WO2020014897A1

WO2020014897A1 - Resource indication in contention based transmission

Info

Publication number: WO2020014897A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/096145
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yonggang Wang
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd.; Nokia Solutions And Networks Oy; Nokia Technologies Oy
Priority date: 2018-07-18
Filing date: 2018-07-18
Publication date: 2020-01-23
Also published as: CN112425232A; CN112425232B

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for resource indication in contention-based (CB) transmissions are provided. One method may include detecting, by a network node, an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of a packet in a contention-based unit, and determining a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule. The method may then include receiving the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

Description

RESOURCE INDICATION IN CONTENTION BASED TRANSMISSION

FIELD:

Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or other communications systems. For example, certain embodiments may relate to contention based (CB) transmissions in such systems.

BACKGROUND:

Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) , Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) , LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) , MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and/or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. Fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) wireless systems refer to the next generation (NG) of radio systems and network architecture. It is estimated that NR will provide bitrates on the order of 10-20 Gbit/sor higher, and will support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency-communication (URLLC) as well as massive machine type communication (mMTC) . NR is expected to deliver extreme broadband and ultra-robust, low latency connectivity and massive networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT) . With IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication becoming more widespread, there will be a growing need for networks that meet the needs of lower power, low data rate, and long battery life. It is noted that, in 5G or NR, the nodes that can provide radio access functionality to a user equipment (i.e., similar to Node B in E-UTRAN or eNB in LTE) may be referred to as a next generation or 5G Node B (gNB) .

SUMMARY:

One embodiment is directed to a method that may include detecting, by a network node, an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of a packet in a contention-based unit. The method may also include determining a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule, and receiving the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

Another embodiment is directed to an apparatus that may include at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to detect an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of a packet in a contention-based unit, determine a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule, and receive the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

Another embodiment is directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing the following: detecting an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of a packet in a contention-based unit, determining a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule, and receiving the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

In certain embodiments, the pre-defined rule comprises the following formula: [ID, preamble] _repetition = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.

In some embodiments, the method may also include configuring orthogonal multiple access (MA) signatures as a fixed grouping.

In certain embodiments, the method may also include detecting preambles on the determined contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature based on the pre-defined rule.

In some embodiments, the method may also include calculating a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple, where the calculating of the set of offsets comprises calculating the set of offsets according to the following equation: [offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] = RANDOM (seed = TIME) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.

In certain embodiments, the method may also include, when there is no collision between all copies of the packet and another user equipment’s packets, combining two or more of the copies of the packet.

In some embodiments, the method may include, when there is a collision between any copy of the packet and another user equipment’s packets, applying symbol level successive interference cancellation (SIC) to decode more packets within the colliding packets.

Another embodiment is directed to a method that may include selecting, by a user equipment, a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature randomly for a first copy of a packet, determining a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet, and transmitting the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

Another embodiment is directed to an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to select a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature randomly for a first copy of a packet, determine a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet, and transmit the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

Another embodiment is directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing the following: selecting, by a user equipment, a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature randomly for a first copy of a packet, determining a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet, and transmitting the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

In certain embodiments, the determining may include determining the contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of said at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule.

In some embodiments, the pre-defined rule may include the following formula: [ID, preamble] _repetition = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of transmit subframe.

In certain embodiments, the determining may include randomly selecting the contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of said at least one other copy of the packet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

For proper understanding of example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a resource pool for CB transmission, according to one example;

Fig. 2 illustrates an example of diversity in CB transmission, according to an embodiment;

Fig. 3 illustrates an example of marks of the CB unit resource, according to an embodiment;

Fig. 4 illustrates an example of the relationship between the ID of repetition and MA signature, according to an embodiment;

Fig. 5 illustrates an example of multiple resource mapping, according some embodiments;

Fig. 6a illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to one embodiment;

Fig. 6b illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to another embodiment;

Fig. 7a illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to one embodiment;

Fig. 7b illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to another embodiment;

Fig. 8a illustrates an example block diagram of an apparatus, according to one embodiment; and

Fig. 8b illustrates an example block diagram of an apparatus, according to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for resource indication in contention-based (CB) transmissions, for example using deep learning, is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments but is representative of selected example embodiments.

The features, structures, or characteristics of example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases “certain embodiments, ” “some embodiments, ” or other similar language, throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in certain embodiments, ” “in some embodiments, ” “in other embodiments, ” or other similar language, throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

Additionally, if desired, the different functions or steps discussed below may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other. Furthermore, if desired, one or more of the described functions or steps may be optional or may be combined. As such, the following description should be considered as merely illustrative of the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, and not in limitation thereof.

For several requirements, such as small data transmission, low latency, and massive machine type communication (mMTC) sporadic transmissions, contention-based (CB) access is foreseen as an additional option in 5G new radio access technology (NR) . Therefore, it has been agreed that, at least for usage scenario of uplink (UL) mMTC, contention based non-orthogonal multiple access should be studied.

