Method, system and apparatus for transmitting zero-filled signals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transmitting a zero-filled signal related to zero filling of a transmission symbol to be transmitted in a wireless communication network. Signaling indicating such zero padding is transmitted between communication devices, and a zero-padding transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied and a cyclic prefix prior to the zero-padding transmission symbol are transmitted by a transmitting device and received by a receiving device. In some embodiments, the zero padding includes a head zero padding at a head of a transmission symbol and a tail zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol. Zero filling may also be applied to a reference signal sequence on which a reference signal for channel estimation is based.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to communicating, via transmission and / or reception, signals that have been zero-padded. Background Art

[0002] In some wireless communication systems, a cyclic prefix (CP) is used to provide a guard interval between consecutive transmitted symbols. The guard interval helps reduce the possible impact of one symbol on another, such as inter-symbol interference (ISI). For example, in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, a copy of a portion of the end of an OFDM symbol is inserted before the symbol as a CP.

[0003] For the fifth generation (5 th Early work on 5G (5th generation) communications systems recognized that OFDM could be adapted to different 5G requirements using adjustable parameters, rather than being designed for the worst-case multipath delay spread, which refers to the different delays a signal experiences on the shortest and longest paths in a multipath environment. See J. G. Andrews, “What Will 5G Be?”, IEEE JSAC Special Issue on 5G Wireless Communications Systems, September 2014. In practice, this applies not only to OFDM, but also to discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) and, more recently, single carrier offset quadrature amplitude modulation (SC-OQAM).

[0004] In other words, Berardinelli et al. proposed zero-tail DFT-s-OFDM in 5G networks. See G. Berardinelli et al., "On the potential of zero-tail DFT-spread-OFDM in 5G networks", IEEE VTC, 2014, which claims the advantages of no CP, maintaining the same signal symbol length, and being able to adapt to different channel delay spreads. While being able to adapt to different channel delay spreads while maintaining the same signal symbol length may indeed be an attractive feature, the absence of CP may be detrimental to time domain synchronization. In addition, zero-tail DFT-s-OFDM based on physical resource blocks (PRBs) may have very high overhead. For example, given 1 subcarrier (8.3% overhead) leading zeros, and 2 subcarriers (16.7% overhead) trailing zeros, the total overhead is 25%.

[0005] U.S. Patent No. 9,313,063B1, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Transmitting Data with Conditional Zero Padding”, issued on April 12, 2016, proposes conditional zero padding, where each symbol is preceded by a fixed-length CP, and each symbol conditionally includes sufficient zero padding to avoid ISI between consecutive symbols. If the fixed length of the CP is sufficient to avoid ISI between consecutive symbols, the symbol may omit zero padding, otherwise the symbol may include sufficient zero padding to avoid ISI between consecutive symbols.

[0006] The design of padding patterns is not considered in detail in the above-referenced studies, and the reference signal effect that may be produced by zero padding remains a challenge in some scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to zero pattern generation for zero padding of symbols to help reduce or avoid ISI, and corresponding reference signal design.

[0008] As will be shown in more detail below, the circular convolution effect in DFT-s-OFDM, SC-OQAM and other CP-based single-carrier waveforms causes the head pulse in the current symbol to interfere with subsequent symbols, and the tail pulse to be interfered by the previous interfering symbol.

[0009] Because the leading pulse and the tail pulse are related to each other in a cyclic manner, the leading zero and the tail zero are also related to each other. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein propose a zero padding design involving any of several schemes for allocating leading zero and tail zero to avoid or reduce problematic ISI between consecutive symbols.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method involves a first communication device transmitting signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network. The zero padding includes a head zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and a tail zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol. The method also involves the first communication device sending a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix before the zero-padded transmission symbol to a second communication device in the wireless communication network.

[0011] Another method involves a second communication device transmitting such signaling in a wireless communication network. As described above, the signaling indicates zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent by a first communication device in the wireless communication network, and the zero padding includes a head zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and a tail zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol. This method may involve the second communication device receiving, from the first communication device, a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix before the zero-padded transmission symbol.

[0012] In an apparatus embodiment, an apparatus may include a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a program executed by the processor.

[0013] The storage medium need not necessarily be implemented in or in conjunction with such a device or only in such a device. For example, a computer program product may be or include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executed by a processor.

[0014] The program stored in the computer-readable storage medium may include instructions, which are used for or executed by a processor to cause an apparatus to perform, implement, support or enable any method disclosed herein.

[0015] For example, the program may include instructions, the instructions being used to or being executed by a processor to cause the apparatus: a first communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network; the first communication device transmits a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix before the zero-padded transmission symbol to a second communication device in the wireless communication network. The zero padding includes a head zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and a tail zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol.

[0016] In another embodiment, the program includes instructions for or by being executed by a processor to cause an apparatus: a second communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent by a first communication device in the wireless communication network; the second communication device receives the zero-padded transmission symbol from the first communication device, and a cyclic prefix before the zero-padded transmission symbol. The zero padding has been applied to the zero-padded transmission symbol and includes a head zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and a tail zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol.

[0017] Zero padding for a reference signal sequence is also disclosed. An exemplary method involves: a first communication device transmitting signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network; the first communication device sending the zero-padded transmission symbol and a reference signal for channel estimation to a second communication device in the wireless communication network. The zero padding has been applied to the zero-padded transmission symbol, and the reference signal is based on a sequence that is shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and is zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

[0018] According to another method embodiment, a method involves a second communication device transmitting signaling and receiving a zero-padded transmission symbol and a reference signal for channel estimation. The signaling indicates zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent by a first communication device in a wireless communication network. The zero-padded transmission symbol and the reference signal are received by the second communication device from the first communication device. The zero padding has been applied to the zero-padded transmission symbol, and the reference signal is based on a sequence that is shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and is zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol (also as described above and elsewhere herein).

[0019] Features related to zero padding of reference signals are not in any way limited to method embodiments.Apparatus embodiments and computer program product embodiments are also possible, examples of which are also provided above and elsewhere herein.

[0020] The program stored in the storage medium executed by the processor may include instructions for or by being executed by the processor to cause the device: the first communication device (and / or the second communication device) transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to the transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network. Such a program may also include instructions for or by being executed by the processor to cause the device: the first communication device sends zero-padded transmission symbols and reference signals for channel estimation to the second communication device in the wireless communication network; and / or the second communication device receives zero-padded transmission symbols and reference signals for channel estimation from the first communication device. Regardless of whether such transmission and sending is performed by the first communication device or transmission and reception is performed by the second communication device, the zero padding has been applied to the zero-padded transmission symbol, and the reference signal is based on a sequence that is shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and is zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system includes a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is used to send a zero-filled transmission symbol. The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a transmission symbol to which zero filling has been applied. The zero filling includes a head zero filling at the head of the transmission symbol and a tail zero filling at the tail of the transmission symbol. The first communication device is also used to send a cyclic prefix before the zero-filled transmission symbol. The second communication device is used to receive the zero-filled transmission symbol from the first communication device, and the zero-filled transmission symbol includes the transmission symbol to which zero filling has been applied and a cyclic prefix before the zero-filled transmission symbol.

[0022] The present disclosure encompasses these and other aspects or embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] For a more complete understanding of the present embodiment and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings by way of example.

[0024] Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of the communication system.

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary communication system in FIG.

[0026] Figure 3 Exemplary electronic devices and base station examples are shown.

[0027] Figure 4 Shows units or modules in the device.

[0028] Figure 5 Included is a plot of signal pulse amplitude versus sampling index, and illustrates the effect of circular convolution in DFT-s-OFDM.

[0029] Figure 6 A transmission data format according to an embodiment is shown.

[0030] Figure 7 A transmission data format according to another embodiment is shown.

[0031] Figure 8 A flow chart illustrating the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0032] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 is a signal flow diagram of uplink communication according to an embodiment.

[0033] Fig.10 FIG. 4 is a signal flow diagram of downlink communication according to an embodiment.

[0034] Fig.11 is a signal flow diagram of sidelink communication according to one embodiment.

[0035] Fig.12 is a signal flow diagram of sidelink communication according to another embodiment.

[0036] Fig.13 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary transmitter according to an embodiment.

[0037] Fig.14 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary receiver according to an embodiment.

[0038] Fig.15 The frequency domain diagram of the ZC sequence after zero padding is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] For illustrative purposes, specific exemplary embodiments will be explained in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] The embodiments set forth herein represent information sufficient to practice the claimed subject matter and illustrate methods of practicing such subject matter. After reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the claimed subject matter and will recognize that the application of these concepts is not specifically mentioned herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

[0041] refer to Figure 1, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided as an illustrative example but not limiting. The communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. The radio access network 120 may be a next generation (e.g., sixth generation (6G) or higher) radio access network or a conventional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G or 2G) radio access network. One or more communication electronic devices (electric devices, ED) 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g, 110h, 110i, 110j (generally referred to as 110) may be interconnected with each other or connected to one or more network nodes (170a and 170b, generally referred to as 170) in the radio access network 120. The core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may be dependent on or independent of the radio access technology used in the communication system 100. In addition, the communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150 and other networks 160.

[0042] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown. Typically, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired elements to transmit data and other content. The purpose of the communication system 100 may be to provide content such as voice, data, video and / or text by broadcast, multicast and unicast, etc. The communication system 100 may operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth between its constituent elements. The communication system 100 may include a terrestrial communication system and / or a non-terrestrial communication system. The communication system 100 may provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.). The communication system 100 may provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of a terrestrial communication system and a non-terrestrial communication system. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or its components) into a terrestrial communication system may produce a heterogeneous network that may be considered to include multiple layers. Compared with traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks may obtain better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching between terrestrial networks and non-terrestrial networks.

[0043] Terrestrial communication systems and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered as subsystems of the communication system. Figure 2In the example shown, the communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d (generally referred to as EDs 110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a, 120b, non-terrestrial communication networks 120c, core networks 130, public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. The RANs 120a, 120b include corresponding base stations (BSs) 170a, 170b, which may be generally referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a, 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes an access node 172, which may be generally referred to as a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP) 172.

[0044] Alternatively or in addition, any ED 110 may be used to connect, access or communicate with any T-TRP 170a, 170b and NT-TRP 172, the Internet 150, the core network 130, the PSTN 140, other networks 160, or any combination of the foregoing. In some examples, ED 110a may communicate with T-TRP 170a for uplink and / or downlink transmissions via a ground air interface 190a. In some examples, ED 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d may also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d may communicate with NT-TRP 172 for uplink and / or downlink transmissions via a non-ground air interface 190c.

