WO2021223199A1

WO2021223199A1 - Communication schemes for multi-user payloads

Info

Publication number: WO2021223199A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/089120
Authority: WO
Inventors: Changlong Xu; Jing Sun; Xiaoxia Zhang; Tao Luo; Peter Gaal; Juan Montojo; Rajat Prakash; Ozcan Ozturk; Mostafa KHOSHNEVISAN; Chih-Hao Liu
Original assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
Priority date: 2020-05-08
Filing date: 2020-05-08
Publication date: 2021-11-11

Abstract

A base station may transmit a multi-user communication (e.g., a multi-user packet) that includes aggregated payloads for different users (e.g., different wireless communication devices). For example, a multi-user packet may include a header with several sub-headers, where each sub-header identifies a corresponding user that has a payload in the multi-user communication. A multi-user packet may be formulated in different ways in different implementations. In some examples, the different payloads (e.g., transport blocks, TBs) and the header may be concatenated for transmission (e.g., including generating a common cyclic redundancy check (CRC) over the resulting concatenated TB). In some examples, CRC may be generated independently for the header and for each user payload prior to concatenation. In some examples, CRC may be generated independently for the header and for groups of user payloads prior to concatenation. In some examples, the header may be transmitted independently of the concatenated user payloads.

Description

COMMUNICATION SCHEMES FOR MULTI-USER PAYLOADS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technology discussed below relates generally to wireless communication, and more particularly but not exclusively, to different communication schemes for multi-user payloads.

BACKGROUND

Next-generation wireless communication systems (e.g., 5GS) may include a 5G core network and a 5G radio access network (RAN) , such as a New Radio (NR) -RAN. The NR-RAN supports communication via one or more cells. For example, a wireless communication device such as a user equipment (UE) may access a first cell of a first base station (BS) such as a gNB and/or access a second cell of a second BS.

A BS may schedule access to a cell to support access by multiple UEs. For example, a BS may allocate different resources (e.g., time domain and frequency domain resources) for different UEs operating within a cell of the BS.

As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, research and development continue to advance communication technologies, including technologies for enhancing communication within a wireless network in particular, not only to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access, but to advance and enhance the user experience with mobile communications.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

The following presents a summary of one or more aspects of the present disclosure, in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of the disclosure and is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in a form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to communication using multi-user payloads. A base station may transmit a multi-user communication (e.g., a multi-user packet) that includes different payloads for different users (e.g., different wireless communication devices) . To enable a user (e.g., a wireless communication device) to identify a particular payload destined for the user, the multi-user communication includes a header with several sub-headers, where each sub-header identifies a corresponding user that has a payload in the multi-user communication. For example, a first sub-header of a multi-user packet may identify a first user (e.g., a first user equipment) and a location of a first payload (in the multi-user packet) that is destined for the first user. In addition, a second sub-header of the multi-user packet may identify a second user and a location of a second payload (in the multi-user packet) that is destined for the second user. A multi-user packet may be formulated in different ways in different implementations. In some examples, the different payloads (e.g., transport blocks, TBs) and the header may be concatenated for transmission (e.g., including generating a common cyclic redundancy check (CRC) over the resulting concatenated TB) . In some examples, CRC may be generated independently for the header and for each user payload (e.g., TB) prior to concatenation. In some examples, CRC may be generated independently for the header and for groups of user payloads (e.g., TBs) prior to concatenation. In some examples, the header may be transmitted independently of the concatenated user payloads (e.g., TBs) .

In some examples, a method of wireless communication at a wireless communication device may include receiving a packet from a base station. The packet may include a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The method may also include decoding the packet using the first CRC information, determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet, and processing the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, a wireless communication device may include a transceiver, a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The processor and the memory may be configured to receive a packet from a base station via the transceiver. The packet may include a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The processor and the memory may also be configured to decode the packet using the first CRC information, determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet, and process the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, a wireless communication device may include means for receiving a packet from a base station. The packet may include a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The wireless communication device may also include means for decoding the packet using the first CRC information, means for determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet, and means for processing the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, an article of manufacture for use by a wireless communication device includes a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the wireless communication device to receive a packet from a base station. The packet may include a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The computer-readable medium may also have stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the wireless communication device to decode the packet using the first CRC information, determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet, and process the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, a method of wireless communication at a base station may include generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, generating a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload, generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, generating a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information, and transmitting the packet.

In some examples, a base station may include a transceiver, a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The processor and the memory may be configured to generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, generate a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload, generate first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, generate a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information, and transmit the packet via the transceiver.

In some examples, a base station may include means for generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, means for generating a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload, means for generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, means for generating a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information, and means for transmitting the packet.

In some examples, an article of manufacture for use by a base station includes a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the base station to generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, generate a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload, generate first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, generate a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information, and transmit the packet.

In some examples, a method of wireless communication at a wireless communication device may include receiving a first transmission from a base station. The first transmission may include a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user. The method may also include receiving a second transmission from the base station. The second transmission may include a header. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The method may further include decoding the second transmission, determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission, and decoding the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, a wireless communication device may include a transceiver, a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The processor and the memory may be configured to receive a first transmission from a base station via the transceiver. The first transmission may include a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user. The processor and the memory may also be configured to receive a second transmission from the base station via the transceiver. The second transmission may include a header. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The processor and the memory may also be configured to decode the second transmission, determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission, and decode the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, a wireless communication device may further include means for receiving a first transmission from a base station. The first transmission may include a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user. The wireless communication device may also include means for receiving a second transmission from the base station. The second transmission may include a header. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The wireless communication device may further include means for decoding the second transmission, means for determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission, and means for decoding the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, an article of manufacture for use by a wireless communication device includes a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the wireless communication device to receive a first transmission from a base station. The first transmission may include a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user. The computer-readable medium may also have stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the wireless communication device to receive a second transmission from the base station. The second transmission may include a header. The header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. The computer-readable medium may further have stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the wireless communication device to decode the second transmission, determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission, and decode the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.

In some examples, a method of wireless communication at a base station may include generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, generating a packet based on the first payload and the second payload, transmitting a first transmission comprising the packet, generating a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload, and transmitting a second transmission comprising the header.

In some examples, a base station may include a transceiver, a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The processor and the memory may be configured to generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, generate a packet based on the first payload and the second payload, transmit a first transmission comprising the packet via the transceiver, generate a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload, and transmit a second transmission comprising the header via the transceiver.

In some examples, a base station may include means for generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, means for generating a packet based on the first payload and the second payload, means for transmitting a first transmission comprising the packet, means for generating a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload, and means for transmitting a second transmission comprising the header.

In some examples, an article of manufacture for use by a base station includes a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the base station to generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user, generate a packet based on the first payload and the second payload, transmit a first transmission comprising the packet, generate a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload, and transmit a second transmission comprising the header.

These and other aspects of the disclosure will become more fully understood upon a review of the detailed description, which follows. Other aspects, features, and embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, upon reviewing the following description of specific, example embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying figures. While features of the present disclosure may be discussed relative to certain embodiments and figures below, all embodiments of the present disclosure can include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used in accordance with the various embodiments of the disclosure discussed herein. In similar fashion, while example embodiments may be discussed below as device, system, or method embodiments it should be understood that such example embodiments can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a wireless communication system according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual illustration of an example of a radio access network according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of wireless resources in an air interface utilizing orthogonal frequency divisional multiplexing (OFDM) according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example of downlink channels according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual illustration of an example of downlink control information scheduling a multi-user packet according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a wireless communication system that communicates a multi-user packet according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual illustration of an example of a first scheme for aggregated transport blocks according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual illustration of an example of a second scheme for aggregated transport blocks according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual illustration of an example of a third scheme for aggregated transport blocks according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual illustration of an example of a fourth scheme for aggregated transport blocks according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual illustration of an example of a fifth scheme for aggregated transport blocks according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual illustration of an example of a sixth scheme for aggregated transport blocks according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a communication device employing a processing system according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating an example wireless communication process for a multi-user payload according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating an example wireless communication process for a multi-user payload according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a communication device employing a processing system according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating an example wireless communication process for a multi-user payload according to some aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating an example wireless communication process for a multi-user payload according to some aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

While aspects and embodiments are described in this application by illustration to some examples, those skilled in the art will understand that additional implementations and use cases may come about in many different arrangements and scenarios. Innovations described herein may be implemented across many differing platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, packaging arrangements. For example, embodiments and/or uses may come about via integrated chip embodiments and other non-module-component based devices (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial equipment, retail/purchasing devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc. ) . While some examples may or may not be specifically directed to use cases or applications, a wide assortment of applicability of described innovations may occur. Implementations may range a spectrum from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations and further to aggregate, distributed, or OEM devices or systems incorporating one or more aspects of the described innovations. In some practical settings, devices incorporating described aspects and features may also necessarily include additional components and features for implementation and practice of claimed and described embodiments. For example, transmission and reception of wireless signals necessarily includes a number of components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antenna, RF-chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffer, processor (s) , interleaver, adders/summers, etc. ) . It is intended that innovations described herein may be practiced in a wide variety of devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed arrangements, end-user devices, etc. of varying sizes, shapes and constitution.

The various concepts presented throughout this disclosure may be implemented across a broad variety of telecommunication systems, network architectures, and communication standards. Referring now to FIG. 1, as an illustrative example without limitation, various aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated with reference to a wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system 100 includes three interacting domains: a core network 102, a radio access network (RAN) 104, and at least one scheduled entity 106. The at least one scheduled entity 106 may be referred to as a user equipment (UE) 106 in the discussion that follows. The RAN 104 includes at least one scheduling entity 108. The at least one scheduling entity 108 may be referred to as a base station (BS) 108 in the discussion that follows. By virtue of the wireless communication system 100, the UE 106 may be enabled to carry out data communication with an external data network 110, such as (but not limited to) the Internet.

The RAN 104 may implement any suitable wireless communication technology or technologies to provide radio access to the UE 106. As one example, the RAN 104 may operate according to 3 ^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) specifications, often referred to as 5G. As another example, the RAN 104 may operate under a hybrid of 5G NR and Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) standards, often referred to as LTE. The 3GPP refers to this hybrid RAN as a next-generation RAN, or NG-RAN. Of course, many other examples may be utilized within the scope of the present disclosure.

As illustrated, the RAN 104 includes a plurality of base stations 108. Broadly, a base station is a network element in a radio access network responsible for radio transmission and reception in one or more cells to or from a UE. In different technologies, standards, or contexts, a base station may variously be referred to by those skilled in the art as a base transceiver station (BTS) , a radio base station, a radio transceiver, a transceiver function, a basic service set (BSS) , an extended service set (ESS) , an access point (AP) , a Node B (NB) , an eNode B (eNB) , a gNode B (gNB) , or some other suitable terminology.

