WO2023194485A1

WO2023194485A1 - Resource configuration in relays

Info

Publication number: WO2023194485A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/059031
Authority: WO
Inventors: Magnus ÅSTRÖM; Behrooz MAKKI; Lei BAO; Boris Dortschy
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 2022-04-06
Filing date: 2023-04-05
Publication date: 2023-10-12

Abstract

Systems and methods for resource configuration in relay nodes in a wireless network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless network node, to which a relay node is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources comprises associating a set of time periods with at least one scheduling type for the relay node. The at least one scheduling type for the relay node comprises: (a) semi-static, (b) semi-persistent, (c) dynamic, or (d) a combination of any two or more of (a)- (c). The method further comprises configuring the relay node with information that associates the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type. Corresponding embodiments of a wireless network node are also disclosed. Embodiments of a relay node and a method of operation thereof are also disclosed.

Description

RESOURCE CONFIGURATION IN RELAYS

Technical Field

The present disclosure relay nodes in a wireless network and, more specifically, to a configuration of a relay node in a wireless network.

Background

To increase the data rate and support the increasing number of User Equipments (UEs), different methods are considered, among which network densification and millimeter wave (mmW) communications are the dominant ones. Network densification refers to the deployment of multiple access points of different types in, e.g., metropolitan areas. Particularly, it is expected that in future small nodes, such as relays, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) nodes, repeaters, etc., will be densely deployed to assist the existing macro or street-macro base stations (BSs).

During the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 16 and Release 17 related work, IAB has been well studied as the main relaying technique in Fifth Generation (5G), and the discussions will continue in Release 18 on Mobile IAB. Here, using a decode-and-forward relaying technique, the IAB node can well extend the coverage and/or increase the throughput. However, the IAB node may be a relatively complex and expensive node and thereby, depending on the deployment, alternative nodes with low complexity/cost may be required for, e.g., blind spot removal. Here, a candidate type of network node is a Radio Frequency (RF) repeater which simply amplifies-and-forwards any signal that it receives. RF repeaters have seen a wide range of deployments in Second Generation (2G), Third Generation (3G), and Fourth Generation (4G) networks to supplement the coverage provided by regular full-stack cells. However, RF repeaters lack in, e.g., accurate beamforming which may limit their efficiency in, for instance, Frequency Range 2 (FR2).

With this background, a new study-item has been considered in 3GPP Release 18, to start in early 2022, in which the potentials and the challenges of network-controlled repeaters will be evaluated. The scope and the features of network-controlled repeaters are still under discussion. However, in simple words, network-controlled repeaters are normal repeaters with beamforming capabilities. In this way, the network-controlled repeater should be considered as a network-controlled “beam bender” relative to the New Radio (NR) base station (gNB). As such, it is logically part of the gNB for all management purposes, i.e., it is likely that the network-controlled repeater is deployed and under the control of the operator. The network-controlled repeater is based on an amplify-and-forward relaying scheme, and it is likely to be limited to single-hop communication in stationary deployments with the main focus on FR2. Finally, the scope of the Release 18 study-item is expected to be strictly on studying the physical layer (PHY) control signaling and mechanism and, consequently, the study-item will be carried out mainly by RAN1. In particular, the network-controlled repeater summary and Study Item Description (SID) (RP- 213700) from RAN#94e agreed on the following scenarios and assumptions for the study-item:

• Network-controlled repeaters are in-band RF repeaters used for extension of network coverage on Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and FR2 bands, while during the study FR2 deployments may be prioritized for both outdoor and outdoor-to-indoor (O2I) scenarios.

• For only single hop stationary network-controlled repeaters

• Network-controlled repeaters are transparent to UEs

• Network-controlled repeater can maintain the gNB-repeater link and repeater-UE link simultaneously

Note that cost efficiency is a key consideration point for network-controlled repeaters.

Also, the study-item will concentrate on identifying which side control information is required regarding:

• Beamforming information

• Timing information to align transmission / reception boundaries of network-controlled repeater

• Information on uplink (UL) - downlink (DL) Time Division Duplexing (TDD) configuration

• ON-OFF information for efficient interference management and improved energy efficiency

• Power control information for efficient interference management (as the 2nd priority)

The present disclosure concentrates on the bold items above.

1 Network-Controlled Repeater

How a network-controlled repeater will be designed and how it will communicate with the network is still not clear. Figure 1 illustrates one schematic example of a network-controlled repeater. Note that this is an estimation of the possible network-controlled repeater architecture, while the exact structure is still to-be- decided by 3GPP.

In this example, the network-controlled repeater consists of three principal building blocks: a Modem, a Controller module, and a Repeater module (depicted as the two amplifiers in Figure 1). The network-controlled repeater is equipped with an antenna configuration, where a signal is first received in downlink (or uplink) and then, e.g., after power amplification, transmitted further in downlink (or uplink). Since the Repeater module only amplifies and (analogously) beamforms the signal, no advanced receiver or transmitter chains are required, which reduces the cost and energy consumption of the network- controlled repeater compared to for example a normal Transmission and Reception Point (TRP). In its simplest architecture, different antenna modules are used for the service and access sides, i.e., the antennas targeting the gNB and UEs, respectively, whereas a more complex architecture, including selfinterference cancellation, would allow for using the same antenna modules for both sides. The Modem module is used to exchange control and status signaling with a gNB that controls the network-controlled repeater. For this, the Modem module supports at least a sub-set of UE functions. Network-controlled repeater control and status information is further exchanged between the Modem module and the Controller module. The Modem module might be equipped with antennae separated from the antennae used by the Repeater module; but, in most configurations, the Modem module and Repeater module will share antenna configurations.

The Controller module is used to control the Repeater module (UE-facing antenna and amplifiers in Figure 1) by, for example, providing beamforming information, power control information, etc. The Controller module is connected to the network through the Modem module such that the network can control the Controller module and, in that way, control the Repeater module.

The amplify-and-forward operation of the Repeater module is controlled by the Controller module. The Controller module could also be directly responsible for the beamforming control on the service antenna side, i.e., to/from served UEs. In an alternative, the beamforming on the service antenna side is operated by the Repeater module under control of the Controller module. On the access antenna side, i.e., to/from the controlling gNB, the Modem module could be directly responsible for the beamforming control. In an alternative, the beamforming on the access antenna side is operated by the Repeater module under control of the Controller module and/or Modem module.

In one configuration, the Modem module and the Repeater module do not only share an antenna configuration but also parts of the (analog) transmitter and/or receiver, such as power (transmit) amplifier and/or receiver amplifiers and/or filters.

The Modem module and the Repeater module could be operating at the same frequency or different frequencies. For example, the Repeater module could operate at a high frequency band (e.g., FR2), and the Modem module could operate at a low frequency band (e.g., FR1).

