Communication system, apparatus, method and non-transitory computer-readable storage device for unified uplink control information and local traffic reporting using two-level downlink control information to achieve perception communication integration

Abstract

A communication system, apparatus, method, and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices for performing a method comprising the steps of: generating a first downlink control information (DCI) and a second DCI to notify the device of resources for subsequent transmissions, where the subsequent transmissions comprise the transmission of: (a) the first information, (b) the second information, and (c) the second information; comprising hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement and uplink local information (ULI), and (b) at least one of second information of uplink information and / or downlink information. The ULI includes uplink local traffic (including local information to be parsed within the RAN) and / or uplink control information associated therewith. The first DCI includes information for the second DCI, and the information for the second DCI includes a first indication of resources for the second DCI. The second DCI comprises at least a first portion of information for subsequent transmission, the information for subsequent transmission comprising a second indication of resources for the first information and a third indication of resources for the second information.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 463,719, filed May 3, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to communication systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage devices, and more particularly to communication systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage devices that use two-level downlink control information (DCI) to perform unified uplink control information (UCI) and local traffic reporting to achieve integrated sensing and communication. Background Technology

[0004] Mobile communication systems are well-known. In mobile communications, the communication system or its communication equipment often needs or tends to be aware of its environment. For example, a communication device may need to know the direct location or even the location of other devices it is communicating with in order to control the radio-frequency (RF) beam to point at those other devices, thereby optimizing signal transmission and / or reception. As another example, objects between two devices in communication may obstruct the direct propagation path between them, thus adversely affecting communication. It may be preferable to sense such objects to allow the communication device to take necessary measures to mitigate or even eliminate such adverse effects.

[0005] Therefore, next-generation mobile communication systems may include sensing technologies for a variety of uses and benefits. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure relates to a communication system, apparatus, method, and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices that integrate sensing and communication by utilizing cooperative sensing and timing alignment.

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for communicating within and / or through a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: generating first downlink control information (DCI) and a second DCI to notify a device of resources for subsequent transmissions, wherein the subsequent transmissions include the transmission of: (a) first information including at least one of a first hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) and uplink local information (ULI) to be transmitted on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); and (b) second information of uplink (UL) information and / or downlink (DL) information; the ULI including UL local traffic and / or associated uplink control information. Information (UCI), UL local traffic includes local information to be resolved within the RAN; the first DCI includes information for the second DCI, the information for the second DCI including a first indication of resources for the second DCI; the second DCI includes at least a first portion of information for subsequent transmission, the information for subsequent transmission including a second indication of resources for the first information and a third indication of resources for the second information.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first DCI is used for transmission on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and the second DCI is used for transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0009] In some embodiments, the second DCI is used for transmission on the PDSCH and is not multiplexed with any DL data.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control information for the second DCI further includes a fourth indication for indicating the presence of the second DCI.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first DCI also includes at least a second portion of control information for subsequent transmission.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second information is used for transmission on the uplink shared channel (UL-SCH).

[0013] In some embodiments, the second indication includes at least one of a fourth indication for transmission resources for ULI and a fifth indication for resources on PUCCH for the first HARQ-ACK.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second DCI includes a first DCI field and a second DCI field, the first DCI field includes a third indication, and the second DCI field includes a fourth indication.

[0015] In some embodiments, ULI and second information are used for transmission on different physical uplink shared channels (PUSCH).

[0016] In some embodiments, UCI and UL local traffic are multiplexed for transmission on the same PUSCH.

[0017] In some embodiments, UCI is given higher priority than UL local traffic when placed in the PUSCH.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second DCI further includes: one or more first indicators for indicating one or more of the following: a first type of UCI to be reported; a second type of UCI that does not need to be reported; a first type of UL local traffic to be transmitted; and a second type of UL local traffic that does not need to be transmitted.

[0019] In some embodiments, the second DCI further includes a second indicator for indicating activation or deactivation reported by semi-persistent (SP) or periodic ULI.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second indicator is a 1-bit field used to indicate the activation or deactivation of a single type of ULI's SP or periodically reported activation or deactivation.

[0021] In some embodiments, the second indicator is a multi-bit field, where each bit is associated with a ULI of a corresponding type, indicating the activation or deactivation of the SP or periodically reported ULI of that type.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second DCI further includes: a sixth indication for triggering the device to perform one or more types of measurements.

[0023] In some embodiments, the sixth indication is a third DCI field consisting of multiple bits, each bit corresponding to one of one or more types of measurements.

[0024] In some embodiments, one or more types of measurements include CSI measurements, distance measurements, and Doppler measurements.

[0025] In some embodiments, UL local traffic includes perception-related information and / or artificial intelligence (AI)-related information, as well as signaling for perception-related information and / or AI-related information.

[0026] In some embodiments, UCI includes a scheduling request (SR), a second HARQ-ACK, channel state information (CSI), and / or UL L1 signaling independent of UL local traffic.

[0027] According to one aspect of this disclosure, one or more circuits (such as one or more processing units or one or more processors) are provided for performing the above methods.

[0028] According to one aspect of this disclosure, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices are provided, including computer-executable instructions, wherein, when executed, the instructions cause one or more circuits (such as one or more processing units, or one or more processors) to perform the methods described above.

[0029] Therefore, the technical features and advantages of the communication systems, apparatuses, methods, and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices disclosed herein in various embodiments may include, but are not limited to:

[0030] By using a two-level DCI, a flexible UL control framework can be achieved, which allows for flexible indication of resources used for UCI feedback and / or UL local traffic transmission.

[0031] Simultaneous scheduling of DL data and UL local information (ULI) makes UL feedback in DL scheduling more flexible;

[0032] By using two-level DCI to activate or deactivate semi-persistent (SP) ULI reporting or periodic ULI reporting, flexible activation and deactivation of UCI reporting and / or UL local traffic reporting can be achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 2A yes Figure 1A The diagram shows a simplified representation of the user equipment (UE), terrestrial transmit-and-receive point (T-TRP), and non-terrestrial transmit-and-receive point (NT-TRP) of the communication system.

[0035] Figure 2B yes Figure 1A The diagram shows a simplified illustration of a device in a communication system, such as a UE or a unit or module in a TRP.

[0036] Figure 3 It is illustrated according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 1A The diagram shows a simplified representation of the structure of a communication system that uses multiple sensing and communication (SAC) nodes to achieve integrated sensing and communication (ISAC).

[0037] Figure 4 yes Figure 1A The diagram shows a simplified representation of the sensing management function (SMF) of a communication system, which is implemented as a physically independent entity.

[0038] Figure 5A It is based on some embodiments shown in this disclosure. Figure 1A This diagram illustrates an example of a cooperative sensing method performed by the transmitter (Tx) node and receiver (Rx) node in the communication system shown.