Contention based UL non-orthogonal multiple access may have the characteristics that a transmission from a UE does not need the dynamic and explicit scheduling grant from the network (e.g., a base station, eNodeB (eNB) , or gNB) , and multiple UEs can share the same time and frequency resources.

A typical contention based transmission includes slotted ALOHA systems. In order to achieve a high probability of success for the first transmission, e.g., for low latency service or for a low power terminal, the system allows UE configuring times resource of the arrival traffic. In a diversity solution, the indication of such multiple resources is important since there is no fixed control channel in the contention-based transmission. However, the receiver still needs to know the position of the multiple copies to implement the combination.

As mentioned above, for contention-based transmission, multiple UEs may share the same resources. Generally, multiple resource units may be configured in a pool and provided for the UEs’competition. Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a resource pool for contention-based transmission.

As illustrated in the example of Fig. 1, on time domain, the short transmission time interval (TTI) definition may be applied according to latency reduction techniques. So, in the period of lms, there are 56 radio resource units for contention based transmission of IoT UEs. One radio resource unit may contain two parts: an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature and a container for a packet.

Collision may occur iftwo or more UEs that share the same resource perform the transmission at the same time and, in this case, the network (e.g., base station, eNB or gNB) may not be able to successfully decode all of the transmissions. On the other hand, it is desirable to retain the low latency in CB transmission. Fig. 2 illustrates an example of diversity in CB transmission, which may be a good method to improve the probability of success of the first transmission.

However, a solution is needed for how to indicate the resource occupied by these repetitive copies. Since there is no control channel in advance of the traffic channel, this approach is different from the schedule based transmission.

Thus, certain embodiments provide a method for a radio resource indicating diversity techniques applied to CB transmission. Some embodiments are able to perceive the diversity resources through the latent information, without the distinct control channel. It is noted that, as used herein, a network node may refer to a base station, eNB, gNB, or any other access node or the like.

When a UE initiates contention-based transmission, the conventional operation is that the UE chooses one radio resource unit in the resource pool randomly to transmit a packet. An enhanced operation includes the UE selecting two or more than two units in the resource pool to transmit this packet if the UE is not concerned with the power consumption. However, an underdetermined aspect of this enhanced operation is how to indicate the position of the multiple resources occupied by the UE.

One approach is to do nothing, i.e., providing no indicator for multiple transmission. This would obviously be the simplest solution, but result in the decoding at the network node being blind. The network could not apply maximum ratio combining algorithm when there is no collision, and the interference cancelation algorithm to decode the collided packets.

Another approach may be to use a predefined frequency hopping (FH) pattern. According to this approach, there may be a group of FH pattern indicator and each one indicates a predefined repetitious pattern for one transmission. When a UE initials the contention based uplink transmission, it may first select an indicator randomly and then transmit the packet on the related predefined pattern of radio resource repeatedly. Because the pattern is known to the network node, it can apply the combining to improve the transmission quality. A disadvantage of this approach is that if two UEs select the same indicator, they will transmit the packet on the identical pattern of radio resource resulting in collision. In other words, this approach may not necessarily decrease the collision probability.

A third approach may be self-contained indicating. Under this approach, the encapsulated medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) in each radio resource unit contains the information of the position of another unit, i.e., indicating the position of each other. A packet in each unit may be decoded independently and the location of another packet found. In other words, a packet in each unit can be used to find the location of another packet. With this indicating method, an interference cancelation algorithm may be applied to decode more packets than the conventional operation. However, this approach requires successful decoding of the MAC header in the first transmission to know where the second transmission is located. Hence, this method cannot apply the soft combining across multiple transmissions. Furthermore, the interference cancelation in this procedure is codeword level, and complexity and latency is more than symbol level.

Therefore, example embodiments provide a new indicating method in the diversity scheme. One embodiment may include indicating the positions of multiple copies of a packet in a CB pool with the latent calculation following a hash function. Once a network node locates one packet on a certain CB unit and detects its MA signature, the network node may calculate other copies on specified positions without decoding the packet head.

According to certain embodiments, since the position information of all copies of a packet can be discovered before decoding, if there is no collision of the packet copies, the network node receiver can apply combining to improve the performance, such as for low latency service or for low power terminal. If there is collision, the network node may apply the symbol level successive interference cancellation (SIC) to decode more packets within the collided packets. As a result, example embodiments can advantageously apply soft combining and interference cancelation algorithm (s) as well as increase the successful decoding probability.

According to one embodiment, the positions of multiple copies of a packet in a CB pool may be indicated by a hash algorithm or function. In an example, the positions of multiple copies of a packet in the CB pool may be indicated with a recessive calculation following some hash algorithm or function. Once a network node locates one packet on a certain CB unit and detects its MA signature, the network node may calculate the location of other copies on specified positions by using the hash algorithm. In an embodiment, there is no principal and subordinate among these copies of a packet. For example, if there are four repetitions on the CB pool for one low latency service transmission, all three other copies can be found if any one of the copies is received.

