Abstract: An efficient random access procedure is provided for reduced control overhead of connections in random access systems. A base station transmits one or more synchronization signal (SS) blocks. A UE detects and determines a preferred SS block. The UE transmits multiple random access signals (e.g., PRACH signals) in a RACH occasion. Each PRACH signal is transmitted on a different beam and includes a RACH preamble. The base station receives one or more of the PRACH signals. The RACH occasion and optionally the RACH preamble identify the preferred SS block. The base station determines a preferred PRACH signal. The base station sends a RAR to the UE using the transmit beam of the preferred SS block. The RAR indicates the preferred PRACH signal and an uplink resource allocation. The UE receives the RAR and transmits a message using the transmit beam of the preferred PRACH signal and the uplink resource allocation.

Abstract: In a first example embodiment, a control transmission portion of a mmWave communication is received at a user equipment. The control transmission portion is divided into a plurality of control transmission portion sub-regions, each sub-region scheduling a data transmission for a corresponding sub-region of a data transmission portion of the mmWave communication. Then a first of the control transmission portion sub-regions is demodulated and decoded. A receive analog antenna beamforming is armed according to the demodulated and decoded first of the control transmission portion sub-regions. Beamforming is performed on a first sub-region of the data transmission portion of the mmWave communication, the first sub-region of the data transmission portion corresponding to the first of the control transmission portion sub-regions. During the arming and performing, a second of the control transmission portion sub-regions is demodulated and decoded.

Abstract: Methods for wireless communications over a wideband carrier are provided. Time-frequency resources of the wideband carrier within a transmission time interval are divided into multiple time-frequency resource blocks. Each of the time-frequency resource blocks corresponds to a group of contiguous subcarriers of the wideband carrier and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols. Data streams may be scheduled to be transmitted in different time-frequency resource blocks, and may be destined for different user equipments or the same user equipment. Baseband processing operations may be performed on data streams scheduled in different time-frequency resource blocks independently from one another. Separate control channels or one common control channel may be configured for data transmissions in different time-frequency resource blocks.

Abstract: A system and method for uplink multi-antenna power control in a communications system are provided. A method for user equipment operations includes determining a transmit power level for transmit antennas of the user equipment having at least two transmit antennas, and setting a power amplifier output level for each of the at least two transmit antennas in accordance with a respective transmit power level.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a base station configuring component carriers to user equipment (UE). The base station determines one or more component carriers to configure based on the UE carrier aggregation capability and sends a first configuration signaling to configure the UE with the component carriers in one or more component carrier sets. The base station configures each of the component carrier sets with a first common parameters and operations set and sends a second configuration signaling to configure the component carrier sets of the UE with the first common parameters and operations set. The base station then sends a third configuration signaling to configure each of the component carriers in the UE with a second parameters and operations set.

Abstract: User equipments can achieve quick channel synchronization when establishing a connection to base stations transitioning from a sleep mode to an active mode by using discovery resource signal (DRS) processing results and cell reference signal (CRS) processing results to establish channel synchronization with a CRS antenna port. More specifically, the user equipment may be notified that the CRS antenna port and DRS antenna port are quasi-co-located (QCL), and then use DRS processing results in conjunction with CRS processing results to obtain faster channel synchronization with a CRS antenna port. This may be particularly beneficial when the target BS is transitioned from a sleep mode to an active mode in order to accept a handover of the user equipment.

Abstract: Communications in a wireless network for carrier Selection and switching are provided. A terminal in the wireless network is simultaneously receiving data on at most m carriers. A base station in the wireless network sends an activation command associated with more than m carriers to the terminal. The terminal activates the more than m carriers. Then the base station selects a first subset from the activated carriers, and sends a first monitoring command associated with the first subset via a first physical-layer signaling to the terminal. When load and/or interference situations are changed, the base station selects a second subset from the activated carriers, and sends a second monitoring command associated with the second subset via a second physical-layer signaling to the terminal, wherein the first subset is different from the second subset.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for adaptive pilot allocation. In an embodiment, a method in a communication controller for adaptive pilot allocation includes determining at least one channel condition parameter for a wireless channel between the communications controller and a user equipment (UE). The method includes selecting a microframe pilot pattern to use for subsequent communications on the wireless channel according to the at least one channel condition parameter. Additionally, the method includes signaling an indication of the selected microframe pilot pattern to the user equipment. The method further includes transmitting data to the UE using the selected microframe pilot pattern.

Abstract: A method for uplink transmission by a UE includes obtaining information regarding a plurality of power control sets each having a plurality of power control parameters, wherein a value of at least one parameter in a first power control set is different from a value of the at least one parameter in a second power control set; obtaining information associating at least one of the power control sets with at least one operational property of the UE; and when at least one of the operational properties is in effect on the UE, transmitting a PUSCH using the parameters of the power control set associated with the at least one operational property in effect.

Abstract: A method for wireless communications is provided. The method includes transmitting a first signal during a first time interval. The first signal is encoded with a first spreading sequence generated by permutating a root sequence based on a permutation parameter associated with a first index. The method further includes transmitting a second signal during a second time interval. The second signal is encoded with a second spreading sequence generated by permutating the root sequence based on a permutation parameter associated with a second index. The method further includes receiving an indication of either the first index or the second index from a user equipment (UE).

