IP Library Granted Patent US 12,592,795
Granted Patent B2
US 12,592,795 · App. 17/704,396 · Granted Mar 31, 2026

Method and user equipment for hybrid automatic repeat request mode operation in non-terrestrial network

Inventors: Hsin-Hsi Tsai (Taipei, TW); Chien-Chun Cheng (Taipei, TW); Yung-Lan Tseng (Taipei, TW)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04L1/1861H04L1/1614H04L1/1812H04L1/1822H04L1/1854
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,592,795
App. No.
17/704,396
Granted
Mar 31, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and a user equipment for performing a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) operation are provided. The method includes: receiving, from a Base Station (BS), a first configuration for a serving cell, the first configuration including a first bitmap for indicating a HARQ mode of each HARQ process in a first HARQ process set, each bit in the first bitmap being associated with a corresponding HARQ process in the first HARQ process set; and identify, based on the first bitmap, whether each HARQ process in the first HARQ process set is related to a first HARQ mode or a second HARQ mode.

Claims (56)

1 . A method for a User Equipment (UE) for performing a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) mode operation in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the method comprising:

receiving, from a Base Station (BS), a first configuration and a second configuration for a serving cell, the first configuration including a first bitmap for indicating a HARQ mode of each uplink (UL) HARQ process in a UL HARQ process set, each bit in the first bitmap being associated with a corresponding UL HARQ process in the UL HARQ process set, and the second configuration including a second bitmap for indicating a Downlink (DL) HARQ feedback condition of each DL HARQ process in a DL HARQ process set, each bit in the second bitmap being associated with a corresponding DL HARQ process in the DL HARQ process set;

identifying, based on the first bitmap, whether the HARQ mode of each UL HARQ process in the UL HARQ process set is related to a first HARQ mode, in which a HARQ Round Trip Time (RTT) timer for the UL HARQ process is set and started by the UE, or a second HARQ mode, in which the HARQ RTT timer for the UL HARQ process is not started by the UE;

identifying, based on the second bitmap, whether the DL HARQ feedback condition of each DL HARQ process in the DL HARQ process set is related to a first DL HARQ feedback condition or a second DL HARQ feedback condition;

receiving, from the BS, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Information Element (IE) including a logical channel configuration for a logical channel, the logical channel configuration including a parameter that indicates at least one of the first HARQ mode and the second HARQ mode is allowed to be mapped to the logical channel;

receiving, from the BS, a UL grant including a HARQ process identifier that indicates a UL HARQ process in the UL HARQ process set;

performing, based on a Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) procedure, a transmission for the UL HARQ process via the UL grant; and

determining, based on the parameter and the HARQ mode of the UL HARQ process, whether the logical channel is allowed to be selected for the transmission.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first HARQ mode includes a HARQ Mode A,

the HARQ Mode A represents that UL HARQ retransmission is enabled,

the second HARQ mode includes a HARQ Mode B, and

the HARQ Mode B represents that the UL HARQ retransmission is disabled.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first configuration is included in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) configuration for the serving cell.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

setting a value of the HARQ RTT timer for the UL HARQ process in a case that the HARQ mode of the UL HARQ process is related to the first HARQ mode, wherein:

the value is a sum of a first value and a second value,

the first value is configured by a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) configuration received from the BS,

the second value corresponds to an RTT, and

the RTT is derived by a Timing Advance (TA) value and a scheduling offset.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, based on a bit in the first bitmap, that the HARQ mode of the UL HARQ process is related to the first HARQ mode in a case that the bit indicates a first value; and

identifying, based on the bit in the first bitmap, that the HARQ mode of the UL HARQ process is related to the second HARQ mode in a case that the bit indicates a second value.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first DL HARQ feedback condition represents that DL HARQ feedback is enabled, and

the second DL HARQ feedback condition represents that the DL HARQ feedback is disabled.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second configuration is included in a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) configuration for the serving cell.

8 . A User Equipment (UE) for performing a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) mode operation in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the UE comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to execute the one or more computer-executable instructions to cause the UE to:

receive, from a Base Station (BS), a first configuration and a second configuration for a serving cell, the first configuration including a first bitmap for indicating a HARQ mode of each uplink (UL) HARQ process in a UL HARQ process set, each bit in the first bitmap being associated with a corresponding UL HARQ process in the UL HARQ process set, and the second configuration including a second bitmap for indicating a Downlink (DL) HARQ feedback condition of each DL HARQ process in a DL HARQ process set, each bit in the second bitmap being associated with a corresponding DL HARQ process in the DL HARQ process set;

identify, based on the first bitmap, whether the HARQ mode of each UL HARQ process in the UL HARQ process set is related to a first HARQ mode, in which a HARQ Round Trip Time (RTT) timer for the UL HARQ process is set and started by the UE, or a second HARQ mode, in which the HARQ RTT timer for the UL HARQ process is not started by the UE;

identify, based on the second bitmap, whether the DL HARQ feedback condition of each DL HARQ process in the DL HARQ process set is related to a first DL HARQ feedback condition or a second DL HARQ feedback condition;

receive, from the BS, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Information Element (IE) including a logical channel configuration for a logical channel, the logical channel configuration including a parameter that indicates at least one of the first HARQ mode and the second HARQ mode is allowed to be mapped to the logical channel;

receive, from the BS, a UL grant including a HARQ process identifier that indicates a UL HARQ process in the UL HARQ process set;

perform, based on a Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) procedure, a transmission for the UL HARQ process via the UL grant; and

determine, based on the parameter and the HARQ mode of the UL HARQ process, whether the logical channel is allowed to be selected for the transmission.

9 . The UE of claim 8 , wherein:

the first HARQ mode includes a HARQ Mode A,

the HARQ Mode A represents that UL HARQ retransmission is enabled,

the second HARQ mode includes a HARQ Mode B, and

the HARQ Mode B represents that the UL HARQ retransmission is disabled.

10 . The UE of claim 8 , wherein the first configuration is included in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) configuration for the serving cell.

11 . The UE of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more computer-executable instructions to cause the UE to:

set a value of the HARQ RTT timer for the UL HARQ process in a case that the HARQ mode of the UL HARQ process is related to the first HARQ mode, wherein:

the value is a sum of a first value and a second value,

the first value is configured by a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) configuration received from the BS,

the second value corresponds to an RTT, and

the RTT is derived by a Timing Advance (TA) value and a scheduling offset.

12 . The UE of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more computer-executable instructions to cause the UE to:

identify, based on a bit in the first bitmap, that the HARQ mode of UL HARQ process is related to the first HARQ mode in a case that the bit indicates a first value; and

identify, based on the bit in the first bitmap, that the HARQ mode of the UL HARQ process is related to the second HARQ mode in a case that the bit indicates a second value.

13 . The UE of claim 8 , wherein:

the first DL HARQ feedback condition represents that DL HARQ feedback is enabled, and

the second DL HARQ feedback condition represents that the DL HARQ feedback is disabled.

14 . The UE of claim 8 , wherein the second configuration is included in a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) configuration for the serving cell.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2024
From: FG INNOVATION COMPANY LIMITED
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 069028/0473 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2022
From: TSAI, HSIN-HSI; CHENG, CHIEN-CHUN; TSENG, YUNG-LAN
To: FG INNOVATION COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 059403/0586 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 63166913 · Mar 26, 2021
Provisional Application 63166903 · Mar 26, 2021
Related Publication 20220311558A1 · Sep 29, 2022
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