# US 2019/0357307 A1 · Design of flexible resource allocation for even further enhanced machine type communication (efemtc) > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0357307 A1 - Document ID: US20190357307A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/406,763 - Filed: 2019-05-08 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-16 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Qiaoyang Ye; Debdeep Chatterjee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190357307A1 ## CPC - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04L 5/00: Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path - 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 5/0094: {Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated} - H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 8/22: Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states - H04L 5/0012: {Hopping in multicarrier systems} - H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel - 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 A User Equipment (UE) includes processing circuitry coupled to memory. To configure the UE for machine type communication (MTC), the processing circuitry is to decode radio resource control (RRC) signaling from a base station (such as an Evolved Node-B (eNB)). The RRC signaling indicates activation of flexible starting physical resource block (PRB) for physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resource allocation. DCI received on an MTC physical downlink control channel (MPDCCH) is decoded, the DCI indicating a narrowband (NB) index of a NB frequency resource and at least one PRB index for the PDSCH resource allocation. The NB frequency resource indicated by the NB index is shifted based on the activation of the flexible starting PRB for PDSCH resource allocation. PDSCH data received from the base station using the shifted NB frequency resource is decoded. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 An apparatus of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry, wherein to configure the UE for machine type communication (MTC), the processing circuitry is to: decode radio resource control (RRC) signaling from a base station, the RRC signaling indicating activation of flexible starting physical resource block (PRB) for physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resource allocation; shift a narrowband (NB) frequency resource indicated by a NB index based on the activation of the flexible starting PRB for PDSCH resource allocation, the NB index associated with resource block assignment for the PDSCH resource allocation; and decode PDSCH data received from the base station using the shifted NB frequency resource; and memory coupled to the processing circuitry, the memory configured to store the DCI. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is to: decode downlink control information (DCI) received in an MTC physical downlink control channel (MPDCCH), the DCI indicating the resource block assignment for the PDSCH resource allocation; and determine the NB index of the NB frequency resource of the PDSCH resource allocation based on the resource block assignment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein DCI further indicates at least one PRB index for the PDSCH resource allocation, and wherein the at least one PRB index is a plurality of PRB indices identifying PRBs within the NB frequency resource. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the NB frequency resource is shifted so that a boundary of the NB frequency resource aligns with a previous or a next resource block group (RBG) boundary. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the RRC signaling further indicates that frequency hopping (FH) is enabled for the UE together with the flexible PRB for PDSCH resource allocation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein an amount of the shift of the NB frequency resource is based on one or both of a system bandwidth used by the UE and the NB index, and wherein the flexible starting PRB for MPDSCH resource allocation is not supported by the UE when the system bandwidth is 1.4 MHz. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is to: encode a UE capability information element indicating the UE supports the flexible PRB for PDSCH resource allocation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is to: decode higher layer signaling configuring the UE to support the flexible PRB for PDSCH resource allocation, wherein the higher layer signaling is a system information block (SIB) or a dedicated RRC signaling. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the DCI includes a resource allocation bit field with a plurality of bits, wherein a first portion of the plurality of bits indicates the NB index, and wherein a remaining second portion of the plurality of bits indicates a resource block group (RBG) boundary for shifting the NB frequency resource. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is to: perform frequency re-tuning to a center frequency of a tuning narrowband, the tuning narrowband starting at a boundary of the shifted NB resource and including six resource blocks (RBs). ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising transceiver circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry; and, one or more antennas coupled to the transceiver circuitry. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable storage device including instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a User Equipment (UE), configure the UE for machine type communication (MTC) and cause the UE to perform operations to: decode radio resource control (RRC) signaling from a base station, the RRC signaling indicating activation of flexible starting physical resource block (PRB) for physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resource allocation; shift a narrowband (NB) frequency resource indicated by a NB index based on the activation of the flexible starting PRB for PDSCH resource allocation, the NB index associated with resource block assignment for the PDSCH resource allocation; and decode PDSCH data received from the base station using the shifted NB frequency resource. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein executing the instructions further cause the UE to: decode downlink control information (DCI) received in an MTC physical downlink control channel (MPDCCH), the DCI indicating the resource block assignment for the PDSCH resource allocation; and determine the NB index of the NB frequency resource of the PDSCH resource allocation based on the resource block assignment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the NB frequency resource is shifted so that a boundary of the NB frequency resource aligns with a previous or a next resource block group (RBG) boundary, and wherein the RRC signaling further indicates that frequency hopping (FH) is enabled for the UE together with the flexible PRB for PDSCH resource allocation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein an amount of the shift of the NB frequency resource is based on one or both of a system bandwidth used by the UE and the NB index, and wherein the flexible starting PRB for MPDSCH resource allocation is not supported by the UE when the system bandwidth is 1.4 MHz. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein executing the instructions further cause the UE to: decode higher layer signaling configuring the UE to support the flexible PRB for PDSCH resource allocation, wherein the higher layer signaling is a system information block (SIB) or a dedicated RRC signaling. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the DCI includes a resource allocation bit field with a plurality of bits, wherein a first portion of the plurality of bits indicates the NB index, and wherein a remaining second portion of the plurality of bits indicates a resource block group (RBG) boundary for shifting the NB frequency resource. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein executing the instructions further cause the UE to: perform frequency re-tuning to a center frequency of a tuning narrowband, the tuning narrowband starting at a boundary of the shifted NB resource and including six resource blocks (RBs). ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable storage device including instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a base station, configure the base station for machine type communication (MTC) and cause the base station to perform operations to: encode radio resource control (RRC) signaling for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the RRC signaling indicating activation of flexible starting physical resource block (PRB) for physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resource allocation; encode downlink control information (DCI) received in an MTC physical downlink control channel (MPDCCH), the DCI indicating a resource block assignment for the PDSCH resource allocation; and encode PDSCH data for transmission to the UE using a shifted narrowband (NB) frequency resource, wherein a NB index of a NB frequency resource corresponding to the shifted NB frequency resource is based on the resource block assignment. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 20, wherein executing the instructions further cause the base station to: encode higher layer signaling including information to configure the UE to support the flexible PRB for PDSCH resource allocation, wherein the higher layer signaling is a system information block (SIB) or a dedicated RRC signaling.