[0039] Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram of another example shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein a Tx node collaborates with two Rx nodes to sense an object.

[0040] Figure 6A As shown in some embodiments of this disclosure Figure 1A The frequency-time diagram shows an example of sensing and communication (SAC) signals transmitted between Tx nodes and Rx nodes in the communication system shown, where multiple communication symbols and multiple sensing symbols are time-division multiplexing (TDM) methods are used to multiplex multiple communication symbols and multiple sensing symbols in time.

[0041] Figure 6B As shown in some embodiments of this disclosure Figure 1A The frequency-time diagram shows an example of SAC signals transmitted between Tx nodes and Rx nodes in a communication system, where multiple communication symbols and multiple sensing symbols are time-multiplexed using the frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) method.

[0042] Figure 6C As shown in some embodiments of this disclosure Figure 1A The frequency-time diagram of an example of SAC signal transmitted between Tx nodes and Rx nodes in the communication system shown is provided, in which multiple communication symbols and multiple sensing symbols are multiplexed in frequency and time using the TDM / FDM method, such that a mixture of time-multiplexed communication symbols and sensing symbols is transmitted in the first and second frequency bands.

[0043] Figure 7 yes Figure 1A The frequency-time diagram shows an exemplary chirp signal used by the communication system for sensing.

[0044] Figure 8A It is a sensing symbol having a chirped signal, as shown in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0045] Figure 8B It is a sensing symbol having two chirped signals multiplexed in frequency, as shown in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0046] Figure 8C It is a sensing symbol having two chirped signals that are time-multiplexed, as shown in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0047] Figure 8D It is a sensing symbol having four chirped signals multiplexed in frequency and time, as shown in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0048] Figure 9 This is a frequency-time diagram of an example of a SAC signal using OFDM symbols as communication symbols, illustrated according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0049] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating local traffic in a radio access network (RAN).

[0050] Figure 11AThis is a schematic diagram illustrating a two-level downlink control information (DCI) structure for unified uplink control information (UCI) reporting, according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0051] Figure 11B This is a schematic diagram illustrating a two-level downlink control information (DCI) structure for unified uplink control information (UCI) reporting, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0052] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the simultaneous scheduling of UL data and UL local information (ULI) according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0053] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of a two-level DCI to trigger the measurement of one or more types of UCI and / or UL local traffic and to indicate the reporting resources for the measurement.

[0054] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the simultaneous scheduling of DL data and ULI according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0055] Figures 15A to 15E yes Figure 14 The diagram shows an example of synchronously scheduling DL data and ULI.

[0056] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a two-level DCI to activate or deactivate semi-persistent (SP) or periodic ULI reporting of a single type of ULI, according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0057] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a two-level DCI to activate or deactivate SP or periodic ULI reporting of various types of ULIs according to some embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0058] A. System Structure

[0059] A-1. Overall System Structure

[0060] refer to Figure 1AAs a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network (RAN) 104. RAN 104 may be a next-generation (e.g., sixth-generation (6G) or later) RAN, or a traditional (e.g., fifth-generation (5G), fourth-generation (4G), third-generation (3G), or second-generation (2G)) RAN. One or more user equipments (UEs) 114A to 114J (collectively referred to as 114) may interconnect with each other or connect to one or more network nodes 102A in RAN 104. Core network 112 may be part of the communication system and may depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. Furthermore, communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 106, the Internet 108, and other networks 110.

[0061] Figure 1B An exemplary communication system 100 is illustrated. Typically, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components 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 via broadcast, multicast, unicast, etc. The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources (such as carrier spectrum bandwidth) among its constituent components. The communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100 can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (such as earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.). The communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can create a heterogeneous network that is considered to include multiple layers. Those skilled in the art will understand that heterogeneous networks can achieve improved overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching.

[0062] Terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered as subsystems within communication system 100. In the example shown, communication system 100 includes UEs 114, RANs 104A (also referred to as "terrestrial communication networks"), non-terrestrial communication networks 104B, a core network 112, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 106, the Internet 108, and other networks 110. RANs 104A includes corresponding base stations (BSs) 102A, which are generally referred to as terrestrial transmit-and-receive points (T-TRPs) 102A. Non-terrestrial communication networks 104B include access nodes 102B, which are generally referred to as non-terrestrial transmit-and-receive points (NT-TRPs) 102B. T-TRPs 102A and NT-TRPs 102B are typically referred to as TRPs or access nodes 102.

[0063] Any UE 114 can be used alternatively or additionally to connect, access, or communicate with any other T-TRP 102A, NT-TRP 102B, Internet 108, core network 112, PSTN 106, other network 110, or any combination thereof. In some examples, UE 114 can communicate with T-TRP 102A via terrestrial interface 118A for uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL) transmissions. In some examples, UE 114 can communicate with NT-TRP 102B via non-terrestrial interface 118B for UL and / or DL ​​transmissions. In some examples, UE 114 can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink air interfaces 118C.

[0064] Air interfaces 118A and 118C can use similar communication technologies, such as any suitable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 118A and 118C, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA; also known as discrete Fourier transform spread OFDMA, DFT-s-OFDMA). Air interfaces 118A and 118C can utilize other higher-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0065] The non-terrestrial air interface 118B enables communication between a UE 114 and one or more NT-TRP 102Bs via a wireless link or a simple link. In some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection between a group of UEs 114 and one or more NT-TRP 102Bs for multicast transmission.

[0066] RAN 104A communicates with core network 112 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to UE 114. RAN 104A and / or core network 112 can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by core network 112 and may or may not use the same radio access technology as RAN 104A. Core network 112 can also serve as a gateway access between (i) RAN 104A, or UE 114, or both, and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 106, Internet 108, and other networks 110). Additionally, some or all of UE 114 may include functionality for communicating with different wireless networks via different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or otherwise), UE 114 can communicate with service providers or switches (not shown) and with Internet 108 via wired communication channels. PSTN 106 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). Internet 108 may include a network of computers and subnets (internal networks) or both, and includes protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). UE 114 may be a multimode device capable of operating according to various radio access technologies and integrates multiple transceivers required to support such operation.

[0067] A-2. Basic Component Structure

[0068] Figure 2AExamples of UE 114, T-TRP 102A, and NT-TRP 102B are shown. UE 114 is used to connect people, objects, and / or machines. UE 114 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), mixed reality (MR), metaverse, digital twin, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.