Abstract: In a first example embodiment, a control transmission portion of a mmWave communication is received at a user equipment. The control transmission portion is divided into a plurality of control transmission portion sub-regions, each sub-region scheduling a data transmission for a corresponding sub-region of a data transmission portion of the mmWave communication. Then a first of the control transmission portion sub-regions is demodulated and decoded. A receive analog antenna beamforming is armed according to the demodulated and decoded first of the control transmission portion sub-regions. Beamforming is performed on a first sub-region of the data transmission portion of the mmWave communication, the first sub-region of the data transmission portion corresponding to the first of the control transmission portion sub-regions. During the arming and performing, a second of the control transmission portion sub-regions is demodulated and decoded.

Abstract: A method for transmitting resource allocation information to a wireless node in a communications system includes selecting a search space from one of a first search space and a second search space, the first search space associated with a first set of control channel parameters and the second search space associated with a second set of control channel parameters. The method also includes modulating the first control information, and mapping the modulated first control information onto the selected search space in a first subframe, where at least one of modulating the first control information and mapping the modulated first control information is according to a selected set of control channel parameters associated with the selected search space. The method further includes transmitting the first subframe to the wireless node, and transmitting a first parameter indicator identifying the selected set of control channel parameters to the wireless node.

Abstract: A physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) region of a subframe may include a reference signal (RS) section that includes one or more of a beam-scanning subsection, a transmit (TX) beam-tracking subsection, a receive (RX) beam-tracking subsection, and a channel state information (CSI) subsection. Reference signals in the TX beam-tracking subsection may be used to update TX analog beams. Reference signals in the RX beam-tracking subsection may be used to update RX analog beams. Reference signals in the beam-scanning subsection may be used to evaluate different combinations of TX and RX analog beams for use in a future directional data transmission. Reference signals in the CSI subsection may be transmitted over quasi-co-located (QCL) antenna ports, and may be used for purposes of channel estimation.

Abstract: An embodiment method of network node operation includes indicating, by a first network node, to a first UE, a first number of REs in a first set of RBs for a first reference signal, transmitting, by the first network node, to the first UE, the first reference signal in accordance with the first number of REs and a first precoding in a first subframe, receiving, by the first network node, from the first UE, a report indicating a first MCS in accordance with a level of signal and interference measured by the first UE, wherein the measurement is restricted to the first reference signal, and transmitting, by the first network node, a first data with the indicated first MCS and the first precoding in a second subframe, the first data being transmitted on a second number of REs in the first set of RBs in the second subframe.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for signaling reference signals and Channel State Information (CSI) feedback for wireless communications. An embodiment method implemented by a user equipment (UE) for wireless communications measurements and CSI feedback includes receiving, from a network, at least one of a first index that indicates a corresponding non-zero-power CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resource, a second index that indicates a corresponding zero-power CSI-RS resource, a third index that indicates a corresponding CSI-RS resource for interference measurement, and a fourth index that indicates a corresponding channel quality indicator (CQI) report configuration.

Abstract: A network controller may configure one or more channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configurations for transmitting RSs to user equipments (UEs) for tracking. A CSI-RS configuration may specify a set of CSI-RS resources for transmitting RSs in two consecutive slots. The set of CSI-RS resources may include a plurality of one-port CSI-RS resources configured according to the CSI-RS configuration. The CSI-RS configuration may specify a quasi co-location (QCL) configuration including a set of QCL parameters, where a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) has a QCL relationship with the RS with respect to the set of QCL parameters. The network controller may signal the one or more CSI-RS configurations to UEs.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a transmission mode of a terminal device are provided. The method includes: determining a first power configuration value and a second power configuration value of the terminal device; determining that a sum of the first power configuration value and the second power configuration value is greater than a first threshold; and determining whether the terminal device uses a first transmission mode or a second transmission mode.

Abstract: An embodiment method for adaptation and reconfiguration in a wireless network includes base stations coordinating and setting aside a set of time-frequency resources for probing purposes, the base stations coordinating a set of probing transmissions and timings to be used to synchronize base stations/DEs actions, the base stations signaling the resources and timings to UEs, the base stations performing coordinated operations on the resources according to the timings, the base stations receiving feedback reports from UEs based on UE measurements on the signaled resources according to the signaled timings, and the base stations further coordinating the operations for further probing or to apply probing transmissions on broader time-frequency resources.

Abstract: Methods for wireless communications over a wideband carrier are provided. Time-frequency resources of the wideband carrier within a transmission time interval are divided into multiple time-frequency resource blocks. Each of the time-frequency resource blocks corresponds to a group of contiguous subcarriers of the wideband carrier and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols. Data streams may be scheduled to be transmitted in different time-frequency resource blocks, and may be destined for different user equipments or the same user equipment. Baseband processing operations may be performed on data streams scheduled in different time-frequency resource blocks independently from one another. Separate control channels or one common control channel may be configured for data transmissions in different time-frequency resource blocks.

Abstract: A physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) region of a subframe may include a reference signal (RS) section that includes one or more of a beam-scanning subsection, a transmit (TX) beam-tracking subsection, a receive (RX) beam-tracking subsection, and a channel state information (CSI) subsection. Reference signals in the TX beam-tracking subsection may be used to update TX analog beams. Reference signals in the RX beam-tracking subsection may be used to update RX analog beams. Reference signals in the beam-scanning subsection may be used to evaluate different combinations of TX and RX analog beams for use in a future directional data transmission. Reference signals in the CSI subsection may be transmitted over quasi-co-located (QCL) antenna ports, and may be used for purposes of channel estimation.