WO2022008357A1

WO2022008357A1 - Communications device, infrastructure equipment and methods

Info

Publication number: WO2022008357A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/068272
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yassin Aden Awad; Vivek Sharma; Hideji Wakabayashi; Yuxin Wei
Original assignee: Sony Group Corporation; Sony Europe B.V.
Priority date: 2020-07-06
Filing date: 2021-07-01
Publication date: 2022-01-13

Abstract

A method of transmitting data on a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, receiving a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, transmitting a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and transmitting the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Description

COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE. INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT AND METHODS

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure relates to communications devices, infrastructure equipment and methods for the transmission of data in a wireless communications network.

The present disclosure claims the Paris Convention priority of European patent application number EP20184322.4 filed 6 July 2020, the content of which is incorporated in entirety by reference.

Description of Related Art

The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.

Third and fourth generation mobile telecommunication systems, such as those based on the 3GPP defined UMTS and Long Term Evolution (LTE) architecture, are able to support more sophisticated services than simple voice and messaging services offered by previous generations of mobile telecommunication systems. For example, with the improved radio interface and enhanced data rates provided by LTE systems, a user is able to enjoy high data rate applications such as mobile video streaming and mobile video conferencing that would previously only have been available via a fixed line data connection. The demand to deploy such networks is therefore strong and the coverage area of these networks, i.e. geographic locations where access to the networks is possible, may be expected to increase ever more rapidly.

Future wireless communications networks will be expected to support communications routinely and efficiently with a wider range of devices associated with a wider range of data traffic profiles and types than current systems are optimised to support. For example it is expected future wireless communications networks will be expected to efficiently support communications with devices including reduced complexity devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, high resolution video displays, virtual reality headsets and so on. Some of these different types of devices may be deployed in very large numbers, for example low complexity devices for supporting the “The Internet of Things”, and may typically be associated with the transmissions of relatively small amounts of data with relatively high latency tolerance.

In view of this there is expected to be a desire for future wireless communications networks, for example those which may be referred to as 5G or new radio (NR) system / new radio access technology (RAT) systems [1], as well as future iterations / releases of existing systems, to efficiently support connectivity for a wide range of devices associated with different applications and different characteristic data traffic profiles.

Some devices may be located such that wireless channel conditions between the device and infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network may be very poor, for example having a very high path loss. However, these devices may generate data which must be reliably transmitted via the wireless communications network.

The need to provide high reliability data transmission in challenging wireless channel conditions, while making efficient use of wireless communication resources and minimising additional complexity of the devices, gives rise to new challenges for efficiently handling communications in wireless telecommunications systems that need to be addressed.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure can help address or mitigate at least some of the issues discussed above.

Respective aspects and features of the present disclosure are defined in the appended claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the present technology. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and:

Figure 1 schematically represents some aspects of an LTE-type wireless telecommunication system which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 schematically represents some aspects of a new radio access technology (RAT) wireless telecommunications system which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of an example infrastructure equipment and communications device configured in accordance with example embodiments;

Figure 4 illustrates communication resources of a wireless access interface which may be allocated by an infrastructure equipment to a communications device by means of first and second configured grants in accordance with conventional techniques;

Figure 5 shows communication resources of first and second configured grants used to repeatedly transmit data according to a frequency hopping scheme according to embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 6 shows communication resources of four configured grants used to repeatedly transmit data according to a frequency hopping scheme according to embodiments of the present technique;

Figure 7 shows a flow chart for a process carried out by a transmitting entity in accordance with embodiments of the present technique; and

Figure 8 illustrates a combined message sequence chart and flow diagram for the transmission of data using resources associated with multiple configured grants, in accordance with embodiments of the present technique.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Long Term Evolution Advanced Radio Access Technology (4G)

Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram illustrating some basic functionality of a mobile telecommunications network / system 100 operating generally in accordance with LTE principles, but which may also support other radio access technologies, and which may be adapted to implement embodiments of the disclosure as described herein. Various elements of Figure 1 and certain aspects of their respective modes of operation are well-known and defined in the relevant standards administered by the 3GPP (RTM) body, and also described in many books on the subject, for example, Holma H. and Toskala A [2] . It will be appreciated that operational aspects of the telecommunications networks discussed herein which are not specifically described (for example in relation to specific communication protocols and physical channels for communicating between different elements) may be implemented in accordance with any known techniques, for example according to the relevant standards and known proposed modifications and additions to the relevant standards.

The network 100 includes a plurality of base stations 101 connected to a core network part 102. Each base station provides a coverage area 103 (e.g. a cell) within which data can be communicated to and from communications devices 104. Data is transmitted from the base stations 101 to the communications devices 104 within their respective coverage areas 103 via a radio downlink. Data is transmitted from the communications devices 104 to the base stations 101 via a radio uplink. The core network part 102 routes data to and from the communications devices 104 via the respective base stations 101 and provides functions such as authentication, mobility management, charging and so on. Communications devices may also be referred to as mobile stations, user equipment (UE), user terminals, mobile radios, terminal devices, and so forth. Base stations, which are an example of network infrastructure equipment / network access nodes, may also be referred to as transceiver stations / nodeBs / e-nodeBs, g-nodeBs (gNB) and so forth. In this regard different terminology is often associated with different generations of wireless telecommunications systems for elements providing broadly comparable functionality. However, example embodiments of the disclosure may be equally implemented in different generations of wireless telecommunications systems such as 5G or new radio as explained below, and for simplicity certain terminology may be used regardless of the underlying network architecture. That is to say, the use of a specific term in relation to certain example implementations is not intended to indicate these implementations are limited to a certain generation of network that may be most associated with that particular terminology.

New Radio Access Technology (5G)

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network architecture for a new RAT wireless communications network / system 200 based on previously proposed approaches which may also be adapted to provide functionality in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure described herein. The new RAT network 200 represented in Figure 2 comprises a first communication cell 201 and a second communication cell 202. Each communication cell 201, 202, comprises a controlling node (centralised unit) 221, 222 in communication with a core network component 210 over a respective wired or wireless link 251, 252. The respective controlling nodes 221, 222 are also each in communication with a plurality of distributed units (radio access nodes / remote transmission and reception points (TRPs)) 211, 212 in their respective cells. Again, these communications may be over respective wired or wireless links. The distributed units 211, 212 are responsible for providing the radio access interface for communications devices connected to the network. Each distributed unit 211, 212 has a coverage area (radio access footprint) 241, 242 where the sum of the coverage areas of the distributed units under the control of a controlling node together define the coverage of the respective communication cells 201, 202. Each distributed unit 211, 212 includes transceiver circuitry for transmission and reception of wireless signals and processor circuitry configured to control the respective distributed units 211, 212.

In terms of broad top-level functionality, the core network component 210 of the new RAT communications network represented in Figure 2 may be broadly considered to correspond with the core network 102 represented in Figure 1, and the respective controlling nodes 221, 222 and their associated distributed units / TRPs 211, 212 may be broadly considered to provide functionality corresponding to the base stations 101 of Figure 1. The term network infrastructure equipment / access node may be used to encompass these elements and more conventional base station type elements of wireless communications systems. Depending on the application at hand the responsibility for scheduling transmissions which are scheduled on the radio interface between the respective distributed units and the communications devices may lie with the controlling node / centralised unit and / or the distributed units / TRPs.

A communications device or UE 260 is represented in Figure 2 within the coverage area of the first communication cell 201. This communications device 260 may thus exchange signalling with the first controlling node 221 in the first communication cell via one of the distributed units 211 associated with the first communication cell 201. In some cases, communications for a given communications device are routed through only one of the distributed units, but it will be appreciated in some other implementations communications associated with a given communications device may be routed through more than one distributed unit, for example in a soft handover scenario and other scenarios.

In the example of Figure 2, two communication cells 201, 202 and one communications device 260 are shown for simplicity, but it will of course be appreciated that in practice the system may comprise a larger number of communication cells (each supported by a respective controlling node and plurality of distributed units) serving a larger number of communications devices.

It will further be appreciated that Figure 2 represents merely one example of a proposed architecture for a new RAT communications system in which approaches in accordance with the principles described herein may be adopted, and the functionality disclosed herein may also be applied in respect of wireless communications systems having different architectures.

