Abstract: A network node links search spaces, used by a UE to monitor a control channel for control information for the UE, to an on-duration period of a DRX cycle. Resources of one or both of time-frequency resources or periodicity resources for the search spaces are modified via the linking over the on-duration period. The network node configures the UE so the user equipment implements the modified resources during the on-duration period as the user equipment searches the search spaces. A UE receives configuration, defined so the UE implements modification of resources during an on-duration period of a DRX cycle as the UE searches search spaces during the on-duration period. The resources are one or both of time-frequency resources or periodicity resources. The UE monitors the modified search spaces over the on-duration period, as the UE searches a control channel for control information.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments provide systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for determining radio frequency (RF) conditions using sensing information. A network node may construct a map of RF conditions associated with location information within its coverage area. The network node may configure a radio resource control (RRC)-connected UE to operate in an RF sensing mode. The network node may obtain a positioning of the UE from a sensing node. The network node may determine the RF conditions of the UE based on its position using the map.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments provide systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for associating sensing information with a user (e.g., a cellular user) by, for example, determining information from both a sensing node and a communication node, then associating the a sensed object and the communication node based on the information. Additionally, or alternatively, some embodiments provide systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for radar and sensing-based positioning.

Abstract: At a UE configured with an idle-mode configuration for using a PUR, determining that data not associated with the PUR is to be transmitted or received via an RRC connection. The UE performs an initial access to a network for the radio resource control connection. The UE transitions from RRC idle mode to RRC connected mode. The UE performs one of suspending the idle-mode configuration or maintaining the idle-mode configuration, for at least a duration of the RRC connected mode. A base station received the initial access, determines the UE is configured with the idle-mode configuration for using a PUR and transitions the UE from RRC idle mode to RRC connected mode. The base station performs communication between the base station and the UE to perform action(s) to modify one or both of the idle-mode configuration or an RRC connection corresponding to the transition into the RRC connected mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to perform receiving at least one control signal in one of subframes or symbols of a sub-bandwidth part of signaling from a network node of a communication network; based on the at least one control signal of the sub-bandwidth part, performing timing and frequency synchronization for the communication network; and using the synchronized timing and frequency, maintain a connected state for communication operations with the communication network. Further, to perform configuring signaling including at least one control signal in one of subframes or symbols of a sub-bandwidth part of the signaling configured for a device, wherein the sub-bandwidth part of the signaling is configured for the device; and sending towards the device the signaling including the at least one control signal in the one of subframes or symbols of the sub-bandwidth part.

Abstract: Method, apparatuses, and computer program product for overhead reduction are provided. One method may include receiving an allocation of a preconfigured uplink resource and a preconfigured uplink resource radio network temporary identifier associated with the preconfigured uplink resource. The method may also include receiving an assignment of a control channel search space associated with the preconfigured uplink resource. The method may further include monitoring, according to a specified occasion cycle, the control channel search space for a message. In addition, the message may be received according to a specific receive pattern.

Abstract: A method includes receiving positioning configuration information from a base station or location server while in an RRC_connected mode; transitioning to an RRC_idle or RRC_inactive mode, while saving the positioning configuration information; receiving a reference signal for positioning from the base station; performing positioning measurements, while in the RRC_idle or RRC_inactive mode; and sending a location report to the base station or location server while remaining in the RRC_idle or RRC_inactive mode. A related method includes sending positioning configuration information to a user equipment in an RRC_connected mode; sending the user equipment to RRC_idle or RRC_inactive mode by an RRC suspend procedure; sending a reference signal for positioning to the user equipment; receiving a location report from the user equipment in the RRC_idle or RRC_inactive mode; and forwarding the location report from the user equipment to a location server.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for timing advance (TA) validation and/or adjustment, for example in 5G NR, are provided. One method may include configuring, by a network node, at least one user equipment for at least one preconfigured uplink resource (PUR), and, before moving to idle or inactive mode, configuring the at least one user equipment to measure time of arrival (TOA) on a plurality of beams from a plurality of network nodes and to determine reference signal time difference (RSTD) values (600). The method may also include receiving data from the at least one user equipment using the at least one preconfigured uplink resource (PUR) (630).

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for paging of low complexity UE and/or UE in coverage enhancement mode are provided. One method includes producing a machine type communication (MTC) physical downlink control channel (M-PDCCH) configuration by configuring separate M-PDCCH subsets for paging. One of the subsets may be for low complexity user equipment, and another one of the subsets may be for user equipment operating in coverage enhancement mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to communications with preconfigured uplink resources (PUR). A method implemented at a terminal device comprises identifying a need to change a transmission configuration of the terminal device, the terminal device being in a transmission mode with a set of preconfigured uplink resources (PURs) allocated for the terminal device to transmit user data to a network device; and in response to identifying the need to change the transmission configuration, transmitting control information to the network device using a first PUR in the set of PURs, the control information comprising information relevant to the change of the transmission configuration. In this way, it is possible to enable the terminal device to save power, time, and resources by bypassing a full random access procedure when the transmission configuration is needed to be changed.