[0069] Each UE 114 represents any suitable end-user equipment for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as): user equipment, wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics device, smartbook, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, wearable device (such as watch, glasses, head-mounted device, etc.), industrial equipment, robot, or devices included in or comprising the above devices (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip), etc. Next-generation UE 114 may be referred to using other terms. Each UE 114 connected to T-TRP 102A and / or NT-TRP 102B may be dynamically or semi-statically started (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), shut down (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connectivity availability and connectivity necessity.

[0070] In some implementations, the T-TRP 102A may have other names, such as base station, base transceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP), or wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device, or ground base station, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), location node, etc. The T-TRP 102A may be a macro BS, pico BS, relay node, or donor node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 102A may refer to the aforementioned equipment or to a component within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0071] In some embodiments, portions of T-TRP 102A may be distributed. For example, some modules in T-TRP 102A may be located remotely from the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 102A and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna via a communication link (not shown) (such as a common public radio interface (CPRI)) sometimes referred to as front-end transmission. Therefore, in some embodiments, the term "T-TRP 102A" may also refer to network-side modules that perform processing operations such as determining the location of UE 114, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, which are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 102A. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 102A may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve UE 114 via methods such as cooperative multicast.

[0072] T-TRP 102A includes one or more circuits (such as one or more electronic circuits and / or one or more optical circuits) constituting various components. For example, T-TRP 102 may include at least one transmitter 144 and at least one receiver 146 coupled to one or more antennas 148. Only one antenna 148 is shown in the figure. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. Transmitter 144 and receiver 146 may be integrated as a transceiver. T-TRP 102A also includes at least one processor 142 for performing operations related to: preparing transmissions for DL ​​transmissions to UE 114, processing UL transmissions received from UE 114, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmissions to NT-TRP 102B, and processing transmissions received from NT-TRP 102B via backhaul. Processing operations related to transmissions prepared for DL ​​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 transmissions received in the UL or via backhaul may include operations such as receiving beamforming, demodulating, and decoding received symbols. Processor 142 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or DL ​​synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB), generating system information, etc. In some embodiments, processor 142 also generates a beam direction indication, such as a BAI, which can be scheduled for transmission by scheduler 154. Processor 142 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of UE 114, determining the deployment location of NT-TRP 102B, etc. In some embodiments, processor 142 may generate signaling, for example, to configure one or more parameters of UE 114 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 102B, etc. Any signaling generated by processor 142 is transmitted by transmitter 144. It should be noted that "signaling" as used herein may also be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be transmitted in control channels, such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). Static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in data packets transmitted in data channels such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). In this case, the signaling can be called higher-layer signaling, static signaling, or semi-static signaling.Higher-layer signaling can also refer to radio resource control (RRC) protocol signaling or media access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling.

[0073] Scheduler 154 may be coupled to processor 142. Scheduler 154 may be included within or operate separately from T-TRP 102A, and may schedule UL, DL, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring schedule-free (e.g., "configuration authorization") resources. T-TRP 102A also includes memory 150 for storing information and data. Memory 150 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by T-TRP 102A. For example, memory 150 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, and executed by processor 142.

[0074] Although not shown in the figures, processor 142 may form part of transmitter 144 and / or receiver 146. Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, processor 142 may implement scheduler 154. Although not shown in the figures, memory 150 may form part of processor 142.

[0075] The processing components of processor 142, scheduler 154, transmitter 144, and receiver 146 may be implemented by the same or different processors for executing instructions stored in memory, such as memory 150. Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 142, scheduler 154, transmitter 144, and receiver 146 may be implemented using special-purpose circuitry such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0076] Although the NT-TRP 102B is only exemplified as a drone, it can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form, such as satellites and high-altitude platforms, including international mobile communication base stations and unmanned aerial vehicles. Furthermore, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 102B may have other names, such as non-terrestrial node, non-terrestrial network device, or non-terrestrial base station.

[0077] The NT-TRP 102B includes one or more circuits (such as one or more electronic circuits and / or one or more optical circuits) constituting various components and may have a similar structure to the T-TRP 102A. For example, the NT-TRP 102B may include a transmitter 144 and a receiver 146 coupled to one or more antennas 148. Only one antenna 148 is shown in the figure to avoid clutter. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 144 and receiver 146 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 102B also includes at least one processor 142 for performing operations related to: preparing transmissions for DL ​​transmissions to UE 114, processing UL transmissions received from UE 114, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmissions to T-TRP 102A, and processing transmissions received from T-TRP 102A via backhaul. Processing operations related to transmissions prepared for DL ​​or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to transmissions received in the UL or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 142 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 102A. In some embodiments, processor 142 may generate signaling, for example, to configure one or more parameters of UE 114. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 102B implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher-layer functions, such as those in the medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layers. Since this is merely an example, more generally, NT-TRP 102B may implement higher-layer functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0078] The NT-TRP 102B also includes a memory 150 for storing information and data. Although not shown in the figures, a processor 142 may be part of a transmitter 144 and / or a receiver 146. Although not shown in the figures, the memory 150 may be part of a processor 142.

[0079] The processing components in processor 142, transmitter 144, and receiver 146 may be implemented by the same or different processors for executing instructions stored in memory, such as memory 150. Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 142, transmitter 144, and receiver 146 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable FPGA, hardware accelerators (e.g., GPUs or artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators), or ASICs. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 102B may actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve the UE 114 via methods such as cooperative multicast.

[0080] T-TRP 102A, NT-TRP 102B and / or UE 114 may include other components, but these components are omitted for clarity.

[0081] UE 114 includes one or more circuits (such as one or more electronic circuits and / or one or more optical circuits) constituting various components. More specifically, UE 114 includes a transmitter 200 and a receiver 202 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure to avoid clutter. Alternatively, one, part, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 200 and receiver 202 may be integrated, for example, integrated as a transceiver. 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 is also used to demodulate data or other content received through 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 wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0082] UE 114 includes at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by UE 114. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, and executed by at least one processing unit (e.g., at least one processor 210). Each memory 208 includes any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Any suitable type of memory can 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, and processor cache, etc.

[0083] UE 114 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (such as... Figure 1A (Wired interface for connecting to the Internet 108). Input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices on the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user, and / or for network interface communication. Suitable structures include speakers, microphones, keypads, keyboards, displays, touchscreens, network interfaces, etc.

[0084] UE 114 also includes at least one processor 210 for performing operations including: transmission-related operations for preparing UL transmissions to NT-TRP 102A and / or T-TRP 102B; operations related to processing DL transmissions received from NT-TRP 102A and / or T-TRP 102B; and operations related to processing sidelink transmissions sent to and from other UEs 114. Transmission-related operations for preparing UL transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing DL transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. According to an embodiment, DL transmissions may be received by receiver 202 (possibly using receive beamforming), and processor 210 may extract signaling from the DL transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). Examples of signaling may be reference signals transmitted by NT-TRP 102A and / or T-TRP 102B. In some embodiments, processor 142 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications received from T-TRP 102, such as beam angle information (BAI). In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or DL ​​synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, processor 210 may use reference signals received from T-TRP 102A and / or NT-TRP 102B to perform channel estimation.