Thus example embodiments of the disclosure as discussed herein may be implemented in wireless telecommunication systems / networks according to various different architectures, such as the example architectures shown in Figures 1 and 2. It will thus be appreciated the specific wireless communications architecture in any given implementation is not of primary significance to the principles described herein. In this regard, example embodiments of the disclosure may be described generally in the context of communications between network infrastructure equipment / access nodes and a communications device, wherein the specific nature of the network infrastructure equipment / access node and the communications device will depend on the network infrastructure for the implementation at hand. For example, in some scenarios the network infrastructure equipment / access node may comprise a base station, such as an FTE-type base station 101 as shown in Figure 1 which is adapted to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein, and in other examples the network infrastructure equipment / access node may comprise a control unit / controlling node 221, 222 and / or a TRP 211, 212 of the kind shown in Figure 2 which is adapted to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein.

A more detailed illustration of a communications device 270 and an example network infrastructure equipment 272, which may be thought of as a gNB 101 or a combination of a controlling node 221 and TRP 211, is presented in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the communications device 270 is shown to transmit uplink data to the infrastructure equipment 272 via grant free resources of a wireless access interface as illustrated generally by an arrow 274. The UE 270 is shown to receive downlink data transmitted by the infrastructure equipment 272 via resources of the wireless access interface as illustrated generally by an arrow 288. As with Figures 1 and 2, the infrastructure equipment 272 is connected to a core network 276 (which may correspond to the core network 102 of Figure 1 or the core network 210 of Figure 2) via an interface 278 to a controller 280 of the infrastructure equipment 272. The infrastructure equipment 272 may additionally be connected to other similar infrastructure equipment by means of an inter-radio access network node interface, not shown on Figure 3. The infrastructure equipment 272 includes a receiver 282 connected to an antenna 284 and a transmitter 286 connected to the antenna 284. Correspondingly, the communications device 270 includes a controller 290 connected to a receiver 292 which receives signals from an antenna 294 and a transmitter 296 also connected to the antenna 294.

The controller 280 is configured to control the infrastructure equipment 272 and may comprise processor circuitry which may in turn comprise various sub-units / sub-circuits for providing functionality as explained further herein. These sub-units may be implemented as discrete hardware elements or as appropriately configured functions of the processor circuitry. Thus the controller 280 may comprise circuitry which is suitably configured / programmed to provide the desired functionality using conventional programming / configuration techniques for equipment in wireless telecommunications systems. The transmitter 286 and the receiver 282 may comprise signal processing and radio frequency filters, amplifiers and circuitry in accordance with conventional arrangements. The transmitter 286, the receiver 282 and the controller 280 are schematically shown in Figure 3 as separate elements for ease of representation. However, it will be appreciated that the functionality of these elements can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s), or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s) / circuitry / chip(s) / chipset(s). As will be appreciated the infrastructure equipment 272 will in general comprise various other elements associated with its operating functionality.

Correspondingly, the controller 290 of the communications device 270 is configured to control the transmitter 296 and the receiver 292 and may comprise processor circuitry which may in turn comprise various sub-units / sub-circuits for providing functionality as explained further herein. These sub-units may be implemented as discrete hardware elements or as appropriately configured functions of the processor circuitry. Thus the controller 290 may comprise circuitry which is suitably configured / programmed to provide the desired functionality using conventional programming / configuration techniques for equipment in wireless telecommunications systems. Likewise, the transmitter 296 and the receiver 292 may comprise signal processing and radio frequency filters, amplifiers and circuitry in accordance with conventional arrangements. The transmitter 296, receiver 292 and controller 290 are schematically shown in Figure 3 as separate elements for ease of representation. However, it will be appreciated that the functionality of these elements can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s), or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s) / circuitry / chip(s) / chipset(s). As will be appreciated the communications device 270 will in general comprise various other elements associated with its operating functionality, for example a power source, user interface, and so forth, but these are not shown in Figure 3 in the interests of simplicity.

The controllers 280, 290 may be configured to carry out instructions which are stored on a computer readable medium, such as a non-volatile memory. The processing steps described herein may be carried out by, for example, a microprocessor in conjunction with a random access memory, operating according to instructions stored on a computer readable medium.

Resource allocation by Configured Grants

In order to ensure efficient use of communication resources, a communications device may be permitted to transmit only using resources which have been allocated in response to an explicit grant.

Alternatively, to reduce signalling overhead and latency associated with such one-off resource grants, an infrastructure equipment may allocate periodic communication resources (i.e. a plurality of instances of communication resources) to a communications device, that the communications device may use for the transmission of data without transmitting any further control signalling requesting permission to use these resources. Such an allocation is referred to herein as a ‘configured grant’. A configured grant may be characterised by a number of parameters, such as parameters defining the communication resources allocated by the grant, and transmission parameters (such as modulation and coding scheme, MCS) to be used by the communications device when transmitting using the allocated communication resources. The transmission parameters may define an amount of user data which, after any applicable encoding, may be transmitted using a single instance of the communication resources. This amount may be referred to as a transport block (TB) size (TBS).

A conventional 3GPP configured grant may be configured semi-statically by RRC signalling, or may be dynamically activated and de-activated by MAC layer signalling using downlink control information (DCI). In accordance with conventional 3GPP Release 15 specifications, these may be referred to as Type 1 and Type 2 configured grants. Unless otherwise specified, no distinction is made between these types in the remainder of the present disclosure, and unless otherwise specified, any configured grant which is of Type 2 is assumed to be activated by the network.

A communications device may be configured with multiple configured grants simultaneously. For example, configured grants may be allocated to allow the transmission of data having different quality of service requirements. For example, a first configured grant may comprise resource instances which occur with high frequency (low periodicity) to allow low latency transmission of small amounts of data.

Another configured grant may provide for highly reliable data transmission of larger amounts of data, but with less stringent latency requirements.

A configured grant may allocate frequency hopping or non-hopping communication resources (see section 6.3 of [5]). Where the configured grant allocates frequency hopping (FH) communication resources, the sequential instances of communication resources allocated by a configured grant may alternate between resources extending over a first frequency range and resources extending over a second frequency range. Frequency hopping is a well-known technique which can improve the performance (e.g. reliability) of a communication link, by exploiting frequency diversity. However, applying cyclic hopping of the resources over a high number (e.g. more than two) of frequency ranges may be undesirable because it can increase scheduling complexity and increases the amount of signalling required to indicate the allocated resources.

A configured grant which comprises frequency hopping resources may operate in a frequency-hopping or non-frequency hopping mode. For example, radio resource control (RRC) signalling transmitted by an infrastructure equipment may indicate for a configured grant, whether it is to be operated in a frequency- hopping or non-frequency hopping mode. Additionally, for type 2 configured grants, the use (or not) of frequency hopping may be dynamically controlled by means of downlink control information (DCI) signalling.

Where the configured grant allocates non-hopping communication resources, all communication resources extend over a single frequency range.

Bandwidth Parts

Communication resources of a wireless access interface may be partitioned in the frequency domain into bandwidth parts (BWPs). This may simplify some aspects of operations of a wireless access interface (e.g. scheduling, signalling of resource allocations, etc.). The use of different BWPs may also provide greater flexibility, because the numerology (e.g. SCS, OFDM cyclic prefix) of a BWP can be set independently of the numerology for other BWPs. Accordingly, different BWPs may be configured to support different quality of service requirements for transmitted data. Bandwidth parts may be contiguous or non-contiguous.

A configured grant may allocate resources only within a single BWP. This may simplify the scheduling and operation of the communications device and/or the infrastructure.

Figure 4 illustrates communication resources of a wireless access interface which may be allocated by an infrastructure equipment to a communications device by means of first and second configured grants.

The communication resources comprise resources within a first BWP, BWP1, which extends from frequency fO to frequency f5, and within a second BWP, BWP2, which extends from frequency f6 to f9.

A first configured grant, CGI, allocates periodic communications resource instances, the instances having a periodicity of Ti and a duration of T _GI- The communication resources of the first configured grant CGI are frequency hopping, such that the resources of one instance extend over a frequency range from fl to f2, and the resources of a next instance extend over a frequency range from f3 to f4, where fl, f2, f3 and f4 are all within the first BWP, BWP1. Where the communication resources are of an OFDM wireless access interface, the frequency range from fl to f2 may correspond to a number of resource blocks, each resource block comprising a predetermined number (e.g., twelve) of OFDM subcarriers. The frequency range from f3 to f4 may correspond to the same number of resource blocks.

The difference between fl and f3 may be referred to as a frequency hopping (FH) offset which may be expressed as a number of resource blocks RB_offset.

