Robust grant-free transmissions
Various arrangements for performing grant-free uplink transmissions are presented herein. A user equipment (UE) can determine data that is to be transmitted using a grant-free uplink transmission to a base station of a cellular network. Three or more grant-free transmission blocks may be selected by the UE. The same data payload may be transmitted on each grant-free transmission block. The first grant-free transmission block can indicate the end of a chain of linked grant-free transmissions and have a pointer that references the second grant-free transmission block. The second grant-free transmission can include pointers that refer to the first grant-free transmission block and a third grant-free transmission block.
1. A method for performing grant-free uplink transmissions, the method comprising:
determining, by a user equipment (UE), data that is to be transmitted using a grant-free uplink transmission to a base station of a cellular network;
selecting, by the UE, a first grant-free resource block from a plurality of grant-free resource blocks, wherein:
each grant-free resource block defines a subcarrier frequency and timeslot for data to be transmitted by UE without a reservation;
selecting, by the UE, a second grant-free resource block from the plurality of grant-free resource blocks;
selecting, by the UE, a third grant-free resource block from the plurality of grant-free resource blocks;
transmitting, by the UE, a first grant-free transmission that comprises a data payload, a first pointer, and a second pointer at the first grant-free resource block, wherein:
the first pointer is indicative of a first end of a chain of linked grant-free transmissions;
the second pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block;
transmitting, by the UE, a second grant-free transmission that comprises the data payload, a third pointer, and a fourth pointer at the second grant-free resource block, wherein:
the third pointer refers to the first grant-free resource block;
the fourth pointer refers to the third grant-free resource block; and
transmitting, by the UE, a third grant-free transmission that comprises the data payload, a fifth pointer, at the third grant-free resource block, wherein:
the fifth pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first grant-free resource block, the second grant-free resource block, and the third grant-free resource block each occur at a same time.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first grant-free resource block, the second grant-free resource block, and the third grant-free resource block each occur during different timeslots on different frequencies.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE transmits the first grant-free transmission, the second grant-free transmission, and the third grant-free transmission according to the 5G New Radio (NR) communication protocol.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first grant-free resource block, selecting the second grant-free resource block, and selecting the third grant-free resource block are performed randomly by the UE.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third grant-free transmission comprises a sixth pointer that is indicative of a second end of the chain of the linked grant-free transmissions.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the sixth pointer refers to the third grant-free resource block.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third grant-free transmission comprises a sixth pointer that refers to a fourth grant-free resource block.
9. A system for performing grant-free uplink transmissions, the system comprising:
a user equipment (UE), configured to:
determine data that is to be transmitted using a grant-free uplink transmission to a base station of a cellular network;
select a first grant-free resource block from a plurality of grant-free resource blocks, wherein:
each grant-free resource block defines a subcarrier frequency and timeslot for data to be transmitted by UE without a reservation;
select a second grant-free resource block from the plurality of grant-free resource blocks;
select a third grant-free resource block from the plurality of grant-free resource blocks;
transmit a first grant-free transmission that comprises a data payload, a first pointer, and a second pointer at the first grant-free resource block, wherein:
the first pointer is indicative of a first end of a chain of linked grant-free transmissions;
the second pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block;
transmit a second grant-free transmission that comprises the data payload, a third pointer, and a fourth pointer at the second grant-free resource block, wherein:
the third pointer refers to the first grant-free resource block;
the fourth pointer refers to the third grant-free resource block; and
transmit a third grant-free transmission that comprises the data payload, a fifth pointer, at the third grant-free resource block, wherein:
the fifth pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising the base station of the cellular network that receives the first grant-free transmission, the second grant-free transmission, and the third grant-free transmission.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the base station, UE, and cellular network operate according to the 5G New Radio (NR) cellular communication standard.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first grant-free resource block, the second grant-free resource block, and the third grant-free resource block each occur at a same time.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first grant-free resource block, the second grant-free resource block, and the third grant-free resource block each occur during different timeslots on different frequencies.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the UE being configured to select the first grant-free resource block, the second grant-free resource block, and the third grant-free resource block is performed randomly.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the third grant-free transmission comprises a sixth pointer that is indicative of a second end of the chain of the linked grant-free transmissions.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the sixth pointer refers to the third grant-free resource block.
17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the third grant-free transmission comprises a sixth pointer that refers to a fourth grant-free resource block.
18. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for a cellular device comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors of a first user equipment (UE) to:
determine data that is to be transmitted using a grant-free uplink transmission to a base station of a cellular network;
select a first grant-free resource block from a plurality of grant-free resource blocks, wherein:
each grant-free resource block defines a subcarrier frequency and timeslot for data to be transmitted by UE without a reservation;
select a second grant-free resource block from the plurality of grant-free resource blocks;
select a third grant-free resource block from the plurality of grant-free resource blocks;
transmit a first grant-free transmission that comprises a data payload, a first pointer, and a second pointer at the first grant-free resource block, wherein:
the first pointer is indicative of a first end of a chain of linked grant-free transmissions;
the second pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block;
transmit a second grant-free transmission that comprises the data payload, a third pointer, and a fourth pointer at the second grant-free resource block, wherein:
the third pointer refers to the first grant-free resource block;
the fourth pointer refers to the third grant-free resource block; and
transmit a third grant-free transmission that comprises the data payload, a fifth pointer, at the third grant-free resource block, wherein:
the fifth pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block.
19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the third grant-free transmission comprises a sixth pointer that is indicative of a second end of the chain of the linked grant-free transmissions.
20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the third grant-free transmission comprises a sixth pointer that refers to a fourth grant-free resource block.