WO2023205250A1

WO2023205250A1 - Side control information configuration for a repeater

Info

Publication number: WO2023205250A1
Application number: PCT/US2023/019119
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yi Wang; Sergey PANTELEEV; Yingyang Li
Original assignee: Intel Corporation
Priority date: 2022-04-19
Filing date: 2023-04-19
Publication date: 2023-10-26

Abstract

An apparatus and system of adjusting a repeater configuration are described. The repeater receives side control information in at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) received from an xNodeB (xNB) at a mobile termination (MT) and, based on the side control information, adjusts parameters of a radio unit (RU) configured to amplify and forward a signal received by the repeater to one of the xNB or a user equipment (UE). The side control information is repeater-specific or repeater-group-common in which a single PDCCH or PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters.

Description

SIDE CONTROL INFORMATION CONFIGURATION FOR A REPEATER

PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to International

Application No. PCT/CN2022/087566, filed April 19, 2022, U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63/397,272, filed August 11, 2022, International Application No. PCT/CN2022/121170, filed September 26, 2022, and International Application No. PCT/CN2022/072871, filed January 18, 2023, 2022, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments pertain to wireless communications. In particular, some embodiments relate to repeater configurations in wireless networks.

BACKGROUND

[0003] The use and complexity of wireless systems has increased due to both an increase in the types of electronic devices using network resources as well as the amount of data and bandwidth being used by various applications, such as video streaming, operating on the electronic devices. As expected, a number of issues abound with the advent of any new technology, including complexities related to network-based control of communications and equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0004] In the figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The figures illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.

[0005] FIG. 1 A illustrates an architecture of a network, in accordance with some aspects. [0006] FIG. IB illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture in accordance with some aspects.

[0007] FIG. 1C illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture in accordance with some aspects.

[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments.

[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a network controlled repeater in accordance with some embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 4A illustrates an example of side control information in accordance with some embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 4B illustrates another example of side control information in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 4C illustrates another example of side control information in accordance with some embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 5A illustrates an example of control information in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 5B illustrates another example of control information in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 5C illustrates another example of control information in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a process in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.

[0018] FIG. 1 A illustrates an architecture of a network in accordance with some aspects. The network 140 A includes 3 GPP LTE/4G and NG network functions that may be extended to 6G and later generation functions.

Accordingly, although 5G will be referred to, it is to be understood that this is to extend as able to 6G (and later) structures, systems, and functions. A network function may be implemented as a discrete network element on a dedicated hardware, as a software instance running on dedicated hardware, and/or as a virtualized function instantiated on an appropriate platform, e.g., dedicated hardware or a cloud infrastructure.

[0019] The network 140 A is shown to include user equipment (UE) 101 and UE 102. The UEs 101 and 102 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices connectable to one or more cellular networks) but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as portable (laptop) or desktop computers, wireless handsets, drones, or any other computing device including a wired and/or wireless communications interface. The UEs 101 and 102 may be collectively referred to herein as UE 101, and UE 101 may be used to perform one or more of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0020] Any of the radio links described herein (e.g., as used in the network 140 A or any other illustrated network) may operate according to any exemplary radio communication technology and/or standard. Any spectrum management scheme including, for example, dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (such as Licensed Shared Access (LSA) in 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz, and other frequencies and Spectrum Access System (SAS) in 3.55-3.7 GHz and other frequencies). Different Single Carrier or Orthogonal Frequency Domain Multiplexing (OFDM) modes (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter bank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.), and in particular 3 GPP NR, may be used by allocating the OFDM carrier data bit vectors to the corresponding symbol resources.

[0021] In some aspects, any of the UEs 101 and 102 can comprise an Internet-of-Things (loT) UE or a Cellular loT (CIoT) UE, which can comprise a network access layer designed for low-power loT applications utilizing shortlived UE connections. In some aspects, any of the UEs 101 and 102 can include a narrowband (NB) loT UE (e.g., such as an enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) UE and Further Enhanced (FeNB-IoT) UE). An loT UE can utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communications (MTC) for exchanging data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), Proximity-Based Service (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, sensor networks, or loT networks. The M2M or MTC exchange of data may be a machine-initiated exchange of data. An loT network includes interconnecting loT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure), with short-lived connections. The loT UEs may execute background applications (e.g., keepalive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate the connections of the loT network. In some aspects, any of the UEs 101 and 102 can include enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs or further enhanced MTC (FeMTC) UEs.

[0022] The UEs 101 and 102 may be configured to connect, e.g., communicatively couple, with a radio access network (RAN) 110. The RAN 110 may be, for example, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or some other type of RAN. The RAN 110 may contain one or more gNBs, one or more of which may be implemented by multiple units. Note that although gNBs may be referred to herein, the same aspects may apply to other generation NodeBs, such as 6^th generation NodeBs - and thus may be alternately referred to as xNodeB (xNB) that cover all generation of NodeBs. [0023] Each of the gNBs may implement protocol entities in the 3GPP protocol stack, in which the layers are considered to be ordered, from lowest to highest, in the order Physical (PHY), Medium Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Control (PDCP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC)/Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) (for the control plane/user plane). The protocol layers in each gNB may be distributed in different units - a Central Unit (CU), at least one Distributed Unit (DU), and a Remote Radio Head (RRH). The CU may provide functionalities such as the control the transfer of user data, and effect mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, and session management, except those functions allocated exclusively to the DU.

[0024] The higher protocol layers (PDCP and RRC for the control plane/PDCP and SDAP for the user plane) may be implemented in the CU, and the RLC and MAC layers may be implemented in the DU. The PHY layer may be split, with the higher PHY layer also implemented in the DU, while the lower PHY layer is implemented in the RRH. The CU, DU and RRH may be implemented by different manufacturers, but may nevertheless be connected by the appropriate interfaces therebetween. The CU may be connected with multiple DUs.

[0025] The interfaces within the gNB include the El and front-haul (F) Fl interface. The El interface may be between a CU control plane (gNB-CU- CP) and the CU user plane (gNB-CU-UP) and thus may support the exchange of signalling information between the control plane and the user plane through El AP service. The El interface may separate Radio Network Layer and Transport Network Layer and enable exchange of UE associated information and non-UE associated information. The E1AP services may be non UE- associated services that are related to the entire El interface instance between the gNB-CU-CP and gNB-CU-UP using a non UE-associated signalling connection and UE-associated services that are related to a single UE and are associated with a UE-associated signalling connection that is maintained for the UE.

[0026] The Fl interface may be disposed between the CU and the DU. The CU may control the operation of the DU over the Fl interface. As the signalling in the gNB is split into control plane and user plane signalling, the Fl interface may be split into the Fl-C interface for control plane signalling between the gNB-DU and the gNB-CU-CP, and the Fl-U interface for user plane signalling between the gNB-DU and the gNB-CU-UP, which support control plane and user plane separation. The Fl interface may separate the Radio Network and Transport Network Layers and enable exchange of UE associated information and non-UE associated information. In addition, an F2 interface may be between the lower and upper parts of the NR PHY layer. The F2 interface may also be separated into F2-C and F2-U interfaces based on control plane and user plane functionalities.

[0027] The UEs 101 and 102 utilize connections 103 and 104, respectively, each of which comprises a physical communications interface or layer (discussed in further detail below); in this example, the connections 103 and 104 are illustrated as an air interface to enable communicative coupling, and may be consistent with cellular communications protocols, such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, a code-division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over Cellular (POC) protocol, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a 5G protocol, a 6G protocol, and the like.

[0028] In an aspect, the UEs 101 and 102 may further directly exchange communication data via a ProSe interface 105. The ProSe interface 105 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface comprising one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), and a Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH).

[0029] The UE 102 is shown to be configured to access an access point (AP) 106 via connection 107. The connection 107 can comprise a local wireless connection, such as, for example, a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, according to which the AP 106 can comprise a wireless fidelity (WiFi®) router. In this example, the AP 106 is shown to be connected to the Internet without connecting to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below).

[0030] The RAN 110 can include one or more access nodes that enable the connections 103 and 104. These access nodes (ANs) may be referred to as E2 nodes, base stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), Next Generation NodeBs (gNBs), RAN nodes, and the like, and can comprise ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations providing coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). In some aspects, the communication nodes 111 and 112 may be transmission-reception points (TRPs). In instances when the communication nodes 111 and 112 are NodeBs (e.g., eNBs or gNBs), one or more TRPs can function within the communication cell of the NodeBs. The RAN 110 may include one or more RAN nodes for providing macrocells, e.g., macro RAN node 111, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femtocells or picocells (e.g., cells having smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells), e.g., low power (LP) RAN node 112.

[0031] Any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 can terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for the UEs 101 and 102. In some aspects, any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 can fulfill various logical functions for the RAN 110 including, but not limited to, radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. In an example, any of the nodes 111 and/or 112 may be a gNB, an eNB, or another type of RAN node.