The radio access network 104 is further illustrated supporting wireless communication for multiple mobile apparatuses. A mobile apparatus may be referred to as user equipment (UE) in 3GPP standards, but may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a mobile station (MS) , a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communications device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal (AT) , a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a terminal, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology. A UE may be an apparatus that provides a user with access to network services.

Within the present document, a “mobile” apparatus need not necessarily have a capability to move, and may be stationary. The term mobile apparatus or mobile device broadly refers to a diverse array of devices and technologies. UEs may include a number of hardware structural components sized, shaped, and arranged to help in communication; such components can include antennas, antenna arrays, RF chains, amplifiers, one or more processors, etc. electrically coupled to each other. For example, some non-limiting examples of a mobile apparatus include a mobile, a cellular (cell) phone, a smart phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal computer (PC) , a notebook, a netbook, a smartbook, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA) , and a broad array of embedded systems, e.g., corresponding to an “Internet of Things” (IoT) . A mobile apparatus may additionally be an automotive or other transportation vehicle, a remote sensor or actuator, a robot or robotics device, a satellite radio, a global positioning system (GPS) device, an object tracking device, a drone, a multi-copter, a quad-copter, a remote control device, a consumer and/or wearable device, such as eyewear, a wearable camera, a virtual reality device, a smart watch, a health or fitness tracker, a digital audio player (e.g., MP3 player) , a camera, a game console, etc. A mobile apparatus may additionally be a digital home or smart home device such as a home audio, video, and/or multimedia device, an appliance, a vending machine, intelligent lighting, a home security system, a smart meter, etc. A mobile apparatus may additionally be a smart energy device, a security device, a solar panel or solar array, a municipal infrastructure device controlling electric power (e.g., a smart grid) , lighting, water, etc.; an industrial automation and enterprise device; a logistics controller; agricultural equipment; military defense equipment, vehicles, aircraft, ships, and weaponry, etc. Still further, a mobile apparatus may provide for connected medicine or telemedicine support, i.e., health care at a distance. Telehealth devices may include telehealth monitoring devices and telehealth administration devices, whose communication may be given preferential treatment or prioritized access over other types of information, e.g., in terms of prioritized access for transport of critical service data, and/or relevant QoS for transport of critical service data.

Wireless communication between a RAN 104 and a UE 106 may be described as utilizing an air interface. Transmissions over the air interface from a base station (e.g., base station 108) to one or more UEs (e.g., UE 106) may be referred to as downlink (DL) transmission. In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, the term downlink may refer to a point-to-multipoint transmission originating at a scheduling entity (described further below; e.g., base station 108) . Another way to describe this scheme may be to use the term broadcast channel multiplexing. Transmissions from a UE (e.g., UE 106) to a base station (e.g., base station 108) may be referred to as uplink (UL) transmissions. In accordance with further aspects of the present disclosure, the term uplink may refer to a point-to-point transmission originating at a scheduled entity (described further below; e.g., UE 106) .

In some examples, access to the air interface may be scheduled, wherein a scheduling entity (e.g., a base station 108) allocates resources for communication among some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. Within the present disclosure, as discussed further below, the scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more scheduled entities. That is, for scheduled communication, UEs 106, which may be scheduled entities, may utilize resources allocated by the scheduling entity 108.

Base stations 108 are not the only entities that may function as scheduling entities. That is, in some examples, a UE may function as a scheduling entity, scheduling resources for one or more scheduled entities (e.g., one or more other UEs) .

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a scheduling entity 108 may broadcast downlink traffic 112 to one or more scheduled entities 106. Broadly, the scheduling entity 108 is a node or device responsible for scheduling traffic in a wireless communication network, including the downlink traffic 112 and, in some examples, uplink traffic 116 from one or more scheduled entities 106 to the scheduling entity 108. On the other hand, the scheduled entity 106 is a node or device that receives downlink control information 114, including but not limited to scheduling information (e.g., a grant) , synchronization or timing information, or other control information from another entity in the wireless communication network such as the scheduling entity 108.

In addition, the uplink and/or downlink control information and/or traffic information may be time-divided into frames, subframes, slots, and/or symbols. As used herein, a symbol may refer to a unit of time that, in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) waveform, carries one resource element (RE) per sub-carrier. A slot may carry 7 or 14 OFDM symbols. A subframe may refer to a duration of 1 millisecond (ms) . Multiple subframes or slots may be grouped together to form a single frame or radio frame. Of course, these definitions are not required, and any suitable scheme for organizing waveforms may be utilized, and various time divisions of the waveform may have any suitable duration.

In general, base stations 108 may include a backhaul interface for communication with a backhaul portion 120 of the wireless communication system. The backhaul 120 may provide a link between a base station 108 and the core network 102. Further, in some examples, a backhaul network may provide interconnection between the respective base stations 108. Various types of backhaul interfaces may be employed, such as a direct physical connection, a virtual network, or the like using any suitable transport network.

The core network 102 may be a part of the wireless communication system 100, and may be independent of the radio access technology used in the RAN 104. In some examples, the core network 102 may be configured according to 5G standards (e.g., 5GC) . In other examples, the core network 102 may be configured according to a 4G evolved packet core (EPC) , or any other suitable standard or configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 2, by way of example and without limitation, a schematic illustration of a RAN 200 is provided. In some examples, the RAN 200 may be the same as the RAN 104 described above and illustrated in FIG. 1. The geographic area covered by the RAN 200 may be divided into cellular regions (cells) that can be uniquely identified by a user equipment (UE) based on an identification broadcasted from one access point or base station. FIG. 2 illustrates

macrocells

202, 204, and 206, and a small cell 208, each of which may include one or more sectors (not shown) . A sector is a sub-area of a cell. All sectors within one cell are served by the same base station. A radio link within a sector can be identified by a single logical identification belonging to that sector. In a cell that is divided into sectors, the multiple sectors within a cell can be formed by groups of antennas with each antenna responsible for communication with UEs in a portion of the cell.

Various base station arrangements can be utilized. For example, in FIG. 2, two base stations 210 and 212 are shown in

cells

202 and 204; and a third base station 214 is shown controlling a remote radio head (RRH) 216 in cell 206. That is, a base station can have an integrated antenna or can be connected to an antenna or RRH by feeder cables. In the illustrated example, the

cells

202, 204, and 206 may be referred to as macrocells, as the

base stations

210, 212, and 214 support cells having a large size. Further, a base station 218 is shown in the small cell 208 (e.g., a microcell, picocell, femtocell, home base station, home Node B, home eNode B, etc. ) which may overlap with one or more macrocells. In this example, the cell 208 may be referred to as a small cell, as the base station 218 supports a cell having a relatively small size. Cell sizing can be done according to system design as well as component constraints.

It is to be understood that the radio access network 200 may include any number of wireless base stations and cells. Further, a relay node may be deployed to extend the size or coverage area of a given cell. The

base stations

210, 212, 214, 218 provide wireless access points to a core network for any number of mobile apparatuses. In some examples, the

base stations

210, 212, 214, and/or 218 may be the same as the base station/scheduling entity 108 described above and illustrated in FIG. 1.

Within the RAN 200, the cells may include UEs that may be in communication with one or more sectors of each cell. Further, each

base station

210, 212, 214, and 218 may be configured to provide an access point to a core network (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 1) for all the UEs in the respective cells. For example, UEs 222 and 224 may be in communication with base station 210;

UEs

226 and 228 may be in communication with base station 212;

UEs

230 and 232 may be in communication with base station 214 by way of RRH 216; and UE 234 may be in communication with base station 218. In some examples, the

UEs

222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234, 238, 240, and/or 242 may be the same as the UE/scheduled entity 106 described above and illustrated in FIG. 1.

In some examples, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 220, which may be a drone or quadcopter, can be a mobile network node and may be configured to function as a UE. For example, the UAV 220 may operate within cell 202 by communicating with base station 210.

In a further aspect of the RAN 200, sidelink signals may be used between UEs without necessarily relying on scheduling or control information from a base station. For example, two or more UEs (e.g., UEs 226 and 228) may communicate with each other using peer to peer (P2P) or sidelink signals 227 without relaying that communication through a base station (e.g., base station 212) . In a further example, UE 238 is illustrated communicating with

UEs

240 and 242. Here, the UE 238 may function as a scheduling entity or a primary sidelink device, and

UEs

240 and 242 may function as a scheduled entity or a non-primary (e.g., secondary) sidelink device. In still another example, a UE may function as a scheduling entity in a device-to-device (D2D) , peer-to-peer (P2P) , or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) network, and/or in a mesh network. In a mesh network example,

UEs

240 and 242 may optionally communicate directly with one another in addition to communicating with the UE 238 (e.g., functioning as a scheduling entity) . Thus, in a wireless communication system with scheduled access to time–frequency resources and having a cellular configuration, a P2P configuration, or a mesh configuration, a scheduling entity and one or more scheduled entities may communicate utilizing the scheduled resources. In some examples, the sidelink signals 227 include sidelink traffic (e.g., a physical sidelink shared channel) and sidelink control (e.g., a physical sidelink control channel) .

In the radio access network 200, the ability for a UE to communicate while moving, independent of its location, is referred to as mobility. The various physical channels between the UE and the radio access network are generally set up, maintained, and released under the control of an access and mobility management function (AMF) . The AMF (not shown in FIG. 2) may include a security context management function (SCMF) that manages the security context for both the control plane and the user plane functionality, and a security anchor function (SEAF) that performs authentication.

A radio access network 200 may utilize DL-based mobility or UL-based mobility to enable mobility and handovers (i.e., the transfer of a UE’s connection from one radio channel to another) . In a network configured for DL-based mobility, during a call with a scheduling entity, or at any other time, a UE may monitor various parameters of the signal from its serving cell as well as various parameters of neighboring cells. Depending on the quality of these parameters, the UE may maintain communication with one or more of the neighboring cells. During this time, if the UE moves from one cell to another, or if signal quality from a neighboring cell exceeds that from the serving cell for a given amount of time, the UE may undertake a handoff or handover from the serving cell to the neighboring (target) cell. For example, UE 224 (illustrated as a vehicle, although any suitable form of UE may be used) may move from the geographic area corresponding to its serving cell 202 to the geographic area corresponding to a neighbor cell 206. When the signal strength or quality from the neighbor cell 206 exceeds that of its serving cell 202 for a given amount of time, the UE 224 may transmit a reporting message to its serving base station 210 indicating this condition. In response, the UE 224 may receive a handover command, and the UE may undergo a handover to the cell 206.