[0045] The air interfaces 190a and 190b may use similar communication technologies, such as any applicable wireless access technology. For example, the communication system 100 may implement one or more channel access methods in the air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), space division multiple access (SDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). The air interfaces 190a and 190b may utilize other high-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve a combination of orthogonal dimensions and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0046] The non-terrestrial air interface 190c may enable communication between ED 110d and one or more NT-TRPs 172 via a wireless link or a simple link. For some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection between a group of EDs 110 and one or more NT-TRPs 175 for multicast transmission.

[0047] The RANs 120a and 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services to the EDs 110a, 110b, 110c. The RANs 120a and 120b and / or the core network 130 may communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130 and may or may not use the same radio access technology as the RANs 120a, 120b, or both. The core network 130 may also serve as a gateway access between (i) the RANs 120a and 120b or the EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c, or both, and (ii) other networks (e.g., the PSTN 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160). In addition, some or all of the EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include functionality to communicate with different wireless networks over different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. EDs 110a, 110b, 110c may communicate with a service provider or switch (not shown) and with the Internet 150 via a wired communication channel, rather than via wireless communication (or also via wireless communication). PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). Internet 150 may include computer networks and subnets (intranets), and include protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), etc. EDs 110a, 110b, 110c may be multi-mode devices capable of operating according to a variety of wireless access technologies, and include a plurality of transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0048] Figure 3Another example of ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b and / or 170c is shown. ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable devices, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.

[0049] Each ED 110 represents any suitable end-user device for wireless operation, and may include (or may be referred to as): user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile user unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronic device, smart book, vehicle, car, truck, bus, train or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices in the above devices (such as communication modules, modems or chips), etc. The next generation ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are each T-TRP and will be referred to as T-TRP 170 hereinafter. In addition, as Figure 3 As shown in FIG, the NT-TRP will be referred to hereinafter as NT-TRP 172. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 may be dynamically or semi-statically opened (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), closed (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connection availability and connection necessity.

[0050] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown. Alternatively, one, part or all of the antennas may be panels. Transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be integrated into a transceiver, for example. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission through at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver may also be used to demodulate data or other content received by at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received by wireless or wired means. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structure for sending and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0051] ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules that implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and are executed by one or more processing units (e.g., processor 210). Each memory 208 includes any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Any suitable type of memory may be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, on-processor cache, etc.

[0052] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., connected to Figure 1 The input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices in the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving information from a user through operation, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display or touch screen, including network interface communication.

[0053] ED 110 includes a processor 210 for performing operations including operations related to preparing uplink transmissions sent to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, and operations related to processing sidelink transmissions to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing to send uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding received symbols. According to an embodiment, the downlink transmission may be received by receiver 203, possibly using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmission (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding the signaling). An example of signaling may be a reference signal sent by NT-TRP 172 and / or by T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 210 implements transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on an indication of a beam direction, such as beam angle information (BAI), received from the T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting a synchronization sequence, decoding, and obtaining system information. In some embodiments, for example, the processor 210 may perform channel estimation using a reference signal received from the NT-TRP 172 and / or the T-TRP 170.

[0054] Although not shown, the processor 210 may constitute a part of the transmitter 201 and / or a part of the receiver 203. Although not shown, the memory 208 may constitute a part of the processor 210.

[0055] The processor 210, the processing components of the transmitter 201, and the processing components of the receiver 203 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors that are used to execute instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processor 210, the processing components of the transmitter 201, and the processing components of the receiver 203 may each be implemented using dedicated circuits, such as a programmed field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphical processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0056] The T-TRP 170 may have other names in some implementations, such as base station, base transceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network side device, sending / receiving node, Node B, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP), wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device, ground base station, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), centralized unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The T-TRP 170 may be a macro BS, a micro BS, a relay node, a host node, etc., or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the above-mentioned device or a means in the above-mentioned device (eg, a communication module, a modem, or a chip).

[0057] In some embodiments, various parts of the T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of the T-TRP 170 may be located away from the device that houses the antenna 256 of the T-TRP 170, and may be coupled to the device that houses the antenna 256 through a communication link (not shown) sometimes referred to as a fronthaul, such as a common public radio interface (CPRI). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term T-TRP 170 may also refer to modules on the network side that perform processing operations such as ED 110 location determination, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, which are not necessarily part of the device that houses the antenna 256 of the T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, the T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs that operate together to serve the ED 110, for example, by using coordinated multi-point transmission.

[0058] The T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown. Alternatively, one, some or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 252 and the receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. The T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 260 for performing operations including those related to: preparing downlink transmissions sent to the ED 110; processing uplink transmissions received from the ED 110; preparing backhaul transmissions sent to the NT-TRP 172; and processing transmissions received from the NT-TRP 172 via the backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing to send downlink transmissions or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., multiple input multiple output (MIMO) precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via the backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating received symbols, and decoding received symbols. The processor 260 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the content of a synchronization signal block (SSB), generating system information, etc. In some embodiments, the processor 260 also generates an indication of a beam direction, such as a BAI, which may be scheduled for transmission by the scheduler 253. The processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of the ED 110, determining the location of the deployed NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, the processor 260 may generate signaling, such as one or more parameters for configuring the ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of the NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by the processor 260 is sent by the transmitter 252. Note that "signaling" as used herein may alternatively be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling may be sent in a control channel such as a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher layer signaling may be included in a data packet sent in a data channel such as a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0059] The scheduler 253 may be coupled to the processor 260. The scheduler 253 may be included in the T-TRP 170 or may operate separately from the T-TRP 170. The scheduler 253 may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling grants and / or configuring scheduling-free (“configuration grants”) resources. The T-TRP 170 also includes a memory 258 for storing information and data. The memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the T-TRP 170. For example, the memory 258 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functionality and / or embodiments described herein and executed by the processor 260.

[0060] Although not shown, the processor 260 may constitute a part of the transmitter 252 and / or a part of the receiver 254. In addition, although not shown, the processor 260 may implement the scheduler 253. Although not shown, the memory 258 may constitute a part of the processor 260.

[0061] The processor 260, the scheduler 253, the processing components of the transmitter 252, and the processing components of the receiver 254 may each be implemented by the same or different processors in one or more processors, which are used to execute instructions stored in a memory, such as the memory 258. Alternatively, some or all of the processor 260, the scheduler 253, the processing components of the transmitter 252, and the processing components of the receiver 254 may be implemented using a dedicated circuit such as an FPGA, a GPU, or an ASIC.

[0062] It should be noted that the NT-TRP 172 is shown as a drone only as an example, but the NT-TRP 172 can be implemented in any suitable non-ground form. In addition, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 can have other names, such as a non-ground node, a non-ground network device, or a non-ground base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown. Alternatively, one, part, or all of the antennas can be panels. The transmitter 272 and the receiver 274 can be integrated into a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing operations including those related to: preparing downlink transmissions sent to the ED 110; processing uplink transmissions received from the ED 110; preparing backhaul transmissions sent to the T-TRP 170; and processing transmissions received from the T-TRP 170 via the backhaul. Processing operations associated with preparing to transmit a downlink transmission or a backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations associated with processing a transmission received in the uplink or via a backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating received signals, and decoding received symbols. In some embodiments, the processor 276 implements transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from the T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 276 may generate signaling, such as one or more parameters for configuring the ED 110. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing, but does not implement higher-level functions such as functions of the medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layer. Since this is just an example, more generally, in addition to physical layer processing, the NT-TRP 172 may also implement higher-level functions.

[0063] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. Although not shown, the processor 276 may constitute a part of the transmitter 272 and / or a part of the receiver 274. Although not shown, the memory 278 may constitute a part of the processor 276.

[0064] Processor 276, the processing components of transmitter 272, and the processing components of receiver 274 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors that execute instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of processor 276, the processing components of transmitter 272, and the processing components of receiver 274 may be implemented using dedicated circuits such as a programmed FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 may actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, via coordinated multi-point transmission.

[0065] The T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172, and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0066] One or more steps of the exemplary methods provided herein may be performed according to Figure 4 The corresponding unit or module is executed. Figure 4 Units or modules in devices such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172 are shown. For example, a signal can be sent by a sending unit or a sending module. A signal can be received by a receiving unit or a receiving module. A signal can be processed by a processing unit or a processing module. Other steps can be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules can be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices that execute software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units or modules can be integrated circuits, such as programmed FPGAs, GPUs, ASICs. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented by (for example) a processor using software for execution, these modules can be retrieved by the processor in whole or in part as needed, retrieved individually or collectively for processing, retrieved in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0067] Other details about ED 110, T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0068] Having considered communications more broadly above, the following will focus on specific example implementations.

[0069] Figure 5 Includes a plot of signal pulse amplitude versus sampling index and illustrates the effect of cyclic convolution in DFT-s-OFDM. Note that DFT-s-OFDM is only an example; see Figure 5The discussion of signal properties and exemplary embodiments and features disclosed herein may also or alternatively be applied to other CP-based single carrier approaches, such as SC-OQAM.

[0070] like Figure 5 As shown, the energy of the first header pulse appears at the end of the DFT-s-OFDM symbol; on the other hand, the energy of the last pulse at the tail of the symbol also appears at the head. In fact, the signal pulses are circularly convolved in the time domain.

[0071] This means that the header pulse may cause interference to the next DFT-s-OFDM symbol due to the circular convolution effect in DFT-s-OFDM. This is possible even when zero padding is used for the tail. The header pulse may still cause severe ISI to the next symbol. The tail pulse may also be interfered by the previous interfering symbol, also due to the circular convolution effect in DFT-s-OFDM.

[0072] Therefore, when the CP length is shorter than the multipath extension, both the head pulse and the tail pulse will be affected by ISI. In addition, both the head pulse and the tail pulse will interfere with the next symbol. These two properties indicate that both the head zero and the tail zero can be used in conditional zero filling. The head pulse and the tail pulse are interrelated in a cyclic manner, which means that the head zero and the tail zero are also interrelated. This also means that, to a certain extent, the head zero and the tail zero can be interchanged. In this context, the embodiments disclosed herein propose a zero filling design, which can involve any of several ways of allocating the head zero and the tail zero.

[0073] Consider an example where only one pulse will be set to zero. In this case, the zero pulse should be the first pulse in the header. Not only is the first pulse most susceptible to ISI, but it will also cause ISI to the next symbol. The next question becomes how to set zeros sequentially when more pulses will be set to zero.

[0074] Setting the trailing zeros has two effects. The trailing zeros reduce the ISI to the next symbol. This is somewhat equivalent to setting the header pulse to zero, except that with only the trailing zeros, the guard interval is in the previous symbol, not the current symbol. However, when the header pulse is set to zero, the guard interval is in the current symbol, which may be preferable because the guard interval in the current symbol provides better control against ISI from the previous symbol in the current symbol.