[0032] The RAN 110 is shown to be communicatively coupled to a core network (CN) 120 via an SI interface 113. In aspects, the CN 120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a NextGen Packet Core (NPC) network, or some other type of CN (e.g., as illustrated in reference to FIGS. 1B-1C). In this aspect, the SI interface 113 is split into two parts: the Sl-U interface 114, which carries traffic data between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and the serving gateway (S-GW) 122, and the Sl-mobility management entity (MME) interface 115, which is a signalling interface between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and MMEs

121.

[0033] In this aspect, the CN 120 comprises the MMEs 121, the S-GW

122, the Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) 123, and a home subscriber server (HSS) 124. The MMEs 121 may be similar in function to the control plane of legacy Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSN). The MMEs 121 may manage mobility aspects in access such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The HSS 124 may comprise a database for network users, including subscription-related information to support the network entities' handling of communication sessions. The CN 120 may comprise one or several HSSs 124, depending on the number of mobile subscribers, on the capacity of the equipment, on the organization of the network, etc. For example, the HSS 124 can provide support for routing/roaming, authentication, authorization, naming/addressing resolution, location dependencies, etc.

[0034] The S-GW 122 may terminate the SI interface 113 towards the RAN 110, and routes data packets between the RAN 110 and the CN 120. In addition, the S-GW 122 may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN node handovers and also may provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities of the S-GW 122 may include a lawful intercept, charging, and some policy enforcement. [0035] The P-GW 123 may terminate an SGi interface toward a PDN. The P-GW 123 may route data packets between the CN 120 and external networks such as a network including the application server 184 (alternatively referred to as application function (AF)) via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125. The P-GW 123 can also communicate data to other external networks 131 A, which can include the Internet, IP multimedia subsystem (IPS) network, and other networks. Generally, the application server 184 may be an element offering applications that use IP bearer resources with the core network (e.g., UMTS Packet Services (PS) domain, LTE PS data services, etc.). In this aspect, the P-GW 123 is shown to be communicatively coupled to an application server 184 via an IP interface 125. The application server 184 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for the UEs 101 and 102 via the CN 120.

[0036] The P-GW 123 may further be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 126 is the policy and charging control element of the CN 120. In a non-roaming scenario, in some aspects, there may be a single PCRF in the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with a UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with a local breakout of traffic, there may be two PCRFs associated with a UE's IP-CAN session: a Home PCRF (H-PCRF) within an HPLMN and a Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) within a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The PCRF 126 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the P-GW 123. [0037] In some aspects, the communication network 140 A may be an loT network or a 5G or 6G network, including 5G new radio network using communications in the licensed (5G NR) and the unlicensed (5G NR-U) spectrum. One of the current enablers of loT is the narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT). Operation in the unlicensed spectrum may include dual connectivity (DC) operation and the standalone LTE system in the unlicensed spectrum, according to which LTE-based technology solely operates in unlicensed spectrum without the use of an “anchor” in the licensed spectrum, called MulteFire. Further enhanced operation of LTE systems in the licensed as well as unlicensed spectrum is expected in future releases and 5G systems. Such enhanced operations can include techniques for sidelink resource allocation and UE processing behaviors for NR sidelink V2X communications.

[0038] An NG system architecture (or 6G system architecture) can include the RAN 110 and a core network (CN) 120. The NG-RAN 110 can include a plurality of nodes, such as gNBs and NG-eNBs. The CN 120 (e.g., a 5G core network (5GC)) can include an access and mobility function (AMF) and/or a user plane function (UPF). The AMF and the UPF may be communicatively coupled to the gNBs and the NG-eNBs via NG interfaces. More specifically, in some aspects, the gNBs and the NG-eNBs may be connected to the AMF by NG-C interfaces, and to the UPF by NG-U interfaces. The gNBs and the NG-eNBs may be coupled to each other via Xn interfaces. [0039] In some aspects, the NG system architecture can use reference points between various nodes. In some aspects, each of the gNBs and the NG- eNBs may be implemented as a base station, a mobile edge server, a small cell, a home eNB, and so forth. In some aspects, a gNB may be a master node (MN) and NG-eNB may be a secondary node (SN) in a 5G architecture.

[0040] FIG. IB illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture in accordance with some aspects. In particular, FIG. IB illustrates a 5G system architecture 140B in a reference point representation, which may be extended to a 6G system architecture. More specifically, UE 102 may be in communication with RAN 110 as well as one or more other CN network entities. The 5G system architecture 140B includes a plurality of network functions (NFs), such as an AMF 132, session management function (SMF) 136, policy control function (PCF) 148, application function (AF) 150, UPF 134, network slice selection function (NSSF) 142, authentication server function (AUSF) 144, and unified data management (UDM)/home subscriber server (HSS) 146.

[0041] The UPF 134 can provide a connection to a data network (DN) 152, which can include, for example, operator services, Internet access, or third- party services. The AMF 132 may be used to manage access control and mobility and can also include network slice selection functionality. The AMF 132 may provide UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management, etc., and may be independent of the access technologies. The SMF 136 may be configured to set up and manage various sessions according to network policy. The SMF 136 may thus be responsible for session management and allocation of IP addresses to UEs. The SMF 136 may also select and control the UPF 134 for data transfer. The SMF 136 may be associated with a single session of a UE 101 or multiple sessions of the UE 101. This is to say that the UE 101 may have multiple 5G sessions. Different SMFs may be allocated to each session. The use of different SMFs may permit each session to be individually managed. As a consequence, the functionalities of each session may be independent of each other.

[0042] The UPF 134 may be deployed in one or more configurations according to the desired service type and may be connected with a data network. The PCF 148 may be configured to provide a policy framework using network slicing, mobility management, and roaming (similar to PCRF in a 4G communication system). The UDM may be configured to store subscriber profiles and data (similar to an HSS in a 4G communication system).

[0043] The AF 150 may provide information on the packet flow to the PCF 148 responsible for policy control to support a desired QoS. The PCF 148 may set mobility and session management policies for the UE 101. To this end, the PCF 148 may use the packet flow information to determine the appropriate policies for proper operation of the AMF 132 and SMF 136. The AUSF 144 may store data for UE authentication.

[0044] In some aspects, the 5G system architecture 140B includes an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 168B as well as a plurality of IP multimedia core network subsystem entities, such as call session control functions (CSCFs). More specifically, the IMS 168B includes a CSCF, which can act as a proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 162BE, a serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 164B, an emergency CSCF (E-CSCF) (not illustrated in FIG. IB), or interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 166B. The P-CSCF 162B may be configured to be the first contact point for the UE 102 within the IM subsystem (IMS) 168B. The S-CSCF 164B may be configured to handle the session states in the network, and the E-CSCF may be configured to handle certain aspects of emergency sessions such as routing an emergency request to the correct emergency center or PSAP. The I-CSCF 166B may be configured to function as the contact point within an operator's network for all IMS connections destined to a subscriber of that network operator, or a roaming subscriber currently located within that network operator's service area. In some aspects, the I-CSCF 166B may be connected to another IP multimedia network 170B, e.g. an IMS operated by a different network operator.

[0045] In some aspects, the UDM/HSS 146 may be coupled to an application server (AS) 160B, which can include a telephony application server (TAS) or another application server. The AS 160B may be coupled to the IMS 168B via the S-CSCF 164B or the I-CSCF 166B.

[0046] A reference point representation shows that interaction can exist between corresponding NF services. For example, FIG. IB illustrates the following reference points: N1 (between the UE 102 and the AMF 132), N2 (between the RAN 110 and the AMF 132), N3 (between the RAN 110 and the UPF 134), N4 (between the SMF 136 and the UPF 134), N5 (between the PCF 148 and the AF 150, not shown), N6 (between the UPF 134 and the DN 152), N7 (between the SMF 136 and the PCF 148, not shown), N8 (between the UDM 146 and the AMF 132, not shown), N9 (between two UPFs 134, not shown), N10 (between the UDM 146 and the SMF 136, not shown), Ni l (between the AMF 132 and the SMF 136, not shown), N12 (between the AUSF 144 and the AMF 132, not shown), N13 (between the AUSF 144 and the UDM 146, not shown), N14 (between two AMFs 132, not shown), N15 (between the PCF 148 and the AMF 132 in case of a non-roaming scenario, or between the PCF 148 and a visited network and AMF 132 in case of a roaming scenario, not shown), N16 (between two SMFs, not shown), and N22 (between AMF 132 and NSSF 142, not shown). Other reference point representations not shown in FIG. IB can also be used.

[0047] FIG. 1C illustrates a 5G system architecture 140C and a servicebased representation. In addition to the network entities illustrated in FIG. IB, system architecture 140C can also include a network exposure function (NEF) 154 and a network repository function (NRF) 156. In some aspects, 5G system architectures may be service-based and interaction between network functions may be represented by corresponding point-to-point reference points Ni or as service-based interfaces.