In a network configured for UL-based mobility, UL reference signals from each UE may be utilized by the network to select a serving cell for each UE. In some examples, the

base stations

210, 212, and 214/216 may broadcast unified synchronization signals (e.g., unified Primary Synchronization Signals (PSSs) , unified Secondary Synchronization Signals (SSSs) and unified Physical Broadcast Channels (PBCH) ) . The

UEs

222, 224, 226, 228, 230, and 232 may receive the unified synchronization signals, derive the carrier frequency and slot timing from the synchronization signals, and in response to deriving timing, transmit an uplink pilot or reference signal. The uplink pilot signal transmitted by a UE (e.g., UE 224) may be concurrently received by two or more cells (e.g., base stations 210 and 214/216) within the radio access network 200. Each of the cells may measure a strength of the pilot signal, and the radio access network (e.g., one or more of the base stations 210 and 214/216 and/or a central node within the core network) may determine a serving cell for the UE 224. As the UE 224 moves through the radio access network 200, the network may continue to monitor the uplink pilot signal transmitted by the UE 224. When the signal strength or quality of the pilot signal measured by a neighboring cell exceeds that of the signal strength or quality measured by the serving cell, the network 200 may handover the UE 224 from the serving cell to the neighboring cell, with or without informing the UE 224.

Although the synchronization signal transmitted by the

base stations

210, 212, and 214/216 may be unified, the synchronization signal may not identify a particular cell, but rather may identify a zone of multiple cells operating on the same frequency and/or with the same timing. The use of zones in 5G networks or other next generation communication networks enables the uplink-based mobility framework and improves the efficiency of both the UE and the network, since the number of mobility messages that need to be exchanged between the UE and the network may be reduced.

In various implementations, the air interface in the radio access network 200 may utilize licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or shared spectrum. Licensed spectrum provides for exclusive use of a portion of the spectrum, generally by virtue of a mobile network operator purchasing a license from a government regulatory body. Unlicensed spectrum provides for shared use of a portion of the spectrum without need for a government-granted license. While compliance with some technical rules is generally still required to access unlicensed spectrum, generally, any operator or device may gain access. Shared spectrum may fall between licensed and unlicensed spectrum, wherein technical rules or limitations may be required to access the spectrum, but the spectrum may still be shared by multiple operators and/or multiple RATs. For example, the holder of a license for a portion of licensed spectrum may provide licensed shared access (LSA) to share that spectrum with other parties, e.g., with suitable licensee-determined conditions to gain access.

The air interface in the radio access network 200 may utilize one or more multiplexing and multiple access algorithms to enable simultaneous communication of the various devices. For example, 5G NR specifications provide multiple access for UL transmissions from UEs 222 and 224 to base station 210, and for multiplexing for DL transmissions from base station 210 to one or more UEs 222 and 224, utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with a cyclic prefix (CP) . In addition, for UL transmissions, 5G NR specifications provide support for discrete Fourier transform-spread-OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) with a CP (also referred to as single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) ) . However, within the scope of the present disclosure, multiplexing and multiple access are not limited to the above schemes, and may be provided utilizing time division multiple access (TDMA) , code division multiple access (CDMA) , frequency division multiple access (FDMA) , sparse code multiple access (SCMA) , resource spread multiple access (RSMA) , or other suitable multiple access schemes. Further, multiplexing DL transmissions from the base station 210 to UEs 222 and 224 may be provided utilizing time division multiplexing (TDM) , code division multiplexing (CDM) , frequency division multiplexing (FDM) , orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) , sparse code multiplexing (SCM) , or other suitable multiplexing schemes.

The air interface in the radio access network 200 may further utilize one or more duplexing algorithms. Duplex refers to a point-to-point communication link where both endpoints can communicate with one another in both directions. Full duplex means both endpoints can simultaneously communicate with one another. Half duplex means only one endpoint can send information to the other at a time. In a wireless link, a full duplex channel generally relies on physical isolation of a transmitter and receiver, and suitable interference cancelation technologies. Full duplex emulation is frequently implemented for wireless links by utilizing frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD) . In FDD, transmissions in different directions operate at different carrier frequencies. In TDD, transmissions in different directions on a given channel are separated from one another using time division multiplexing. That is, at some times the channel is dedicated for transmissions in one direction, while at other times the channel is dedicated for transmissions in the other direction, where the direction may change very rapidly, e.g., several times per slot.

Various aspects of the present disclosure will be described with reference to an OFDM waveform, an example of which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 3. It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to an SC-FDMA waveform in substantially the same way as described herein below. That is, while some examples of the present disclosure may focus on an OFDM link for clarity, it should be understood that the same principles may be applied as well to SC-FDMA waveforms.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an expanded view of an example DL subframe (SF) 302A is illustrated, showing an OFDM resource grid. However, as those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the physical layer (PHY) transmission structure for any particular application may vary from the example described here, depending on any number of factors. Here, time is in the horizontal direction with units of OFDM symbols; and frequency is in the vertical direction with units of subcarriers.

The resource grid 304 may be used to schematically represent time–frequency resources for a given antenna port. That is, in a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) implementation with multiple antenna ports available, a corresponding multiple number of resource grids 304 may be available for communication. The resource grid 304 is divided into multiple resource elements (REs) 306. An RE, which is 1 subcarrier × 1 symbol, is the smallest discrete part of the time–frequency grid, and contains a single complex value representing data from a physical channel or signal. Depending on the modulation utilized in a particular implementation, each RE may represent one or more bits of information. In some examples, a block of REs may be referred to as a physical resource block (PRB) or more simply a resource block (RB) 308, which contains any suitable number of consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. In one example, an RB may include 12 subcarriers, a number independent of the numerology used. In some examples, depending on the numerology, an RB may include any suitable number of consecutive OFDM symbols in the time domain. Within the present disclosure, it is assumed that a single RB such as the RB 308 entirely corresponds to a single direction of communication (either transmission or reception for a given device) .

Scheduling of UEs (e.g., scheduled entities) for downlink or uplink transmissions typically involves scheduling one or more resource elements 306 within one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs) , where each BWP includes two or more contiguous or consecutive RBs. Thus, a UE generally utilizes only a subset of the resource grid 304. In some examples, an RB may be the smallest unit of resources that can be allocated to a UE. Thus, the more RBs scheduled for a UE, and the higher the modulation scheme chosen for the air interface, the higher the data rate for the UE.

In this illustration, the RB 308 is shown as occupying less than the entire bandwidth of the subframe 302A, with some subcarriers illustrated above and below the RB 308. In a given implementation, the subframe 302A may have a bandwidth corresponding to any number of one or more RBs 308. Further, in this illustration, the RB 308 is shown as occupying less than the entire duration of the subframe 302A, although this is merely one possible example.

Each 1 ms subframe 302A may consist of one or multiple adjacent slots. In the example shown in FIG. 3, one subframe 302B includes four slots 310, as an illustrative example. In some examples, a slot may be defined according to a specified number of OFDM symbols with a given cyclic prefix (CP) length. For example, a slot may include 7 or 14 OFDM symbols with a nominal CP. Additional examples may include mini-slots having a shorter duration (e.g., one or two OFDM symbols) . These mini-slots may in some cases be transmitted occupying resources scheduled for ongoing slot transmissions for the same or for different UEs.

An expanded view of one of the slots 310 illustrates the slot 310 including a control region 312 and a data region 314. In general, the control region 312 may carry control channels (e.g., PDCCH) , and the data region 314 may carry data channels (e.g., PDSCH or PUSCH) . Of course, a slot may contain all DL, all UL, or at least one DL portion and at least one UL portion. The simple structure illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely exemplary in nature, and different slot structures may be utilized, and may include one or more of each of the control region (s) and data region (s) .

Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the various REs 306 within a RB 308 may be scheduled to carry one or more physical channels, including control channels, shared channels, data channels, etc. Other REs 306 within the RB 308 may also carry pilots or reference signals, including but not limited to a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or a sounding reference signal (SRS) . These pilots or reference signals may provide for a receiving device to perform channel estimation of the corresponding channel, which may enable coherent demodulation/detection of the control and/or data channels within the RB 308.

In a DL transmission, the transmitting device (e.g., the scheduling entity) may allocate one or more REs 306 (e.g., within a control region 312) to carry DL control information including one or more DL control channels, such as a PBCH; a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH) ; a physical hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) indicator channel (PHICH) ; and/or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) , etc., to one or more scheduled entities. The transmitting device may further allocate one or more REs 306 to carry other DL signals, such as a DMRS; a phase-tracking reference signal (PT-RS) ; a channel state information –reference signal (CSI-RS) ; a primary synchronization signal (PSS) ; and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) .

The synchronization signals PSS and SSS, and in some examples, the PBCH and a PBCH DMRS, may be transmitted in a synchronization signal block (SSB) that includes 3 consecutive OFDM symbols, numbered via a time index in increasing order from 0 to 3. In the frequency domain, the SSB may extend over 240 contiguous subcarriers, with the subcarriers being numbered via a frequency index in increasing order from 0 to 239. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific SSB configuration. Other nonlimiting examples may utilize greater or fewer than two synchronization signals; may include one or more supplemental channels in addition to the PBCH; may omit a PBCH; and/or may utilize a different number of symbols and/or nonconsecutive symbols for an SSB, within the scope of the present disclosure.

The PCFICH provides information to assist a receiving device in receiving and decoding the PDCCH. The PDCCH carries downlink control information (DCI) including but not limited to power control commands, scheduling information, a grant, and/or an assignment of REs for DL and UL transmissions. The PHICH carries HARQ feedback transmissions such as an acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK) . HARQ is a technique well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art, wherein the integrity of packet transmissions may be checked at the receiving side for accuracy, e.g., utilizing any suitable integrity checking mechanism, such as a checksum or a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) . If the integrity of the transmission confirmed, an ACK may be transmitted, whereas if not confirmed, a NACK may be transmitted. In response to a NACK, the transmitting device may send a HARQ retransmission, which may implement chase combining, incremental redundancy, etc.

In an UL transmission, the transmitting device (e.g., the scheduled entity) may utilize one or more REs 306 to carry UL control information including one or more UL control channels, such as a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) , to the scheduling entity. UL control information may include a variety of packet types and categories, including pilots, reference signals, and information configured to enable or assist in decoding uplink data transmissions. For example, the UL control information may include a DMRS or SRS. In some examples, the control information may include a scheduling request (SR) , i.e., request for the scheduling entity to schedule uplink transmissions. Here, in response to the SR transmitted on the control channel, the scheduling entity may transmit downlink control information that may schedule resources for uplink packet transmissions. UL control information may also include HARQ feedback, channel state feedback (CSF) , or any other suitable UL control information.

In addition to control information, one or more REs 306 (e.g., within the data region 314) may be allocated for user data or traffic data. Such traffic may be carried on one or more traffic channels, such as, for a DL transmission, a PDSCH, or for an UL transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) . In some examples, one or more REs 306 within the data region 314 may be configured to carry SIBs (e.g., SIB1) , carrying system information that may enable access to a given cell.

