Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) and a base station may communicate medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (PDUs). The UE and base station may use a set of decoding conditions, or a decoding configuration, to identify a set of code block groups (CBGs) within a packet that include MAC-control elements (CEs). For example, the decoding configuration may indicate a fixed set of CBGs which contain the MAC-CEs within a MAC PDU. In another example, the configuration may specify a limit on the number and/or size of the MAC-CEs within each MAC PDU packet. In any case, the decoding configuration may provide rules known by both transmitting and receiving devices for identifying and decoding CBGs that include MAC-CEs such that MAC-CE information may be applied by the receiving wireless device.

Methods and systems are provided to allow signals for multiple service slices using sub-bands that are part of a system bandwidth. In some cases the signals for a given service slice are self-contained within the sub-band in the sense that channels for initial access and ongoing communications are all located within the sub-band. A receiver that is only accessing the given service slice need only be capable of receiving the sub-band. The method may involve transmitting, in a first logical frequency resource, first data and first signaling information associated with the first data, the first signaling information including initial access information associated with the first data, and transmitting, in a second logical frequency resource, second signaling information associated with second data.

A backward compatible frame reuse mechanism that allows new information to be defined a reused frame without causing any incorrect operation in a legacy receive device. To generate a reused frame, a portion of the frame in the first format is masked with a predetermined masking sequence (PMS) and thereby redefined as new fields in a second format. When a device that supports the reuse scheme receives a frame that possible is a reused frame, the device checks the potentially reused portion according to the first format after de-masking and also checks according to the second format without de-masking. Based on the check results, the device selects a format to resolve the frame. A legacy device receiving the reused frame only checks the reused portion without de-masking, which results in a certain check error and makes the device discard the frame without any harmful operation.

A method for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system includes determining a coverage enhancement (CE) mode, wherein the CE mode is determined as one of a plurality of predetermined CE modes, wherein the plurality of predetermined CE modes comprise CE mode A and CE mode B; receiving downlink control information (DCI) related to scheduling a data channel, wherein a format of the DCI is related to the CE mode; and communicating the data channel based on the DCI. Further, determining the CE mode includes based on information related to indicating the CE mode being received, determining the CE mode as identical to the CE mode indicated based on the information.

A Level-1 (L1) signaling flag is mapped to unused (invalid) bit sequences in Part 1 of the HS-SCCH—that is, Part 1 bit encodings that are not defined in the UTRAN specifications—and a corresponding L1 command is encoded in Part 2. This allows UE (18) to detect early that the HS-SCCH is pure L1 signaling, and the UE (18) may avoid wasting power by not processing an accompanying HS-PDSCH. Alternatively, in CPC HS-SCCH-less mode, the UE (18) may blind decode the HS PDSCH. In one embodiment, a general DRX mode is defined and controlled via L1 signaling. In one embodiment, a UE (18) acknowledgement improves the L1 signaling accuracy. In one embodiment, a L1 signal and UE (18) acknowledgement protocol are utilized to “ping” a UE (18).

A wireless communication terminal is disclosed. The wireless communication terminal includes a transceiver transmitting/receiving a wireless signal, and a processor controlling an operation of the wireless communication terminal. The transceiver obtains a signaling field from a physical frame including data to be transmitted from a base wireless communication terminal to each of a plurality of wireless communication terminals including the wireless communication terminal, and receives, from the physical frame based on the signaling field, the data having been transmitted from the base wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication terminal. The signaling field signals information about the plurality of wireless communication terminals. The base wireless communication terminal is any one wireless communication terminal different from the plurality of wireless communication terminals.

A first communication device receives an aggregated data unit from a second communication device. The aggregated data unit aggregates (i) one or more sets of multiple data units, each set of multiple data units to be acknowledged by a respective block acknowledgement and (ii) one or more single data units, each single data unit to be acknowledged by a respective single acknowledgement. The first communication device generates a block acknowledgment frame that includes (i) block acknowledgement information to acknowledge the one or more sets of multiple data units, and (ii) single acknowledgment information to acknowledge the one or more single data units, where the block acknowledgement frame omits an indication that the block acknowledgement frame includes the single acknowledgement information. The first communication device causes the block acknowledgement frame to be transmitted to the second communication device.

A method performed by a STA may comprise receiving data of a MU-HE-PPDU, from an AP. The MU-HE-PPDU may comprise a HE-SIG-A field, a first HE-SIG-B portion and a second HE-SIG-B portion. The first HE-SIG-B portion may be received on a first channel and the second HE-SIG-B portion may be received on a second channel which is different than the first channel. The first HE-SIG-B portion may include one or more STA identifiers.

A wireless communication terminal for wireless communication is disclosed. The wireless communication terminal includes: a transceiver; and a processor. The processor is configured to transmit a non-legacy physical layer frame including a legacy signaling field including information decodable by a legacy wireless communication terminal by using the transceiver.

An OFDMA system having a reduced overhead, particularly suitable for narrow bandwidth systems, in which uplink and downlink map messages have reduced length for efficiency.