IP Library Granted Patent US 12,628,161
Granted Patent B2
US 12,628,161 · App. 17/482,318 · Granted May 12, 2026

Linked physical downlink control channel candidate rules

Inventors: Mostafa Khoshnevisan (San Diego, CA); Jing Sun (San Diego, CA); Xiaoxia Zhang (San Diego, CA); Tao Luo (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W72/1273H04W24/08H04W72/0446H04W72/23
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,628,161
App. No.
17/482,318
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may monitor for downlink control information (DCI) among a plurality of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates that are associated with each other, the plurality of PDCCH candidates including at least a first PDCCH candidate in a first transmission time period and a last PDCCH candidate in a second transmission time period. The UE may identify a reference timing rule based at least in part on the association between the plurality of PDCCH candidates, the reference timing rule indicating that a reference time is to be determined based at least in part on either the first transmission time period or the second transmission time period. The UE may determine the reference time based at least in part on the reference timing rule and communicate based at least in part on the reference time.

Claims (60)

1 . A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

monitoring for first downlink control information among a first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the first downlink control information scheduling a first shared channel communication for the UE;

monitoring for second downlink control information among a second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the second downlink control information scheduling a second shared channel communication for the UE;

determining a first reference time corresponding to the first shared channel communication, wherein the first reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates;

determining a second reference time corresponding to the second shared channel communication, wherein the second reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates; and

communicating based at least in part on the first reference time and the second reference time according to the first downlink control information and the second downlink control information.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first feedback process identifier and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second feedback process identifier.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reference time and the second reference time determine an in-order sequence rule for scheduled communications such that:

responsive to the first reference time being earlier than the second reference time, the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated before the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated; or

responsive to the second reference time being earlier than the first reference time, the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated before the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first set of transmission time periods and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second set of transmission time periods.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first shared channel communication and the second shared channel communication comprise uplink communications, downlink communications, or both.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first set of repetitions of the first downlink control information and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second set of repetitions of the second downlink control information.

7 . A method for wireless communication at a network device, comprising:

transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), first downlink control information among a first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the first downlink control information scheduling a first shared channel communication for the UE;

transmitting, to the UE, second downlink control information among a second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the second downlink control information scheduling a second shared channel communication for the UE;

determining a first reference time corresponding to the first shared channel communication, wherein the first reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates;

determining a second reference time corresponding to the second shared channel communication, wherein the second reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates; and

communicating with the UE based at least in part on the first reference time and the second reference time according to the first downlink control information and the second downlink control information.

8 . The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first feedback process identifier and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second feedback process identifier.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first reference time and the second reference time determine an in-order sequence rule for scheduled communications such that:

responsive to the first reference time being earlier than the second reference time, the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated before the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated; or

responsive to the second reference time being earlier than the first reference time, the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated before the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first set of transmission time periods and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second set of transmission time periods.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first shared channel communication and the second shared channel communication comprise uplink communications, downlink communications, or both.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first set of repetitions of the first downlink control information and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second set of repetitions of the second downlink control information.

13 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and

instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors to:

monitor for first downlink control information among a first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the first downlink control information scheduling a first shared channel communication for the UE;

monitor for second downlink control information among a second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the second downlink control information scheduling a second shared channel communication for the UE;

determine a first reference time corresponding to the first shared channel communication, wherein the first reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates;

determine a second reference time corresponding to the second shared channel communication, wherein the second reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates; and

communicate based at least in part on the first reference time and the second reference time according to the first downlink control information and the second downlink control information.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:

the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first feedback process identifier and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second feedback process identifier.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first reference time and the second reference time determine an in-order sequence rule for scheduled communications such that:

responsive to the first reference time being earlier than the second reference time, the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated before the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated; or

responsive to the second reference time being earlier than the first reference time, the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated before the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first set of transmission time periods and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second set of transmission time periods.

17 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first shared channel communication and the second shared channel communication comprise uplink communications, downlink communications, or both.

18 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a network device, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and

instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors to:

transmit, to a user equipment (UE), first downlink control information among a first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the first downlink control information scheduling a first shared channel communication for the UE;

transmit, to the UE, second downlink control information among a second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates that are associated with each other, the second downlink control information scheduling a second shared channel communication for the UE;

determine a first reference time corresponding to the first shared channel communication, wherein the first reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates;

determine a second reference time corresponding to the first shared channel communication, wherein the second reference time is a physical downlink control channel ending symbol that is the last symbol of a last physical downlink control channel candidate of the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates; and

communicate with the UE based at least in part on the first reference time and the second reference time according to the first downlink control information and the second downlink control information.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 ,

wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first feedback process identifier and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second feedback process identifier.

20 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first reference time and the second reference time determine an in-order sequence rule for scheduled communications such that:

responsive to the first reference time being earlier than the second reference time, the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated before the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated; or

responsive to the second reference time being earlier than the first reference time, the second shared channel communication scheduled by the second downlink control information is communicated before the first shared channel communication scheduled by the first downlink control information is communicated.

21 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a first set of transmission time periods and the second plurality of physical downlink control channel candidates are associated with a second set of transmission time periods.

22 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first shared channel communication and the second shared channel communication comprise uplink communications, downlink communications, or both.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2021
From: KHOSHNEVISAN, MOSTAFA; SUN, JING; ZHANG, XIAOXIA; LUO, TAO
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 057750/0981 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63082823 · Sep 24, 2020
Related Publication 20220095343A1 · Mar 24, 2022
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