[0048] In some aspects, as illustrated in FIG. 1C, service-based representations may be used to represent network functions within the control plane that enable other authorized network functions to access their services. In this regard, 5G system architecture 140C can include the following service- based interfaces: Namf 158H (a service-based interface exhibited by the AMF 132), Nsmf 1581 (a service-based interface exhibited by the SMF 136), Nnef 158B (a service-based interface exhibited by the NEF 154), Npcf 158D (a service-based interface exhibited by the PCF 148), a Nudm 158E (a servicebased interface exhibited by the UDM 146), Naf 158F (a service-based interface exhibited by the AF 150), Nnrf 158C (a service-based interface exhibited by the NRF 156), Nnssf 158A (a service-based interface exhibited by the NSSF 142), Nausf 158G (a service-based interface exhibited by the AUSF 144). Other service-based interfaces (e.g., Nudr, N5g-eir, and Nudsf) not shown in FIG. 1C can also be used.

[0049] NR-V2X architectures may support high-reliability low latency sidelink communications with a variety of traffic patterns, including periodic and aperiodic communications with random packet arrival time and size.

Techniques disclosed herein may be used for supporting high reliability in distributed communication systems with dynamic topologies, including sidelink NR V2X communication systems.

[0050] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments, such as an evolved Node-B (eNB), a new generation Node-B (gNB) (or another RAN node), an access point (AP), a wireless station (STA), a mobile station (MS), or user equipment (UE), in accordance with some aspects and to perform one or more of the techniques disclosed herein. In alternative aspects, the communication device 200 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other communication devices. The communication device may be any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. For example, the communication device 200 may be implemented as one or more of the devices shown in FIGS. 1 A-1C. Note that communications described herein may be encoded before transmission by the transmitting entity (e.g., UE, gNB) for reception by the receiving entity (e.g., gNB, UE) and decoded after reception by the receiving entity.

[0051] Examples, as described herein, may include, or may operate on, logic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules and components are tangible entities (e.g., hardware) capable of performing specified operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. In an example, circuits may be arranged (e.g., internally or with respect to external entities such as other circuits) in a specified manner as a module. In an example, the whole or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computer system) or one or more hardware processors may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, an application portion, or an application) as a module that operates to perform specified operations. In an example, the software may reside on a machine readable medium. In an example, the software, when executed by the underlying hardware of the module, causes the hardware to perform the specified operations.

[0052] Accordingly, the term “module” (and “component”) is understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, specifically configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily (e.g., transitorily) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a specified manner or to perform part or all of any operation described herein. Considering examples in which modules are temporarily configured, each of the modules need not be instantiated at any one moment in time. For example, where the modules comprise a general -purpose hardware processor configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processor may be configured as respective different modules at different times. Software may accordingly configure a hardware processor, for example, to constitute a particular module at one instance of time and to constitute a different module at a different instance of time.

[0053] The communication device 200 may include a hardware processor (or equivalently processing circuitry) 202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a GPU, a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 204 and a static memory 206, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 208. The main memory 204 may contain any or all of removable storage and non-removable storage, volatile memory or non-volatile memory. The communication device 200 may further include a display unit 210 such as a video display, an alphanumeric input device 212 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 214 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 210, input device 212 and UI navigation device 214 may be a touch screen display. The communication device 200 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit) 216, a signal generation device 218 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 220, and one or more sensors, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or other sensor. The communication device 200 may further include an output controller, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, card reader, etc.).

[0054] The storage device 216 may include a non-transitory machine readable medium 222 (hereinafter simply referred to as machine readable medium) on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 224 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 224 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 204, within static memory 206, and/or within the hardware processor 202 during execution thereof by the communication device 200. While the machine readable medium 222 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) configured to store the one or more instructions 224.

[0055] The term “machine readable medium” may include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the communication device 200 and that cause the communication device 200 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting machine readable medium examples may include solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; Random Access Memory (RAM); and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0056] The instructions 224 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network using a transmission medium 226 via the network interface device 220 utilizing any one of a number of wireless local area network (WLAN) transfer protocols (e.g., frame relay, internet protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks), Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks. Communications over the networks may include one or more different protocols, such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax, IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) family of standards, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, a next generation (NG)/5^th generation (5G) standards among others. In an example, the network interface device 220 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phonejacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the transmission medium 226.

[0057] Note that the term “circuitry” as used herein refers to, is part of, or includes hardware components such as an electronic circuit, a logic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and/or memory (shared, dedicated, or group), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable device (FPD) (e.g., a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a complex PLD (CPLD), a high-capacity PLD (HCPLD), a structured ASIC, or a programmable SoC), digital signal processors (DSPs), etc., that are configured to provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the circuitry may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the described functionality. The term “circuitry” may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system) with the program code used to carry out the functionality of that program code. In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuitry.

[0058] The term “processor circuitry” or “processor” as used herein thus refers to, is part of, or includes circuitry capable of sequentially and automatically carrying out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations, or recording, storing, and/or transferring digital data. The term “processor circuitry” or “processor” may refer to one or more application processors, one or more baseband processors, a physical central processing unit (CPU), a single- or multi-core processor, and/or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions, such as program code, software modules, and/or functional processes.

[0059] Any of the radio links described herein may operate according to any one or more of the following radio communication technologies and/or standards including but not limited to: a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) radio communication technology, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) radio communication technology, an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) radio communication technology, and/or a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) radio communication technology, for example Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Freedom of Multimedia Access (FOMA), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3GPP Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced), Code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA2000), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, Third Generation (3G), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), High-Speed Circuit- Switched Data (HSCSD), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (Third Generation) (UMTS (3 G)), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) (W-CDMA (UMTS)), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), High Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System-Time-Division Duplex (UMTS-TDD), Time Division-Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), Time Division- Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), 3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 8 (Pre-4th Generation) (3 GPP Rel. 8 (Pre-4G)), 3GPP Rel. 9 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 9), 3GPP Rel. 10 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 10) , 3GPP Rel. 11 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 11), 3GPP Rel. 12 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 12), 3GPP Rel. 13 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 13), 3GPP Rel. 14 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 14), 3GPP Rel. 15 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 15), 3GPP Rel. 16 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 16), 3GPP Rel. 17 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 17) and subsequent Releases (such as Rel. 18, Rel. 19, etc ), 3GPP 5G, 5G, 5G New Radio (5GNR), 3GPP 5G New Radio, 3GPP LTE Extra, LTE- Advanced Pro, LTE Licensed- Assisted Access (LAA), MuLTEfire, UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), Long Term Evolution Advanced (4th Generation) (LTE Advanced (4G)), cdmaOne (2G), Code division multiple access 2000 (Third generation) (CDMA2000 (3G)), Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data Only (EV-DO), Advanced Mobile Phone System (1st Generation) (AMPS (1G)), Total Access Communication System/Extended Total Access Communication System (TACSZETACS), Digital AMPS (2nd Generation) (D-AMPS (2G)), Push-to-talk (PTT), Mobile Telephone System (MTS), Improved Mobile Telephone System (IMTS), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMTS), OLT (Norwegian for Offentlig Landmobil Telefoni, Public Land Mobile Telephony), MTD (Swedish abbreviation for Mobiltelefonisystem D, or Mobile telephony system D), Public Automated Land Mobile (Autotel/PALM), ARP (Finnish for Autoradiopuhelin, "car radio phone"), NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephony), High capacity version of NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) (Hicap), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, DataTAC, Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), Personal Handyphone System (PHS), Wideband Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (WiDEN), iBurst, Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), also referred to as also referred to as 3 GPP Generic Access Network, or GAN standard), Zigbee, Bluetooth(r), Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) standard, mmWave standards in general (wireless systems operating at 10-300 GHz and above such as WiGig, IEEE 802. Had, IEEE 802. Hay, etc.), technologies operating above 300 GHz and THz bands, (3GPP/LTE based or IEEE 802.1 Ip or IEEE 802.1 Ibd and other) Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-X (V2X) and Vehicle-to- Infrastructure (V2I) and Infrastructure-to- Vehicle (12 V) communication technologies, 3GPP cellular V2X, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) communication systems such as Intelligent-Transport-Systems and others (typically operating in 5850 MHz to 5925 MHz or above (typically up to 5935 MHz following change proposals in CEPT Report 71)), the European ITS-G5 system (i.e. the European flavor of IEEE 802.1 Ip based DSRC, including ITS-G5A (i.e., Operation of ITS-G5 in European ITS frequency bands dedicated to ITS for safety re-lated applications in the frequency range 5,875 GHz to 5,905 GHz), ITS-G5B (i.e., Operation in European ITS frequency bands dedicated to ITS non- safety applications in the frequency range 5,855 GHz to 5,875 GHz), ITS-G5C (i.e., Operation of ITS applications in the frequency range 5,470 GHz to 5,725 GHz)), DSRC in Japan in the 700MHz band (including 715 MHz to 725 MHz), IEEE 802.1 Ibd based systems, etc.