These physical channels described above are generally multiplexed and mapped to transport channels for handling at the medium access control (MAC) layer. Transport channels carry blocks of information called transport blocks (TB) . The transport block size (TBS) , which may correspond to a number of bits of information, may be a controlled parameter, based on the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and the number of RBs in a given transmission.

The channels or carriers described above with reference to FIGs. 1 -3 are not necessarily all of the channels or carriers that may be utilized between a scheduling entity and scheduled entities, and those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other channels or carriers may be utilized in addition to those illustrated, such as other traffic, control, and feedback channels.

To obtain a low block error rate (BLER) for a wireless communication while still achieving a high data rate, channel coding may be used. In some examples, wireless communication may use a suitable error correcting block code. In a typical block code, an information message or sequence is split up into code blocks (CBs) , and an encoder (e.g., a CODEC) at the transmitting device mathematically adds redundancy to the information message. Exploitation of this redundancy in the encoded information message can improve the reliability of the message, enabling correction for any bit errors that may occur due to the noise.

In some examples, data is coded using a quasi-cyclic low-density parity check (LDPC) with two different base graphs. One base graph is used for large code blocks and/or high code rates, while the other base graph is used otherwise. In some examples, control information and the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) may be coded using Polar coding, based on nested sequences. For these channels, puncturing, shortening, and repetition may be used for rate matching.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented utilizing any suitable channel code. Various implementations of base stations and UEs may include suitable hardware and capabilities (e.g., an encoder, a decoder, and/or a CODEC) to utilize one or more of these channel codes for wireless communication.

FIG. 4 is a diagram 400 illustrating an example of DL channels within a 5G/NR subframe. In this example (e.g., for a slot configuration 0) , each slot may include 14 symbols. A first arrowed line indicates a subset of the system bandwidth RBs 402 (e.g., a subset of the resource grid 304 of FIG. 3) . The symbols on the DL may be cyclic prefix (CP) OFDM (CP-OFDM) symbols in some examples.

A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) 404 may carry a DCI within one or more control channel elements (CCEs) . Each CCE may include nine resource element (RE) groups (REGs) , where each REG may include four consecutive REs in an OFDM symbol.

A primary synchronization signal (PSS) 406 is shown in symbol 2 of the subframe. The PSS 406 may be used by a UE to determine subframe/symbol timing and a physical layer identity. A secondary synchronization signal (SSS) 408 is shown in symbol 4 of the subframe. The SSS 408 may be used by a UE to determine a physical layer cell identity group number and radio frame timing. Based on the physical layer identity and the physical layer cell identity group number, the UE can determine a physical cell identifier (PCI) . Based on the PCI, the UE can determine the locations of the aforementioned DMRS. A physical broadcast channel (PBCH) 410, which carries a master information block (MIB) as discussed above, may be logically grouped with the PSS 406 and the SSS 408 to form an SS/PBCH block 412. The MIB may indicate the number of RBs in the system bandwidth and a system frame number (SFN) . As indicated by a second arrowed line, the length of the SS/PBCH block 412 is 20 RBs 414 in this example.

A physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) 416 carries user data, broadcast system information not transmitted through the PBCH such as system information blocks (SIBs) , and paging messages. In addition, the PDSCH 416 may carry a DCI (e.g., control-related information) . Transmitting a DCI in a PDSCH may be referred to as piggy-backing the DCI in the PDSCH. In some aspects of the disclosure, a DCI may be transmitted in the PDSCH in situations where the PDCCH may not have adequate resources to carry all of the control-related information. These situations may arise, for example, when the coreset is reduced (e.g., when a base station is operating in a traditional sub 6 GHz spectrum, in millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies, etc. ) and cannot accommodate all of the control-related information. In some cases, the delivery of the control-related information in the PDSCH may be more efficient than transmitting the information in a PDCCH (where a UE may need to perform blind decoding on the DCI) .

Performance may be improved for some communication scenarios by using multi-user packets, where data for multiple users (e.g., UEs) is multiplexed together in the payload of a single packet. For example, in a scenario where a small amount of data is communicated to multiple UEs, such as a factory automation scenario, an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) scenario, a broadcast or multicast scenario, an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service (eMBMS) scenario, a single-cell point-to-multipoint (SC-PTM) scenario, or the like, performance may be improved by aggregating the data in a multi-user packet as opposed to transmitting the data in a large number of small packets. For example, such aggregation or concatenation of data for multiple UEs in a multi-user packet may result in a better coding gain as compared to a scenario that transmits separate packets to the individual UEs. Additionally, or alternatively, downlink control overhead may be reduced in the aggregation scenario because downlink control information (DCI) may be transmitted only for the multi-user packet in this case instead of sending multiple DCIs for different packets sent to different UEs.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a multi-user packet 502. A multi-user packet may be referred to herein as a multi-user PDSCH communication (MUPC) . In some examples, a DCI 504 may schedule the transmission of the multi-user packet 502 (e.g., on a PDSCH) .

The multi-user packet 502 includes multiple payload portions that correspond to multiple UEs. For example, a first payload portion 506 (e.g., at least one transport block, TB) may carry data for (e.g., destined for) a first UE (UE0) , a second payload portion 508 may carry data for a second UE (UE1) , and a third payload portion 510 may carry data for a third UE (UE2) . A multi-user packet may include a different number of payloads in other examples.

The multi-user packet 502 also includes a header 512 that includes, in turn, multiple sub-headers. A sub-header may include a UE identifier that identifies a specific UE, such as a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) or the like. Different sub-headers may include different UE identifiers that identify different UEs. For example, a first sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S0) may identify a first UE, a second sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S1) may identify a second UE, a third sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S2) may identify a third UE. Thus, different sub-headers of the multi-user packet 502 may correspond to different UEs. A multi-user packet may include a different number of sub-headers in other examples.

A UE may determine whether the multi-user packet 502 includes data for that UE by decoding the packet to determine whether a sub-header includes a UE identifier for that UE. If there is such a UE identifier, the UE may identify a payload portion that corresponds to that sub-header. For example, each sub-header may include information that maps to (e.g., indicates a location of) a particular payload. For example, in FIG. 5, the sub-header S0 maps to the first payload portion 506 as represented by the dashed line 514. Once the UE identifies a payload portion that includes data intended for the UE, the UE may obtain the data included in that payload portion.

In some examples, a sub-header may include a length field that indicates a length (e.g., a size, a number of bits, a number of bytes, and/or the like) of a corresponding payload portion. Additionally, or alternatively, a sub-header may include a field that indicates whether that sub-header is the last sub-header (e.g., a “last sub-header indicator” ) . One or more of these fields may be used to identify an end of the sub-headers and a start of the payload portions. A UE may identify a start of a payload portion intended for the UE based at least in part on the start of the payload portions and a sum of all of the lengths indicated in sub-headers that occur before the sub-header that identifies the UE. The UE may identify an end of the payload portion intended for the UE using the length indicated in the sub-header that identifies the UE.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of multi-user packet communication 600 between a base station (BS) 602 and multiple UEs (e.g., a UE A 604) . In some implementations, the UE 604 may correspond to one or more of the scheduled entity 106 (e.g., a UE, etc. ) of FIG. 1, or the

UE

222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234, 238, 240, or 242 of FIG. 2. In some implementations, the BS 602 may correspond to one or more of the scheduling entity 108 (e.g., a gNB, a transmit receive point, a UE, etc. ) of FIG. 1, or the

base station

210, 212, 214, or 218 of FIG. 2.

The base station 602 may generate a multi-user packet 606 that includes sub-headers and corresponding payload portions for multiple UEs (e.g., UE A 604 -UE X) . For example, the multi-user packet 606 may include a first sub-header (e.g., shown as “sub-header A” ) that identifies a first UE (e.g., using “UE ID A” ) and a corresponding payload portion (e.g., “payload portion A” ) for the first UE, a second sub-header (e.g., shown as “sub-header B” ) that identifies a second UE (e.g., using “UE ID B” ) and a corresponding payload portion (e.g., “payload portion B” ) for the second UE, and so on.

Prior to transmitting the multi-user packet 606, the base station 602 schedules the transmission and issues a DCI 608 that informs the UEs of the transmission. The base station 602 may also schedule a set of PUCCH resources for ACK/NACK feedback from the target UEs for the multi-user packet 606 (e.g., UEs identified in the sub-headers of the multi-user packet 606 and/or UEs for which the multi-user packet 606 includes a payload portion) . In some examples, different PUCCH resources, in a set of PUCCH resources, may be associated with different UEs. For example, the base station 602 may schedule a first PUCCH resource for a first UE, a second PUCCH resource for a second UE, and so on.

Thus, the base station 602 may transmit, and the UEs may receive, the multi-user packet 606 generated by the base station 602. As described above, the multi-user packet 606 may include multiple sub-headers. A UE may determine that a UE identifier of the UE (e.g., a C-RNTI, another type of RNTI, or the like) is included in a sub-header. For example, a UE may decode and read all of the sub-headers to determine whether any of the sub-headers include a UE identifier of that UE.

Upon obtaining a payload portion, a UE may deliver (e.g., provide) the payload portion to an upper layer of the UE for processing (e.g., an application layer or the like) . In some aspects, the UE may deliver only the payload portion intended for the UE, without delivering other payload portions, thereby conserving computing resources of the UE. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE may ignore (e.g., refrain from processing) one or more payload portions not intended for the UE, thereby conserving computing resources of the UE.

Upon identifying a PUCCH resource for acknowledging receipt of the payload portion (e.g., as scheduled by a DCI) , a UE may transmit an acknowledgment 610 to the base station 602 after decoding or attempting to decide a payload portion. For example, the UE may transmit a positive acknowledgement (e.g., an ACK) if the UE successfully decoded the payload portion. Otherwise, the UE may transmit a negative acknowledgement (e.g., a NACK) . Upon receipt of at least one NACK, the base station 602 may send at least one retransmission 612 including at least one payload of the multi-user packet 606 (e.g., according to a HARQ process) .

In view of the above, a multi-user packet may be particularly useful for some types of traffic (e.g., IIoT traffic where the data packets are typically small) . Here, coding gain may be improved since multiple packets may be concatenated together across UEs into a single packet. Also, DL control overhead may be lower as well since one DL grant (e.g. DCI) may be sent for a group of UEs, instead of sending one grant per UE.

As discussed above, transport blocks (TBs) for multiple UEs may aggregated together and a PHY header added to the TBs to form an aggregated TB (also referred to herein as a combination TB, or a combo TB for short) . The header includes several sub-headers, where each sub-header is for one UE. A sub-header may carry UE-ID information and the range of (e.g., the location of or distance to) the user’s TB in the combo TB. The combo TB may be carried in a PDSCH. A DCI (e.g., with a group-RNTI) may be received by all of the UEs in the group, and the UEs may decode the DCI (e.g., using the group-RNTI) to determine whether there is a combo TB in a PDSCH. If the DCI indicates that there is a combo TB in a PDSCH, all of the UEs configured with the group-RNTI may decode the PDSCH. Here, by parsing the header of the combo TB, a particular UE can determine whether it is being addressed and, if so, which part of the combo TB is for that UE.

