Device, system and method of quasi-orthogonal multiple access

An apparatus of an enhanced NodeB (eNB) comprising:

• a transceiver configured to communicate with a plurality of user equipment (UE) using quasi-orthogonal multiple access (QOMA) resources in QOMA regions, the QOMA regions comprising an orthogonal multiple access (OMA) region and a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) region, the OMA region comprising OMA resources in which UEs are allocated orthogonal resources, the NOMA region comprising NOMA resources in which UEs are allocated non-orthogonal resources;
• and
• processing circuitry arranged to:
• determine a number and partition of the at least one NOMA region;
• configure the transceiver to transmit an allocation of QOMA resources to each of the plurality of UEs, the QOMA resources comprising the NOMA resources and the OMA resources;
• and
• configure the transceiver to receive first data using the NOMA resources from UEs allocated to the NOMA resources, wherein the first data meets at least one predetermined condition.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE) to configure the UE to communicate with an enhanced Node B (eNB), the one or more processors to configure the UE to:

• receive an allocation of quasi-orthogonal multiple access (QOMA) resources in QOMA regions, the QOMA regions comprising an orthogonal multiple access (OMA) region and a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) region, the OMA region comprising OMA resources in which UEs are allocated orthogonal resources, the NOMA region comprising NOMA resources in which UEs are allocated non-orthogonal resources;
• the QOMA regions comprising an orthogonal multiple access (OMA) region and a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) region, the OMA region comprising OMA resources in which UEs are allocated orthogonal resources and the NOMA region comprising NOMA resources in which UEs are allocated non-orthogonal resources
• receive assignment of a maximum allowed NOMA rate and a maximum allowed NOMA Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS);
• transmit a first set of data using the NOMA resources, the first set of data comprising at most a predetermined number of packets and being transmitted at at most the maximum allowed NOMA rate and the maximum allowed NOMA MCS;
• and
• transmit a second set of data using the OMA resources, the second set of data comprising at least one of greater than the predetermined number of packets and transmitted at at least one of greater than the maximum allowed NOMA rate and the maximum allowed NOMA MCS.