[0060] Aspects described herein may be used in the context of any spectrum management scheme including dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, license exempt spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (such as LSA = Licensed Shared Access in 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz and further frequencies and SAS = Spectrum Access System / CBRS = Citizen Broadband Radio System in 3.55-3.7 GHz and further frequencies). Applicable spectrum bands include IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) spectrum as well as other types of spectrum/bands, such as bands with national allocation (including 450 - 470 MHz, 902-928 MHz (note: allocated for example in US (FCC Part 15)), 863-868.6 MHz (note: allocated for example in European Union (ETSI EN 300 220)), 915.9-929.7 MHz (note: allocated for example in Japan), 917-923.5 MHz (note: allocated for example in South Korea), 755-779 MHz and 779-787 MHz (note: allocated for example in China), 790 - 960 MHz, 1710 - 2025 MHz, 2110 - 2200 MHz, 2300 - 2400 MHz, 2.4-2.4835 GHz (note: it is an ISM band with global availability and it is used by Wi-Fi technology family (1 Ib/g/n/ax) and also by Bluetooth), 2500 - 2690 MHz, 698-790 MHz, 610 - 790 MHz, 3400 - 3600 MHz, 3400 - 3800 MHz, 3800 - 4200 MHz, 3.55- 3.7 GHz (note: allocated for example in the US for Citizen Broadband Radio Service), 5.15-5.25 GHz and 5.25-5.35 GHz and 5.47-5.725 GHz and 5.725-5.85 GHz bands (note: allocated for example in the US (FCC part 15), consists four U-NII bands in total 500 MHz spectrum), 5.725-5.875 GHz (note: allocated for example in EU (ETSI EN 301 893)), 5.47-5.65 GHz (note: allocated for example in South Korea, 5925-7125 MHz and 5925-6425MHz band (note: under consideration in US and EU, respectively. Next generation Wi-Fi system is expected to include the 6 GHz spectrum as operating band but it is noted that, as of December 2017, Wi-Fi system is not yet allowed in this band. Regulation is expected to be finished in 2019-2020 time frame), IMT-advanced spectrum, IMT-2020 spectrum (expected to include 3600-3800 MHz, 3800 - 4200 MHz, 3.5 GHz bands, 700 MHz bands, bands within the 24.25-86 GHz range, etc.), spectrum made available under FCC's "Spectrum Frontier" 5G initiative (including 27.5 - 28.35 GHz, 29.1 - 29.25 GHz, 31 - 31.3 GHz, 37 - 38.6 GHz, 38.6 - 40 GHz, 42 - 42.5 GHz, 57 - 64 GHz, 71 - 76 GHz, 81 - 86 GHz and 92 - 94 GHz, etc), the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) band of 5.9 GHz (typically 5.85-5.925 GHz) and 63-64 GHz, bands currently allocated to WiGig such as WiGig Band 1 (57.24-59.40 GHz), WiGig Band 2 (59.40-61.56 GHz) and WiGig Band 3 (61.56-63.72 GHz) and WiGig Band 4 (63.72-65.88 GHz), 57- 64/66 GHz (note: this band has near-global designation for Multi -Gigabit Wireless Systems (MGWS)/WiGig . In US (FCC part 15) allocates total 14 GHz spectrum, while EU (ETSI EN 302 567 and ETSI EN 301 217-2 for fixed P2P) allocates total 9 GHz spectrum), the 70.2 GHz - 71 GHz band, any band between 65.88 GHz and 71 GHz, bands currently allocated to automotive radar applications such as 76-81 GHz, and future bands including 94-300 GHz and above. Furthermore, the scheme may be used on a secondary basis on bands such as the TV White Space bands (typically below 790 MHz) where in particular the 400 MHz and 700 MHz bands are promising candidates. Besides cellular applications, specific applications for vertical markets may be addressed such as PMSE (Program Making and Special Events), medical, health, surgery, automotive, low-latency, drones, etc. applications.

[0061] Aspects described herein can also implement a hierarchical application of the scheme is possible, e.g., by introducing a hierarchical prioritization of usage for different types of users (e.g., low/medium/high priority, etc.), based on a prioritized access to the spectrum e.g., with highest priority to tier-1 users, followed by tier-2, then tier-3, etc. users, etc.

[0062] Aspects described herein can also be applied to different Single Carrier or OFDM flavors (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter bank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.) and in particular 3 GPP NR (New Radio) by allocating the OFDM carrier data bit vectors to the corresponding symbol resources.

[0063] 5G networks extend beyond the traditional mobile broadband services to provide various new services such as internet of things (loT), industrial control, autonomous driving, mission critical communications, etc. that may have ultra-low latency, ultra-high reliability, and high data capacity requirements due to safety and performance concerns. Some of the features in this document are defined for the network side, such as APs, eNBs, NR or gNBs - note that this term is typically used in the context of 3GPP 5G and 6G communication systems, etc. Still, a UE may take this role as well and act as an AP, eNB, or gNB; that is some or all features defined for network equipment may be implemented by a UE.

[0064] As above, coverage is a fundamental aspect of cellular network deployments. Mobile operators rely on different types of network nodes to offer blanket coverage in their deployments. One type of network node is the radio frequency (RF) repeater which simply amplifies-and-forwards any received signal. While an RF repeater presents a cost effective means of extending network coverage, the RF repeater has limitations. An RF repeater simply does an amplify-and-forward operation without being able to take into account various factors that could improve performance, e.g., adaptive transmitter/receiver spatial beamforming, etc. A network-controlled repeater is an enhancement over conventional RF repeaters with the capability to receive and process side control information from the network. Side control information may allow a network-controlled repeater to perform its amplify-and-forward operation in a more efficient manner. Potential benefits include mitigation of unnecessary noise amplification, transmissions and receptions with better spatial directivity, and simplified network integration.

[0065] Various embodiments herein address these and other issues and are directed to (among other things) side control information configuration for a repeater. For example, some embodiments are directed to: how to receive side control information, when the side control information takes effect, and acknowledgment (ACK) feedback for side control information.

[0066] Procedure to control a repeater by gNB

[0067] FIG. 3 illustrates a network controlled repeater in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, for a network controlled repeater, the repeater may include a control part/component and forwarding part/component. The control part (denoted as mobile termination (MT)) is used to receive the control signaling from the gNB side, and may also provide feedback to the gNB side, e.g., the confirmation of the control signaling. The forwarding part (denoted as radio unit (RU)) is to amplify-and-forward the signal received from the gNB to the UE, or the signal received from the UE to the gNB.

[0068] The path between the gNB and the repeater is denoted as donor path. The donor path includes 4 links: gNB - repeater RU (link 1); gNB - repeater MT (link 2); repeater RU - gNB (link 3); repeater MT - gNB (link 4). [0069] The path between repeater and UE is denoted as access path. The access path includes 2 links: repeater RU - UE (link 5) and UE - repeater RU (link 6).

[0070] The repeater receives RF signals from the gNB via link 1, and then forwards the RF signals to the UE via link 5 without decoding the signals. The repeater receives RF signals from the UE via link 6, and then forwards the RF signals to the gNB via link 3 without decoding the signals.

[0071] The repeater receives and decodes control information from the gNB via link 2, and the repeater may provide feedback to the gNB via link 4, e.g., repeater sends a layerl (LI) or layer2 (L2) ACK to the gNB for the received control information. The repeater can adjust parameters for the repeater RU part according to the received control information.

[0072] How to receive side control information

[0073] The side control information may be transmitted using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). The repeater first determines the PDCCH search space configuration and Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) for side control information. [0074] PDCCH search space configuration includes a control resource set (CORESET) configuration, search space set configuration, and PDCCH candidate configuration (including aggregation level, number of candidates).

[0075] In one embodiment, the repeater obtains the PDCCH search space configuration and RNTI by the Operations, Administration and Maintenance (0AM). Alternatively, the repeater obtains some of PDCCH search space configuration with or without the RNTI and by the 0AM, and the repeater obtains some of PDCCH search space configuration with or without the RNTI by system information or by dedicated signaling, e.g., in RRC setup signaling as a normal UE. Alternatively, the repeater obtains the PDCCH search space configuration and RNTI by system information or by dedicated signaling. [0076] In one embodiment, the search space for side control information is Type-0 common search space (CSS) configured with CORESET 0 configured by the master information block (MIB), and/or Type OA/1/2 search space, if configured. Alternatively, the search space for side control information is indicated by system information. Alternatively, the search space for side control information is indicated by dedicated signaling. Alternatively, the search space for side control information is indicated by the PDCCH in Type-0 CSS configured with CORESET 0 configured by the MIB.

[0077] The search space configuration for side control information and other PDCCHs for the repeater MT, e.g., PDCCHs for the repeater MT radio access channel (RACH) procedure may be separately configured. Alternatively, the search space configuration for side control information may reuse some or all of the search space configuration for PDCCHs not for side control information. [0078] In one option, only single search space set is configured for side control information. In another option, multiple search space sets may be configured for different side control information.