[0085] Although not shown in the figures, processor 210 may form part of transmitter 200 and / or receiver 202. Although not shown in the figures, memory 208 may form part of processor 210.

[0086] The processing components of processor 210, transmitter 200, and receiver 202 may be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 210, transmitter 200, and receiver 202 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as programmable FPGAs, ASICs, or hardware accelerators, such as GPUs or AI accelerators.

[0087] A-3. Basic Module Structure

[0088] One or more steps of the methods in the embodiments provided herein can be derived from... Figure 2B The corresponding unit or module shown will be executed. Figure 2BThe diagram illustrates units or modules within a device, such as UE 114 or TRP 102. For example, signals may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals may be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps may be performed by an AI or machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules may be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more units or modules may be integrated circuits. Examples of integrated circuits include programmable FPGAs, GPUs, or ASICs. For example, one or more units or modules may be logical, such as logical functions performed by circuits, a portion of an integrated circuit, or software instructions executed by a processor. It should be understood that where modules are implemented using software, for example, executed by a processor, in one or more instances, modules may be retrieved by the processor, in whole or in part, individually or together, as needed for processing, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and implementation.

[0089] Other details regarding UE 114 and TRP 102 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0090] A-4. Intelligent Air Interface

[0091] An air interface typically includes numerous components and associated parameters that collectively specify how transmissions are sent and / or received between two or more communication devices via a wireless communication link. For example, an air interface may include one or more components that define the waveform, frame structure, multiple access scheme, protocol, coding scheme, and / or modulation scheme for transmitting information (e.g., data) via a wireless communication link. A wireless communication link may support links between a RAN and a UE (e.g., a "Uu" link), and / or it may support links between devices, such as links between two user equipment units (e.g., a "sidelink"), and / or it may support links between a non-terrestrial (NT) communication network and a UE. Below are some examples of the components described above.

[0092] Waveform components can specify the shape and form of the transmitted signal. Waveform options can include orthogonal multiple access (OFDM) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOA) waveforms. Non-limiting examples of such waveform options include orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), filtered OFDM (f-OFDM), time windowing OFDM, filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), universal filtered multicarrier (UFMC), generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM), wavelet packet modulation (WPM), faster than Nyquist (FTN) waveforms, frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW), chip waveforms, and low peak to average power ratio (LPPR) waveforms (WF).

[0093] The frame structure component can specify the configuration of a frame or frame group. The frame structure component can indicate one or more of the following parameters: time, frequency, pilot signature, encoding, or other parameters for a frame or frame group. The frame structure will be discussed in detail below.

[0094] Multiple access scheme components can specify multiple access technology options, including technologies that define how communication devices share common physical channels, such as: TDMA, FDMA, CDMA, SC-FDMA, low-density signature multicarrier code division multiple access (LDS-MC-CDMA), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), pattern division multiple access (PDMA), lattice partition multiple access (LPMA), resource spread multiple access (RSMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA). Furthermore, multiple access technology options can include: scheduled access versus unscheduled access, also known as configured licensed access or unlicensed access; non-orthogonal multiple access versus orthogonal multiple access, for example, through dedicated channel resources (e.g., not shared between multiple communication devices); contention-based shared channel resources versus non-contention-based shared channel resources; and cognitive radio-based access.

[0095] The Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) protocol component can specify how transmission and / or retransmission are performed. Non-limiting examples of transmission and / or retransmission mechanism options include specifying the scheduling data pipeline size, the signaling mechanism used for transmission and / or retransmission, and examples of the retransmission mechanism.

[0096] Encoding and modulation components specify how the transmitted information is encoded / decoded and modulated / demodulated for transmission / reception. Encoding can refer to methods of error detection and forward error correction. Non-limiting examples of encoding options include Reed-Muller (RM) codes, turbo trellis codes, turbo product codes, fountain codes, low-density parity-check codes, and polar codes. Modulation can simply refer to constellation diagrams (e.g., including modulation techniques and orders), or more specifically to various types of advanced modulation methods such as layered modulation and low PAPR modulation.

[0097] In some embodiments, the air interface may be a "one-size-fits-all" concept. For example, once the air interface is defined, the components within it cannot be changed or adjusted. In some implementations, only a limited set of parameters or modes of the air interface can be configured, such as cyclic prefix (CP) length or MIMO mode. In some embodiments, the air interface design can provide a unified or flexible framework to support licensed and unlicensed access in the sub-6 GHz and above 6 GHz bands (e.g., mmWave). For example, the flexibility of a configurable air interface provided by scalable parameter sets (numerology) and symbol durations can enable optimization of transmission parameters for different spectrum bands and different services / devices. Furthermore, a unified air interface can be self-contained in the frequency domain; a self-contained frequency domain design can support more flexible RAN slicing through channel resource sharing between different services in frequency and time.

[0098] A-5. Frame Structure

[0099] Frame structure is a feature of the physical layer of wireless communication that defines the structure of time-domain signal transmission, for example, to allow timing reference and timing alignment of basic time-domain transmission units. Wireless communication between communication devices can take place on time-frequency resources controlled by the frame structure. Frame structure is sometimes also referred to as wireless frame structure.

[0100] Depending on the frame structure and / or the frame configuration within the frame structure, frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), and / or full duplex (FD; including sub-band FD) communication is possible. FDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., UL and DL) occurring in different frequency bands. TDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., UL and DL) occurring within different durations. FD communication refers to transmission and reception occurring on the same time-frequency resources; that is, the device can simultaneously transmit and receive on the same frequency resources.

[0101] An example of a frame structure is the frame structure in Long-Term Evolution (LTE), which has the following specifications: each frame is 10 milliseconds (ms) long; each frame has 10 subframes, each of which is 1 ms long; each subframe includes two time slots, each of which is 0.5 ms long; each time slot is used to transmit seven (7) OFDM symbols (assuming regular CP); each OFDM symbol has a symbol duration and a specific bandwidth (or partial bandwidth or bandwidth partition) associated with the number of subcarriers and the subcarrier spacing; the frame structure is based on OFDM waveform parameters such as subcarrier spacing and CP length (where CP has a fixed length or finite length option); the handover gap between UL and DL in TDD must be an integer multiple of the OFDM symbol duration.

