# US 2019/0174476 A1 · Channel configuration and dlul configuration for nb-iot-u system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0174476 A1 - Document ID: US20190174476A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/267,810 - Filed: 2019-02-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-05 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Wenting Chang; Huaning Niu; Salvatore Talarico; Rongrong Sun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174476A1 ## CPC - H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for resource management - H04L 5/0012: {Hopping in multicarrier systems} - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04L 5/0091: {Signalling for the administration of the divided path, e.g. signalling of configuration information} - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel - H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes} - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04W 72/30: Resource management for broadcast services - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 88/02: Terminal devices - 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 An apparatus and method for frequency hopping in the unlicensed band are described. A NB-IoT UE receives a MIB from a RAN. The MIB includes a DL/UL configuration for communication with the RAN. Frequency hopping information is preconfigured in the UE. The MIB is received in an anchor segment of a fixed NB anchor channel in the unlicensed band. The frequency hopping sequence is determined based on timing information carried in a PBCH on the anchor channel. Data is communicated between the NB-IoT UE and the RAN in data segments on the data channels in accordance with the frequency hopping sequence. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus of a narrowband (NB) internet of things user equipment (NB-IoT UE), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry arranged to: decode, from a radio access network (RAN), control information in an anchor segment of an NB anchor channel in an unlicensed band, the NB anchor channel fixed over time, the control information including a downlink (DL)/uplink (UL) configuration for communication using a plurality of NB data channels in the unlicensed band; and communicate data with the RAN in data segments on one or more of the plurality of NB data channels, wherein the NB data channel for data communication is selected in accordance with frequency hopping information; and a memory configured to store the control information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DL/UL configuration is provided in a Master Information Block (MIB). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the DL/UL configuration is indicated in at most 3 bits of the MIB. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the DL/UL configuration indicates at least half of subframes used to transmit in the NB data channels are UL subframes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the DL/UL configuration is dependent on a geographic region in which the NB-IoT UE is disposed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control information is provided in data received in the NB anchor channel rather than being indicated in a downlink control information (DCI) format. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control information comprises timing information used with the frequency hopping information for frequency hopping in 64 NB data channels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least some of the control information is carried in a narrowband physical broadcast channel (NPBCH) and the anchor channel provides a primary synchronization signal (NPSS) and secondary synchronization signal (NSSS) for initial access by the NB-IoT UE. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frequency hopping information is preconfigured in the memory prior to reception of the control information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in a frame structure that comprises the anchor segment and the data segments, the anchor segment occurs at a beginning of the frame structure before the data segments. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control information indicates whether frequency hopping is to be used. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to select the NB anchor channel from among a plurality of NB anchor channels in the unlicensed band. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one of: each NB anchor channel is associated with a different set of the NB data channels, or the DL and UL configurations of different NB anchor channels and associated set of the NB data channels are independent of each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the processing circuitry comprises a baseband processor configured to encode transmissions to, and decode transmissions from, the RAN. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory machine-readable storage device including instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a narrowband internet of things user equipment (NB-IoT UE), configure the NB-IoT UE to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a radio access network (RAN), a master information block (MIB) comprising a downlink (DL)/uplink (UL) configuration for communication with the RAN and timing information carried in a narrowband physical broadcast channel (NPBCH), the DL/UL configuration and timing information received in an anchor segment of a NB anchor channel in an unlicensed band, the NB anchor channel fixed over time; determining, from the timing information and preconfigured frequency hopping information, a frequency hopping sequence among NB data channels; and after reception of the anchor segment, communicating data with the RAN in data segments on the NB data channels by frequency hopping among the NB data channels in accordance with the frequency hopping sequence. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The medium of claim 15, wherein the frequency hopping is over 64 NB data channels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The medium of claim 15, wherein the DL/UL configuration is indicated in at most 3 bits of the MIB. ### Claim 18 An apparatus of radio access network (RAN) node, comprising: processing circuitry arranged to: encode a master information block (MIB) comprising a downlink (DL)/uplink (UL) configuration for communication with a narrowband internet of things user equipment (NB-IoT UE) and timing information carried in a narrowband physical broadcast channel (NPBCH), the DL/UL configuration and timing information transmitted in an anchor segment of an NB anchor channel in an unlicensed band, the NB anchor channel fixed over time; and communicate data with the NB-IoT UE in data segments on NB data channels in accordance with frequency hopping and the DL/UL configuration, wherein the NB data channel for data communication is selected in accordance with frequency hopping information; and a memory configured to store the frequency hopping information used to determine the frequency hopping. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: the frequency hopping is over 64 NB data channels, and the DL/UL configuration is indicated in at most 3 bits of the MIB. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the DL/UL configuration is indicated in at most 3 bits of the MIB.