In some embodiments, the time domain may be divided into time slots, each time slot comprising an equal number of OFDM symbols. In some such embodiments, a configured grant may comprise at most one instance of communication resources in a given slot. Where these use different frequency resources, this may be referred to as inter-slot frequency hopping.

For inter-slot frequency hopping, each resource instance may be characterised by a ‘starting RB’, RB_start, where RB_start is given by_:

RBstart (n) = RBstart , if n mod 2 = 0

(RBstart + RBoffset ) mod N_BWP , if n mod 2 = 1 where n is the current slot number within a radio frame where a multi-slot PUSCH transmission can take place, RBstart is the starting RB within the UL BWP, as calculated from the resource block assignment information of resource allocation type 1 (described in sub-clause 6.1.2.2.2 of 3GPP TS 38.214) and RB₀ffs_et is the frequency offset in RBs between the two frequency hops. N_{B W}p is the number of resource blocks in the BWP.

In other such embodiments, a configured grant may comprise two or more instances of communication resources in a given slot; where these use different frequency resources, this may be referred to as intra slot frequency hopping.

In the case of intra-slot hopping, the starting RB (i.e. the lowest RB in the resource instance) in each hop may be given by:

RBstart = RBstart , tf ί = 0

(RBs_tart RBofet ) mod N _{BWP ' (}// 1 where / = 0 and / = 1 correspond to the first hop and second hop respectively. The communication resources of the second configured grant CG2 are non-frequency hopping, the resources each instance extending over a frequency range from f7 to f8, within the second BWP, BWP2. Each instance of the resources allocated by the second configured grant has a duration T _G2 and the instances occur with periodicity T₂.

The communication resources for the first and second configured grants may extend in time indefinitely (not shown in Figure 4) until the configured grant is released.

In accordance with conventional techniques, the communications device may transmit data using any instance of resources allocated by a configured grant (which is activated), without explicitly requesting permission to do so, and irrespective of whether the communications device has indicated to the infrastructure equipment that it has data ready to transmit.

It is generally desirable to reduce the complexity of a communications device where feasible, provided that the performance of the communications link between it and an infrastructure equipment can meet the requirements (e.g. data rate, latency, power consumption) associated with the data which is to be transmitted via the communications link.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a communications device and infrastructure equipment which can transmit and receive data via a wireless access interface meeting certain requirements, while allowing a reduction of the complexity of the communications device.

A well-known technique to allow for high-reliability transmission of data, which does not require a significant increase in complexity for the communications device is to use repetitions, whereby the same data is repeatedly transmitted via the wireless access interface. For example, 3GPP FTE specifications provide for repetition of data to allow communications devices to operate in so-called ‘extended coverage’ modes, where the wireless channel characteristics are such that reliable transmission of the data would not otherwise be possible without significant additional complexity at the transmitter. It has been proposed that resources allocated by a conventional configured grant may be used for such repetitions.

Nevertheless, there remains a need to provide for the reliable transmission of data in scenarios where channel conditions are particularly challenging (see e.g. [3])

There also is a need to avoid highly complex communications devices, and there is thus a desire to reduce complexity of devices, even if this means that their capabilities are correspondingly reduced (see e.g. [4]).

Embodiments of the present technique can provide a method of transmitting data on a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, receiving a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, transmitting a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and transmitting the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Embodiments of the present technique can provide a repetition transmission scheme for data using frequency hopping which can avoid the need for significant complexity increases at a transmitter. In particular, embodiments of the present technique can provide a scheme using frequency hopping over a high number (e.g. greater than two) of frequencies, thereby providing increased frequency diversity and improved transmission reliability. In some embodiments, the wireless access interface is an OFDM-based interface based on 3GPP Release 15 NR specifications. In some embodiments, the configured grant indications are, or are based on, conventional configured grant configurations, whereby the resources of a configured grant may be non- frequency hopping, or may hop over a maximum of two different frequencies. Embodiments of the present technique can provide a backwards-compatible solution in which no, or minimal changes, are required to the definition of and signalling associated with a configured grant.

For example, embodiments of the present technique may be used with configured grants shown in Figure 4 and described above.

Embodiments of the present technique provide a frequency hopping transmission scheme suitable for repeated transmission of data.

In some embodiments, a number of frequency hops in a sequence can be greater than two, thereby providing improved frequency diversity compared with a conventional configured grant having only one or zero frequency hops in a sequence.

In order to reduce the complexity of scheduling and signalling configured grants, the resources of each configured grant may use either no frequency hopping (as in the example of the second configured grant, CG2, of Figure 4) or frequency hopping over a low number (for example, two) of different frequency ranges (as in the example of the first configured grant, CGI, of Figure 4). Embodiments of the present technique can use a combination of resources allocated by two or more configured grants to repeatedly transmit data, the combined resources providing frequency hopping over at least two different frequency ranges. In some embodiments, the combined resources provide frequency hopping over a greater number of frequency ranges than can be associated with a single configured grant. Accordingly, reliable transmission of the data, benefiting from frequency diversity, can be achieved, without increasing the scheduling complexity associated with a single configured grant.

Figure 5 shows communication resources of first and second configured grants used to repeatedly transmit data according to a frequency hopping scheme according to embodiments of the present technique.

Figure 5 shows a portion of uplink communication resources of a bandwidth part of a wireless access interface. In the example of Figure 5, the time domain is divided in to time periods 506a-506h.

In some embodiments, the time domain may be divided into time slots, each time slot comprising an equal number of OFDM symbols. In some such embodiments, a configured grant may comprise at most one instance of communication resources in a given slot. In other such embodiments, a configured grant may comprise two or more instances of communication resources in a given slot.

A communications device (such as the communications device 270 of Figure 3) is configured with a first configured grant and a second configured grant. Each of the first and second configured grants comprise frequency hopping communication resources.

The first configured grant comprises a repeating pattern of communication resources. A first instance 502a of the communication resources of the first configured grant extends for the first time period 506a in the time domain, and from frequency f3 to frequency f4 in the frequency domain.

A second instance 502b of the communication resources of the first configured grant extends for the second time period 506b in the time domain, and from frequency f7 to frequency f8 in the frequency domain. Subsequent instances 502c and 502d of the communication resources of the first configured grant occur during the third and fourth time periods 506c, 506d respectively, and use the same frequency domain resources as the first and second instances 502a, 502b, respectively.

This pattern repeats indefinitely while the first configured grant remains configured and activated; subsequent resource instances are not shown for clarity.

The second configured grant also comprises a repeating pattern of communication resources. Each instance extends in time for one of the time periods, and extends in frequency either between frequencies fl and f2 or between frequencies f5 and f6, with instances which are adjacent in time using different frequencies, thereby creating a frequency hopping sequence.

Four instances 504a-d of the communication resources of the second configured grant are shown in Figure 5, occurring during time periods 504e-h, although it will be appreciated that the further resources (not shown) may occur during earlier and later time periods.

In the example of Figure 5, the duration of the communication resource instances is the same as their periodicity; that is, the start time of an instance of communication resources is the end time of the immediately preceding instance. However, it will be appreciated that the present disclosure is not so limited, and in some embodiments, the duration of each of the communication resource instances is shorter than the periodicity of the instances.

In general in some embodiments, the sequence of communication resource instances allocated by a configured grant do not overlap in time. That is, a start time of an instance of the sequence of communication resources is no earlier than an end time of an immediately preceding instance of the same sequence.

In some embodiments, the communication resource instances follow a repeating sequence.

In some embodiments, the uplink resources allocated by the configured grants may be on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). As in the example of Figure 4, the resources may be divided in the frequency domain into resource blocks.

In accordance with embodiments of the present technique, a data block is transmitted using communication resources of both the first configured grant and the second configured grant. In some embodiments, the first configured grant may allocate resources in a first bandwidth part (BWP) and the second configured grant may allocate resources in a second bandwidth part. Accordingly, for example, the data block may be transmitted using the communication resources of both BWP1 and BWP2 allocated by CGI and CG2 shown in Figure 4.

In general in some embodiments, the instances of resources in the combined sequence of communication resource instances used to repeatedly transmit the data (comprising resources allocated by a first configured grant and resources allocated by a second configured grant) do not overlap in time. That is, a start time of an instance of the combined sequence of communication resources is no earlier than an end time of an immediately preceding instance of the combined sequence.

In the example of Figure 5, the data block is transmitted initially using the first instance 502a of the communication resources of the first configured grant. It is then transmitted using the second instance 502b of the communication resources of the first configured grant. The data is additionally transmitted using the third and fourth instances 502c, 502d of the first configured grant and using the first to fourth instances 504a-d of the communication resources of the second configured grant. Accordingly, the data is transmitted using communication resources having four different frequency ranges, providing greater frequency diversity than would be the case if the data were repeatedly transmitted using only the resources of one of the configured grants.