[0102] Another example of a frame structure is the frame structure in New Radio (NR), which has the following specifications: support for multiple subcarrier spacings, each corresponding to a specific parameter set; the frame structure depends on the parameter set, but in any case, the frame length is set to 10 ms, consisting of 10 subframes, each 1 ms long; and the defined time slots consist of 14 OFDM symbols, with the slot length depending on the parameter set. For example, the NR frame structure for a conventional CP with a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (“Parameter Set 1”) differs from the NR frame structure for a conventional CP with a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing (“Parameter Set 2”). For the 15 kHz subcarrier spacing, the slot length is 1 ms, and for the 30 kHz subcarrier spacing, the slot length is 0.5 ms. The NR frame structure can be more flexible than the LTE frame structure.

[0103] Another example of a frame structure is the exemplary flexible frame structure, for example, for 6G networks or next-generation networks. In a flexible frame structure, a symbol block can be defined as the minimum length that can be scheduled within the flexible frame structure. A symbol block can be a transmission unit with optional redundant portions (e.g., CP portions) and information portions (e.g., data portions). An OFDM symbol is an example of a symbol block. A symbol block can also be referred to as a symbol. Embodiments of flexible frame structures include various configurable parameters, such as frame length, subframe length, symbol block length, etc. A non-exhaustive list of possible configurable parameters in some embodiments of flexible frame structures includes the following.

[0104] (1) Frame: The frame length is not limited to 10 ms; the frame length can be configurable and vary over time. In some embodiments, each frame includes one or more DL synchronization channels and / or one or more DL broadcast channels, each of which can transmit in different directions through different beamforming. The frame length can have more than one possible value and can be configured according to the application scenario. For example, autonomous vehicles may require relatively fast initial access, in which case the frame length for autonomous vehicle applications can be set to 5 ms. As another example, home smart meters may not require fast initial access, in which case the frame length for smart meter applications can be set to 20 ms.

[0105] (2) Subframe duration: Subframes may or may not be defined within a flexible frame structure, depending on the implementation. For example, a frame may be defined to include time slots but not subframes. In frames with defined subframes, for example, for temporal alignment, the duration of the subframes may be configurable. For example, subframes may be configured to have lengths of 0.1 ms, 0.2 ms, 0.5 ms, 1 ms, 2 ms, 5 ms, etc. In some embodiments, if subframes are not needed in a particular scenario, the subframe length may be defined as the same as the frame length or not defined at all.

[0106] (3) Time Slot Configuration: Time slots may or may not be defined within a flexible frame structure, depending on the implementation. In frames with defined time slots, the limitations of the time slots (e.g., in terms of duration and / or number of symbol blocks) can be configurable. In one embodiment, time slot configuration is common to all UEs or a group of UEs. In this case, time slot configuration information can be transmitted to the UE in a broadcast channel or a common control channel. In other embodiments, time slot configuration can be UE-specific, in which case time slot configuration information can be transmitted in a UE-specific control channel. In some embodiments, time slot configuration signaling can be transmitted together with frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. In other embodiments, time slot configuration can be transmitted independently of frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. Generally, time slot configuration can be system-wide, base station-wide, UE group-wide, or UE-specific.

[0107] (4) Subcarrier Spacing (SCS): SCS is a parameter in a scalable parameter set, and its value can range from 15 kHz to 480 kHz. SCS may vary with the spectral frequency and / or maximum UE speed to minimize the effects of Doppler shift and phase noise. In some examples, separate transmit and receive frames may exist, and the SCS of symbols in the receive frame structure can be configured independently of the SCS of symbols in the transmit frame structure. The SCS in the receive frame may differ from the SCS in the transmit frame. In some examples, the SCS of each transmit frame may be half the SCS of each receive frame. If the SCS differs between the receive and transmit frames, the difference does not necessarily have to be scaled by a factor of two, for example, when using the inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) instead of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to achieve more flexible symbol durations. Other examples of frame structures can be used with different SCS.

[0108] (5) Flexible transmission duration of the basic transmission unit: The basic transmission unit can be a symbol block (also called a symbol), which typically includes a redundant portion (called CP) and an information (e.g., data) portion. However, in some embodiments, the CP can be omitted from the symbol block. The CP length can be flexible and configurable. The CP length can be fixed within a frame or can be flexibly varied within a frame, and the CP length may change with frame changes, with frame group changes, with subframe changes, with time slot changes, or dynamically with scheduling changes. The information (e.g., data) portion can be flexible and configurable. Another possible parameter that can be defined related to the symbol block is the ratio of the CP duration to the information (e.g., data) duration. In some embodiments, the symbol block length can be adjusted based on channel conditions (e.g., multipath delay, Doppler) and / or delay requirements and / or available duration. For example, the symbol block length can be adjusted to accommodate the available duration in the frame.

[0109] (6) Flexible handover gap: A frame may include a DL portion for DL ​​transmission of the base station and a UL portion for UL transmission of the UE. A gap may exist between each UL and DL portion, which is called a handover gap. The handover gap length (duration) can be configurable. The handover gap duration can be fixed within the frame or can be flexibly varied within the frame, and the handover gap duration may change with the frame, with the frame group, with the subframe, with the time slot, or dynamically with the scheduling method.

[0110] A-6. Cell, carrier, partial bandwidth, and occupied bandwidth

[0111] Base stations and other equipment can provide coverage for a cell. Wireless communication with this equipment can take place on one or more carrier frequencies. A carrier frequency is called a carrier. A carrier can also be called a component carrier (CC). A carrier can be characterized by its bandwidth and reference frequency, such as the center frequency, lowest frequency, or highest frequency of the carrier. A carrier can be on licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Wireless communication with the equipment can also, or alternatively, take place on one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs) or on a specific sub-band or other basic unit of the frequency domain comprising one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs). For example, a carrier can have one or more BWPs. Generally, wireless communication with the equipment can take place on a spectrum. A spectrum can include one or more carriers and / or one or more BWPs.

[0112] A cell may include one or more DL resources and optionally one or more UL resources, or a cell may include one or more UL resources and optionally one or more DL resources, or a cell may include one or more DL resources and one or more UL resources. As an example, a cell may include only one DL carrier / BWP, or only one UL carrier / BWP, or multiple DL carriers / BWPs, or multiple UL carriers / BWPs, or one DL carrier / BWP and one UL carrier / BWP, or one DL carrier / BWP and multiple UL carriers / BWPs, or multiple DL carriers / BWPs and one UL carrier / BWP, or multiple DL carriers / BWPs and multiple UL carriers / BWPs. In some embodiments, a cell may alternatively or additionally include one or more sidelink resources, including sidelink transmit and receive resources.

[0113] A BWP is a set of continuous or discontinuous frequency subcarriers on a single carrier, or a set of continuous or discontinuous frequency subcarriers on multiple carriers, or a set of discontinuous or continuous frequency subcarriers, which may have one or more carriers.