2 Intelligent Reflecting Surface

Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS), also known as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS), is an emerging technology that is capable of intelligently manipulating the propagation of electro-magnetic waves. RIS is composed of a 2-dimensional array of reflecting elements, where each element acts as a passive reconfigurable scatterer, i.e., a piece of manufactured material, which can be programmed to change an impinging electro-magnetic wave in a customizable way. Such elements are usually low-cost passive surfaces that do not require dedicated power sources, and the radio waves impinged upon them can be forwarded without the need of employing a power amplifier or RF chain. Moreover, RIS can, potentially, work in full duplex mode without significant self-interference or increased noise level and requires only low-rate control link or backhaul connections. RIS can be flexibly deployed due to its low weight and low power consumption. Specially, RIS is of interest in stationary or low-mobility networks, in which the transmission parameters can be well planned and, e.g., blockages/tree foliage is bypassed through RIS-assisted communication.

There are still ambiguities about the detailed differences of the network-controlled repeaters and RISs. A simple explanation is that a RIS is a network-controlled repeater with no or negative amplification. In general, an RIS is expected to be a simpler and cheaper node with less focused beamforming capability/accuracy and without active amplification. That is, RIS may be capable of signal reflection via adapting a phase matrix while the network-controlled repeater is capable of advanced beamforming with power amplification. In 3GPP, RIS-assisted communication was initially suggested by some companies, such as Rakuten Mobile, Sony, ZTE, DOCOMO, and KDDI corporation, as a possible technology to be considered in Release 18 study-item on network-controlled repeater. For instance, RIS has been discussed in 3GPP TSG RAN Rel-18 workshop, June 2021 (see, e.g., RP-213700, “New SID on NR Smart Repeaters,” 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #94e, Dec. 6 - 17, 2021 and RWS-210300, “NR repeaters and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface”, 3GPP TSG RAN Rel-18 workshop, June 2021). However, it was decided not to include the RIS in the study-item and leave it for possible discussions in next 3GPP releases. Then, while specification wise a network-controlled repeater is likely to be a superset of the RIS, it is not unlikely that RIS-specific features are discussed in the Release 18 study-item on network-controlled repeaters.

A RIS might have a similar design as the network-controlled repeater exemplified in Figure 1 , but without the signal amplification step in the Repeater module.

3 Multi-Beam Operation

3. 1 Beam Management Procedure

In high frequency range (e.g., FR2), multiple RF beams may be used to transmit and receive signals at a gNB and a UE. For each DL beam from a gNB, there is typically an associated best UE receive (Rx) beam for receiving signals from the DL beam. The DL beam and the associated UE Rx beam form a beam pair. The beam pair can be identified through a so-called beam management process in NR.

A DL beam is (typically) identified by an associated DL reference signal (RS) transmitted in the beam, either periodically, semi-persistently, or aperiodically. The DL RS for this purpose can be, e.g., a Synchronization Signal (SS) and Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) block (SSB) or a Channel State Information RS (CSI-RS). By measuring all the DL RSs, the UE can determine and report to the gNB the best DL beam to use for DL transmissions. The gNB can then transmit a burst of different DL-RSs in the reported best DL beam to let the UE evaluate candidate UE Rx beams.

Although not explicitly stated in the NR specification, beam management has been divided into three procedures, schematically illustrated in Figure 2: • P-1 : Purpose is to find a coarse direction for the UE using wide gNB transmit (Tx) beam covering the whole angular sector;

• P-2: Purpose is to refine the gNB Tx beam by doing a new beam search around the coarse direction found in P-1 ; and

• P-3: Used for UE that has analog beamforming to let them find a suitable UE Rx beam.

P-1 is expected to utilize beams with rather large beamwidths and where the beam reference signals are transmitted periodically and are shared between all UEs of the cell. Typical reference signals to use for P-1 are periodic CSI-RS or SSB. The UE then reports a number of N best beams to the gNB and their corresponding Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) values. P-2 is expected to use aperiodic/or semi-persistent CSI-RS transmitted in narrow beams around the coarse direction found in P-1. P-3 is expected to use aperiodic/or semi-persistent CSI-RSs repeatedly transmitted in one narrow gNB beam. One alternative way is to let the UE determine a suitable UE Rx beam based on the periodic SSB transmission. Since each SSB consists of four Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, a maximum of four UE Rx beams can be evaluated during each SSB burst transmission, with one evaluation per symbol. One benefit with using SSB instead of CSI-RS is that no extra overhead of CSI-RS transmission is needed.

3.2 Beam Indication

In NR, several signals can be transmitted from different antenna ports of a same base station. These signals can have the same large-scale properties such as Doppler shift/spread, average delay spread, or average delay. Such antenna ports are then said to be quasi co-located (QCL).

If the UE knows that two of its antenna ports are QCL with respect to a certain parameter (e.g., Doppler spread), the UE can estimate that parameter based on one of the antenna ports and apply that estimate for receiving a signal on the other antenna port.

For example, there may be a QCL relation between a CSI-RS used for tracking (TRS) and the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS). When UE receives the PDSCH DMRS, it can use the measurements already made on the TRS to assist the DMRS reception.

Information about what assumptions can be made regarding QCL is signaled to the UE from the network. In NR, four types of QCL relations between a transmitted source RS and transmitted target RS were defined:

• Type A: {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread}

• Type B: {Doppler shift, Doppler spread}

• Type C: {average delay, Doppler shift}

• Type D: {Spatial Rx parameter} QCL type D was introduced in NR to facilitate beam management with analog beamforming and is known as spatial QCL. There is currently no strict definition of spatial QCL, but the understanding is that if two transmitted antenna ports are spatially QCL, the UE can use the same Rx beam to receive them. This is helpful for a UE that uses analog beamforming to receive signals, since the UE needs to adjust its Rx beam in some direction prior to receiving a certain signal. If the UE knows that the signal is spatially QCL with some other signal it has received earlier, then it can safely use the same Rx beam to also receive this signal.

In NR, the spatial QCL relation for a DL or UL signal/channel can be indicated to the UE by using a “beam indication”. The “beam indication” is used to help the UE to find a suitable Rx beam for DL reception, and/or a suitable Tx beam for UL transmission. In NR, the “beam indication” for DL is conveyed to the UE by indicating a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state to the UE, while in UL the “beam indication” can be conveyed by indicating a DL-RS or UL-RS as spatial relation (in NR Release 15/16) or a TCI state (in NR Release 17).

