WO2022073877A1

WO2022073877A1 - Methods, communications devices, and infrastructure equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2022073877A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/077131
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yassin Aden Awad; Shin Horng Wong; Martin Warwick Beale; Naoki Kusashima
Original assignee: Sony Group Corporation; Sony Europe B.V.
Priority date: 2020-10-09
Filing date: 2021-10-01
Publication date: 2022-04-14

Abstract

A method of operating a communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface is provided. The method comprises receiving signalling information from the wireless communications network, and determining, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resouces of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Description

METHODS, COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES, AND INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT

BACKGROUND Field of Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to communications devices, infrastructure equipment and methods for the transmission of data by a communications device in a wireless communications network.

The present application claims the Paris Convention priority from European Patent Application number EP20201191.2, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Description of Related Art

The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.

Latest generation mobile telecommunication systems, such as those based on the 3GPP defined UMTS and Long Term Evolution (LTE) architecture, are able to support a wider range of services than simple voice and messaging services offered by previous generations of mobile telecommunication systems. For example, with the improved radio interface and enhanced data rates provided by LTE systems, a user is able to enjoy high data rate applications such as mobile video streaming and mobile video conferencing that would previously only have been available via a fixed line data connection. The demand to deploy such networks is therefore strong and the coverage area of these networks, i.e. geographic locations where access to the networks is possible, is expected to continue to increase rapidly.

Future wireless communications networks will be expected to routinely and efficiently support communications with an ever-increasing range of devices associated with a wider range of data traffic profiles and types than existing systems are optimised to support. For example, it is expected future wireless communications networks will be expected to efficiently support communications with devices including reduced complexity devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, high resolution video displays, virtual reality headsets and so on. Some of these different types of devices may be deployed in very large numbers, for example low complexity devices for supporting the “The Internet of Things”, and may typically be associated with the transmissions of relatively small amounts of data with relatively high latency tolerance. Other types of device, for example supporting high-definition video streaming, may be associated with transmissions of relatively large amounts of data with relatively low latency tolerance. Other types of device, for example used for autonomous vehicle communications and for other critical applications, may be characterised by data that should be transmitted through the network with low latency and high reliability. A single device type might also be associated with different traffic profiles / characteristics depending on the application(s) it is running. For example, different consideration may apply for efficiently supporting data exchange with a smartphone when it is running a video streaming application (high downlink data) as compared to when it is running an Internet browsing application (sporadic uplink and downlink data) or being used for voice communications by an emergency responder in an emergency scenario (data subject to stringent reliability and latency requirements).

In view of this there is expected to be a desire for future wireless communications networks, for example those which may be referred to as 5G or new radio (NR) systems / new radio access technology (RAT) systems, as well as future iterations / releases of existing systems, to efficiently support connectivity for a wide range of devices associated with different applications and different characteristic data traffic profiles and requirements.

One example of a new service is referred to as Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) services which, as its name suggests, requires that a data unit or packet be communicated with a high reliability and with a low communications delay. Another example of a new service is Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services, which are characterised by a high capacity with a requirement to support up to 20 Gb/s. URLLC and eMBB type services therefore represent challenging examples for both LTE type communications systems and 5G/NR communications systems.

The increasing use of different types of network infrastructure equipment and terminal devices associated with different traffic profiles give rise to new challenges for efficiently handling communications in wireless communications systems that need to be addressed.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure can help address or mitigate at least some of the issues discussed above.

Embodiments of the present technique can provide a method of operating a communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface. The method comprises receiving signalling information from the wireless communications network, and determining, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Further embodiments of the present technique can provide a method of operating a communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface. The method comprises determining that the communications device has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network, selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, transmitting signalling information to the wireless communications network, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

Embodiments of the present technique, which, in addition to methods of operating communications devices, relate to methods of operating infrastructure equipment, communications devices and infrastructure equipment, and circuitry for communications devices and infrastructure equipment, allow for more efficient use of radio resources by a communications device.

Respective aspects and features of the present disclosure are defined in the appended claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the present technology. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 schematically represents some aspects of an LTE-type wireless telecommunication system which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 schematically represents some aspects of a new radio access technology (RAT) wireless telecommunications system which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of an example infrastructure equipment and communications device which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 4 illustrates an example of multiple active Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS)ZConfigured Grant (CG) configurations with different periodicities for different services;

Figure 5 illustrates an example of multiple active SPS/CG configurations with the same periodicities for reducing latency;

Figure 6 shows an example of multiple Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement (HARQ- ACK) feedbacks being transmitted by a User Equipment (UE);

Figure 7 shows an example of sub-slot based Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) operation;

Figure 8 shows an example of HARQ-ACKs for multiple SPS Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs);

Figure 9 shows a first part schematic, part message flow diagram representation of a wireless communications network comprising a communications device and an infrastructure equipment in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 10 illustrates an example of a UE reporting HARQ-ACKs for SPS PDSCHs which carry data in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 11 illustrates an example of a UE reporting HARQ-ACKs for SPS PDSCHs which carry data and are located within a window of time in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 12 shows a second part schematic, part message flow diagram representation of a wireless communications network comprising a communications device and an infrastructure equipment in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 13 illustrates an example of a gNB trying to decode all CG Physical Uplink Shared Channels (PUSCHs) in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 14 illustrates an example of a gNB trying to decode only CG PUSCHs which carry data in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 15 shows a flow diagram illustrating a first process of communications in a communications system in accordance with embodiments of the present technique; and

Figure 16 shows a flow diagram illustrating a second process of communications in a communications system in accordance with embodiments of the present technique.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Long Term Evolution Advanced Radio Access Technology (4G)

Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram illustrating some basic functionality of a mobile telecommunications network / system 6 operating generally in accordance with LTE principles, but which may also support other radio access technologies, and which may be adapted to implement embodiments of the disclosure as described herein. Various elements of Figure 1 and certain aspects of their respective modes of operation are well-known and defined in the relevant standards administered by the 3GPP (RTM) body, and also described in many books on the subject, for example, Holma H. and Toskala A [1], It will be appreciated that operational aspects of the telecommunications networks discussed herein which are not specifically described (for example in relation to specific communication protocols and physical channels for communicating between different elements) may be implemented in accordance with any known techniques, for example according to the relevant standards and known proposed modifications and additions to the relevant standards.

The network 6 includes a plurality of base stations 1 connected to a core network 2. Each base station provides a coverage area 3 (i.e. a cell) within which data can be communicated to and from communications devices 4. Although each base station 1 is shown in Figure 1 as a single entity, the skilled person will appreciate that some of the functions of the base station may be carried out by disparate, inter-connected elements, such as antennas (or antennae), remote radio heads, amplifiers, etc. Collectively, one or more base stations may form a radio access network.

Data is transmitted from base stations 1 to communications devices 4 within their respective coverage areas 3 via a radio downlink. Data is transmitted from communications devices 4 to the base stations 1 via a radio uplink. The core network 2 routes data to and from the communications devices 4 via the respective base stations 1 and provides functions such as authentication, mobility management, charging and so on. Terminal devices may also be referred to as mobile stations, user equipment (UE), user terminal, mobile radio, communications device, and so forth. Services provided by the core network 2 may include connectivity to the internet or to external telephony services. The core network 2 may further track the location of the communications devices 4 so that it can efficiently contact (i.e. page) the communications devices 4 for transmitting downlink data towards the communications devices 4.

Base stations, which are an example of network infrastructure equipment, may also be referred to as transceiver stations, nodeBs, e-nodeBs, eNB, g-nodeBs, gNB and so forth. In this regard different terminology is often associated with different generations of wireless telecommunications systems for elements providing broadly comparable functionality. However, certain embodiments of the disclosure may be equally implemented in different generations of wireless telecommunications systems, and for simplicity certain terminology may be used regardless of the underlying network architecture. That is to say, the use of a specific term in relation to certain example implementations is not intended to indicate these implementations are limited to a certain generation of network that may be most associated with that particular terminology.

New Radio Access Technology (5G)

An example configuration of a wireless communications network which uses some of the terminology proposed for and used in NR and 5G is shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2 a plurality of transmission and reception points (TRPs) 10 are connected to distributed control units (DUs) 41, 42 by a connection interface represented as a line 16. Each of the TRPs 10 is arranged to transmit and receive signals via a wireless access interface within a radio frequency bandwidth available to the wireless communications network. Thus, within a range for performing radio communications via the wireless access interface, each of the TRPs 10, forms a cell of the wireless communications network as represented by a circle 12. As such, wireless communications devices 14 which are within a radio communications range provided by the cells 12 can transmit and receive signals to and from the TRPs 10 via the wireless access interface. Each of the distributed units 41, 42 are connected to a central unit (CU) 40 (which may be referred to as a controlling node) via an interface 46. The central unit 40 is then connected to the core network 20 which may contain all other functions required to transmit data for communicating to and from the wireless communications devices and the core network 20 may be connected to other networks 30.