[0114] In some embodiments, a carrier may have one or more BWPs. For example, a carrier may have a bandwidth of 20 MHz and consist of one BWP, an 80 MHz bandwidth and consist of two adjacent consecutive BWPs, and so on. In other embodiments, a BWP may have one or more carriers; for example, a BWP may have a bandwidth of 40 MHz and consist of two adjacent consecutive carriers, each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz. In some embodiments, a BWP may include discontinuous spectrum resources consisting of multiple discontinuous carriers, wherein a first carrier of the multiple discontinuous carriers may be in the mmWave band, a second carrier may be in a low-frequency band (such as the 2 GHz band), a third carrier (if present) may be in the terahertz (THz) band, and a fourth carrier (if present) may be in the visible light band. Resources within a carrier belonging to a BWP may be contiguous or discontinuous. In some embodiments, a BWP has discontinuous spectrum resources on a single carrier.

[0115] Wireless communication can be performed on occupied bandwidth. Occupied bandwidth can be defined as the width of a frequency band such that the average transmitted power below the lower limit and above the upper limit of the band is equal to a specified percentage of the total average transmitted power, respectively. ,For example, The value is 0.5%.

[0116] The carrier, BWP, or occupied bandwidth can be dynamically indicated by network devices (e.g., base stations) in physical layer control signaling such as downlink control information (DCI), or semi-statically indicated in RRC signaling or MAC layer, or predefined according to the application scenario; or determined by the UE as a function of other parameters known to the UE, or fixed through standards, etc.

[0117] A-7. Timing Reference Point

[0118] In current networks, frame timing and synchronization are established based on synchronization signals such as the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS). It is worth noting that known frame timing and synchronization strategies involve adding timestamps to frame boundaries, for example, (xx0:yy0:zz), where xx0, yy0, and zz in the timestamp can represent time formats such as hours, minutes, and seconds, respectively.

[0119] The various applications and use cases anticipated in future networks may involve using frames, time slots, and symbols of varying durations to meet different requirements, functions, and quality of service (QoS) types. Therefore, using frames of different durations to meet these applications can pose challenges to frame timing alignment across various frame structures. For example, consider frame timing alignment in TDD configurations within adjacent carrier bands or between subbands (or portions) of a channel / carrier bandwidth.

[0120] In some embodiments, frame timing alignment and / or realignment may include timing alignment and / or realignment with respect to the boundaries of symbols, slots, or subframes within a frame; or frames (therefore, frame timing alignment / realignment has a broader meaning here and is not limited to timing alignment / realignment only from frame boundaries). Furthermore, relative timing with respect to a frame or frame boundary can be interpreted in a broader sense, that is, a frame boundary refers to the timing point of a frame element, such as a symbol, slot, or subframe within a frame, or the start or end of a frame. In the following text, phrases such as “(frame) timing alignment or timing realignment” and “relative timing with respect to frame boundaries” are used in the broader sense described above.

[0121] In some embodiments, a network device such as base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as TRP 102) may transmit signaling carrying a timing realignment indication message. The timing realignment indication message includes information that enables the receiving UE 114 to determine a timing reference point. Based on the timing reference point, frame transmission by UE 114 can be aligned. In some embodiments, the aligned frames are located in different subbands of a carrier frequency band. In other embodiments, the aligned frames are located in adjacent carrier frequency bands.

[0122] On the TRP 102 side, one or more types of signaling can be used to indicate timing realignment (or / and timing correction) messages. Two exemplary signaling types are provided here to illustrate the scheme. The first exemplary type of signaling can be referred to as cell-specific signaling, for example, including group common signaling and broadcast signaling. The second exemplary type of signaling can be referred to as UE-specific signaling. One of these two signaling types or a combination of the two signaling types can be used to transmit timing realignment indication messages. Timing realignment indication messages can notify one or more UEs 114 of the configuration of timing reference points. In the following text, the term "UE" can be understood to refer generally to a common wireless communication device within a cell (i.e., a network receiving node, such as a wireless device, sensor, gateway, or router) served by TRP 102. A timing reference point is a timing reference time, which can be represented by relative timing with respect to timing points in a frame (such as symbols, time slots, or subframes within a frame; or the start or end boundary of a frame). For simplicity, the term "frame boundary" is used below to refer to possible symbols, time slots, or subframes within a frame, or the boundary of a frame. Therefore, a timing reference point can be represented by relative timing relative to the current frame boundary (e.g., the start of the current frame). Alternatively, a timing reference point can be represented by absolute timing based on some standard timing reference such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS)) or Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). In the absolute timing version of the timing reference point, the timing reference point can be explicitly specified.

[0123] A timing reference point can be used to allow timing adjustments on the UE 114 side. Timing adjustments can be implemented to improve the accuracy of the clock on the UE 114 side. Alternatively or additionally, the timing reference point can be used to allow adjustments in future transmissions from the UE 114. These adjustments allow transmission frames to be realigned at the timing reference point. It should be noted that realigning transmission frames at the timing reference point can include timing realignment at the timing reference point for one or more UE 114s and one or more BS 102s (in a cell or a group of cells), based on symbols, time slots, or subframes within the frame, or the start boundary of the frame.

[0124] On the UE 114 side, UE 114 can monitor timing realignment indication messages. In response to receiving a timing realignment indication message, UE 114 can obtain a timing reference point and perform steps to achieve frame realignment at the timing reference point. For example, these steps may include starting the transmission of subsequent frames at the timing reference point.

[0125] Alternatively, before monitoring the timing realignment indication message, UE 114 can send a timing realignment request to TRP 102, i.e., a timing realignment request message, causing TRP 102 to send a timing realignment indication message. In response to receiving the timing realignment request message, TRP 102 can send a timing realignment indication message to UE 114 including information about the timing reference point, thereby enabling UE 114 to perform timing realignment (or / and timing adjustment including clock timing error correction), wherein the timing realignment is performed for UEs and one or more base stations in a cell (or a group of cells), based on symbols, time slots or subframes or frames (such as the start boundary of a frame).

[0126] In some embodiments, the TRP 102 associated with a given cell may transmit a timing realignment indication message. The timing realignment indication message may include sufficient information to enable the message receiver to obtain a timing reference point. The timing reference point may be used by one or more UEs 114 in a particular cell when performing timing realignment (or / and timing adjustments including clock timing error correction).

[0127] In some embodiments, the timing reference point can be represented in the timing realignment indication message relative to a frame boundary (wherein the frame boundary can be the boundary of a symbol, slot, or subframe within a frame, or the frame itself). The timing realignment indication message may include a relative timing indication. Relative timing indication The timing reference point is represented as a specific duration that occurs after the frame boundary of a given frame, i.e. Since frame boundaries are important for UE 114 to determine its timing reference point, it is important for UE 114 to know the specific frame with the relevant frame boundaries. Accordingly, the timing realignment indication message may also include the system frame number (SFN) of the given frame.