The disclosure relates in some aspects to different techniques for generating a multi-user packet for transmission and/or different transmission techniques for transmitting a multi-user packet. In some examples, these techniques may involve different aggregated TB structures.

In a first technique (option 1) , the TBs for each UE are concatenated (e.g., prior to CRC operations) into a combo TB. In a first sub-option (option 1.1) , the sub-headers are included in the combo TB. In a second sub-option (option 1.2) , the sub-headers are transmitted separately and not included in the combo TB.

Here, TB-level CRC and CB segmentation are applied to the combo TB. In this case, the TBs from different UEs may be jointly encoded, and a single TB CRC inserted. A base station may then send the combo TB (e.g., a multi-user packet) as discussed herein. Upon receiving the combo TB, a particular UE may be able to decode the CBs that include that UE’s data for early termination (subject to CB level CRC) . Here, a UE can declare its own TB successfully received when the CRC passes for all the CBs that carry that UE’s TB. In contrast, in some legacy NR systems, a UE will only consider a TB successfully received if all of the CB CRCs pass and the TB CRC passed. Since the per UE TB is small (e.g., the per UE TB might be one CB or a few CBs) , the CB CRC false alarm probability might not be significant over all CBs. Also, in this example, the header is not separately protected.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first TB format 700 (e.g., option 1.1) for a multi-user packet in accordance with some aspects of the disclosure. The multi-user packet includes a header 702 and multiple payload portions that correspond to multiple UEs. For example, a first payload portion 704 (e.g., a transport block, TB) may carry data for (e.g., destined for) a first UE (UE0) , a second payload portion 706 may carry data for a second UE (UE1) , and a third payload portion 708 may carry data for a third UE (UE2) . A multi-user packet may include a different number of payloads in other examples.

The header 702 includes multiple sub-headers as discussed herein. For example, a first sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S0) may identify the first UE and a location of the first payload portion 704, a second sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S1) may identify the second UE and a location of the second payload portion 706, a third sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S2) may identify the third UE and a location of the third payload portion 708. A multi-user packet may include a different number of sub-headers in other examples.

In the example of FIG. 7, the header 702, the first payload portion 704, the second payload portion 706, and the third payload portion 708 are concatenated into a combo TB 710. TB-level CRC insertion and code bock segmentation 712 is then applied to the combo TB.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second TB format 800 (e.g., option 1.2) for a multi-user packet in accordance with some aspects of the disclosure. The multi-user packet includes a header 802 and multiple payload portions that correspond to multiple UEs. For example, a first payload portion 804 (e.g., a transport block, TB) may carry data for (e.g., destined for) a first UE (UE0) , a second payload portion 806 may carry data for a second UE (UE1) , and a third payload portion 808 may carry data for a third UE (UE2) .

In this case, however, the header 802 is transmitted separately from the aggregated payloads. Thus, just the first payload portion 804, the second payload portion 806, and the third payload portion 808 are concatenated into a combo TB 810. TB-level CRC insertion and code bock segmentation 812 is applied to the combo TB 810 as discussed herein.

In a second technique (option 2) , CRC is applied to the header and each TB prior to concatenation into a combo TB. In a first sub-option (option 2.1) , the sub-headers are included in the combo TB. In a second sub-option (option 2.2) , the sub-headers are transmitted separately and not included in the combo TB.

Here, TB-level CRC and CB segmentation may be applied to the combo TB. Alternatively, the TB CRC insertion may be skipped for the combo TB. In this case, the combo TB would directly go to CB segmentation. This optional approach may be sufficiently reliable since CRC information is provided for each TB in this case.

The header CRC provides integrity for the header. After parsing a received header, a UE can check the CRC. The UE can declare its TB as successfully received if the CRC for that TB passed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a third TB format 900 (e.g., option 2.1) for a multi-user packet in accordance with some aspects of the disclosure. The multi-user packet includes a header 902 and multiple payload portions that correspond to multiple UEs. For example, a first payload portion 904 (e.g., a transport block, TB) may carry data for (e.g., destined for) a first UE (UE0) , a second payload portion 906 may carry data for a second UE (UE1) , and a third payload portion 908 may carry data for a third UE (UE2) . A multi-user packet may include a different number of payloads in other examples.

The header 902 includes multiple sub-headers as discussed herein. For example, a first sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S0) may identify the first UE and a location of the first payload portion 904, a second sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S1) may identify the second UE and a location of the second payload portion 906, a third sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S2) may identify the third UE and a location of the third payload portion 908. A multi-user packet may include a different number of sub-headers in other examples.

In the example of FIG. 9, a CRC 910 is generated for the header 902, a CRC 912 is generated for the first payload portion 904, a CRC 914 is generated for the second payload portion 906, and a CRC 916 is generated for the third payload portion 908.

The header 902, the first payload portion 904, the second payload portion 906, and the third payload portion 908, and their associated CRCs, are concatenated into a combo TB 918. TB-level CRC insertion (optional) and code bock segmentation 920 may then be applied to the combo TB 918.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fourth TB format 1000 (e.g., option 2.2) for a multi-user packet in accordance with some aspects of the disclosure. The multi-user packet includes a header 1002 and multiple payload portions that correspond to the multiple UEs. For example, a first payload portion 1004 (e.g., a transport block, TB) may carry data for (e.g., destined for) a first UE (UE0) , a second payload portion 1006 may carry data for a second UE (UE1) , and a third payload portion 1008 may carry data for a third UE (UE2) . In addition, a CRC 1010 is generated for the header 1002, a CRC 1012 is generated for the first payload portion 1004, a CRC 1014 is generated for the second payload portion 1006, and a CRC 1016 is generated for the third payload portion 1008.

In this case, however, the header 1002 is transmitted separately from the aggregated payloads. Thus, just the first payload portion 1004, the second payload portion 1006, and the third payload portion 1008, and their associated CRC information, are concatenated into a combo TB 1018. TB-level CRC insertion (optional) and code bock segmentation 1020 may then be applied to the combo TB 1018 as discussed herein.

In a third technique (option 3) , CRC is applied to the header and to groups of TBs prior to concatenation into a combo TB. In a first sub-option (option 3.1) , the sub-headers are included in the combo TB. In a second sub-option (option 3.2) , the sub-headers are transmitted separately and not included in combo TB.

Here, TB-level CRC and CB segmentation may be applied to the combo TB. Alternatively, the TB CRC insertion may be skipped for the combo TB. In this case, the combo TB would directly go to CB segmentation. This optional approach may be sufficiently reliable since CRC information is provided for the TBs in this case.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fifth TB format 1100 (e.g., option 3.1) for a multi-user packet in accordance with some aspects of the disclosure. The multi-user packet includes a header 1102 and multiple payload portions that correspond to multiple UEs. For example, a first payload portion 1104 (e.g., a transport block, TB) may carry data for (e.g., destined for) a first UE (UE0) , a second payload portion 1106 may carry data for a second UE (UE1) , and a third payload portion 1108 may carry data for a third UE (UE2) , and a fourth payload portion 1110 may carry data for a fourth UE (UE3) . A multi-user packet may include a different number of payloads in other examples.

The header 1102 includes multiple sub-headers as discussed herein. For example, a first sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S0) may identify the first UE and a location of the first payload portion 1104, a second sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S1) may identify the second UE and a location of the second payload portion 1106, a third sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S2) may identify the third UE and a location of the third payload portion 1108, and a fourth sub-header (e.g., shown as sub-header S3) may identify a fourth UE and a location of the fourth payload portion 1110. A multi-user packet may include a different number of sub-headers in other examples.

In the example of FIG. 11, a CRC 1112 is generated for the header 1102, a CRC 1114 is generated for the first payload portion 1104 and the second payload portion 1106, and a CRC 1116 is generated for the third payload portion 1108 and the fourth payload portion 1110.

The header 1102, the first payload portion 1104, the second payload portion 1106, the third payload portion 1108, and the fourth payload portion 1110, and their associated CRCs, are concatenated into a combo TB 1118. TB-level CRC insertion (optional) and code bock segmentation 1120 may then be applied to the combo TB 1118.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sixth TB format 1200 (e.g., option 3.2) for a multi-user packet in accordance with some aspects of the disclosure. The multi-user packet includes a header 1202 and multiple payload portions that correspond to multiple UEs. For example, a first payload portion 1204 (e.g., a transport block, TB) may carry data for (e.g., destined for) a first UE (UE0) , a second payload portion 1206 may carry data for a second UE (UE1) , a third payload portion 1208 may carry data for a third UE (UE2) , and a fourth payload portion 1210 may carry data for a fourth UE (UE3) . In addition, a CRC 1212 is generated for the header 1202, a CRC 1214 is generated for the first payload portion 1204 and the second payload portion 1206, and a CRC 1216 is generated for the third payload portion 1208 and the fourth payload portion 1210.

In this case, however, the header 1202 is transmitted separately from the aggregated payloads. Thus, just the first payload portion 1204, the second payload portion 1206, the third payload portion 1208, and the fourth payload portion 1210, and their associated CRC information, are concatenated into a combo TB 1218. TB-level CRC insertion (optional) and code bock segmentation 1220 may then be applied to the combo TB 1218 as discussed herein.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a wireless communication device 1300 employing a processing system 1314. For example, the wireless communication device 1300 may be a user equipment (UE) or other device configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station, as discussed in any one or more of FIGs. 1 -12. In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, an element, or any portion of an element, or any combination of elements may be implemented with a processing system 1314 that includes one or more processors 1304. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1300 may correspond to one or more of the scheduled entity 106 (e.g., a UE, etc. ) of FIG. 1, the

UE

222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234, 238, 240, or 242 of FIG. 2, or the UE 604 of FIG. 6.

The wireless communication device 1300 may be implemented with a processing system 1314 that includes one or more processors 1304. Examples of processors 1304 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs) , field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , programmable logic devices (PLDs) , state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure. In various examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may be configured to perform any one or more of the functions described herein. That is, the processor 1304, as utilized in a wireless communication device 1300, may be used to implement any one or more of the processes and procedures described below.

