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US 11,109,360 B2Granted
Channel configuration and DLUL configuration for NB-IoT-U system
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsWenting Chang, Huaning Niu, Salvatore Talarico, Rongrong Sun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for frequency hopping in the unlicensed band are described. A NB-IoT UE receives a MIB from a RAN. The MIB includes a DL/UL configuration for communication with the RAN. Frequency hopping information is preconfigured in the UE. The MIB is received in an anchor segment of a fixed NB anchor channel in the unlicensed band. The frequency hopping sequence is determined based on timing information carried in a PBCH on the anchor channel. Data is communicated between the NB-IoT UE and the RAN in data segments on the data channels in accordance with the frequency hopping sequence.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- one or more processors arranged to cause a narrowband (NB) internet of things user equipment (NB-IoT UE) to:
- decode, from a radio access network (RAN), control information in an anchor segment of an NB anchor channel in an unlicensed band, wherein the NB anchor channel is fixed over time, the control information including a downlink (DL)/uplink (UL) configuration for communication in data segments using only a plurality of NB data channels in the unlicensed band, wherein the NB anchor channel is at a different frequency than the plurality of NB data channels, wherein the NB anchor channel does not include a data segment, wherein the NB anchor channel includes narrow primary synchronization signal (NPSS), narrow secondary synchronization signal (NSSS), and physical broadcast channel (NPBCH), and wherein at least some of the control information is carried in the NPBCH and the anchor channel provides the NPSS and the NSSS for initial access by the NB-IoT UE;
- and
- communicate data with the RAN in data segments on at least two of the plurality of NB data channels, wherein the at least two NB data channels for data communication are selected in accordance with frequency hopping information, wherein the DL/UL configuration is applied within a plurality of frequency hopping dwells during said communicating data, and wherein the DL/UL configuration is not applied to the anchor segment of the NB anchor channel.
1 more element
A method for operating a narrowband (NB) internet of things user equipment (NB-IoT UE), comprising:
- by the NB-IoT UE:
- selecting an NB anchor channel from among a plurality of NB anchor channels in the unlicensed band;
- decoding, from a radio access network (RAN), control information in an anchor segment of the NB anchor channel in the unlicensed band, wherein the NB anchor channel is fixed over time, the control information including a downlink (DL)/uplink (UL) configuration for communication using a plurality of NB data channels in the unlicensed band, wherein the NB anchor channel is at a different frequency than the plurality of NB data channels, wherein the NB anchor channel does not include a data segment, wherein the NB anchor channel includes narrow primary synchronization signal (NPSS), narrow secondary synchronization signal (NSSS), and physical broadcast channel (NPBCH), and wherein at least one of each NB anchor channel is associated with a different set of the NB data channels or the DL and UL configurations of different NB anchor channels and associated set of the NB data channels are independent of each other;
- and
- communicating data with the RAN in data segments on at least two of the plurality of NB data channels, wherein the at least two NB data channels for data communication are selected in accordance with frequency hopping information, wherein the DL/UL configuration is applied within a plurality of frequency hopping dwells during said communicating data, and wherein the DL/UL configuration is not applied to the anchor segment of the NB anchor channel.
2 more elements
A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor of a narrowband (NB) internet of things user equipment (NB-IoT UE) to:
- decode, from a radio access network (RAN), control information in an anchor segment of an NB anchor channel in an unlicensed band, wherein the NB anchor channel is fixed over time, the control information including a downlink (DL)/uplink (UL) configuration for communication using a plurality of NB data channels in the unlicensed band, wherein the NB anchor channel is at a different frequency than the plurality of NB data channels, wherein the NB anchor channel does not include a data segment, wherein the NB anchor channel includes narrow primary synchronization signal (NPSS), narrow secondary synchronization signal (NSSS), and physical broadcast channel (NPBCH), and wherein at least some of the control information is carried in the NPBCH and the anchor channel provides the NPSS and the NSSS for initial access by the NB-IoT UE;
- and
- communicate data with the RAN in data segments on at least two of the plurality of NB data channels, wherein the at least two NB data channels for data communication are selected in accordance with frequency hopping information, wherein the DL/UL configuration is applied within a plurality of frequency hopping dwells during said communicating data, and wherein the DL/UL configuration is not applied to the anchor segment of the NB anchor channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.