Certain embodiments may also be configured to define the hash algorithm and indicating mechanism. For example, an embodiment may initially take some mark for the resource. Fig. 3 illustrates an example of marks of the CB unit resource. For example, as depicted in Fig. 3, the CB unit may be denoted as ID ₁, ID ₂, ..., ID ₅₆.

Some embodiments may apply 8 Zadoff-Chu sequences in MA signature set, which may be denoted as preamble ₁, preamble ₂, ..., preamble ₈. Additionally, one embodiment may introduce some random factor, for example, TIME.

In an embodiment, a rule known both to the UE and network node may be designed and provided. For example, the rule may be represented by the following equation:

[ID, preamble] _repetition= HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) (1)

This then means that, at a UE, when the transmitter chooses randomly one CB unit (ID _x) and one MA signature (preamble _m) , it can deduce all of the information ( [ID, preamble] _repetition) for this transmission according to such a hash algorithm. Similarly, at a network node, when the receiver detects certain MA signature (preamble _m) in one CB unit (ID _x) , it can deduce all information ( [ID, preamble] _repetition) for this transmission according to such a hash algorithm.

Example embodiments may provide several schemes for defining the rule in equation (1) . For example, as will be discussed in further detail in the following, one scheme may utilize grouping and another may involve non-grouping.

For the grouping scheme example, some relationship may be setup between the repetition and MA signature. It may be assumed that the selection of MA signature of the repetitions is prescriptive. As an example, if the repetitions are two, then the selection of MA signature may be defined as four groups as follows:

[ (preamble1, preamble5) ; (preamble2, preamble6) ;

(preamble3, preamble7) ; (preamble4, preamble8) ] (2)

As another example, if the repetitions are four, then the selection of MA signature may be defined as two groups as follows:

[ (preamble1, preamble3, preamble5, preamble7) ;

(preamble2, preamble4, preamble6, preamble8) ]

Without loss of generality, in the following, the rule is discussed as applied to the case of two repetitions (four groups) . Fig. 4 illustrates an example of the relationship between the ID of repetition and MA signature, according to an embodiment. As illustrated in the example of Figure 4, the offsetxy may represent the distance between two repetitions of a MA signature couple. In an embodiment, the offset _xy may be generated randomly as follows:

[offset ₁₅, offset ₂₆, offset ₃₇, offset ₄₈] = RANDOM (seed = TIME) (3)

Thus, when the seed is the same, consistent results can be generated within the set of [offset ₁₅, offset ₂₆, offset ₃₇, offset ₄₈] both in the UE and network node.

According to an embodiment, a UE may be configured to select one CB unit (ID _x) and one MA signature (preamble _m) randomly for a first copy of a packet. The UE may also calculate the set [offset ₁₅, offset ₂₆, offset ₃₇, offset ₄₈] according to the equation (3) , where the TIME is the absolute time of transmit subframe. The UE may then determine the CB unit (ID _y) and MA signature (preamble _n) of another copy according to the relationship in equation (2) and the offset set. The UE may further transmit the repetition packets based on the above results.

In an embodiment, a network node may detect a certain MA signature (preamble _m) in one CB unit (ID _x) or another copy (preamble _n) in one CB unit (ID _y) . The network node may also calculate the set [offset ₁₅, offset ₂₆, offset ₃₇, offset ₄₈] according to the equation (3) , where the TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. It is noted that, in some embodiments, the absolute times of transmit subframe and receive subframe may be equivalent. The network node may then determine the CB unit (ID _y) and MA signature (preamble _n) of another copy according to the relationship in equation (2) and the offset set (or the CB unit (ID _x) and MA signature (preamble _m) ) . The network node may further receive the repetition packets based on the above results.

According to example embodiments, since the position information of all copies of a packet can be discovered at the network node receiver, the network node can apply combination if there is no collision of all copies, in order to improve the performance especially for low latency service. If there is collision, then the network node can apply the symbol level SIC to decode more packets within the collided packets.

For the non-grouping scheme example, a rule known to both to UE and eNodeB may be designed and provided. For example, the rule may be represented by the following equation:

[ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) (4)

As mentioned above, certain embodiments can utilize a hash algorithm to deduce the other seven pairs of [ID, preamble] from any one pair of [ID, preamble] .

As a result, according to an embodiment, in a UE, when a transmitter chooses one CB unit (ID _x) and one MA signature (preamble _m) randomly, it can deduce all information ( [ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m) for this transmission according to the hash algorithm. Then, if the transmission is two repetitions, in the non-grouping scheme example, the UE may choose one unit and related preamble randomly in that ( [ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m) for the second copy.