In this example, the processing system 1314 may be implemented with a bus architecture, represented generally by the bus 1302. The bus 1302 may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges depending on the specific application of the processing system 1314 and the overall design constraints. The bus 1302 communicatively couples together various circuits including one or more processors (represented generally by the processor 1304) , a memory 1305, and computer-readable media (represented generally by the computer-readable medium 1306) . The bus 1302 may also link various other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further. A bus interface 1308 provides an interface between the bus 1302 and a transceiver 1310 and between the bus 1302 and an interface 1330. The transceiver 1310 provides a communication interface or means for communicating with various other apparatus over a wireless transmission medium. In some examples, the wireless communication device may include two or more transceivers 1310, each configured to communicate with a respective network type (e.g., terrestrial or non-terrestrial) . The interface 1330 provides a communication interface or means of communicating with various other apparatuses and devices (e.g., other devices housed within the same apparatus as the wireless communication device or other external apparatuses) over an internal bus or external transmission medium, such as an Ethernet cable. Depending upon the nature of the apparatus, the interface 1330 may include a user interface (e.g., keypad, display, speaker, microphone, joystick) . Of course, such a user interface is optional, and may be omitted in some examples, such as an IoT device.

The processor 1304 is responsible for managing the bus 1302 and general processing, including the execution of software stored on the computer-readable medium 1306. The software, when executed by the processor 1304, causes the processing system 1314 to perform the various functions described below for any particular apparatus. The computer-readable medium 1306 and the memory 1305 may also be used for storing data that is manipulated by the processor 1304 when executing software.

One or more processors 1304 in the processing system may execute software. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. The software may reside on a computer-readable medium 1306.

The computer-readable medium 1306 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. A non-transitory computer-readable medium includes, by way of example, a magnetic storage device (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strip) , an optical disk (e.g., a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD) ) , a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, or a key drive) , a random access memory (RAM) , a read only memory (ROM) , a programmable ROM (PROM) , an erasable PROM (EPROM) , an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM) , a register, a removable disk, and any other suitable medium for storing software and/or instructions that may be accessed and read by a computer. The computer-readable medium 1306 may reside in the processing system 1314, external to the processing system 1314, or distributed across multiple entities including the processing system 1314. The computer-readable medium 1306 may be embodied in a computer program product. By way of example, a computer program product may include a computer-readable medium in packaging materials. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the described functionality presented throughout this disclosure depending on the particular application and the overall design constraints imposed on the overall system.

The wireless communication device 1300 may be configured to perform any one or more of the operations described herein (e.g., as described above in conjunction with FIGs. 1 -12 and as described below in conjunction with FIGs. 13 and 14) . In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor 1304, as utilized in the wireless communication device 1300, may include circuitry configured for various functions.

The processor 1304 may include communication and processing circuitry 1341. The communication and processing circuitry 1341 may include one or more hardware components that provide the physical structure that performs various processes related to wireless communication (e.g., signal reception and/or signal transmission) as described herein. The communication and processing circuitry 1341 may further include one or more hardware components that provide the physical structure that performs various processes related to signal processing (e.g., processing a received signal and/or processing a signal for transmission) as described herein. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may include two or more transmit/receive chains, each configured to process signals in a different RAT (or RAN) type. The communication and processing circuitry 1341 may further be configured to execute communication and processing software 1351 included on the computer-readable medium 1306 to implement one or more functions described herein.

In some implementations where the communication involves receiving information, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may obtain information from a component of the wireless communication device 1300 (e.g., from the transceiver 1310 that receives the information via radio frequency signaling or some other type of signaling suitable for the applicable communication medium) , process (e.g., decode) the information, and output the processed information. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may output the information to another component of the processor 1304, to the memory 1305, or to the bus interface 1308. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may receive one or more of signals, messages, other information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may receive information via one or more channels. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may include functionality for a means for receiving.

In some implementations where the communication involves sending (e.g., transmitting) information, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may obtain information (e.g., from another component of the processor 1304, the memory 1305, or the bus interface 1308) , process (e.g., encode) the information, and output the processed information. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may output the information to the transceiver 1310 (e.g., that transmits the information via radio frequency signaling or some other type of signaling suitable for the applicable communication medium) . In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may send one or more of signals, messages, other information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may send information via one or more channels. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 may include functionality for a means for sending (e.g., a means for transmitting) .

The processor 1304 may include decoding circuitry 1342 configured to perform decoding-related operations as discussed herein. The decoding circuitry 1342 may include functionality for a means for decoding. In some examples, decoding may involve using CRC information to decode a payload and/or a header. In some examples, decoding may involve polar decoding on a header and/or control information. In some examples, decoding may involve LDPC decoding on a multi-user packet and/or other data. In some examples, decoding may involve decoding code blocks and de-segmenting the code blocks. The decoding circuitry 1342 may further be configured to execute decoding software 1352 included on the computer-readable medium 1306 to implement one or more functions described herein.

The processor 1304 may include multi-user payload processing circuitry 1343 configured to perform multi-user payload processing-related operations as discussed herein. The multi-user payload processing circuitry 1343 may include functionality for a means for determining that a sub-header indicates that a payload is for a wireless communication device (e.g., by parsing the sub-header to determine whether the sub-header includes an identifier of the wireless communication device) . The multi-user payload processing circuitry 1343 may include functionality for a means for processing a payload (e.g., decoding the payload and/or using the payload at an upper layer application) . The multi-user payload processing circuitry 1343 may further be configured to execute multi-user payload processing software 1353 included on the computer-readable medium 1306 to implement one or more functions described herein.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating an example process 1400 for a wireless communication system in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all illustrated features may be omitted in a particular implementation within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be required for implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, the process 1400 may be carried out by the wireless communication device 1300 illustrated in FIG. 13. In some aspects, the wireless communication device may be a user equipment. In some examples, the process 1400 may be carried out by any suitable apparatus or means for carrying out the functions or algorithm described below.

At block 1402, a wireless communication device may receive a packet from a base station, wherein the packet may include a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, and wherein the header may include a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 and transceiver 1310, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may monitor a data channel for a packet (e.g., monitor a PDSCH using a particular RNTI based on scheduling indicated in a DCI) .

At block 1404, the wireless communication device may decode the packet using the first CRC information. For example, the decoding circuitry 1342, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may perform TB-level decoding (e.g., LDPC decoding) on a received combo TB.

In some examples, the packet may further include a plurality of code blocks based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload. In this case, decoding the packet may include decoding the plurality of code blocks to obtain decoded code blocks and de-segmenting the decoded code blocks to obtain an aggregate transport block comprising the header, the first payload, and the second payload. In some examples, decoding the packet further may include decoding the aggregate transport block using the first CRC information.

In some examples, the packet may further include second CRC information based on the first payload. In this case, decoding the packet may include using the second CRC information to decode the first payload. In some examples, the packet may further include third CRC information based on the header. In this case, decoding the packet may include using the third CRC information to decode the header.

In some examples, the packet may further include third CRC information based on the second payload. In this case, decoding the packet may include using the third CRC information to decode the second payload. In some examples, the packet may further include fourth CRC information based on the header. In this case, decoding the packet may include using the fourth CRC information to decode the header.

In some examples, the packet may further include second CRC information based on the first payload and the second payload. In this case, decoding the packet may include using the second CRC information to decode the first payload and the second payload. In some examples, the packet may further include third CRC information based on the second payload. In this case, decoding the packet may include using the third CRC information to decode the second payload. In some examples, the packet may further include at least one third payload for at least one third user and third CRC information based on the at least one third payload. In this case, decoding the packet may include using the third CRC information to decode the at least one third payload.

At block 1406, the wireless communication device may determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet. For example, the multi-user payload processing circuitry 1343, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may parse each sub-header of the header to identify a sub-header that includes an identifier of the wireless communication device.

At block 1408, the wireless communication device may process the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device. For example, the multi-user payload processing circuitry 1343, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may decode the payload (e.g., using CB decoding) and/or send the payload to an upper layer (e.g., an application layer) that will use the payload.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating an example process 1500 for a wireless communication system in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all illustrated features may be omitted in a particular implementation within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be required for implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, the process 1500 may be carried out by the wireless communication device 1300 illustrated in FIG. 13. In some aspects, the wireless communication device may be a user equipment. In some examples, the process 1500 may be carried out by any suitable apparatus or means for carrying out the functions or algorithm described below.

At block 1502, a wireless communication device may receive a first transmission from a base station, wherein the first transmission may include a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 and transceiver 1310, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may monitor a data channel (e.g., monitor a PDSCH using a particular RNTI based on scheduling indicated in a DCI) .

At block 1504, the wireless communication device may receive a second transmission from the base station, wherein the second transmission may include a header that includes a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1341 and transceiver 1310, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may monitor a data channel (e.g., monitor a PDSCH using a particular RNTI based on scheduling indicated in a DCI) .

At block 1506, the wireless communication device may decode the second transmission. For example, the decoding circuitry 1342, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may perform polar decoding or LDPC decoding on a received header.

At block 1508, the wireless communication device may determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission. For example, the multi-user payload processing circuitry 1343, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may parse each sub-header of the header to identify a sub-header that includes an identifier of the wireless communication device.

At block 1510, the wireless communication device may decode the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device. For example, the decoding circuitry 1342, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 13, may perform TB-level decoding (e.g., LDPC decoding) on a received combo TB.

In some examples, the first transmission may further include a plurality of code blocks based on the first payload and the second payload. In this case, decoding the first transmission may include decoding the plurality of code blocks to obtain decoded code blocks and de-segmenting the decoded code blocks to obtain an aggregate transport block comprising the first payload and the second payload.

In some examples, the first transmission may further include cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the aggregate transport block. In this case, decoding the first transmission may further include decoding the aggregate transport block using the CRC information.

In some examples, the first transmission may include first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload. In this case, decoding the first transmission may include decoding the first payload using the first CRC information. In some examples, the second transmission may include second CRC information based on the header. In this case, decoding the second transmission may include decoding the header using the second CRC information.

In some examples, the first transmission may further include second CRC information based on the second payload. In this case, decoding the first transmission may further include decoding the second payload using the second CRC information. In some examples, the second transmission may include third CRC information based on the header. In this case, decoding the second transmission may include decoding the header using the third CRC information.

In some examples, the first transmission may include first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload. In this case, decoding the first transmission may include decoding the first payload and the second payload using the first CRC information. In some examples, the second transmission may include second CRC information based on the header. In this case, decoding the second transmission may include decoding the header using the second CRC information. In some examples, the first transmission may further include at least one third payload for at least one third user and second CRC information based on at least one third payload. In this case, decoding the first transmission may further include decoding the at least one third payload using the second CRC information.

FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for base station (BS) 1600 employing a processing system 1614. In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, an element, or any portion of an element, or any combination of elements may be implemented with a processing system 1614 that includes one or more processors 1604. In some implementations, the BS 1600 may correspond to one or more of the scheduling entity 108 (e.g., a gNB, a transmit receive point, a UE, etc. ) of FIG. 1, the

base station

210, 212, 214, or 218 of FIG. 2, or the BS 602 of FIG. 6.

