Abstract: Systems and methods for supporting Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmissions of reduced bandwidth User Equipments (UEs) to efficiently coexist with regular UEs in a network. In some embodiments, a method performed by a UE comprises obtaining a PUCCH configuration for reduced bandwidth UEs wherein there is a dependency between the PUCCH configuration for reduced bandwidth UEs and a PUCCH configuration for non-reduced bandwidth UEs. The method further comprises transmitting a PUCCH in accordance with the PUCCH configuration for reduced bandwidth UEs.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (12) is configured for random access to a wireless communication network (10). The N wireless communication device (12) transmits, to the wireless communication network (10), a random access preamble (14) in a random access channel occasion (18) that comprises one or more symbols. The wireless communication device (12) monitors for a response (20) to the random access preamble (14) within a response window (24). The response window (24) starts in an earliest control resource set (22-2) that begins at least a minimum number (Dmin) of symbols after the last symbol (18L) of the random access channel occasion (18), wherein the minimum number of symbols is greater than one.

Abstract: A method performed by user equipment, UE, includes receiving a DL reception and transmitting an UL transmission, wherein there is a collision between the DL reception and the UL transmission. The method also includes prioritizing for processing the DL reception or the UL transmission by applying a particular prioritization rule of a plurality of prioritization rules depending upon a type of the DL reception and/or the UL transmission. The method further includes processing the DL reception or the UL transmission in response to applying the particular prioritization rule.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method performed by a network node for mobility management comprises obtaining data samples for modeling a wireless network environment that comprises a plurality of cells and building a machine learning model of the wireless network using the obtained data samples. The machine learning model is trained to determine a sequence of handovers for a wireless device among the plurality of cells for the wireless device to traverse from a source cell to a destination cell. The method further comprises receiving mobility information for a wireless device, determining one or more handover operations for the wireless device based on the mobility information, and transmitting the one or more handover operations to the wireless device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for design and optimization of a network are described. A first deep neural network is used to obtain a function that represents a relationship between design parameters of the network and network performance metrics of the network. A second deep neural network is used to obtain a subset of one or more candidate network deployment configurations that optimize the performance metrics for the network. An optimal candidate network deployment configuration for the network is selected from the subset of candidate network deployment configurations wherein the optimal candidate network deployment configuration maximizes performance of the network as defined based on the performance metrics.

Abstract: A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for handling a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) from a network node in a wireless communications network is provided. The UE operates with a reduced bandwidth. The UE detects an SSB from the network node, and that a bandwidth of the SSB is larger than the bandwidth of the UE. The UE determines which part of the SSB to skip to make the bandwidth of the SSB equal or smaller than the bandwidth of the UE, such that the UE is capable of receiving the SSB. The part of the SSB to be skipped is determined based on a predicted decoding performance of the SSB.

Abstract: A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for handling a Control Resource Set (CORESET) from a network node in a wireless communications network is provided. The UE operates with a reduced bandwidth. The UE detects a CORESET from the network node, and that a bandwidth of the CORESET is larger than the bandwidth of the UE. Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) candidates are transmitted in the CORESET. The UE determines which part of the CORESET to skip, to make the bandwidth of the CORESET equal or smaller than the bandwidth of the UE, such that the UE is capable of receiving the CORESET. The part of the CORESET to be skipped is determined based on a predicted decoding performance of the PDCCH candidates in the CORESET.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method is performed by a network node for random access in a wireless network. The network node is suitable for serving a first type of wireless device and a second type of wireless device and transmission/reception capabilities of the first 5 type of wireless device are reduced with respect to transmission/reception capabilities of the second type of wireless device. The method comprises receiving a random access preamble from a wireless device and, based on the received random access preamble, transmitting a random access response to the wireless device according to transmission/reception capabilities common to both the first type of wireless device and the second type of wireless device.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of operating a radio node in a wireless communication network, the method including communicating based on a signaling structure, the signaling structure including a number R of long symbols and/or a number Nsym of regular symbols, wherein R and/or Nsym is based on the subcarrier spacing associated to the signaling structure and/or a cyclic prefix length of a long symbol and/or a cyclic prefix length of a regular symbol. The disclosure also pertains to related devices and methods.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for Control Resource Set (CORESET) enhancements for initial access. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device comprises receiving and decoding a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission in a CORESET in accordance with at least a portion of a Control Channel Element (CCE) to Resource Element Group (REG) mapping. The PDCCH transmission comprises one or more CCEs. The CCE to REG mapping comprises an interleaved portion that maps the one or more CCEs to a first set of REGs that are spread across a bandwidth of the CORESET, and a second portion that maps at least a portion of an additional CCE to at least a REG in a frequency gap between two REGs in the first set of REGs, the additional CCE corresponding to one of the CCEs mapped to the first set of REGs.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of operating a radio node in a wireless communication network, the method including communicating based on a signaling structure, the signaling structure including a number R of long symbols and/or a number Nsym of regular symbols, wherein R and/or Nsym is based on the subcarrier spacing associated to the signaling structure and/or a cyclic prefix length of a long symbol and/or a cyclic prefix length of a regular symbol. The disclosure also pertains to related devices and methods.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for control resource set (CORESET) enhancements that are particularly beneficial for reduced bandwidth wireless communication devices. Embodiments of a method performed by a wireless communication device for a cellular communications system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device for a cellular communications system comprises receiving, from a network node, information that configures a CORESET for the wireless communication device, the CORESET comprising four or more symbols in the time domain. The method further comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission from the network node within a search space that comprises at least a subset of time-frequency resources within the CORESET. In this manner, the CORESET is enhanced in a way that is particularly beneficial for reduced bandwidth wireless communication devices. Corresponding embodiments of a network node are also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods for a wireless device configured for random access to a cell of a wireless network. Such methods include transmitting, to a network node during a random-access procedure in the cell, a first indication of at least one capability of the wireless device. Such methods also include communicating with the network node, in one or more subsequent messages of the random-access procedure, using a configuration corresponding to the at least one capability indicated by the first indication. Other embodiments include complementary methods for a network node configured to support random access by wireless devices, as well as wireless devices and network nodes configured to perform such methods.