According to one embodiment, in a network node, when a receiver detects a certain MA signature (preamble _m) in one CB unit (ID _x) , or another copy (preamble _n) in one CB unit (ID _y) , the network node can deduce all information ( [ID, preamble] _other ₇ _pairs) for this transmission according to the hash algorithm. To determine which unit is occupied for the second copy, the network node may detect the preamble on these 7 units in the set of ( [ID, preamble] _other ₇ _pairs) . If the preamble in the unit is detected in accordance with the relationship of the ( [ID, preamble] _other ₇ _pairs) , the network node may recognize that it has located the second copy.

According to certain embodiments, if two UEs choose the same CB unit and the same preamble of the first copy, the resource of preamble and CB unit for the second copy would be different with high probability, since UEs randomly select the resource [ID, preamble] for the second copy in the results of the hash algorithm.

According to an embodiment, a UE may be configured to choose one CB unit (ID _x) and one MA signature (preamble _m) randomly for a first copy of a packet. The UE may be further configured to calculate the set ( [ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m) according to the equation (4) , where the TIME is the absolute time of transmit subframe. The UE may then randomly select the CB unit (ID _y) and MA signature (preamble _n) of another copy in the calculated set. In an embodiment, the UE may then transmit the repetition packets based on the above results.

In an embodiment, a network node may be configured to detect certain MA signature (preamble _m) in one CB unit (ID _x) or another copy (preamble _n) in one CB unit (ID _y) . The network node may be further configured to calculate the set ( [ID, preamble] _other ₇ _pairs) according to the equation (4) , the TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. In some examples, the absolute times of transmit subframe and receive subframe may be equivalent. The network node may also be configured to detect the preamble on these 7 CB units. If the preamble in the unit is detected in accordance with the relationship of the ( [ID, preamble] _other ₇ _pairs) , then the other copies have been located. The network node may then be configured to receive the repetition packets based on the above results.

Since the position information of all copies can be discovered at the network node receiver, the network node can apply combination if there is no collision of all copies to improve the performance especially for low latency service. If there is a collision, then the network node may apply the symbol level SIC to decode more packets within the collided packets.

In the following, certain embodiments are discussed in connection with one example. It is noted that embodiments are not limited to the example discussed below, as this example is used just to illustrate and clarify certain embodiments. As discussed in detail above, certain embodiments are able to determine the positions of each copy of a diversity CB transmission packet in a CB pool, for example, by hash algorithm calculation. Some embodiments may utilize a grouping scheme or non-grouping scheme, for instance.

As one example, when a certain UE wants to transmit a packet on the time of 2018.06.28: 14: 00: 000, it may randomly select a unit in the CB pool (assuming here there are 56 units) . For instance, the UE may choose unit 30 (i.e., ID ₃₀) and choose randomly a preamble, such as preamle5. Then, the UE may generate seven random numbers in the range of [0-56) based on the seed of (2018.06.28: 14: 00: 000) . Without loss of generality, for example, these random numbers may be [4, 19, 32, 16, 7, 49, 26] . These seven random numbers correspond to offset ₁₂, offset ₂₃, offset ₃₄, offset ₄₅, offset ₅₆, offset ₆₇ and offset ₇₈. Therefore, the UE can determine the position of the other seven copies occupied resource. More specifically, in this example, copy1: (ID _{30-16-32-19-4}, preamle1) ; copy2: (ID _30-16-32-19, preamle2) ; copy3: (ID _30-16-32, preamle3) ; copy4: (ID _30-16, preamle4) ; itself ( (ID ₃₀, preamle5) ; copy6: (ID ₃₀₊₇, preamle6) ; copy7: (ID _30+7+49, preamle7) ; copy8 (ID _30+7+49+26, preamle8) .

Thus, as long as the mathematics model of the hash algorithm is consistent, the UE and network node can achieve the consistent positions of each copy of a diversity CB transmission packet in a CB pool despite making separate calculations. In the above example, seven random numbers generated in the range of [0-56) based on the seed of (2018.06.28: 14: 00: 000) are [4, 19, 32, 16, 7, 49, 26] . When the network node knows one copy information, i.e., has detected a certain preamble in a certain unit, for example copy2: (ID _x, preamle2) , the network node can calculate other copies from copy1: (ID _x-4, preamle1) to copy8: (ID _{x+19+32+16+7+49+26}, preamle8) .

In the grouping scheme, the pairs of (1, 5) , (2, 6) , (3, 7) and (4, 8) are configured as a fixed grouping. According to the above example, the UE may choose ID ₃₀ and preamble5 to transmit the first copy, and then the resource position of second copy is (ID _{30-16-32-19-4}, preamle1) . Then, no matter whether the network node detects any preamble in the corresponding unit, it knows where the other copies are located.

In the non-grouping scheme, according to the above example, the UE may choose ID ₃₀ and preamble5 to transmit a first copy, and then the resource position of the second copy is chosen randomly from the copy1: (ID30-16-32-19-4, preamlel) ; copy2: (ID30-16-32-19, preamle2) ; copy3: (ID30-16-32, preamle3) ; copy4: (ID30-16, preamle4) ; copy6: (ID30+7, preamle6) ; copy7: (ID30+7+49, preamle7) ; copy8 (ID30+7+49+26, preamle8) . Whether the network node detects the copy in (ID30, preamle5) or the other copies, the network node should detect the preamble in the remaining seven positions. If the network node detected the preamble in the corresponding unit, it concludes that it located the second copy. The network node may apply combination if there is no collision, or can apply the symbol level SIC if there is a collision.

