# US 12,120,690 B2 · Multi-subframe uplink scheduling in unlicensed spectrum > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,690 B2 - Document ID: US12120690B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/469,247 - Filed: 2023-09-18 - Published: 2024-01-18 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-07 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Qiaoyang Ye; Hwan-Joon Kwon; Jeongho Jeon; Abhijeet Bhorkar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120690B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04L 5/0037: {Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation} - H04L 5/0042: {Intra-user or intra-terminal allocation} - H04L 5/0044: {Allocation of payload; Allocation of data channels, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH} - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04L 5/0082: {at predetermined intervals} - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04L 5/001: {the frequencies being arranged in component carriers} - H04L 5/0094: {Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated} - H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} - 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 Systems, apparatus, user equipment (UE), evolved node B (eNB), computer readable media, and methods are described for scheduling of multiple uplink transmissions in unlicensed spectrum. One embodiment involves receiving, at an eNB, a first uplink scheduling request from a UE, scheduling a plurality of uplink subframes on the unlicensed channel in response to the first uplink scheduling request, and initiating transmission of a first subframe to the first UE in response to the scheduling of the plurality of uplink subframes, wherein the first subframe comprises one or more downlink control indicators (DCIs) allocating the plurality of uplink subframes to the first UE. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to cause a base station (BS) to: transmit a first downlink control information (DCI) message to a first UE scheduling a first plurality of uplink transmissions to the first UE, wherein the uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions are scheduled to be contiguous and non-overlapping in time, the first DCI message including: bits to carry respective configurations including respective new data indicators and respective redundancy versions for respective uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions; and an indication of an offset from the first DCI to a first uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is preceded by a listen-before-talk procedure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first DCI is transmitted to the first UE using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein a control channel region of the PDCCH is not limited to a first three orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is associated with an adjustable delay between transmission of a first uplink transmission among the first plurality of uplink transmissions and the first DCI. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adjustable delay is set using signaling from one or more signaling communications comprising L1/L2 signaling, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or higher layer system signaling. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the BS to: receive, at the BS, a plurality of uplink scheduling requests from a plurality of UEs, the plurality of UEs comprising the first UE; schedule, by the BS, a second plurality of uplink transmissions in response to the plurality of uplink scheduling requests, the second plurality of uplink transmissions comprising the first plurality of uplink transmissions; and initiate transmission of a plurality of downlink subframes in response to the scheduling of the second plurality of uplink transmissions, wherein each downlink subframe comprises one or more DCIs allocating at least a portion of the second plurality of uplink transmissions to a corresponding UE of the plurality of UEs, and wherein each downlink subframe is associated with a different corresponding UE of the plurality of UEs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is scheduled on unlicensed spectrum. ### Claim 8 A base station (BS), comprising: a radio; and a processor operably coupled to the radio and configured to cause the BS to: transmit a first downlink control information (DCI) message to a first UE scheduling a first plurality of uplink transmissions to the first UE, wherein the uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions are scheduled to be contiguous and non-overlapping in time, the first DCI message including: bits to carry respective configurations including respective new data indicators and respective redundancy versions for respective uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions; and an indication of an offset from the first DCI to a first uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The BS of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is preceded by a listen-before-talk procedure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The BS of claim 8, wherein the first DCI is transmitted to the first UE using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein a control channel region of the PDCCH is not limited to a first three orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The BS of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is associated with an adjustable delay between transmission of a first uplink transmission among the first plurality of uplink transmissions and the first DCI. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The BS of claim 11, wherein the adjustable delay is set using signaling from one or more signaling communications comprising L1/L2 signaling, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or higher layer system signaling. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The BS of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the BS to: receive, at the BS, a plurality of uplink scheduling requests from a plurality of UEs, the plurality of UEs comprising the first UE; schedule, by the BS, a second plurality of uplink transmissions in response to the plurality of uplink scheduling requests, the second plurality of uplink transmissions comprising the first plurality of uplink transmissions; and initiate transmission of a plurality of downlink subframes in response to the scheduling of the second plurality of uplink transmissions, wherein each downlink subframe comprises one or more DCIs allocating at least a portion of the second plurality of uplink transmissions to a corresponding UE of the plurality of UEs, and wherein each downlink subframe is associated with a different corresponding UE of the plurality of UEs. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The BS of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is scheduled on unlicensed spectrum. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: at a base station (BS): transmitting a first downlink control information (DCI) message to a first UE scheduling a first plurality of uplink transmissions to the first UE, wherein the uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions are scheduled to be contiguous and non-overlapping in time, the first DCI message including: bits to carry respective configurations including respective new data indicators and respective redundancy versions for respective uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions; and an indication of an offset from the first DCI to a first uplink transmissions of the first plurality of uplink transmissions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is preceded by a listen-before-talk procedure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first DCI is transmitted to the first UE using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein a control channel region of the PDCCH is not limited to a first three orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is associated with an adjustable delay between transmission of a first uplink transmission among the first plurality of uplink transmissions and the first DCI. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the adjustable delay is set using signaling from one or more signaling communications comprising L1/L2 signaling, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or higher layer system signaling. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of uplink transmissions is scheduled on unlicensed spectrum.