[0079] In one embodiment, the RNTI for side control information is indicated by a PDCCH, or by a PDSCH, e.g., by system information blockl (SIB1) PDSCH, other system information, Random Access Response (RAR) PDSCH, or dedicated signaling.

[0080] The RNTI for side control information is the same as the RNTI for other PDCCHs, e g., the RNTI for Msg 4 PDSCH.

[0081] In one option, only one RNTI is configured for side control information. In another option, multiple RNTIs may be configured for different side control information.

[0082] In one embodiment, the side control information is carried by a PDCCH.

[0083] In one option, one PDCCH carries only side control information for one repeater, e.g., repeater-specific side control information. In another option, one PDCCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters, e.g., repeater-group-common side control information.

[0084] In the latter embodiment (repeater-group-common side control information carried by a PDCCH), a repeater-group RNTI is configured. In one example, the same side control information commonly applies to all repeaters. In another example, a PDCCH carries different side control information for different repeaters within the group. For each repeater, a location of the side control information bit field in the downlink control information (DCI) is configured. Moreover, a bit length for the side control information bit field may be configured.

[0085] In one option, one PDCCH carries one type of side control information. In another option, one PDCCH carries multiple types of side control information. The types of side control information include at least beamforming control information, on/off information, DL/UL forwarding information, etc.

[0086] In the latter embodiment (multiple side control information types able to be provided by a PDCCH), the location of each bit field for each side control information, and the type of side control information is configured.

Moreover, the bit length for the side control information bit field and/or DCI size may be configured. If the number of information bits in a DCI is less than the configured DCI size, padding bits are added at the end of all information bits to achieve the configured DCI size, and/or padding bits are added at the end of each bit field to achieve the configured bit length for each bit field.

[0087] In one option, a different DCI format is configured for each different side control information. The number of DCI formats meet the blind decoding capability for the DCI size budget, e.g., at most 4 different DCI sizes for all DCI formats to be monitored by the repeater MT. In another option, a single DCI format is configured for different side control information.

[0088] To differentiate different PDCCHs, e.g., a PDCCH carrying side control information for a repeater RU or a PDCCH for DL/UL scheduling or control for a repeater MT, the PDCCHs carrying different types of side control information, at least one of following options may be used:

[0089] a) A flag bit in DCI payload to differentiate PDCCHs. The flag bit may be a separate bit field, or an existing bit field(s) with specific code points. For example, a frequency domain resource assignment (FDRA) bit field with specific code points such as all ‘ l’s or all ‘0’s may be used as a flag bit to differentiate PDCCHs for side control information without a PDSCH and PDCCH scheduling a PDSCH.

[0090] b) Different DCI formats to differentiate PDCCHs. [0091] c) Different DCI sizes to differentiate PDCCHs. For example, if the DCI size for two different PDCCHs would be the same, padding or truncation is applied to ensure different DCI sizes.

[0092] d) Different search spaces to differentiate PDCCHs.

[0093] e) Different RNTIs to differentiate PDCCHs.

[0094] In one embodiment, the side control information is carried by the PDSCH. The side control information may be carried by a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE)/packet data unit (PDU) or RRC signaling. [0095] In one option, one PDSCH carries only side control information for one repeater, e.g., repeater-specific side control information. In another option, one PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters, e.g., repeater-group-common side control information.

[0096] In the latter embodiment (repeater-group-common side control information carried by a PDSCH), a repeater-group RNTI is configured. In one example, the same side control information commonly applies to all repeaters. In another example, a PDSCH carries different side control information for different repeaters within the group. For each repeater, a different identity is configured/determined, and the repeater can identify the MAC PDU/CE for the repeater by checking the identity information in the MAC PDU. Alternatively, the repeater can identify the side control information for the repeater by checking the identity information in RRC signaling.

[0097] In one option, one PDSCH carries one type of side control information. In another option, one PDSCH carries multiple type of side control information. The type of side control information at least includes beamforming control information, on/off information, DL/UL forwarding information, etc. [0098] In case of multiple side control information types by a PDSCH, and the repeater can identify the side control information type by checking type of information in MAC PDU, e.g., in MAC subheader. Alternatively, the repeater can identify the side control information type by checking the type of information in RRC signaling.

[0099] To differentiate different PDCCHs, e.g., a PDCCH scheduling a PDSCH for side control information or a PDCCH for DL/UL scheduling for a repeater MT, PDCCHs scheduling a PDSCH for side control information or a PDCCH carrying side control information, at least one of following options may be used:

[00100] a) A flag bit in DCI payload to differentiate PDCCHs. For example, if the payload size for different PDCCHs is same, or the DCI size after padding or truncation is same, one or multiple bits are used as a flag to differentiate different PDCCHs, e.g., for PDCCHs scheduling a PDSCH for side control information or a PDCCH carrying side control information or a PDCCH carrying side control information and scheduling a PDSCH for side control information.

[00101] b) Different DCI formats to differentiate PDCCHs.

[00102] c) Different DCI sizes to differentiate PDCCHs. For example, if the DCI size for two different PDCCHs would be the same, padding or truncation may be applied to ensure different DCI sizes.

[00103] d) Different search spaces to differentiate PDCCHs. [00104] e) Different RNTIs to differentiate PDCCHs.

[00105] For the above embodiments, a PDCCH or PDSCH may contain side control information for multiple pass-bands, or multiple carriers. The multiple pass-bands or carriers may be associated with same or different sets/group indexes. The carriers within the same set of pass-bands or the carriers that can share common side control information, e.g., same on/off or same beamforming or same DL/UL forwarding direction may be reported by the repeater or declared by the repeater vendor. The set of pass-bands or carriers may be configured by the gNB or derived by a pre-defined rule, e.g., according to the report from the repeater. For example, the gNB configures one or multiple sets, and each set includes one or multiple pass-bands or carriers. One special case is that all pass-bands or carriers for a repeater belongs to the same set. Another special case is that each pass-band or carrier for a repeater belongs to different sets. If the gNB does not configure the set, a default assumption may be a 1^st or 2^nd special case.

[00106] In one option, the same side control information commonly applies to multiple pass-bands or multiple carriers. In one example, the gNB indicates side control information for one set of pass-bands or carriers, e.g., a set index, time domain resources, and on/off information for the indicated set of pass-bands or carriers is indicated in a PDCCH or PDSCH, wherein the time domain resources, and on/off information commonly applies to all pass-bands or carriers associated with the indicated set. In another example, the gNB indicates side control information commonly applied to multiple sets of pass-bands or carriers, e.g., a list of set indexes of pass-bands or carriers (multiple sets), single set of time domain resources, and on/off information commonly for the indicated multiple sets of pass-bands or carriers is indicated in a PDCCH or PDSCH. [00107] In another option, one PDCCH or PDSCH contains multiple side control information for different pass-bands or carriers. In one example, in the PDCCH or PDSCH, time domain resources for multiple side control information for each different set of pass-bands or carriers may be separately indicated, beamforming and/or on/off and/or DL/UL forwarding for multiple side control information for each different set of pass-bands or carriers may be separately indicated. In another example, in the PDCCH or PDSCH, a single set of time domain resources is indicated that is commonly applied to the multiple sets of pass-bands or carriers while each different set of beamforming and/or on/off and/or DL/UL forwarding information is separately indicated for different sets of pass-bands or carriers. In another example, in the PDCCH or PDSCH, a single set of beamforming and/or on/off and/or DL/UL forwarding information is indicated that is commonly applied to the multiple sets of pass-bands or carriers while each different set of time domain resources is separately indicated for different set of pass-bands or carriers.

[00108] The division of sets of pass-bands or carriers is the same for different side control information types, e.g., same for beamforming and on/off. Alternatively, the division of sets of pass-bands or carriers may be different for different side control information types, e.g., the division of setd of carriers for beamforming and on/off operation may be separately configured. For example, the gNB indicates beamforming information that may be commonly applied to all carriers while the gNB indicates multiple on/off information which is applied to each different set of carriers respectively. For a carrier indicated as off, the indicated beam does not apply. For a carrier indicated as on, the indicated beam for the carrier applies.

[00109] For the above embodiments, different side control information types may be carried by each different DL channel, e.g., beamforming control information is carried by a PDSCH, while on/off information is carried by a PDCCH, side control information for a repeater MT is carried by a PDSCH, while side control information for a repeater RU is carried by a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the same side control information type may be carried by different DL channels, e.g., semi-static beam information or the beam information applied periodically may be carried by a PDSCH while dynamic beam information or the beam information applied aperiodically may be carried by a PDCCH. The DL channel for a side control information is pre-defined or configured by the gNB.