Fig. 5 illustrates an example of multiple resource mapping, according some embodiments. As illustrated in the example of Fig. 5, the procedure at the receiver (e.g., network node) is to first decode the UE1’s MA signature on (row 3, column 2) and UE3’s MA signature on (row 2, column 6) , which are not colliding since only one signature is detected. The receiver may then calculate the information of another copy of UE1 and UE3 based on a hash algorithm. If there is no collision, then the receiver may combine two copies of transmission and detect the packet. If there is collision, then the receiver may submit the renewed signal of UE1 packet from resource unit (row 6, column 3) on symbol level and decode the remaining signal, and submit the renewed signal of UE3 packet from resource unit (row 7, column 5) on symbol level and decode the remaining signal.

Fig. 6a illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for CB reception, according to one example embodiment. For instance, the method may be directed to a procedure of indicating or identifying the positions of multiple copies of a packet in a CB pool. In certain example embodiments, the flow diagram of Fig. 6a may be performed by a network entity or network node in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G NR. For instance, in some example embodiments, the method of Fig. 6a may be performed by a base station, eNB, gNB, or an access node or the like in a 5G or NR system.

In one embodiment, the method of Fig. 6a may include, at 600, detecting, by a network node, a MA signature of a packet in a CB unit. The method may also include, at 610, calculating a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple. In an embodiment, the calculating 610 may include calculating of the set of offsets comprises calculating the set of offsets according to the following equation: [offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] = RANDOM (seed = TIME) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.

As illustrated in the example of Fig. 6a, the method may further include, at 620, determining a CB unit and a MA signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined relationship between the repetitions and the MA signature and according to the calculated set of offsets. The determining 620 may include determining the contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of the at least one other copy of the packet according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _repetition = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. According to an embodiment, when the repetitions are two, the pre-defined relationship may include:

[ (preamble1, preamble5) ; (preamble2, preamble6) ;

(preamble3, preamble7) ; (preamble4, preamble8) ] .

In certain embodiments, the method may also include, at 630, receiving the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature. According to some embodiments, when there is no collision between copies of the packet, the method may include combining two or more of the copies of the packet. In other example embodiments, when there is a collision between copies of the packet, the method may include applying symbol level successive interference cancellation (SIC) to decode more packets within the colliding packets.

Fig. 6b illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for CB transmission, according to one example embodiment. For instance, the method may be directed to a procedure of indicating or identifying the positions of multiple copies of a packet in a CB pool. In certain example embodiments, the flow diagram of Fig. 6b may be performed by a UE, mobile equipment (ME) , mobile station, mobile device, stationary device, IoT device, or other device associated with a communications system, such as a 5G system.

In one embodiment, the method of Fig. 6b may include, at 650, selecting a CB unit and a MA signature randomly for a first copy of a packet and, at 660, calculating a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple. In an embodiment, the calculating 660 may include calculating the set of offsets according to the following equation: [offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] = RANDOM (seed = TIME) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. According to certain embodiments, the method may also include, at 670, determining a CB unit and a MA signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined relationship between the repetitions and the MA signature and according to the calculated set of offsets. In an embodiment, the determining 670 may include determining the CB unit and the MA signature of the at least one other copy of the packet according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _repetition = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. According to certain embodiments, the method may further include, at 680, transmitting the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined CB unit and MA signature.

Fig. 7a illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for CB reception, according to an example embodiment. For instance, the method may be directed to a procedure of indicating or identifying the positions of multiple copies of a packet in a CB pool. In certain example embodiments, the flow diagram of Fig. 7a may be performed by a network entity or network node in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G NR. For instance, in some example embodiments, the method of Fig. 7a may be performed by a base station, eNB, gNB, or an access node or the like in a 5G or NR system.

In one embodiment, the method of Fig. 7a may include, at 700, detecting a MA signature of a packet in a CB unit and, at 710, calculating at least one set of CB unit (s) and MA signature (s) for at least one other copy of the packet. In an embodiment, the calculating 710 may include calculating the at least one set of CB units and MA signatures according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. The method may also include, at 720, detecting preambles on the calculated at least one set of CB units and MA signatures. The method may then include, at 730, receiving the at least one other copy of the packet based on the detected preambles. According to some embodiments, when there is no collision between copies of the packet, the method may include combining two or more of the copies of the packet. In other example embodiments, when there is a collision between copies of the packet, the method may include applying symbol level successive interference cancellation (SIC) to decode more packets within the colliding packets.

