PUCCH repetition to increase the reliability of PUCCH transmission
A user equipment (UE) may increase the reliability of transmission of a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) by transmitting repeated copies of the PUCCH, according to a repetition pattern spanning one or more slots. In an intra-slot mode, more than one copy may be transmitted within each configured slot, with or without frequency hopping. The number of copies as well as a temporal gap between the transmission of successive copies may be configured by the network. The repetition pattern may or may not be interrupted by slot boundaries. In an inter-slot mode, one copy is transmitted per configured slot. Different copies may be transmitted in different directions, according to a spatial consistency pattern. The UE may perform repeated transmission of PUCCHs to different Transmission-Reception Points (TRPs) using respectively different timing advances and/or transmit power levels.
1. A method for operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
transmitting N repetitions of a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) over one or more slots, wherein the N repetitions of the first PUCCH are partitioned into M segments, with each of the M segments including a corresponding K of the N repetitions, wherein different segments of the M segments are associated with different beams or precodings, wherein, for each segment, the K repetitions within the segment are transmitted with the associated beam or precoding, and
transmitting a preferred value of M and a preferred value of K to a network prior to said transmitting N repetitions of the first PUCCH.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the repetitions occur in a first of the one or more slots.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more slots comprise a plurality of slots, wherein a time between successive repetitions of the N repetitions is constant and not interrupted at slot boundaries.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more slots comprise a plurality of slots, wherein a time between successive repetitions of the N repetitions is constant within each of the slots, wherein none of the N repetitions straddles a slot boundary.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein a mode of transmitting the N repetitions is determined by a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message received from a network, wherein the RRC configuration message also indicates a time offset between successive repetitions of the N repetitions.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to said transmitting the N repetitions, transmitting an indication of whether the wireless communication device can ensure phase continuity when the transmit power changes between successive repetitions of said N repetitions.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to said transmitting the N repetitions, transmitting an indication of whether the wireless communication device can ensure phase continuity when the transmit power changes within a repetition of the N repetitions.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to said transmitting the N repetitions, transmitting an indication of whether the wireless communication device can ensure phase continuity when duplexing direction changes between successive repetitions of the N repetitions.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a Medium Access Control (MAC) message that dynamically configures the wireless communication device to perform said transmitting the N repetitions of the first PUCCH, wherein the MAC message includes a number of the repetitions of the first PUCCH to be transmitted by the wireless communication device.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the MAC message also includes one or more of the following:
a cell ID of a serving cell to which the wireless communication device is to transmit the repetitions;
identification of a bandwidth part in which the wireless communication device is to transmit the repetitions; or
a PUCCH resource ID for a PUCCH resource that is to be used by the wireless communication device to transmit the repetitions.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the MAC message is used by the wireless communication device to:
update more than one PUCCH resource with said number of repetitions; or
update all PUCCHs in a plurality of component carriers (CCs) with said number of repetitions; or
update all PUCCHs in a plurality of bandwidth parts with said number of repetitions.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after transmitting the N repetitions of the first PUCCH, transmitting a subsequent plurality repetitions of a second PUCCH in one or more additional slots,
wherein the N repetitions are transmitted using a first set of transmission parameters,
wherein the subsequent plurality of repetitions are transmitted using a second set of transmission parameters.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first set of transmission parameters includes a first timing advance and/or a first transmission power, wherein the second set of transmission parameters includes a second timing advance and/or a second transmission power.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmitting the N repetitions of the first PUCCH is performed according to an inter-slot repetition mode and a short PUCCH format.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when a PUCCH format of the first PUCCH is a long format:
the wireless communication device is configurable to perform said transmitting according to an intra-slot repetition mode or an inter-slot repetition mode; or
the wireless communication device is configurable to perform said transmitting only according to an inter-slot repetition mode; or
the wireless communication device is configurable to perform said transmitting according to an inter-slot repetition mode or according to an intra-slot repetition mode if the number of symbols in the first PUCCH is less than a threshold value.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when a PUCCH format of the first PUCCH is a short format:
the wireless communication device is configurable to perform said transmitting according to an intra-slot repetition mode or an inter-slot repetition mode; or
the wireless communication device is configurable to perform said transmitting only according to an intra-slot repetition mode.
17. A processor comprising:
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
provide for transmission N repetitions of a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) over one or more slots, wherein the N repetitions of the first PUCCH are partitioned into M segments, with each of the M segments including a corresponding K of the N repetitions, wherein different segments of the M segments are associated with different beams or precodings, wherein, for each segment, the K repetitions within the segment are to be transmitted with the associated beam or precoding; and
prior to said transmitting N repetitions of the first PUCCH, provide for transmission a preferred value of M and a preferred value of K.
18. A processor comprising:
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive a transmission of N repetitions of a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) over one or more slots, wherein the N repetitions of the first PUCCH are partitioned into M segments, with each of the M segments including a corresponding K of the N repetitions, wherein different segments of the M segments are associated with different beams or precodings, wherein, for each segment, the K repetitions within the segment are to be transmitted with the associated beam or precoding;
prior to receiving the N repetitions of the first PUCCH, receive a transmission indicating a preferred value of M and a preferred value of K.