Abstract: Virtualized group-wise communications between a wireless network and a plurality of user equipments (UEs) are supported using UE cooperation. UE cooperation includes receiving, at a cooperating UE (CUE), downlink information from the wireless network destined for a target UE (TUE) and associated with a group identifier (ID). The group ID indicates a virtual multi-point (ViMP) node that includes the TUE and the CUE. The UE cooperation also includes sending the downlink information to the TUE. The UE or UE component can have a processor configured to forward between the wireless network and a TUE at least some information that is associated with a group ID indicating a ViMP node that groups the TUE and the UE.

Abstract: A system and method for multiplexing traffic. A wireless device such as a user equipment (UE) may receive a first signal over first resources assigned to carry a first downlink transmission from a base station, and receive a first downlink control indication (DCI) message from the base station. The first DCI message may include a pre-emption region (PR) indication and a PR bitmap, and the PR indication may indicate a location of a time-frequency region. The PR bitmap may include bits associated with different portions of the time-frequency region, and each of the bits in the PR bitmap may indicate whether a preemptive downlink transmission is present in the corresponding portion of the time-frequency region.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reference signal transmission, such as demodulation reference symbol and CSI-RS. The network transmits a reference signal scrambling ID to the UE, and both the network and the UE use this to calculate an initialization sequence for the reference signal. The, one or the other of the network and the UE transmit the reference signal. Optionally, the reference signal is based on a UE-related ID, or a combination of the UE-related ID and one or more other fields.

Abstract: Soft information for achieving interference cancellation in downlink transmissions can be communicated over device-to-device (D2D) links, thereby allowing paired user equipments (UEs) to receive downlink transmissions over the same radio resources. More specifically, paired UEs that receive transmissions over the same time-frequency resources may exchange soft or hard information over D2D links in order to facilitate interference cancellation. The D2D links may be unidirectional or bidirectional, and may be established over in-band or out-of-band resources. Paired UEs may be in the same or different cells, and may receive their respective transmissions from the same or different transmit point. UEs may be paired with one another based on various criteria, e.g., interference cancellation capabilities, scheduling metrics, etc.

Abstract: Approaches for provisioning and communicating physical signals and/or channels in NR networks are disclosed. Operations include transmitting from, or receiving at, or transmitting to, or receiving from, a transmit and receive point of an NR Cell, a physical signal and/or channel based on a user equipment (UE) specific parameter assigned via another NR Cell, and transmitting from, or receiving at, or transmitting to, or receiving from, the transmit and receive point another signal and/or channel wherein the other signal and/or channel is based on a UE specific parameter assigned via the NR Cell. A transmit and receive point and a UE for implementing the operations are also disclosed. The UE specific parameters can belong to different UE ID groups, where one of the groups is associated with mobile UEs. Approaches for allocating, assigning and monitoring for UE specific parameters are also disclosed.

Abstract: Provisioning and communicating physical signals and channels in NR networks having a first subset of transmit and receive points that use a first cell ID and a second subset of transmit and receive points that use a second cell ID. Operations include transmitting from, and receiving from, a first transmit and receive point a first signal or channel wherein the first signal or channel is based on a first user equipment (UE) specific parameter assigned via the first subset of transmit and receive points and transmitting from, and receiving from, the first transmit and receive point the plurality of transmit and receive points a second signal or channel wherein the second signal or channel is based on a second UE specific parameter assigned via the second subset of transmit and receive points. A transmit and receive point and a UE for implementing the operations are also disclosed.

Abstract: Virtualized group-wise communications between a wireless network and a plurality of user equipments (UEs) are supported using UE cooperation. UE cooperation includes receiving, at a cooperating UE (CUE), downlink information from the wireless network destined for a target UE (TUE) and associated with a group identifier (ID). The group ID indicates a virtual multi-point (ViMP) node that includes the TUE and the CUE. The UE cooperation also includes sending the downlink information to the TUE. The UE or UE component can have a processor configured to forward between the wireless network and a TUE at least some information that is associated with a group ID indicating a ViMP node that groups the TUE and the UE.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for transmitting and receiving pre-emption indications. The pre-emption indication is transmitted every K symbols or slots, on a group-common physical downlink control channel. The pre-emption indication is in respect of a group of K symbols or slots preceding a symbol or slot containing the group-common pre-emption indication. The group-common pre-emption indication indicates, for the group of K symbols or slots, which resources are pre-empted. The base station schedules resources for first downlink traffic, and transmits the scheduled first downlink traffic subject to pre-emption, and transmits second downlink traffic by pre-empting resources for the first downlink traffic. On the UE side, the UE receives the pre-emption indication. The UE receives its scheduled traffic taking into account the pre-emption indication.

Abstract: Systems and methods of transmitting and receiving resource allocations, and transmitting and receiving on the basis of such resource allocations, are provided. Scheduling information is transmitted from a network to a user equipment to schedule a downlink transmission resource, the scheduling information comprising a first field that schedules a first resource allocation and a second field that schedules resources for a second resource allocation. The first and set of resouces may be a first set of M symbols, and the second set of resources may be L-M symbols, where there are L symbols in a scheduling period. One of the sets of resources may be subject to pre-emption while the other set is not. The two sets of resources may use different numerologies, for example using different sub-carrier spacings.