The elements of the wireless access network shown in Figure 2 may operate in a similar way to corresponding elements of an LTE network as described with regard to the example of Figure 1. It will be appreciated that operational aspects of the telecommunications network represented in Figure 2, and of other networks discussed herein in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, which are not specifically described (for example in relation to specific communication protocols and physical channels for communicating between different elements) may be implemented in accordance with any known techniques, for example according to currently used approaches for implementing such operational aspects of wireless telecommunications systems, e.g. in accordance with the relevant standards.

The TRPs 10 of Figure 2 may in part have a corresponding functionality to a base station or eNodeB of an LTE network. Similarly, the communications devices 14 may have a functionality corresponding to the UE devices 4 known for operation with an LTE network. It will be appreciated therefore that operational aspects of a new RAT network (for example in relation to specific communication protocols and physical channels for communicating between different elements) may be different to those known from LTE or other known mobile telecommunications standards. However, it will also be appreciated that each of the core network component, base stations and communications devices of a new RAT network will be functionally similar to, respectively, the core network component, base stations and communications devices of an LTE wireless communications network.

In terms of broad top-level functionality, the core network 20 connected to the new RAT telecommunications system represented in Figure 2 may be broadly considered to correspond with the core network 2 represented in Figure 1, and the respective central units 40 and their associated distributed units / TRPs 10 may be broadly considered to provide functionality corresponding to the base stations 1 of Figure 1. The term network infrastructure equipment / access node may be used to encompass these elements and more conventional base station type elements of wireless telecommunications systems. Depending on the application at hand the responsibility for scheduling transmissions which are scheduled on the radio interface between the respective distributed units and the communications devices may lie with the controlling node / central unit and / or the distributed units / TRPs. A communications device 14 is represented in Figure 2 within the coverage area of the first communication cell 12. This communications device 14 may thus exchange signalling with the first central unit 40 in the first communication cell 12 via one of the distributed units 10 associated with the first communication cell 12.

It will further be appreciated that Figure 2 represents merely one example of a proposed architecture for a new RAT based telecommunications system in which approaches in accordance with the principles described herein may be adopted, and the functionality disclosed herein may also be applied in respect of wireless telecommunications systems having different architectures.

Thus, certain embodiments of the disclosure as discussed herein may be implemented in wireless telecommunication systems / networks according to various different architectures, such as the example architectures shown in Figures 1 and 2. It will thus be appreciated the specific wireless telecommunications architecture in any given implementation is not of primary significance to the principles described herein. In this regard, certain embodiments of the disclosure may be described generally in the context of communications between network infrastructure equipment / access nodes and a communications device, wherein the specific nature of the network infrastructure equipment / access node and the communications device will depend on the network infrastructure for the implementation at hand. For example, in some scenarios the network infrastructure equipment / access node may comprise a base station, such as an LTE-type base station 1 as shown in Figure 1 which is adapted to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein, and in other examples the network infrastructure equipment may comprise a control unit / controlling node 40 and / or a TRP 10 of the kind shown in Figure 2 which is adapted to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein.

A more detailed diagram of some of the components of the network shown in Figure 2 is provided by Figure 3. In Figure 3, a TRP 10 as shown in Figure 2 comprises, as a simplified representation, a wireless transmitter 30, a wireless receiver 32 and a controller or controlling processor 34 which may operate to control the transmitter 30 and the wireless receiver 32 to transmit and receive radio signals to one or more UEs 14 within a cell 12 formed by the TRP 10. As shown in Figure 3, an example UE 14 is shown to include a corresponding transmitter 49, a receiver 48 and a controller 44 which is configured to control the transmitter 49 and the receiver 48 to transmit signals representing uplink data to the wireless communications network via the wireless access interface formed by the TRP 10 and to receive downlink data as signals transmitted by the transmitter 30 and received by the receiver 48 in accordance with the conventional operation.

The transmitters 30, 49 and the receivers 32, 48 (as well as other transmitters, receivers and transceivers described in relation to examples and embodiments of the present disclosure) may include radio frequency filters and amplifiers as well as signal processing components and devices in order to transmit and receive radio signals in accordance for example with the 5G/NR standard. The controllers 34, 44 (as well as other controllers described in relation to examples and embodiments of the present disclosure) may be, for example, a microprocessor, a CPU, or a dedicated chipset, etc., configured to carry out instructions which are stored on a computer readable medium, such as a non-volatile memory. The processing steps described herein may be carried out by, for example, a microprocessor in conjunction with a random access memory, operating according to instructions stored on a computer readable medium. The transmitters, the receivers and the controllers are schematically shown in Figure 3 as separate elements for ease of representation. However, it will be appreciated that the functionality of these elements can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s), or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s) / circuitry / chip(s) / chipset(s). As will be appreciated the infrastructure equipment / TRP / base station as well as the UE / communications device will in general comprise various other elements associated with its operating functionality.

As shown in Figure 3, the TRP 10 also includes a network interface 50 which connects to the DU 42 via a physical interface 16. The network interface 50 therefore provides a communication link for data and signalling traffic from the TRP 10 via the DU 42 and the CU 40 to the core network 20.

The interface 46 between the DU 42 and the CU 40 is known as the F 1 interface which can be a physical or a logical interface. The Fl interface 46 between CU and DU may operate in accordance with specifications 3GPP TS 38.470 and 3GPP TS 38.473, and may be formed from a fibre optic or other wired or wireless high bandwidth connection. In one example the connection 16 from the TRP 10 to the DU 42 is via fibre optic. The connection between a TRP 10 and the core network 20 can be generally referred to as a backhaul, which comprises the interface 16 from the network interface 50 of the TRP 10 to the DU 42 and the Fl interface 46 from the DU 42 to the CU 40. eURLLC and eMBB

Systems incorporating NR technology are expected to support different services (or types of services), which may be characterised by different requirements for latency, data rate and/or reliability. For example, Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services are characterised by high capacity with a requirement to support up to 20 Gb/s. The requirements for Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) services are for a reliability of 1 - 10’⁵ (99.999 %) or higher (99.9999%) for one transmission of a 32 byte packet to be transmitted from the radio protocol layer 2/3 SDU ingress point to the radio protocol layer 2/3 SDU egress point of the radio interface within 1 ms [2], Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) is another example of a service which may be supported by NR-based communications networks. In addition, systems may be expected to support further enhancements related to Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) [3] in order to support services with new requirements of high availability, high reliability, low latency, and in some cases, high-accuracy positioning.

Enhanced URLLC (e URLLC) [4] [5] as well as IIoT specifies features that require high reliability and low latency, such as factory automation, transport industry, electrical power distribution, etc. in a 5G system. One of the objectives of eURLLC as described in [5] is to specify required Physical Layer feedback enhancements for meeting URLLC requirements. This covers two areas; Channel State Information (CSI) feedback enhancements to allow for more accurate Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS), and UE feedback enhancements for Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK). Embodiments of the present disclosure relate broadly to the latter of these areas.

Configured Grant

As is well understood by those skilled in the art, a UE uses a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) for uplink data transmission. The PUSCH resources used for the transmission of the PUSCH can be scheduled by a gNB using a Dynamic Grant (DG) or a Configured Grant (CG).

In a Dynamic Grant PUSCH (DG-PUSCH), the UE typically sends a Scheduling Request (SR) to the gNB when uplink data arrives at its buffer. In response to receiving the SR, the gNB would then send an Uplink Grant, e.g. via Downlink Control Information (DCI) using DCI Lormat 0 0, 0 1 or 0 2, carried by a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) to the UE where this Uplink Grant schedules resources for a PUSCH. The UE then uses the scheduled PUSCH (i.e. DG-PUSCH) to transmit its uplink data.

It is observed that the use of DG-PUSCHs introduces latency, since the UE needs to initiate an SR and has to wait for an Uplink Grant before it is scheduled PUSCH resources. Lor regular and periodic traffic, DG-PUSCH would lead to multiple SR and Uplink Grants being sent which is not an efficient use of resources. Hence, recognising the drawbacks of DG-PUSCH, Configured Grant PUSCH (CG-PUSCH) is introduced in NR. In CG-PUSCH, the UE is pre-configured using Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration periodic PUSCH resources, such that the UE can transmit its uplink data in any of these regularly occurring CG-PUSCH resources without the need to request them with an SR. There are two types of CG-PUSCH:

• Type 1 CG-PUSCH: Once the CG-PUSCH resource is configured by RRC, the UE can use it without activation; and

• Type 2 CG-PUSCH: The CG-PUSCH resource is firstly RRC configured. The UE can only use the CG-PUSCH resource if it receives an activation DCI, which is an UL Grant with a Configured Scheduling-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (CS-RNTI). Once the CG-PUSCH is activated, the UE can use it until it is deactivated by another DCI. Type 2 CG-PUSCH provides better control for the gNB scheduler and therefore more efficiently utilises resources.