[0075] Another effect of setting the trailing zero instead of the leading zero is that it avoids interference from the leading zero. Figure 5It can be seen that the amplitude of the last tail pulse is smaller than that of the head pulse, which is only visible in part of the figure. For example, the amplitude of the tail pulse may be only about 10% of its peak value at the head position and then slowly decrease. If one or more of the last samples is set to zero (i.e., for tail zeros), most of the ISI suffered by the tail pulse can be eliminated.

[0076] The multipath energy that appears in the trailing zero-fill region is not lost. This multipath energy can be recovered during equalization.

[0077] On the other hand, setting leading zeros also reduces the ISI to the next symbol. For example, by setting the first two samples to zero, most of the ISI caused by the header pulse can be eliminated. Leading zeros also have the effect of reducing or avoiding interference from the previous symbol, which is actually the same as inserting additional guard intervals. Note that in this regard, setting the tail pulse to zero and setting the header pulse to zero have similar effects, as both produce more guard intervals. The difference between these guard interval methods is that for the former (tailing zeros), the guard interval is in the previous symbol, while for the latter (leading zeros), the guard interval is in the current symbol.

[0078] For ease of reference, the time domain data sequence s is represented by i , i=0,1,…,L-1, where 'L' is the sequence length, and position or index i=0 corresponds to the symbol header. Two applications or scenarios of zero padding are considered below. In the first application or scenario, a universal configuration, which may also or alternatively be referred to as (for example) a fixed configuration, is applied to all communication devices, so all communication devices use the same zero padding pattern. In the second application or scenario, different configurations may be applied to different communication devices, so that the communication devices may use different zero padding patterns, including not using any zero padding. In other words, in the first scenario, even though the communication may be based on time division multiplexing (TDM), each communication device uses the same zero padding configuration and pattern, while in the second scenario, each communication device may use a different zero padding configuration and pattern.

[0079] In a first scenario with a general configuration, according to an embodiment, zero padding weights the trailing zeros. For example, a zero padding pattern, which may also or alternatively be referred to as (for example) a zero padding sequence, may be represented by a position or index in a symbol, such as i=0, L-1, 1, L-2, 2, L-3, L-4... until a target guard interval is reached. Zero padding for providing a target guard interval does not replace the CP, but rather compensates for a CP of insufficient length to avoid ISI or at least reduce ISI to a target level or by a target amount. Thus, for example, a zero padding pattern may be designed or otherwise determined based on a target guard interval, ISI avoidance, or a target ISI reduction.

[0080] In some implementations, the amount of zero padding, or in other words, the length of the zero padding sequence, is selected so that, in addition to the fixed length of the CP, the length of the zero padding is greater than or equal to the delay spread of the multipath channel. The amount or length of zero padding of a transmitted symbol is a time value in the time domain and can have a discrete value based on the number of zeros to be used for zero padding.

[0081] Reference is made herein to zero padding sufficient to avoid ISI between consecutive symbols. It should be understood that avoiding ISI generally means circumventing all or most problematic ISI. However, there may still be some ISI, which may be referred to as benign ISI, which may or may not even be detected. Problematic ISI refers to ISI that has a real impact on recovering data. Problematic ISI can make data difficult or even impossible to recover. Benign ISI generally refers to ISI that has no real impact on recovering data. No special consideration is required to handle benign ISI. When most of the energy from the first symbol falls within the cyclic prefix of the subsequent symbol due to channel delay spread, rather than reaching the body or payload data of the subsequent symbol, the ISI between the first symbol and the subsequent symbol can be avoided. It should also be noted that embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to mitigate or reduce problematic ISI, but not completely eliminate problematic ISI. For example, some embodiments can be implemented so that only a target amount, such as a certain proportion of problematic ISI, is eliminated, or a target reduction of problematic ISI is provided.

[0082] In the exemplary zero-filling pattern above, i=0 indicates that the first leading zero is assigned at the head of the symbol, i=L-1 indicates that the first trailing zero is assigned at the tail of the symbol, then another leading zero is assigned at i=1, then another trailing zero is assigned at i=L-2, another leading zero is assigned at i=2, and another trailing zero is assigned at i=L-3. This shows that the zero-filling pattern may initially alternate between leading and trailing zeros at the first few leading and trailing positions (three in this example), and then shift toward trailing zeros starting at position i=L-4 in this example.

[0083] The specific distribution of leading zeros and trailing zeros in the zero-filling pattern may be different in other embodiments. The above examples are for illustrative purposes only. A zero-filling pattern that is weighted toward trailing zeros or that is more biased toward trailing zeros than leading zeros may or may not alternate between leading zeros and trailing zeros to evenly distribute zero filling between the first one or more positions of the symbol head and tail before allocating more zeros toward the tail. Typically, according to embodiments herein, in a fixed application or scenario, the zero-filling pattern includes leading zeros and trailing zeros, but there are more trailing zeros than leading zeros.

[0084] Figure 6 A transmission data format according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 6The illustrated embodiment illustrates an application or scenario where a common configuration is applied to all communication devices, and zero padding weights trailing zeros more than leading zeros, as shown. Figure 6 Also shown is the CP where the tail portion at the end of the symbol is copied to before the symbol header.

[0085] According to the terminology used in this article, a transmission symbol is a symbol that is transmitted before padding. Figure 6 The content shown as "non-zero data" is shown by way of example in FIG. A zero-padded transmission symbol includes leading zeros, non-zero data, and trailing zeros. The CP is inserted before the zero-padded transmission symbol, but it does not itself constitute a part of the zero-padded transmission symbol to which zero padding has been applied. Although Figure 6 The symbol data or payload is labeled "non-zero data", but this particular label is intended to illustrate that this portion of the symbol is not zero-padded. A symbol may include one or more zero values ​​that are not part of the zero padding. In order to maintain a fixed symbol length for transmission, the zero padding forms part of the transmitted symbol after the zero padding, which means that the transmitted symbol after the zero padding may include less data when the zero padding is present, relative to a symbol of the same length that does not include any zero padding. Therefore, for a fixed symbol length, there is a trade-off between using zero padding to better protect the data and not using zero padding to achieve a higher effective data rate.

[0086] The tail weighted zero padding method has a benefit that the header data does not cause high interference to the next symbol because at least some of the header zero padding is used even if there are more tail zeros than head zeros in the zero padding pattern. In the early stages of the zero padding pattern, ISI that might otherwise be caused by the header data can be controlled by some of the head zero padding. In the above example, the head zero padding is allocated in alternating head-tail portions of the zero padding pattern, but other embodiments are possible. Typically, one or more head zeros for reducing head-induced ISI are allocated in a zero padding pattern, either continuously with several head zeros allocated first, or in a head-tail alternating sequence or other "hybrid" head-tail initial sequence, and more zeros are allocated to the tail of the symbol to help collect multipath energy in the tail zero region.

[0087] The number of leading zeros for the tail-weighted zero-padding method may depend on any of a variety of factors. While the target ISI reduction or avoidance is expected to be the primary factor, implementation details may also or instead be considered. For example, in SC-OQAM, especially when a root-raised cosine window is employed, the leading pulse sidelobes tend to decay rapidly, which means that in the tail-weighted zero-padding method for SC-OQAM, fewer leading zeros may be allocated to achieve the ISI target compared to DFT-s-OFDM.

[0088] These advantages are achieved by allocating more zeros to the tail of a symbol compared to the head of the symbol while keeping the ISI from the head to the next symbol under control.

[0089] In another scenario or application, the zero padding configuration may be different for different communication devices. Therefore, for example, due to a low signal to noise ratio (SNR), the previous symbol or the next symbol may or may not use zero padding. This means that without sufficient leading zero padding, the current symbol sent by a communication device may suffer from severe ISI from the previous symbol, and a large amount of trailing zero padding in the current symbol may be wasted because the next symbol may not necessarily need trailing zero padding to handle ISI.

[0090] At least as described above, the trailing zero padding can be viewed as a guard interval in the previous symbol. In scenarios involving different zero padding configurations, it may be preferred to provide a guard interval in the current symbol so that each symbol can be better protected, or at least each symbol can better control its own level of protection against ISI, regardless of the zero padding configuration of other communication devices.

[0091] With this in mind, according to another embodiment, in the zero padding mode, more leading zeros are allocated than trailing zeros. For example, due to the circular convolution nature of DFT-s-OFDM, SC-OQAM, and other CP-based single carrier methods, trailing zeros can still be used to protect the tail data from ISI. Therefore, in this scenario, the zero padding mode may weight the leading zero padding, but initially also allocate one or more trailing zeros before transitioning to a heavier leading weighting.

[0092] For example, a head weighted zero padding pattern may be represented by a position or index in a symbol, such as i=0, 1, L-1, 2, L-2, 3, 4, ..., until a target guard interval is reached. The specific padding order in the head weighted zero padding pattern may be different from this particular example, but typically the tail zero padding is limited to a small number of pulses that are less in number than the leading zeros. Relative to the scenario involving the universal zero padding configuration, the fewer tail zeros for the scenario involving the different zero padding configurations loses some of the multipath energy captured in the universal configuration scenario, but is actually a trade-off for better protection of the current symbol and user (associated with the communication device) in the different configuration scenarios. The leading zeros in the different configuration scenarios can more directly control the ISI protection level of the symbol because the guard interval is within the symbol and its own CP, rather than relying on the tail zeros in the previous symbol (which may or may not be used) to provide a partial guard interval.

[0093] Figure 7 A transmission data format according to another embodiment is shown. Figure 7The illustrated embodiment illustrates an application or scenario where the zero padding configurations of different communication devices may be different, and the zero padding weights leading zeros more than trailing zeros, as shown. Figure 7 The content is similar to Figure 6 The content is similar in that Figure 7 An illustration of the symbol data or payload including the CP that copies the trailer portion at the end of the symbol before the header of the symbol, and labeled "non-zero data."

[0094] An advantage of the head weighted zero padding approach is that the zero padding itself is contained within the symbol and is therefore decoupled from the zero padding configuration of other communication devices transmitting the previous or next symbol. Another potential advantage is that at least some tail zero padding is used so that at least some positions in the tail of the symbol are free of ISI or at least have reduced ISI due to the circular convolution nature of the data pulses occurring in the head.

[0095] These advantages are achieved by allocating more zeros to the head of the symbol than to the tail, which achieves "self-contained" protection against ISI while keeping ISI under control from the head to the tail of the symbol.

[0096] Turning now to signaling, some aspects of the present disclosure relate to signaling design, which aims to optimize or at least improve system performance while using efficient signaling that minimizes or at least reduces added overhead. In some embodiments, these advantages can be achieved by utilizing a predefined zero padding pattern, which can, for example, specify a zero padding order taking into account a conventional CP length.