If the time periods 506a-h of Figure 5 are slots, then the first and second configured grants are inter-slot hopping grants.

In general, for K active configured grants, then a starting radio block (RB) in a slot n may be determined as:

RB start (n, k) = RB_{start k}, if n mod 2 = 0

(RB_{start k} + RB_{offiet k} ) mod N_BWP , if n mod 2 = 1 where n is the current slot number, RB_{start k} is the starting RB for resources in even-numbered slots for configured grant k, RB_{ffset k} is the frequency offset in RBs between the frequency hops, and k is the index of the current configured grant.

It will be appreciated that the specific frequencies and order in which the resources are used may vary and the present disclosure is not so limited. For example, in some embodiments, and referring to the example of Figure 5, the data may be transmitted using two instances of the resources of the first configured grant, and then using two instances of the resources of the second configured grant.

In general, according to embodiments of the present technique, where the resources of K different configured grants are used to repeatedly transmit data a total of R times, the resources used for the ith (i = 1...R) transmission may be those allocated by any of the K configured grants, and the resources used for the (i+1) th transmission may or may not be from the same configured grant as those used for the /th transmission.

In the example of Figure 5, data is transmitted using the resources of two configured grants; however, the present disclosure is not so limited, and the resources of any number, greater than one, of configured grants may be used.

Transmission parameters associated with the configured grants may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the transmission block size (which may be determined based on the allocated communication resources and/or the transmission parameters) for instances of each of the configured grants are the same; that is, the amount of unencoded data to be transmitted using an instance of one configured grant is the same as the amount of unencoded data to be transmitted using an instance of another configured grant.

In the example of Figure 5, both of the configured grants allocate frequency hopping resources. However, in some embodiments, one or more of the configured grants may allocate non-frequency hopping resources (i.e. in which all instances of the resources use the same frequency range).

Figure 6 shows communication resources of four configured grants used to repeatedly transmit data according to a frequency hopping scheme according to embodiments of the present technique. In the example of Figure 6, the resources of each configured grant are not frequency hopping, but when combined, resource instances of the four configured grants form a frequency-hopping sequence.

In the example of Figure 6, two instances 602a, 602b of communication resources allocated by a first configured grant CGI, two instances 604a, 604b of communication resources allocated by a second configured grant CG2, two instances 606a, 606b of communication resources allocated by a third configured grant CG3, and two instances 608a, 608b of communication resources allocated by a fourth configured grant CG4 are used to repeatedly transmit data. Because, collectively, the eight instances 602a, 602b, 604a, 604b, 606a, 606b, 608a, 608b use four different frequency ranges, the repeated transmissions benefit from frequency diversity, compared to that which would be achieved using only the resources of a single configured grant.

In some embodiments, communication resources allocated by the configured grant are used to transmit the data together with reference signals which allow a receiver to obtain an estimate of the channel conditions, and thus (or otherwise) improve the probability of correct reception and decoding of the data.

In the example of Figure 6 and in accordance with some embodiments of the present technique, two instances of resources allocated by the same configured grant and which use the same frequency range are used consecutively (and in some embodiments, as in the example of Figure 6, contiguously) in time. In such embodiments, where the wireless channel in that frequency range is likely to be relatively static, a more reliable channel estimation can be obtained for the wireless channel in that frequency range using, for example, reference signals transmitted together with the encoded data by the communications device.

Based on reference signals transmitted in, for example, resources 602a, a receiver may improve an estimate of the channel for receiving signals comprising the data transmitted in the resources 602b, because they are adjacent (or close) in time, and use the same frequencies.

According to some embodiments of the present technique, the data is encoded in two or more different manners to form two or more encoded versions of the data. For example, the data may be encoded in accordance with different redundancy versions (RVs) defined by 3GPP specifications for LTE or NR hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes.

According to some such embodiments, different encoded versions of the data are transmitted using the frequency hopping instances of communication resources allocated by two or more configured grants.

In some embodiments, the communications device selects an encoded version of the data (from a plurality of encoded versions or possible encoded versions) for transmission using an instance of communication resources allocated by a configured grant based on the configured grant.

For example, an encoding procedure may permit four different encoded versions of the data having RV values of 0...3. Referring to the example of Figure 6, the communications device 270 may transmit encoded versions with RV = 0 using the two instances 602a, 602b of the communication resources allocated by the first configured grant CGI . A mapping from configured grant to version may be as shown in Table 1 :

Table 1

In some embodiments, the process of encoding the data generates encoded bits which may include data bits and parity bits. Different encoding versions may result in encoded bits which comprise different amounts of data bits and parity bits. In accordance with some embodiments of the present technique, the encoding versions used for the sequence of transmissions is such that one or more encoding versions which generate a relatively large number of encoded data bits (and fewer parity bits) are used earlier than encoding versions which generate a lower number of encoded data bits. Embodiments of the present technique may permit a receiver to decode the received encoded data bits to recover the unencoded data before the complete sequence of transmissions has been received.

In accordance with embodiments of the present technique, a receiving entity is configured to receive the multiple transmissions of the same data and to attempt to decode them to obtain the original unencoded data block. The decoding may be in accordance with conventional techniques for receiving repetition- encoded data. In some embodiments, where different encoding versions are used, the decoding may be based on multiple different encoded versions of the data, for example in accordance with conventional techniques for receiving data using a HARQ process for LTE or 5G/NR.

In order to ensure reliable reception of data, a receiver of the data (which may be the infrastructure equipment 272 of Figure 3) may transmit acknowledgement information to the transmitter, to indicate whether the data has been successfully received and decoded. This acknowledgement information may be in accordance with a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process, which allows for the use of different encodings (as described above) of the same data.

Conventionally, each configured grant may be associated with a separate HARQ process, so that data can be transmitted, acknowledged and retransmitted using a particular configured grant, independently of the transmission of other data using the resources of another configured grant.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present technique, a single HARQ process is used for the data transmitted using the resources of multiple configured grants. In some embodiments, the HARQ process may correspond to the HARQ process associated with the first configured grant - that is, the configured grant whose resources are used for the first transmission of the data.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present technique, transmissions of the encoded data are performed using different beams. For example, where digital beam-forming is used, different precoding is used for different transmissions of the same data. In some embodiments, each beam may be associated with a sounding reference signal (SRS) [5] In some embodiments, there is a mapping between CG and an associated beam, such that when the data is transmitted using resources allocated by a particular CG, the transmission is carried out using a beam associated with that CG.

In accordance with embodiments of the present technique, both the transmitter and the receiver are configured with parameters defining the manner of the repeated transmission of the data. Examples of the parameters include, but are not limited to: the configured grants whose resources are to be used to form the sequence of frequency hopping resources, each configured grant defining a sequence of communication resource instances, which can be used for transmission by the communications device without further request / grant signalling; a sequence indicating an order in which the configured grants are to be used and defining a first configured grant, whose resources are to be used for the initial data transmission; for each configured grant, a number of repetitions which are to be performed using sequential instances of resources allocated by the configured grant, before switching to resources of another configured grant; a time restriction constraining when the initial data transmission can occur; a HARQ process number associated with a HARQ process to be used for the transmission of the data; for each configured grant which defines hopping communication resources, whether hopping is to be enabled for those resources when the configured grant resources are combined, and if not, which frequency range is to be used; beam determination parameters for determining a beam (or SRS) on which each repetition should be transmitted; a total number of repetitions for the data; a mapping between repetition number and encoding version.

These parameters may be implicitly or explicitly signalled, defined in appropriates standards specifications (and therefore statically configured) and/or implicitly configured (e.g. in accordance with pre-defined rules, based on one or more other parameters). For example, in some embodiments, a parameter R may define a total number of repetitions, and there may be K configured grants whose resources are being combined. In some such embodiments, the number RL of transmissions using resources of a single configured grant, before using resources of a next configured grant, is given by ceil(R/K).

In some embodiments, the parameters are signalled by the transmitting entity (e.g. the communications device 270). In some embodiments, the parameters are signalled by the receiving entity (e.g. the infrastructure equipment 272).

For example, where the receiver of the data is the infrastructure equipment 272, the infrastructure equipment 272 may transmit one or more signalling messages (such as by RRC signalling) indicating one or more of the above parameters.