Semi-Persistent Scheduling As is well understood by those skilled in the art, a gNB uses a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) for downlink data transmission to a UE. The PDSCH resources used for the transmission of the PDSCH can be scheduled by a gNB either dynamically, or through the allocation of Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) resources.

Like CGs in the uplink, the use of SPS in the downlink reduces latency, particularly for regular and periodic traffic. The gNB is required to explicitly activate and deactivate SPS resources when it determines they may be required. Multiple SPS and CG Configurations

A UE supporting URLLC services needs to handle a mixture of different traffic as captured in Table I [6] and described below:

• Multiple periodic streams, of different periodicities, of different priorities, for example multiple streams coming from different applications;

• Aperiodic critical priority traffic that is the result of critical events, like alarms, safety detectors, etc., that need to be informed about the occurrence of a critical event; and

• Best effort type of traffic such as eMBB traffic, internet traffic, or any other traffic supporting factory operations.

Table J: TralTie elhinielerisiies ami KTJs for some URJ.J.l use eases [6]

In order to support the above requirements of different traffic types, the support of multiple Semi- Persistent Scheduling (SPS) resources for downlink transmissions and multiple Configured Grant (CG) resources for uplink transmissions for Rel-16 UEs have been specified. This means that multiple active resources (for both SPS and CG) can be configured simultaneously in a bandwidth part (BWP) of a serving cell, at least for different services/traffic types and/or for enhancing reliability and reducing latency for the same UE.

Figure 4 shows an example of multiple active SPS or CG resources configured for different traffic types that have different latencies (i.e. periodicities), where the different configurations are associated with different indices. The first type of traffic, using index 0, has 1ms periodicity, the second type of traffic, using index 1, has 2ms periodicity and the last type of traffic, using index 2, has 4ms periodicity. Figure 5 shows another example of multiple active SPS or CG resources configured for a single traffic type for reducing latency, where the different configurations are associated with different indices. Configuration of these SPS / CG resources allows the system to handle delays in data arrival time (i.e. jitter) within the pre-configured periodicity of 1.5ms where resources for index 1 and 2 are shifted versions in time of the resources for index 0. If data arrives at to, resource index 0 is used, while if data arrives at ti, resource index 1 is used, and so on. Hence, this will reduce the latency because as soon as data arrives the corresponding “available” resource index will be used straight away. If the additional configurations of index 1 and 2 were not configured (where the additional resources are provided by overprovisioning), the transmission would have to wait until the occurrence of resources R2, hence incurring a significant delay of up to the 1.5ms resource periodicity.

As described above, in a Dynamic Grant PDSCH, the PDSCH resource is dynamically indicated by the gNB using a DL Grant carried by a DCI in a PDCCH. A PDSCH is transmitted using HARQ transmission, where for a PDSCH ending in slot n, the corresponding Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) carrying the HARQ-ACK is transmitted in slot n+K_t, where, in Dynamic Grant PDSCH, the value of Ki is indicated in the field “PDSCH-to-HARQJcedback timing indicator ’ of the DL Grant (carried by DCI Format 1 0 , DCI Format 1 1 or DCI Format 1 2). Multiple (different) PDSCHs can point to the same slot for transmissions of their respective HARQ-ACKs and these HARQ-ACKs (in the same slot) are multiplexed into a single PUCCH. Hence a PUCCH can contain multiple HARQ-ACKs for multiple PDSCHs. An example is shown in Figure 6, where 3 DL Grants are transmitted to the UE via DCI# I, DCI#2 and DCI#3 in slot n, n+1 and n+2 respectively. DCI# I, DCI#2 and DCI#3 schedule PDSCH# 1, PDSCH#2 and PDSCH#3 respectively. DCI# I, DCI#2 and DCI#3 further indicate K\=3, K\=2 and ^=1 respectively. Since the Kj values indicate that the HARQ-ACK feedbacks for PDSCH# 1, PDSCH#2 and PDSCH#3 are transmitted in slot n+4, the UE multiplexes all of these HARQ-ACKs into a single PUCCH. The PUCCH Multiplexing Window is a time window where PDSCHs can be multiplexed into that PUCCH and it depends on the range of K- values. In the example in Figure 6, the PUCCH Multiplexing Window is from Slot n to Slot n+3, which means the max K- value is 4 slots.

In Rel-15, only one PUCCH per slot is allowed to carry HARQ-ACKs for the same UE even if the different PUCCHs do not overlap in time. The PUCCH resource is indicated in the "PUCCH Resource Indicator ’ (PRI) field in the DL Grant. Each DL Grant may indicate a different PUCCH resource but the UE will follow the PRI indicated in the last PDSCH in the PUCCH Multiplexing Window since the UE only knows the total number of HARQ-ACK bits after the last PDSCH is received. In the example in Figure 6, DCI# I and DCI#2 indicate PUCCH# 1 for the HARQ-ACK, but DCI#3 indicates PUCCH#2, where PUCCH#1 and PUCCH#2 do not overlap in time. Since DCI#3 schedules the last PDSCH, i.e. PDSCH#3, in the Multiplexing Window, the UE will use PUCCH#2 to carry the HARQ-ACK for PDSCH#1, PDSCH#2 and PDSCH#3. It should be noted that a PUCCH carrying other UCI such as SR (Scheduling Request) can be transmitted separately from a PUCCH carrying HARQ-ACK within the same slot if they do not overlap in time.

In Rel-16 eURLLC, sub-slot PUCCH is introduced for carrying HARQ-ACK for URLLC PDSCH. Subslot based PUCCH allows more than one PUCCH carrying HARQ-ACKs to be transmitted within a slot. This gives more opportunity for a PUCCH carrying a HARQ-ACK for a PDSCH to be transmitted within a slot thereby reducing latency for HARQ-ACK feedbacks. In a sub-slot based PUCCH, the granularity of the Kj parameter (i.e. the time difference between the end of PDSCH and the start of its corresponding PUCCH) is in units of sub-slot instead of slot, where the sub-slot size can be 2 symbols or 7 symbols. An example is shown in Figure 7, where the sub-slot size = 7 symbols (i.e. half a slot) and the sub-slots are labelled as m, m+1, m+2, etc. PDSCH#1 is transmitted in slot n+1 but for sub-slot based HARQ-ACK PUCCH, it is transmitted in sub-slot m+2 and here Kf=f> which means that the corresponding HARQ-ACK is in sub-slot m+2+Kj = m+8. PDSCH#2 is transmitted in slot n+2 but occupies sub-slot m+4 and m+5. The reference for K- is relative to the sub-slot where the PDSCH ends and in this case PDSCH#2 ends in sub-slot m+5. The DL Grant in DCI#2 that schedules PDSCH#2 indicates K_}=4 which schedules a PUCCH for its HARQ-ACK at sub-slot m+5+K_} = sub-slot m+9.

In Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) PDSCH, the PDSCH resources are RRC configured and occur periodically where each SPS PDSCH occasion has a pre -configured and fixed duration. This allows the gNB to schedule traffic that has a known periodicity and packet size. The gNB may or may not transmit any PDSCH in the SPS PDSCH occasion and so the UE needs to monitor each SPS PDSCH occasion for potential PDSCH transmission.

In Rel-15 the UE can only be configured with one SPS PDSCH and this SPS PDSCH is activated using an activation DCI (Format 1 0 or 1 1) with the CRC scrambled with CS-RNTI. Once a SPS PDSCH is activated, the UE will monitor for potential PDSCH in each SPS PDSCH occasion of the SPS PDSCH configuration without the need for any DL Grant until the SPS PDSCH is deactivated. Deactivation of the SPS PDSCH is indicated via a deactivation DCI scrambled with CS-RNTI. The UE provides a HARQ-ACK feedback for the deactivation DCI but no HARQ-ACK feedback is provided for an activation DCI.

Similar to DG-PDSCH, the slot containing the PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK corresponding to SPS PDSCH is indicated using the K_t value in the field ' PDSCH-to-HARQJeedback timing indicator” of the activation DCI. Since DG Grant is not used for SPS PDSCH, this Ki value is applied for every SPS PDSCH occasion and can only be updated after it has been deactivated and re-activated using another activation DCI with a different K_t value.