[00110] FIG. 4A illustrates an example of side control information in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 4B illustrates another example of side control information in accordance with some embodiments. In one embodiment, if a PDCCH/PDSCH for side control information carry both time domain resource information (denoted as T-information) and control information for the time domain resource (denoted as S-information), e.g., beamforming or on/off information, the total information may include N blocks for N sets of time domain resource, and each block includes one set of time domain resources (T- information) and S-information for the set of time domain resources, as shown in FIG. 4A. For example, T- information may be the start and duration of multiple consecutive symbols/slots with or without periodicity, and S-information may be a beam index applied to the symbols/slots or the on/off state applied to the symbols/slots. Alternatively, T- information for N blocks is placed first (1^st part) and then S- information for N blocks (2^nd part) is appended, as shown in FIG.

4B.

[00111] For time domain resources, in one option, a gNB can configure multiple sets of time domain resources and indicate one set of time domain resources for a block. Each set of time domain resources includes one or multiple consecutive symbols/slots. For example, assuming the gNB configures 64 sets of time domain resources, the gNB may use 6 bits to indicate one of the 64 sets of time domain resource for each block in FIG. 4 A and FIG. 4B. T- information for different blocks may be different or the same. S-information for different blocks may be different or the same. In one example, if the same T- information is indicated for 2 different blocks, S-information for the 2 blocks may be unable to be the same at least for single passband or carrier case. In another example, if the same T-information is indicated for 2 different blocks, S- information for the 2 blocks may be the same, which effectively provides side control information for one block.

[00112] In another option, the gNB indicates one set of time domain resource for N, or up to N, blocks. Each set of time domain resources includes one or multiple subsets of symbols/slots, and each subset includes one or multiple consecutive symbols/slots while the multiple subsets may be consecutive or non-consecutive in time domain. In other words, the time domain resources for up to N blocks is jointly indicated, similar to multiple start and length indicator values (SLIV) for a PDSCH or PUSCH time domain resource allocation. For example, assuming the gNB configures 64 sets of time domain resources, and each set contain Li (< N) subsets: the gNB may use 6 bits to indicate the i-th set of the 64 sets, e.g., 6 bits in total for the 1^st part in FIG. 4B; in the 2^nd part, a beam index is provided per block for Li blocks, and other (N- Li) blocks in the 2^nd part are reserved, e.g., with zeros or a special value, if Li < N.

[00113] Alternatively, the gNB configures multiple sets of S information, and each set includes Mi S-information, where l<Mi <N. The gNB indicates the i-th set of S information. In one example, Li = Mi. In another example, Li > Mi. The Mi S-information is applied for the first Mi subsets of Li subsets, and no S- information for the remaining (Li - Mi) subsets. A default state is applied for the remaining (Li - Mi) subsets. In another example, Mi >Li. The first Li out of Mi S-information is applied for the indicated time domain resources. For the indication for T-information and S-information respectively, in one example, the gNB indicates T-information in the 1^st part and S-information in the 2^nd part using a separate bit field. In another example, the gNB jointly indicates both T- information and S-information using a single bit field. The single bit field indicates the i-th set for both time domain resources and beam information or on/off information.

[00114] FIG. 4C illustrates another example of side control information in accordance with some embodiments. In one embodiment, if a PDCCH/PDSCH for side control information only carries S-information without T-information, the time domain resource is determined by at least one of: the duration of a time unit, the symbol/slot for the PDCCH/PDSCH, the symbol/slot for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request- Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) for the PDCCH/PDSCH, the time domain offset, the configured period for the time domain resource, the PDCCH monitoring periodicity, the length of S- information elements, or the length of valid S-information element. For example, side control information includes N blocks for beam information as shown in FIG. 4C, which apply to N consecutive time units in sequence, and each time unit includes Ns consecutive symbols or slots. A 1^st time unit starts after the end of the PDCCH with an offset, and the total duration of N consecutive time units equals the configured period or PDCCH monitoring periodicity. For another example, the gNB configures S sets of Mi beam information, where l<Mi <N. That is, in the 1^st part of FIG. 4C, log2(S) bits are used to indicate the z-th set, which is configured with a list of Mi beam indices. The Li beam indices apply to the 1^st ~ Mi -th consecutive time units. A 1^st time unit starts after the end of the PDCCH with an offset.

[00115] In one embodiment, if one PDCCH/PDSCH includes different types of side control information (denoted as 1^st type of information, 2^nd type of information. . .), e.g., including beamforming (1^st type of information), on/off information (2^nd type of information), UL/DL information (3^rd type of information), the total control information can include M blocks, and each block is used for one type of information. Each block used for one type of information includes S-information and/or T-information respectively. FIG. 5A illustrates an example of control information in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 5 A, one PDCCH carries beam information and on/off information (M=2). For beam information (1^st type of information), there are N blocks, and each block indicates start and duration of consecutive symbols (T-information) and one beam index (S-information). For on/off information (2^nd type of information), there is one block, which indicates the start of time resource (T-information) and on or off state (S-information). The indicated on/off state applies from a symbol determined by the indicated start of time resource.

[00116] FIG. 5B illustrates another example of control information in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 5B, one PDCCH carries beam information and on/off information (M=2). For beam information (1^st type of information), there are N blocks and each block indicates one beam index (S- information). The time resource is not indicated, and the time resource associated with each beam index is determined by a pre-defined rule, e.g., determined by a configured period and granularity for the time domain resource). For on/off information (2^nd type of information), there is one block, which indicates the start of time resource (T-information) and on or off state (S- information). To save payload, for some type of information, T information may be shared.

[00117] FIG. 5C illustrates another example of control information in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 5C, one PDCCH includes 3 types of information, i.e., beam, on/off and UL/DL. The time domain resource information may be shared for on/off and UL/DL.

[00118] Note that although the examples provided in FIGS. 5A-5C only include one block for 2^nd type of information, embodiments in which the 2^nd type of information is provided using multiple blocks are also supported. Note further that a PDCCH can also include other bit fields, e.g., a flag bit, HARQ- ACK timing indicator, PUCCH resource indicator, etc.

[00119] For the above embodiments, a PDSCH resource for side control information may be configured by the gNB. For example, the gNB configures the periodicity, offset, starting symbol and duration, and frequency resource for a PDSCH - similar to a type-1 control group (CG) PUSCH. In this case, the repeater may decode the PDSCH in each PDSCH occasion without decoding the PDCCH.

[00120] When the side control information takes effect

[00121] After a repeater receives side control information, the repeater adjusts its parameters, e.g., beamforming, on/off state, DL/UL chain, according to the side control information. Typically, application delay for the side control information is to be used, considering side control information decoding delay, and parameter adjustment delay.

[00122] In one embodiment, the repeater is expected to use new parameters indicated by the side control information with reference to a slot and/or a symbol, e.g., the repeater is not expected to use new parameters indicated by the side control information earlier than the reference slot/symbol. The reference slot or reference symbol is determined according to at least one of the followings: [00123] Opt 1 : The reference slot/symbol is a specific frame and slot and symbol location, e.g., symbol X in slot Y in system frame number (SFN) Z. [00124] Opt 2 : The reference slot/symbol is the slot/last symbol/first symbol where the repeater detects the side control information.

[00125] Opt 3: The reference slot/symbol is X slot/Y symbol that is after the slot/last symbol /first symbol where the repeater detects the side control information. For example, X=1 means the reference slot is the first slot that is after the slot where the repeater detects the side control information. The repeater is expected to use new parameters from 1^st symbol in that slot.

[00126] Opt 4 : The reference slot/symbol is the slot/last symbol/first symbol where the repeater transmits an ACK or NACK (A/N) for the side control information.

[00127] Opt 5: The reference slot/symbol is X slot/Y symbol that is after the slot/last symbol/first symbol where the repeater transmits A/N for the side control information. For example, the repeater reports an ACK using a PUCCH in slot n, X=l, then, the repeater is expected to use new parameters from 1^st symbol in slot n+1.

[00128] Opt 6 : The reference slot/symbol is determined by one of opt 1~5 above and a pre-defined offset Z. The pre-defined offset Z may be configured by the gNB, and/or determined according to a specific processing time, e.g., a PDCCH processing time, a PDSCH processing time, a PUSCH/PUCCH processing time, a MAC CE processing time, an RRC signaling processing time, etc.

[00129] Opt 7: The reference slot/symbol is the first slot/symbol that is after a slot/symbol determined according to one of opt 1~5 above + a pre-defined offset Z. The pre-defined offset Z may be configured by the gNB, and/or determined according to a specific processing time, e.g., a PDCCH processing time, a PDSCH processing time, a PUSCH/PUCCH processing time, a MAC CE processing time, an RRC signaling processing time, etc.