In addition to the above parameters, the transmitter and receiver may be configured to determine whether to combine resources of multiple configured grants to create a sequence of frequency-hopping resources for the repeated transmission of data. For example, the transmitter and receiver may be configured to use resource instances allocated by a first and second configured grant in order to repeated transmit data, in a frequency-hopping manner. If the transmitter and receiver determine to combine resources of multiple configured grants, then they may further determine a time at which the combination is to start. In some embodiments, they may subsequently determine when any such combination is to cease. When the combination ceases, the configured grants may be used in a conventional manner, such as to permit the transmission of data using the resources of each configured grant independently and where HARQ is performed in respect of the resources of each configured grant separately.

An infrastructure equipment 272 may transmit a combine configured grant (CCG) indication to the communications device 270, to indicate that the communications device is to combine the communication resources allocated by two or more configured grants. In some embodiments, the CCG may be transmitted within downlink control information. In some embodiments, the CCG may be transmitted within radio resource control (RRC) signalling.

In some embodiments, one or more parameters may be transmitted in an activation message, which indicates that a Type 2 CG is to be activated. In some embodiments, the CCG may be combined with an activation message; for example, where a CCG refers to a currently-inactive CG, the CCG may have the effect of activating the Type 2 CG.

Where a CG is a frequency hopping configured grant, and the frequency hopping for that CG is to be disabled when combined with the resources of another CG, either the activation message or the CCG indication may indicate that fact, and/or may indicate which of the frequency resources are to be used when the CG is combined with other CGs.

In some embodiments, the infrastructure equipment may activate (for example, explicitly via a DCI) a subset of CGs for hopping from multiple of already configured CGs. In addition, Frequency hopping can be enabled or disabled via DCI during activation for each of these subset of CGs. Figure 7 shows a flow chart for a process carried out by a transmitting entity, such as the communications device 270, in accordance with embodiments of the present technique. I

The process starts at step S702, at which the transmitting entity is configured with a first configured grant, CGI. The configuration of CGI may be in response to receiving an indication (such as an RRC message) from another entity, such as the infrastructure equipment 272.

At the same time, or separately (not shown in Figure 7), the communications device 270 may determine that CGI is activated. This may be in response to receiving an indication (such as downlink control information) from the infrastructure equipment 272.

The configuration step may be repeated at step S704 in respect of a second configured grant, CG2.

At step S706, the transmitter determines that two or more configured grants (in the example of Figure 7, configured grants CGI and CG2) are to be combined so that resources allocated by both configured grants may be used to repeatedly transmit data.

Step S706 may be in response to receiving a CCG indication, as described above.

At steps S702, S704, and S706 or otherwise, the transmitting entity may further determine other parameters based on received signalling and/or predefined rules (e.g. in accordance with specifications). These other parameters may define how the resources of the configured grants are to be used when combined, for example, the sequence of resources, whether frequency hopping within a configured grant is enabled and so on.

In the example of Figure 7, the configuration of only two configured grants is shown. However, the number of configured grants which are configured, and which may be combined may be greater than two.

At step S708, the transmitting entity determines whether it has data to send. If it does not, then control remains at step S708.

If at step S708 it is determined that the transmitting entity does have data to send, then control passes to step S710.

At step S710, the transmitting entity determines which configured grant, of those whose resources are to be combined, is the first configured grant in the sequence. For example, referring to the example of Figure 5, this is the configured grant CGI.

At step S712, the transmitting entity determines the start time, duration, number of repetitions (RL) and frequency resources of the instance of the communication resources to be used for the transmission of the data. For example, referring to Figure 5, for the first transmission of the data, the communication resources are determined to be those during the first time period 506a, from frequency f3 to frequency f4.

At step S712, the transmitting entity may determine a frequency offset between resource instances to be used for the sequential transmission of the data block. For example, referring to the example of Figure 5, prior to the second transmission of the data during the second time period 506b, the transmitting entity may determine the frequency offset as equal to the difference between f3 and f7.

At step S714, the transmitting entity determines an encoding version (e.g. a redundancy version, RV) to be used for the first transmission of the data.

At step S716, the transmitting entity encodes the data in accordance with parameters associated with the configured grant identified at step S710 and the encoding version determined at step S714. At step S718, the transmitting entity transmits, via the wireless access interface and using the communication resources identified at step S712, the data encoded at step S716. Control then passes to step S720.

At step S720,the transmitting entity determines whether a further repetition of the data is to be transmitted using a subsequent instance of the same configured grant. If it is, then control passes to step S712. For example, referring to the example of Figure 5, after the initial transmission of the data using resource instance 502a of configured grant CGI during time period 506a, it is determined that the next transmission of the data is also to use a resource instance of configured grant CGI.

If it is determined that no further repetitions are to be transmitted using the same configured grant, then control passes from step S720 to step S722.

At step S722, the transmitting entity determines whether a further repetition of the data is to be transmitted using an instance of a different configured grant. If no further repetition is to be transmitted, then control passes to step S724 and the transmitting process ends. The transmitting entity may then wait for acknowledgement information transmitted by the receiving entity, which may be in accordance with a HARQ process. Subsequent behaviour may depend on the receipt of such acknowledgement information; for example, the data may be subject to further retransmissions if it is determined based on the acknowledgement information (or the lack of any acknowledgement information) that the receiving entity did not successfully receive and decode the data. In such a case, in some embodiments, control may return to step S710.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present technique, no acknowledgement information is received or expected between successive repetitions of the data transmissions. Accordingly, in such embodiments, a determination to perform a further transmission of the data is not dependent on whether the receiving entity has successfully received the data and/or one whether the transmitting entity receives any acknowledgement information from the receiving entity.

In accordance with some other embodiments of the present technique, acknowledgement information may be received between successive repetitions of the data transmissions. Accordingly, in such embodiments, a determination to perform a further transmission of the data may be dependent on whether the receiving entity has successfully received the data and the transmitting entity receives acknowledgement information from the receiving entity, indicating that the receiving entity has successfully received and decoded the data. Specifically, if the transmitting entity determines that the receiving entity has successfully received and decoded the data, for example based on received acknowledgement information, the transmitting entity may refrain from transmitting further repetitions of the data.

If at step S722 it is determined that further transmissions are to be carried out, then control passes to step S726. At step S726, the transmitting entity determines the next configured grant whose resources are to be used for the transmission of the data. For example, referring to the example of Figure 5, after the transmission of the data using the fourth instance 502d of the first configured grant CGI, it is determined that a further repetition is to be transmitted using a resource instance of the second configured grant CG2.

Control then passes to step S712.

Steps S712, S714, S716, S718 and S720 may accordingly be repeated for each repetition of the transmission of the data, in respect of the selected configured grant and communication resource instance to be used for that repetition.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, steps of the process shown in Figure 7 may be omitted or performed in a different order, and that additional steps may be added. In some embodiments, a process which is characterised as being performed as part of a particular step may be performed at a different time to other parts of that step, or may be omitted, or may be performed as part of a different step.

For example, in some embodiments, the same encoding version is used for multiple repetitions. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the step of encoding the data (step S716) may be omitted if a previously encoded version of the data, which was encoded using the appropriate parameters, has been stored at the transmitting entity.

Similarly, for example, steps other than step S718 may occur at any time such that the encoded data is available for transmission using the determined resources.

In some embodiments, the transmitting entity may determine that the resources allocated by multiple configured grants are not to be combined. This may be in response to receiving an indication that a previous CCG indication has been revoked.

In some embodiments, a determination may be made that no CCG indication has been received (or a CCG indication has been revoked). In response to such a determination, instead of transmitting data using the combined resources from multiple configured grants, the transmitting entity transmits the data using only the resources allocated by a single configured grant.

In the example of Figure 8, communication resources allocated by two configured grants are combined to allow repeated transmissions of data encoded using four different encoding versions. Each of the two configured grants allocate frequency hopping resources at two frequencies; accordingly, the combined resources permit the transmission of the data using four different frequencies.

Initially, at step S802, the infrastructure equipment 272 transmits a first configured grant configuration indication 850 to the communications device. The first configured grant configuration indication 850 indicates resources allocated by a first configured grant.

At step S804, the infrastructure equipment 272 transmits a second configured grant configuration indication 852 to the communications device 270. The second configured grant configuration indication 852 indicates resources allocated by a second configured grant.