Since there is only one SPS PDSCH, PUCCH Format 0 or 1 is used to carry the HARQ-ACK feedback. If the PUCCH collides with a PUCCH carrying HARQ-ACK feedbacks for DG-PDSCH, the HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH is multiplexed into the PUCCH corresponding to DG-PDSCH.

In Rel-16 the UE can be configured with up to eight SPS PDSCHs, where each SPS PDSCH has an SPS Configuration Index that is RRC configured. Each SPS PDSCH is individually activated using a DCI (Format 1 0, 1 1 & 1 2) with the CRC scrambled with CS-RNTI, where it indicates the SPS Configuration Index of the SPS to be activated. However, multiple SPS PDSCHs can be deactivated using a single deactivation DCI. Similar to Rel-15, the UE provides a HARQ-ACK feedback for a deactivation DCI but does not provide one for an activation DCI.

The slot or sub-slot containing the PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK feedback corresponding to an SPS PDSCH occasion is determined using the K value indicated in the activation DCI. Since each SPS PDSCH configuration is individually activated, different SPS PDSCH can be indicated with different K values.

Since different K values can be used for different SPS PDSCH configurations, it is possible that the HARQ-ACK for multiple SPS PDSCHs point to the same slot or sub-slot and in such a scenario, these HARQ-ACKs are multiplexed into a single PUCCH. For multiple SPS PDSCH configurations, PUCCH Format 2, 3 & 4 (in addition to PUCCH Format 0 & 1) can be used to carry multiple HARQ-ACKs for SPS PDSCH. Here the HARQ-ACKs in the PUCCH are sorted in ascending order according to the SPS PDSCH Configuration Index. An example is shown in Figure 8, where a UE is configured with 3 SPS PDSCHs labelled as SPS#1, SPS#2 and SPS#3 with different periodicities and are RRC configured with SPS Configuration Index 1, 2 and 3 respectively. SPS#1, SPS#2 and SPS#3 are activated with K{=6, Ki=5 and j=3 respectively based on sub-slots where the sub-slot length is 7 symbols (i.e. half a slot). These K_t values result in HARQ-ACK feedbacks corresponding to SPS#1 in sub-slot m, SPS#2 in sub-slot m+1 and SPS#3 in sub-slot m+3 to be in the same sub-slot, i.e. carried by PUCCH#1 in subslot m+6. PUCCH#1 therefore provides 3 HARQ-ACKs labelled as {ACK#1, ACK#2, ACK#3} for SPS#1, SPS#2 and SPS#3 respectively according to their SPS PDSCH Configuration Indices.

When the PUCCH for SPS PDSCHs collides with the PUCCH for DG-PDSCH, their HARQ-ACKs are multiplexed where the SPS PDSCH HARQ-ACKs are appended after those for DG-PDSCH.

As Rel-16 supports multiple active SPS resources/indices for PDSCH transmissions in a bandwidth part (BWP), a UE is required to provide acknowledgements (i.e. HARQ feedback with either ACK or NACK) for all active SPS indices. However, the main issue/problem is if there are multiple active SPS indices but only a sub-set of these indices are used for PDSCH transmissions, the UE is still required to provide the HARQ feedback for all active SPS indices regardless of whether they carry data or not. In this case, SPS indices that have no data would always have negative acknowledgements (i.e. NACK). This is predominantly the case when over-provisioning of SPS indices is required in order to handle delays in data arrival time (i.e. jitter) as shown earlier in Figure 5. As can be seen in Figure 5, in the first period, there are three possible candidates for PDSCH transmission marked with Rl, and although only one candidate is used for PDSCH transmission in the end, the UE must provide HARQ feedback for all three SPS candidates. Hence, the HARQ feedback overhead is significantly increased. Over-provisioning is also used for services that have periodic traffic but with a periodicity that is not within the range of configurable RRC values and for such cases multiple SPS with different periodicities are configured to provide SPS resource so that the periodicity of such traffic can be provided. Hence, in such cases, some of these SPS resources are not used which may lead to excessive NACKs being transmitted.

By the same token, in the uplink, Rel-16 supports multiple active CG indices for PUSCH transmissions in a bandwidth part (BWP), to handle for example delays in data arrival time (i.e. jitter) as shown earlier in Figure 5. If the gNB does not detect PUSCH signals, it can ask a UE to provide retransmissions of the undetected PUSCH signals by sending retransmission grants (DCI). As the gNB sends retransmission DCIs unnecessarily to the UE, these DCIs will increase downlink control overhead of the serving cell as well as system complexity.

It has been proposed in [7] to re-configure via RRC signaling or dynamically deactivate SPS/CG resources via DCI when they are no longer active for transmission. However, RRC signaling is very slow to adapt to immediate changes of traffic profile. For dynamically activating and deactivating SPS/CG resources via DCI instantaneously, the main concern is the downlink control overhead in the PDCCH as there could be too many UEs requiring successive instantaneous changes of traffic profile. In addition, there are cases where over-provisioning is needed to handle instantaneous traffic delays (i.e. jitter), so deactivating of the resources may not be helpful in this case.

Reducing HARQ Feedback Overhead for Multiple SPS and CG Configurations in URLLC

Figure 9 shows a first part schematic, part message flow diagram representation of a wireless communications network comprising a communications device 91 (e.g. a UE) and an infrastructure equipment 92 (e.g. a gNB) in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technique. The communications device 91 is configured to receive data from the wireless communications network, for example, from the infrastructure equipment 92, via a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network. The communications device 91 and the infrastructure equipment 92 each comprise a transceiver (or transceiver circuitry) 91.1, 92.1, and a controller (or controller circuitry) 91.2, 92.2. Each of the controllers 91.2, 92.2 may be, for example, a microprocessor, a CPU, or a dedicated chipset, etc.

As shown in the example of Figure 9, the transceiver circuitry 91.1 and the controller circuitry 91.2 of the communications device 91 are configured in combination, to receive 93 signalling information from the wireless communications network (e.g. from the infrastructure equipment 92), to determine 94, based on the signalling information, that the communications device 91 is to receive downlink data from the wireless communications network (e.g. from the infrastructure equipment 92) within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, and to determine 95, based on the signalling information, that the communications device 91 is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment 92) indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received within the selected sets of downlink resources, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

The transceiver circuitry 91.1 and the controller circuitry 91.2 of the communications device 91 may then be configured in combination to receive 96 the downlink data within the selected sets of downlink resources (those skilled in the art would appreciate that the downlink data 96 here may be received along with the signalling information 93 in a same PDSCH), and to transmit 97 the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment 92). Alternatively, the controller circuitry 91.2 of the communications device 91 may then be configured in combination to detect that the communications device 91 has not received the downlink data within any of the selected sets of downlink resources, and to determine that the communications device 91 is not to transmit the feedback information to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment 92).

In at least some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, the signalling information may not indicate which selected sets of resources the communications device should expect to receive downlink data in; the signalling information here may only indicate which selected sets the communications device should provide feedback for, without indicating which sets of resources are empty or will contain data.

Essentially, such embodiments of the present technique propose that, for multiple downlink resources (for example, SPS resources which are periodically located in a plurality of downlink resource units (e.g. subframes, slots, sub-slots or the like) of the wireless access interface), the transmitting device (e.g. a gNB) informs the receiving device (e.g. a UE) which of these downlink resources have data for transmission (and/or which of these downlink resources do not require a HARQ feedback), so that the receiving device is only required to provide acknowledgement feedback (including necessary retransmissions) for those resources which carry data.

Such signalling information may be carried by a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE), which indicates which SPS resources have data for transmission so HARQ feedback from the UE is only required forthose SPS resources/indices (e.g. PDSCHs) which have data. Such a MAC CE may be carried by the PDSCHs of the SPS indices which also carry such data for transmission. Alternatively, instead of the signalling information being carried by a MAC CE, the signalling information may be indicated by a Downlink Modulation Reference Symbol (DMRS) sequence received by the communications device from the wireless communications network and/or a DMRS antenna port of the wireless communications network used by the wireless communications network for the transmission of the DMRS sequence.

The MAC CE signaling may be embedded in the TB (transport block) carried by any of the downlink PDSCH channels associated with SPS indices which carry data. Hence, when a UE decodes the TB, it will know which SPS indices carry data and it will provide HARQ feedback forthose indices. As shown in an example illustrated by Figure 10 there are three active SPS indices. However, SPS index 1 and SPS index 3 carry data whereas SPS index 2 is empty. Therefore, the gNB includes MAC CE signalling in both PDSCHs of SPS index 1 and SPS index 3 that SPS index 2 does not have data. When a UE decodes the PDSCHs of SPS index 1 and SPS index 3, it will know that SPS index 2 does not have data and its corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback shall not be reported. Therefore PUCCH#1 provides 2 HARQ- ACKs labelled as {ACK#1, ACK#3} for SPS#1, and SPS#3 respectively according to their SPS PDSCH Configuration Indices. It should be noted that in this case, a UE and gNB are aligned with respect to which SPS indices have data and that their corresponding HARQ-ACKs will be reported in the PUCCH, i.e. there is no ambiguity.