Abstract: A method includes performing, by a terminal device, a sub-bandwidth part based operation. The method includes determining a requirement for radio frequency retuning, and switching from the sub-bandwidth part based operation to a bandwidth part based operation. The method also includes performing the bandwidth part based operation.

Abstract: An uplink non-orthogonal multiple access for narrowband machine type communication used for the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) interconnected devices where one or more user equipment are configured for uplink transmission with one or more uplink time-frequency regions for enhanced Machine Type Communication Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access. The configuring is based on defining and signaling one or more signal thresholds and one or more of a resource assignment, a starting subframe periodicity, a starting subframe offset, a time duration in each period, a demodulation reference signal cyclic shift assignment, orthogonal cover code assignment, and interleaver assignment.

Abstract: Techniques of defining a transmission scheme for NB-IoT data include determining the TBS based on 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) analysis but use quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) for modulation. For example, a base station (eNB) may determine that a UE is configured to receive or transmit data with 16-QAM modulation via capability signalling from the UE. Upon performing this determination, the eNB transmits configuration data to the UE, e.g., via DCI, configuring the UE to receive data over a narrowband physical downlink shared channel (NPDSCH) using 16-QAM modulation. Part of the configuration data indicates whether the UE is to support 16-QAM modulation with or without repetition via radio resource control (RRC) parameter modulation-restriction-Repetitions. Depending upon this indication, the UE may use quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) rather than 16-QAM despite selecting or being assigned a TBS based on 16-QAM modulation.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer software products for paging, the method comprises: dividing paging occasions within at least one discontinuous reception cycles or within a paging time window of an extended discontinuous reception cycle into multiple paging occasion subgroups based on user equipment characteristics, and broadcasting the multiple paging occasion subgroups in system information (S101); receiving a paging message from a network element, identifying a paging occasion subgroup corresponding to a user equipment to be paged from the multiple paging occasion subgroups and selecting a paging occasion corresponding to the user equipment from the paging occasion subgroup according to the paging message (S103); transmitting a group based wake up signal associated with the paging occasion prior to the paging occasion if the user equipment currently uses group based wake up signal (S104).

Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer program product where a base station broadcasts a signal indicating that at least one time-frequency region, which is unused by a data transmission in a first radio access technology, is available for a transmission, allowing the base station to maintain support for and/or extending coverage of certain legacy user equipment. Such a transmission includes system information for a second radio access technology, wake-up signal, synchronization signal, and/or extension of the data transmission. Thereafter, the base station transmits such a transmission in the at least one time-frequency region that was indicated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus may include receiving, by a machine type communication user equipment, parameters for frequency hopping in downlink or uplink. The parameters comprise an “X,” “Y,” and “Z” parameters, “X” corresponds to a duration for which the same physical resource blocks are used for transmission. “Y” corresponds to a frequency hopping period, and “Z” corresponds to a frequency hopping pattern indication. The method may also include performing frequency hopping in accordance with the parameters.

Abstract: In accordance with example embodiments of the invention there is at least a method and apparatus to perform identifying, by a network node of a communication network, information from at least one network device of the communication network, wherein the information comprises a number of service requests for data communication by the at least one network device and an indication of an identifier identifying a purpose for each data communication mapped to each of the number of service requests; and based on the identifying, granting at least one service request of the number of service requests for the communicating.

Abstract: A method is provided including receiving, by a user equipment, a signal either before or during a paging occasion comprising an indication indicating whether the user equipment is to skip decoding of at least one subsequent channel of a plurality of subsequent channels associated with a paging message. The plurality of subsequent channels include: a first channel carrying downlink control information for the paging message, and a second channel carrying the paging message. In response to the indication indicating that the user equipment is to skip decoding of the at least one subsequent channel, skipping decoding of the at least one subsequent channel.

Abstract: In accordance with example embodiments of the invention there is at least a method and apparatus to perform determining, by a network node of a communication network, for assignment to at least one network device more than one resource configuration comprising a resource configuration for a contention based resource and a further resource configuration for a dedicated resource, wherein the further resource configuration is reserved as a fall back for a case where a data communication using the contention based resource is not successfully decoded by the network node; and communicating between the network node and the at least one network device information comprising the more than one resource configuration for use to communicate the data communication.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for receiving, at a user equipment, a scheduling grant for a first number, M, of transport blocks, wherein the scheduling grant comprises an indication of a second number, N, of transport blocks to be transmitted or received before a time delay, wherein M is greater than 1 and N is less than or equal to M, causing transmission or reception of a first group of N transport blocks and, if N is less than M, after the time delay, causing transmission or reception of a further group of up to N transport blocks followed by the time delay, until M transport blocks are caused to be transmitted or received.