Uplink channel scheduling to retain channel occupancy for unlicensed wireless spectrum

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

• transmit, by a base station, a configuration of a set of one or more resources for an uplink channel to be used for transmission by a user device in a slot prior to a short physical uplink control channel of the slot;
• transmit, by the base station to the user device, a downlink control information including a downlink assignment for a downlink channel, wherein the downlink assignment indicates a resource of the set of one or more resources for the uplink channel, and a physical uplink control channel;
• and
• receive, by the base station from the user device, a signal via the indicated resource for the uplink channel and at least one of a HARQ process identifier associated with a ACK/NACK resource indicator (ARI) value and a new data indicator associated with the uplink data, prior to the short physical uplink control channel of the slot.