[00130] For above options, the reference slot/symbol and pre-defined offset may be determined based on one or more reference sub-carrier spacings (SCSs). The one or more reference SCSs may be determined at least according to: a SCS configured as a reference SCS for an application delay; the SCS for time domain resource indicated by the side control information; the smallest SCS for time domain resources configured/indicated by the side control information; the respective SCS for each time domain resource configured/ indicated by the side control information; the SCS for a PDCCH carrying side control information; the SCS for a PDSCH carrying side control information; the SCS for a PUCCH carrying confirmation of side control information, e.g., a PUCCH carrying a HARQ-ACK of a PDSCH for side control information; the smallest SCS among at least two of PDCCH, PDSCH, and PUCCH; or the smallest SCS among at least two of SCS for time domain resources indicated/configured by the side control information and SCS for a PDCCH/ PDSCH/PUCCH.

[00131] For example, the reference slot is the first slot that is after slot n+Z, where n is the slot in which the repeater receives the side control information, Z = 2N^^^{rame, 1} , where p is the SCS for side control information. The repeater is expected to use new parameters from the 1^st symbol in that slot. [00132] In another example, the reference slot is the first slot that is after Z symbols after the last symbol of the side control information. The repeater is expected to use new parameters from 1^st symbol in that slot.

[00133] In another example, the reference symbol is the first symbol that is after Z symbols after the last symbol of the side control information.

[00134] In another example, the reference symbol is the first symbol that is after Z symbols after the first symbol of a PDCCH carrying the side control information.

[00135] The Z symbols is determined by the SCS for time domain resources indicated by the PDCCH. Alternatively, the Z symbols is determined by the smallest SCS configured for any time domain resources that may be indicated by the PDCCH. Alternatively, the Z symbols is determined by the respective SCS configured for each time domain resource that may be indicated by the PDCCH. Assuming the gNB configures 4 sets of time domain resources and each set of time domain resources has a separate SCS, the Z symbols is determined by the smallest SCS of these 4 sets of time domain resources. Alternatively, the Z symbols is determined by the indicated SCS/smallest SCS configured for any time information by the PDCCH and SCS of the PDCCH. [00136] For another example, the reference slot is the first slot that is after slot n+Z, where n is the slot in which the repeater transmits the HARQ-ACK via a PUCCH for the side control information, Z = 2N^^{b rame}' ^l , where p is the the SCS for the PUCCH. The repeater is expected to use the new parameters from the 1^st symbol in that slot. Alternatively, Z = 2N^^b^^rame,[1 + M, where p is the SCS for the PUCCH, and M is determined by the SCS for a time domain resource indicated by the side control information carried by the PDSCH. The SCS for the time domain resource indicated by the side control information carried by the PDSCH is the smallest SCS for the time domain resources, if more than one SCS is indicated by the side control information.

[00137] In some embodiments, if an additional offset is indicated in the side control information, e.g., the symbol or slot-level offset for the start of the time domain resource, the start of the time domain resource is determined by the reference slot/symbol and the offset. For example, a gNB may ensure that the indicated additional offset leads to the start of the time domain resource no earlier than the reference slot/symbol so that the repeater applies the side control information for the time domain resources with sufficient processing time. In some embodiments, for side control information carried by the PDCCH, the repeater does not expect a start of a time domain resource indicated by the PDCCH will be earlier than the reference slot/symbol for application delay. For example, the gap between the PDCCH and the time domain resource should be no smaller than X slot/Y symbol based on option 3 above. In some embodiments, for side control information carried by a PDSCH, e.g., by a MAC CE or RRC signaling, the repeater applies the side control information for the indicated starting symbol within one period that is no earlier than X slot/Y symbols after the PUCCH carrying the HARQ-ACK and pre-defined offset based on option 6 above.

[00138] For different side control information, e.g., side control information carried by the PDCCH or carried by a higher layer, the reference slot/symbol to apply the information may be different, e.g., due to different processing times for the PDCCH and PDSCH and also different parameter adjustment times. [00139] ACK feedback for side control information

[00140] To avoid misalignment between a gNB and repeater, ACK feedback for side control information is desirable. In one embodiment, the repeater transmits a MAC CE confirmation after the repeater receives side control information via a PDCCH or PDSCH.

[00141] In one embodiment, the repeater transmits HARQ-ACK feedback for an ACK or NACK via a PUCCH, after the repeater receives side control information via a PDCCH or PDSCH. Alternatively, the repeater transmits HARQ-ACK feedback for ACK-only via a PUCCH; in other words, if the repeater fails to decode the side control information, the repeater does not transmit a PUCCH for the HARQ-ACK. Alternatively, the repeater transmits HARQ-ACK feedback for NACK-only via PUCCH; in other words, if the repeater successfully decodes side control information, the repeater does not transmit a PUCCH for the HARQ-ACK.

[00142] For the above embodiments, a different ACK feedback mechanism may be applied for different side control information. In one option, a different ACK feedback mechanism may be applied depending on whether the side control information is PDCCH or PDSCH side control information. For example, for side control information for a PDCCH, the repeater does not provide feedback, while for a PDSCH, the repeater provides feedback according to one of the above options. In another example, for side control information for a PDCCH, the repeater provides feedback by a PUCCH, while for a PDSCH, the repeater provides feedback by a MAC CE. In another option, different ACK feedback mechanisms may be applied depending on the side control information type. For example, for one type of side control information, the repeater provides feedback, while for another type of side control information, the repeater does not provide feedback. In another option, the gNB configures whether/how to provide feedback for side control information. A default assumption for feedback is applied, if the gNB does not configure the feedback information for side control information. If a PDCCH schedules a PDSCH and the PDCCH carries side control information, a HARQ-ACK for the PDSCH is applied. Alternatively, the HARQ-ACK for a PDCCH is applied. Alternatively, the HARQ-ACK for both a PDSCH and PDCCH is applied. If a PDCCH schedules a PUSCH and the PDCCH carries side control information, the HARQ-ACK for a PDCCH is applied. Alternatively, the HARQ-ACK is not reported, considering PUSCH reception may be used to derive whether the PDCCH is correctly received.

[00143] For the above embodiments, when HARQ-ACK feedback is provided via a PUCCH, in one option, the repeater expects to transmit the HARQ-ACK for at most one PDSCH or PDCCH using the PUCCH. In another option, a repeater expects to transmit the HARQ-ACK for at most more than one PDSCH or PDCCH via the PUCCH based on a HARQ-ACK codebook. For a type-1 HARQ-ACK codebook, up to one HARQ-ACK is reported for a DL slot. Alternatively, more than one HARQ-ACK may be reported for a DL slot. If a HARQ-ACK for a PDCCH is to be reported, a candidate PDSCH location for the PDCCH is determined according to a pre-defined rule. For a type-2 HARQ- ACK codebook, HARQ-ACK bit location for a PDSCH or PDCCH carrying side control information is determined based on a Downlink Assignment Index (DAI).

[00144] FIG. 6 illustrates a process in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, the electronic device(s), network(s), system(s), chip(s) or component(s), or portions or implementations thereof, of the figures described herein, may be configured to perform one or more processes, techniques, or methods as described herein, or portions thereof. One such process is depicted in FIG. 6. For example, the process may include, at 601, receiving side control information associated with a repeater. The process further includes, at 602, adjusting a parameter of the repeater based on the side control information, the parameter including a beamforming parameter, an on/off state, a DL chain, or an UL chain.

[00145] Examples

[00146] Example 1 is an apparatus for a repeater, the apparatus comprising: memory; and processing circuitry, to configure the repeater to: determine side control information in downlink control information received from an xNodeB (xNB) at a mobile termination (MT); and based on the side control information, adjust parameters of a radio unit (RU) configured to amplify and forward a signal received by the repeater to one of the xNB or a user equipment (UE); and wherein the memory is configured to store the parameters. [00147] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 includes, wherein: the downlink control information is at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine a PDCCH search space configuration for reception of the downlink control information, the PDCCH search space configuration including at least one of: a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), a control resource set (CORESET) configuration, a search space set configuration, and a PDCCH candidate configuration.

[00148] In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 includes, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine the PDCCH search space configuration based on at least one of Operations, Administration and Maintenance (0AM) configuration, system information, or dedicated signaling to the repeater.

[00149] In Example 4, the subject matter of Examples 1-3 includes, wherein the downlink control information is one of: repeater-specific, or repeater-group-common in which a single PDCCH or PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters.

[00150] In Example 5, the subject matter of Example 4 includes, wherein: the downlink control information is repeater-group-common, and one of identical side control information applies to all repeaters in a group or different side control information applies for different repeaters within the group.

[00151] In Example 6, the subject matter of Example 5 includes, wherein: different side control information applies for different repeaters within the group, and the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine at least one of: a location of a side control information bit field in downlink control information (DCI) of the PDCCH that carries the side control information, and whether the PDCCH that carries the side control information contains side control information for the repeater based on a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) or packet data unit (PDU) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling dependent on identity information in the MAC CE or PDU or RRC signaling.

[00152] In Example 7, the subject matter of Examples 2-6 includes, wherein the at least one of PDCCH or PDSCH contains multiple types of side control information that includes beamforming control information, on or off information, and uplink or downlink forwarding information.