The processing system 1614 may be substantially the same as the processing system 1614 illustrated in FIG. 16, including a bus interface 1608, a bus 1602, memory 1605, a processor 1604, and a computer-readable medium 1606. Furthermore, the BS 1600 may include an interface 1630 (e.g., a network interface) that provides a means for communicating with at least one other apparatus within a core network and with at least one radio access network.

The BS 1600 may be configured to perform any one or more of the operations described herein (e.g., as described above in conjunction with FIGs. 1 -12 and as described below in conjunction with FIGs. 17 and 18) . In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor 1604, as utilized in the BS 1600, may include circuitry configured for various functions.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor 1604 may include communication and processing circuitry 1641. The communication and processing circuitry 1641 may include one or more hardware components that provide the physical structure that performs various processes related to communication (e.g., signal reception and/or signal transmission) as described herein. The communication and processing circuitry 1641 may further include one or more hardware components that provide the physical structure that performs various processes related to signal processing (e.g., processing a received signal and/or processing a signal for transmission) as described herein. The communication and processing circuitry 1641 may further be configured to execute communication and processing software 1651 included on the computer-readable medium 1606 to implement one or more functions described herein.

In some implementations where the communication involves receiving information, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may obtain information from a component of the BS 1600 (e.g., from the transceiver 1610 that receives the information via radio frequency signaling or some other type of signaling suitable for the applicable communication medium) , process (e.g., decode) the information, and output the processed information. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may output the information to another component of the processor 1604, to the memory 1605, or to the bus interface 1608. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may receive one or more of signals, messages, other information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may receive information via one or more channels. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may include functionality for a means for receiving.

In some implementations where the communication involves sending (e.g., transmitting) information, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may obtain information (e.g., from another component of the processor 1604, the memory 1605, or the bus interface 1608) , process (e.g., encode) the information, and output the processed information. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may output the information to the transceiver 1610 (e.g., that transmits the information via radio frequency signaling or some other type of signaling suitable for the applicable communication medium) . In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may send one or more of signals, messages, other information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may send information via one or more channels. In some examples, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 may include functionality for a means for sending (e.g., means for transmitting) .

The processor 1604 may include multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642 configured to perform multi-user payload generation-related operations as discussed herein. The multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642 may include functionality for a means for generating a payload (e.g., generating a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and so on) . The multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642 may include functionality for a means for generating a header (e.g., generating a first sub-header that identifies a first user and/or a location of a first payload, a second sub-header that identifies a second user and/or a location of a second payload, and so on) . The multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642 may include functionality for a means for generating CRC information (e.g., generating a first CRC information for a header, second CRC information for a first payload, third CRC information for a second payload, and so on) . The multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642 may include functionality for a means for generating a packet (e.g., aggregating payloads into a combo TB) . The multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642 may further be configured to execute multi-user payload generation software 1652 included on the computer-readable medium 1606 to implement one or more functions described herein.

The processor 1604 may include scheduling circuitry 1643 configured to perform scheduling-related operations as discussed herein (e.g., scheduling the transmission of a header and/or a combo TB) . The scheduling circuitry 1643 may include functionality for a means for transmitting a DCI. The scheduling circuitry 1643 may further be configured to execute scheduling software 1653 included on the computer-readable medium 1606 to implement one or more functions described herein.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating another example process 1700 for a wireless communication system in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all illustrated features may be omitted in a particular implementation within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be required for implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, the process 1700 may be carried out by the BS 1600 illustrated in FIG. 16. In some examples, the process 1700 may be carried out by any suitable apparatus or means for carrying out the functions or algorithm described below.

At block 1702, a BS may generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user. For example, the multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may generate (e.g., retrieve, obtain, forward, create, etc. ) a first payload destined for a first wireless communication device and generate a second payload destined for a second wireless communication device.

At block 1704, the BS may generate a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload. For example, the multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may generate (e.g., obtain, create, formulate, etc. ) a header that includes multiple sub-headers, each of which includes with one or more entries as discussed herein.

At block 1706, the BS may generate first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload. For example, the multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may perform an CRC operation on the header, the first payload, and the second payload to generate CRC bits to be sent in a packet.

At block 1708, the BS may generate a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information. For example, the multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may concatenate the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information into a combo TB and include the combo TB in a packet with appropriate packet header information.

In some examples, generating the packet may include aggregating the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information to provide an aggregated transport block. In some examples, generating the packet further may include generating a plurality of code blocks based on the aggregated transport block.

In some examples, the process may further include generating second CRC information based on the first payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the second CRC information. In some examples, the process may further include generating third CRC information based on the header. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the third CRC information.

In some examples, the process may further include generating third CRC information based on the second payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the second CRC information. In some examples, the process may further include generating fourth CRC information based on the header. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the fourth CRC information.

In some examples, the process may further include generating second CRC information based on the first payload and the second payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the second CRC information. In some examples, the process may further include generating third CRC information based on the header. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the third CRC information. In some examples, the process may further include generating at least one third payload for at least one third user and generating third CRC information based on the at least one third payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the at least one third payload and the third CRC information.

At block 1710, the BS may transmit the packet. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 and transceiver 1610, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may transmit the packet via a data channel (e.g., transit the packet via a PDSCH using a particular RNTI based on scheduling indicated in a DCI transmitted by the BS) .

FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating another example process 1800 for a wireless communication system in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all illustrated features may be omitted in a particular implementation within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be required for implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, the process 1800 may be carried out by the BS 1600 illustrated in FIG. 16. In some examples, the process 1800 may be carried out by any suitable apparatus or means for carrying out the functions or algorithm described below.

At block 1802, a BS may generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user. For example, the multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may generate (e.g., retrieve, obtain, forward, create, etc. ) a first payload destined for a first wireless communication device and generate a second payload destined for a second wireless communication device.

At block 1804, the BS may generate a packet based on the first payload and the second payload. For example, the multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may concatenate the first payload and the second payload into a combo TB and include the combo TB in a packet with appropriate packet header information.

In some examples, the process may further include generating cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload. In this case, generating the packet may include aggregating the first payload, the second payload, and the CRC information to provide an aggregated transport block. In some examples, generating the packet further may include generating a plurality of code blocks based on the aggregated transport block.

In some examples, the process may further include generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the first CRC information.

In some examples, the process may further include generating second CRC information based on the second payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the second CRC information.

In some examples, the process may further include generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the first CRC information. In some examples, the process may further include generating at least one third payload for at least one third user and generating second CRC information based on the at least one third payload. In this case, generating the packet may include generating the packet comprising the at least one third payload and the second CRC information.

At block 1806, the BS may transmit a first transmission comprising the packet. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 and transceiver 1610, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may transmit the packet via a data channel (e.g., transit the packet via a PDSCH using a particular RNTI based on scheduling indicated in a DCI transmitted by the BS) .

At block 1808, the BS may generate a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload. For example, the multi-user payload generation circuitry 1642, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may generate (e.g., obtain, create, formulate, etc. ) a header that includes multiple sub-headers, each of which includes with one or more entries as discussed herein.

In some examples, the process may further include generating second CRC information based on the header. In this case, generating the header may include generating the header comprising the second CRC information.

In some examples, the process may further include generating third CRC information based on the header. In this case, generating the header may include generating the header comprising the third CRC information.

At block 1810, the BS may transmit a second transmission comprising the header. For example, the communication and processing circuitry 1641 and transceiver 1610, shown and described above in connection with FIG. 16, may transmit the header via a data channel (e.g., transit the header via a PDSCH using a particular RNTI based on scheduling indicated in a DCI transmitted by the BS) .

Several aspects of a wireless communication network have been presented with reference to an example implementation. As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, various aspects described throughout this disclosure may be extended to other telecommunication systems, network architectures and communication standards.

By way of example, various aspects may be implemented within other systems defined by 3GPP, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) , the Evolved Packet System (EPS) , the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) , and/or the Global System for Mobile (GSM) . Various aspects may also be extended to systems defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) , such as CDMA2000 and/or Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) . Other examples may be implemented within systems employing IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) , IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) , IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) , Bluetooth, and/or other suitable systems. The actual telecommunication standard, network architecture, and/or communication standard employed will depend on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system.

Within the present disclosure, the word “exemplary” is used to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration. ” Any implementation or aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects of the disclosure. Likewise, the term “aspects” does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. The term “coupled” is used herein to refer to the direct or indirect coupling between two objects. For example, if object A physically touches object B, and object B touches object C, then objects A and C may still be considered coupled to one another-even if they do not directly physically touch each other. For instance, a first object may be coupled to a second object even though the first object is never directly physically in contact with the second object. The terms “circuit” and “circuitry” are used broadly, and intended to include both hardware implementations of electrical devices and conductors that, when connected and configured, enable the performance of the functions described in the present disclosure, without limitation as to the type of electronic circuits, as well as software implementations of information and instructions that, when executed by a processor, enable the performance of the functions described in the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “determining” may include, for example, ascertaining, resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database or another data structure) , and the like. Also, “determining” may include receiving (e.g., receiving information) , accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory) , and the like.

One or more of the components, steps, features and/or functions illustrated in FIGs. 1 -18 may be rearranged and/or combined into a single component, step, feature or function or embodied in several components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components, steps, and/or functions may also be added without departing from novel features disclosed herein. The apparatus, devices, and/or components illustrated in FIGs. 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, and 11 may be configured to perform one or more of the methods, features, or steps escribed herein. The novel algorithms described herein may also be efficiently implemented in software and/or embedded in hardware.

It is to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed is an illustration of example processes. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods may be rearranged. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless specifically recited therein.

The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more. ” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. A phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b, and c. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims.