Abstract: An embodiment method includes receiving, by a first user equipment (UE), a message, for a second UE, transmitted over a plurality of resource blocks (RBs) on behalf of a communications controller and determining a plurality of log-likelihood ratios (LLRs) in accordance with the received plurality of RBs. The method also includes transmitting, a subset of the determined LLRs to the second UE.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for encoding and transmitting video or multimedia content in wireless communications networks. The methods include encoding a block of input symbols using upper layer rateless forward error correction (FEC) codes to generate a plurality of encoded packets. The rateless FEC codes may be layer-aware or may incorporate unequal error protection (UEP). The input symbols represent one or more layers of scalable encoded video or multimedia content. Each of the plurality of encoded packets is transmitted over a selected one of a plurality of wireless channels. The wireless channel is selected based on an importance level of the input symbols in the encoded packet exceeding a threshold. The threshold may vary dynamically based on conditions in the networks.

Abstract: A method at a network element for providing data access to a network. The method comprising establishing a primary communication channel with the network with a first wireless interface of said network element, establishing a complementary communication channel with one or more of a group of delay tolerant devices with a second wireless interface of said network element, receiving data from respective delay tolerant devices in the group, aggregating the received data and transferring said aggregated data on the established primary communication channel to the network. In an embodiment the primary and complementary channels correspond respectively to first and second spectrums, which may in turn be, respective, licensed and unlicensed spectrums.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for establishing a device-to-device (D2D) group amongst a plurality of user equipments (UEs). In one embodiment a target UE transmits, using D2D communication, a request message inviting at least one other UE to be part of a D2D group with the target UE. A neighbour UE receives the request message and transmits a report message indicating that the neighbour UE will be part of the D2D group with the target UE. A base station receives the report message and transmits to the target UE and to the neighbour UE a confirmation message indicating that the neighbour UE is in the D2D group with the target UE.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided to support network communications with groups of UEs. The embodiments include a two-level group-based hybrid-automatic repeat request (HARQ) mechanism and acknowledgement (ACK)/negative ACK (NACK) feedback. An embodiment method includes receiving, at a UE within a virtual multi-point (ViMP) comprising UEs, a data packet for a target UE (TUE) that is broadcasted from a base station (BS) to the Vi MP node, decode the data packet, and upon successfully decoding the data packet, broadcasting the data packet to the UEs within the ViMP node until a timer pre-established by the BS expires or an ACK message is received from the TUE or the ViMP node. In an embodiment, broadcasted data received in the ViMP node is re-broadcasted upon receiving a negative acknowledgement (NACK) message from the TUE, a beacon UE, or any of the UEs within the ViMP node.

Abstract: A method at a network element for providing data access to a network. The method comprising establishing a primary communication channel with the network with a first wireless interface of said network element, establishing a complementary communication channel with one or more of a group of delay tolerant devices with a second wireless interface of said network element, receiving data from respective delay tolerant devices in the group, aggregating the received data and transferring said aggregated data on the established primary communication channel to the network. In an embodiment the primary and complementary channels correspond respectively to first and second spectrums, which may in turn be, respective, licensed and unlicensed spectrums.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a device in a wireless communication network including a plurality of user equipment UEs and a BS, including a first device generating a signaling message defining resource elements (REs) as an encoded time slot (TS) and subcarrier pairing. A subset of the REs is encoded, such as to create a discovery signal configured to enable discovery of the first UE by a second UE or the BS. The UE is configured to engage in device-to-device communications, including device centric UEs operable in 5G networks.

Abstract: An embodiment method at a network device for scrambling a downlink reference signal for a UE for demodulation of a downlink random access message during a random access procedure to the network includes scrambling the downlink reference signal using one of a temporary UE ID provided to the UE during the random access procedure, a random access ID generated during the random access procedure, or a dedicated UE ID assigned by the network.

Abstract: An embodiment method includes receiving, by a first user equipment (UE), a message, for a second UE, transmitted over a plurality of resource blocks (RBs) on behalf of a communications controller and determining a plurality of log-likelihood ratios (LLRs) in accordance with the received plurality of RBs. The method also includes transmitting, a subset of the determined LLRs to the second UE.

Abstract: A New Radio (NR) control signal that indicates one or more Long Term Evolution (LTE) network parameters may be transmitted to NR UEs to enable the NR UEs to identify which resources carry LTE signal(s). The NR UEs may then receive one or more NR downlink signals over remaining resources in a set of resources without processing those resources that carry LTE signal(s). The NR downlink signals may have a zero power level, or otherwise be blanked, over resources that carry the LTE signal(s).

Abstract: Embodiments of this disclosure improve the reliability of blind decoding when beamforming is used by having a user equipment (UE) receive a single downlink control information (DCI) message with different transmission and/or reception parameters. In some embodiments, a UE receives more than one set of configuration parameters, where any two sets of configuration parameters out of the more than one set of configuration parameters have at least one different parameter. The UE may receive two sets of configuration parameters each having a different transmission modes, but the same search space type. Additional examples are also provided.