[0097] For example, in some embodiments, the normal CP length is configured according to the channel profile as part of the parameter set configuration in a manner similar to that implemented in New Radio (NR). However, compared to NR, the CP length selection when supporting zero padding can be more aggressive, for example, in the sense that a shorter CP can be configured as a common CP length. In fact, additional zero padding can be configured to extend the guard interval that would otherwise be provided by the common CP.

[0098] One element of signaling design may involve zero padding patterns. For example, several zero padding patterns may be defined, which may also or alternatively be referred to as zero padding rules. Different zero padding patterns may be defined for static or semi-static configuration and dynamic configuration of zero padding.

[0099] The zero padding to be applied to the transmission symbols may be indicated in the signaling in any of a variety of ways. The zero padding pattern to be used may itself be indicated in the signaling. Multiple zero padding patterns may be distributed and stored at the communication device, preconfigured at the communication device, or may be otherwise available at the communication device, in which case an identifier of the zero padding may be indicated in the signaling sent to the communication device.

[0100] Typically, the zero padding pattern indicator indicates to the communication device how to pad zeros, or how to pad zeros in a received transmission symbol after zero padding. For example, the zero padding pattern indicator in the signaling can specify the zero padding order based on, for example, the position or index in the symbol. Starting with the head zero padding and then the tail zero padding, the following are two examples of this type of zero padding pattern indicator: (0,1,L-1,2,L-2...) or (0,1,L-1,2,L-1,3,4...). Other examples of zero padding pattern indicators include the total number of zeros padded at the head and tail of the transmission symbol, the number of head zeros, the number of tail zeros, and the ratio between the zeros padded at the head and tail, etc.

[0101] By specifying a fill order, and in particular pre-configuring a communication device so that the fill order is inherent or embedded in one or more zero fill patterns, signaling overhead may be reduced. In the case where one or more fill patterns are available at a communication device, the signaling may only indicate the number of zeros to be filled, but not how to fill (i.e., how many zeros are at the head of the transmission symbol and how many zeros are at the tail), because this information is already provided in the specified fill pattern or order. Therefore, at least from this perspective, it is beneficial for, for example, a communication standard to specify one or more fill patterns or fill orders.

[0102] For static or semi-static configuration of zero padding, the zero padding can be determined based on, for example, a requirement or target for additional CP length or guard interval, based on one or more of the following: a) a requirement or target for additional coverage for communication and / or sensing; and b) a requirement or target for quality of service (QoS) for different applications, with possibly different zero padding for different applications or services.

[0103] In terms of configuration, "static" is intended to indicate that once a parameter or feature such as CP or zero padding is configured, it is not expected to be updated. "Semi-static" is intended to indicate that the configuration of a parameter or feature such as CP or zero padding may be updated after initial configuration, for example, through RRC signaling.

[0104] Zero padding indicators for static or semi-static configuration can be distributed to multiple communication devices, such as multiple UEs, by, for example, broadcast signaling or multicast signaling. In some embodiments, the zero padding indicator is carried in a master information block (MIB) / minimum system information and / or a system information block (SIB) / remaining minimum system information. Several configurations and mapping relationships with different parameters or factors can be defined, such as parameter sets (e.g., common CP length, subcarrier spacing (SCS)), service requirements, coverage, channel characteristic types, etc. In the case where signaling is transmitted between UEs, other signaling options include RRC signaling and PC5 interface signaling. PC5 refers to a reference point for a UE to communicate directly with another UE through a direct channel. In this case, UE-to-UE communication does not involve communication with network devices such as base stations.

[0105] For dynamic configuration of zero padding, the zero padding indicator may be indicated by, for example, DCI or RRC signaling, but other signaling options mentioned elsewhere in this document may also or alternatively be used in dynamic configuration of zero padding.

[0106] Dynamic configuration can be applied together with static or semi-static configuration and further UE-specific optimization can be performed. For example, the initial CP configuration can be obtained through RRC signaling, and the CP configuration update can be indicated through dynamic signaling.

[0107] Figure 8 Flowchart for illustrating embodiments disclosed herein. In the example shown, optionally, a configuration scenario or "mode" may be determined or selected based at least in part on the environmental measurements at 802. For example, one or more UEs and / or sensors may perform measurements and provide feedback to a network device or other device, which is used to determine whether to configure statically or semi-statically as shown at 810, or dynamically as shown at 820 based on the measurements and feedback.

[0108] In the example shown, determining or selecting and indicating the mode through the MIB, SIB or RRC can be the first step in the zero filling process. For example, the UE can obtain the mode indication or information from the network device during initial access, and in some embodiments, once the mode is determined, the UE can obtain further indications related to zero filling from the network device.

[0109] However, it should be noted that the environment measurement at 802 and the related MIS / SIB / RRC signaling of the configuration mode are optional. Figure 8One reason for the configuration of the zero padding configuration signaling scheme (two of which are shown in FIG) is that different pre-configured, pre-defined, or preset zero padding configurations may then be defined for different modes. However, it is also possible that no "mode" is defined, determined, or selected. In scenarios that do not involve configuring different modes of zero padding, more than one (or a set of) pre-configured, preset, or pre-defined configurations may be defined so that a communication device such as a UE will know which type of zero padding configuration signaling is expected, such as RRC / PC5 (e.g., at 816) or DCI / SCI (e.g., at 826).

[0110] In an embodiment supporting conditional zero padding, zero padding may or may not be used depending on targets such as the guard interval and CP length, there may be no zero padding as shown at 814, preconfigured zero padding as shown at 812, 822 (which may also or alternatively be referred to as preset or predefined zero padding), or device-specific zero padding as shown at 816, 826 as UE-specific zero padding.

[0111] With respect to preconfigured zero padding or preconfigured zero padding configuration, examples include: a zero padding pattern that may, but is not necessarily, associated with a specific environmental condition, a service type such as QoS requirements, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) level, or a configuration mode, and stored by a communication device; a zero padding pattern specified in a communication standard and stored by a communication device when the standard is implemented; an initial zero padding pattern that is set when the communication device is powered on and begins communicating; and a zero padding pattern that is set or otherwise configured in the early stages of network access or communication establishment or configuration.

[0112] More generally, several zero padding modes may be specified, for example, in one or more tables. Some embodiments may involve one table, while other embodiments may involve multiple tables, such as one table for static / semi-static configuration mode and another table for dynamic configuration mode. The zero padding mode may include, for example, a padding order that defines the zero padding order of the transmission symbol header and tail, or a header / tail zero padding ratio.

[0113] Various examples of zero padding indication or mode indication are provided herein. In a table-based embodiment, each zero padding mode may be associated with a table index in a zero padding mode table. The number of bits of mode signaling used to indicate the index is determined by the size of the zero padding table or the number of possible modes.

[0114] Figure 8 The option of zero padding indication in the form of a mode index at 812, 816, 822, 826 is shown, and the signaling option is also shown at Figure 8 These options are only used as examples, and other embodiments may use different signaling options.

[0115] Other configuration features may also or alternatively be provided. Considering a common CP length, for example, in one embodiment, the common CP length is a cell-specific configuration and carried by system information such as SIB, or there may be predefined CP lengths corresponding to different frequency ranges. In another embodiment, the CP length is a UE-specific semi-static CP configuration together with the SCS configuration through RRC signaling (which may also be referred to as the first RRC signaling in this article).

[0116] The CP may also be adjusted as needed. For example, static or semi-static additional CP adjustment may be supported. RRC signaling (also referred to herein as second RRC signaling) may indicate a zero padding configuration, such as a zero padding pattern indicator in the form of an index from a predefined zero padding table. Another option is to use RRC signaling to indicate an additional CP length plus a head and tail zero padding ratio. For dynamic CP adjustment, signaling may be in the DCI to indicate a zero padding configuration, such as a zero padding pattern index from a predefined zero padding table. The DCI may also or alternatively be used to indicate an additional CP length plus a head and tail zero padding ratio.

[0117] Again, these options are illustrative and non-limiting examples. Other types of indicators and signaling disclosed herein may also or alternatively be used.

[0118] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 is a signal flow diagram of uplink communication according to an embodiment. Fig. 9 The features shown in the embodiment include transmitting signaling between a first communication device and a second communication device (in the illustrated example in the form of a BS and a UE) at 908. The transmitting at 908 involves: the BS sending signaling to the UE and the UE receiving signaling from the BS. The signaling indicates zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent in the wireless communication network. The zero padding includes leading zero padding at the head of the transmission symbol and trailing zero padding at the tail of the transmission symbol.

[0119] Other optional signaling is shown at 902, 904. For example, at 902, signaling for indicating other configuration information and / or settings can be sent by the UE to the BS and received by the BS from the UE, and / or sent by the BS to the UE and received by the UE from the BS, as indicated by the bidirectional arrows at 902. In some embodiments, as shown at 904, a communication device such as a UE can perform channel measurements and send feedback to the BS, and the feedback is received by the BS. For example, the UE can send feedback about channel delay spread measurements. This is an example, and in another embodiment, the measurement is performed by the BS.

[0120] Such feedback may enable the BS to determine at 906 the zero padding that the UE will apply to the transmission symbols. The zero padding may be determined based at least in part on such feedback. In the example shown, the UE may send feedback about the channel measurement, but how the zero padding should be performed is determined by the scheduler, which in this example is the BS, or more generally, the wireless communication network or system. It should also be noted that feedback from the specific UE that will send the zero-padded transmission symbols is optional. The network, or more specifically, a network device in the network, may obtain or learn channel environment conditions based on feedback received from other communication devices such as separate sensors and / or different UEs to, for example, determine the channel environment in a cell.

[0121] One or more other parameters may also or alternatively be used to determine the zero padding to be applied at 906. Determining or selecting zero padding need not be based solely or at all on feedback from the transmitting device that the zero padding is to be applied.

[0122] Optionally, at 910, uplink grant is transmitted between the BS and the UE by the BS sending grant signaling to the UE and the UE receiving grant signaling from the BS. Not all embodiments need to be grant-based, and therefore uplink grant does not need to be transmitted at 910.

[0123] At 912, Fig. 9 The UE is shown generating transmission symbols. Examples of transmission symbols include OFDM symbols and QAM symbols. At 914, zero padding is applied to generate zero-filled symbols. Although Fig. 9 , but the transmission symbols need not be first generated at 912 and then filled with zeros at 914. Zero padding can be applied to generate the symbols to be transmitted. Figure 6 and 7 For example, non-zero data carried by a transmission symbol may be zero-padded with leading and trailing zeros to generate a zero-padded transmission symbol without first explicitly generating an unpadded transmission symbol.

[0124] return Fig. 9 , an uplink transmission from the UE to the BS is shown at 916 and represents an example of how zero-padded transmission symbols may be transmitted in a wireless communication network. In this example, transmitting the zero-padded transmission symbols involves the UE sending the zero-padded transmission symbols to the BS and the BS receiving the zero-padded transmission symbols from the UE.