In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, MAC CE signalling can carry a bit-map of all SPS indices (for example, the bit-map can have a length of up to a maximum of 8 bits) as shown in Table II below where the Ci field is set to 1 to indicate that the corresponding SPS index carries data and 0 otherwise. Each field may indicate more than one set of SPS resources; e.g. a first bit of the bitmap may indicate whether feedback should be provided for two sets of SPS resources or not. This would reduce the overheads in terms of signalling, but may trigger the transmission of feedback for empty SPS resources if a particular bit of the bitmap referred to more than one set of SPS resources, where at least one of these sets of SPS resources does not contain data. In other words, the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, where each field is associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources. Based on the example of Figure 10, which indicates that SPS index 1 and SPS index 3 have data (PDSCHs), the MAC CE signalling would look as shown in Table III below.

In another arrangement of embodiments of the present disclosure, the MAC CE signalling may be a bitmap that spans several SPS periodicities. In other words, the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources. For example, the bitmap in Table III can be extended by 8//V times to provide a bitmap on which periodicity the SPS is empty or not in the future time window. An example is shown in Table IV below, where N=2 and here in the 1^st period, SPS index 1 & 3 contain PDSCH, whilst in the 2^nd period, SPS 0, 1 & 2 contain PDSCH. This pattern can repeat or it may be valid for one occurrence. It should be noted that in a time window, if one or more SPS indices do not exist due to having a longer periodicity, then their corresponding SPS indices would still indicate 0.

In another arrangement of embodiments of the present disclosure, the MAC CE indication of empty and non-empty SPS may be valid for a pre-defined time period. In other words, the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time. This said pre-defined time period can be RRC configured, dynamically indicated e.g. in the MAC CE itself or fixed in the specifications.

In an arrangement of embodiments of the present technique, the MAC CE signalling may be valid only during the PUCCH multiplexing window which depends on the range of K- values. In other words, the predefined period of time is the duration of a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, multiplexing window during which the communications device is able to multiplex the feedback information for each of the selected sets of downlink resources into a single PUCCH. This means that the information that the UE received regarding which SPS indices have data (PDSCHs) can be changed between successive multiplexing windows.

Alternatively, the signalling information may be valid only until the communications device receives second (new) signalling information from the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network.

Figure 11 illustrates an example where SPS#1, SPS#2 and SPS#3 are activated with K_t= . K_r=5 and K_r=3 respectively based on sub-slots. Considering the first four sub-slots (m to m+3), the K_t values of the first instances of SPS#1, SPS#2, and SPS#3 result in the HARQ-ACK feedbacks corresponding to SPS#1 in sub-slot m, SPS#2 in sub-slot m+1 and SPS#3 in sub-slot m+3 being in the same sub-slot and multiplexed into a single PUCCH, i.e. carried by PUCCH# 1 in sub-slot m+6. These first four sub-slots (m to m+3) define a first multiplexing window for PUCCH# 1. In this first multiplexing window SPS index 1 and SPS index 3 have data, but SPS index 2 does not have data. Hence, PUCCH# 1 contains HARQ-ACKs labelled as {ACK#1, ACK#3} for SPS#1, and SPS#3 respectively.

The next four sub-slots (m+4 to m+7) on PUCCH# 1 define a second multiplexing window for PUCCH# 1, where HARQ-ACK feedbacks which can be multiplexed into PUCCH# 1 in the second multiplexing window depend by the K- values, which are the same as for the first multiplexing window. This results in HARQ-ACKs for SPS#1 in sub-slot m+4, SPS#2 in sub-slot m+5 and SPS#3 in subslot m+7 being carried by PUCCH#1 in sub-slot m+10. However, in some arrangements of the present disclosure, MAC CE may provide new signalling information for this window, for example, as shown in Figure 11, that SPS index 1 and SPS index 2 have data, but SPS index 3 does not have data. Here, the MAC CE which provides such signalling information may be provided in SPS#1 or SPS#2 (or both) along with the data. Hence, PUCCH#1 contains HARQ-ACKs labelled as {ACK#1, ACK#2} for SPS#1, and SPS#2 respectively.

In another arrangement of embodiments of the present disclosure, the MAC CE may indicate whether the next X SPS are empty. In other words, the signalling information indicates whether the downlink data is not to be received by the communications device within a specified number of next sets of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources. Here X can be RRC configured, dynamically indicated (e.g. in the MAC CE) or fixed in the specifications.

In another arrangement of embodiments of the present disclosure, as has been described above with reference to Figure 9, if a UE did not receive any SPS PDSCH, the UE may not send any HARQ feedback (i.e. no PUCCH transmission). In this case, a gNB will not detect any PUCCH transmission from the UE, and recognize this as a DTX. The gNB will then understand that either all SPS failed to be received by the UE or there were no PDSCHs transmitted to the UE (the gNB is already aware of this latter case).

Those skilled in the art would appreciate, for the arrangements of embodiments of the present technique as described above with reference to Figures 10 and 11 for example, where reference is made to signalling information being carried by a MAC CE, that this signalling information could be conveyed in any other manner, for example through the DMRS sequence/port. For example, the next SPS may be determined to be empty if the detected DMRS sequence is sequence#!, while the next SPS may be determined to be not empty if the detected DMRS sequence is sequence#2. Different sequences (the sequence# 1 and the sequence#2 in this example) may be generated by using different initialization parameters of a pseudo-random sequence Cmit. For another example, the next SPS may be determined to be empty if the detected DMRS port is antenna port 1000, while the next SPS may be determined to be not empty if the detected DMRS port is antenna port 1001. In such arrangements of embodiments of the present technique where the signalling information is conveyed through the DMRS sequence/port used for transmission of the SPS PDSCH, the UE may perform blind detection of the DMRS sequences and/or DMRS ports which are associated with the indication whether (and which of) the SPS resources are empty. The number of DMRS sequences and DMRS ports which the UE attempts to detect and/or the number X of next SPS resources indicated to be empty can be RRC configured, dynamically indicated (e.g. in the MAC CE) or fixed in the specifications.

Figure 12 shows a first part schematic, part message flow diagram representation of a wireless communications network comprising a communications device 121 (e.g. a UE) and an infrastructure equipment 122 (e.g. a gNB) in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technique. The communications device 121 is configured to transmit data to the wireless communications network, for example, to the infrastructure equipment 122, via a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network. The communications device 121 and the infrastructure equipment 122 each comprise a transceiver (or transceiver circuitry) 121.1, 122.1, and a controller (or controller circuitry) 121.2, 122.2. Each of the controllers 121.2, 122.2 may be, for example, a microprocessor, a CPU, or a dedicated chipset, etc.

As shown in the example of Figure 12, the transceiver circuitry 121.1 and the controller circuitry 121.2 of the communications device 121 are configured in combination to determine 123 that the communications device 121 has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment 122), to select 124 one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, to transmit 125 signalling information to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment 122), the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network (e.g. the infrastructure equipment 122) is to transmit feedback information, for any (e.g. zero, one, some, or all) of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device 121 indicating that the communications device should retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network (e.g. by the infrastructure equipment 122), wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

The transceiver circuitry 121.1 and the controller circuitry 121.2 of the communications device 121 may then be configured in combination to transmit 126 the uplink data within the selected sets of uplink resources, and to receive 127 the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources from the wireless communications network (e.g. from the infrastructure equipment 122). Alternatively, the controller circuitry 121.2 of the communications device 121 may then be configured in combination to detect that the communications device 121 has not received the feedback information associated with any of the selected sets of uplink resources, and to determine that the wireless communications network (e.g. the infrastructure equipment (122) has not received the uplink data within any of the selected sets of uplink resources.

Essentially, such embodiments of the present technique propose that, for multiple uplink resources (for example, CG (or indeed SPS) resources which are periodically located in a plurality of uplink resource units (e.g. subframes, slots, sub-slots, etc.) of the wireless access interface), the transmitting device (e.g. a UE) informs the receiving device (e.g. a gNB) which of these uplink resources have data for transmission, so that the receiving device is only required to provide acknowledgement feedback (including necessary retransmission requests) for those resources which carry data.

Such signalling information may be carried by a MAC CE, which indicates which CG resources have data for transmission so HARQ feedback from the gNB is only required for those CG resources/indices (e.g. PUSCHs) which have data. Alternatively, instead of the signalling information being carried by a MAC CE, the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the communications device and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the communications device.

