,

LTE, and/or 5G standards. As mentioned previously, the term WD and UE may be used interchangeable. Accordingly, although Figure 11 is a UE, the components discussed herein are equally applicable to a WD, and vice-versa.

[0144] In Figure 11, UE Q.Q.200 includes processing circuitry Q.Q.201 that is operatively coupled to input/output interface Q.Q.205, radio frequency (RF) interface Q.Q.209, network connection interface Q.Q.211, memory Q.Q.215 including random access memory (RAM) Q.Q.217, read-only memory (ROM) Q.Q.219, and storage medium Q.Q.221 or the like, communication subsystem Q.Q.231, power source Q.Q.233, and/or any other component, or any combination thereof. Storage medium Q.Q.221 includes operating system QQ223, application program QQ225, and data QQ227. In other embodiments, storage medium QQ221 may include other similar types of information. Certain UEs may utilize all of the components shown in Figure 11, or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0145] In Figure 11, processing circuitry QQ201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. Processing circuitry QQ201 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute machine instructions stored as machine- readable computer programs in the memory, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored program, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry QQ201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). Data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0146] In the depicted embodiment, input/output interface 00205 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, output device, or input and output device. UE OO200 may be configured to use an output device via input/output interface 00205. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from UE OO200. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. UE OO200 may be configured to use an input device via input/output interface 00205 to allow a user to capture information into UE OO200. The input device may include a touch-sensitive or presence- sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another like sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0147] In Figure 11, RF interface 00209 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna. Network connection interface 00211 may be configured to provide a communication interface to network 0.0.243a. Network 00243a may encompass wired and/or wireless networks such as a local-area network (LAN), a wide-area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another like network or any combination thereof. For example, network 0.0.243a may comprise a Wi-Fi network. Network connection interface 00211 may be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface used to

communicate with one or more other devices over a communication network according to one or more communication protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, SONET, ATM, or the like. Network connection interface 00211 may implement receiver and transmitter functionality appropriate to the communication network links (e.g., optical, electrical, and the like). The transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively may be implemented separately.

[0148] RAM 00217 may be configured to interface via bus 00202 to processing circuitry 00201 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as the operating system, application programs, and device drivers. ROM 00219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuitry 00201. For example, ROM 00219 may be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input and output (I/O), startup, or reception of keystrokes from a keyboard that are stored in a non-volatile memory. Storage medium 00221 may be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, or flash drives. In one example, storage medium 00221 may be configured to include operating system 00223, application program 00225 such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine or another application, and data file Q.Q.227. Storage medium Q.Q.221 may store, for use by UE Q.Q.200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0149] Storage medium Q.Q.221 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), floppy disk drive, flash memory,

USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as a subscriber identity module or a removable user identity (SIM/RUIM) module, other memory, or any combination thereof. Storage medium QQ221 may allow UE QQ200 to access computer-executable instructions, application programs or the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied in storage medium QQ221, which may comprise a device readable medium.

[0150] In Figure 11, processing circuitry QQ201 may be configured to communicate with network QQ243b using communication subsystem QQ231. Network QQ243a and network QQ243b may be the same network or networks or different network or networks.

Communication subsystem QQ231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with network QQ243b. For example, communication subsystem QQ231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN) according to one or more communication protocols, such as IEEE 802.QQ2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, or the like. Each transceiver may include transmitter QQ233 and/or receiver QQ235 to implement transmitter or receiver functionality, respectively, appropriate to the RAN links (e.g., frequency allocations and the like). Further, transmitter Q.Q.233 and receiver QQ235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively may be implemented separately.

[0151] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of communication subsystem QQ231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, communication subsystem QQ231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. Network QQ243b may encompass wired and/or wireless networks such as a local-area network (LAN), a wide-area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another like network or any combination thereof. For example, network QQ243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and/or a near-field network. Power source QQ213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to components of UE QQ200.

[0152] The features, benefits and/or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE QQ200 or partitioned across multiple components of UE QQ200.

Further, the features, benefits, and/or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, communication subsystem QQ231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Further, processing circuitry Q.Q.201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components over bus Q.Q.202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that when executed by processing circuitry Q.Q.201 perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functionality of any of such components may be partitioned between processing circuitry QQ201 and communication subsystem QQ231. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0153] Any appropriate steps, methods, features, functions, or benefits disclosed herein may be performed through one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual apparatuses. Each virtual apparatus may comprise a number of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessor or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), special-purpose digital logic, and the like. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or several types of memory such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. Program code stored in memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and/or data communications protocols as well as instructions for carrying out one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the respective functional unit to perform corresponding functions according one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0154] The term unit may have conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices and/or electronic devices and may include, for example, electrical and/or electronic circuitry, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid state and/or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for carrying out respective tasks, procedures, computations, outputs, and/or displaying functions, and so on, as such as those that are described here.

[0155] Many different embodiments have been disclosed herein, in connection with the above description and the drawings. It will be understood that it would be unduly repetitious and obfuscating to literally describe and illustrate every combination and subcombination of these embodiments. Accordingly, all embodiments can be combined in any way and/or combination, and the present specification, including the drawings, shall be construed to constitute a complete written description of all combinations and subcombinations of the embodiments described herein, and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shall support claims to any such combination or subcombination.