Summary

Systems and methods for resource configuration in relay nodes in a wireless network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless network node, to which a relay node is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources comprises associating a set of time periods with at least one scheduling type for the relay node. The at least one scheduling type for the relay node comprises: (a) semi-static, (b) semi-persistent, (c) dynamic, or (d) a combination of any two or more of (a)- (c). The method further comprises configuring the relay node with information that associates the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type. In this manner, the relay node is efficiently configured to forward different types of broadcast/unicast signals that use different scheduling types. As a result, the relay node is efficiently integrated into the wireless network and Quality of Service (QoS) experienced by devices in the cases with, e.g., a blocked wireless network node to device link can be improved.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises receiving capability information about the relay node via Operations and Management (QAM), prior to associating the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node. In one embodiment, the capability information comprises information about a beam arrangement of the relay node.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises receiving a capability report from the relay node prior to associating the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node. In one embodiment, the capability report comprises information about a beam arrangement of the relay node.

In one embodiment, the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are recurring with periodic beam configurations and/or periodic Time Division Duplexing (TDD) pattern configurations. In one embodiment, the dynamic scheduling type is indicated time period-by-time period in Downlink Control Information (DCI).

In one embodiment, the different scheduling types have different priorities.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises, subsequent to associating the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node, further associating a subset of time periods of at least one scheduling type with a relaying property, wherein configuring the relay node comprises further configuring the relay node with the relaying property. In one embodiment, the relaying property is beam index. In another embodiment, the relaying property is beam direction, beam type, amplification level, or relaying enable/disable.

In one embodiment, the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling or associated random access signaling or configuring the relay node to disable relaying.

In one embodiment, the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling, and the broadcast signaling comprises Synchronization Signal (SS) / Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) Block (SSB), System Information Block 1 (SIB1), Control Resource Set 0 (CORESETO), Master Information Block (MIB). or Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

In one embodiment, the dynamic scheduling type is used for User Equipment (UE) specific unicast signaling.

In one embodiment, configuring the relay node comprises configuring the relay node via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) signaling, DCI signaling, or system information signaling.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises, subsequent to configuring the relay node, determining relaying properties for a set of dynamically scheduled time periods and transmitting, to the relay node, information that configures the relay node (602) with the determined relaying properties. In one embodiment, determining the relaying properties comprises determining the relaying properties based on which UE is scheduled in the time period. In one embodiment, transmitting the information that configures the relay node with the determined relaying properties comprises transmitting the information in a DCI message. In one embodiment, a table relating to the configuration for each time period included in the set of dynamic time periods is transmitted to the relay node prior to transmitting the information that configures the relay node with the determined relaying properties, and the information comprised in the DCI message comprises an index to the table.

In one embodiment, the set of time periods are symbol periods, and separate associations and configurations are provided per uplink, downlink, or flexible symbol period.

In one embodiment, the relay node is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface. In one embodiment, the relay node is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface or a node with similar types of functionalities.

In one embodiment, each time period is a slot, symbol, subframe, some other defined period of time, or any combination thereof.

Corresponding embodiments of a wireless network node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless network node, to which a relay node is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources comprises processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless network node to associate a set of time periods with at least one scheduling type for the relay node, wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node comprises: (a) semi-static, (b) semi-persistent, (c) dynamic, or (d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c). The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless network node to configure the relay node with information that associates the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type.

Embodiments of a method performed by a relay node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a relay node comprises receiving, from a network node, information that configures the relay node with an association between a set of time periods and at least one scheduling type for the relay node, wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node comprises: (a) semi-static, (b) semi- persistent, (c) dynamic, or (d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c). The method further comprises operating in accordance with the received information.

Corresponding embodiments of a relay node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a relay node comprises processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless network node to receive, from a network node, information that configures the relay node with an association between a set of time periods and at least one scheduling type for the relay node, wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node comprises: (a) semi-static, (b) semi-persistent, (c) dynamic, or (d) a combination of any two or more of (a)- (c). The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the relay node to operate in accordance with the received information.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

Figure 1 illustrates one schematic example of a network-controlled repeater;

Figure 2 illustrates the three beam management procedures defined in Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) specifications;

Figure 3 illustrates one possible scheme to be used for beam management in relay node networks; Figure 4 illustrates how specific beams may be used in specific slots to connect to User Equipments (UE) via a network controlled repeater;

Figure 5 is a flowchart that illustrates the operation of a wireless network node (e.g., a base station such as, e.g., a gNB), to which a relay node is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 6 illustrates the operation of a network node (e.g., gNB) and a relay node in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 7 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments;

Figure 8 shows a UE in accordance with some embodiments;

Figure 9 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments;

Figure 10 is a block diagram of a host, which may be an embodiment of the host of Figure 7, in accordance with various aspects described herein;

Figure 11 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized; and

Figure 12 shows a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments.

Detailed Description

The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure.

In the present disclosure, the term “relay node” refers to a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) or nodes with similar types of functionalities, i.e., receiving a signal and instantaneously forwarding it in another direction, unless otherwise stated.

There currently exist certain challenge(s). To benefit from a relay node, the relay node needs to be properly integrated into the network. Particularly, one needs to properly configure the relay node with different semi-static, semi-persistent, or dynamic configurations of time resources, based on, e.g., the mode of operation or the signal to be relayed via the relay node. However, how to design proper time resource configurations in relay node-assisted networks is still unclear.

Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to the aforementioned and/or other challenges. Systems and methods are disclosed herein for properly configuring a relay node with different types of semi-static, semi-persistent, or dynamic configurations. Particularly, time resources are configured with different types of configurations based on, e.g., a mode of operation or a type of signal to be forwarded by the relay node. Also, based on the considered configurations, different beams are considered for the relay node, and it is configured by different signaling methods.

In this way, embodiments of the present disclosure address some of the key objectives of the Release 18 Study Item on Network-controlled Repeaters (see RP-213700), and identify which side control information is desired regarding, e.g., resource configuration, beamforming, and on-off information. Thus, the relay node can be well integrated into the network and improve the network coverage.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide proper schemes for configuration of the time resources in relay nodes. In one embodiment, this is achieved based on (1) the base station (e.g., gNB) determining different slots for different modes of operations/signals to be forwarded, (2) associating each slot related to different modes of operation with a beam, and finally (3) signaling to the relay node the determined slot configurations. In this way, the relay node is well integrated into the network and extends the network coverage. This results in proper Quality of Service (QoS) experienced by the devices in the cases with, e.g., blocked gNB-device links.

Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). In some embodiments, a method to configure the time resources in the relay nodes based on their mode of operation/signals to be relayed is provided. In this way, some of the objectives of the Release 18 studyitem on network-controlled repeaters are addressed, where the side control information regarding resource configuration, beamforming, and on-off information are provided, and the relay node is efficiently configured to forward different types of broadcast/unicast signals. As a result, the relay node is efficiently integrated into the network and improves the QoS experienced by the devices in the cases with, e.g., a blocked gNB- device link.

One of the key points for a relay node is to properly integrate it into the network such that it can forward signals to/from the base station (e.g., gNB) in downlink and uplink. Particularly, how to configure the relay node with some time resources, e.g., slots, being semi-statically configured and others being dynamically configured (and yet some slots being semi-persistently configured, e.g., as OFF) is a challenging issue that has not yet been addressed.

