Abstract: Systems and methods for determining timing advance (TA) validity are disclosed. In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed herein in which a wireless device implicitly considers a TA to be valid in a full cell when no TA validation mechanisms are explicitly configured. In other embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed herein in which a timer serves a dual purpose. If the timer is set to infinity, a wireless device will always consider a TA to be valid within a given cell, and at the same time will disable other TA validation mechanisms. Otherwise, the wireless device will interpret the timer as indicating for how long the TA value that the wireless device possesses is considered to be valid. Benefits of the solutions described herein include reducing signaling bits in the configuration and avoiding the possibility of conflicting configurations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining timing advance (TA) validity are disclosed. In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed herein in which a wireless device implicitly considers a TA to be valid in a full cell when no TA validation mechanisms are explicitly configured. In other embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed herein in which a timer serves a dual purpose. If the timer is set to infinity, a wireless device will always consider a TA to be valid within a given cell, and at the same time will disable other TA validation mechanisms. Otherwise, the wireless device will interpret the timer as indicating for how long the TA value that the wireless device possesses is considered to be valid. Benefits of the solutions described herein include reducing signaling bits in the configuration and avoiding the possibility of conflicting configurations.

Abstract: The present application generally relates to wireless communication technology. More particularly, the present application relates to a method and apparatus for scheduling delay associated with HARQ processes in LTE-MTC. The present application also relates to computer program product adapted for the same purpose. According to one embodiment, a method for scheduling delay associated with HARQ processes in LTE-MTC comprises: —a) in response to presence or non-presence of PUCCH repetition, invalid BL/CE DL subframe, invalid BL/CE UL subframe, and measurement gap, determining a HARQ-ACK scheduling counting strategy; and —b) scheduling a HARQ-ACK delay value in accordance with the HARQ-ACK scheduling counting strategy.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining timing advance (TA) validity are disclosed. In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed herein in which a wireless device implicitly considers a TA to be valid in a full cell when no TA validation mechanisms are explicitly configured. In other embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed herein in which a timer serves a dual purpose. If the timer is set to infinity, a wireless device will always consider a TA to be valid within a given cell, and at the same time will disable other TA validation mechanisms. Otherwise, the wireless device will interpret the timer as indicating for how long the TA value that the wireless device possesses is considered to be valid. Benefits of the solutions described herein include reducing signaling bits in the configuration and avoiding the possibility of conflicting configurations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting subcarriers to be used for sub-Physical Resource Block (PRB) transmission and, in some embodiments, for mapping Demodulation Reference Signals (DMRS) to resources on the selected subcarriers are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a radio node for providing sub-PRB transmission comprises selecting two adjacent subcarriers from a set of three allocated subcarriers that are allocated for a sub-PRB transmission that uses Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) Pi/2 Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation using only two adjacent subcarriers out of the set of three allocated subcarriers with Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) spread length of 2. In some embodiments, the selection is such that the selected adjacent subcarriers varies, e.g., from one cell to another. In doing so, interference is distributed.

Abstract: The present application generally relates to wireless communication technology. More particularly, the present application relates to a method and an apparatus for configuring radio resource for a terminal device in a 5 wireless network. The present application also relates to a method for utilizing radio resource in a wireless network and a terminal device adapted for the same purpose. The present application also relates to computer program product adapted for the same purpose.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a reestablishment of a connection between a terminal device and a network. The method performed at a terminal device comprises receiving, from a first network node in a communication network, information for assisting the terminal device to perform a reestablishment of a connection to the communication network; and transmitting, to the first network node, a message indicating that the terminal device selects a resource to perform the reestablishment. During the reestablishment of the connection, the interference for the wireless communication system may be reduced, and the latency for the terminal device may be reduced.

Abstract: A method 1200 by a wireless device includes receiving, from the network node, a first message comprising a 3 bit indicator associated with a first number of Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) repetitions to be used by the wireless device for a first instance of a PUSCH transmission. The wireless device receives a second message comprising a 2 bit indicator for determining a second number of PUSCH repetitions to be used by the wireless device for one or more subsequent instances of the PUSCH transmission based on said second number of PUSCH repetitions. The wireless device applies a zero-bit padding to the 2 bit indicator to obtain an updated 3 bit indicator used to communicate from physical layer to higher layers the second number of PUSCH repetitions to be used and sends the one or more subsequent PUSCH transmissions based on the second number of PUSCH repetitions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting subcarriers to be used for sub-Physical Resource Block (PRB) transmission and, in some embodiments, for mapping Demodulation Reference Signals (DMRS) to resources on the selected subcarriers are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a radio node for providing sub-PRB transmission comprises selecting two adjacent subcarriers from a set of three allocated subcarriers that are allocated for a sub-PRB transmission that uses Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) Pi/2 Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation using only two adjacent subcarriers out of the set of three allocated subcarriers with Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) spread length of 2. In some embodiments, the selection is such that the selected adjacent subcarriers varies, e.g., from one cell to another. In doing so, interference is distributed.