[0125] The manner in which the zero-filled transmission symbols are transmitted depends on the implementation. For example, symbol transmission in the DFT-s-OFDM method involves converting the zero-filled transmission symbols to the frequency domain, mapping to subcarriers, converting back to the time domain, and inserting a CP to generate a time domain signal for transmission. Therefore, sending the zero-filled transmission symbols may involve these and / or other transmission processing operations, and similarly, receiving the zero-filled transmission symbols may involve receiving processing operations. Fig. 9 The sending process is not shown in the drawings or other drawings to avoid excessive congestion in the drawings.

[0126] At 918, Fig. 9 The BS is shown to perform a reception process. Receiving the zero-filled transmission symbol may involve, for example, an operation corresponding to the transmission process operation, performing channel estimation using a reference signal, and decoding data based on the result of the channel estimation.

[0127] Fig.10 FIG. 4 is a signal flow diagram of downlink communication according to an embodiment. Fig.10 The example in is similar to Fig. 9 The example in , but involves generating transmission symbols by the BS at 1010, 1012 and applying zero padding to generate zero-padded transmission symbols, and transmitting the zero-padded transmission symbols in the downlink transmission at 1014. The receiving process is also Fig.10 1016 is shown, but Fig.10 It involves the UE receiving the zero-filled transmission symbols from the BS and performing reception processing.

[0128] Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a signal flow diagram of side link communication according to an embodiment. The embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the following. Fig. 9 and 10 As shown in the example of FIG. 1 , zero-filled transmission symbols are transmitted between certain types of communication devices such as UE and BS. Fig.11 Sidelink communication as shown in the example is also possible.

[0129] Optional signaling between each of the two UEs 1101, 1103 and the BS is shown at 1102, 1104 and 1106, 1108. Fig. 9 902 and 904 in describe this optional signaling, but in Fig.11 In , this optional signaling is between each UE 1101, 1103 and the BS. Fig. 9 ,exist Fig.11 At 1110, the BS determines the zero padding to be applied.

[0130] At 1112 and 1114, Fig.11FIG. 1 shows signaling that indicates zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols. Fig.11 In the example, signaling is sent by the BS to each UE 1101, 1103, and received by each UE from the BS.

[0131] In the example shown, UE 1101 will send zero-padded transmission symbols, and generating transmission symbols and applying zero padding are shown at 1116, 1118. These operations are also shown in FIG. Fig. 9 shown in, and at least referenced above Fig. 9 describe.

[0132] A sidelink transmission is shown at 1120, and the transmission of zero-padded transmission symbols by UE 1101 to UE 1103 may involve a transmit process (not shown). On the receive side, operations involve UE 1103 receiving zero-padded transmission symbols from UE 1101, and receive processing 1122 may involve, for example, operations of corresponding receive operations as transmit processing operations, channel estimation, and decoding.

[0133] Fig.11 The sidelink communication embodiments in the NR sidelink involve communication between UEs controlled and configured by a BS. Embodiments supporting direct communication between devices such as UEs do not necessarily involve network equipment. For example, the NR sidelink supports scenarios where the UE uses the sidelink control channel to autonomously determine resources for SL data transmission without involving the BS. Fig.12 is a signal flow diagram for sidelink communications according to such an embodiment.

[0134] Fig.12 The signaling at 1202, 1204, and 1208 is similar to Fig. 9 The signaling shown at 902, 904, and 908 in FIG. 1 is different in that the signaling is Fig.12 The zero padding is determined at 1206. Fig.12 The signaling for indicating zero padding at 1208 may be or include, for example, sidelink control information (SCI) or PC5 (sidelink RRC) signaling.

[0135] Symbol generation and zero padding are shown at 1210, 1212, and as described elsewhere herein, e.g., with reference to Fig. 9The sidelink transmission at 1214 involves UE 1201 sending zero-filled transmission symbols to UE 1203, and UE 1203 receiving zero-filled transmission symbols from UE 1201. Other transmission processing (not shown) may also be performed by UE 1201, and the reception processing at UE 1203 at 1216 may involve reception processing corresponding to such transmission processing. The reception processing at 1216 may also or alternatively involve operations such as channel estimation and decoding.

[0136] Fig.12 The embodiment shown in relates to one UE (1203) determining zero padding to be applied by another UE (1201). In another embodiment, the transmitting UE that will transmit the symbol determines the zero padding to be applied and sends signaling indicating the zero padding to the other UE. Fig.12 , such an embodiment would involve 1210 and 1212 at UE 1203 instead of at UE 1201, sidelink transmission in the opposite direction (from UE 1203 to UE 1201) at 1214, and reception processing at 1216 at UE 1201 instead of at UE 1203.

[0137] Figures 9 to 12 Various embodiments are described. More generally, methods consistent with the present disclosure may involve transmitting signaling in a wireless communication network. The signaling indicates zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent in the wireless communication network. Zero-padded transmission symbols to which zero padding has been applied and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbols are also transmitted.

[0138] Transmitting signaling may involve sending signaling or receiving signaling, or from a network perspective, involving one communication device sending signaling and another communication device receiving signaling. Similarly, transmitting zero-filled transmission symbols and CP may involve sending, receiving, or both. For example, Figures 9 to 12 An embodiment in which transmission signaling involves the following contents is shown, any one or more of which may be provided or supported by different types of communication devices such as UE or base station:

[0139] ●UE receives signaling from BS or another UE, such as 902, 908, 910, 1102, 1104, 1112, 1114, 1202, 1204,

[0140] As shown in the example at 1208;

[0141] The BS receives signaling from the UE, as shown in the examples at 902, 904, 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108;

[0142] ●UE sends signaling to BS and / or another UE, such as 902, 904, 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1202, 1204,

[0143] As shown in the example at 1208;

[0144] The BS sends signaling to one or more UEs, as shown in the examples at 902, 904, 908, 910, 1102, 1104, 1112, 1114.

[0145] These examples illustrate that transmitting signaling may involve sending signaling from a first communication device of any type, such as a UE or a base station or other network device, to a second communication device of any type, such as a UE or a base station or other network device. Transmitting signaling may also or alternatively involve receiving signaling from a second communication device of any type, such as a UE or a base station or other network device, at a first communication device of any type, such as a UE or a base station or other network device.

[0146] Similar to transmitting signaling, transmitting zero-padded transmission symbols and CP may involve sending and / or receiving by any type of communication device, such as a UE or a base station or other network device. Embodiments may also or alternatively involve transmitting reference signals, such as DMRS, as described in more detail at least below, and such transmission may similarly involve sending and / or receiving by any type of communication device, such as a UE or a base station or other network device. An example of transmitting zero-padded transmission symbols and CP is described in Figures 9 to 12 916, downlink transmission 1014, or sidelink transmission 1120, 1214. Similarly, transmitting a reference signal may involve sending and / or receiving an uplink, downlink, or sidelink transmission.

[0147] A receiver or intended receiver (or receiving device) of a zero-padded transmission symbol or reference signal may send or receive signaling before receiving the zero-padded transmission symbol or reference signal. Fig. 9 In, for example, the BS is an intended receiver of the zero-padded transmission symbol and may send the signaling at 908 before receiving the zero-padded transmission symbol at 916. Fig.10 In , the UE is an intended receiver of the zero-padded transmission symbol and may receive the signaling at 908 before receiving the zero-padded transmission symbol at 1014. Fig.11 In , UE 1103 is the intended receiver of the zero-filled transmission symbols and can receive signaling from the BS at 1112. Fig.12 , UE 1203 is the intended receiver of the zero-padded transmission symbols and may send signaling to UE 1201 at 1208 prior to receiving the zero-padded transmission symbols at 1214.

[0148] Similarly, a transmitter or intended transmitter (or transmitting device) of a zero-padded transmission symbol or reference signal may send or receive signaling before sending the zero-padded transmission symbol or reference signal. Fig. 9 In, for example, the UE is a transmitter of zero-filled transmission symbols and may receive signaling at 908 before sending the zero-filled transmission symbols at 916. The BS is Fig.10 The transmitter of the zero-filled transmission symbol in , but the signaling at 904 may be sent before the zero-filled transmission symbol is sent at 1014. Fig.11 In , UE 1101 is a transmitter of zero-filled transmission symbols and may receive signaling at 1112 before sending zero-filled transmission symbols at 1120. Fig.12 , UE 1201 is a transmitter of zero-padded transmission symbols and may receive signaling from UE 1203 at 908 before sending the zero-padded transmission symbols at 1214.

[0149] In some embodiments, signaling and zero-padded transmission symbols or reference signals are between the transmitter and the intended receiver of the DMRS, such as Fig.12 Thus, in the context of transmitting signaling between a first communications device and a second communications device, transmitting a DMRS in such embodiments involves transmitting a DMRS between the first communications device and the second communications device.

[0150] Signaling and zero-padded transmission symbols or reference signals do not have to be sent between the same devices. Fig.11 For example. At 1112, signaling is transmitted between the BS and UE 1101, at 1114, signaling is transmitted between the BS and UE 1103, but at 1120, zero-filled transmission symbols are transmitted between UE 1101 and UE 1103. This illustrates an embodiment in which signaling and zero-filled transmission symbols are not transmitted between the same devices. In the context of a first communication device transmitting zero-filled transmission symbols or reference signals with a second communication device, transmitting signaling in these embodiments may involve transmitting signaling in a wireless communication network by the first communication device (or the second communication device) and the third communication device.

[0151] These all illustrate examples of transmitting signaling and transmitting zero-padded transmission symbols. These transmission options may also or instead be applied to transmitting reference signals.

[0152] Figures 9 to 12 The embodiments shown in are intended as non-limiting examples. Other embodiments may include fewer, more and / or different features.

[0153] Consider a method involving a first communication device or a second communication transmitting signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied by the first communication device to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network. From the perspective of a transmitting side, such a method may involve the first communication device sending a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol to the second communication device. From the perspective of a receiving side, such a method may involve the second communication device receiving the zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol from the first communication device.