[0156] In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typical

embodiments of the inventive concepts and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the inventive concepts being set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is Claimed is:

1. A method by a user equipment, UE, of decoding a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, the method comprising:

decoding (602) data in first resource elements in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, that carries downlink control information, DCI, that indicates second resource elements in the PDSCH that carry PDSCH data, wherein the PDSCH data comprises system information block, SIB1, data;

determining (604) a presence of a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block in third resource elements, wherein the third resource elements comprise a subset of the second resource elements; and

decoding (606) data in the second resource elements other than the third resource elements to obtain the PDSCH data.

2. The method of Claim 1, wherein decoding the second resource elements other than the third resource elements comprises rate matching the PDSCH data based on the second resource elements excluding the third resource elements.

3. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises receiving an indication in the DCI of the presence of the SS/PBCH block within the second resource elements.

4. The method of Claim 3, wherein the indication in the DCI comprises a bit in the DCI indicating presence of one or more SS/PBCH block(s) in predetermined SS/PBCH block locations within the second resource elements.

5. The method of Claim 3, wherein the indication comprises a bitmap indicating presence of one or more SS/PBCH blocks at predetermined locations within the second resource elements.

6. The method of Claim 5, wherein the bitmap comprises a plurality of bits that indicate presence or absence of SS/PBCH blocks at a corresponding plurality of candidate SS/PBCH block positions in an SS/PBCH burst set.

7. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises receiving an indication in a PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block of the presence of the SS/PBCH block within the second resource elements.

8. The method of Claim 7, wherein the indication comprises one or more bits in a payload of the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block that is outside a master information block, MIB.

9. The method of Claim 7, wherein the indication comprises one or more bits in a payload of the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block that is inside a master information block, MIB.

10. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises receiving an indication via higher layer medium access control, MAC, or radio resource control, RRC signaling of the presence of the SS/PBCH block.

11. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises:

searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block;

12. The method of Claim 11, wherein searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block comprises:

estimating a signal to interference plus noise, SINR, of a physical broadcast channel, PBCH, and/or synchronization signal (SS) portion of the SS/PBCH block;

comparing the SINR to a threshold; and

in response to the SINR being greater than the threshold, determining that the SS/PBCH block is present in the third resource elements.

13. The method of Claim 11 or 12, wherein searching the third resource elements for the SS/PBCH block comprises correlating data carried in the third resource elements with a known synchronization signal sequence.

14. The method Claim 11, 12 or 13, further comprising:

detecting a synchronization signal in the SS/PBCH block; and

based on the synchronization signal, decoding a master information block, MIB, carried in the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block.

15. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises:

detecting presence of a first SS/PBCH block; and

based on presence of the first SS/PBCH block, assuming presence of subsequent SS/PBCH blocks in the PDSCH.

16. The method of Claim 15, wherein the third resource elements carrying the

SS/PBCH block are transmitted with different beamforming than the second resource elements excluding the third resource elements.

17. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises assuming presence of the SS/PBCH block.

18. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein determining presence of the SS/PBCH block comprises performing first speculative decoding of the PDSCH data assuming that the SS/PBCH block is present and second speculative decoding of the PDSCH data assuming that the SS/PBCH block is not present;

checking a first cyclic redundancy code, CRC, associated with the first speculative decoding and a second CRC associated with the second speculative decoding; and

determining presence of the SS/PBCH block based on comparison of the first CRC and the second CRC.

19. A user equipment (100), comprising:

a processing circuit (103);

a transceiver (102) coupled to the processing circuit; and

a memory (105) coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the memory comprises machine-readable computer program instructions that cause the processing circuit to perform the operations of any one of Claims 1 to 18.

20. A method by a network node of transmitting data on a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, comprising:

multiplexing (702) a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel, SS/PBCH, block with a system information block, SIB1, to form a multiplexed signal; and

transmitting (704) the multiplexed signal on a downlink channel towards a user equipment, UE.

21. The method of Claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting to the UE an indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal.

22. The method of Claim 21, wherein transmitting to the UE an indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal comprises transmitting the indication in downlink control information, DCI, in a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH.

23. The method of Claim 22, wherein the indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the PDSCH signal comprises a bit in the DCI indicating presence of the SS/PBSCH in all possible locations of the PDSCH scheduled in the DCI.

24. The method of Claim 22, wherein the indication of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the multiplexed signal comprises a bitmap in the DCI indicating presence of the SS/PBSCH in one or more locations of the PDSCH scheduled in the DCI.

25. The method of Claim 22, wherein the bitmap comprises a plurality of bits that indicate presence or absence of SS/PBCH blocks at a corresponding plurality of candidate SS/PBCH block positions in an SS/PBCH burst set.

26. The method of Claim 21, further comprising transmitting an indication in a PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block of the presence of the SS/PBCH block in the second resource elements.

27. The method of Claim 26, wherein the indication comprises a bit in a payload of the PBCH portion of the SS/PBCH block that is outside a master information block, MIB.

28. A network node (200), comprising:

a processing circuit (203);

a transceiver (202) coupled to the processing circuit; and a memory (205) coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the memory comprises machine-readable computer program instructions that cause the processing circuit to perform the operations of any one of Claims 19 to 27.