User equipment (UE), evolved node-b (eNB) and methods for dynamic hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ)

1. An apparatus of a User Equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors, configured to:

decode downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a downlink transmission of a transport block (TB), wherein the transmission of the TB is comprised of one or more code blocks;

determine a transport block size (TBS) based on the DCI;

attempt to decode the one or more code blocks;

dynamically determine a number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) bits based on a plurality of predetermined thresholds, wherein the plurality of predetermined thresholds includes three thresholds, and wherein the plurality of predetermined thresholds determines the number of code block groups; wherein:

if the TBS is greater than a first predetermined threshold:

bundle the one or more code blocks into code block groups for HARQ acknowledgement; and

encode, for transmission, a HARQ bit per code block group, wherein the HARQ bit for a particular code block group indicates whether a decode failure has occurred for at least one of the one or more code blocks of the particular code block group; and

if the TBS is less than or equal to a second predetermined threshold:

encode, for transmission, a HARQ bit that indicates whether a decode failure has occurred for at least one of the one or more code blocks of the TB.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , the one or more processors further configured to:

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold:

bundle the one or more code blocks into the code block groups based on a bundle size indicated in the DCI, wherein the bundle size indicates a number of code blocks per code block group or a number of code block groups per TB.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , the one or more processors further configured to:

decode a minimum system information (MSI), a remaining minimum system information (RMSI), a system information block (SIB) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling, wherein the MSI, RMSI, SIB or RRC signaling includes candidate bundle sizes; and

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold, select the bundle size from the candidate bundle sizes based on an indicator included in the DCI.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , the one or more processors further configured to:

decode radio resource control (RRC) signaling; and

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold:

bundle the one or more code blocks into the code block groups based on a bundle size indicated in the RRC signaling, wherein the bundle size indicates a number of code blocks per code block group or a number of code block groups per TB.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , the one or more processors further configured to:

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold:

bundle the one or more code blocks to include one or more contiguous code blocks per code block group.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , the one or more processors further configured to:

decode a minimum system information (MSI) that includes the first predetermined threshold, a remaining minimum system information (RMSI) that includes the first predetermined threshold or a system information block (SIB) that includes the first predetermined threshold.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , the one or more processors further configured to:

decode radio resource control (RRC) signaling that includes the predetermined threshold.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , the one or more processors further configured to:

decode a minimum system information (MSI), a remaining minimum system information (RMSI), a system information block (SIB) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling,

wherein the MSI, RMSI, SIB or RRC signaling includes a bundle size,

wherein the bundle size indicates a number of code blocks per code block group or a number of code block groups per TB; and

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold:

bundle the one or more code blocks into the code block groups based on the bundle size.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more processors are further configured to:

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold and less than or equal to the second predetermined threshold, bundle the one or more code blocks into the code block groups based on a first bundle size; and

if the TBS is greater than the second predetermined threshold, bundle the one or more code blocks into the code block groups based on a second bundle size.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first predetermined threshold is included in a plurality of predetermined thresholds,

the one or more processors are further configured to, if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold:

compare the TBS with the one or more other predetermined thresholds of the plurality; and

determine a number of the code block groups to be used based on a predetermined mapping between the number of the code block groups and the thresholds of the plurality.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the UE is arranged to operate in accordance with a new radio (NR) protocol.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further includes a memory is configurable to store the TBS.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further includes a transceiver to receive the TB.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors include a baseband processor to decode the DCI and to determine the TBS.

15. A User Equipment device (UE), comprising:

a radio; and

a processor operably coupled to the radio and configured to cause the UE to:

decode downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a downlink transmission of a transport block (TB), wherein the transmission of the TB is comprised of one or more code blocks;

determine a transport block size (TBS) based on the DCI;

attempt to decode the one or more code blocks; and

dynamically determine a number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) bits based on a plurality of predetermined thresholds, wherein the plurality of predetermined thresholds includes three thresholds, and encode, for transmission, a number of HARQ bits according to the TBS, wherein the plurality of predetermined thresholds determines the number of code block groups; wherein:

if the TBS is greater than a first predetermined threshold, the processor is further configured to cause the UE to bundle the one or more code blocks into code block groups, wherein respective HARQ bits for respective code block groups indicate whether a decode failure has occurred for the respective code block groups; and

if the TBS is less than or equal to a second predetermined threshold, a HARQ bit indicates whether a decode failure has occurred for at least one of the one or more code blocks of the TB.

16. The UE of claim 15 , wherein to bundle the one or more code blocks into code block groups includes selecting a bundle size based on a comparison of the TBS to the second predetermined threshold.

17. The UE of claim 15 , wherein to bundle the one or more code blocks into code block groups includes selecting a bundle size based on an indicator in the DCI.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprises program instructions that are executable to:

decode downlink control information (DCI) that schedules a downlink transmission of a transport block (TB), wherein the transmission of the TB is comprised of one or more code blocks;

determine a transport block size (TBS) based on the DCI;

attempt to decode the one or more code blocks;

dynamically determine a number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) bits based on a plurality of predetermined thresholds, wherein the plurality of predetermined thresholds includes three thresholds, and wherein the plurality of predetermined thresholds determines the number of code block groups; wherein:

if the TBS is greater than a first predetermined threshold:

bundle the one or more code blocks into code block groups for HARQ-acknowledgement; and

encode, for transmission, a HARQ bit per code block group, wherein the HARQ bit for a particular code block group indicates whether a decode failure has occurred for at least one of the one or more code blocks of the particular code block group; and

if the TBS is less than or equal to a second predetermined threshold:

encode, for transmission, a HARQ bit that indicates whether a decode failure has occurred for at least one of the one or more code blocks of the TB.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold:

bundle the one or more code blocks into the code block groups based on a bundle size indicated in the DCI, wherein the bundle size indicates a number of code blocks per code block group or a number of code block groups per TB.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 19 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

decode a minimum system information (MSI), a remaining minimum system information (RMSI), a system information block (SIB) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling, wherein the MSI, RMSI, SIB or RRC signaling includes candidate bundle sizes; and

if the TBS is greater than the first predetermined threshold, select the bundle size from the candidate bundle sizes based on an indicator included in the DCI.