In the current Rel-16 specification, a UE can transmit UL data (PUSCH) on a specific CG index, and if gNB does not receive the PUSCH, it has to ask the UE to retransmit the PUSCH. The gNB gives the UE a retransmission grant which schedules retransmission on the existing or new PUSCH resource.

However, if the UE does not receive the retransmission grant within a specified time of window (i.e. before a timer expires), the UE will assume that the gNB has correctly received the PUSCH and will flush its HARQ buffer.

In an example shown by Figure 13, there are three CG resources, CG#1, CG2#2 and CG#3, that are configured and activated for PUSCH transmissions. CG#1 is transmitted on sub-slot m, CG#2 in subslot m+1 and CG#3 in sub-slot m+3, and after each transmission, the UE monitors downlink PDCCH to check if there is any retransmission grant for any of the transmitted CG PUSCHs. However, as there is no data available for transmission for CG#2, the UE did not transmit CG#2. Subsequently, CG#1 and CG#3 were successfully received at the gNB, but gNB did not detect the CG#2 PUSCH and issues a retransmission dynamic grant (DCI#2) to the UE at sub-slot m+4. DCI#2 schedules a new resource marked with DG#2, and it disregards the existing CG#2 resource at sub-slot m+5. The issue here is that there are wasted resources of DCI#2 in the PDCCH and DG#2 PUSCH, as well as unnecessary transmissions being created in the uplink which may cause interference to other UEs in the system, and at the very least result in inefficiencies within the system.

A solution for this issue proposed by embodiments of the present disclosure is that the UE is to inform the network via MAC CE signaling on which CG resources have data for transmission so that the network can provide feedback/retransmission grants only forthose CG indices that have data (PUSCH) in the first place.

The MAC CE (MAC control element) signaling is embedded in the TB (transport block) carried by the PUSCH channel. Hence, when a gNB decodes the TB, it will know which CG indices carry data. As shown in the example of Figure 14, there are three active CG indices. However, CG index 1 and CG index 3 carry data whereas CG index 2 is empty. Therefore, the UE may include MAC CE signaling in both PUSCHs of CG index 1 and CG index 3 to indicate that CG index 2 does not have data. When the gNB decodes the PUSCHs of CG index 1 and CG index 3, it will know that CG index 2 does not have data and thus it is not required to provide any retransmission grants if the gNB cannot decode CG index 2. It should be noted again that in this case, the UE and gNB are aligned with respect to which CG indices have data, hence there is no ambiguity.

Based on the above solution, there is no need for the gNB to try to decode CG#2 PUSCH and transmit DCI#2 to the UE. In addition, there is no need for the UE to receive DCI#2 and transmit DG#2 PUSCH in the uplink. As shown in Figure 14, all these items marked with a cross will not be processed and transmitted at the transmitter as well as the receiver. This will save a lot of resources, reduce power consumption and reduce system complexity.

MAC CE signalling can carry a bit-map of all CG indices (for example up to 12 maximum) where each bit field is set to 1 to indicate that the corresponding CG index carries data and 0 otherwise. The arrangements of embodiments of the present technique shown in and described with respect to Tables II, III and IV are applicable to the indication of empty CGs too. That is, the signalling information may comprise a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources, wherein the bit map may comprise a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources.

Similar to the arrangements of embodiments of the present technique described above with respect to downlink (e.g. SPS) resources, the signalling information may be valid until the communications device transmits second signalling information to the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface for which the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device. Alternatively, or in addition, the signalling information may be valid for a predefined period of time (i.e. a time window).

Those skilled in the art would appreciate, for the arrangements of embodiments of the present technique as described above with reference to Figures 13 and 14 for example, where it is referred to signalling information being carried by a MAC CE, that this signalling information could be conveyed in any other manner, for example through the DMRS sequence/port. For example, the next CG may be determined to be empty if the detected DMRS sequence is sequence#!, while the next CG may be determined to be not empty if the detected DMRS sequence is sequence#2. Different sequences (the sequence#! and the sequence#2 in this example) may be generated by using different initialization parameters of the pseudorandom sequence Cmit. For another example, the next CG may be determined to be empty if the detected DMRS port is antenna port 1000, while the next CG may be determined to be not empty if the detected DMRS port is antenna port 1001. In such arrangements of embodiments of the present technique where the signalling information is conveyed through the DMRS sequence/port used for transmission of the CG PUSCH, the UE may select the DMRS sequences and/or DMRS ports based on whether it wants to indicate whether (and which of) the CG resources are empty. The number of DMRS sequences and DMRS ports which the UE can select and/or the number X of next CG resources indicated to be empty can be RRC configured, dynamically indicated (e.g. in the MAC CE) or fixed in the specifications.

Flow Chart Representation

Figure 15 shows a flow diagram illustrating a first example process of communications in a communications system in accordance with embodiments of the present technique. The process shown by Figure 15 is a method of operating a communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network (e.g. from an infrastructure equipment) via a wireless access interface.

The method begins in step Si l. The method comprises, in step S12 receiving signalling information from the wireless communications network (e.g. from the infrastructure equipment). In step S13, the process optionally comprises determining, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to receive downlink data from the wireless communications network (e.g. from the infrastructure equipment) within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface. In step S14, the method comprises determining, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment) indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received within the selected sets of downlink resources, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources. The method then optionally comprises in step S15 receiving the downlink data within the selected sets of downlink resource (though the communications device may alternatively detect that the communications device has not received the downlink data within any of the selected sets of downlink resources), and optionally in step S 16, transmitting the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment) - though the communications device may alternatively not transmit the feedback if it has detected that the downlink data has not been received within any of the selected sets of downlink resources. The process ends in step S17.

Figure 16 shows a flow diagram illustrating a second example process of communications in a communications system in accordance with embodiments of the present technique. The process shown by Figure 16 is a method of operating a communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network (e.g. to an infrastructure equipment) via a wireless access interface.

The method begins in step S21. The method comprises, in step S22 determining that the communications device has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment). In step S23, the process comprises selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data. In step S24, the method comprises transmitting signalling information to the wireless communications network (e.g. to the infrastructure equipment), the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network (e.g. the infrastructure equipment) is to transmit feedback information, for any (e.g. zero, one, some, or all) of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network (e.g. by the infrastructure equipment), wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources. The method then optionally comprises in step S25 transmitting the uplink data within the selected sets of uplink resources (though the communications device may alternatively detect that the communications device does not have any uplink data to transmit within any of the selected sets of uplink resources), and optionally in step S26, receiving the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources from the wireless communications network (e.g. from the infrastructure equipment) - though the communications device may alternatively determine that the wireless communications network (e.g. the infrastructure equipment) has not received the uplink data within any of the selected sets of uplink resources. The process ends in step S27. Those skilled in the art would appreciate that the methods shown by Figures 15 and 16 may be adapted in accordance with embodiments of the present technique. For example, other intermediate steps may be included in either or both of these methods, or the steps may be performed in any logical order. Though embodiments of the present technique have been described largely by way of the example communications systems shown in Figures 9 and 12, it would be clear to those skilled in the art that they could be equally applied to other systems to those described herein.

Those skilled in the art would further appreciate that such infrastructure equipment and/or communications devices as herein defined may be further defined in accordance with the various arrangements and embodiments discussed in the preceding paragraphs. It would be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that such infrastructure equipment and communications devices as herein defined and described may form part of communications systems other than those defined by the present disclosure.

The following numbered paragraphs provide further example aspects and features of the present technique:

Paragraph 1. A method of operating a communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving signalling information from the wireless communications network, and determining, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 2. A method according to Paragraph 1, comprising determining, based on the signalling information, whether the communications device is to receive the downlink data from the wireless communications network within the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 3. A method according to Paragraph 1 or Paragraph 2, comprising receiving the downlink data within the selected sets of downlink resources, and transmitting the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources to the wireless communications network.

Paragraph 4. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

Paragraph 5. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 4, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the wireless communications network and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the wireless communications network.

Paragraph 6. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources are Semi-Persistent Scheduling, SPS, resources periodically located in a plurality of downlink resource units of the wireless access interface.

Paragraph 7. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 6, wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 8. A method according to Paragraph 7, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 9. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 8, wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device receives second signalling information from the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network.

Paragraph 10. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 9, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time.

Paragraph 11. A method according to Paragraph 10, wherein the predefined period of time is the duration of a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, multiplexing window during which the communications device is able to multiplex the feedback information for each of the selected sets of downlink resources into a single PUCCH.

