Systems and methods for uplink control information signaling design

Abstract

According to certain embodiments, a method by a wireless device is provided for transmitting uplink control information (UCI) on a serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum. The method includes formatting the UCI as a shortened control signalling transmission and transmitting the UCI formatted as the shortened control signalling transmission to a network node. The shortened control signalling transmission is transmitted during a transmission opportunity on the serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum without performing channel sensing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless device for transmitting uplink control information (UCI) on a serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum, the wireless device comprising:
 a processor; and 
 memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless device to:
 format the UCI as a shortened control signalling transmission; and 
 transmit the UCI formatted as the shortened control signalling transmission to a network node, 
 wherein the shortened control signalling transmission is transmitted during a transmission opportunity on the serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum without performing channel sensing. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless device of  claim 1 , wherein the UCI comprises HARQ acknowledgement. 
     
     
       3. The wireless device of  claim 2 , wherein the shortened control signalling transmission is a shortened physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) format, the shortened PUCCH transmitted on N OFDM symbols, wherein 0<=N<=7. 
     
     
       4. The wireless device of  claim 1 , wherein a duration of the shortened control signalling transmission does not exceed a maximum threshold. 
     
     
       5. The wireless device of  claim 4 , wherein the maximum threshold is five percent of the transmission opportunity. 
     
     
       6. The wireless device of  claim 1 , wherein the UCI comprises aperiodic CSI. 
     
     
       7. The wireless device of  claim 6 , wherein the shortened control signalling transmission is a shortened physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) format, the shortened PUSCH transmitted on N OFDM symbols, wherein 0<=N<=7. 
     
     
       8. The wireless device of  claim 1 , wherein the serving cell comprises a license assisted access SCell on the unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       9. A wireless device for transmitting at least one HARQ acknowledgement on a serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum, the wireless device comprising:
 a processor; and 
 memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless device to:
 determine whether the wireless device has channel access to at least one serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum on which physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission is scheduled; 
 when the wireless device has channel access to the at least one serving cell on which the PUSCH transmission is scheduled, transmit the at least one HARQ acknowledgement on the at least one serving cell multiplexed with scheduled PUSCH data; and 
 when the wireless device does not have channel access to the at least one serving cell on which the PUSCH transmission is scheduled:
 format the at least one HARQ acknowledgement in a shortened physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission format; and 
 transmit the at least one HARQ acknowledgement in the shortened PUCCH transmission format during a transmission opportunity on at least one serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum without performing channel sensing. 
 
 
 
     
     
       10. The wireless device of  claim 9 , wherein a duration of the shortened PUCCH transmission format does not exceed a maximum threshold. 
     
     
       11. The wireless device of  claim 10 , wherein the maximum threshold is five percent of the transmission opportunity. 
     
     
       12. The wireless device of  claim 9 , wherein the serving cell comprises a license assisted access SCell on the unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       13. The wireless device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the wireless device to:
 determine that the wireless device has access to the uplink carriers on which the PUSCH transmission is scheduled, wherein the PUSCH transmission is allowed to be transmitted on a plurality of uplink carriers; and 
 select one of the plurality of uplink carriers for transmission of the UCI, wherein the one of the plurality of uplink carriers is selected from the group consisting of:
 a same carrier as the PUCCH transmission is transmitted on; 
 a carrier with a highest cell index; 
 a carrier with a lowest cell index; and 
 a carrier on which an aperiodic CSI report is requested to be transmitted. 
 
 
     
     
       14. A network node for configuring transmission of uplink control information (UCI) on a selected one of a plurality of cells, the network node comprising:
 a processor; and 
 memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network node to:
 assign each of the plurality of cells to a selected one of a plurality of cell groups; 
 transmit a cell selection to a wireless device, the cell selection identifying, for each of the plurality of cell groups, a selected cell for use in transmitting the UCI, wherein the cell selection ensures that the transmission of the UCI is made on a spectrum of a particular type, the particular type being either licensed spectrum or unlicensed spectrum. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The network node of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the plurality of cell groups comprise a first cell group, the first cell group comprising a primary cell and a plurality of secondary cells on the licensed spectrum; and 
 the cell selection identifies the primary cell within the first cell group for transmission of the UCI. 
 
