Transport block communication as part of multiple access wireless communication

1. A method performed by a base station comprising:

determining, by the base station and for a first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers, a first order;

receiving, by the base station and from a user equipment, a transmission of a transport block, the transmission using the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers;

attempting to decode the transport block from the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers by combining, by the base station, the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined first order;

determining, by the base station, that combining the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined first order fails to decode the transport block from the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers;

determining, by the base station and for a second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers, a second order;

receiving, by the base station and from the user equipment, a retransmission of the transport block, the retransmission using the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers; and

attempting to decode the transport block from the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers by combining, by the base station, the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined second order.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining the first order for the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes determining the first order from a wireless-communication specification.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining the first order for the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes computing the first order based on locations of time and frequency resources comprising the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining the second order for the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes determining the second order from a wireless-communication specification.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining the second order for the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes computing the second order based on locations of time and frequency resources comprising the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the base station using broadcast signaling to transmit, to the user equipment, the determined first order.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the broadcast signaling transmits the determined first order through a system information block that includes data indicative of the determined first order.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the base station using dedicated signaling to transmit, to the user equipment, the determined first order.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the dedicated signaling transmits the determined first order through a radio resource control message that includes data indicative of the determined first order.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the base station transmitting, in response to determining that combining the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined first order fails to decode the transport block from the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers, a negative acknowledgement message.

11. A method performed by a user equipment comprising:

determining, by the user equipment and for a first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers, a first order;

transmitting, by the user equipment and to a base station, a transport block, the transmitting using the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined first order;

receiving, by the user equipment and from the base station, a negative acknowledgment message, the negative acknowledgment message indicating that the base station failed to decode the transport block from the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers;

determining, by the user equipment in response to receiving the negative acknowledgment message and for a second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers, a second order; and

retransmitting, by the user equipment and to the base station, the transport block, the retransmitting using the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined second order.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein determining the first order for the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes determining the first order from data included in a radio resource control message that the user equipment receives from the base station.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein determining the first order for the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes determining the first order from a wireless-communication specification.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein determining the first order for the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes determining the first order by computing the first order based on locations of time and frequency resources that comprise the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein determining the second order for the second plurality of multiple access layers includes determining the second order from data included in a system information block that the user equipment receives through broadcast signaling that is received from the base station.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein determining the second order for the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes determining the second order from a wireless-communication specification.

17. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein determining the second order for the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers includes determining the second order by computing the second order based on locations of time and frequency resources that comprise the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers.

18. A base station comprising:

a processor;

a wireless transceiver; and

computer-readable storage media storing instructions of a transport block manager that, upon execution by the processor, directs the base station to:

determine for a first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers, a first order;

receive, through the wireless transceiver and from a user equipment, a transmission of a transport block, the transmission using the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers;

attempt to decode the transport block from the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers by combining, by the base station, the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined first order;

determine that combining the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined first order fails to decode the transport block from the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers;

determine, for a second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers, a second order;

receive, through the wireless transceiver and from a user equipment, a retransmission of the transport block, the retransmission using the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers; and

attempt to decode the transport block from the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers by combining, by the base station, the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the determined second order.

19. The base station as recited in claim 18 , wherein the transport block manager, upon execution by the processor, further directs the base station to:

determine that combining the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the first order to decode a first transport block from the first plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers has failed and, in response, transmit through the wireless transceiver and to the user equipment a negative acknowledgment message; and

determine that combining the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers in the second order to decode a second transport block from the second plurality of non-orthogonal multiple access layers has succeeded and, in response, transmit through the wireless transceiver and to the user equipment an acknowledgment message.

20. The base station as recited in claim 19 , wherein the negative acknowledgment includes a request for the user equipment to transmit the second transport block.