Paragraph 12. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 11, comprising determining, based on the received signalling information, one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which the communications device is not to receive the downlink data from the wireless communications network, and determining that the communications device is not to transmit, to the wireless communications network, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources within which the communications device is not to receive the downlink data from the wireless communications network.

Paragraph 13. A method according to Paragraph 12, wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device receives second signalling information from the wireless communications network indicating a different one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which downlink data is not to be received.

Paragraph 14. A method according to Paragraph 12 or Paragraph 13, wherein the signalling information indicates whether the downlink data is not to be received by the communications device within a specified number of next sets of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 15. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 14, comprising detecting that the communications device has not received the downlink data within any of the selected sets of downlink resources, and determining that the communications device is not to transmit the feedback information to the wireless communications network.

Paragraph 16. A communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the communications device comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the wireless communications network, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 17. Circuitry for a communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the wireless communications network, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the circuitry is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 18. A method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to transmit data to a communications device via a wireless access interface, the method comprising determining that the infrastructure equipment has downlink data to transmit to the communications device, selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the downlink data, transmitting signalling information to the communications device, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of downlink resources for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the infrastructure equipment indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received by the communications device, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 19. A method according to Paragraph 18, the signalling information indicating that the downlink data will be transmitted within the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 20. A method according to Paragraph 18 or Paragraph 19, comprising transmitting the downlink data within the selected sets of downlink resources, and receiving the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources from the communications device.

Paragraph 21. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 20, wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

Paragraph 22. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 21, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the wireless communications network and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the wireless communications network

Paragraph 23. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 22, wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources are Semi-Persistent Scheduling, SPS, resources periodically located in a plurality of downlink resource units of the wireless access interface.

Paragraph 24. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 23, wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 25. A method according to Paragraph 24, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 26. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 25, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment transmits second signalling information to the communications device indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the infrastructure equipment.

Paragraph 27. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 26, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time.

Paragraph 28. A method according to Paragraph 27, wherein the predefined period of time is the duration of a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, multiplexing window during which the communications device is able to multiplex the feedback information for each of the selected sets of downlink resources into a single PUCCH.

Paragraph 29. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 28, wherein the signalling information indicates one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which the downlink data will not be transmitted, and the signalling information indicates that the communications device is not to transmit, to the infrastructure equipment, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources within which the downlink data will not be transmitted.

Paragraph 30. A method according to Paragraph 29, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment transmits second signalling information to the communications device indicating a different one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which downlink data is not to be received.

Paragraph 31. A method according to Paragraph 29 or Paragraph 30, wherein the signalling information indicates whether the downlink data will not be transmitted within a specified number of next sets of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 32. A method according to any of Paragraphs 18 to 31, comprising detecting that the infrastructure equipment has not received the feedback information associated with any of the selected sets of downlink resources, and determining that the communications device has not received the downlink data within any of the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 33. An infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to transmit data to a communications device via a wireless access interface, the infrastructure equipment comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the infrastructure equipment, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the infrastructure equipment has downlink data to transmit to the communications device, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the downlink data, to transmit signalling information to the communications device, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of downlink resources for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the infrastructure equipment indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received by the communications device, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 34. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to transmit data to a communications device via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the circuitry, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the circuitry has downlink data to transmit to the communications device, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the downlink data, to transmit signalling information to the communications device, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of downlink resources for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the circuitry indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received by the communications device, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

Paragraph 35. A method of operating a communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the method comprising determining that the communications device has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network, selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, transmitting signalling information to the wireless communications network, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 36. A method according to Paragraph 35, comprising transmitting the uplink data within the selected sets of uplink resources, and receiving the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources from the wireless communications network.

Paragraph 37. A method according to Paragraph 35 or Paragraph 36, wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

Paragraph 38. A method according to any of Paragraphs 35 to 37, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the communications device and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the communications device.

Paragraph 39. A method according to any of Paragraphs 35 to 38, wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources are Configured Grant, CG, resources periodically located in a plurality of uplink resource units of the wireless access interface.

Paragraph 40. A method according to any of Paragraphs 35 to 39, wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 41. A method according to Paragraph 40, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 42. A method according to any of Paragraphs 35 to 41, wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device transmits second signalling information to the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface for which the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device.

Paragraph 43. A method according to any of Paragraphs 35 to 42, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time.

Paragraph 44. A method according to any of Paragraphs 35 to 43, wherein the signalling information indicates one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which the uplink data will not be transmitted, and the signalling information indicates that the wireless communications network is not to transmit, to the communications device, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will not be transmitted.

Paragraph 45. A method according to Paragraph 44, wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device transmits second signalling information to the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which uplink data will not be transmitted.

Paragraph 46. A method according to any of Paragraphs 35 to 45, comprising detecting that the communications device has not received the feedback information associated with any of the selected sets of uplink resources, and determining that the wireless communications network has not received the uplink data within any of the selected sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 47. A communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the communications device comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the communications device has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, to transmit signalling information to the wireless communications network, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 48. Circuitry for a communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the circuitry has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, to transmit signalling information to the wireless communications network, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the circuitry indicating that the circuitry is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 49. A method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to receive data from a communications device via a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving signalling information from the communications device, determining, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to receive uplink data from the communications device within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface, and determining, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the infrastructure equipment, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the infrastructure equipment, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 50. A method according to Paragraph 49, comprising receiving the uplink data within the selected sets of uplink resources, and transmitting the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources to the communications device.

Paragraph 51. A method according to Paragraph 49 or Paragraph 50, wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

Paragraph 52. A method according to any of Paragraphs 49 to 51, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the communications device and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the communications device.

Paragraph 53. A method according to any of Paragraphs 49 to 52, wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources are Configured Grant, CG, resources periodically located in a plurality of uplink resource units of the wireless access interface. Paragraph 54. A method according to any of Paragraphs 49 to 53, wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 55. A method according to Paragraph 54, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources.

Paragraph 56. A method according to any of Paragraphs 47 to 55, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment receives second signalling information from the communications device indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface for which the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the infrastructure equipment, to the communications device.

Paragraph 57. A method according to any of Paragraphs 49 to 56, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time.

Paragraph 58. A method according to any of Paragraphs 49 to 57, comprising determining, based on the received signalling information, one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which the infrastructure equipment is not to receive the uplink data from the communications device, and determining that the infrastructure equipment is not to transmit, to the communications device, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources within which the infrastructure equipment is not to receive the uplink data from the communications device.

Paragraph 59. A method according to Paragraph 58, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment receives second signalling information from the communications device indicating a different one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which uplink data is not to be received.

Paragraph 60. A method according to any of Paragraphs 49 to 59, comprising detecting that the infrastructure equipment has not received the uplink data within any of the selected sets of uplink resources, and determining that the infrastructure equipment is not to transmit the feedback information to the communications device.

Paragraph 61. An infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to receive data from a communications device via a wireless access interface, the infrastructure equipment comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the infrastructure equipment, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the communications device, to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to receive uplink data from the communications device within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the infrastructure equipment, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the infrastructure equipment, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources. Paragraph 62. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to receive data from a communications device via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the circuitry, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the communications device, to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to receive uplink data from the communications device within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the circuitry, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the circuitry, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

It will be appreciated that the above description for clarity has described embodiments with reference to different functional units, circuitry and/or processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, circuitry and/or processors may be used without detracting from the embodiments.

Described embodiments may be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. Described embodiments may optionally be implemented at least partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors. The elements and components of any embodiment may be physically, functionally and logically implemented in any suitable way. Indeed the functionality may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of units or as part of other functional units. As such, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in a single unit or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units, circuitry and/or processors.

Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Additionally, although a feature may appear to be described in connection with particular embodiments, one skilled in the art would recognise that various features of the described embodiments may be combined in any manner suitable to implement the technique.

References

[1] Holma H. and Toskala A, “LTE for UMTS OFDMA and SC-FDMA based radio access”, John Wiley and Sons, 2009.

[2] TR 38.913, “Study on Scenarios and Requirements for Next Generation Access Technologies (Release 14)”, third Generation Partnership Project, vl4.3.0.

[3] RP-182090, “Revised SID: Study on NR Industrial Internet of Things (IoT),” RAN#81.

[4] RP- 190726, “Physical layer enhancements for NR ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC)”, Huawei, HiSilicon, RAN#83.

[5] RP -201310, “Revised WID: Enhanced Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) support for NR,” Nokia, Nokia Shanghai Bell, RAN#88e.

[6] TR 38.825, “Study on NR Industrial Internet of Things (IoT),” 3GPP Rel-16.

[7] R2-1914750,” On support of non-integer multiple of CG/SPS periodicities,” Ericsson, RAN2#108.