[0154] In the context of the sender side method or the receiver side method, any of the features disclosed herein may be provided. For example, any one or more of the following may be provided in any combination:

[0155] The zero-padded transmission symbol may be or include a first number of leading zeros padded at the head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros padded at the tail of the transmission symbol that is different from the first number;

[0156] Sending (or receiving) a zero-padded transmission symbol to which zero padding has been applied and a cyclic prefix may involve sending (or receiving) a plurality of consecutive zero-padded transmission symbols to which zero padding has been applied;

[0157] The signaling may indicate an identifier of one of a plurality of zero padding patterns available at the first communication device, the plurality of zero padding patterns defining respective different patterns of leading zero padding and trailing zero padding;

[0158] The signaling may indicate a zero padding pattern that defines a pattern for leading zero padding and trailing zero padding;

[0159] The signaling may indicate the number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after zero padding, and the number of zeros may be or include any one or more of: the total number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after zero padding, the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol, and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol;

[0160] The signaling may indicate a ratio between the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol;

[0161] The zero padding may be consistent with a general zero padding configuration of a communication device in a wireless communication network, and the zero-padded transmission symbol may include a first number of leading zeros padded at the head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros padded at the tail of the transmission symbol that is greater than the first number;

[0162] A first number of leading zeros may be padded to provide a target reduction in ISI for a zero-padded transmission symbol over a previous zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a second number of trailing zeros may be padded to provide a target reduction in ISI for a next zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied;

[0163] The zero padding may be different from the zero padding used for other communication devices in the wireless communication network, and the zero-padded transmission symbol may include a first number of leading zeros padded at the head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros padded at the tail of the transmission symbol that is less than the first number;

[0164] A first number of leading zeros may be padded to provide a targeted reduction in ISI to a zero-padded transmission symbol through a previous transmission symbol independent of any zero padding applied to the previous transmission symbol, and a second number of trailing zeros may be padded to provide a targeted reduction in interference caused by a header portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol to a tail portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol;

[0165] Options for signaling will be described elsewhere herein, and the signaling may be or include any one or more of: MIB signaling, SIB signaling, parameter set configuration signaling, broadcast signaling, multicast signaling, RRC signaling, DCI, and SCI;

[0166] Transmitting the signaling may involve the first communication device sending the signaling to the second communication device;

[0167] Transmitting the signaling may involve the first communications device receiving the signaling from the second communications device;

[0168] Transmitting the signaling may involve the first communications device receiving the signaling from the third communications device;

[0169] Transmitting the signaling may involve the second communication device receiving the signaling from the first communication device;

[0170] Transmitting the signaling may involve the second communication device sending the signaling to the first communication device;

[0171] Transmitting signaling may involve the second communications device receiving signaling from the third communications device.

[0172] These method examples are illustrative and non-limiting embodiments, and other embodiments may include additional or different features than those disclosed herein.

[0173] The embodiments are described above primarily in the context of zero padding of transmission symbols. However, zero padding may have other effects or applications.

[0174] For example, consider that when zero padding is used for data signals, the zero padding may also be applied to reference signals, such as a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) used for channel estimation. In the context of zero padding, reference signal (RS) design may need to be specifically considered.

[0175] The length of the RS sequence used to generate the RS may be shorter than the length of the transmission symbol after zero padding. In some embodiments, the length of the RS sequence is less than the length of the data sequence included in the transmission symbol after zero padding. Figure 6 and 7 , which is shown as non-zero data. This is not always the case, but may lead to two effects. For example, an RS sequence that is shorter than a data sequence but is zero-filled to the same length as a transmission symbol after zero filling including a shorter data sequence may have better ISI protection than the data. It is also possible to enable a shorter ZC sequence or other sequence to be used as an RS sequence, and a sequence of prime length may be used to generate RS. With zero filling of an RS sequence, it may not be necessary to cyclically repeat a ZC (or other) sequence to enable it to have the same length as a transmission symbol after zero filling. Zero filling of an RS sequence can avoid or at least reduce the amount by which the RS sequence is extended by cyclic repetition.

[0176] Fig.13 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary transmitter according to an embodiment. Transmitter 1300 is an example for DFT-s-OFDM. It should be understood that Fig.13 The components in the exemplary transmitter 1300 can implement the transmission function of a wireless device or network device, such as a base station. The exemplary transmitter 1300 includes a padding component 1302, a DFT component 1304, a subcarrier mapping component 1306, an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) component 1308, and a parallel to serial component 1310 interconnected as shown. Other embodiments may include more, fewer, or different elements interconnected in a similar or different manner. It should also be understood that the components in the exemplary transmitter 1300 are only specifically used for the purpose of illustrating the embodiment.

[0177] Fig.13 The elements shown in the can be implemented in any manner, such as in hardware, firmware, or one or more components of executing software. As described elsewhere herein, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular type of implementation, for example, the implementation details may differ between different devices.

[0178] The operation of the exemplary transmitter 1300 will now be described by way of example. The padding component 1300 is used to zero-pad a data sequence or an RS sequence illustrated by way of example with a DMRS sequence, for example, by executing software. The zero padding of the data sequence is described in detail elsewhere herein, and includes a head zero and a tail zero. Zero padding is also applied to an RS sequence, and the RS sequence zero padding may be the same as the data sequence zero padding, or may be different from the data sequence padding. For example, identical zero padding may be used for a data sequence and an RS sequence having the same unfilled length and to be filled to the same padding length. If the RS sequence is different in length from the data sequence, the RS sequence zero padding may be based on a zero padding pattern for data padding, but its length is different from the data padding. As examples of different lengths, the RS sequence zero padding and the data sequence zero padding may both be head-weighted or tail-weighted zero padding, but the number of zeros of the RS sequence zero padding and the data sequence zero padding is different.

[0179] Before sending the zero-filled data or the zero-filled RS sequence that has been zero-filled, it is mapped to the sub-band in the frequency domain. To this end, the DFT component 1304 is used to convert the zero-filled data or RS sequence from the time domain to the frequency domain, for example by executing software, and the subcarrier mapping component 1306 is used to map the zero-filled data or RS sequence in the frequency domain to the sub-band, for example by executing software. The IFFT component 1308 is used to convert the zero-filled and frequency-mapped data or RS sequence from the frequency domain back to the time domain, for example by executing software. The parallel-to-serial component 1310 is used to convert into a serial signal, for example by executing software, for transmission on a communication channel. Note that the cyclic prefix is ​​fed into the serial signal by the parallel-to-serial component 1310 together with the data and zero filling, so the parallel-to-serial component handles the CP insertion in the example shown. In other embodiments, a separate CP inserter can be used.

[0180] Fig.14 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary receiver according to an embodiment. The exemplary receiver 1400 includes a CP remover 1402, a DFT block 1404, a subcarrier demapper 1406, an equalizer 1408, a post-processor 1410, a DMRS generator 1411, and a channel estimator 1412 interconnected as shown. Other embodiments may include more, fewer, or different elements interconnected in similar or different ways.

[0181] Fig.14 The elements shown in the can be implemented in any manner, for example, in hardware, firmware, or one or more components of executing software. As described elsewhere herein, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular type of implementation, for example, the implementation details may differ between different devices.

[0182] Receiver operations may include CP removal, conversion to the frequency domain via DFT, subcarrier demapping and demultiplexing of data and reference signals, channel estimation based on the received reference signal and a receiver version of the locally generated reference signal, equalization of the data signal based on the channel estimate, and any type of post-processing, such as further processing based on transmitter precoding.

[0183] In the exemplary receiver 1400, a CP remover 1402 is used to remove a cyclic prefix, for example by executing software; a DFT block 1404 is used to perform DFT, for example by executing software, to convert a received time domain signal into a frequency domain; a subcarrier demapper 1406 is used to perform subcarrier demapping, for example by executing software; an equalizer 1408 is used to equalize a data portion of an output of the subcarrier demapper 1406, for example by executing software; a channel estimator 1412 is used to process a reference signal portion of an output of the subcarrier demapper 1406 and a receiver version of a reference signal generated by a DMRS generator 1411, for example by executing software, to generate a channel estimate provided to the equalizer 1408; and a post-processor 1410 is used to process the output of the equalizer, for example by executing software. The channel estimator 1412 receives a receiver version of a reference signal from the DMRS generator 1411 for channel estimation in the exemplary receiver 1400. More generally, the channel estimator 1412 receives, determines, or otherwise obtains the same base sequence or DMRS as the transmitter and then performs channel estimation using the base sequence or DMRS.For example, the post-processor 1410 can take into account any precoding performed at the transmitter.

[0184] as Fig.13 , Fig.14 Examples are illustrative and non-limiting.

[0185] For reference signals such as DMRS, although the ZC sequence is flat in both the time and frequency domains, and preferably the RS is also flat in the frequency domain, the RS sequence with zero padding is not flat in the frequency domain. Fig.15 As shown in Figure 1, which shows the frequency domain diagram of the ZC sequence after zero padding, there are some ripples towards the edge of the occupied band, and the channel estimation at some low-amplitude subcarriers may lead to severe noise enhancement. Considering that the channel in the frequency domain is correlated (i.e., the coherence bandwidth of the channel) and the upsampled RS generally has a sawtooth pattern, the channel estimation at the deep notched subcarrier can be done by interpolating or reusing the estimates from nearby subcarriers, which have higher amplitudes and better SNR. Note that Fig.15An example involving a ZC sequence with an unpadded length of 541 and a DFT size of 600. With zero padding starting at a length of 541 to match a DFT size of 600 (which is also the length of the transmission symbol size after zero padding in this example), approximately 10% of the pulses are set to zero. When fewer pulses are set to zero, the ripples in the frequency domain are also smaller.

[0186] In the case of zero padding, some time domain header samples are set to zero, such as Fig.13 Otherwise, ISI may affect the frequency domain channel estimation. One or more tail samples may also be set to zero. For channel estimation at the receiver, channel interpolation can be used for notch points at the band edges because the upsampled ZC sequence notches are usually "V" shaped. For data symbol detection, such interpolation is not required because ISI can be ignored, for example, after equalization at 1408.

[0187] The advantage of this type of reference signal approach is that it not only provides better protection for the reference signal by using zero padding, but also provides better channel estimates because the estimate obtained by interpolation avoids noise enhancement effects in the case of deep notch pilots. These advantages can be achieved by decoupling the RS length from the unpadded data length and using channel interpolation instead of deep notch pilot-based estimates.

[0188] According to an embodiment related to zero padding of a reference signal, a method may involve a first communication device or a second communication device transmitting signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating that the first communication device will apply zero padding to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network. Such a method may also involve the first communication device sending a zero-padded transmission symbol and a reference signal for channel estimation to a second communication device. From the perspective of the receiving side, the method may involve the second communication device receiving a zero-padded transmission symbol and a reference signal for channel estimation from the first communication device. Zero padding has been applied to the zero-padded transmission symbol, and the reference signal is based on a sequence that is shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and is zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

[0189] In some embodiments, the zero padding applied to the zero-padded transmission symbol is also applied to the sequence on which the reference signal is based to zero-padded the sequence to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol. For example, this may involve using exactly the same zero padding pattern for transmission symbol padding and RS sequence padding, or using the same pattern but different padding lengths for transmission symbol padding and RS sequence padding. Transmission symbol padding and RS sequence padding can be, but are not necessarily, the same.

[0190] Another optional feature provided in some embodiments is that the sequence on which the reference signal is based is a prime length sequence.