Fig. 7b illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for CB transmission, according to an example embodiment. For instance, the method may be directed to a procedure of indicating or identifying the positions of multiple copies of a packet in a CB pool. In certain example embodiments, the flow diagram of Fig. 7b may be performed by a UE, mobile equipment (ME) , mobile station, mobile device, stationary device, IoT device, or other device associated with a communications system, such as a 5G system.

In one embodiment, the method of Fig. 7b may include, at 750, selecting a CB unit and a MA signature randomly for a first copy of a packet and, at 760, calculating at least one set of CB unit (s) and MA signature (s) for at least one other copy of the packet. In an embodiment, the calculating 760 may include calculating the at least one set of CB units and MA signatures according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of transmit subframe. The method may also include, at 770, randomly selecting a CB unit and a MA signature from among the calculated at least one set of CB units and MA signatures. The method may then include, at 780, transmitting the at least one other copy of the packet based on the selected CB unit and MA signature.

Fig. 8a illustrates an example of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communications network or serving such a network. For example, apparatus 10 may be a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB) , 5G Node B or access point, next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB) , WLAN access point, mobility management entity (MME) , and/or subscription server associated with a radio access network, such as a GSM network, LTE network, 5G or NR.

It should be understood that, in some example embodiments, apparatus 10 may be comprised of an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system where the server and the radio node may be stand-alone apparatuses communicating with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in a same entity communicating via a wired connection. For instance, in certain example embodiments where apparatus 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may bea logical node that includes gNB functions such as transfer of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, and/or session management, etc. The CU may control the operation of DU (s) over a front-haul interface. The DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of the gNB functions, depending on the functional split option. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 10 may include components or features not shown in Fig. 8a.

As illustrated in the example of Fig. 8a, apparatus 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 12 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. In fact, processor 12 may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) , field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) , and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture, as examples. While a single processor 12 is shown in Fig. 8a, multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that, in certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system (e.g., in this case processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor) that may support multiprocessing. In certain embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster) .

Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain/phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of the apparatus 10, including processes related to management of communication resources.

Apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external) , which may be coupled to processor 12, for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processor 12. Memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable to the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or nonvolatile data storage technology such as a semiconductor-based memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system, fixed memory, and/or removable memory. For example, memory 14 can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (RAM) , read only memory (ROM) , static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk, hard disk drive (HDD) , or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 12, enable the apparatus 10 to perform tasks as described herein.

In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external computer readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 12 and/or apparatus 10.

In some embodiments, apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting and receiving signals and/or data to and from apparatus 10. Apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna (s) 15. The radio interfaces may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies including one or more of GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio frequency identifier (RFID) , ultrawideband (UWB) , MulteFire, and the like. The radio interface may include components, such as filters, converters (for example, digital-to-analog converters and the like) , mappers, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module, and the like, to generate symbols for a transmission via one or more downlinks and to receive symbols (for example, via an uplink) .

As such, transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information on to a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna (s) 15 and demodulate information received via the antenna (s) 15 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 10. In other embodiments, transceiver 18 may be capable of transmitting and receiving signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, apparatus 10 may include an input and/or output device (I/O device) .

In an embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for apparatus 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or program, to provide additional functionality for apparatus 10. The components of apparatus 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

According to some embodiments, processor 12 and memory 14 may be included in or may form a part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 18 may be included in or may form a part of transceiving circuitry.

As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to hardware-only circuitry implementations (e.g., analog and/or digital circuitry) , combinations of hardware circuits and software, combinations of analog and/or digital hardware circuits with software/firmware, any portions of hardware processor (s) with software (including digital signal processors) that work together to case an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10) to perform various functions, and/or hardware circuit (s) and/or processor (s) , or portions thereof, that use software for operation but where the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term “circuitry” may also cover an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) , or portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and/or firmware. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

As introduced above, in certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may be a network node or RAN node, such as a base station, access point, Node B, eNB, gNB, WLAN access point, or the like. According to certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to perform the functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as the flow or signaling diagrams illustrated in Figs. 6a or 7a. In some embodiments, apparatus 10 may be configured to perform a procedure for CB reception.

For instance, in one embodiment, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to detect a MA signature of a packet in a CB unit. According to certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to calculate a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of a MA signature couple. In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to calculate the set of offsets according to the following equation: [offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] = RANDOM (seed = TIME) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.

In some embodiments, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to determine a CB unit and a MA signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined relationship between the repetitions and the MA signature and according to the calculated set of offsets. In one embodiment, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to determine the CB unit and the MA signature of the at least one other copy of the packet according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _repetition = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. According to an embodiment, when the repetitions are two, the pre-defined relationship may include:

[ (preamble1, preamble5) ; (preamble2, preamble6) ;

(preamble3, preamble7) ; (preamble4, preamble8) ] .

In certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to receive the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.

According to another embodiment, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to detect a MA signature of a packet in a CB unit and to calculate at least one set of CB unit (s) and MA signature (s) for at least one other copy of the packet. In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to calculate the at least one set of CB units and MA signatures according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to detect preambles on the calculated at least one set of CB units and MA signatures, and to receive the at least one other copy of the packet based on the detected preambles.

