Methods and apparatuses for preventing collision among uplink control messages for LC-MTC devices

1. A machine type communication device configured to transmit uplink control channels in a communication network, the device comprising:

a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to,

determine whether a first uplink control channel and a second uplink control channel will collide during a transmission from the machine type communication device to the communication network,

determine whether a number of collisions between the first uplink control channel and the second uplink control channel will be greater than or equal to a threshold number of collisions, and

adjust the transmission of the second uplink control channel relative to the first uplink control channel according to one of a first type of adjustment or a second type of adjustment based on whether the number of collisions between the first uplink control channel and the second uplink control channel will be greater than or equal to the threshold number of collisions.

2. The machine type communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one of the first and second type of adjustment includes delaying the transmission of the second uplink control channel until the transmission of the first uplink control channel is complete.

3. The machine type communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one of the first and second type of adjustment includes piggybacking the second uplink control channel onto the first uplink control channel for transmission to the communication network.

4. The machine type communication device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to piggyback the second uplink control channel onto the first uplink control channel by mapping samples of the second uplink control channel that will collide with the first uplink control channel, to one or more resource elements in physical resource blocks associated with the first uplink control channel.

5. The machine type communication device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to piggyback the second uplink control channel onto the first uplink control channel by puncturing one or more resource elements in physical resource blocks associated with the first uplink control channel, with uplink control information included in the second uplink control channel.

6. The machine type communication device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to piggyback the second uplink control channel onto the first uplink control channel by rate-matching resource elements associated with the first uplink control channel around one or more resource elements of the first uplink control channel designated for including uplink control information of the second uplink control channel.

7. The machine type communication device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to piggyback the second uplink control channel onto the first uplink control channel by,

interrupting transmission of the first uplink control channel,

transmitting uplink control information of the second uplink control channel using resource elements in one or more physical resource blocks associated with the first uplink control channel, and

resuming the transmission of the first uplink control channel after the transmission of the uplink control information of the second uplink control Channel is completed.

8. The machine type communication device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to,

schedule the transmission of the second uplink control channel prior to the transmission of the first uplink control channel, and

piggyback the second uplink control channel onto the first uplink control channel by joint encoding uplink control information of the second uplink control channel with device specific information of the machine type communication device, for transmission to the communication network.

9. The machine type communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the transmission of the second uplink control channel by discontinuing the transmission of the second uplink control channel if the processor determines that the first and second uplink control channels will collide during transmission from the machine type communication device to the communication network.

10. The machine type communication device of claim 1 , wherein

the first type of adjustment includes discontinuing the transmission of the second uplink control channel; and

the processor is further configured to adjust the transmission of the second uplink control channel according to the first type of adjustment if the number of collisions between the first uplink control channel and the second uplink control channel is greater than or equal to the threshold number of collisions.

11. The machine type communication device of claim 1 , wherein

the communication network is a long term evolution (LTE) communication network,

the machine type communication device is in an enhanced coverage mode of operation,

the first uplink control channel is a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and

the second uplink control channel is a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

12. The machine type communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust the transmission of the second uplink control channel relative to the first uplink control channel, based on a message received from a base station, the message indicating a type of adjustment to be made to the transmission of the second uplink control channel relative to the first uplink control channel.

13. A method of transmitting uplink control channels by a machine type communication device in a communication network, the method comprising:

determining, by the machine type communication device, whether a first uplink control channel and a second uplink control channel will collide during transmission by the machine type communication device to the communication network;

determining, by the machine type communication device, whether a number of collisions between the first uplink control channel and the second uplink control channel will be greater than or equal to a threshold number of collisions; and

adjusting, by the machine type communication device, the transmission of the second uplink control channel relative to the first uplink control channel according to one of a first type of adjustment or a second type of adjustment based on whether the number of collisions between the first uplink control channel and the second uplink control channel will be greater than or equal to the threshold number of collisions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one of the first and second type of adjustment includes delaying the transmission of the second uplink control channel until the transmission of the first uplink control channel is complete.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one of the first and second type of adjustment includes piggybacking the second uplink control channel onto the first uplink control channel for transmission to the communication network.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the piggybacking includes at least one of,

mapping samples of the second uplink control channel that will collide with the first uplink control channel, to one or more resource elements in physical resource blocks associated with the first uplink control channel;

puncturing one or more resource elements in physical resource blocks associated with the first .uplink control channel, with uplink control information included in the second uplink control channel; and

rate-matching resource elements associated with the first uplink control channel around one or more resource elements of the first uplink control channel designated for including uplink control information of the second uplink control channel.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the piggybacking includes,

interrupting transmission of the first uplink control channel,

transmitting uplink control information of the second uplink control channel using resource elements in one or more physical resource blocks associated with the first uplink control channel, and

resuming the transmission of the first uplink control channel after the transmission of the uplink control information of the second uplink control channel is completed.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the adjusting includes

discontinuing the transmission of the second uplink control channel if the processor determines that the first and second uplink control channels will collide during transmission from the machine type communication device to the communication network.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein

the first type of adjustment includes discontinuing the transmission of the second uplink control channel; and

the adjusting further includes

adjusting the transmission of the second uplink control channel according to the first type of adjustment if the number of collisions between the first uplink control channel and the second uplink control channel is greater than or equal to the threshold number of collisions.