Different resource configurations can be used in, e.g., forwarding different types of signals. It is understood that at least two kinds of signals will be provided by the base station via the relay node:

1 . Periodically transmitted broadcast signals (and possible associated deterministically timed uplink (UL) responses to these, e.g., Random Access (RA)) providing coverage throughout the whole cell,

2. More randomly transmitted or received unicast signals to or from a device (e.g., UE) with a stochastic location. It can be identified that for the cases with a broadcast signal, a semi-static periodic configuration implying a periodic behavior based on the periodicity of the respective broadcast signal would make sense for an efficient configuration of the relay node. For instance, Figure 3 illustrates one possible scheme to be used for beam management in relay node networks. Here, following the typical SSB periodicity, the gNB may allocate multiple SSBs, e.g., SSB1 , SSB2 and SSB3 in Figure 3 (or, other reference signals such as CSI-RS) in the direction of the relay node, which in turn is configured to forward these in different directions according to the coverage needs. In addition, the relay node maybe configured semi-statically OFF in some time units, e.g., due to the gNB transmitting SSBs or attempting to receive RA in other directions. With the unicast type of signals, on the other hand, a more dynamic configurability is required, related to which UE is being served momentarily and the location of that UE. For instance, as explained in Figure 4, specific beams may be used in specific slots to connect UEs 1 and 2. Finally, as also highlighted in the objectives of the Release 18 study-item on network-controlled repeaters, it may be beneficial to configure some slots to be semi-persistently OFF to enable interference management or energy efficiency improvement. This configuration may be related to the overall traffic load of the gNB such that not all resources are needed, allowing a temporarily disabling of the relay node. The Repeater module may furthermore be turned off during instances where the gNB is transmitting broadcast signals, e.g., SSBs in other directions, unless the gNB is capable of spatial multiplexing such that multiple beams can be transmitted in parallel.

With this background, it can be beneficial to configure a relay node with different scheduling types in different slots. For this reason, embodiments of the present disclosure develop proper time resource configurations for relay nodes according to their scheduling types, in turn depending on, e.g., the signals to be relayed, as described in Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a flowchart that illustrates the operation of a wireless network node (e.g., a base station such as, e.g., a gNB), to which a relay node is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that optional steps are represented by dashed boxes. Relay resources, in this context are time-frequency resources that the relay node will receive, amplify, and transmit, or reflect. The relay node may or may not be capable of controlling the resources in either or both dimensions. In the frequency domain, the relay resources may be determined by the network node such that any subcarrier in a beam towards the relay node may constitute a relay resource as long as the beam falls within the frequency range of the relay node.

In a first optional step (100), the wireless network node receives a capability report from the relay node. The capability report may include, e.g., beam arrangement, including number of beams, beam constellation (X-by-Y), beam type (wide or narrow beam), amplification capability, capability to enable/disable (i.e., ON/OFF) relaying, supported scheduling types etc. Alternatively, this information may be obtained by Operations and Management (OAM) signaling or read from a file. In a second step (110), the wireless network node associates at least one set of slots with at least one scheduling type. The set of slots may be a single slot, a range of consecutive slots, or an arbitrary (possibly preconfigured) set of slots. The set of slots may furthermore be configured to be recurring with a periodicity, e.g., every 20 milliseconds (ms). A set of slots may also be the residual from all other sets of slots over a range of slots.

The scheduling types may be one or more of semi-static, semi-persistent, and dynamic. Note that, as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, semi-static scheduling is also referred to as periodic scheduling, and dynamic scheduling is also referred to as aperiodic scheduling. One or more of the scheduling types may further be associated with additional conditions or combination of conditions, e.g., semi-static may be associated with a periodicity, semi-persistent may be associated with a starting and stopping time and dynamical may be associated with specific slots. As another example, the semi-static or semi-persistent scheduling types are recurring with periodic beam configurations and/or periodic Time Division Duplexing (TDD) pattern configurations. Dynamic in this sense implies that the exact scheduling configuration is provided with a shorter advance to the transmission. The scheduling types may furthermore be associated with different signal types, like broadcast and unicast signaling. The semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling or associated random access signaling or configuring the relay node to disable relaying. Semi-static and periodic configuration may be used for periodic broadcast signals and associated random access signaling, or for periodically disabling relaying, e.g., when the network node is occupied by transmitting periodic signals in other directions. Semi- persistent scheduling may be used for switching off or disabling relaying to reduce power consumption if traffic load allows for it. Dynamic scheduling may be used for unicast signaling. Specifically, broadcast signaling may include SSB, Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB) 1 (SIB1), Control Resource Set (CORESET) 0 (CORESETO), and cell-common PDCCH signaling whereas unicast signaling may include UE specific Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). Additionally, broadcast signals may be transmitted in wider beams in order to achieve efficient resource utilization whereas unicast signals may be transmitted in narrower beams in order to achieve high throughput. Furthermore, the different scheduling types may have different priorities, such that, e.g., dynamical scheduling takes precedence over semi-static or semi-persistent scheduling.

In an optional third step (120), the subset of slots of a scheduling type may further be associated with a relaying property. In this context, a relaying property may be transmission directions, beam directions, beam types (e.g., wide vs narrow beam) or beam indices, amplification levels and/or enabling or disabling relaying. The slots in the set of slots may be associated with different configurations with respect to a relaying property, e.g., a set of beams including beams 1-4 may be configured with beam indices 1-4 such that the first slot is configured with beam 1 , the second slot with beam 2 and so on. Disabling the relaying may in this context be considered as a special OFF beam. Amplification level may be indicated in one or both directions and may further be linked such that a specific DL amplification level results in a matching UL amplification level.

In a fourth step (130), the relay node is configured with the determined associations with respect to set of slots and relaying properties. This configuration may take place using Radio Resource Control (RRC), Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE), Downlink Control Information (DCI), and/or system information signaling. For example, semi-static configuration may use RRC, semi-persistent scheduling may use MAC-CE (for enabling/disabling) and dynamic scheduling may use DCI. As will be understood by those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, the configuration of step 130 is specific to the relay node, i.e. , it is different than conventional configuration of a UE.

In an optional step (140), the wireless network node may further determine relaying properties of a dynamically scheduled set of time periods (which could be, e.g., one or more slots) and configure the relay node with said determined properties with DCI signaling. Here, relaying properties may be determined from which UE is intended for scheduling in the set of slots. The signaling may take place as an index in which case the index is matched to a row or column in a table, where the row or column determines the dynamical property over the set of slots, see Table 1 . This table may be signaled to the UE from the network, e.g., via RRC, MAC CE, CAM, or the like. This table may include a single relaying property, e.g., beam index, in which case multiple tables may be used for multiple relaying properties, or multiple tables used for separate relaying properties, e.g., beam index and amplification level.