Claims

29 CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving signalling information from the wireless communications network, and determining, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

2. A method according to Claim 1 , comprising determining, based on the signalling information, whether the communications device is to receive the downlink data from the wireless communications network within the selected sets of downlink resources.

3. A method according to Claim 1, comprising receiving the downlink data within the selected sets of downlink resources, and transmitting the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources to the wireless communications network.

4. A method according to Claim 1 , wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

5. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the wireless communications network and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the wireless communications network.

6. A method according to Claim 1 , wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources are Semi-Persistent Scheduling, SPS, resources periodically located in a plurality of downlink resource units of the wireless access interface.

7. A method according to Claim 1 , wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

8. A method according to Claim 7, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

9. A method according to Claim 1 , wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device receives second signalling information from the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network.

10. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time. 30

11. A method according to Claim 10, wherein the predefined period of time is the duration of a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, multiplexing window during which the communications device is able to multiplex the feedback information for each of the selected sets of downlink resources into a single PUCCH.

12. A method according to Claim 1, comprising determining, based on the received signalling information, one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which the communications device is not to receive the downlink data from the wireless communications network, and determining that the communications device is not to transmit, to the wireless communications network, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources within which the communications device is not to receive the downlink data from the wireless communications network.

13. A method according to Claim 12, wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device receives second signalling information from the wireless communications network indicating a different one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which downlink data is not to be received.

14. A method according to Claim 12, wherein the signalling information indicates whether the downlink data is not to be received by the communications device within a specified number of next sets of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

15. A method according to Claim 1, comprising detecting that the communications device has not received the downlink data within any of the selected sets of downlink resources, and determining that the communications device is not to transmit the feedback information to the wireless communications network.

16. A communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the communications device comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the wireless communications network, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

17. Circuitry for a communications device configured to receive data from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the wireless communications network, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the circuitry is to transmit feedback information to the wireless communications network indicating whether or not downlink data was successfully received within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

18. A method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to transmit data to a communications device via a wireless access interface, the method comprising determining that the infrastructure equipment has downlink data to transmit to the communications device, selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the downlink data, transmitting signalling information to the communications device, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of downlink resources for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the infrastructure equipment indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received by the communications device, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

19. A method according to Claim 18, the signalling information indicating that the downlink data will be transmitted within the selected sets of downlink resources.

20. A method according to Claim 18, comprising transmitting the downlink data within the selected sets of downlink resources, and receiving the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources from the communications device.

21. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

22. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the wireless communications network and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the wireless communications network

23. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources are Semi-Persistent Scheduling, SPS, resources periodically located in a plurality of downlink resource units of the wireless access interface.

24. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

25. A method according to Claim 24, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

26. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment transmits second signalling information to the communications device indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the infrastructure equipment.

27. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time.

28. A method according to Claim 27, wherein the predefined period of time is the duration of a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, multiplexing window during which the communications device is able to multiplex the feedback information for each of the selected sets of downlink resources into a single PUCCH.

29. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the signalling information indicates one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which the downlink data will not be transmitted, and the signalling information indicates that the communications device is not to transmit, to the infrastructure equipment, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources within which the downlink data will not be transmitted.

30. A method according to Claim 29, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment transmits second signalling information to the communications device indicating a different one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which downlink data is not to be received.

31. A method according to Claim 29, wherein the signalling information indicates whether the downlink data will not be transmitted within a specified number of next sets of the plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources.

32. A method according to Claim 18, comprising detecting that the infrastructure equipment has not received the feedback information associated with any of the selected sets of downlink resources, and determining that the communications device has not received the downlink data within any of the selected sets of downlink resources.

33. An infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to transmit data to a communications device via a wireless access interface, the infrastructure equipment comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the infrastructure equipment, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the infrastructure equipment has downlink data to transmit to the communications device, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the downlink data, to transmit signalling information to the communications device, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of downlink resources for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the infrastructure equipment indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received by the communications device, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources. 33

34. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to transmit data to a communications device via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the circuitry, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the circuitry has downlink data to transmit to the communications device, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of downlink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the downlink data, to transmit signalling information to the communications device, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of downlink resources for which the communications device is to transmit feedback information to the circuitry indicating whether or not the downlink data was successfully received by the communications device, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of downlink resources.

35. A method of operating a communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the method comprising determining that the communications device has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network, selecting one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, transmitting signalling information to the wireless communications network, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

36. A method according to Claim 35, comprising transmitting the uplink data within the selected sets of uplink resources, and receiving the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources from the wireless communications network.

37. A method according to Claim 35, wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

38. A method according to Claim 35, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the communications device and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the communications device.

39. A method according to Claim 35, wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources are Configured Grant, CG, resources periodically located in a plurality of uplink resource units of the wireless access interface.

40. A method according to Claim 35, wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources. 34

41. A method according to Claim 40, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources.

42. A method according to Claim 35, wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device transmits second signalling information to the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface for which the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device.

43. A method according to Claim 35, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time.

44. A method according to Claim 35, wherein the signalling information indicates one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which the uplink data will not be transmitted, and the signalling information indicates that the wireless communications network is not to transmit, to the communications device, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will not be transmitted.

45. A method according to Claim 44, wherein the signalling information is valid until the communications device transmits second signalling information to the wireless communications network indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which uplink data will not be transmitted.

46. A method according to Claim 35, comprising detecting that the communications device has not received the feedback information associated with any of the selected sets of uplink resources, and determining that the wireless communications network has not received the uplink data within any of the selected sets of uplink resources.

47. A communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the communications device comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the communications device has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, to transmit signalling information to the wireless communications network, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources. 35

48. Circuitry for a communications device configured to transmit data to a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to determine that the circuitry has uplink data to transmit to the wireless communications network, to select one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which to transmit the uplink data, to transmit signalling information to the wireless communications network, the signalling information indicating the selected sets of uplink resources within which the uplink data will be transmitted, and the signalling information indicating that the wireless communications network is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the wireless communications network, to the circuitry indicating that the circuitry is to retransmit the uplink data to the wireless communications network, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

49. A method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to receive data from a communications device via a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving signalling information from the communications device, determining, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to receive uplink data from the communications device within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface, and determining, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the infrastructure equipment, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the infrastructure equipment, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

50. A method according to Claim 49, comprising receiving the uplink data within the selected sets of uplink resources, and transmitting the feedback information associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources to the communications device.

51. A method according to Claim 49, wherein the signalling information is carried by a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element, CE.

52. A method according to Claim 49, wherein the signalling information is indicated by a Demodulation Reference Signal, DMRS, sequence used by the communications device and/or a DMRS antenna port used by the communications device.

53. A method according to Claim 49, wherein the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources are Configured Grant, CG, resources periodically located in a plurality of uplink resource units of the wireless access interface.

54. A method according to Claim 49, wherein the signalling information comprises a bit map having a plurality of fields, each field being associated with at least one of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources. 36

55. A method according to Claim 54, wherein the bit map comprises a plurality of fields for each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources which are each associated with one instance of a periodic sequence of instances of the each of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources.

56. A method according to Claim 49, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment receives second signalling information from the communications device indicating a different selected one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface for which the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the infrastructure equipment, to the communications device.

57. A method according to Claim 49, wherein the signalling information is valid for a predefined period of time.

58. A method according to Claim 49, comprising determining, based on the received signalling information, one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which the infrastructure equipment is not to receive the uplink data from the communications device, and determining that the infrastructure equipment is not to transmit, to the communications device, feedback information associated with the one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources within which the infrastructure equipment is not to receive the uplink data from the communications device.

59. A method according to Claim 58, wherein the signalling information is valid until the infrastructure equipment receives second signalling information from the communications device indicating a different one or more of the plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface within which uplink data is not to be received.

60. A method according to Claim 49, comprising detecting that the infrastructure equipment has not received the uplink data within any of the selected sets of uplink resources, and determining that the infrastructure equipment is not to transmit the feedback information to the communications device.

61. An infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to receive data from a communications device via a wireless access interface, the infrastructure equipment comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the infrastructure equipment, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the communications device, to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to receive uplink data from the communications device within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the infrastructure equipment, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the 37 uplink data to the infrastructure equipment, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.

62. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network configured to receive data from a communications device via a wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals and receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the circuitry, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling information from the communications device, to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to receive uplink data from the communications device within a selected one or more of a plurality of predetermined sets of uplink resources of the wireless access interface, and to determine, based on the signalling information, that the infrastructure equipment is to transmit feedback information, for any of the selected sets of uplink resources determined by the circuitry, to the communications device indicating that the communications device is to retransmit the uplink data to the circuitry, wherein the feedback information is associated only with the selected sets of uplink resources.