[0191] On the receiving side, the method may also involve the second communication device in the above example performing channel estimation based on the reference signal and the interpolation of low-amplitude subcarriers caused by the zero-filled sequence. For example, these low-amplitude subcarriers are located at Fig.15 The edge of the frequency band.

[0192] Other features disclosed herein, including those disclosed in the context of zero padding of transmission symbols, may also or instead be provided or supported in embodiments involving RS sequence zero padding. These features may be applied to transmission symbol zero padding, RS sequence zero padding, or both.

[0193] The present disclosure encompasses various embodiments, including not only method embodiments, but also other embodiments, such as apparatus embodiments and embodiments involving non-transitory computer-readable storage media. The embodiments may incorporate the features disclosed herein alone or in combination.

[0194] The apparatus may include a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program executed by the processor. Figure 3 For example, processors 210, 260, 276 may each be or include one or more processors, and each memory 208, 258, 278 is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in ED 110 and TRP 170, 172. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is not necessarily provided only in combination with the processor, and may also be provided, for example, separately in a computer program product.

[0195] As an illustrative example, a program stored in or on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include instructions for or for causing a processor to transmit signaling between a first communication device and a second communication device in a wireless communication network. The signaling indicates zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent by the first communication in the wireless communication network. The program may include instructions for or for causing a processor to: send a zero-padded transmission symbol to which zero padding has been applied to the second communication device (or receive from the first communication device via the second communication device) by the first communication device to the second communication device, and a cyclic prefix before the zero-padded transmission symbol. The zero padding may include head zero padding at the head of the transmission symbol and tail zero padding at the tail of the transmission symbol.

[0196] In some embodiments, the program may include instructions for or for causing the processor to: send a zero-padded transmission symbol to which zero padding has been applied and a reference signal for channel estimation by the first communication device to the second communication device (or receive the zero-padded transmission symbol from the first communication device through the second communication device). The reference signal is based on a sequence shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

[0197] For example, embodiments relating to an apparatus or non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include any one or more of the following features, which are discussed elsewhere herein:

[0198] The zero-padded transmission symbol may be or include a first number of leading zeros padded at the head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros padded at the tail of the transmission symbol that is different from the first number;

[0199] The program may include instructions for or for causing the processor to transmit (or receive) a plurality of consecutive zero-padded transmission symbols to which zero padding has been applied;

[0200] The signaling may indicate an identifier of one of a plurality of zero padding patterns available at the first communication device, the plurality of zero padding patterns defining respective different patterns of leading zero padding and trailing zero padding;

[0201] The signaling may indicate a zero padding pattern that defines a pattern for leading zero padding and trailing zero padding;

[0202] The signaling may indicate the number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after zero padding, and the number of zeros may be or include any one or more of: the total number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after zero padding, the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol, and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol;

[0203] The signaling may indicate a ratio between the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol;

[0204] The zero padding may be consistent with a general zero padding configuration of a communication device in a wireless communication network, and the zero-padded transmission symbol may include a first number of leading zeros padded at the head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros padded at the tail of the transmission symbol that is greater than the first number;

[0205] A first number of leading zeros may be padded to provide a target reduction in ISI for a zero-padded transmission symbol over a previous zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a second number of trailing zeros may be padded to provide a target reduction in ISI for a next zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied;

[0206] The zero padding may be different from the zero padding used for other communication devices in the wireless communication network, and the zero-padded transmission symbol may include a first number of leading zeros padded at the head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros padded at the tail of the transmission symbol that is less than the first number;

[0207] A first number of leading zeros may be padded to provide a targeted reduction in ISI to a zero-padded transmission symbol through a previous transmission symbol independent of any zero padding applied to the previous transmission symbol, and a second number of trailing zeros may be padded to provide a targeted reduction in interference caused by a header portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol to a tail portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol;

[0208] Options for signaling will be described elsewhere herein, and the signaling may be or include any one or more of: MIB signaling, SIB signaling, parameter set configuration signaling, broadcast signaling, multicast signaling, RRC signaling, DCI, and SCI;

[0209] The program may include instructions for, or for causing the processor to, transmit the signaling by sending the signaling to the second communication device;

[0210] The program may include instructions for, or for causing the processor to, transmit the signaling by receiving signaling from the second communication device;

[0211] The program may include instructions for or for causing the processor to transmit the signaling by receiving the signaling from the third communication device;

[0212] The program may include instructions for, or for causing the processor to, transmit signaling by receiving signaling from the first communication device;

[0213] The program may include instructions for, or for causing the processor to, transmit the signaling by sending the signaling to the first communication device;

[0214] The program may include instructions for or for causing the processor to transmit the signaling by receiving the signaling from the third communication device;

[0215] The zero padding applied to the zero-padded transmitted symbol may also have been applied to the sequence on which the reference signal is based to zero-pad the sequence to the same length as the zero-padded transmitted symbol;

[0216] The sequence on which the reference signal is based is a prime length sequence;

[0217] The program may include instructions for or for causing the processor to perform channel estimation based on the reference signal and interpolation of low-amplitude subcarriers caused by the zero-filled sequence through the second communication device.

[0218] The present disclosure covers zero padding for general or fixed configuration scenarios, where the header data in one symbol will not cause high interference to the next symbol due to the leading zero padding, and there will be more trailing zeros than leading zeros to collect multipath energy in the tail padding region.

[0219] Zero padding is also possible for scenarios using different zero padding configurations. By allocating more zeros at the beginning of the symbol than at the end, more guard intervals are allocated in the current symbol, thereby achieving better ISI self-protection when the device sending the previous symbol used different zero padding or no zero padding at all.

[0220] The proposed zero-filling pattern or rule can address ISI, user self-protection, and multipath energy harvesting, which should help improve system performance.

[0221] According to embodiments related to reference signal design, the length of the RS sequence need not be the same as the length of the unfilled data sequence. Decoupling the length of the RS sequence from the length of the data can provide flexibility in selecting the RS sequence. In some embodiments, the RS length is shorter than the data length to provide better protection for channel estimation.

[0222] For example, when using ZC sequences, leading and trailing zero padding can produce ripples in the frequency domain near the occupied subband edges, but typically the sawtooth pattern of the ripples and interpolation-based channel estimation make such ripples manageable. In some embodiments, such channel interpolation is used instead of using deep notched wave pilots for channel estimation.

[0223] Related signaling mechanisms are also disclosed, which are intended to optimize or at least improve system performance while minimizing or at least reducing signaling overhead. For example, zero padding patterns or rules may be specified in communication standards so that signaling can be based on such predefined patterns. This may help avoid signaling becoming more complex.

[0224] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description should not be understood in a limiting manner. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments and other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to this description. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments.

[0225] For example, additionally or alternatively, features disclosed in the context of method embodiments may be implemented in apparatus or computer program product embodiments. Furthermore, although embodiments are primarily described in the context of methods and apparatus, other implementations are also contemplated, such as instructions stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. Such media may store programs or instructions to perform any method consistent with the present disclosure.

[0226] The disclosed embodiments are also not intended to be limited to any particular application. For example, the proposed solution can also be used for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). In ISAC, the reflection paths need to fall within the CP region so that they do not cause ISI between each other. When the CP length is not enough to accommodate the reflection paths, zero padding can be used to generate additional protection space. For example, this type of application may be suitable for using DFT-s-OFDM / SC-OQAM in ISAC.

[0227] Although various aspects of the present invention have been described with reference to specific features and embodiments of the present invention, various modifications and combinations of the present invention may be formulated without departing from the present invention. The specification and drawings are therefore only considered as an illustration of some embodiments of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, and any and all modifications, variants, combinations or equivalents covered within the scope of the present invention are considered. Therefore, although the embodiments and potential advantages have been described in detail, various changes, substitutions and modifications may be made herein without departing from the invention defined by the appended claims. In addition, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments of the processes, machines, manufactured products, material compositions, components, methods and steps described in the specification. According to the disclosure of the present invention, it is easy for a person of ordinary skill in the art to understand that existing or to be developed processes, machines, manufactured products, material compositions, components, methods or steps that perform substantially the same functions as the corresponding embodiments described herein, or that can achieve substantially the same results as the corresponding embodiments, may be used according to the present invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to include these processes, machines, manufactured products, material compositions, components, methods or steps within their scope.

[0228] In addition, any module, component, or device illustrated herein that executes instructions may include or otherwise access one or more non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage media to store information, such as computer-readable or processor-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other data. A non-exhaustive list of examples of non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage media includes magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, such as compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video discs or digital versatile discs (DVD), Blu-ray Disc TMOptical disks, or other optical storage, volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other storage technology. Any such non-transitory computer-readable / processor-readable storage medium may be part of the device or may be accessed or connected by the device. Any application or module described herein may be implemented using computer or processor readable and executable instructions, which may be stored or otherwise saved by these non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage media.

Claims

1. A method, characterized in that include: A first communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network, the zero padding comprising leading zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and trailing zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol; The first communication device transmits a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol to a second communication device in the wireless communication network.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is different from the first number.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The sending includes sending a plurality of consecutive zero-padded transmission symbols to which the zero padding has been applied.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The signaling indicates any one or more of the following: an identifier of a zero padding pattern among a plurality of zero padding patterns available at the first communication device, the plurality of zero padding patterns defining respective different patterns of leading zero padding and trailing zero padding; a zero padding pattern defining a pattern of said leading zero padding and said trailing zero padding; the number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of zeros comprising any one or more of: the total number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol, and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol; or The ratio between the number of leading zeros to be filled at the head of the transmission symbol and the number of trailing zeros to be filled at the tail of the transmission symbol.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The zero padding is consistent with a common zero padding configuration of a plurality of communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros greater than the first number filled at a tail of the transmission symbol.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of a zero-padded transmission symbol over a preceding zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a target reduction in ISI of a next zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The zero padding is different from the zero padding used for other communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is smaller than the first number.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of the zero-padded transmission symbol by the previous transmission symbol being independent of any zero padding applied to the previous transmission symbol, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a targeted reduction in header-induced interference of a tail portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol caused by a header portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The signaling includes any one or more of the following: MIB signaling; SIB signaling; Parameter set configuration signaling; Broadcast signaling; Multicast signaling; Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; Downlink control information (DCI); Sidelink Control Information (SCI).

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that Transmitting the signaling includes the first communications device sending the signaling to the second communications device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that Transmitting the signaling includes the first communications device receiving the signaling from the second communications device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that Transmitting the signaling includes the first communications device receiving the signaling from a third communications device.