Table 1 : Example of table for dynamical relaying properties.

Although the above is expressed on a slot basis, it can equally well be applied on a symbol or subframe basis. Furthermore, separate associations and configurations may be provided per DL/UL/Flexible (FL) configuration.

In this way, with the proposed scheme the relay node is properly integrated into the network and can relay different types of signals between the gNB and devices with proper configurations. This ends up in better QoS experienced by the devices in the cases with, e.g., blockage. Figure 6 illustrates the operation of a network node 600 (e.g., gNB) and a relay node 602 in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that the functionality of the network node 600 of Figure 6 is the same as that described in Figure 5 and, as such, not all of the details described above are repeated here; however, such details are equally applicable here. Optional steps are illustrated with dashed lines/boxes. As illustrated, the relay node 602 sends a capability report to the network node 600 (step 604). In other words, the network node 600 receives a capability report from the relay node 602. Details for this step are provided above with respect to step 100 of Figure 5. Alternatively, as described herein, the network node 600 may receive such capability information about the relay node 602 from OAM. The network node 600 associates a set of slots with at least one scheduling type for the relay node 602 (step 606), as described above with respect to step 110 of Figure 5. The network node 600 may associate a subset of slots with at least one scheduling type with a relaying property (step 608), as described above with respect to step 120 of Figure 5. The network node 600 configures the relay node 602 with the determined association(s) (step 610), as described above with respect to step 130 of Figure 5. The network node 600 may determine relaying properties of dynamically scheduled set of slots and configure the relay node 602 with the determined properties (steps 612 and 614), as described above with respect to step 140 of Figure 5. The relay node 602 operates in accordance with the configurations of step 610 and optionally step 614 (step 616).

Figure 7 shows an example of a communication system 700 in accordance with some embodiments.

In the example, the communication system 700 includes a telecommunication network 702 that includes an access network 704, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a core network 706, which includes one or more core network nodes 708. The access network 704 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 710A and 710B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 710), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP Access Point (AP). The network nodes 710 facilitate direct or indirect connection of User Equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 712A, 712B, 712C, and 712D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 712) to the core network 706 over one or more wireless connections.

Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and/or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 700 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and/or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and/or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 700 may include and/or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and/or other similar type of system. The UEs 712 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 710 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 710 are arranged, capable, configured, and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 712 and/or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 702 to enable and/or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and/or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 702.

In the depicted example, the core network 706 connects the network nodes 710 to one or more hosts, such as host 716. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 706 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 708) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and/or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 708. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De- Concealing Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and/or a User Plane Function (UPF).

The host 716 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 704 and/or the telecommunication network 702, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 716 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio/video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

As a whole, the communication system 700 of Figure 7 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 700 may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and/or other suitable Second, Third, Fourth, or Fifth Generation (2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G)); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and/or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and/or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

In some examples, the telecommunication network 702 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunication network 702 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 702. For example, the telecommunication network 702 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and/or massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC)/massive Internet of Things (loT) services to yet further UEs.

In some examples, the UEs 712 are configured to transmit and/or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 704 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 704. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of WiFi, New Radio (NR), and LTE, i.e. be configured for Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR- DC), such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN) NR - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

In the example, a hub 714 communicates with the access network 704 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 712C and/or 712D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 710B). In some examples, the hub 714 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 714 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 706 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 714 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 710, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 714. As another example, the hub 714 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 714 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 714 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 714 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and/or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 714 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular in if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

The hub 714 may have a constant/persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 710B. The hub 714 may also allow for a different communication scheme and/or schedule between the hub 714 and UEs (e.g., UE 712C and/or 712D), and between the hub 714 and the core network 706. In other examples, the hub 714 is connected to the core network 706 and/or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 714 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 704 and/or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 710 while still connected via the hub 714 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 714 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to/from the UEs from/to the network node 71 OB. In other embodiments, the hub 714 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and the network node 71 OB, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and/or end point for certain data channels.

Figure 8 shows a UE 800 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and/or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, Laptop Embedded Equipment (LEE), Laptop Mounted Equipment (LME), smart device, wireless Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded/integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3GPP, including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-loT) UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and/or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

A UE may support Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-l nfrastructure (V2I), or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and/or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

The UE 800 includes processing circuitry 802 that is operatively coupled via a bus 804 to an input/output interface 806, a power source 808, memory 810, a communication interface 812, and/or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 8. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

The processing circuitry 802 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 810. The processing circuitry 802 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 802 may include multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs).

In the example, the input/output interface 806 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and/or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 800. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presencesensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

In some embodiments, the power source 808 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 808 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 808 itself, and/or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 800 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging the power source 808. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 808 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 800 to which power is supplied.

The memory 810 may be or be configured to include memory such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable ROM (PROM), Erasable PROM (EPROM), Electrically EPROM (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 810 includes one or more application programs 814, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 816. The memory 810 may store, for use by the UE 800, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

The memory 810 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, High Density Digital Versatile Disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, Holographic Digital Data Storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM), Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), external microDIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as a tamper resistant module in the form of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) including one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), such as a Universal SIM (USIM) and/or Internet Protocol Multimedia Services Identity Module (ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUlCC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as a ‘SIM card.’ The memory 810 may allow the UE 800 to access instructions, application programs, and the like stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to offload data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 810, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

The processing circuitry 802 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 812. The communication interface 812 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 822. The communication interface 812 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 818 and/or a receiver 820 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 818 and receiver 820 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., the antenna 822) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 812 may include cellular communication, WiFi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, NFC, locationbased communication such as the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and/or standards, such as IEEE 802.11 , Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, NR, UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol/lnternet Protocol (TCP/IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Quick User Datagram Protocol Internet Connection (QUIC), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 812, or via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

A UE, when in the form of an loT device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door/window sensor, a flood/moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or VR, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or itemtracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and/or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 800 shown in Figure 8.

As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another UE and/or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-loT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship, an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and/or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

Figure 9 shows a network node 900 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and/or with other network nodes or equipment in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, APs (e.g., radio APs), Base Stations (BSs) (e.g., radio BSs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

BSs may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto BSs, pico BSs, micro BSs, or macro BSs. A BS may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio BS such as centralized digital units and/or Remote Radio Units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such RRUs may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio BS may also be referred to as nodes in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

Other examples of network nodes include multiple Transmission Point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) or BS Controllers (BSCs), Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, Multi-Cell/Multicast Coordination Entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and/or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

The network node 900 includes processing circuitry 902, memory 904, a communication interface 906, and a power source 908. The network node 900 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 900 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such a scenario, each unique Node B and RNC pair may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 900 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 904 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., an antenna 910 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 900 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 900, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the network node 900.

The processing circuitry 902 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, CPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 900 components, such as the memory 904, to provide network node 900 functionality.

