Robust grant-free transmissions

A system for performing grant-free uplink transmissions, the system comprising:

• a first UE, configured to:
• select a first grant-free resource block, wherein:
• a plurality of grant-free resource blocks define a plurality of subcarrier frequencies and a plurality of timeslots for data to be transmitted to a base station of a cellular network without a reservation by the first UE;
• select a second grant-free resource block;
• select a third grant-free resource block;
• and
• transmit a first grant-free transmission that comprises:
• 1) a data payload;
• 2) a first pointer;
• and 3) a second pointer, wherein:
• the first pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block;
• and
• the second pointer refers to the third grant-free resource block;
• and
• the base station, configured to:
• receive the first grant-free transmission transmitted by the first UE on the first grant-free resource block;
• detect a collision on the second grant-free resource block, wherein the collision results from a second grant-free transmission being received during a same timeslot and a same frequency as a third grant-free transmission from a second UE distinct from the first UE;
• and
• based on the first pointer of the first grant-free transmission, perform interference cancelation to subtract at least a portion of the first grant-free transmission from the collision to reconstruct the third grant-free transmission transmitted by the second UE at the second grant-free resource block.

A non-transitory processor-readable medium for a cellular device comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors of a first user equipment (UE) to:

• select a first grant-free resource block, wherein:
• a plurality of grant-free resource blocks define a plurality of subcarrier frequencies and a plurality of timeslots for data to be transmitted to a base station of a cellular network without a reservation by the first UE;
• select a second grant-free resource block;
• select a third grant-free resource block;
• and
• cause a first grant-free transmission to be transmitted that comprises:
• 1) a data payload;
• 2) a first pointer;
• and 3) a second pointer, wherein:
• the first pointer refers to the second grant-free resource block;
• the second pointer refers to the third grant-free resource block;
• the first grant-free transmission transmitted by the first UE on the first grant-free resource block is received by the base station;
• the base station detects a collision on the second grant-free resource block, wherein the collision results from a second grant-free transmission being received during a same timeslot and a same frequency as a third grant-free transmission from a second UE distinct from the first UE;
• and
• based on the first pointer of the first grant-free transmission, interference cancelation is performed to subtract at least a portion of the first grant-free transmission from the collision to reconstruct the third grant-free transmission transmitted by the second UE at the second grant-free resource block.