At step S806, the infrastructure equipment 272 determines that the communications device 270 is permitted to transmit data in a repeated manner using the communication resources allocated by both the first and second configured grants, and in response, transmits a CCG indication 854. As described above, the CCG indication 854 may indicate parameters defining how the communication resources of the first and second configured grants are to be used. For example, these may include a parameter defining which resources are to be used for an initial transmission of data, one or more parameters defining a time restriction (e.g. indicating that the initial transmission is constrained to start at certain times), one or more parameters indicating whether frequency hopping within the resources of a configured grant is enabled, the number of repetitions to be transmitted using a same configured grant (before switching to resources of another configured grant) and/or encoding versions (and their sequence) to be used for the repeated transmissions.

After receiving the CCG indication 854, the communications device 270 initiates the repeated transmission of data in accordance with the first and second configured grant indications 850, 852 and the CCG indication 854. In the example of Figure 8, the first configured grant allocates communication resources at frequencies FI and F2, and the second configured grant allocates communication resources at frequencies F3 and F4 (where FI, F2, F3 and F4 represent frequency ranges). In accordance with the CCG indication 854: frequency hopping is enabled for both the first and second configured grant resources when combined, the initial transmission is to be using frequency FI, using frequency resources allocated by the first configured grant a single transmission is to occur at each frequency before the next frequency is used; if both frequencies allocated by a configured grant have been used, then resources from the other configured grant are to be used eight transmissions in total are to be performed one of four encoding versions is to be used for each transmission, the encoding versions to be changed for each sequential transmission.

In the example of Figure 8, these aspects are indicated by the CCG indication 854. However, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, one or more of these may be determined other than based on the CCG indication 854. For example, whether or not frequency hopping is enabled for frequency hopping configured grant resources may be determined based on a predetermined rule, based on an indication in the corresponding configured grant indication, or in any other way.

In the example of Figure 8, in accordance with the CCG indication 854, the communications device 270 encodes the data using four different encoding versions, to produce four encoded data versions 856-862.

These are transmitted twice each, at steps S808-S822, using resources at, respectively, FI (CGI), F2 (CGI), F3 (CG2), F4 (CG2), FI (CGI), F2 (CGI), F3 (CG2), and F4 (CG2). The encoding version transmitted is changed at each instance.

At step S824 (which may occur only after step S822, or may occur one or more times after step S808), the infrastructure equipment attempts to decode the data based on one or more instances received at steps S808-S822. For example, the infrastructure equipment 270 may store the soft-decoded bits after each data transmission and, in accordance with known techniques for combining such soft bits, attempt to decode the data based on these soft bits. In some embodiments, where particular encoded versions of the data are transmitted multiple times, symbol-level combining may be applied in order to improve the probability of successful reception.

In the example of Figure 8, the decoding is attempted only after all of the eight transmissions have been completed. In the example of Figure 8, the decoding is successful. This may be verified by the infrastructure equipment 272 by means of a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) or similar technique.

In response to successfully decoding the data at step S824, then at step S826 the infrastructure equipment 272 transmits an acknowledgement 864 to the communications device to indicate that the data was received correctly.

Accordingly, by repeatedly transmitting the data using communication resources at different frequencies, allocated by different configured grants, more reliable data transmission can be achieved, benefiting from increased frequency diversity. In some embodiments of the present technique, indications of configured grants (such as the first and second configured grant indications 850, 852) may be in accordance with conventional configured grant techniques, such as those defined for NR in 3GPP Release 15 or 3GPP Release 16. Above have been given descriptions of example processes combining sequences of steps and messages in combination. The scope of the present disclosure is not, however, limited to such specific combinations and in some embodiments, various of the steps and messages described may be omitted, or combined in a different order, or modified. Features or steps described in the context of one example may be combined with features or steps described in the context of another example.

Thus there has been described a method of transmitting data on a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, receiving a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, transmitting a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communications resources, and transmitting the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communications resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

There has also been described a method of receiving data transmitted by a communications device on a wireless access interface, the method comprising transmitting to the communications device a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, transmitting to the communications device a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, receiving a data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and receiving the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Corresponding apparatus and circuitry have also been described.

It will be appreciated that while the present disclosure has in some respects focused on implementations in an LTE-based and / or 5G network for the sake of providing specific examples, the same principles can be applied to other wireless telecommunications systems. Thus, even though the terminology used herein is generally the same or similar to that of the LTE and 5G standards, the teachings are not limited to the present versions of LTE and 5G and could apply equally to any appropriate arrangement not based on LTE or 5G and / or compliant with any other future version of an LTE, 5G or other standard.

It may be noted various example approaches discussed herein may rely on information which is predetermined / predefined in the sense of being known by both the base station and the communications device. It will be appreciated such predetermined / predefined information may in general be established, for example, by definition in an operating standard for the wireless telecommunication system, or in previously exchanged signalling between the base station and communications devices, for example in system information signalling, or in association with radio resource control setup signalling, or in information stored in a SIM application. That is to say, the specific manner in which the relevant predefined information is established and shared between the various elements of the wireless telecommunications system is not of primary significance to the principles of operation described herein. It may further be noted various example approaches discussed herein rely on information which is exchanged / communicated between various elements of the wireless telecommunications system and it will be appreciated such communications may in general be made in accordance with conventional techniques, for example in terms of specific signalling protocols and the type of communication channel used, unless the context demands otherwise. That is to say, the specific manner in which the relevant information is exchanged between the various elements of the wireless telecommunications system is not of primary significance to the principles of operation described herein.

It will be appreciated that the principles described herein are not applicable only to certain types of communications device, but can be applied more generally in respect of any types of communications device, for example the approaches are not limited to machine type communications devices / IoT devices or other narrowband communications devices, but can be applied more generally, for example in respect of any type communications device operating with a wireless link to the communication network or to another communications device.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. It will be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims.

Thus, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting of the scope of the invention, as well as other claims. The disclosure, including any readily discernible variants of the teachings herein, define, in part, the scope of the foregoing claim terminology such that no inventive subject matter is dedicated to the public.

Respective features of the present disclosure are defined by the following numbered paragraphs:

Paragraph 1. A method of transmitting data on a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, receiving a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, transmitting a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and transmitting the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Paragraph 2. A method according to paragraph 1, wherein a start time of the second communication resources is no earlier than an end time of the first communication resources.

Paragraph 3. A method according to paragraph 1 or paragraph 2, wherein no acknowledgement indication in respect of the data block is received after the transmitting the data block using the first communication resources and before the transmitting the data block using the second communication resources.

Paragraph 4. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the wireless access interface provides communication resources arranged in the frequency domain in a plurality of bandwidth parts, including a first bandwidth part and a second bandwidth part.

Paragraph 5. A method according to paragraph 4, wherein the first sequence of instances of communications resource are within the first bandwidth part, and the second sequence of instances of communications resource are within the second bandwidth part.

Paragraph 6. A method according to paragraph 4, wherein the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are within the first bandwidth part.

Paragraph 7. A method according to any of paragraphs 4 to 6, wherein the numerology of the wireless access interface in the first bandwidth part is different from the numerology of the wireless access interface in the second bandwidth part. Paragraph 8. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 7, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are periodic.

Paragraph 9. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 8, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are frequency hopping sequences.

Paragraph 10. A method according to paragraph 9, wherein each of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources which are frequency hopping sequences consist of resources spanning two different frequency ranges.

Paragraph 11. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 10, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are non-frequency hopping sequences.

Paragraph 12. A method according to any of paragraph 1 to 11, the method comprising encoding the data block according to a first encoding version, encoding the data block according to a second encoding version, wherein transmitting the data block using the first communication resources comprises transmitting the data block encoded according to the first encoding version, and transmitting the data block using the second communication resources comprises transmitting the data block encoded according to the second encoding version.

Paragraph 13. A method according to paragraph 12, wherein a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according to the first encoding version is lower than a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according second encoding version.

Paragraph 14. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 13, the method comprising after transmitting the data block using the first communication resources and before transmitting the data block using the second communication resources, transmitting the data block using third communication resources, the third communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of instances of communication resources occurring immediately after the first communication resources, the first communication resources and the third communication resources spanning the same frequency range.

Paragraph 15. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 14, the method comprising receiving an acknowledgement indication indicating that the data block was successfully received.

Paragraph 16. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 15, wherein the method is carried out by a communications device in a wireless communications network, the wireless communications network comprising an infrastructure equipment providing the wireless access interface, the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication are transmitted by the infrastructure equipment, and the data block is transmitted to the infrastructure equipment.

Paragraph 17. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 16, the method comprising determining, after receiving the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication, that the data block is available for transmission, wherein no indication that data is available for transmission is transmitted after receiving the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication and before transmitting the data block using the first communication resources.

Paragraph 18. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 17, the method comprising receiving a combined configured grant indication indicating that a data block may be transmitted more than once, using an instance of the first sequence of communication resources and an instance of the second sequence of communication resources.

Paragraph 19. A method according to paragraph 18, wherein the configured grant indication comprises one or more of: an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

Paragraph 20. A method according to paragraph 18 or paragraph 19, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within downlink control information. Paragraph 21. A method according to paragraph 18 or paragraph 19, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within a radio resource control (RRC) message.

Paragraph 22. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 21, the method comprising after receiving the first configured grant indication, receiving an activation indication indicating that the first sequence of instances of communication resources are activated and are available for transmission.

Paragraph 23. A method according to any of paragraphs 18 to 22, the method comprising before receiving the combined configured grant indication, receiving a third configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a third sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates which resources of the first, second and third sequences of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data. Paragraph 24. A method according to paragraph 23, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates that none of the third sequence of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data.

Paragraph 25. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 17, the method comprising receiving one or more of an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

Paragraph 26. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 25, wherein transmitting the data block using the first communication resources comprises transmitting the data block using a first beam, and transmitting the data block using the second communication resources comprises transmitting the data block using a second beam.

Paragraph 27. A method of receiving data transmitted by a communications device on a wireless access interface, the method comprising transmitting to the communications device a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, transmitting to the communications device a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, receiving a data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and receiving the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Paragraph 28. A method according to paragraph 27, wherein a start time of the second communication resources is no earlier than an end time of the first communication resources.

Paragraph 29. A method according to paragraph 27 or paragraph 28, wherein no acknowledgement indication in respect of the data block is transmitted after the receiving the data block transmitted using the first communication resources and before the receiving the data block transmitted using the second communication resources.

Paragraph 30. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 29, wherein the wireless access interface provides communication resources arranged in the frequency domain in a plurality of bandwidth parts, including a first bandwidth part and a second bandwidth part.

Paragraph 31. A method according to paragraph 30, wherein the first sequence of instances of communications resource are within the first bandwidth part, and the second sequence of instances of communications resource are within the second bandwidth part.

Paragraph 32. A method according to paragraph 30, wherein the first sequence of instances of communications resource and the second sequence of instances of communications resource are within the first bandwidth part. Paragraph 33. A method according to any of paragraphs 30 to 32, wherein the numerology of the wireless access interface in the first bandwidth part is different from the numerology of the wireless access interface in the second bandwidth part.

Paragraph 34. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 33, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are periodic.

Paragraph 35. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 34, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are frequency hopping sequences.

Paragraph 36. A method according to paragraph 35, wherein each of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources which are frequency hopping sequences consist of resources spanning two different frequency ranges.

Paragraph 37. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 36, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are non-frequency hopping sequences.

Paragraph 38. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 37, wherein the data block transmitted by the communications device using the first communication resources is encoded according to a first encoding version, and the data block transmitted by the communications device using the second communication resources is encoded according to a second encoding version, the method comprising decoding the data block based on at least one of the data block transmitted by the communications device using the first communication resources and the data block transmitted by the communications device using the second communication resources.

Paragraph 39. A method according to paragraph 38, wherein a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according to the first encoding version is lower than a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according second encoding version.

Paragraph 40. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 39, the method comprising after receiving the data block transmitted using the first communication resources and before receiving the data block transmitted using the second communication resources, receiving the data block transmitted using third communication resources, the third communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of instances of communication resources occurring immediately after the first communication resources, the first communication resources and the third communication resources spanning the same frequency range. Paragraph 41. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 40, the method comprising transmitting an acknowledgement indication indicating that the data block was successfully received.

Paragraph 42. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 41, wherein the method is carried out by a infrastructure equipment in a wireless communications network, the wireless communications network comprising the infrastructure equipment providing the wireless access interface.

Paragraph 43. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 42, wherein no indication that data is available for transmission is received from the communications device after transmitting the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication and before receiving the data block transmitted using the first communication resources.

Paragraph 44. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 43, the method comprising transmitting to the communications device a combined configured grant indication indicating that a data block may be transmitted more than once, using an instance of the first sequence of communication resources and an instance of the second sequence of communication resources.

Paragraph 45. A method according to paragraph 44, wherein the configured grant indication comprises one or more of: an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

Paragraph 46. A method according to paragraph 44 or paragraph 45, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within downlink control information. Paragraph 47. A method according to paragraph 44 or paragraph 45, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within a radio resource control (RRC) message.

Paragraph 48. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 47, the method comprising after transmitting the first configured grant indication, transmitting an activation indication indicating that the first sequence of instances of communication resources are activated and are available for transmission. Paragraph 49. A method according to any of paragraphs 44 to 49, the method comprising before transmitting the combined configured grant indication, transmitting a third configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a third sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates which resources of the first, second and third sequences of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data.

Paragraph 50. A method according to paragraph 49, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates that none of the third sequence of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data.

Paragraph 51. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 43, the method comprising transmitting one or more of an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

Paragraph 52. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 51, wherein receiving the data block transmitted by the communications device using the first communication resources comprises receiving the data block using a first beam, and receiving the data block transmitted by the communications device using the second communication resources comprises receiving the data block using a second beam. Paragraph 53. A method according to any of paragraphs 27 to 52, the method comprising decoding the data block based on the data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources and the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources.

Paragraph 54. A communications device for operating in a wireless communications network, the communications device comprising a transmitter configured to transmit signals via a wireless access interface a receiver configured to receive signals via the wireless access interface, and a controller configured to control the transmitter and the receiver so that the communications device is operable: to receive a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to receive a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to transmit a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communications resources, and to transmit the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communications resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Paragraph 55. A communications device according to paragraph 54, wherein the wireless access interface is provided by an infrastructure equipment in a cell of the wireless communications network.

Paragraph 56. A communications device according to paragraph 55, wherein the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication are transmitted by the infrastructure equipment. Paragraph 57. A communications device according to paragraph 55 or paragraph 56, wherein the data block is transmitted using the first communication resources to the infrastructure equipment and the data block is transmitted using the second communication resources to the infrastructure equipment.

Paragraph 58. Circuitry for a communications device for operating in a wireless communications network, the circuitry comprising transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals via a wireless access interface receiver circuitry configured to receive signals via the wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured to control the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry so that the communications device is operable: to receive a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to receive a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to transmit a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communications resources, and to transmit the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communications resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Paragraph 59. Infrastructure equipment for use in a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment providing a wireless access interface for communicating with a communications device in a cell, the infrastructure equipment comprising a transmitter configured to transmit signals to the communications device via the wireless access interface, a receiver configured to receive signals from the communications device, and a controller configured to control the transmitter and the receiver so that the infrastructure equipment is operable to transmit to the communications device a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to transmit to the communications device a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to receive a data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and to receive the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

Paragraph 60. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment for use in a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment providing a wireless access interface for communicating with a communications device in a cell, the circuitry comprising transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals to the communications device via the wireless access interface, receiver circuitry configured to receive signals from the communications device, and controller circuitry configured to control the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry so that the infrastructure equipment is operable to transmit to the communications device a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to transmit to the communications device a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to receive a data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and to receive the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

References

[1] 3 GPP TS 38.300 v. 15.2.0 “NR; NR and NG-RAN Overall Description; Stage 2(Release 15)”, June 2018

[2] Holma H. and Toskala A, “LTE for UMTS OFDMA and SC-FDMA based radio access”, John Wiley and Sons, 2009

[3] 3GPP document RP- 193240, “ New SID on NR coverage enhancement”, RAN#86 [4] 3GPP document RP- 193238, “New SID on support of reduced capability NR devices”, RAN#86

[5] 3GPP TS 38.214 “3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for data (Release 15)”, version 15.9.0

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method of transmitting data on a wireless access interface, the method comprising receiving a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, receiving a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, transmitting a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and transmitting the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a start time of the second communication resources is no earlier than an end time of the first communication resources.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein no acknowledgement indication in respect of the data block is received after the transmitting the data block using the first communication resources and before the transmitting the data block using the second communication resources.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless access interface provides communication resources arranged in the frequency domain in a plurality of bandwidth parts, including a first bandwidth part and a second bandwidth part.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the first sequence of instances of communications resource are within the first bandwidth part, and the second sequence of instances of communications resource are within the second bandwidth part.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are within the first bandwidth part.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the numerology of the wireless access interface in the first bandwidth part is different from the numerology of the wireless access interface in the second bandwidth part.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are periodic.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are frequency hopping sequences.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein each of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources which are frequency hopping sequences consist of resources spanning two different frequency ranges.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are non- frequency hopping sequences.