In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 902 includes a System on a Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 902 includes one or more of Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 912 and baseband processing circuitry 914. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 912 and the baseband processing circuitry 914 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 912 and the baseband processing circuitry 914 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

The memory 904 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, RAM, ROM, mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD), or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable, and/or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 902. The memory 904 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and/or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 902 and utilized by the network node 900. The memory 904 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 902 and/or any data received via the communication interface 906. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 902 and the memory 904 are integrated.

The communication interface 906 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and/or data between a network node, access network, and/or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 906 comprises port(s)/terminal(s) 916 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 906 also includes radio front-end circuitry 918 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 910. The radio front-end circuitry 918 comprises filters 920 and amplifiers 922. The radio front-end circuitry 918 may be connected to the antenna 910 and the processing circuitry 902. The radio front-end circuitry 918 may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 910 and the processing circuitry 902. The radio front-end circuitry 918 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 918 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filters 920 and/or the amplifiers 922. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 910. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 910 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio frontend circuitry 918. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 902. In other embodiments, the communication interface 906 may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 900 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 918; instead, the processing circuitry 902 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 910. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 912 is part of the communication interface 906. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 906 includes the one or more ports or terminals 916, the radio front-end circuitry 918, and the RF transceiver circuitry 912 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 906 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 914, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

The antenna 910 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals. The antenna 910 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 918 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 910 is separate from the network node 900 and connectable to the network node 900 through an interface or port.

The antenna 910, the communication interface 906, and/or the processing circuitry 902 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 900. Any information, data, and/or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and/or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 910, the communication interface 906, and/or the processing circuitry 902 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node 900. Any information, data, and/or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and/or any other network equipment.

The power source 908 provides power to the various components of the network node 900 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 908 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 900 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 900 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid or an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 908. As a further example, the power source 908 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

Embodiments of the network node 900 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 9 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and/or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 900 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 900 and to allow output of information from the network node 900. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 900.

Figure 10 is a block diagram of a host 1000, which may be an embodiment of the host 716 of Figure 7, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 1000 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and/or software including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 1000 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

The host 1000 includes processing circuitry 1002 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1004 to an input/output interface 1006, a network interface 1008, a power source 1010, and memory 1012. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 8 and 9, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 1000.

The memory 1012 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 1014 and data 1016, which may include user data, e.g. data generated by a UE for the host 1000 or data generated by the host 1000 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 1000 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 1014 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (WC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAG), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, and heads-up display systems). The host application programs 1014 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 1000 may select and/or indicate a different host for Over- The-Top (OTT) services for a UE. The host application programs 1014 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH or MPEG-DASH), etc.

Figure 11 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1100 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more Virtual Machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 1100 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized.

Applications 1102 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and/or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

Hardware 1104 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and/or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and/or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input/output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1106 (also referred to as hypervisors or VM Monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1108A and 1108B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1108), and/or perform any of the functions, features, and/or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1106 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 1108.

The VMs 1108 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking, or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1106. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1102 may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 1108, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as Network Function Virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premise equipment.

In the context of NFV, a VM 1108 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 1108, and that part of the hardware 1104 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and/or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs 1108, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 1108 on top of the hardware 1104 and corresponds to the application 1102.

The hardware 1104 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. The hardware 1104 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 1104 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1110, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of the applications 1102. In some embodiments, the hardware 1104 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a RAN or a BS. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 1112 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

Figure 12 shows a communication diagram of a host 1202 communicating via a network node 1204 with a UE 1206 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as the UE 712A of Figure 7 and/or the UE 800 of Figure 8), the network node (such as the network node 710A of Figure 7 and/or the network node 900 of Figure 9), and the host (such as the host 716 of Figure 7 and/or the host 1000 of Figure 10) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 12.

Like the host 1000, embodiments of the host 1202 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 1202 also includes software, which is stored in or is accessible by the host 1202 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 1206 connecting via an OTT connection 1250 extending between the UE 1206 and the host 1202. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 1250.

The network node 1204 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 1202 and the UE 1206 via a connection 1260. The connection 1260 may be direct or pass through a core network (like the core network 706 of Figure 7) and/or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

The UE 1206 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by the UE 1206 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the UE 1206 with the support of the host 1202. In the host 1202, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 1250 terminating at the UE 1206 and the host 1202. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1250 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 1250.

The OTT connection 1250 may extend via the connection 1260 between the host 1202 and the network node 1204 and via a wireless connection 1270 between the network node 1204 and the UE 1206 to provide the connection between the host 1202 and the UE 1206. The connection 1260 and the wireless connection 1270, over which the OTT connection 1250 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 1202 and the UE 1206 via the network node 1204, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1250, in step 1208, the host 1202 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 1206. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 1206 that shares data with the host 1202 without explicit human interaction. In step 1210, the host 1202 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 1206. The host 1202 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 1206. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1206 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 1206. The transmission may pass via the network node 1204 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 1212, the network node 1204 transmits to the UE 1206 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 1202 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1214, the UE 1206 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 1206 associated with the host application executed by the host 1202.

In some examples, the UE 1206 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 1202. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 1202. Accordingly, in step 1216, the UE 1206 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input/output interface of the UE 1206. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 1206 initiates, in step 1218, transmission of the user data towards the host 1202 via the network node 1204. In step 1220, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1204 receives user data from the UE 1206 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 1202. In step 1222, the host 1202 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1206.

One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 1206 using the OTT connection 1250, in which the wireless connection 1270 forms the last segment.

In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1202. As another example, the host 1202 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 1202 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 1202 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 1202 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR which it can broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 1202 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time critical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and/or transmitting data.

In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1250 between the host 1202 and the UE 1206 in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and/or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1250 may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 1202 and/or the UE 1206. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 1250 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 1250 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 1204. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency, and the like by the host 1202. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 1250 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and/or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in practice computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and/or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

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

Some example embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:

Embodiment 1 : A method performed by a wireless network node (600), to which a relay node (602) is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources, the method comprising: associating (110; 606) a set of time periods with at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602); and configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) with the determined association(s).

Embodiment 2: The method of embodiment 1 wherein, prior to associating (110; 606) the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602), receiving (110; 604) a capability report from the relay node (602).

Embodiment 3: The method of embodiment 2 wherein the capability report comprises information about a beam arrangement of the relay node (602).

Embodiment 4: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 3 wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602) comprises:

(a) semi-static (e.g., associated with a periodicity);

(b) semi-persistent (e.g., associated with a starting and stopping time);

(c) dynamic (e.g., associated with one or more specific time periods);

(d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c). Embodiment 5: The method of any of embodiments 4 wherein the semi-statically and/or semi- persistently scheduling types are recurring with periodic beam configurations and/or periodic TDD pattern configurations.

Embodiment 6: The method of embodiment 4 or 5 wherein the semi-statically and/or semi- persistently scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling or associated random access signaling or configuring the relaying to be disabled.

