Synchronization signal block and downlink channel multiplexing
Techniques and apparatuses described herein permit selective multiplexing of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), inside of or outside of an SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window, and downlink channel communications depending on one or more factors, which may increase spectral efficiency due to multiplexing when permitted, and may prevent or reduce collisions and interference when not permitted (e.g., due to quasi co-location constraints, processing constraints, timeline constraints, and/or the like).
1. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving an instruction to measure a synchronization signal block (SSB);
receiving scheduling information that schedules a downlink channel communication in one or more symbols that overlap with the SSB;
determining whether to decode the SSB, the downlink channel communication, or both the SSB and the downlink channel communication based at least in part on at least one of:
a capability of the UE,
a determination of whether a first beam that carries the SSB and a second beam that carries the downlink channel communication are quasi co-located,
an indication received from a base station, or
a first priority level of the SSB and a second priority level of the downlink channel communication; and
processing one or more signals received in the one or more symbols based at least in part on the determination.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SSB is outside of an SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the one or more signals comprises one of:
decoding both the SSB and the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols,
decoding only the SSB and not the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols, or
decoding only the downlink channel communication and not the SSB in the one or more symbols.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE is configured to send a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to the downlink channel communication based at least in part on a determination that the downlink channel communication is not to be decoded.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capability is indicated to a base station.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capability indicates that the UE can:
process both the SSB and the downlink channel communication in overlapping symbols regardless of whether beams via which the SSB and the downlink channel communication are carried are quasi co-located,
process both the SSB and the downlink channel communication in overlapping symbols only when beams via which the SSB and the downlink channel communication are carried are quasi co-located, or
process only one of the SSB or the downlink channel communication in overlapping symbols.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication includes at least one of a system frame number or an SSB identifier.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SSB is associated with radio link monitoring.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downlink channel communication includes at least one of a downlink data channel communication, a downlink control channel communication, or a downlink reference signal from a serving base station of the UE.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more symbols of the downlink channel communication overlap with one or more symbols of the SSB in a time domain.
11. A method of wireless communication performed by a base station, comprising:
transmitting an instruction to a user equipment (UE) to measure a synchronization signal block (SSB);
determining whether to transmit a downlink channel communication in one or more symbols that overlap with the SSB based at least in part on at least one of:
a capability of the UE, or
whether a first beam that is to carry the SSB and a second beam that is to carry the downlink channel communication are quasi co-located; and
transmitting one or more signals in the one or more symbols based at least in part on the determination.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the SSB is outside of an SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the one or more signals comprises transmitting both the SSB and the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the base station is configured to transmit an indication, to the UE, of whether to prioritize the SSB or the downlink channel communication.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the one or more signals comprises transmitting only the SSB and not the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the base station is configured to transmit one or more downlink channel communications to one or more other UEs in the one or more symbols.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the downlink channel communication is scheduled in the one or more symbols but is prevented from being transmitted in the one or more symbols by partially or fully dropping the downlink channel communication.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the downlink channel communication is scheduled via semi-persistent scheduling or configured scheduling.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the base station is configured to reschedule the downlink channel communication.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the downlink channel communication is scheduled via slot aggregation.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the base station is configured to transmit the downlink channel communication if an acknowledgement (ACK), corresponding to one or more other downlink channel communications that are aggregated with the downlink channel communication, is not received from the UE.
22. The method of claim 11 , wherein the SSB is associated with radio link monitoring.
23. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more symbols of the downlink channel communication overlap with one or more symbols of the SSB in a time domain.
24. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:
memory; and
one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to:
receive an instruction to measure a synchronization signal block (SSB);
receive scheduling information that schedules a downlink channel communication in one or more symbols that overlap with the SSB;
determine whether to decode the SSB, the downlink channel communication, or both the SSB and the downlink channel communication based at least in part on at least one of:
a capability of the UE,
a determination of whether a first beam that carries the SSB and a second beam that carries the downlink channel communication are quasi co-located,
an indication received from a base station, or
a first priority level of the SSB and a second priority level of the downlink channel communication; and
process one or more signals received in the one or more symbols based at least in part on the determination.
25. The UE of claim 24 , wherein the UE is configured to send a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to the downlink channel communication based at least in part on a determination that the downlink channel communication is not to be decoded.
26. The UE of claim 24 , wherein the one or more processors, when processing the one or more signals, are configured to one of:
decode both the SSB and the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols,
decode only the SSB and not the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols, or
decode only the downlink channel communication and not the SSB in the one or more symbols.
27. The UE of claim 24 , wherein the one or more symbols of the downlink channel communication overlap with one or more symbols of the SSB in a time domain.
28. A base station for wireless communication, comprising:
memory; and
one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to:
transmit an instruction to a user equipment (UE) to measure a synchronization signal block (SSB) outside of an SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window;
determine whether to transmit a downlink channel communication in one or more symbols that overlap with the SSB based at least in part on at least one of:
a capability of the UE, or
whether a first beam that is to carry the SSB and a second beam that is to carry the downlink channel communication are quasi co-located; and
transmit one or more signals in the one or more symbols based at least in part on the determination.
29. The base station of claim 28 , wherein the base station, when transmitting the one or more signals, is configured to: transmit both the SSB and the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols, or transmit only the SSB and not the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols.
30. The base station of claim 28 , wherein the one or more processors, when transmitting the one or more signals, are configured to:
transmit only the SSB and not the downlink channel communication in the one or more symbols.