According to some embodiments, when there is no collision between copies of the packet, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to combine two or more of the copies of the packet. In other example embodiments, when there is a collision between copies of the packet, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to apply symbol level successive interference cancellation (SIC) to decode more packets within the colliding packets.

Fig. 8b illustrates an example of an apparatus 20 according to another embodiment. In an embodiment, apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communications network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, mobile equipment (ME) , mobile station, mobile device, stationary device, IoT device, or other device. As described herein, UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, mobile equipment, mobile unit, mobile device, user device, subscriber station, wireless terminal, tablet, smart phone, IoT device or NB-IoT device, or the like. As one example, apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for instance, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, or the like.

In some example embodiments, apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage medium (for example, memory, storage, or the like) , one or more radio access components (for example, a modem, a transceiver, or the like) , and/or a user interface. In some embodiments, apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and/or any other radio access technologies. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 20 may include components or features not shown in Fig. 8b.

As illustrated in the example of Fig. 8b, apparatus 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 22 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. In fact, processor 22 may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) , field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) , and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture, as examples. While a single processor 22 is shown in Fig. 8b, multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that, in certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system (e.g., in this case processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor) that may support multiprocessing. In certain embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster) .

Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 20 including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain/phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of the apparatus 20, including processes related to management of communication resources.

Apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external) , which may be coupled to processor 22, for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processor 22. Memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable to the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or nonvolatile data storage technology such as a semiconductor-based memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system, fixed memory, and/or removable memory. For example, memory 24 can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (RAM) , read only memory (ROM) , static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk, hard disk drive (HDD) , or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 22, enable the apparatus 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

In an embodiment, apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external computer readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 22 and/or apparatus 20.

In some embodiments, apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving a downlink signal and for transmitting via an uplink from apparatus 20. Apparatus 20 may further include a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, and the like. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (for example, digital-to-analog converters and the like) , symbol demappers, signal shaping components, an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) module, and the like, to process symbols, such as OFDMA symbols, carried by a downlink or an uplink.

For instance, transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information on to a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna (s) 25 and demodulate information received via the antenna (s) 25 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 20. In other embodiments, transceiver 28 may be capable of transmitting and receiving signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, apparatus 10 may include an input and/or output device (I/O device) . In certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may further include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or touchscreen.

In an embodiment, memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for apparatus 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or program, to provide additional functionality for apparatus 20. The components of apparatus 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, apparatus 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with apparatus 10 via a wireless or wired communications link 70 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in or may form a part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form a part of transceiving circuitry.

As discussed above, according to some embodiments, apparatus 20 may be a UE, mobile device, mobile station, ME, IoT device and/or NB-IoT device, for example. According to certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to perform the functions associated with example embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, apparatus 20 may be configured to perform one or more of the processes depicted in any of the flow charts or signaling diagrams described herein, such as the flow diagrams illustrated in Figs. 6b or 7b. For example, in certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may be configured to perform a procedure for CB transmission.

According to some embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to select a CB unit and a MA signature randomly for a first copy of a packet, to calculate a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple. In an embodiment, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to calculate the set of offsets according to the following equation: [offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] = RANDOM (seed = TIME) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. According to certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to determine a CB unit and a MA signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined relationship between the repetitions and the MA signature and according to the calculated set of offsets. In an embodiment, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to determine the CB unit and the MA signature of the at least one other copy of the packet according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _repetition= HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe. According to certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to transmit the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined CB unit and MA signature.

In another embodiment, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to select a CB unit and a MA signature randomly for a first copy of a packet, and to calculate at least one set of CB unit (s) and MA signature (s) for at least one other copy of the packet. In an embodiment, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to calculate the at least one set of CB units and MA signatures according to the following formula: [ID, preamble] _1～8 _except _m = HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) , where TIME is the absolute time of transmit subframe. According to one embodiment, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to randomly select a CB unit and a MA signature from among the calculated at least one set of CB units and MA signatures. In certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to transmit the at least one other copy of the packet based on the selected CB unit and MA signature.

Therefore, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and/or advantages. For example, certain embodiments provide methods to improve contention-based transmissions. As a result of some embodiments, a receiver is able to accurately perceive diversity resources through latent information As such, example embodiments can improve performance, latency, and/or throughput of networks and network nodes including, for example, access points, base stations/eNBs/gNBs, and mobile devices or UEs. In particular, example embodiments can improve resource utilization efficiency, for example, by improving transmission efficiency and/or improve the likelihood of success of first transmissions. Accordingly, the use of certain example embodiments results in improved functioning of communications networks and their nodes.

In some example embodiments, the functionality of any of the methods, processes, signaling diagrams, algorithms or flow charts described herein may be implemented by software and/or computer program code or portions of code stored in memory or other computer readable or tangible media, and executed by a processor.