Embodiment 7: The method of embodiment 6 wherein the broadcast signaling includes SSB, SIB1 or CORESETO, MIB, PDCCH, etc.

Embodiment 8: The method of any of embodiments 4 to 7 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is indicated time period-by-time period in DCI.

Embodiment 9: The method of any of embodiments 4 to 8 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is used for UE-specific unicast signaling (e.g., PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PUSCH).

Embodiment 10: The method of any of embodiments 4 to 9 wherein the different scheduling types have different priorities.

Embodiment 11 : The method of any of embodiments 1 to 10 further comprising, subsequent to associating (110; 606) the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602): further associating (120; 608) a subset of time periods of at least one scheduling type with a relaying property, wherein configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) comprises further configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) with the relaying property.

Embodiment 12: The method of embodiment 11 wherein the relaying property is:

(i) beam direction/index,

(ii) beam type,

(iii) amplification level, or

(iv) relaying enable/disable.

Embodiment 13: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 12 wherein configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) comprises configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) via RRC, MAC-CE, DCI, or system information signaling.

Embodiment 14: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 13 further comprising, subsequent to configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602): determining (140; 612) relaying properties for a set of dynamically scheduled time periods; and transmitting (140; 614), to the relay node (602), information that configures the relay node (602) with the determined relaying properties.

Embodiment 15: The method of embodiment 14 wherein determining (140; 612) relaying properties comprises determining (140; 612) relaying properties based on which UE is scheduled in the time period. Embodiment 16: The method of embodiment 14 or 15 wherein transmitting (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the determined relaying properties comprises transmitting (140; 614) the information in a DCI message.

Embodiment 17: The method of any of embodiment 16 wherein: prior to transmitting (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the determined relaying properties, a table relating to the configuration for each time period included in the set of dynamic time periods is transmitted to the relay node (602) (e.g., via RRC, MAC CE, CAM, or the like); and the information comprised in the DCI message comprises an index to the table.

Embodiment 18: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 17 wherein separate associations and configurations are provided per UL/DL/FL time period.

Embodiment 19: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 18 wherein the relay node (602) is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface or a node with similar types of functionalities

Embodiment 20: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 19 wherein each time period is a slot, symbol, subframe, some other defined period of time, or any combination thereof.

Embodiment 21 : A network node adapted to perform the method of any of embodiments 1 to 20.

Embodiment 22: A method performed by a relay node (602), the method comprising: receiving (610), from a network node (600), information that configures the relay node (602) with an association between a set of time periods and at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602).

Embodiment 23: The method of embodiment 22 wherein, prior to receiving (610) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the association between the set of time periods and the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602), transmitting (604) a capability report to the network node (600).

Embodiment 24: The method of embodiment 23 wherein the capability report comprises information about a beam arrangement of the relay node (602).

Embodiment 25: The method of any of embodiments 22 to 24 wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602) comprises:

(a) semi-static (e.g., associated with a periodicity);

(b) semi-persistent (e.g., associated with a starting and stopping time);

(c) dynamic (e.g., associated with one or more specific time periods);

(d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c).

Embodiment 26: The method of any of embodiments 25 wherein the semi-statically and/or semi- persistent scheduling types are recurring with periodic beam configurations. Embodiment 27: The method of embodiment 25 or 26 wherein the semi-statically and/or semi- persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling or associated random access signaling or configuring the relaying to be disabled.

Embodiment 28: The method of embodiment 27 wherein the broadcast signaling includes SSB, SIB1 or CORESETO, MIB, PDCCH, etc.

Embodiment 29: The method of any of embodiments 25 to 28 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is indicated time period-by-time period in DCI.

Embodiment 30: The method of any of embodiments 25 to 29 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is used for UE-specific unicast signaling (e.g., PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PUSCH).

Embodiment 31 : The method of any of embodiments 25 to 30 wherein the different scheduling types have different priorities.

Embodiment 32: The method of any of embodiments 22 to 31 further comprising, subsequent to receiving (610) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the association between the set of time periods and the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602): receiving (130; 610), from the network node (600), information that configures the relay node (602) with a relaying property associated with a subset of time periods of at least one scheduling type.

Embodiment 33: The method of embodiment 32 wherein the relaying property is:

(i) beam direction/index,

(ii) beam type,

(iii) amplification level, or

(iv) relaying enable/disable.

Embodiment 34: The method of any of embodiments 22 to 33 wherein receiving the information from the network node comprises receiving the information via RRC, MAC-CE, DCI, or system information signaling.

Embodiment 35: The method of any of embodiments 22 to 34 further comprising: determining (140; 612) relaying properties for a set of dynamically scheduled time periods; and receiving (140; 614), from the network node (600), information that configures the relay node (602) with relaying properties for a set of dynamically scheduled time periods.

Embodiment 36: The method of embodiment 35 wherein the relaying properties are based on which UE is scheduled in the time period.

Embodiment 37: The method of embodiment 35 or 36 wherein receiving (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the relaying properties for the set of dynamically scheduled time periods comprises receiving (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the relaying properties for the set of dynamically scheduled time periods in a DCI message. Embodiment 38: The method of any of embodiment 37 wherein: prior to receiving (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the relaying properties for the set of dynamically scheduled time periods, a table relating to the configuration for each time period included in the set of dynamic time periods is received at the relay node (602) (e.g., via RRC, MAC CE, CAM, or the like); and the information comprised in the DCI message comprises an index to the table.

Embodiment 39: The method of any of embodiments 22 to 38 wherein separate associations and configurations are provided per UL/DL/FL time period.

Embodiment 40: The method of any of embodiments 22 to 39 wherein the relay node (602) is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface or a node with similar types of functionalities.

Embodiment 41 : The method of any of embodiments 22 to 40 wherein each time period is a slot, symbol, subframe, some other defined period of time, or any combination thereof.

Embodiment 42: A relay node adapted to perform the method of any of embodiments 22 to 41 . Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.

Claims

1 . A method performed by a wireless network node (600), to which a relay node (602) is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources, the method comprising:

• associating (110; 606) a set of time periods with at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602), wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602) comprises:

(a) semi-static;

(b) semi-persistent;

(c) dynamic; or

(d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c); and

• configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) with information that associates the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving capability information about the relay node (602) via Operations and Management, prior to associating (110; 606) the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the capability information comprises information about a beam arrangement of the relay node (602).

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving (110; 604) a capability report from the relay node (602) prior to associating (110; 606) the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602).

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the capability report comprises information about a beam arrangement of the relay node (602).

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are recurring with periodic beam configurations and/or periodic Time Division Duplexing, TDD, pattern configurations.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is indicated time period- by-time period in Downlink Control Information, DCI.

8. The method of any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the different scheduling types have different priorities.