Claims

A method of wireless communication at a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a packet from a base station, wherein the packet comprises a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, and wherein the header comprises a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

decoding the packet using the first CRC information;

determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet; and

processing the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet further comprises a plurality of code blocks based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload; and

decoding the packet comprises decoding the plurality of code blocks to obtain decoded code blocks and de-segmenting the decoded code blocks to obtain an aggregate transport block comprising the header, the first payload, and the second payload.
The method of claim 2, wherein decoding the packet further comprises:

decoding the aggregate transport block using the first CRC information.
The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet further comprises second CRC information based on the first payload; and

decoding the packet comprises using the second CRC information to decode the first payload.
The method of claim 4, wherein:

the packet further comprises third CRC information based on the header; and

decoding the packet comprises using the third CRC information to decode the header.
The method of claim 4, wherein:

the packet further comprises third CRC information based on the second payload; and

decoding the packet comprises using the third CRC information to decode the second payload.
The method of claim 6, wherein:

the packet further comprises fourth CRC information based on the header; and

decoding the packet comprises using the fourth CRC information to decode the header.
The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet further comprises second CRC information based on the first payload and the second payload; and

decoding the packet comprises using the second CRC information to decode the first payload and the second payload.
The method of claim 8, wherein:

the packet further comprises third CRC information based on the second payload; and

decoding the packet comprises using the third CRC information to decode the second payload.
The method of claim 8, wherein:

the packet further comprises at least one third payload for at least one third user and third CRC information based on the at least one third payload; and

decoding the packet comprises using the third CRC information to decode the at least one third payload.
A wireless communication device, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

receive a packet from a base station via the transceiver, wherein the packet comprises a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, and wherein the header comprises a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

decode the packet using the first CRC information;

determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet; and

process the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein:

the packet further comprises a plurality of code blocks based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the plurality of code blocks to obtain decoded code blocks and de-segment the decoded code blocks to obtain an aggregate transport block comprising the header, the first payload, and the second payload.
The wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

decode the aggregate transport block using the first CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein:

the packet further comprises second CRC information based on the first payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to use the second CRC information to decode the first payload.
The wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein:

the packet further comprises third CRC information based on the header; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to use the third CRC information to decode the header.
The wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein:

the packet further comprises third CRC information based on the second payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to use the third CRC information to decode the second payload.
The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the packet further comprises fourth CRC information based on the header; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to use the fourth CRC information to decode the header.
The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein:

the packet further comprises second CRC information based on the first payload and the second payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to use the second CRC information to decode the first payload and the second payload.
The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein:

the packet further comprises third CRC information based on the second payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to use the third CRC information to decode the second payload.
The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein:

the packet further comprises at least one third payload for at least one third user and third CRC information based on the at least one third payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to use the third CRC information to decode the at least one third payload.
A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for receiving a packet from a base station, wherein the packet comprises a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, and wherein the header comprises a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

means for decoding the packet using the first CRC information;

means for determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet; and

means for processing the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
An article of manufacture for use by a wireless communication device in a wireless communication network, the article comprising:

a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the wireless communication device to:

receive a packet from a base station, wherein the packet comprises a header, a first payload for a first user, a second payload for a second user, and first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload, and wherein the header comprises a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

decode the packet using the first CRC information;

determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the packet; and

process the first payload after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
A method of wireless communication at a base station, the method comprising:

generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

generating a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload;

generating a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information; and

transmitting the packet.
The method of claim 23, wherein generating the packet comprises:

aggregating the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information to provide an aggregated transport block.
The method of claim 24, wherein generating the packet further comprises:

generating a plurality of code blocks based on the aggregated transport block.
The method of claim 23, further comprising:

generating second CRC information based on the first payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The method of claim 26, further comprising:

generating third CRC information based on the header;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the third CRC information.
The method of claim 26, further comprising:

generating third CRC information based on the second payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The method of claim 28, further comprising:

generating fourth CRC information based on the header;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the fourth CRC information.
The method of claim 23, further comprising:

generating second CRC information based on the first payload and the second payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The method of claim 30, further comprising:

generating third CRC information based on the header;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the third CRC information.
The method of claim 30, further comprising:

generating at least one third payload for at least one third user; and

generating third CRC information based on the at least one third payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the at least one third payload and the third CRC information.
A base station, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

generate a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

generate first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload;

generate a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information; and

transmit the packet via the transceiver.
The base station of claim 33, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

aggregate the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information to provide an aggregated transport block.
The base station of claim 34, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate a plurality of code blocks based on the aggregated transport block.
The base station of claim 33, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate second CRC information based on the first payload; and

generate the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The base station of claim 36, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate third CRC information based on the header; and

generate the packet comprising the third CRC information.
The base station of claim 36, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate third CRC information based on the second payload; and

generate the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The base station of claim 38, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate fourth CRC information based on the header; and

generate the packet comprising the fourth CRC information.
The base station of claim 33, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate second CRC information based on the first payload and the second payload; and

generate the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The base station of claim 40, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate third CRC information based on the header; and

generate the packet comprising the third CRC information.
The base station of claim 40, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate at least one third payload for at least one third user; and

generate third CRC information based on the at least one third payload;

generate the packet comprising the at least one third payload and the third CRC information.
A base station, comprising:

means for generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

means for generating a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

means for generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload;

means for generating a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information; and

means for transmitting the packet.
An article of manufacture for use by a base station in a wireless communication network, the article comprising:

a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the base station to:

generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

generate a header comprising a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

generate first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the header, the first payload, and the second payload;

generate a packet comprising the header, the first payload, the second payload, and the first CRC information; and

transmit the packet.
A method of wireless communication at a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a first transmission from a base station, wherein the first transmission comprises a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

receiving a second transmission from the base station, wherein the second transmission comprises a header that includes a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

decoding the second transmission;

determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission; and

decoding the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
The method of claim 45, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises a plurality of code blocks based on the first payload and the second payload; and

decoding the first transmission comprises decoding the plurality of code blocks to obtain decoded code blocks and de-segmenting the decoded code blocks to obtain an aggregate transport block comprising the first payload and the second payload.
The method of claim 46, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the aggregate transport block; and

decoding the first transmission further comprises decoding the aggregate transport block using the CRC information.
The method of claim 45, wherein:

the first transmission comprises first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload; and

decoding the first transmission comprises decoding the first payload using the first CRC information.
The method of claim 48, wherein:

the second transmission comprises second CRC information based on the header; and

decoding the second transmission comprises decoding the header using the second CRC information.
The method of claim 48, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises second CRC information based on the second payload; and

decoding the first transmission further comprises decoding the second payload using the second CRC information.
The method of claim 50, wherein:

the second transmission comprises third CRC information based on the header; and

decoding the second transmission comprises decoding the header using the third CRC information.
The method of claim 45, wherein:

the first transmission comprises first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload; and

decoding the first transmission comprises decoding the first payload and the second payload using the first CRC information.
The method of claim 52, wherein:

the second transmission comprises second CRC information based on the header; and

decoding the second transmission comprises decoding the header using the second CRC information.
The method of claim 52, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises at least one third payload for at least one third user and second CRC information based on at least one third payload; and

decoding the first transmission further comprises decoding the at least one third payload using the second CRC information.
A wireless communication device, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

receive a first transmission from a base station via the transceiver, wherein the first transmission comprises a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

receive a second transmission from the base station via the transceiver, wherein the second transmission comprises a header that includes a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

decode the second transmission;

determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission; and

decode the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises a plurality of code blocks based on the first payload and the second payload; and

the processor and the memory are configured to decode the plurality of code blocks to obtain decoded code blocks and de-segment the decoded code blocks to obtain an aggregate transport block comprising the first payload and the second payload.
The wireless communication device of claim 56, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the aggregate transport block; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the aggregate transport block using the CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein:

the first transmission comprises first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the first payload using the first CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 58, wherein:

the second transmission comprises second CRC information based on the header; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the header using the second CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 58, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises second CRC information based on the second payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the second payload using the second CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 60, wherein:

the second transmission comprises third CRC information based on the header; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the header using the third CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 55, wherein:

the first transmission comprises first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the first payload and the second payload using the first CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 62, wherein:

the second transmission comprises second CRC information based on the header; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the header using the second CRC information.
The wireless communication device of claim 62, wherein:

the first transmission further comprises at least one third payload for at least one third user and second CRC information based on at least one third payload; and

the processor and the memory are further configured to decode the at least one third payload using the second CRC information.
A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for receiving a first transmission from a base station, wherein the first transmission comprises a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

means for receiving a second transmission from the base station, wherein the second transmission comprises a header that includes a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

means for decoding the second transmission;

means for determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission; and

means for decoding the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
An article of manufacture for use by a wireless communication device in a wireless communication network, the article comprising:

a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the wireless communication device to:

receive a first transmission from a base station, wherein the first transmission comprises a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

receive a second transmission from the base station, wherein the second transmission comprises a header that includes a first sub-header that identifies a location of the first payload and a second sub-header that identifies a location of the second payload;

decode the second transmission;

determine that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device after decoding the second transmission; and

decode the first transmission after determining that the first sub-header indicates that the first payload is for the wireless communication device.
A method of wireless communication at a base station, the method comprising:

generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

generating a packet based on the first payload and the second payload;

transmitting a first transmission comprising the packet;

generating a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload; and

transmitting a second transmission comprising the header.
The method of claim 67, further comprising:

generating cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises aggregating the first payload, the second payload, and the CRC information to provide an aggregated transport block.
The method of claim 68, wherein generating the packet further comprises:

generating a plurality of code blocks based on the aggregated transport block.
The method of claim 67, further comprising:

generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the first CRC information.
The method of claim 70, further comprising:

generating second CRC information based on the header;

wherein generating the header comprises generating the header comprising the second CRC information.
The method of claim 70, further comprising:

generating second CRC information based on the second payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The method of claim 72, further comprising:

generating third CRC information based on the header;

wherein generating the header comprises generating the header comprising the third CRC information.
The method of claim 67, further comprising:

generating first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the first CRC information.
The method of claim 74, further comprising:

generating second CRC information based on the header;

wherein generating the header comprises generating the header comprising the second CRC information.
The method of claim 74, further comprising:

generating at least one third payload for at least one third user; and

generating second CRC information based on the at least one third payload;

wherein generating the packet comprises generating the packet comprising the at least one third payload and the second CRC information.
A base station, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

generate a packet based on the first payload and the second payload;

transmit a first transmission comprising the packet via the transceiver;

generate a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload; and

transmit a second transmission comprising the header via the transceiver.
The base station of claim 77, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload;

aggregate the first payload, the second payload, and the CRC information to provide an aggregated transport block.
The base station of claim 78, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate a plurality of code blocks based on the aggregated transport block.
The base station of claim 77, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload; and

generate the packet comprising the first CRC information.
The base station of claim 80, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate second CRC information based on the header; and

generate the header comprising the second CRC information.
The base station of claim 80, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate second CRC information based on the second payload; and

generate the packet comprising the second CRC information.
The base station of claim 82, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate third CRC information based on the header; and

generate the header comprising the third CRC information.
The base station of claim 77, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information based on the first payload and the second payload; and

generate the packet comprising the first CRC information.
The base station of claim 84, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate second CRC information based on the header; and

generate the header comprising the second CRC information.
The base station of claim 84, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

generate at least one third payload for at least one third user; and

generate second CRC information based on the at least one third payload;

generate the packet comprising the at least one third payload and the second CRC information.
A base station, comprising:

means for generating a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

means for generating a packet based on the first payload and the second payload;

means for transmitting a first transmission comprising the packet;

means for generating a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload; and

means for transmitting a second transmission comprising the header.
An article of manufacture for use by a base station in a wireless communication network, the article comprising:

a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of the base station to:

generate a first payload for a first user and a second payload for a second user;

generate a packet based on the first payload and the second payload;

transmit a first transmission comprising the packet;

generate a header comprising a first sub-header for the first payload and a second sub-header for the second payload; and

transmit a second transmission comprising the header.