13. A method, characterized in that include: The second communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent by the first communication device in the wireless communication network, the zero padding comprising leading zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and trailing zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol; The second communication device receives, from the first communication device, a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is different from the first number.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The receiving includes receiving a plurality of consecutive zero-padded transmission symbols to which the zero padding has been applied.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that The signaling indicates any one or more of the following: an identifier of a zero padding pattern among a plurality of zero padding patterns available at the second communication device, the plurality of zero padding patterns defining respective different patterns of leading zero padding and trailing zero padding; a zero padding pattern defining a pattern of said leading zero padding and said trailing zero padding; the number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of zeros comprising any one or more of: the total number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol, and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol; or The ratio between the number of leading zeros to be filled at the head of the transmission symbol and the number of trailing zeros to be filled at the tail of the transmission symbol.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The zero padding is consistent with a common zero padding configuration of a plurality of communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros greater than the first number filled at a tail of the transmission symbol.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of a zero-padded transmission symbol over a preceding zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a target reduction in ISI of a next zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The zero padding is different from the zero padding used for other communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is smaller than the first number.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of the zero-padded transmission symbol by the previous transmission symbol being independent of any zero padding applied to the previous transmission symbol, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a targeted reduction in header-induced interference of a tail portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol caused by a header portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that The signaling includes any one or more of the following: MIB signaling; SIB signaling; Parameter set configuration signaling; Broadcast signaling; Multicast signaling; Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; Downlink control information (DCI); Sidelink Control Information (SCI).

22. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that Transmitting the signaling includes the second communications device receiving the signaling from the first communications device.

23. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that Transmitting the signaling includes the second communications device sending the signaling to the first communications device.

24. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that Transmitting the signaling includes the second communications device receiving the signaling from a third communications device.

25. A device, characterized in that: include: processor; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, coupled to the processor, storing a program executed by the processor, the program comprising instructions for: A first communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network, the zero padding comprising leading zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and trailing zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol; The first communication device transmits a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol to a second communication device in the wireless communication network.

26. The device according to claim 25, characterized in that The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is different from the first number.

27. The device according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that The program includes instructions for transmitting a plurality of consecutive zero-padded transmission symbols to which the zero padding has been applied.

28. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that The signaling indicates any one or more of the following: an identifier of a zero padding pattern among a plurality of zero padding patterns available at the first communication device, the plurality of zero padding patterns defining respective different patterns of leading zero padding and trailing zero padding; a zero padding pattern defining a pattern of said leading zero padding and said trailing zero padding; the number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of zeros comprising any one or more of: the total number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol, and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol; or The ratio between the number of leading zeros to be filled at the head of the transmission symbol and the number of trailing zeros to be filled at the tail of the transmission symbol.

29. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 28, characterized in that The zero padding is consistent with a common zero padding configuration of a plurality of communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros greater than the first number filled at a tail of the transmission symbol.

30. The device according to claim 29, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of a zero-padded transmission symbol over a preceding zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a target reduction in ISI of a next zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied.

31. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 28, characterized in that The zero padding is different from the zero padding used for other communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is smaller than the first number.

32. The device according to claim 31, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of the zero-padded transmission symbol by the previous transmission symbol being independent of any zero padding applied to the previous transmission symbol, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a targeted reduction in header-induced interference to a tail of the zero-padded transmission symbol caused by the header of the zero-padded transmission symbol.

33. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 32, characterized in that The signaling includes any one or more of the following: MIB signaling; SIB signaling; Parameter set configuration signaling; Broadcast signaling; Multicast signaling; Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; Downlink control information (DCI); Sidelink Control Information (SCI).

34. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 33, characterized in that The program includes instructions for transmitting the signaling by sending the signaling to the second communication device.

35. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 33, characterized in that The program includes instructions for transmitting the signaling by receiving the signaling from the second communication device.

36. The device according to any one of claims 25 to 33, characterized in that The program includes instructions for transmitting the signaling by receiving the signaling from a third communication device.

37. A device, characterized in that include: processor; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, coupled to the processor, storing a program executed by the processor, the program comprising instructions for: The second communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent by the first communication device in the wireless communication network, the zero padding comprising leading zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and trailing zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol; The second communication device receives, from the first communication device, a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol.

38. The device according to claim 37, characterized in that The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is different from the first number.

39. The device according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that The program includes instructions for receiving a plurality of consecutive zero-padded transmission symbols to which the zero padding has been applied.

40. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that The signaling indicates any one or more of the following: an identifier of a zero padding pattern among a plurality of zero padding patterns available at the second communication device, the plurality of zero padding patterns defining respective different patterns of leading zero padding and trailing zero padding; a zero padding pattern defining a pattern of said leading zero padding and said trailing zero padding; the number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of zeros comprising any one or more of: the total number of zeros to be padded in the transmission symbol after the zero padding, the number of leading zeros to be padded at the head of the transmission symbol, and the number of trailing zeros to be padded at the tail of the transmission symbol; or The ratio between the number of leading zeros to be filled at the head of the transmission symbol and the number of trailing zeros to be filled at the tail of the transmission symbol.

41. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 40, characterized in that The zero padding is consistent with a common zero padding configuration of a plurality of communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros greater than the first number filled at a tail of the transmission symbol.

42. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of a zero-padded transmission symbol over a preceding zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a target reduction in ISI of a next zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied.

43. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 40, characterized in that The zero padding is different from the zero padding used for other communication devices in the wireless communication network, The zero-filled transmission symbol includes a first number of leading zeros filled at a head of the transmission symbol and a second number of trailing zeros filled at a tail of the transmission symbol that is smaller than the first number.

44. The device according to claim 43, characterized in that the first number of leading zeros being used to provide a targeted reduction in inter-symbol interference (ISI) of the zero-padded transmission symbol by the previous transmission symbol being independent of any zero padding applied to the previous transmission symbol, The second number of trailing zeros is used to provide a targeted reduction in header-induced interference of a tail portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol caused by a header portion of the zero-padded transmission symbol.

45. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 44, characterized in that The signaling includes any one or more of the following: MIB signaling; SIB signaling; Parameter set configuration signaling; Broadcast signaling; Multicast signaling; Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; Downlink control information (DCI); Sidelink Control Information (SCI).

46. ​​The device according to any one of claims 37 to 45, characterized in that The program includes instructions for transmitting the signaling by receiving the signaling from the first communication device.

47. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 45, characterized in that The program includes instructions for transmitting the signaling by sending the signaling to the first communication device.

48. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 45, characterized in that The program includes instructions for transmitting the signaling by receiving the signaling from a third communication device.

49. A computer program product, characterized in that A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executed by a processor, the program comprising instructions for: A first communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent in the wireless communication network, the zero padding comprising header zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and zero padding at a bottom of the transmission symbol. The number is padded with trailing zeros; The first communication device transmits a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol to a second communication device in the wireless communication network.

50. A computer program product, characterized in that A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executed by a processor, the program comprising instructions for: The second communication device transmits signaling in a wireless communication network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to a transmission symbol to be sent by the first communication device in the wireless communication network, the zero padding comprising leading zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and trailing zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol; The second communication device receives, from the first communication device, a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied, and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol.

51. A computer program product, characterized in that A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a program stored thereon for execution by a processor, the program comprising instructions for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

52. A method, characterized in that include: A first communications device transmits signaling in a wireless communications network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent in the wireless communications network; The first communication device sends a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied and a reference signal for channel estimation to a second communication device in the wireless communication network, wherein the reference signal is based on a sequence that is shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and is zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

53. The method according to claim 52, characterized in that The zero padding has also been applied to the sequence to zero-pad the sequence to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

54. The method according to claim 52 or 53, characterized in that The sequence is a prime length sequence.

55. A method, characterized in that include: The second communications device transmits signaling in a wireless communications network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent by the first communications device in the wireless communications network; The second communication device receives, from the first communication device, a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied and a reference signal for channel estimation, the reference signal being based on a sequence shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

56. The method according to claim 55, characterized in that The zero padding has also been applied to the sequence to zero-pad the sequence to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

57. The method according to claim 55 or 56, characterized in that The sequence is a prime length sequence.

58. The method according to any one of claims 55 to 57, characterized in that Also includes: The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the reference signal and interpolation of low-amplitude subcarriers caused by the sequence after zero padding.

59. A device, characterized in that include: processor; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, coupled to the processor, storing a program executed by the processor, the program comprising instructions for: A first communications device transmits signaling in a wireless communications network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent in the wireless communications network; The first communication device sends a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied and a reference signal for channel estimation to a second communication device in the wireless communication network, wherein the reference signal is based on a sequence that is shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and is zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

60. The device according to claim 59, characterized in that The zero padding has also been applied to the sequence to zero-pad the sequence to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

61. The device according to claim 59 or 60, characterized in that The sequence is a prime length sequence.

62. A device, characterized in that include: processor; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, coupled to the processor, storing a program executed by the processor, the program comprising instructions for: The second communications device transmits signaling in a wireless communications network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent by the first communications device in the wireless communications network; The second communication device receives, from the first communication device, a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied and a reference signal for channel estimation, the reference signal being based on a sequence shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

63. The device according to claim 62, characterized in that The zero padding has also been applied to the sequence to zero-pad the sequence to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

64. The device according to claim 62 or 63, characterized in that The sequence is a prime length sequence.

65. The device according to any one of claims 62 to 64, characterized in that Also includes: The second communication device performs channel estimation based on the reference signal and 66. A computer program product, characterized in that A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executed by a processor, the program comprising instructions for: A first communications device transmits signaling in a wireless communications network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent in the wireless communications network; The first communication device sends a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied and a reference signal for channel estimation to a second communication device in the wireless communication network, wherein the reference signal is based on a sequence that is shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and is zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

67. A computer program product, characterized in that A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executed by a processor, the program comprising instructions for: The second communications device transmits signaling in a wireless communications network, the signaling indicating zero padding to be applied to transmission symbols to be sent by the first communications device in the wireless communications network; The second communication device receives, from the first communication device, a zero-padded transmission symbol to which the zero padding has been applied and a reference signal for channel estimation, the reference signal being based on a sequence shorter than the zero-padded transmission symbol and zero-padded to the same length as the zero-padded transmission symbol.

68. A computer program product, characterized in that A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a program stored thereon for execution by a processor, the program comprising instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 52 to 58.

69. A processor of a device, characterized in that The processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 24 and 52 to 58.

70. A system, characterized in that: include: A first communication device, configured to send a zero-padded transmission symbol and a cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol, wherein the zero-padded transmission symbol includes a transmission symbol to which zero padding has been applied, wherein the zero padding includes a head zero padding at a head of the transmission symbol and a tail zero padding at a tail of the transmission symbol; The second communication device is configured to receive the zero-padded transmission symbol and the cyclic prefix preceding the zero-padded transmission symbol from the first communication device, wherein the zero-padded transmission symbol includes the transmission symbol to which zero padding has been applied.

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