9. The method of any of claims 1 to 8 further comprising, subsequent to associating (110; 606) the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602): further associating (120; 608) a subset of time periods of at least one scheduling type with a relaying property; wherein configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) comprises further configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) with the relaying property.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the relaying property is beam index.

11 . The method of claim 9 wherein the relaying property is:

(i) beam direction,

(ii) beam type,

(iii) amplification level, or

(iv) relaying enable/disable.

12. The method of any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling or associated random access signaling or configuring the relay node to disable relaying.

13. The method of any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling, and the broadcast signaling comprises Synchronization Signal, SS, / Physical Broadcast Channel, PBCH, Block, SSB; System Information Block 1, SIB1 ; Control Resource Set 0, CORESETO; Master Information Block, MIB; or Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH.

14. The method of any of claims 1 to 13 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is used for User Equipment, UE, specific unicast signaling.

15. The method of any of claims 1 to 14 wherein configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) comprises configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602) via Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling, Medium Access Control Control Element, MAC-CE, signaling, Downlink Control Information, DCI, signaling, or system information signaling.

16. The method of any of claims 1 to 15 further comprising, subsequent to configuring (130; 610) the relay node (602): determining (140; 612) relaying properties for a set of dynamically scheduled time periods; and transmitting (140; 614), to the relay node (602), information that configures the relay node (602) with the determined relaying properties.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein determining (140; 612) relaying properties comprises determining (140; 612) relaying properties based on which UE is scheduled in the time period.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17 wherein transmitting (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the determined relaying properties comprises transmitting (140; 614) the information in a DCI message.

19. The method of any of claim 18 wherein: a table relating to the configuration for each time period included in the set of dynamic time periods is transmitted to the relay node (602) prior to transmitting (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the determined relaying properties; the information comprised in the DCI message comprises an index to the table.

20. The method of any of claims 1 to 19 wherein the set of time periods are symbol periods, and separate associations and configurations are provided per uplink, downlink, or flexible symbol period.

21 . The method of any of claims 1 to 20 wherein the relay node (602) is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface.

22. The method of any of claims 1 to 20 wherein the relay node (602) is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface or a node with similar types of functionalities.

23. The method of any of claims 1 to 22 wherein each time period is a slot, symbol, subframe, some other defined period of time, or any combination thereof.

24. A wireless network node (600), to which a relay node (602) is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources, the wireless network node (600) adapted to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 23.

25. A wireless network node (600), to which a relay node (602) is associated, for allocating different types of scheduling to relay resources, the wireless network node (600) comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless network node (600) to: o associate (110; 606) a set of time periods with at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602), wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602) comprises:

(a) semi-static;

(b) semi-persistent;

(c) dynamic; or

(d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c); and o configure (130; 610) the relay node (602) with information that associates the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type.

26. The wireless network node (600) of claim 25 wherein the processing circuity is further configured to cause the wireless network node to perform the method of any of claims 2 to 23.

27. A method performed by a relay node (602), the method comprising:

• receiving (610), from a network node (600), information that configures the relay node (602) with an association between a set of time periods and at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602), wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602) comprises:

(a) semi-static;

(b) semi-persistent;

(c) dynamic; or

(d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c).

• operating (616) in accordance with the received information.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are recurring with periodic beam configurations and/or periodic Time Division Duplexing, TDD, pattern configurations.

29. The method of claim 27 or 28 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is indicated time period-by-time period in Downlink Control Information, DCI.

30. The method of any of claims 27 to 29 wherein the different scheduling types have different priorities.

31 . The method of any of claims 27 to 30 further comprising, subsequent to associating (110; 606) the set of time periods with the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602): wherein receiving (610) the information further comprises receiving information that configures a subset of time periods of at least one scheduling type with a relaying property.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the relaying property is beam index.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the relaying property is:

(i) beam direction,

(ii) beam type,

(iii) amplification level, or

(iv) relaying enable/disable.

34. The method of any of claims 27 to 33 further comprising transmitting (604) a capability report to the network node (600) prior to receiving (610) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the association between the set of time periods and the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602).

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the capability report comprises information about a beam arrangement of the relay node (602).

36. The method of any of claims 27 to 35 wherein the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling or associated random access signaling or configuring the relay node to disable relaying.

37. The method of any of claims 27 to 35 wherein the semi-static and/or semi-persistent scheduling types are used for broadcast signaling, and the broadcast signaling comprises Synchronization Signal, SS, / Physical Broadcast Channel, PBCH, Block, SSB; System Information Block 1 , SIB1 ; Control Resource Set 0, CORESETO; Master Information Block, MIB; or Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH.

38. The method of any of claims 27 to 37 wherein the dynamic scheduling type is used for User Equipment, UE, specific unicast signaling.

39. The method of any of claims 27 to 38 wherein receiving the information from the network node comprises receiving the information via Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling, Medium Access Control Control Element, MAC-CE, signaling, Downlink Control Information, DCI, signaling, or system information signaling .

40. The method of any of claims 27 to 39 further comprising: determining (140; 612) relaying properties for a set of dynamically scheduled time periods; and receiving (140; 614), from the network node (600), information that configures the relay node (602) with relaying properties for a set of dynamically scheduled time periods.

41 . The method of claim 40 wherein the relaying properties are based on which UE is scheduled in the time period.

42. The method of claim 40 or 41 wherein receiving (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the relaying properties for the set of dynamically scheduled time periods comprises receiving (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the relaying properties for the set of dynamically scheduled time periods in a DCI message.

43. The method of any of claim 42 wherein: a table relating to the configuration for each time period included in the set of dynamic time periods is received at the relay node (602) prior to receiving (140; 614) the information that configures the relay node (602) with the relaying properties for the set of dynamically scheduled time periods; and the information comprised in the DCI message comprises an index to the table.

44. The method of any of claims 27 to 43 wherein the set of time periods is a set of symbol periods, and separate associations and configurations are provided per uplink, downlink, or flexible symbol period.

45. The method of any of claims 27 to 44 wherein the relay node (602) is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface.

46. The method of any of claims 27 to 44 wherein the relay node (602) is a network-controlled repeater or a reconfigurable intelligent surface or a node with similar types of functionalities.

47. The method of any of claims 27 to 46 wherein each time period is a slot, symbol, subframe, some other defined period of time, or any combination thereof.

48. A relay node adapted to perform the method of any of claims 27 to 47.

49. A relay node comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless network node (600) to: o receive (610), from a network node (600), information that configures the relay node (602) with an association between a set of time periods and at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602), wherein the at least one scheduling type for the relay node (602) comprises:

(a) semi-static;

(b) semi-persistent;

(c) dynamic; or (d) a combination of any two or more of (a)-(c); and o operate (616) in accordance with the received information.

50. The relay node of claim 49 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the relay node to perform the method of any of claims 28 to 47.