Flexible NR-U wideband operation
Methods of data communication in a cellular communications network based on an unlicensed wideband carrier, the method performed by a base station of the cellular communications network, the base station being in communication with one or more mobile devices. The methods comprise the steps of determining a set of used sub-bands of the plurality of sub-bands available for data transmission, generating used sub-band control information pertaining to a plurality of sub-bands in the wideband carrier based on the set of used sub-bands, and providing the used sub-band control information to the one or more mobile devices.
1. A method of data communication in a cellular communications network based on an unlicensed carrier, the method performed by a base station of the cellular communications network, the base station being in communication with one or more mobile devices, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a set of sub-bands to be used of the plurality of sub-bands available for data transmission;
generating used sub-band control information pertaining to a plurality of sub-bands in the carrier based on the set of sub-bands to be used; and
providing the used sub-band control information to the one or more mobile devices,
wherein providing the used sub-band control information to the one or more mobile devices includes:
generating downlink control information (DCI) including the used sub-band control information; and
transmitting the DCI, in a group-common manner,
wherein the DCI is configured to include the information of the used sub-bands in a bitmap-based signalling where each bit of the bitmap provides a usage status of a sub-band in a channel occupancy time (COT) included with a COT identification and/or a COT duration;
wherein providing the used sub-band control information to the one or more mobile devices includes:
generating one or more preambles based on the set of used sub-bands; and transmitting the one or more preambles;
wherein the one or more preambles include single preamble, and the single preamble includes control information indicative of an active pattern of used sub-bands in a COT.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the set of sub-bands to be used of the plurality of sub-bands available for data transmission includes determining the set of used sub-bands based on selecting a sub-set of the set of available sub-bands, based on a pattern of available and unavailable sub-bands of the plurality of sub-bands.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating downlink control information (DCI) including the used sub-band control information includes configuring a common control resource set (CORESET) over the wideband carrier, the CORESET encompassing the set of available sub-bands.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the DCI is performed at the beginning of the COT, transmitting the DCI being repeated multiple times within the COT duration.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the DCI further comprises repeating the DCI in one or more sub-bands of the set of available sub-bands.
6. The method according claim 3 , further comprising restricting search spaces in the configured CORESET with a limited number of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cellular communications network is configured to transmit the single preamble based on resources which are aligned with synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a root of the one or more preambles stays the same for the base station and wherein different cyclic shifts include control information indicative of an active pattern of used sub-bands in a COT.
9. A method of data communication in a cellular communications network based on an unlicensed carrier, the method performed by a base station of the cellular communications network, the base station being in communication with one or more mobile devices, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a set of sub-bands to be used of the plurality of sub-bands available for data transmission;
generating used sub-band control information pertaining to a plurality of sub-bands in the carrier based on the set of sub-bands to be used; and
providing the used sub-band control information to the one or more mobile devices,
wherein providing the used sub-band control information to the one or more mobile devices includes:
generating downlink control information (DCI) including the used sub-band control information; and
transmitting the DCI, in a group-common manner,
wherein the DCI is configured to include the information of the used sub-bands in a bitmap-based signalling where each bit of the bitmap provides a usage status of a sub-band in a channel occupancy time (COT) included with a COT identification and/or a COT duration;
wherein providing the used sub-band control information to the one or more mobile devices includes:
generating one or more preambles based on the set of used sub-bands; and transmitting the one or more preambles;
wherein a root of the one or more preambles stays the same for the base station and wherein different cyclic shifts include control information indicative of an active pattern of used sub-bands in a COT.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein determining the set of sub-bands to be used of the plurality of sub-bands available for data transmission includes determining the set of used sub-bands based on selecting a sub-set of the set of available sub-bands, based on a pattern of available and unavailable sub-bands of the plurality of sub-bands.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein generating downlink control information (DCI) including the used sub-band control information includes configuring a common control resource set (CORESET) over the wideband carrier, the CORESET encompassing the set of available sub-bands.
12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein transmitting the DCI is performed at the beginning of the COT, transmitting the DCI being repeated multiple times within the COT duration.
13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising restricting search spaces in the configured CORESET with a limited number of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates.
14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein transmitting the DCI further comprises repeating the DCI in one or more sub-bands of the set of available sub-bands.
15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more preambles include single preamble, the single preamble including control information indicative of an active pattern of used sub-bands in a COT.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the cellular communications network is configured to transmit the single preamble based on resources which are aligned with synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission.