BACKGROUND

[0001] Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to transmit data between a node (e.g., a transmission station) and a wireless device (e.g., a mobile device). Some wireless devices communicate using orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) in a downlink (DL) transmission and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) in an uplink (UL) transmission. Standards and protocols that use orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) for signal transmission include the third generation partnership project (3 GPP) long term evolution (LTE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard (e.g., 802.16e, 802.16m), which is commonly known to industry groups as WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access), and the IEEE 802.11 standard, which is commonly known to industry groups as WiFi.

[0002] In 3GPP radio access network (RAN) LTE systems, the node in an

Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) system is referred to as an eNode B (also commonly denoted as evolved Node Bs, enhanced Node Bs, eNodeBs, or eNBs), which communicates with the wireless device, known as a user equipment (UE). The downlink (DL) transmission can be a communication from the node (e.g., eNodeB) to the wireless device (e.g., UE), and the uplink (UL) transmission can be a communication from the wireless device to the node.

[0003] In LTE, data can be transmitted from the eNodeB to the UE via a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). A physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) can be used to acknowledge that data was received. Downlink and uplink channels or transmissions can use time-division duplexing (TDD) or frequency-division duplexing (FDD).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the disclosure; and, wherein: [0005] FIG. 1 provides an example table that shows a configuration of the coverage classes in the CS NB-CIoT system in accordance with an example;

[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates example operations of an adaptive retransmission mechanism with a feedback indicator in accordance with an example;

[0007] FIG. 3 presents an example table for mapping a number of repetitions m onto several bits k in accordance with an example;

[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates an example mechanism that can be used to calculate a contribution of a transmission repetition to SINR improvement of a packet for IQ combining in accordance with an example;

[0009] FIG. 5 provides an example table that defines a number of repetitions to be used for retransmission attempts in accordance with an example;

[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates example operations of a pre-configured retransmission mechanism in accordance with an example;

[0011] FIG. 7 provides a table that provides an example of an alternative definition for a number of repetitions that are to be sent in a retransmission in accordance with an example;

[0012] FIG. 8 illustrates functionality of a sender cellular device or transmitter in accordance with an example;

[0013] FIG. 9 illustrates functionality of a recipient cellular device or receiver in accordance with an example;

[0014] FIG. 10 illustrates functionality of a sender cellular device or transmitter in accordance with an example;

[0015] FIG. 11 provides an example illustration of a wireless device in accordance with an example;

[0016] FIG. 12 provides an example illustration of a user equipment (UE) device, such as a wireless device, a mobile station (MS), a mobile wireless device, a mobile communication device, a tablet, a handset, or other type of wireless device; and

[0017] FIG. 13 illustrates a diagram of a node (e.g., eNB and/or a Serving GPRS

Support Node) and a wireless device (e.g., UE) in accordance with an example.

[0018] Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of is thereby intended. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Before some embodiments are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the claimed subject matter is not limited to the particular structures, process operations, or materials disclosed herein, but is extended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. The same reference numerals in different drawings represent the same element. Numbers provided in flow charts and processes are provided for clarity in illustrating operations and do not necessarily indicate a particular order or sequence.

[0020] An initial overview of technology embodiments is provided below and then specific technology embodiments are described in further detail later. This initial summary is intended to aid readers in understanding the technology more quickly, but is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the technology nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0021] Cellular networks of the next generation (i.e. fifth generation, or 5G) will be expected to support the Internet of Things (IoT). The projected massive deployment of IoT devices (e.g., over 50 billion devices), the development of low-cost and low- complexity IoT devices, the extended coverage of cells serving IoT devices, and the long battery life of IoT devices are all challenges presented by IoT applications. Several solutions to some of these IoT challenges have been proposed, such as clean slate narrowband cellular IoT (CS NB-CIoT), extended coverage Global System for Mobiles GSM (EC-GSM), narrow band Long-Term Evolution LTE (NB-LTE), and enhanced machine type communications (eMTC). In these solutions, blind repetitions of a data packet are used to achieve reliable communication between a cellular base station (BS) and devices within the base station's coverage area. When a transmitter (e.g., a BS or an IoT device) sends multiple repetitions of a data packet, a receiver (e.g., an IoT device or a BS) can buffer multiple copies of the packet and then combine those copies using a suitable combining technique such as maximum ratio combining (MRC) and vice versa. Combining multiple packet repetitions at the receiver enhances the signal-to-interference- plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the packet.

[0022] In the existing cellular systems with blind packet repetitions, the number of repetitions for a device is set depending on the channel quality of the device; the channel quality of the device can also determine a coverage class of a device. Under some circumstances (e.g., due to time selectivity of wireless channels), it is possible that the packet cannot be decoded correctly by the device even when the specified number of repetitions is sent. In that case, the receiver sends a Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) signal and the transmitter resends the packet with the same number of repetitions.

However, resending the packet using the same number of repetitions used in the first transmission might be unnecessarily redundant and therefore lead to inefficient usage of spectrum resources. Particularly, for devices with bad channel qualities that call for a large number of repetitions, resending a packet using the same number of repetitions can significantly affect the system capacity. Another challenge is that estimating the channel quality of a device with a very low SINR can lead to an incorrect configuration for number of blind repetitions, resulting in persistent decoding errors or inefficient usage of resources. Quantizing the measured channel quality and mapping this information to a coverage class is also difficult, since the number of repetitions that can foster successful packet reception may depend on aspects of the receiver that are partially implementation specific.

[0023] FIG. 1 provides an example table 100 that shows a configuration of the coverage classes in the CS NB-CIoT system. In existing proposed solutions for CIoT systems, blind repetitions of packets are used in order to achieve extended coverage for devices. The blind repetitions of a packet burst can improve the SINR at a receiver. As shown in table 100, for CS NB-CIoT system, the number of repetitions is predefined for each coverage class. If the receiver encounters a packet error and sends a NACK message, the transmitter resends the packet with the default number of repetitions specified for the device's coverage class. A portion of these repetitions might be redundant, so spectrum resources that are used by the redundant repetitions can be wasted.

[0024] The present disclosure provides systems and methods that can apply two options (option 1 and option 2) to improve efficiency when additional repetitions of a packet are to be sent in response to a NACK. In particular, options 1 and 2 provide technological solutions that can reduce the number of additional packet repetitions sent while still enabling the receiver to successfully decode the packet, thereby avoiding waste of spectrum resources. Option 1: Adaptive Retransmission Mechanism with Feedback Indicator

[0025] In option 1 , additional signaling can be included in the NACK message that is sent from the receiver to the transmitter. If the receiver encounters a packet error after decoding the received packet bursts, the receiver can buffer the received packet bursts and estimate the number of additional repetitions that the transmitter should send in order to enable the receiver to decode the packet correctly. The receiver can then send a NACK message to the transmitter indicating the number additional repetitions that the transmitter should send. The transmitter can resends the packet burst with the number of repetitions requested by the receiver along with the NACK message (in some examples, the number of repetitions can be included in the NACK message). A packet burst can refer to a group of consecutive packets with shorter inter-packet gaps than packets arriving before or after the packets burst. A packet can refer to a formatted unit of data carried by a packet-switched network.

[0026] In some examples, the receiver can send a SINR value to the transmitter and the transmitter (e.g., cellular base station) can use sophisticated algorithms to estimate the number of additional repetitions that should be sent. In some examples, if the receiver is a BS, the BS does not have to send the number of additional repetitions to the transmitter along with a NACK message. Rather, the BS can simply perform an uplink resource allocation to the receiver based on the number of additional repetitions. The receiver can identify the number of additional repetitions implicitly by using the uplink resource allocation information.

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates example operations 200 of an adaptive retransmission mechanism with a feedback indicator in accordance with option 1. A transmitter 202 (e.g., a BS or a mobile device) can attempt to send a packet to a receiver 204 (e.g., a mobile device or a BS) by transmitting the same packet burst N times, depending on the coverage class of the receiver 204. The receiver can combine the received packet bursts, as shown in selection 206, through a suitable combining technique (e.g., In-Phase Quadrature (IQ) combining or soft bit combining) to enhance the SINR and can then attempt to decode the combined packet. If there is a packet error, the receiver can estimate a number of additional repetitions that, if sent to the receiver 204, will allow the receiver 204 to meet a target SINR threshold for decoding. The number of additional repetitions m can be quantized and mapped onto few bits k in order to reduce the overhead in a NACK message sent from the receiver 204 to the transmitter 202.

[0028] FIG. 3 presents an example table 300 for mapping the number of repetitions m onto k when performing the example operations 200 of FIG. 2. The receiver 204 can send a NACK message to the transmitter 202 by including the k value along with it. The transmitter 202 can then resend the packet with m repetitions in accordance with the k value sent by the receiver 204 in the NACK message. The receiver 204 can combine the m repetitions using a suitable combining technique such as IQ combining, as shown in selection 208. The receiver 204 can then combine the packets from previous retransmissions together using a suitable combining technique such as chase combining, as shown in selection 210. If the receiver 204 can successfully decode the combined packet, the receiver 204 can send an ACK message to the transmitter 202. Otherwise, the receiver 204 can send a NACK message (e.g., with the number of additional packet repetition k) to the transmitter 202 and the retransmission process can continue.

[0029] In some examples, for this retransmission mechanism to work

satisfactorily, the receiver 204 can estimate the number of additional packet repetitions in the next retransmission to achieve a target SINR threshold for decoding. One simple yet effective way to estimate the number of additional repetitions is by calculating the contribution of each repetition to the SINR improvement of the packet for IQ combining.

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates an example mechanism 400 that can be used to calculate the contribution of each repetition to the SINR improvement of the packet for IQ combining. In the example of FIG. 4, each packet repetition is assumed to provide an equal SINR gain to the combined packet on average. Similar estimation methods can be developed for other combining techniques.

[0031] In the example mechanism 400, assume that there are p received packet bursts in the receiver's buffer. Let γ (e.g., in decibels (dB)) denote the SINR that the receiver can achieve by combining these p packet bursts. On average, each packet burst contributes γ/ρ to the SINR. Let y _th denote the target SINR that will enable the receiver to reliably decode the packet. The additional number of packet bursts that will enable the receiver to achieve the SINR threshold (e.g., in dB) can be computed as [0032] In the proposed mechanism shown above, the number of additional repetitions can be used as the feedback parameter in the NACK message. However, other alternatives can be used as the feedback parameter. In one alternative, the SINR achieved at the receiver by combining all the packet repetitions in the previous transmissions can be used as the feedback in the NACK message. In this alternative, the SINR can be quantized and an index of a few bits can be used in the feedback to reduce overhead. The transmitter can then estimate the number of additional repetitions to be sent in the next retransmission of the packet. This alternative is suitable for downlink transmissions in which a mobile device sends the SINR feedback to a BS. The BS can use sophisticated algorithms to estimate the number of additional repetitions, since the BS likely has higher computing capacity than the mobile device.

[0033] In another alternative, the difference between the achieved SINR and the target SINR can be used as feedback in the NACK message. One advantage of this alternative is that the SINR difference can be mapped on to fewer bits in the feedback message because the SINR difference generally has a smaller range than the achieved SINR value.

Option 2: Pre-configured Retransmission Mechanism

[0034] In option 2, a transmitter can send a packet to a receiver using a predefined number of repetitions that differs based on how many previous attempts have been made to send the packet. For the first attempt, the transmitter can send a packet with a number of repetitions that is defined as a default for a given coverage class of the receiver. If the receiver cannot decode the packet successfully, the receiver can send a NACK message to the transmitter. The transmitter can then make a second attempt by resending the packet burst with a smaller number of repetitions. The number of repetitions in each attempt (until the receiver sends an ACK) can be predefined and can be known to both the transmitter and the receiver. In option 2, the receiver (or the transmitter) does not have to estimate the number of additional repetitions for the next packet retransmission. In addition, unlike the option 1, no additional overhead is introduced into the NACK message.

[0035] According to a link adaptation, a number of blind repetitions can be chosen to achieve the target error performance. In addition, since channel variations between two successive transmissions are usually very small, using the same number of blind repetitions for a subsequent attempt may be inefficient. Therefore, in option 2, the number of packet repetitions during each retransmission of the packet can be predefined and known to both the transmitter and the receiver.

[0036] FIG. 5 provides an example table 500 that defines a number of repetitions to be used for retransmission attempts as a function of how many attempts have already been made. If N repetitions are used for the first attempt, for example, N/2 repetitions can be used for the second attempt and N/4 repetitions can be used for subsequent attempts. This example is not intended to be limiting. Other types of scaling of repetitions can also be performed.

[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates example operations of a pre-configured retransmission mechanism in accordance with option 2. The transmitter 602 (e.g., a BS or mobile device) can attempt to send a packet to the receiver 604 by transmitting the packet N times in a packet burst based on a coverage class of the receiver 604. The receiver 604 can combine the received packet burst, as shown in operation 606, with a suitable combining methodology such as IQ combining or soft bit combining to enhance the SINR and derive a combined packet. The receiver 604 can then attempt to decode the combined packet. If there is a packet error, the receiver 604 can send a NACK message to the transmitter 602. The transmitter 602 can then resend the same packet in a packet burst with \N/2] repetitions of the packet. As shown in selection 608, the receiver 604 can combine the \N/2] repetitions using a suitable combining technique. As shown in selection 610, the receiver 604 can then combine the packets from previous retransmissions together using a suitable combining technique such as chase combining in order to derive a combined packet. If the receiver 604 can successfully decode the combined packet, the receiver 604 can send an ACK message to the transmitter 602. Otherwise, the process can continue with \N/4] repetitions for the successive packet retransmissions.

[0038] FIG. 7 provides a table 700 that provides an example of an alternative definition for the number of repetitions that are sent in each retransmission. A packet can be segmented and each segment of the packet can be sent during a retransmission as shown.

[0039] FIG. 8 illustrates functionality 800 of a sender cellular device or transmitter (e.g., a cellular base station or a mobile device such as a user equipment (UE)) in accordance with an example. The functionality 800 can be implemented as a method or the functionality can be executed as instructions on a machine (e.g., by one or more processors), where the instructions are included on at least one non-transitory computer- readable storage medium.

[0040] As in block 810, one action of the functionality 800 can be signaling a transceiver associated with a sender cellular device to send a packet burst with N repetitions (e.g., repetitions of the packet) for a recipient cellular device, wherein N is an integer greater than one.

[0041] As in block 820, another action of the functionality 800 can be identifying a Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for one or more packets included in the packet burst with N repetitions.

[0042] As in block 830, another action of the functionality 800 can be identifying a feedback value received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver, wherein the feedback value is associated with a signal quality of the packet burst with N repetitions received at the recipient cellular device. In one example, the feedback value can be included in the NACK message. In another example, other actions that can be added to the functionality 800 include identifying uplink resource allocation information for the sender cellular device received via the transceiver and identifying the feedback value based on the uplink resource allocation information, wherein the feedback value is indicated implicitly by the uplink resource allocation information.

[0043] The feedback value may comprise a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise

Ratio (SINR) value. In one example, the SINR value can represent a difference between a SINR value for the recipient cellular device for the packet burst with N repetitions and a target SINR value.

[0044] As in block 840, another action of the functionality 800 can be identifying an integer number M based on the feedback value, wherein M is an integer number greater than zero. In one example, the integer number M ean be included in the feedback value.

[0045] As in block 850, another action of the functionality 800 can be signaling the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with M repetitions for the recipient cellular device in response to the NACK message.

[0046] FIG. 9 illustrates functionality 900 of a recipient cellular device or receiver

(e.g., a cellular base station or a mobile device such as a user equipment (UE)) in accordance with an example. The functionality 900 can be implemented as a method or the functionality can be executed as instructions on a machine (e.g., by one or more processors), where the instructions are included on at least one non-transitory computer- readable storage medium.

[0047] As in block 910, one action of the functionality 900 can be identifying a packet burst with N repetitions for a recipient cellular device received from a sender cellular device via a transceiver at the recipient cellular device.

[0048] As in block 920, another action of the functionality 900 can be combining the packet burst with N repetitions to form a combined packet. The N repetitions of the packet burst may be combined using one or more of: In-phase Quadrature (IQ) combining, soft-bit combining, or Chase combining

[0049] As in block 930, another action of the functionality 900 can be determining that a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) value for the combined packet does not meet a SINR threshold for decoding the combined packet.

[0050] As in block 940, another action of the functionality 900 can be determining a feedback value that is based on the SINR value. Other actions that can be added to the functionality 900 include determining an integer number M based on the SINR value for the packet burst with N repetitions, wherein M represents a number of additional repetitions for the recipient cellular device to request from the sender cellular device, and signaling the transceiver to send M as the feedback value to the sender device in a Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) message. In some examples, M can be represented by three bits of the NACK message.

[0051] In some examples, the integer number M can be determined according to the equation M = V Ύ ^th /Ν ^Y where γ is the SINR value for the combined packet and yth is the SINR threshold for decoding the combined packet.

[0052] As in block 950, another action of the functionality 900 can be signaling the transceiver to send the feedback value to the sender cellular device. In some examples, the feedback value can be sent in a NACK message. Other actions that can be added to the functionality 900 include signaling the transceiver to send uplink resource allocation information to the sender cellular device and signaling the transceiver to send the feedback value to the sender cellular device implicitly in the uplink resource allocation information. [0053] FIG. 10 illustrates functionality 1000 of a sender cellular device or transmitter (e.g., a cellular base station or a mobile device such as a user equipment (UE)) in accordance with an example. The functionality 1000 can be implemented as a method or the functionality can be executed as instructions on a machine (e.g., by one or more processors), where the instructions are included on at least one non-transitory computer- readable storage medium.

[0054] As in block 1010, one action of the functionality 1000 can be signaling a transceiver associated with the sender cellular device to send a packet burst with N repetitions for a recipient cellular device, wherein N is an integer greater than one.

[0055] As in block 1020, another action of the functionality 1000 can be identifying a first Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for one or more packets included in the packet burst with N repetitions.

[0056] As in block 1030, another action of the functionality 1000 can be identifying an integer number Mi based on the first NACK message, wherein Mi is greater than zero and M ₁ < N. In some examples, A^can be a floor function equal to or a ceiling function equal to

[0057] As in block 1040, another action of the functionality 1000 can be signaling the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with M; repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device.

[0058] Other actions that can be added to the functionality 1000 include identifying a second NACK message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for the one or more packets; identifying an integer number M2 based on the second NACK message, wherein M2 is greater than zero and M ₂ ≤ M- ; and signaling the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with M ₂ repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device. In some examples, M ₂ can equal M _t ,

M ₂ can be a floor function equal to l ^r-l , or M ₂ can be is a ceiling function equal to

[0059] In accordance with option 1, further actions that can be added to the functionality 1000 include identifying a y ^' th NACK message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for the one or more packets, where j is an integer and j≥ 2 ; identifying an integer number Mj based on the y ^' th NACK message, wherein Mj is floor function equal to a ^{7 ■} NJ or Mj is a ceiling function equal to a ^{7 ■} N] , a is a real number, and 0 < a < l (or 0 < a < l ); and signaling the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with Mj repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device. In some examples, the sender cellular device can be a User Equipment (UE), the recipient cellular device can be a cellular base station, a can be configured by the cellular base station, and a can be received at the UE via higher-layer signaling from the cellular base station.

[0060] In accordance with option 2, further actions that can be added to the functionality 1000 include identifying a y ^' th NACK message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for the one or more packets, where j is an integer and j≥ 2 ; identifying an integer number Mj based on the y ^' th NACK message, wherein Mj is a positive integer associated with j in a predefined retransmission-repetition table; and signaling the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with Mj additional repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device. In some examples, another action that can be added to the functionality 1000 includes identifying the integer number Mj based on the y ^' th NACK message and based on a coverage class of the recipient cellular device, wherein Mj is associated with j and is associated with the coverage class in the predefined retransmission-repetition table.

[0061] FIG. 11 provides an example illustration of a mobile device, such as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile wireless device, a mobile

communication device, a tablet, a handset, or other type of wireless device. The mobile device can include one or more antennas configured to communicate with a node, macro node, low power node (LPN), or, transmission station, such as a base station (BS), an evolved Node B (eNB), a baseband processing unit (BBU), a remote radio head (RRH), a remote radio equipment (RRE), a relay station (RS), a radio equipment (RE), or other type of wireless wide area network (WW AN) access point. The mobile device can be configured to communicate using at least one wireless communication standard such as, but not limited to, 3 GPP LTE, WiMAX, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Bluetooth, and WiFi. The mobile device can communicate using separate antennas for each wireless communication standard or shared antennas for multiple wireless communication standards. The mobile device can communicate in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and/or a WW AN. [0062] The mobile device can also comprise a wireless modem. The wireless modem can comprise, for example, a wireless radio transceiver and baseband circuitry (e.g., a baseband processor). The wireless modem can, in one example, modulate signals that the mobile device transmits via the one or more antennas and demodulate signals that the mobile device receives via the one or more antennas.

[0063] The mobile device can include a storage medium. In one aspect, the storage medium can be associated with and/or communication with the application processor, the graphics processor, the display, the non-volatile memory port, and/or internal memory. In one aspect, the application processor and graphics processor are storage mediums.

[0064] FIG. 11 also provides an illustration of a microphone and one or more speakers that can be used for audio input and output from the mobile device. The display screen can be a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, or other type of display screen such as an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. The display screen can be configured as a touch screen. The touch screen can use capacitive, resistive, or another type of touch screen technology. An application processor and a graphics processor can be coupled to internal memory to provide processing and display capabilities. A non-volatile memory port can also be used to provide data input/output options to a user. The non-volatile memory port can also be used to expand the memory capabilities of the mobile device. A keyboard can be integrated with the mobile device or wirelessly connected to the wireless device to provide additional user input. A virtual keyboard can also be provided using the touch screen.

[0065] FIG. 12 provides an example illustration of a user equipment (UE) device

1200, such as a wireless device, a mobile station (MS), a mobile wireless device, a mobile communication device, a tablet, a handset, or other type of wireless device. The UE device 1200 can include one or more antennas configured to communicate with a node or transmission station, such as a base station (BS), an evolved Node B (eNB), a baseband unit (BBU), a remote radio head (RRH), a remote radio equipment (RRE), a relay station (RS), a radio equipment (RE), a remote radio unit (RRU), a central processing module (CPM), or other type of wireless wide area network (WW AN) access point. The UE device 1200 can be configured to communicate using at least one wireless communication standard such as, but not limited to, 3GPP LTE, WiMAX, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Bluetooth, and WiFi. The UE device 1200 can communicate using separate antennas for each wireless communication standard or shared antennas for multiple wireless communication standards. The UE device 1200 can communicate in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and/or a

WWAN.

[0066] In some embodiments, the UE device 1200 may include application circuitry 1202, baseband circuitry 1204, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 1206, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 1208 and one or more antennas 1210, coupled together at least as shown.

[0067] The application circuitry 1202 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 1202 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor(s) may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupled with and/or may include memory /storage (e.g., storage medium 1212) and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory /storage (e.g., storage medium 1212) to enable various applications and/or operating systems to run on the system.

[0068] The baseband circuitry 1204 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuitry 1204 may include one or more baseband processors and/or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 1206 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 1206. Baseband processing circuity 1204 may interface with the application circuitry 1202 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for controlling operations of the RF circuitry 1206. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 1204 may include a second generation (2G) baseband processor 1204a, third generation (3G) baseband processor 1204b, fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 1204c, and/or other baseband processor(s) 1204d for other existing generations, generations in development or to be developed in the future (e.g., fifth generation (5G), 6G, etc.). The baseband circuitry 1204 (e.g., one or more of baseband processors 1204a-d) may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuitry 1206. The radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal

modulation/demodulation, encoding/decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, modulation/demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 1204 may include Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT), precoding, and/or constellation mapping/demapping functionality. In some embodiments, encoding/decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 1204 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, and/or Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder/decoder functionality.

Embodiments of modulation/demodulation and encoder/decoder functionality are not limited to these examples and may include other suitable functionality in other embodiments.

[0069] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 1204 may include elements of a protocol stack such as, for example, elements of an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) protocol including, for example, physical (PHY), media access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), and/or radio resource control (RRC) elements. A central processing unit (CPU) 1204e of the baseband circuitry 1204 may be configured to run elements of the protocol stack for signaling of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP and/or RRC layers. In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry may include one or more audio digital signal processor(s) (DSP) 1204f. The audio DSP(s) 1204f may include elements for compression/decompression and echo cancellation and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments. Components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on a same circuit board in some embodiments. In some embodiments, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 1204 and the application circuitry 1202 may be

implemented together such as, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0070] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 1204 may provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 1204 may support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) and/or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 1204 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0071] The RF circuitry 1206 may enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry 1206 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. RF circuitry 1206 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 1208 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry 1204. RF circuitry 1206 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by the baseband circuitry 1204 and provide RF output signals to the FEM circuitry 1208 for transmission.

[0072] In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 1206 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the RF circuitry 1206 may include mixer circuitry 1206a, amplifier circuitry 1206b and filter circuitry 1206c. The transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 1206 may include filter circuitry 1206c and mixer circuitry 1206a. RF circuitry 1206 may also include synthesizer circuitry 1206d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 1206a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 1206a of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 1208 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 1206d. The amplifier circuitry 1206b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signals and the filter circuitry 1206c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. Output baseband signals may be provided to the baseband circuitry 1204 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, although other types of baseband signals may be used. In some embodiments, mixer circuitry 1206a of the receive signal path may comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0073] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 1206a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 1206d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 1208. The baseband signals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 1204 and may be filtered by filter circuitry 1206c. The filter circuitry 1206c may include a low-pass filter (LPF), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0074] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 1206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 1206a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature down-conversion and/or up-conversion respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 1206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 1206a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 1206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 1206a may be arranged for direct down-conversion and/or direct up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 1206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 1206a of the transmit signal path may be configured for super-heterodyne operation.

[0075] In some embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternate embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be digital baseband signals. In these alternate

embodiments, the RF circuitry 1206 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry 1204 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitry 1206.

[0076] In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuitry may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the

embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0077] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 1206d may be a fractional - N synthesizer or a fractional N/N+l synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 1206d may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer comprising a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0078] The synthesizer circuitry 1206d may be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 1206a of the RF circuitry 1206 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 1206d may be a fractional N/N+l synthesizer.

[0079] In some embodiments, frequency input may be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although other types of devices may provide the frequency input. Divider control input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 1204 or the applications processor 1202 depending on the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, a divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a look-up table based on a channel indicated by the applications processor 1202. [0080] Synthesizer circuitry 1206d of the RF circuitry 1206 may include a divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the divider may be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+l (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal packets of phase, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0081] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 1206d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be a LO frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 1206 may include an IQ/polar converter.

[0082] FEM circuitry 1208 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 1210, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 1206 for further processing. FEM circuitry 1208 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 1206 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 1210.

[0083] In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 1208 may include a TX/RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuitry may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 1206). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 1208 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by RF circuitry 1206), and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 1210.

[0084] In some embodiments, the UE device 1200 may include additional elements such as, for example, memory /storage, display (e.g., touch screen), camera, antennas, keyboard, microphone, speakers, sensor, and/or input/output (I/O) interface.

[0085] FIG. 13 illustrates a diagram 1300 of a node 1310 (e.g., eNB and/or a

Serving GPRS Support Node) and a wireless device 1320 (e.g., UE) in accordance with an example. The node can include a base station (BS), a Node B (NB), an evolved Node B (eNB), a baseband unit (BBU), a remote radio head (RRH), a remote radio equipment (RRE), a remote radio unit (RRU), or a central processing module (CPM). In one aspect, the node can be a Serving GPRS Support Node. The node 1310 can include a node device 1312. The node device 1312 or the node 1310 can be configured to communicate with the wireless device 1320. The node device 1312 can be configured to implement technologies described herein. The node device 1312 can include a processing module 1314 and a transceiver module 1316. In one aspect, the node device 1312 can include the transceiver module 1316 and the processing module 1314 forming a circuitry for the node 1310. In one aspect, the transceiver module 1316 and the processing module 1314 can form a circuitry of the node device 1312. The processing module 1314 can include one or more processors and memory. In one embodiment, the processing module 1322 can include one or more application processors. The transceiver module 1316 can include a transceiver and one or more processors and memory. In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1316 can include a baseband processor.

[0086] The wireless device 1320 can include a transceiver module 1324 and a processing module 1322. The processing module 1322 can include one or more processors and memory. In one embodiment, the processing module 1322 can include one or more application processors. The transceiver module 1324 can include a transceiver and one or more processors and memory. In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1324 can include a baseband processor. The wireless device 1320 can be configured to implement technologies described herein. The node 1310 and the wireless devices 1320 can also include one or more storage mediums, such as the transceiver module 1316, 1324 and/or the processing module 1314, 1322.

Examples [0087] The following examples pertain to specific embodiments and point out specific features, elements, or steps that can be used or otherwise combined in achieving such embodiments.

[0088] Example 1 includes an apparatus of a sender cellular device, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory configured to: signal a transceiver associated with the sender cellular device to send a packet burst with N repetitions for a recipient cellular device, wherein N is an integer greater than one; identify a Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for one or more packets included in the packet burst with N repetitions;

identify a feedback value received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver, wherein the feedback value is associated with a signal quality of the packet burst with N repetitions received at the recipient cellular device; identify an integer number M based on the feedback value, wherein M is an integer number greater than zero; and signal the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with M repetitions for the recipient cellular device in response to the NACK message.

[0089] In example 2, the subject matter of example 1 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the integer number M is included in the feedback value.

[0090] In example 3, the subject matter of example 1 , 2, or any of the examples described herein may further include that the feedback value comprises a Signal-to- Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) value.

[0091] In example 4, the subject matter of example 3 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the SINR value represents a difference between a SINR value for the recipient cellular device for the packet burst with N repetitions and a target SINR value.

[0092] In example 5, the subject matter of example 1 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the sender cellular device is a User Equipment (UE) and the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: identify uplink resource allocation information for the sender cellular device received via the transceiver from the recipient cellular device; and identify the feedback value based on the uplink resource allocation information, wherein the feedback value is indicated implicitly by the uplink resource allocation information. [0093] In example 6, the subject matter of example 1 , 2, 4, or any of the examples described herein may further include that the feedback value is included in the NACK message.

[0094] Example 7 includes an apparatus of a recipient cellular device, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory configured to: identify a packet burst with N repetitions for the recipient cellular device received from a sender cellular device via a transceiver at the recipient cellular device; combine the packet burst with N repetitions to form a combined packet; determine that a Signal -to-Interference- plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) value for the combined packet does not meet a SINR threshold for correctly decoding the combined packet; determine a feedback value that is based on the SINR value; and signal the transceiver to send the feedback value to the sender cellular device.

[0095] In example 8, the subject matter of example 7 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the one or more processors and memory are further configured to combine the packet burst with N repetitions to form the combined packet using one or more of: In-phase Quadrature (IQ) combining, soft-bit combining, or Chase combining.

[0096] In example 9, the subject matter of example 7, 8, or any of the examples described herein may further include that the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: determine an integer number M based on the SINR value for the combined packet, wherein M represents a number of additional repetitions for the recipient cellular device to request from the sender cellular device; and signal the transceiver to send M as the feedback value to the sender device.

[0097] In example 10, the subject matter of example 9 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the one or more processors and memory are further configured to signal the transceiver to send M as the feedback value to the sender device in a Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) message, and wherein M is represented by three bits of the NACK message.

[0098] In example 1 1, the subject matter of example 9 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: determine the integer number M according to the equation M = where γ is the SINR value for the combined packet and jt is the SINR threshold

for correctly decoding the combined packet.

[0099] In example 12, the subject matter of example 7, 8, or any of the examples described herein may further include that the recipient cellular device is a cellular base station and the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: signal the transceiver to send uplink resource allocation information to the sender cellular device, wherein the uplink resource allocation information implicitly indicates the feedback value.

[00100] Example 13 includes an apparatus of a sender cellular device, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory configured to: signal a transceiver associated with the sender cellular device to send a packet burst with N repetitions for a recipient cellular device, wherein N is an integer greater than one;

identify a first Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for one or more packets included in the packet burst with N repetitions; identify an integer number Mi based on the first NACK message, wherein Mi is greater than zero and M-^ < N (or M-^ < N); and signal the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with Mi repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device.

[00101] In example 14, the subject matter of example 13 or any of the examples

I I

described herein may further include that M-ris a floor function equal to - or M-L is a ceiling function equal to

[00102] In example 15, the subject matter of example 13, 14 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: identify a second NACK message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for the one or more packets; identify an integer number M2 based on the second NACK message, wherein M2 is greater than zero and M ₂ < M^, and signal the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with M ₂ repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device.

[00103] In example 16, the subject matter of example 15 or any of the examples described herein may further include that M ₂ equals M _1; M ₂ is a floor function equal to or M ₂ is a ceiling function equal to [00104] In example 17, the subject matter of example 13, 14, 16, or any of the examples described herein may further include that the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: identify a y ^' th NACK message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for the one or more packets, where j is an integer and j > 2 ;identify an integer number Mj based on the y ^' th NACK message, wherein

Mj is a floor function equal to | α' ^■ Nj or Mj is a ceiling function equal to | α' ^■ N] , a is a real number, and 0 < a < 1 (or 0 < a < 1); and signal the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with Mj repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device.

[00105] In example 18, the subject matter of example 17 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the sender cellular device is a User Equipment (UE), the recipient cellular device is a cellular base station, and a is configured by the cellular base station.

[00106] In example 19, the subject matter of example 18 or any of the examples described herein may further include that a is received at the UE via higher-layer signaling from the cellular base station.

[00107] In example 20, the subject matter of example 13, 14, 16, or any of the examples described herein may further include that the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: identify a y ^' th NACK message received from the recipient cellular device via the transceiver for the one or more packets, where j is an integer and j > 2 ;identify an integer number Mj based on the y ^' th NACK message, wherein Mj is a positive integer associated with j in a predefined retransmission-repetition table; and signal the transceiver to send an additional packet burst with Mj repetitions including the one or more packets for the recipient cellular device.

[00108] In example 21, the subject matter of example 20 or any of the examples described herein may further include that the recipient cellular device is a User

Equipment (UE) and one or more processors and memory of the apparatus of the sender cellular device are further configured to: identify the integer number Mj based on the yth NACK message and based on a coverage class of the recipient cellular device, wherein Mj is associated with j and is associated with the coverage class in the predefined retransmission-repetition table. [00109] Various techniques, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, compact disc-read-only memory (CD-ROMs), hard drives, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, or any other machine-readable storage medium wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the various techniques. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium can be a computer readable storage medium that does not include signal. In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, the computing device may include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. The volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements may be a random-access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash drive, optical drive, magnetic hard drive, solid state drive, or other medium for storing electronic data. The node and wireless device may also include a transceiver module (i.e., transceiver), a counter module (i.e., counter), a processing module (i.e., processor), and/or a clock module (i.e., clock) or timer module (i.e., timer). One or more programs that may implement or utilize the various techniques described herein may use an application programming interface (API), reusable controls, and the like. Such programs may be implemented in a high level procedural or obj ect oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the program(s) may be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language, and combined with hardware implementations.

[00110] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor

(shared, dedicated, or group), and/or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be implemented in, or functions associated with the circuitry may be implemented by, one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, circuitry may include logic, at least partially operable in hardware.

[00111] While the flowcharts presented for this technology may imply a specific order of execution, the order of execution may differ from what is illustrated. For example, the order of two more blocks may be rearranged relative to the order shown. Further, two or more blocks shown in succession may be executed in parallel or with partial parallelization. In some configurations, one or more blocks shown in the flow chart may be omitted or skipped. Any number of counters, state variables, warning semaphores, or messages may be added to the logical flow for enhanced utility, accounting, performance, measurement, troubleshooting, or other purposes.

[00112] As used herein, the word "or" indicates an inclusive disjunction. For example, as used herein, the phrase "A or B" represents an inclusive disjunction of exemplary conditions A and B. Hence, "A or B" is false only if both condition A is false and condition B is false. When condition A is true and condition B is also true, "A or B" is also true. When condition A is true and condition B is false, "A or B" is true. When condition B is true and condition A is false, "A or B" is true. In other words, the term "or," as used herein, should not be construed as an exclusive disjunction. The term "xor" is used where an exclusive disjunction is intended.

[00113] As used herein, the term processor can include general-purpose processors, specialized processors such as VLSI, FPGAs, and other types of specialized processors, as well as base-band processors used in transceivers to send, receive, and process wireless communications.

[00114] It should be understood that many of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a module can be implemented as a hardware circuit (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module can also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

[00115] Modules can also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of executable code can, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which can, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module do not have to be physically located together, but can comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module. [00116] Indeed, a module of executable code can be a single instruction, or many instructions, and can even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data can be identified and illustrated herein within modules, and can be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data can be collected as a single data set, or can be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and can exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network. The modules can be passive or active, including agents operable to perform desired functions.

[00117] As used herein, the term "processor" can include general purpose processors, specialized processors such as VLSI, FPGAs, and other types of specialized processors, as well as base band processors used in transceivers to send, receive, and process wireless communications.

[00118] Reference throughout this specification to "an example" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in an example" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[00119] As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials can be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. In addition, various embodiments and examples can be referred to herein along with alternatives for the various components thereof. It is understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as de facto equivalents of one another, but are to be considered as separate and autonomous.

[00120] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the foregoing description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of layouts, distances, network examples, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the some embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, layouts, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of different embodiments.

[00121] While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles used in various embodiments in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is not intended that the claimed matter be limited, except as by the claims set forth below.