     
     
       16. The network node of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the plurality of cell groups comprise a first cell group, the first cell group comprising a plurality of secondary cells on the unlicensed spectrum; 
 the cell selection identifies a selected one of the plurality of secondary cells on the unlicensed spectrum for transmission of the UCI. 
 
     
     
       17. The network node of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cell groups comprise:
 a first cell group comprising a primary cell on the licensed spectrum and at least one secondary cell on the unlicensed spectrum; and 
 the cell selection identifies the primary cell within the first cell group for transmission of the UCI. 
 
     
     
       18. The network node of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cell groups comprise:
 a first cell group comprising at least one secondary cell on the licensed spectrum and at least one secondary cell on the unlicensed spectrum; and 
 the cell selection identifies a secondary cell on the licensed spectrum within the first cell group for transmission of the UCI. 
 
     
     
       19. The network node of  claim 14 , wherein the UCI comprises HARQ acknowledgment. 
     
     
       20. The network node of  claim 14 , wherein the UCI comprises aperiodic CSI. 
     
     
       21. A wireless device for transmitting uplink control information (UCI), the wireless device comprising:
 a processor; and 
 memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless device to:
 perform a carrier sensing procedure; 
 based on the carrier sensing procedure, determine whether the wireless device has channel access on at least one serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum; 
 when the wireless device has channel access to the at least one serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum, transmit the UCI on the at least one serving cell; and 
 when the wireless device does not have channel access to the at least one serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum, schedule the UCI to be transmitted on at least one serving cell on the licensed spectrum in a next transmission. 
 
 
     
     
       22. The wireless device of  claim 21 , wherein the UCI comprises at least one of aperiodic CSI and a HARQ acknowledgment. 
     
     
       23. The wireless device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one serving cell comprises a license assisted access SCell on the unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       24. A wireless device for transmitting uplink control information, UCI, on a serving cell on unlicensed spectrum, the wireless device comprising:
 a processor; and   memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless device to:
 format the UCI as a control signalling transmission; and 
 transmit the UCI formatted as the control signalling transmission to a network node, wherein the control signalling transmission is transmitted during a transmission opportunity on the serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum without performing channel sensing; 
   wherein the control signalling transmission is a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, of a format which is transmitted on N OFDM symbols, wherein 0<N<=7.   
     
     
       25. The wireless device of  claim 24 , wherein the UCI comprises HARQ acknowledgement. 
     
     
       26. The wireless device of  claim 24 , wherein a duration of the control signalling transmission does not exceed a maximum threshold. 
     
     
       27. The wireless device of  claim 26 , wherein the maximum threshold is five percent of the transmission opportunity. 
     
     
       28. The wireless device of  claim 24 , wherein the UCI comprises aperiodic CSI. 
     
     
       29. The wireless device of  claim 24 , wherein the serving cell comprises a license assisted access SCell on the unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       30. A method by a wireless device for transmitting uplink control information (UCI) on a serving cell on unlicensed spectrum, the method comprising:
 formatting, by the wireless device, the UCI as a control signalling transmission; and   transmitting, by the wireless device, the UCI formatted as the control signalling transmission to a network node, wherein the control signalling transmission is transmitted during a transmission opportunity on the serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum without performing channel sensing;   wherein the control signalling transmission is a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, of a format which is transmitted on N OFDM symbols, wherein 0<N<=7.   
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the UCI comprises HARQ acknowledgement. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 30 , wherein a duration of the control signalling transmission does not exceed a maximum threshold. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the maximum threshold is five percent of the transmission opportunity. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the UCI comprises aperiodic CSI. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the serving cell comprises a license assisted access SCell on the unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       36. A wireless device for transmitting uplink control information (UCI) on a serving cell on the unlicensed spectrum, the wireless device comprising:
 a processor; and   memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless device to:
 format the UCI as a shortened control signalling transmission; and 
 transmit the UCI formatted as the shortened control signalling transmission to a network node.