[0128] In 5G NR, the SFN is known to be a value ranging from 0 to 1023 (inclusive). Accordingly, 10 bits can be used to represent the SFN. When the SFN is carried via the SSB, 6 of the 10 bits of the SFN can be carried through the master information block (MIB), while the remaining 4 bits can be carried through the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) payload.

[0129] Optionally, the timing realignment indication message may also include other parameters. For example, other parameters may include the minimum time offset. The minimum time offset may be the duration before the timing reference point is established. UE 114 may rely on the minimum time offset as an indication that the DL signaling including the timing realignment indication message can provide UE 114 with sufficient time to detect the timing realignment indication message, thereby obtaining information about the timing reference point.

[0130] A-8. Precoding

[0131] As used in this article, precoding can refer to any encoding or modulation operation that transforms an input signal into an output signal. Precoding can be performed in different domains and typically transforms an input signal in one domain into an output signal in a second domain. Precoding can include linear operations.

[0132] A-9. Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO)

[0133] MIMO technology allows signal transmission and reception to be performed by an antenna array with multiple antennas to meet high transmission rate requirements. UE 114 and / or TRP 102 can use MIMO to communicate over radio resource blocks. MIMO utilizes multiple antennas at the transmitter and / or receiver to transmit radio resource blocks over parallel radio signals. MIMO can beamform the parallel radio signals for reliable multipath transmission of radio resource blocks. MIMO can combine parallel radio signals carrying different data to increase the data rate of radio resource blocks.

[0134] In recent years, the MIMO (Massive MIMO) wireless communication system of the TRP 102 with a large number of antennas has received widespread attention from academia and industry. In massive MIMO systems, the TRP 102 can typically be configured with more than 10 antenna elements (e.g., Figure 2AThe antenna 148 shown simultaneously serves dozens of UEs 114. The large number of antenna elements in the TRP 102 significantly increases the spatial freedom of wireless communication, greatly improving transmission rate, spectral efficiency, and power efficiency, and largely eliminating inter-cell interference. The increased number of antennas allows for smaller and lower-cost antenna elements per unit. Utilizing the spatial freedom provided by the massive antenna array, each TRP 102 in a cell can simultaneously communicate with multiple UEs 114 in the cell on the same time-frequency resources, thus significantly improving spectral efficiency. The large number of antenna elements in the TRP 102 also enables each user to have improved spatial directivity in both UL and DL transmissions, resulting in a significant reduction in the transmit power of the TRP 102 and / or UE 114 and a substantial increase in power efficiency. When the number of antennas in the TRP 102 is sufficiently large, the random channels between each UE 114 and the TRP 102 can approach orthogonality, and interference and noise between the cell and users can be eliminated. These numerous advantages make massive MIMO a promising technology for widespread application.

[0135] A MIMO system may include a receiver connected to a receiving (Rx) antenna, a transmitter connected to a transmitting (Tx) antenna, and a signal processor connected to both the transmitter and receiver. Both Rx and Tx antennas may include multiple antennas. For example, an Rx antenna may have a uniform linear array (ULA) antenna array, in which multiple antennas are arranged in rows at uniform intervals. When a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted through a Tx antenna, the Rx antenna can receive signals reflected and returned from a forward target.

[0136] A non-exhaustive list of possible units or possible configurable parameters or some embodiments of the MIMO system includes the following.

[0137] Panel: An antenna group unit, antenna array, or antenna sub-array that can independently control its Tx or Rx beam.

[0138] Beam: A beam is formed by performing amplitude and / or phase weighting on data transmitted or received at at least one antenna port, or it can be formed by other methods, such as adjusting relevant parameters of the antenna elements. A beam can include a Tx beam and / or an Rx beam. The transmit beam represents the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after the signal is transmitted through the antenna. The receive beam represents the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space of the wireless signal received from the antenna. Beam information can be a beam identifier, antenna port identifier, channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource identifier, SSB resource identifier, sounding reference signal (SRS) resource identifier, codebook indicator, beam direction indicator, or other reference signal resource identifier.

[0139] A-10. Integration of Terrestrial Network (TN) and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN)

[0140] Terrestrial communication systems can also be called land-based or ground-based communication systems, but they can also be implemented on or under water, either alternatively or otherwise. Non-terrestrial communication systems can extend the coverage of cellular networks through non-terrestrial nodes to bridge coverage gaps in underserved areas, which is crucial for ensuring seamless global coverage and providing mobile broadband service to unserved / underserved areas. In this context, deploying ground access points / base station infrastructure in oceans, mountains, forests, or other remote areas is virtually impossible.

[0141] Terrestrial communication systems can be wireless communications using 5G technology and / or next-generation wireless technologies (e.g., 6G or higher). In some examples, terrestrial communication systems may also be compatible with some traditional wireless technologies (e.g., 3G or 4G). Non-terrestrial communication systems can be communications using satellite constellations, such as: traditional geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites that utilize public / popular content broadcast to local servers; low earth orbit (LEO) satellites that achieve a better balance between large coverage areas and propagation path loss / latency; satellites stabilized in very low earth orbit (VLEO) that achieve significantly reduced costs in launching satellites into low orbits; high altitude platforms (HAPs) that provide low path loss air interfaces for users with limited power budgets; and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (or unmanned aerial systems (UAS)) that enable dense deployment because their coverage can be limited to local areas, such as airborne, balloon, quadcopter, and drone vehicles. In some examples, GEO satellites, LEO satellites, UAVs, HAPs, and VLEOs can be horizontal and two-dimensional. In some examples, UAVs, HAPs, and VLEOs are coupled to integrate satellite communications into cellular networks, thereby giving rise to 3D vertical networks consisting of numerous mobile (excluding geostationary satellites) and high-altitude access points such as UAVs, HAPs, and VLEOs.

[0142] A-11. Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning (AI / ML)

[0143] AI technology can be applied to communications, including AI / ML-based communications at the physical layer and / or at higher levels such as the MAC layer. For example, at the physical layer, AI / ML-based communications can aim to optimize component design and / or improve algorithm performance. For the MAC layer, AI / ML-based communications can aim to leverage AI / ML capabilities to learn, predict, and / or make decisions to solve complex optimization problems using potentially better strategies and / or optimal solutions, such as optimizing functions in the MAC layer, such as intelligent TRP management, intelligent beam management, intelligent channel resource allocation, intelligent power control, intelligent spectrum utilization, intelligent modulation and coding scheme (MCS), intelligent HARQ strategy, intelligent transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) mode adaptation, etc.

