# US 12,015,914 B2 · Physical layer security for physical uplink control channel transmissions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,914 B2 - Document ID: US12015914B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/513,366 - Filed: 2021-10-28 - Published: 2023-05-04 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-28 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Ahmed Elshafie; Hung Dinh Ly; Alexandros Manolakos - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015914B2 ## CPC - H04W 12/0431: Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement - H04L 5/0012: {Hopping in multicarrier systems} - H04L 5/0051: {of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal} - H04W 12/79: Radio fingerprint - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - 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) ## Abstract Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for securing physical (PHY) layers in wireless communication. Certain aspects are directed to a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE). In some examples, the method includes obtaining a key and using the key during physical layer signal processing of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission having more than one symbol to provide security for the PUCCH transmission. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: obtaining a key; and using the key during physical layer signal processing of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission having more than one symbol to provide security for the PUCCH transmission, wherein the physical layer signal processing comprises: converting information bits to a value I; selecting a sequence of length N from a sequence pool based on the value I; and mapping the sequence to N resource elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the physical layer signal processing comprises: modulating coded information bits to generate a modulated signal; generating a waveform after modulating the coded information bits; and multiplexing a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence in the waveform. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein using the key during physical layer signal processing comprises performing a logical function with the key and at least one of: the coded information bits before the modulating; the DMRS sequence; or a cell-specific sequence used for the PUCCH transmission. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a DMRS configuration based on the key. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising swapping real and imaginary parts of the modulated signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining a phase shift based on the key; and applying the phase shift to the modulated signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein using the key during physical layer signal processing comprises performing a logical function with the key and at least a part of the value l. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein: the value l comprises at least first and second parts; and different keys are used to perform the logical function with the first and second parts. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing security for the PUCCH transmission comprises determining the mapping of the sequence to N resource elements based on the key. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: frequency resources for the PUCCH transmission are determined according to a frequency hopping pattern based at least in part on the key. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein part or all of the key is used to determine the frequency hopping pattern. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein a logical function is performed with a configurable identifier and part or all of the key to determine the frequency hopping pattern. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving signaling indicating at least one of the key, the configurable identifier, or another key used to generate the configurable identifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving signaling indicating how the UE is to use the key to provide security for the PUCCH transmission. ### Claim 15 A method for wireless communications by a network entity, comprising: obtaining a key used to provide security for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission having more than one symbol from a user equipment (UE); and using the key during physical layer signal processing of the PUCCH received from the UE, wherein the physical layer signal is received on N resource elements and processing comprises: demapping a sequence from the N resource elements; determining a value I associated with the sequence; and obtaining a set of information bits based on the value I. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the physical layer signal processing comprises: processing a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence multiplexed with coded information bits in a received waveform; and decoding the coded information bits. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein using the key during physical layer signal processing comprises performing a logical function with the key and at least one of: the coded information bits; the DMRS sequence; or a cell-specific sequence used for the PUCCH transmission. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a DMRS configuration based on the key. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising swapping real and imaginary parts of a received waveform before demodulation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining a phase shift based on the key; and applying the phase shift before demodulating the received waveform. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein using the key during physical layer signal processing comprises performing a logical function with the key to obtain at least a part of the value l. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein: the value l comprises at least first and second parts; and different keys are used to perform the logical function with the first and second parts. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the processing comprises determining a mapping of the sequence to N resource elements based on the key. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein: frequency resources for the PUCCH transmission are determined according to a frequency hopping pattern based at least in part on the key. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein part or all of the key is used to determine the frequency hopping pattern. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein a logical function is performed with a configurable identifier and part or all of the key to determine the frequency hopping pattern. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting signaling, to the UE, indicating at least one of the key, the configurable identifier, or another key used to generate the configurable identifier. ### Claim 28 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting signaling, to the UE, indicating how the UE is to use the key to provide security for the PUCCH transmission.