# US 10,873,435 B2 · Configurable intra-slot frequency hopping for a variable length uplink control channel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,873,435 B2 - Document ID: US10873435B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/970,646 - Filed: 2018-05-03 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-04 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Yi Huang; Renqiu Wang; Hao Xu; Seyong Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873435B2 ## CPC - H04L 5/0051: {of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal} - H04B 1/713: using frequency hopping - H04L 1/005: {Iterative decoding, including iteration between signal detection and decoding operation} - H04L 5/0012: {Hopping in multicarrier systems} - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04L 5/001: {the frequencies being arranged in component carriers} - H04L 5/0028: {Variable division (indication of the divided channel H04L5/0092)} - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The duration of variable length uplink control channels may vary over a wide range. Transmissions related to overhead may take up a larger percentage of symbols for shorter durations of the variable length uplink control channel. Disabling intra-slot hopping may be beneficial to decrease overhead (as a percentage). The apparatus may be an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include a transmitter or receiver and a processing system. The processing system may be configured to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for a variable length uplink control channel, and communicate information to the transmitter for transmission over the variable length uplink control channel or receive information from the receiver. The information may be received over the variable length uplink control channel, the information transmitted by the transmitter or received by the receiver based on the determination of whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a transmitter; and a processing system configured to: determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for a variable length uplink control channel, and communicate information to the transmitter for transmission in a slot over the variable length uplink control channel using a single frequency or intra-slot frequency hopping based on the determination of whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, wherein a number of demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) on the variable length uplink control channel is reduced when the intra-slot frequency hopping is not used relative to when the intra-slot frequency hopping is used. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a long physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a short physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, the processing system is configured to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for transmitting data on the variable length uplink control channel based on a duration of the variable length uplink control channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein variable length uplink control channel durations using intra-slot frequency hopping and the variable length uplink control channel durations not using intra-slot frequency hopping are predetermined. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for the variable length uplink control channel based on received signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the signaling comprises Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping or the signaling comprises downlink control information (DCI) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to use one of received Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or received downlink control information (DCI) signaling to change a state of inter-slot hopping. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a receiver configured to receive information over a variable length uplink control channel; and a processing system configured to: determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for the variable length uplink control channel, and receive the information from the receiver in a slot on the variable length uplink control channel using a single frequency or intra-slot frequency hopping based on the determination of whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, wherein a number of demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) on the variable length uplink control channel is reduced when the intra-slot frequency hopping is not used relative to when the intra-slot frequency hopping is used. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a long physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a short physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, the processing system is configured to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for receiving data on the variable length uplink control channel based on a duration of the variable length uplink control channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein variable length uplink control channel durations using intra-slot frequency hopping and the variable length uplink control channel durations not using intra-slot frequency hopping are predetermined. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further configured to signal a user equipment (UE) to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the signaling comprises Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping or the signaling comprises downlink control information (DCI) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further configured to use one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) or downlink control information (DCI) signaling to change a state of inter-slot hopping. ### Claim 17 A method of wireless communication, comprising: determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for a variable length uplink control channel, and communicating information to a transmitter for transmission in a slot over the variable length uplink control channel using a single frequency or intra-slot frequency hopping based on the determination of whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, wherein a number of demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) on the variable length uplink control channel is reduced when the intra-slot frequency hopping is not used relative to when the intra-slot frequency hopping is used. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a long physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a short physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping comprises determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for transmitting data on the variable length uplink control channel based on a duration of the variable length uplink control channel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein variable length uplink control channel durations using intra-slot frequency hopping and the variable length uplink control channel durations not using intra-slot frequency hopping are predetermined. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for the variable length uplink control channel is based on received signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the signaling comprises at least one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping or downlink control information (DCI) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising using one of received Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or received downlink control information (DCI) signaling to change a state of inter-slot hopping. ### Claim 25 A method of wireless communication, comprising: determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for a variable length uplink control channel, and receiving information in a slot over the variable length uplink control channel using a single frequency or intra-slot frequency hopping based on the determination of whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, wherein a number of demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) on the variable length uplink control channel is reduced when the intra-slot frequency hopping is not used relative to when the intra-slot frequency hopping is used. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a long physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a short physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping comprises determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for receiving data on the variable length uplink control channel based on a duration of the variable length uplink control channel. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein variable length uplink control channel durations using intra-slot frequency hopping and the variable length uplink control channel durations not using intra-slot frequency hopping are predetermined. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising signaling a user equipment (UE) to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the signaling comprises at least one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping or downlink control information (DCI) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 32 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising using one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) or downlink control information (DCI) signaling to change a state of inter-slot hopping. ### Claim 33 An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: means for determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for a variable length uplink control channel, and means for communicating information to a transmitter for transmission in a slot over the variable length uplink control channel using a single frequency or intra-slot frequency hopping based on the determination of whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, wherein a number of demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) on the variable length uplink control channel is reduced when the intra-slot frequency hopping is not used relative to when the intra-slot frequency hopping is used. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a long physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a short physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 36 (depends on 33) The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping is configured to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for transmitting data on the variable length uplink control channel based on a duration of the variable length uplink control channel. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The apparatus of claim 36, wherein variable length uplink control channel durations using intra-slot frequency hopping and the variable length uplink control channel durations not using intra-slot frequency hopping are predetermined. ### Claim 38 (depends on 33) The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for the variable length uplink control channel is configured to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for the variable length uplink control channel based on received signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the signaling comprises Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping or the signaling comprises downlink control information (DCI) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 40 (depends on 33) The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising: means for using one of received Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or received downlink control information (DCI) signaling to change a state of inter-slot hopping. ### Claim 41 An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: means for determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for a variable length uplink control channel, and means for receiving information in a slot over the variable length uplink control channel using a single frequency or intra-slot frequency hopping based on the determination of whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping, wherein a number of demodulation reference signals (DMRSs) on the variable length uplink control channel is reduced when the intra-slot frequency hopping is not used relative to when the intra-slot frequency hopping is used. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a long physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 43 (depends on 41) The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the variable length uplink control channel comprises a short physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). ### Claim 44 (depends on 41) The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the means for determining whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping is configured to determine whether or not to use intra-slot frequency hopping for receiving data on the variable length uplink control channel based on a duration of the variable length uplink control channel. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The apparatus of claim 44, wherein variable length uplink control channel durations using intra-slot frequency hopping and the variable length uplink control channel durations not using intra-slot frequency hopping are predetermined. ### Claim 46 (depends on 44) The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising: means for signaling a user equipment (UE) to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the signaling comprises Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping or the signaling comprises downlink control information (DCI) signaling to enable or disable the variable length uplink control channel hopping. ### Claim 48 (depends on 44) The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising means for using one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) or downlink control information (DCI) signaling to change a state of inter-slot hopping.