Abstract: A method is disclosed herein for reducing energy consumption in a wireless device. A wireless device (e.g., a user equipment) can provide an indication to a network node (e.g., a base station) to indicate that the wireless device will prioritize energy consumption reduction over some network requirements (e.g., latency and/or scheduling flexibility requirements). Accordingly, the wireless device can perform certain power-saving actions to reduce energy consumption. The network node, upon receiving the indication from the wireless device, can perform certain network-related actions to assist the wireless device in reducing energy consumption. As a result, it is possible for the wireless device to reduce energy consumption and complexity, thus helping to prolong battery life in the wireless device.

Abstract: A method of operating a wireless device in a wireless communication network. The method includes detecting first synchronization signaling of a first cell on first time and frequency resources. The first synchronization signaling comprises at least a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal. The method further includes detecting indication signaling on second time and frequency resources. The second time and frequency resources are derived based on the first time and frequency resources. The method further includes accessing the first cell if the indication signaling is detected on the second time and frequency resources. Accessing the first cell includes decoding a first system information message on a broadcast channel of the first cell. The first system information message indicates time and frequency resources of a first resource set. The disclosure also pertains to related devices and methods.

Abstract: A method by a reduced capability wireless device includes receiving system information from a network node. The system information comprising information specific to the reduced capability wireless device. The reduced capability wireless device performs an operation using at least the information specific to the reduced capability wireless device received in the system information.

Abstract: A network node (560) transmits (110) broadcast information (201) which indicates a set (202) of control resource elements. The network node transmits (120) first control information in the set of control resource elements. The first control information schedules a first downlink message (203). The network node transmits (130) second control information in a subset (204) of the set of control resource elements for use by a bandwidth-restricted wireless device. The subset of the set of control resource elements has a smaller bandwidth than the set of control resource elements. The second control information schedules a second downlink message (205). A wireless device (510) performs an associated method (400).

Abstract: A method performed by a network node in a communication network is provided. The method includes configuring a time-domain resource reservation for use in communication with a massive machine-type communication, mMTC, communication device when coexisting with a new radio system or a Long-Term Evolution system. The time-domain resource reservation includes a first bitmap having bits representing the resource reservation in consecutive slots and the first bitmap indicates one of a slot-level resource reservation and a symbol-level resource reservation. The method further includes signaling an indication of the time-domain resource reservation to the mMTC communication device. A method performed by a mMTC communication device is also provided.

Abstract: A method of operating a wireless device in a wireless communication network includes receiving a first reference signal at a first reception time from a first network node, receiving a second reference signal at a second reception time from a second network node, receiving a first indication of a first reference time, receiving a second indication of a second reference time, and transmitting a report to a serving network node. The indications of the first and second reference times indicate timings of frame structures of the first and second network nodes, respectively. The report is based on a first representation of a difference between the first reception time and the second reception time. The first representation is further based on the indications of the first and second reference times. Also provided are related devices and methods.

Abstract: There is provided a method performed by a wireless device for communicating with a network node in a wireless communication network. The method includes using a field in a Master Information Block (MIB) received by the wireless device, as an indication of a presence of an extended MIB (eMIB) and identifying which candidate resource of at least one candidate resource that contains the eMIB based on the indication of the presence of the eMIB. There is also provided a corresponding wireless device for communicating with a network node, a method perform by a network node, and a network node.