In some example embodiments, an apparatus may be included or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit or entity configured as arithmetic operation (s) , or as a program or portions of it (including an added or updated software routine) , executed by at least one operation processor. Programs, also called program products or computer programs, including software routines, applets and macros, may be stored in any apparatus-readable data storage medium and include program instructions to perform particular tasks.

A computer program product may comprise one or more computer-executable components which, when the program is run, are configured to carry out some example embodiments. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or portions of it. Modifications and configurations required for implementing functionality of an example embodiment may be performed as routine (s) , which may be implemented as added or updated software routine (s) . Software routine (s) may be downloaded into the apparatus.

As an example, software or a computer program code or portions of it may be in a source code form, object code form, or in some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some sort of carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers may include a record medium, computer memory, read-only memory, photoelectrical and/or electrical carrier signal, telecommunications signal, and software distribution package, for example. Depending on the processing power needed, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or it may be distributed amongst a number of computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

In other example embodiments, the functionality may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 or apparatus 20) , for example through the use of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a programmable gate array (PGA) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) , or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functionality may be implemented as a signal, a non-tangible means that can be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

According to an example embodiment, an apparatus, such as a node, device, or a corresponding component, may be configured as circuitry, a computer or a microprocessor, such as single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, including at least a memory for providing storage capacity used for arithmetic operation and an operation processor for executing the arithmetic operation.

One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the example embodiments as discussed above may be practiced with steps in a different order, and/or with hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based upon these example preferred embodiments, it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of example embodiments. In order to determine the metes and bounds of the example embodiments, therefore, reference should be made to the appended claims.

Claims

A method, comprising:

detecting, by a network node, an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of a packet in a contention-based unit;

determining a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule; and

receiving the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined rule comprises the following formula:

[ID, preamble] _repetition=HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.
The method according to claims 1 or 2, further comprising configuring orthogonal multiple access (MA) signatures as a fixed grouping.
The method according to claims 1 or 2, further comprising:

detecting preambles on the determined contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature based on the pre-defined rule.
The method according to claims 1 or 2, further comprising:

calculating a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple,

wherein the calculating of the set of offsets comprises calculating the set of offsets according to the following equation:

[offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] =RANDOM (seed=TIME) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.
The method according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising:

when there is no collision between all copies of the packet and another user equipment’s packets, combining two or more of the copies of the packet.
The method according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising:

when there is a collision between any copy of the packet and another user equipment’s packets, applying symbol level successive interference cancellation (SIC) to decode more packets within the colliding packets.
An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program code,

the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to

detect an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of a packet in a contention-based unit;

determine a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule; and

receive the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.
The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pre-defined rule comprises the following formula:

[ID, preamble] _repetition=HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.
The apparatus according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to configure orthogonal multiple access (MA) signatures as a fixed grouping.
The apparatus according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

detect preambles on the determined contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature based on the pre-defined rule.
The apparatus according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

calculate a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple,

wherein the calculating of the set of offsets comprises calculating the set of offsets according to the following equation:

[offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] =RANDOM (seed=TIME) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 8-12, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

when there is no collision between all copies of the packet and another user equipment’s packets, combine two or more of the copies of the packet.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 8-12, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

when there is a collision between any copy of the packet and another user equipment’s packets, apply symbol level successive interference cancellation (SIC) to decode more packets within the colliding packets.
A method, comprising:

selecting, by a user equipment, a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature randomly for a first copy of a packet;

determining a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet; and

transmitting the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.
The method according to claim 15, wherein the determining comprises determining the contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of said at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule.
The method according to claim 16, wherein the pre-defined rule comprises the following formula:

[ID, preamble] _repetition=HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of transmit subframe.
The method according to claim 15, wherein the determining comprises randomly selecting the contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of said at least one other copy of the packet.
The method according to any one of claims 15-17, further comprising:

calculating a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple,

wherein the calculating of the set of offsets comprises calculating the set of offsets according to the following equation:

[offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] =RANDOM (seed=TIME) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.
An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program code,

the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to

select a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature randomly for a first copy of a packet;

determine a contention-based unit and an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of at least one other copy of the packet; and

transmit the at least one other copy of the packet based on the determined contention-based unit and orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature.
The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to determine the contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of said at least one other copy of the packet according to a pre-defined rule.
The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the pre-defined rule comprises the following formula:

[ID, preamble] _repetition=HASH (IDx, TIME, preamble _m) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of transmit subframe.
The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to randomly select the contention-based unit and the orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature of said at least one other copy of the packet.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 20-22, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

calculate a set of offsets defining a distance between two repetitions of an orthogonal multiple access (MA) signature couple,

wherein the calculating of the set of offsets comprises calculating the set of offsets according to the following equation:

[offset _a, offset _b, offset _c, offset _d] =RANDOM (seed=TIME) ,

wherein TIME is the absolute time of receive subframe.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-7 or 15-19.