PRB bundling extension

1. A transmitting node for transmitting data to a receiving node, wherein the transmitting node is operable at least in a dynamic bundling size mode and comprises:

a communication interface; and

processing circuitry configured to:

when operating in the dynamic bundling size mode:

determine that channel state information is not outdated;

in response to determining that the channel state information is not outdated, provide the receiving node with an indication of bundling control information representing at least a number L of slots;

transmit data in L consecutive slots using a constant first precoding setting; and

transmit data in subsequent L consecutive slots using a constant second precoding setting,

wherein the first and second precoding settings are independently assignable.

2. The transmitting node of claim 1 , wherein the data transmitted in the L consecutive slots using the constant first precoding setting is transmitted in a number K of resource blocks; and

the data transmitted in the subsequent L consecutive slots using the constant second precoding setting is transmitted in the number K of resource blocks.

3. The transmitting node of claim 2 , wherein the indication of bundling control information consists of a single bit wherein a first value of the single bit represents a first combination of K and L, and a second value of the single bit represents a second combination of K and L.

4. The transmitting node of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

when operating in a static bundling size mode:

transmit data in a predetermined number L0 of consecutive slots using a constant third precoding setting; and

transmit data in the predetermined number L0 of subsequent consecutive slots using a constant fourth precoding setting,

wherein the third and fourth precoding settings are independently assignable.

5. The transmitting node of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

determine that channel state information is outdated, and

in response to determining that the channel state information is outdated, transmit updated bundling control information to the receiving node to transition the receiving node to the static bundling size mode.

6. The transmitting node of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting node is a network node and the receiving node is a user equipment.

7. A receiving node for receiving data from a transmitting node, wherein the receiving node is operable at least in a dynamic bundling size mode and comprises:

a communication interface; and

processing circuitry configured to:

upon a determination by the transmitting node that channel state information is not outdated, obtain an indication of bundling control information representing at least a number L of slots;

in response to obtaining the indication of the bundling control information, operate in a dynamic bundling size mode;

while in the dynamic bundling size mode, receive data from the transmitting node in L consecutive slots assuming that the transmitting node has applied a constant first precoding setting;

while in the dynamic bundling size mode, receive data from the transmitting node in subsequent L consecutive slots assuming that the transmitting node has applied a constant second precoding setting,

wherein the first and second precoding settings are independently assignable.

8. The receiving node of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

perform channel estimation on the L consecutive slots to form a first joint channel estimate for the L consecutive slots; and

perform channel estimation on the subsequent L consecutive slots to form a second joint channel estimate for the subsequent L consecutive slots.

9. The receiving node of claim 7 , wherein:

the bundling control information further represents a number K of resource blocks;

the processing circuit is configured to:

receive data in K resource blocks and the L consecutive slots using the constant first precoding setting; and

receive data in K resource blocks and the subsequent L consecutive slots using the constant second precoding setting.

10. The receiving node of claim 9 , wherein the bundling control information consists of a single bit wherein a first value of the single bit represents a first combination of K and L, and a second value of the single bit represents a second combination of K and L.

11. The receiving node of claim 9 , the processing circuitry further configured to measure a DMRS in the L consecutive slots and K resource blocks to estimate one or more channels from the transmitting node.

12. The receiving node of claim 7 , the processing circuitry further configured to measure a DMRS in the L consecutive slots and to estimate one or more channels from the transmitting node.

13. The receiving node of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

when operating in the static bundling size mode:

receive data in a predetermined number L0 of consecutive slots using a constant third precoding setting; and

receive data in a predetermined number L0 of subsequent consecutive slots using a constant fourth precoding setting,

wherein the third and fourth precoding settings are independently assignable.

14. The receiving node of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive the data by processing a received signal in accordance with a precoding assumption.

15. The receiving node of claim 7 , wherein the receiving node is a user equipment and the transmitting node is a network node.

16. A method by a transmitting node for transmitting data to a receiving node, the method comprising:

when operating in the dynamic bundling size mode:

determining that channel state information is not outdated;

in response to determining that the channel state information is not outdated, providing the receiving node with an indication of bundling control information representing at least a number L of slots;

transmitting data in L consecutive slots using a constant first precoding setting; and

transmitting data in subsequent L consecutive slots using a constant second precoding setting,

wherein the first and second precoding settings are independently assignable.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:

transmitting the data in the L consecutive slots using the constant first precoding setting comprises transmitting the data in a number K of resource blocks; and

transmitting the data in the subsequent L consecutive slots using the constant second precoding setting comprises transmitting the data in the number K of resource blocks.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the indication of bundling control information consists of a single bit wherein a first value of the single bit represents a first combination of K and L, and a second value of the single bit represents a second combination of K and L.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

when operating in a static bundling size mode:

transmitting data in a predetermined number L0 of consecutive slots using a constant third precoding setting; and

transmitting data in the predetermined number L0 of subsequent consecutive slots using a constant fourth precoding setting,

wherein the third and fourth precoding settings are independently assignable.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

determining that channel state information is outdated, and in response to determining that the channel state information is outdated, transmit updated bundling control information to the receiving node to transition the receiving node to the static bundling size mode.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the transmitting node is a network node and the receiving node is a user equipment.

22. A method by a receiving node for receiving data from a transmitting node, the method comprising:

upon a determination by the transmitting node that channel state information is not outdated, obtaining an indication of bundling control information representing at least a number L of slots;

in response to obtaining the indication of the bundling control information, operating in a dynamic bundling size mode;

while in the dynamic bundling size mode, receiving data from the transmitting node in L consecutive slots assuming that the transmitting node has applied a constant first precoding setting;

while in the dynamic bundling size mode, receiving data from the transmitting node in subsequent L consecutive slots assuming that the transmitting node has applied a constant second precoding setting,

wherein the first and second precoding settings are independently assignable.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

performing channel estimation on the L consecutive slots to form a first joint channel estimate for the L consecutive slots; and

performing channel estimation on the subsequent L consecutive slots to form a second joint channel estimate for the subsequent L consecutive slots.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the bundling control information further represents a number K of resource blocks, and the method further comprises:

receiving data in K resource blocks and the L consecutive slots using the constant first precoding setting; and

receiving data in K resource blocks and the subsequent L consecutive slots using the constant second precoding setting.