Applying irregular subcarrier spacing
Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for supporting irregular subcarrier spacing. One apparatus includes a transceiver and a processor that receives an indication of at least one value of irregular subcarrier spacing. The processor controls the transceiver to communicate with a Radio Access Network (“RAN”) by applying the indicated irregular subcarrier spacing to resource elements (“REs”) in multiple physical resource block groups (“PRGs”).
1 . A method performed by a user equipment (“UE”), the method comprising:
receiving, from a base station, a configuration comprising an indication of at least one value of an irregular subcarrier spacing; and
communicating with the base station by applying the irregular subcarrier spacing to resource elements (“REs”) in multiple physical resource block groups (“PRGs”) based on the received indication of the at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing,
wherein the irregular subcarrier spacing comprises a pattern of multiple empty subcarriers interleaved among multiple occupied REs within a single PRG of the multiple PRGs.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the irregular subcarrier spacing comprises a frequency offset parameter to indicate a pattern of empty REs interleaved among occupied REs, wherein the occupied REs are used to communicate at least one of:
data signals, control signals, and reference signals.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising applying a power boosting to the occupied REs in the PRGs, wherein the power boosting is applied as a ratio of energy per resource element between the empty subcarriers in a particular PRG and the occupied REs in the particular PRG.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the PRG comprises a plurality of REs, each RE centered on a subcarrier, the plurality of REs offset in a frequency domain according to a default subcarrier spacing, wherein the irregular subcarrier spacing achieves a subcarrier spacing between occupied REs that is greater than the default subcarrier spacing.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing comprises sets of PRGs and multiple values of frequency offset, where each frequency offset value is applied to each set of PRGs, wherein a highest frequency offset value is applied to a set of PRGs closest to a direct current (“DC”) subcarrier, and wherein lower frequency offset values are applied to sets of PRGs further away from the DC subcarrier.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing is applied to an odd number of PRGs adjacent to a direct current (“DC”) subcarrier.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing comprises a number of PRGs to which the at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing is applicable, wherein the irregular subcarrier spacing is not applied to additional PRGs outside the indicated number of PRGs.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing is implicitly associated with specific PRG indices.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a power boosting to occupied REs in the PRGs.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the power boosting is applied as a ratio of energy per resource element between the PRGs where the irregular subcarrier spacing is applied and a PRG where the irregular subcarrier spacing is not applied.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the power boosting is applied as a ratio of energy per resource element between REs for data transmission and REs for reference signal transmission.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that a RE is to be used for data transmission based on at least one of: an indicated frequency offset value and a reference signal configuration within a PRG.
13 . A User Equipment (“UE”) for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory; and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to:
receive, from a base station, a configuration comprising an indication of at least one value of an irregular subcarrier spacing; and
communicate with the base station by applying the irregular subcarrier spacing to resource elements (“REs”) in multiple physical resource block groups (“PRGs”) based on the received indication of the at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing,
wherein the irregular subcarrier spacing comprises a pattern of multiple empty subcarriers interleaved among multiple occupied REs within a single PRG of the multiple PRGs.
14 . The UE of claim 13 , wherein the irregular subcarrier spacing comprises a frequency offset parameter to indicate a pattern of empty REs interleaved among occupied REs, wherein the occupied REs are used to communicate at least one of:
data signals, control signals, and reference signals.
15 . The UE of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to apply a power boosting to the occupied REs in the PRGs, wherein the power boosting is applied as a ratio of energy per resource element between the empty subcarriers in a particular PRG and the occupied REs in the particular PRG.
16 . The UE of claim 14 , wherein the PRG comprises a plurality of REs, each RE centered on a subcarrier, the plurality of REs offset in a frequency domain according to a default subcarrier spacing, wherein the irregular subcarrier spacing achieves a subcarrier spacing between occupied REs that is greater than the default subcarrier spacing.
17 . The UE of claim 13 , wherein the indication of at least one value of the irregular subcarrier spacing comprises sets of PRGs and multiple values of frequency offset, where each frequency offset value is applied to each set of PRGs, wherein a highest frequency offset value is applied to a set of PRGs closest to a direct current (“DC”) subcarrier, and wherein lower frequency offset values are applied to sets of PRGs further away from the DC subcarrier.
18 . The UE of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to apply a power boosting to occupied REs in the PRGs.
19 . The UE of claim 18 , wherein the power boosting is applied as a ratio of energy per resource element between the PRGs where the irregular subcarrier spacing is applied and a PRG where the irregular subcarrier spacing is not applied.
20 . The UE of claim 18 , wherein the power boosting is applied as a ratio of energy per resource element between REs for data transmission and REs for reference signal transmission.