Bandwidth part (bwp) for unicast/multicast and resource allocation for multicast

Abstract

Various aspects provide a method for radio resource allocation to support multicast services from a 5G-NR base station. In some aspects, the method may be performed by a processor of the base station. Various aspects include determining a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier bandwidth, sending an indication of the multicast BWP to one or more user equipment (UE) computing devices in communication with the base station, and scheduling transmission of multicast data in the multicast BWP.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A base station for supporting multicast services in a wireless network, comprising::
 a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising: 
 determining a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier bandwidth, wherein the multicast BWP is a common frequency bandwidth resource configured to be used by one or more user equipment (UE) in communication with the base station; 
 sending an indication of the multicast BWP to one or more UEs in communication with the base station, wherein the indication of the common frequency bandwidth resource indicates resource allocation related parameters such that a receiving UE considers a lowest resource block (RB) index of the common frequency bandwidth resource as an initial physical resource block (PRB) of the common frequency bandwidth resource; and 
 scheduling transmission of multicast data in the multicast BWP. 
   
     
     
         2 . A base station for supporting multicast services in a wireless network, comprising:
 a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising: 
 determining a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier bandwidth wherein the multicast BWP is a virtual BWP that is fully contained within a user equipment (UE)-specific BWP with a same subcarrier spacing (SCS) and cyclic prefix (CP) length for each of two or more UEs in communication with the base station; 
 sending an indication of the multicast BWP to one or more UEs in communication with the base station; and 
 scheduling transmission of multicast data in the multicast BWP. 
   
     
     
         3 . The base station of  claim 2 , wherein each respective virtual BWP is identified by a starting resource block and a length of resource blocks within the UE-specific BWP for that respective UE. 
     
     
         4 . The base station of  claim 2 , wherein each respective virtual BWP is identified by one or more control resource set (CORESET) bandwidth configurations based on a configuration of that respective UE. 
     
     
         5 . The base station of  claim 4 , wherein the respective UE has a single CORESET for multicast and a lowest resource block index and a highest resource block index of the CORESET corresponds to the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         6 . The base station of  claim 4 , wherein the respective UE has multiple CORESETs for multicast and a lowest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs and a highest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs correspond to the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         7 . The base station of  claim 2 , wherein the virtual BWP has a lowest resource block index within the UE-specific BWP without any specified bandwidth for the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         8 . A method for supporting multicast services at a base station in a wireless network, comprising:
 determining a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier bandwidth, wherein the multicast BWP is a common frequency bandwidth resource configured to be used by one or more user equipment (UE) in communication with the base station;   sending an indication of the multicast BWP to one or more UEs in communication with the base station, wherein the indication of the common frequency bandwidth resource indicates resource allocation related parameters such that a receiving UE considers a lowest resource block (RB) index of the common frequency bandwidth resource as an initial physical resource block (PRB) of the common frequency bandwidth resource; and   scheduling transmission of multicast data in the multicast BWP.   
     
     
         9 . A method for supporting multicast services at a base station in a wireless network, comprising:
 determining a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier bandwidth wherein the multicast BWP is a virtual BWP that is fully contained within a user equipment (UE)-specific BWP with a same subcarrier spacing (SCS) and cyclic prefix (CP) length for each of two or more UEs in communication with the base station;   sending an indication of the multicast BWP to one or more UEs in communication with the base station; and   scheduling transmission of multicast data in the multicast BWP.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each respective virtual BWP is identified by a starting resource block and a length of resource blocks within the UE-specific BWP for that respective UE. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each respective virtual BWP is identified by one or more control resource set (CORESET) bandwidth configurations based on a configuration of that respective UE. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the respective UE has a single CORESET for multicast and a lowest resource block index and a highest resource block index of the CORESET corresponds to the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the respective UE has multiple CORESETs for multicast and a lowest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs and a highest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs correspond to the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual BWP has a lowest resource block index within the UE-specific BWP without any specified bandwidth for the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more UEs are configured to interpret down link control information (DCI) scheduling multicast data such that a lowest resource block index of a DCI frequency domain resource allocation field is an initial physical resource block of the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         16 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising: 
 receiving, from a base station, an indication of a common frequency bandwidth resource within a carrier bandwidth forming a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) configured to be used by one or more UEs in communication with the base station, wherein the indication of the common frequency bandwidth resource indicates resource allocation related parameters such that a lowest resource block (RB) index of the common frequency bandwidth resource is an initial physical resource block (PRB) of the common frequency bandwidth resource; and 
 receiving multicast data from the base station in the multicast BWP. 
   
     
     
         17 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising: 
 receiving an indication of a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier bandwidth from a base station, wherein the multicast BWP is a virtual BWP that is identified by one or more control resource set (CORESET) bandwidth configurations; and 
 receiving multicast data from the base station in the multicast BWP. 
   
     
     
         18 . The UE of  claim 17 , wherein a single CORESET for multicast is configured on the UE and a lowest resource block index and a highest resource block index of the CORESET corresponds to the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         19 . The UE of  claim 17 , wherein multiple CORESETs for multicast are configured on the UE and a lowest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs and a highest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs correspond to the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         20 . A method for supporting multicast services at a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, comprising:
 receiving, from a base station, an indication of a common frequency bandwidth resource within a carrier bandwidth forming a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) configured to be used by one or more UEs in communication with the base station, wherein the indication of the common frequency bandwidth resource indicates resource allocation related parameters such that a lowest resource block (RB) index of the common frequency bandwidth resource is an initial physical resource block (PRB) of the common frequency bandwidth resource; and   receiving multicast data from the base station in the multicast BWP.   
     
     
         21 . A method for supporting multicast services at a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, comprising:
 receiving an indication of a multicast bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier bandwidth from a base station, wherein the multicast BWP is a virtual BWP that is identified by one or more control resource set (CORESET) bandwidth configurations; and   receiving multicast data from the base station in the multicast BWP.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a single CORESET for multicast is configured on the UE and a lowest resource block index and a highest resource block index of the CORESET corresponds to the virtual BWP. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein multiple CORESETs for multicast are configured on the UE and a lowest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs and a highest resource block index among the multiple CORESETs correspond to the virtual BWP.