Multi-user multiplexing frame structure for eMTC

• US 10,652,760 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2016
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Renqiu, Xu, Hao, Chen, Wanshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulysse, Jael M
• Application Number:
  US15/202,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20170013481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0044 OVSF [orthogonal variable spreading factor]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2011/0003 Combination with other multiplexing techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communications, and more specifically increasing user capacity through a frame structure which supports eMTC UL multi-user multiplexing. According to aspects, a UE may identify at least one narrowband region within a wider system bandwidth, determine at least one parameter assigned to the UE for transmitting symbols of a physical uplink channel in the narrowband region that are multiplexed with symbols transmitted by one or more other UEs, and transmit the physical uplink channel using the at least one determined parameter.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

identifying at least one narrowband region, comprising six resource blocks (RB) or less, within a wider system bandwidth;

determining a cyclic shift assigned to the UE to multiplex symbols of a physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with symbols transmitted by one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different cyclic shift; and

transmitting the symbols of the physical uplink channel in the narrowband region using the determined cyclic shift and using time-frequency resources also used by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises applying the cyclic shift to transmit reference signals (RSs) in one or more symbols of the physical uplink channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the determining further comprising determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises the spreading code; and

transmitting the physical uplink channel further comprises applying the spreading code to transmit reference the signals (RSs) in multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprising determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading code; and

wherein transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises applying the spreading code to transmit reference signals (RSs) in multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprising determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading code; and

transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises applying the spreading code to transmit data symbols in multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprising determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a configurable spreading factor (SF) based, at least in part, on a format of a subframe of the physical uplink channel, a bundling size, or a coverage enhancement (CE) level; and

wherein transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises applying the SF to transmit multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprising determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading factor (SF);

the determining further comprises identifying a subframe hopping pattern; and

transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises applying the SF to transmit the physical uplink channel using a first frequency in a first subframe and subsequently using a second frequency in a second subframe within the narrowband region, the first and second frequencies determined based on the subframe hopping pattern.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the SF is based, at least in part, on a time to retune from the first frequency to the second frequency.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the retuning from the first frequency to the second frequency may occur during at least one of a last one or more symbols of the first subframe or a first one or more symbols of the second subframe.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprising determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading factor (SF);

the determining further comprises identifying a slot-based hopping pattern; and

transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises applying the SF to transmit the physical uplink channel on a first frequency in a first slot of a subframe and subsequently on a second frequency in a second slot of the subframe within the narrowband region, the first and second frequencies determined based on the slot-based hopping pattern.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the SF is based, at least in part, on a time to retune from the first frequency to the second frequency within the subframe.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises applying a spreading code to transmit one of:

reference signals (RSs) or data symbols in multiple symbols of a subframe of the physical uplink channel or across multiple subframes of the physical uplink channel.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprising determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading factor equal to or greater than 1; and

only the UE is scheduled for transmission on a resource block on the physical uplink channel.

14. A method for wireless communications by an evolved Node B (eNB), comprising:

identifying at least one narrowband region, comprising six resource blocks (RB) or less, within a wider system bandwidth;

assigning a cyclic shift to a user equipment (UE) to multiplex symbols of a physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with symbols transmitted by one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different cyclic shift; and

receiving, from the UE, the symbols of the physical uplink channel in the narrowband region using the assigned cyclic shift and, using time-frequency resources also used by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

receiving the physical uplink channel comprises receiving reference signals (RSs) with the cyclic shift applied in one or more symbols of the physical uplink channel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the assigning further comprising assigning a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading code; and

receiving the physical uplink channel comprises receiving reference signals (RSs) with the spreading code applied in multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the assigning further comprising assigning a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading code; and

receiving the physical uplink channel comprises receiving data symbols with the spreading code applied in multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the assigning further comprising assigning a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a configurable spreading factor (SF) based, at least in part, on a format of a subframe of the physical uplink channel, a bundling size, or a coverage enhancement (CE) level; and

receiving the physical uplink channel comprises receiving multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel with the SF applied.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the assigning further comprising assigning a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading factor (SF);

the assigning further comprises assigning a subframe hopping pattern; and

receiving the physical uplink channel comprises receiving the physical uplink channel with the SF applied on a first frequency in a first subframe and subsequently on a second frequency in a second subframe within the narrowband region, the first and second frequencies determined based on the subframe hopping pattern.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the SF is based, at least in part, on a time for the UE to retune from the first frequency to the second frequency.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the retuning from the first frequency to the second frequency may occur during at least one of a last one or more symbols of the first subframe or a first one or more symbols of the second subframe.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the assigning further comprising assigning a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading factor (SF);

the assigning further comprises identifying a slot-based hopping pattern; and

receiving the physical uplink channel comprises receiving the physical uplink channel with the SF applied on a first frequency in a first slot of a subframe and subsequently on a second frequency in a second slot of the subframe within the narrowband region, the first and second frequencies determined based on the slot-based hopping pattern.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the SF is based, at least in part, on a time for the UE to retune from the first frequency to the second frequency within the subframe.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the physical uplink channel comprises receiving one of reference signals (RSs) or data symbols in multiple symbols of a subframe of the physical uplink channel or across multiple subframes of the physical uplink channel with a spreading code applied.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the assigning further comprising assigning a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading factor (SF) equal to or greater than 1; and

further comprising scheduling only the UE for transmission on a resource block on the physical uplink channel.

26. An apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for identifying at least one narrowband region, comprising six resource blocks (RB) or less, within a wider system bandwidth;

means for determining a cyclic shift assigned to the UE to multiplex symbols of a physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with symbols transmitted by one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different cyclic shift; and

means for transmitting the symbols of the physical uplink channel in the narrowband region using the determined cyclic shift and using time-frequency resources also used by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

wherein the means for transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises means for applying the cyclic shift to transmit reference signals (RSs) in one or more symbols of the physical uplink channel.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

the means for determining further comprising means for determining a spreading parameter assigned to the UE to multiplex the symbols of the physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with the symbols transmitted by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different spreading parameter, wherein the spreading parameter comprises a spreading code; and

the means for transmitting the physical uplink channel comprises means for applying the spreading code to transmit reference signals (RSs) in multiple symbols of the physical uplink channel.

29. An apparatus for wireless communications by an evolved Node B (eNB), comprising:

means for identifying at least one narrowband region, comprising six resource blocks (RB) or less, within a wider system bandwidth;

means for assigning a cyclic shift to a user equipment to multiplex-symbols of a physical uplink channel transmitted by the UE in the narrowband region with symbols transmitted by one or more other UEs in the narrowband region with at least a different cyclic shift; and

means for receiving, from the UE, the symbols of the physical uplink channel in the narrowband region using the assigned at least one assigned parameter cyclic shift and using time-frequency resources also used by the one or more other UEs in the narrowband region.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein:

the means for receiving the physical uplink channel comprises means for receiving reference signals (RSs) with the cyclic shift applied in one or more symbols of the physical uplink channel.