Abstract: A method implemented by a user equipment (UE) in a communication network is provided. The method includes receiving, from a network node, a delay indicator that indicates a scheduling delay for Physical Downlink Shaved Channel, PDSCH, and the UE counts the scheduling delay for the PDSCH according to the received indicator.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for SIB1-NB transmission. In one embodiment, a method performed by a network node configured to include a scheduling information parameter in a master information block, MIB, and communicate the MIB to a wireless device, the scheduling information parameter usable to schedule a system information block type 1 for narrow band communication, SIB1-NB, for a time division duplex, TDD transmission is provided. The method comprising indicating the SIB1-NB scheduling information for TDD at least in part by a value of the scheduling information parameter being associated with a predefined entry in at least one TDD-specific table, the indicated SIB1-NB scheduling information including: at least one subframe to use for the SIB1-NB transmission; a number of repetitions of the SIB1-NB transmission; and a transport block size, TBS, to use for the SIB1-NB transmission.

Abstract: Methods, a network node, a wireless device, and computer readable storage medium for 16-QAM based communication are disclosed. A method includes: determining a resource allocation for 16-QAM based communication for the wireless device; and indicating, to the wireless device, a TBS and/or a number of allocated time-domain resources that are associated with the determined resource allocation using a TBS index and a time-domain resource index, wherein the TBS index and the time-domain resource index are determined in accordance with a table for allocating transport blocks and/or number of allocated time-domain resources for the 16-QAM based communication.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method (100) in a network device. The method (100) includes: transmitting (110) Downlink Control Information, DCI, to a terminal device, the DCI containing information from which a TBS index is derivable. The BS index is usable to determine a TBS from a set of TBSs including TBSs usable with Quadrature Phase Shift Keying, QPSK, and TBSs usable with 16-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, 16-QAM. When the DCI is for a Narrowband Physical Downlink Shared Channel, NPDSCH, the TBSs usable with 16-QAM are determinable by the terminal device based on a deployment mode.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for communicating to a wireless device (WD) a DL-to-UL frequency offset (or frequency shift) that may need to be applied. For example, a method implemented in a wireless device (WD) is provided. The method comprises: receiving, from the network node, an indication of a frequency offset; and applying the received frequency offset; wherein the WD is configured to operate on a narrow-band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) carrier in a New Radio (NR) carrier.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for encoding and decoding a downlink control channel transmission, such as but not exclusively a High Speed Signalling Control Channel, HS-SCCH, transmission, in a wireless communications network. A method in a network node for encoding a downlink control channel transmission, comprises determining that channel conditions are below a threshold level, and in response to determining that channel conditions are below the threshold level, performing at least one of: encoding one or more predetermined control information bits into the downlink control channel transmission, and encoding a reduced number of control information bits into the downlink control channel transmission by omitting one or more control information bits, wherein the one or more omitted control information bits are predetermined control information bits. The method further comprises transmitting the downlink control channel transmission to a user equipment.

Abstract: A wireless device selects, from among at least first and second measurement modes in which measurements are respectively performed on cells belonging to first and second carriers, one or more measurement modes in which to perform a measurement. The one or more measurement modes are selected based on whether criteria is met for relaxed monitoring of a neighbor cell, and on whether the wireless device is configured to perform a positioning measurement. The wireless device performs the measurement in the one or more selected measurement modes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring Narrowband Positioning Reference Signals (NPRS) for NB-IoT are provided. A network node generates and transmits NPRS configuration information including a first NPRS bitmap for FDD mode and/or a second NPRS bitmap for TDD mode. A wireless device can determine a NPRS configuration in accordance with the second NPRS bitmap for TDD mode and perform measurements using the NPRS configuration.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for reducing image interference in uplink transmission. In one embodiment, a wireless device (WD) is configured to receive an indication of a resource allocation from the network node; determine an uplink center frequency based at least in part on a center frequency of a resource allocated by the received indication of the resource allocation; and transmit uplink information according to the determined uplink center frequency.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting subcarriers to be used for sub-Physical Resource Block (PRB) transmission and, in some embodiments, for mapping Demodulation Reference Signals (DMRS) to resources on the selected subcarriers are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a radio node for providing sub-PRB transmission comprises selecting two adjacent subcarriers from a set of three allocated subcarriers that are allocated for a sub-PRB transmission that uses Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) Pi/2 Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation using only two adjacent subcarriers out of the set of three allocated subcarriers with Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) spread length of 2. In some embodiments, the selection is such that the selected adjacent subcarriers varies, e.g., from one cell to another. In doing so, interference is distributed.

Abstract: A wireless device performs an uplink transmission, such as an idle-mode uplink transmission using preconfigured uplink resources (PUR). The wireless device determines whether a serving-cell signal measurement M2 was completed within a predetermined range of time before a reference time T2, the reference time T2 corresponding to an uplink transmission opportunity. Responsive to determining that the serving-cell signal measurement M2 was not completed within the predetermined range of time, the wireless device either defers transmission to a subsequent transmission opportunity, or drops the uplink transmission, or collects an additional serving-cell measurement M2? that falls within the predetermined range of time, for use in validating a TA for transmitting at the transmission uplink opportunity and/or for estimating a PL for power control of a transmission at the uplink transmission opportunity.