12. A method according to any of claim 1, the method comprising encoding the data block according to a first encoding version, encoding the data block according to a second encoding version, wherein transmitting the data block using the first communication resources comprises transmitting the data block encoded according to the first encoding version, and transmitting the data block using the second communication resources comprises transmitting the data block encoded according to the second encoding version.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according to the first encoding version is lower than a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according second encoding version.

14. A method according to claim 1, the method comprising after transmitting the data block using the first communication resources and before transmitting the data block using the second communication resources, transmitting the data block using third communication resources, the third communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of instances of communication resources occurring immediately after the first communication resources, the first communication resources and the third communication resources spanning the same frequency range.

15. A method according to claim 1, the method comprising receiving an acknowledgement indication indicating that the data block was successfully received.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is carried out by a communications device in a wireless communications network, the wireless communications network comprising an infrastructure equipment providing the wireless access interface, the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication are transmitted by the infrastructure equipment, and the data block is transmitted to the infrastructure equipment.

17. A method according to claim 1, the method comprising determining, after receiving the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication, that the data block is available for transmission, wherein no indication that data is available for transmission is transmitted after receiving the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication and before transmitting the data block using the first communication resources.

18. A method according to claim 1, the method comprising receiving a combined configured grant indication indicating that a data block may be transmitted more than once, using an instance of the first sequence of communication resources and an instance of the second sequence of communication resources.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the configured grant indication comprises one or more of: an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within downlink control information.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within a radio resource control (RRC) message.

22. A method according to claim 1, the method comprising after receiving the first configured grant indication, receiving an activation indication indicating that the first sequence of instances of communication resources are activated and are available for transmission.

23. A method according to claim 18, the method comprising before receiving the combined configured grant indication, receiving a third configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a third sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates which resources of the first, second and third sequences of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates that none of the third sequence of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data.

25. A method according to claim 1, the method comprising receiving one or more of an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

26. A method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the data block using the first communication resources comprises transmitting the data block using a first beam, and transmitting the data block using the second communication resources comprises transmitting the data block using a second beam.

27. A method of receiving data transmitted by a communications device on a wireless access interface, the method comprising transmitting to the communications device a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, transmitting to the communications device a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, receiving a data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and receiving the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein a start time of the second communication resources is no earlier than an end time of the first communication resources.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein no acknowledgement indication in respect of the data block is transmitted after the receiving the data block transmitted using the first communication resources and before the receiving the data block transmitted using the second communication resources.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein the wireless access interface provides communication resources arranged in the frequency domain in a plurality of bandwidth parts, including a first bandwidth part and a second bandwidth part.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the first sequence of instances of communications resource are within the first bandwidth part, and the second sequence of instances of communications resource are within the second bandwidth part.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein the first sequence of instances of communications resource and the second sequence of instances of communications resource are within the first bandwidth part.

33. A method according to claim 30, wherein the numerology of the wireless access interface in the first bandwidth part is different from the numerology of the wireless access interface in the second bandwidth part.

34. A method according to claim 27, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are periodic.

35. A method according to claim 27, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are frequency hopping sequences.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein each of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources which are frequency hopping sequences consist of resources spanning two different frequency ranges.

37. A method according to claim 27, wherein one or both of the first sequence of instances of communication resources and the second sequence of instances of communication resources are non- frequency hopping sequences.

38. A method according to claim 27, wherein the data block transmitted by the communications device using the first communication resources is encoded according to a first encoding version, and the data block transmitted by the communications device using the second communication resources is encoded according to a second encoding version, the method comprising decoding the data block based on at least one of the data block transmitted by the communications device using the first communication resources and the data block transmitted by the communications device using the second communication resources.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according to the first encoding version is lower than a density of parity bits in the data block encoded according second encoding version.

40. A method according to claim 27, the method comprising after receiving the data block transmitted using the first communication resources and before receiving the data block transmitted using the second communication resources, receiving the data block transmitted using third communication resources, the third communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of instances of communication resources occurring immediately after the first communication resources, the first communication resources and the third communication resources spanning the same frequency range.

41. A method according to claim 27, the method comprising transmitting an acknowledgement indication indicating that the data block was successfully received.

42. A method according to claim 27, wherein the method is carried out by a infrastructure equipment in a wireless communications network, the wireless communications network comprising the infrastructure equipment providing the wireless access interface.

43. A method according to claim 27, wherein no indication that data is available for transmission is received from the communications device after transmitting the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication and before receiving the data block transmitted using the first communication resources.

44. A method according to claim 27, the method comprising transmitting to the communications device a combined configured grant indication indicating that a data block may be transmitted more than once, using an instance of the first sequence of communication resources and an instance of the second sequence of communication resources.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein the configured grant indication comprises one or more of: an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

46. A method according to claim 44, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within downlink control information.

47. A method according to claim 44, wherein the combined configured grant indication is transmitted within a radio resource control (RRC) message.

48. A method according to claim 27, the method comprising after transmitting the first configured grant indication, transmitting an activation indication indicating that the first sequence of instances of communication resources are activated and are available for transmission.

49. A method according to claim 44, the method comprising before transmitting the combined configured grant indication, transmitting a third configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a third sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates which resources of the first, second and third sequences of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data.

50. A method according to claim 49, wherein the combined configured grant indication indicates that none of the third sequence of instances of communication resources may be used for the transmission of the data.

51. A method according to claim 27, the method comprising transmitting one or more of an indication of whether frequency hopping of the first sequence of communication resources is enabled, an indication that the initial transmission of the data block is to use an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, an indication of a number of consecutive instances of the first sequence of communication resources to be used for transmitting the data block before a transmission of the data block using an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, an indication of a total number of transmissions of the data block, an indication of an encoding version to be used for each transmission of the data block.

52. A method according to claim 27, wherein receiving the data block transmitted by the communications device using the first communication resources comprises receiving the data block using a first beam, and receiving the data block transmitted by the communications device using the second communication resources comprises receiving the data block using a second beam.

53. A method according to claim 27, the method comprising decoding the data block based on the data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources and the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources.

54. A communications device for operating in a wireless communications network, the communications device comprising a transmitter configured to transmit signals via a wireless access interface a receiver configured to receive signals via the wireless access interface, and a controller configured to control the transmitter and the receiver so that the communications device is operable: to receive a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to receive a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to transmit a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communications resources, and to transmit the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communications resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

55. A communications device according to claim 54, wherein the wireless access interface is provided by an infrastructure equipment in a cell of the wireless communications network.

56. A communications device according to claim 55, wherein the first configured grant indication and the second configured grant indication are transmitted by the infrastructure equipment.

57. A communications device according to claim 55, wherein the data block is transmitted using the first communication resources to the infrastructure equipment and the data block is transmitted using the second communication resources to the infrastructure equipment.

58. Circuitry for a communications device for operating in a wireless communications network, the circuitry comprising transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals via a wireless access interface receiver circuitry configured to receive signals via the wireless access interface, and controller circuitry configured to control the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry so that the communications device is operable: to receive a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to receive a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface, to transmit a data block using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communications resources, and to transmit the data block using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communications resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

59. Infrastructure equipment for use in a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment providing a wireless access interface for communicating with a communications device in a cell, the infrastructure equipment comprising a transmitter configured to transmit signals to the communications device via the wireless access interface, a receiver configured to receive signals from the communications device, and a controller configured to control the transmitter and the receiver so that the infrastructure equipment is operable to transmit to the communications device a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to transmit to the communications device a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to receive a data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and to receive the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.

60. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment for use in a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment providing a wireless access interface for communicating with a communications device in a cell, the circuitry comprising transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals to the communications device via the wireless access interface, receiver circuitry configured to receive signals from the communications device, and controller circuitry configured to control the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry so that the infrastructure equipment is operable to transmit to the communications device a first configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a first sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to transmit to the communications device a second configured grant indication indicating an allocation of a second sequence of instances of communication resources of the wireless access interface for the transmission of data by the communications device, to receive a data block transmitted by the communications device using first communication resources, the first communication resources being an instance of the first sequence of communication resources, and to receive the data block transmitted by the communications device using second communication resources, the second communication resources being an instance of the second sequence of communication resources, the first and second communication resources spanning different frequencies.