# US 12,010,675 B2 · User equipment grouping for uplink non-orthogonal multiple access > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,675 B2 - Document ID: US12010675B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/260,582 - Filed: 2019-08-01 - Published: 2021-09-02 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-01 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: Qualcomm Incorporated - Inventors: Jing Lei; Wanshi Chen; Yiqing Cao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010675B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/121: for groups of terminals or users - H04L 1/0023: {characterised by the signalling} - H04L 5/0005: {Time-frequency} - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04W 8/24: Transfer of terminal data - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04W 72/0466: {the resource being a scrambling code} - H04J 13/0003: {Code application, i.e. aspects relating to how codes are applied to form multiplexed channels} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) ## Abstract Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. One or more multiple access-capable user equipments (UEs) may be grouped together for transmitting uplink multiple access communications to a base station, where the UEs may be assigned to the group based on similar capabilities or service requirements. The UE may receive configuration information based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned. When assigned to a group, the UEs may also receive a group-specific scrambling code for the uplink multiple access communications, a group-specific power control for the uplink multiple access communications, time and frequency resources to be used for the uplink multiple access communications specific to the group, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the specific time and frequency resources may be defined by multiple access resource units. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving, from a network device, an assignment that the UE is to be a member of a group of a plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs for a random access channel procedure, the assignment based at least in part on an association between one or more capabilities of the UE and capabilities of other UEs of the group to which the UE is assigned; receiving, from the network device, configuration information based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the configuration information comprising a group-specific indication that the UE is to use specific time and frequency resources for transmission of one or more uplink multiple access communications, wherein the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication at least partially overlap with time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs; and transmitting the one or more uplink multiple access communications to the network device based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the one or more uplink multiple access communications comprising a first message of the random access channel procedure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the UE, a capability indication that the UE is capable of performing uplink multiple access. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the assignment that the UE is to be a member of the group comprises: receiving a group-specific indication that the UE is to apply a group-specific scrambling code to the one or more uplink multiple access communications. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the assignment that the UE is to be a member of the group comprises: receiving a group-specific indication that the UE is to apply a group-specific power control for transmission of the one or more uplink multiple access communications. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the group-specific power control comprises a target receive power range associated with the group. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication differ partially with the time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a degree of overlap between the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication and time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs is preconfigured. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a degree of overlap between the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication and time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs is based at least in part on a quality of service capability associated with the uplink multiple access-capable UEs. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication represent a fraction of total time and frequency resources assigned to the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs, with at least some groups being assigned different fractions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a quantity of uplink multiple access-capable UEs in the group differs from a quantity of uplink multiple access-capable UEs in at least one other of the plurality of groups. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the specific time and frequency resources are defined by one or more multiple access resource units, each multiple access resource unit occupying a predefined quantity of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols and a predefined quantity of physical resource blocks (PRBs) or sub-PRBs. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the predefined quantity of sub-PRBs is a fraction of tones of a single PRB. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the predefined quantity of sub-PRBs includes consecutive or non-consecutive tones of a single PRB. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the predefined quantity of OFDM symbols or the predefined quantity of PRBs or sub-PRBs is based at least in part on a system numerology and a capability of the uplink multiple access-capable UEs. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a multiple access resource unit indication indicating the predefined quantity of OFDM symbols and the predefined quantity of PRBs or sub-PRBs. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the assignment that the UE is to be a member of the group comprises: receiving the assignment as a preconfigured assignment via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the assignment that the UE is to be a member of the group comprises: receiving the assignment as a dynamically-configured assignment via either a group-common physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message or via remaining minimum system information (RMSI). ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the assignment that the UE is to be a member of the group comprises: receiving the assignment via UE-specific dynamic downlink control information (DCI). ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a quantity of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs is based at least in part on a total quantity of uplink multiple access-capable UEs in communication with the network device and a quantity of orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal multiple access (MA) signatures supported by the total quantity of uplink multiple access-capable UEs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal MA signatures vary by spreading codes, scrambling codes, permutation patterns, sparsity patterns, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of a set of pre-configured rules for a resource configuration and information associated with a multiple access signature generation. ### Claim 22 An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: a processor, memory in electronic communication with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive, from a network device, an assignment that the UE is to be a member of a group of a plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs for a random access channel procedure, the assignment based at least in part on an association between one or more capabilities of the UE and capabilities of other UEs of the group to which the UE is assigned; receive, from the network device, configuration information based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the configuration information comprising a group-specific indication that the UE is to use specific time and frequency resources for transmission of one or more uplink multiple access communications, wherein the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication at least partially overlap with time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs; and transmit the one or more uplink multiple access communications to the network device based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the one or more uplink multiple access communications comprising a first message of the random access channel procedure. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: transmit, by the UE, a capability indication that the UE is capable of performing uplink multiple access. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the instructions to receive the configuration information based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive a group-specific indication that the UE is to apply a group-specific scrambling code to the one or more uplink multiple access communications or apply a group-specific power control for transmission of the one or more uplink multiple access communications. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the group-specific power control comprises a target receive power range associated with the group. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication differ partially with the time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a degree of overlap between the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication and time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs is preconfigured. ### Claim 28 An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: means for receiving, from a network device, an assignment that the UE is to be a member of a group of a plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs for a random access channel procedure, the assignment based at least in part on an association between one or more capabilities of the UE and capabilities of other UEs of the group to which the UE is assigned; means for receive, from the network device, configuration information based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the configuration information comprising a group-specific indication that the UE is to use specific time and frequency resources for transmission of one or more uplink multiple access communications, wherein the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication at least partially overlap with time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs; and means for transmitting the one or more uplink multiple access communications to the network device based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the one or more uplink multiple access communications comprising a first message of the random access channel procedure. ### Claim 29 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to: receive, from a network device, an assignment that the UE is to be a member of a group of a plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs for a random access channel procedure, the assignment based at least in part on an association between one or more capabilities of the UE and capabilities of other UEs of the group to which the UE is assigned; receive, from the network device, configuration information based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the configuration information comprising a group-specific indication that the UE is to use specific time and frequency resources for transmission of one or more uplink multiple access communications, wherein the specific time and frequency resources indicated to the UE by the group-specific indication at least partially overlap with time and frequency resources assigned to other groups of the plurality of groups of uplink multiple access-capable UEs; and transmit the one or more uplink multiple access communications to the network device based at least in part on the group to which the UE has been assigned, the one or more uplink multiple access communications comprising a first message of the random access channel procedure.