[00153] In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 7 includes, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine at least one of: a location of each bit field for each type of side control information, or each type of side control information based on type information in a Medium Access Control (MAC) packet data unit (PDU) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[00154] In Example 9, the subject matter of Examples 2-8 includes, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to differentiate among PDCCHs or PDSCHs carrying different types of information based on at least one of a flag bit in a downlink control information (DCI) payload of a received PDCCH, Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), a DCI format, a DCI size, and search space, the PDCCHs carrying different types of information including a PDCCH carrying side control information, a PDCCH for uplink or downlink scheduling, and a PDCCH for control of a repeater MT.

[00155] In Example 10, the subject matter of Examples 2-9 includes, wherein: the at least one of PDCCH or PDSCH contains side control information for at least one of multiple pass-bands or multiple carriers, and one of: the side control information commonly applies to the at least one of multiple pass-bands or multiple carriers, or one PDCCH or PDSCH contains respective different side control information for different pass-bands or carriers.

[00156] In Example 11, the subject matter of Example 10 includes, wherein the at least one of multiple pass-bands or multiple carriers are associated with a set or group index.

[00157] In Example 12, the subject matter of Examples 10-11 includes, wherein the side control information includes both time domain resource information (T-information) and control information for a time domain resource (S-information).

[00158] In Example 13, the subject matter of Example 12 includes, wherein one of: common T-information is indicated for multiple blocks and S- information for the two blocks is not common for the multiple blocks, or common T-information is indicated for multiple different blocks, and common S-information is indicated for the multiple different blocks. [00159] In Example 14, the subject matter of Examples 10-13 includes, wherein the side control information includes a reference slot or symbol and predefined offset that are determined based on one or more sub-carrier spacings (SCSs).

[00160] In Example 15, the subject matter of Examples 1-14 includes, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to adjust the parameters of the RU starting from a reference slot or symbol that is one of: a specific frame, slot, and symbol location, a slot or first or last symbol where the repeater detects the side control information, with or without a predetermined offset that is configured by the xNB or determined according to a specific processing time, a predetermined number of slots or symbols after the slot or first or last symbol where the repeater detects the side control information, with or without the predetermined offset, a slot or first or last symbol where the repeater transmits an acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK) for the side control information, with or without the predetermined offset, or a predetermined number of slots or symbols after the slot or first or last symbol where the repeater transmits the ACK or NACK for the side control information, with or without the predetermined offset.

[00161] In Example 16, the subject matter of Examples 1-15 includes, wherein: the processing circuitry configures the repeater to receive the side control information based on physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) search space configuration information for side control, and a search space for the side control information is at least one of: a type-0 common search space (CSS) configured with control resource set (CORESET) 0 configured by a master information block (MIB), a type OA/1/2 search space, indicated by system information, indicated by dedicated signaling, or indicated by a PDCCH in a type-0 CSS configured with CORESET 0 configured by the MIB.

[00162] Example 17 is an apparatus for an xNodeB (xNB), the apparatus comprising: memory; and processing circuitry, to configure the xNB to: send, to a mobile termination (MT) or a repeater, side control information in at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); and receive, from the repeater, a signal amplified and forwarded from a user equipment (UE) using parameters of a radio unit (RU) of the repeater adjusted based on the side control information. [00163] In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 includes, wherein the side control information is one of: repeater-specific, or repeatergroup-common in which a single PDCCH or PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters.

[00164] Example 19 is a computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of repeater, the one or more processors to configure the repeater, when the instructions are executed: receive side control information in at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) received from an xNodeB (xNB) at a mobile termination (MT); and based on the side control information, adjust parameters of a radio unit (RU) configured to amplify and forward a signal received by the repeater to one of the xNB or a user equipment (UE).

[00165] In Example 20, the subject matter of Example 19 includes, wherein the side control information is one of: repeater-specific, or repeatergroup-common in which a single PDCCH or PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters.

[00166] Example 21 is at least one machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

[00167] Example 22 is an apparatus comprising means to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

[00168] Example 23 is a system to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

[00169] Example 24 is a method to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

[00170] Although an embodiment has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawings that form a part hereof show, by way of illustration, and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[00171] The subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “embodiment” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. [00172] In this document, the terms "a" or "an" are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of "at least one" or "one or more." In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B," unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein." Also, in the following claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, a system, UE, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[00173] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it may be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for a repeater, the apparatus comprising: memory; and processing circuitry, to configure the repeater to: determine side control information in downlink control information received from an xNodeB (xNB) at a mobile termination (MT); and based on the side control information, adjust parameters of a radio unit (RU) configured to amplify and forward a signal received by the repeater to one of the xNB or a user equipment (UE); and wherein the memory is configured to store the parameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the downlink control information is at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine a PDCCH search space configuration for reception of the downlink control information, the PDCCH search space configuration including at least one of: a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), a control resource set (CORESET) configuration, a search space set configuration, and a PDCCH candidate configuration.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine the PDCCH search space configuration based on at least one of Operations, Administration and Maintenance (0AM) configuration, system information, or dedicated signaling to the repeater.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the downlink control information is one of: repeater-specific, or repeater-group-common in which a single PDCCH or PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: the downlink control information is repeater-group-common, and one of identical side control information applies to all repeaters in a group or different side control information applies for different repeaters within the group.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein: different side control information applies for different repeaters within the group, and the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine at least one of: a location of a side control information bit field in downlink control information (DCI) of the PDCCH that carries the side control information, and whether the PDCCH that carries the side control information contains side control information for the repeater based on a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) or packet data unit (PDU) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling dependent on identity information in the MAC CE or PDU or RRC signaling.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one of PDCCH or PDSCH contains multiple types of side control information that includes beamforming control information, on or off information, and uplink or downlink forwarding information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to determine at least one of: a location of each bit field for each type of side control information, or each type of side control information based on type information in a Medium Access Control (MAC) packet data unit (PDU) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to differentiate among PDCCHs or PDSCHs carrying different types of information based on at least one of a flag bit in a downlink control information (DCI) payload of a received PDCCH, Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), a DCI format, a DCI size, and search space, the PDCCHs carrying different types of information including a PDCCH carrying side control information, a PDCCH for uplink or downlink scheduling, and a PDCCH for control of a repeater MT.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the at least one of PDCCH or PDSCH contains side control information for at least one of multiple pass-bands or multiple carriers, and one of: the side control information commonly applies to the at least one of multiple pass-bands or multiple carriers, or one PDCCH or PDSCH contains respective different side control information for different pass-bands or carriers.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one of multiple passbands or multiple carriers are associated with a set or group index.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the side control information includes both time domain resource information (T -information) and control information for a time domain resource (S-information).

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one of: common T-information is indicated for multiple blocks and S- information for the two blocks is not common for the multiple blocks, or common T-information is indicated for multiple different blocks, and common S-information is indicated for the multiple different blocks.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the side control information includes a reference slot or symbol and predefined offset that are determined based on one or more sub-carrier spacings (SCSs).

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry configures the repeater to adjust the parameters of the RU starting from a reference slot or symbol that is one of: a specific frame, slot, and symbol location, a slot or first or last symbol where the repeater detects the side control information, with or without a predetermined offset that is configured by the xNB or determined according to a specific processing time, a predetermined number of slots or symbols after the slot or first or last symbol where the repeater detects the side control information, with or without the predetermined offset, a slot or first or last symbol where the repeater transmits an acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK) for the side control information, with or without the predetermined offset, or a predetermined number of slots or symbols after the slot or first or last symbol where the repeater transmits the ACK or NACK for the side control information, with or without the predetermined offset.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the processing circuitry configures the repeater to receive the side control information based on physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) search space configuration information for side control, and a search space for the side control information is at least one of a type-0 common search space (CSS) configured with control resource set (CORESET) 0 configured by a master information block (MIB), a type OA/1/2 search space, indicated by system information, indicated by dedicated signaling, or indicated by a PDCCH in a type-0 CSS configured with CORESET 0 configured by the MIB.

17. An apparatus for an xNodeB (xNB), the apparatus comprising: memory; and processing circuitry, to configure the xNB to: send, to a mobile termination (MT) or a repeater, side control information in at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); and receive, from the repeater, a signal amplified and forwarded from a user equipment (UE) using parameters of a radio unit (RU) of the repeater adjusted based on the side control information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the side control information is one of: repeater-specific, or repeater-group-common in which a single PDCCH or PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters.

19. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of repeater, the one or more processors to configure the repeater, when the instructions are executed: receive side control information in at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) received from an xNodeB (xNB) at a mobile termination (MT); and based on the side control information, adjust parameters of a radio unit (RU) configured to amplify and forward a signal received by the repeater to one of the xNB or a user equipment (UE).

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the side control information is one of: repeater-specific, or repeater-group-common in which a single PDCCH or PDSCH carries side control information for multiple repeaters.