[0144] The following are some terms used in the AI / ML field.

[0145] Data collection:

[0146] Data is a crucial component of AI / ML technology. Data collection refers to the process by which network nodes, management entities, or user-defined users (UEs) gather data for AI / ML model training, data analysis, and inference.

[0147] AI / ML model training:

[0148] AI / ML model training refers to the process of training an AI / ML model by learning the input / output relationship in a data-driven manner and obtaining a trained AI / ML model for inference.

[0149] AI / ML model inference:

[0150] The process of using a trained AI / ML model to produce a set of outputs based on a set of inputs.

[0151] AI / ML model validation:

[0152] As a sub-process of training, validation is used to evaluate the quality of the AI / ML model using a different dataset than the one used for model training. Validation can help in selecting model parameters that generalize to datasets other than those used for model training. The trained model parameters can be further tuned through the validation process.

[0153] AI / ML model testing:

[0154] Similar to validation, testing is also a sub-process of training. It is used to evaluate the performance of the final AI / ML model using a different dataset than the datasets used for model training and validation. Unlike AI / ML model validation, testing does not assume subsequent adjustments to the model.

[0155] Online training:

[0156] Online training refers to the AI / ML training process in which the model used for inference is typically trained continuously (in near real-time) as new training samples arrive.

[0157] Offline training:

[0158] The AI / ML training process involves training a model based on a collected dataset, and the trained model is then used or transmitted for inference.

[0159] AI / ML model transfer / transfer:

[0160] The general term refers to transferring an AI / ML model from one entity to another in any way. Transferring an AI / ML model over an air interface includes transferring parameters of a model structure known to the receiving end, or transferring a new model with parameters. The transfer may include a complete model or a partial model.

[0161] Lifecycle Management (LCM):

[0162] When training and / or inferring AI / ML models on a device, the entire AI / ML process needs to be monitored and managed to ensure the performance gains achieved through AI / ML technology. For example, due to the randomness of wireless channels and the mobility of UEs, the propagation environment of wireless signals changes frequently. However, it is difficult for AI / ML models to maintain optimal performance in all scenarios, and performance may even degrade sharply in some scenarios. Therefore, lifecycle management (LCM) of AI / ML models is crucial for the sustainable operation of AI / ML over the NR air interface.

[0163] Lifecycle management encompasses the entire process of applying AI / ML technologies across one or more nodes. Specifically, lifecycle management includes at least one of the following sub-processes: data collection, model training, model identification, model registration, model deployment, model configuration, model inference, model selection, model activation, deactivation, model switching, model rollback, model monitoring, model update, model transfer / transfer, and UE capability reporting.

[0164] Model monitoring can be based on inference accuracy, including metrics related to key performance indicators (KPIs), or on system performance, including metrics related to system performance KPIs, such as accuracy and relevance, overhead, complexity (computational and memory costs), latency (timeliness of monitoring results, from model failure to operational status), and power consumption. Furthermore, data distribution may shift after deployment due to environmental changes; therefore, models based on input or output data distribution should also be considered.

[0165] Supervised learning:

[0166] The goal of supervised learning algorithms is to train a model that maps feature vectors (inputs) to labels (outputs) based on training data that includes example feature-label pairs. Supervised learning analyzes the training data and produces an inference function that can be used to map inference data.

[0167] Supervised learning can be further divided into two types: classification and regression. Classification is used when the output of an AI / ML model is categorical (i.e., it has two or more categories). Regression is used when the output of an AI / ML model is a real number or a continuous value.

[0168] Unsupervised learning:

[0169] Unlike supervised learning, where AI / ML models learn to map inputs to target outputs, unsupervised methods learn concise representations of input data without labeled data. These representations can be used for data exploration, analysis, or the generation of new data. A typical example of unsupervised learning is clustering, which explores the hidden structure of the input data and provides classification results.

[0170] Reinforcement learning:

[0171] Reinforcement learning is used to solve sequential decision-making problems. It's the process of training an intelligent agent to perform actions based on inputs (states) and feedback signals (rewards) from the environment. In reinforcement learning, the agent interacts with the environment by performing actions to maximize cumulative rewards. Each time the agent performs an action, the current state of the environment may transition to a new state, which in turn brings a corresponding reward. The agent can then perform the next action based on the received reward and the new state in the environment. During the training phase, the agent interacts with the environment to accumulate experience. Because direct interaction with real systems is costly, the environment is typically simulated using a simulator. During the inference phase, the agent can use the optimal decision rules learned during training to achieve the maximum cumulative reward.

[0172] Federated Learning:

[0173] Federated learning (FL) is a machine learning technique that uses centralized nodes (e.g., servers) and multiple distributed edge nodes (e.g., UEs, next-generation NodeBs (gNBs)) to train AI / ML models.

[0174] Based on wireless FL technology, the server can provide edge nodes with a set of model parameters (e.g., weights, biases, gradients) describing the global AI / ML model. Edge nodes can use these received global AI / ML model parameters to initialize a local AI / ML model. Then, the edge nodes can use local data samples to train the local AI / ML model, resulting in a trained local AI / ML model. Subsequently, the edge nodes can provide the server with a set of AI / ML model parameters describing the local AI / ML model.

[0175] Upon receiving multiple sets of AI / ML model parameters describing the corresponding local AI / ML models at multiple edge nodes, the server can aggregate the local AI / ML model parameters reported from multiple UEs and update the global AI / ML model based on this aggregation. Subsequent iterations are very similar to the first iteration. The server can transmit the aggregated global model to multiple edge nodes. This process is repeated multiple times until the global AI / ML model is considered finalized, for example, when the AI / ML model converges or the training stopping condition is met.

[0176] It is worth noting that wireless FL technology does not involve the exchange of local data samples. In fact, local data samples are retained at the corresponding edge nodes.

[0177] AI technologies (including ML technologies) can be applied to communications, including AI-based communications at the physical layer and / or the MAC layer. For the physical layer, AI communications can aim to optimize component design and / or improve algorithm performance. For example, AI can be used to achieve: channel coding, channel modeling, channel estimation, channel decoding, modulation, demodulation, MIMO, waveform generation, multiple access, physical layer component parameter optimization and updating, beamforming, tracking, sensing and / or localization, etc. For the MAC layer, AI communications can aim to leverage AI capabilities for learning, prediction, and / or decision-making to solve complex optimization problems using potentially better strategies and / or optimal solutions, such as optimizing functions within the MAC layer. For example, AI can be used to achieve: intelligent TRP management, intelligent beam management, intelligent channel resource allocation, intelligent power control, intelligent spectrum utilization, intelligent MCS, intelligent HARQ strategies, intelligent transmit / receive mode adaptation, etc.

[0178] AI architectures can involve multiple nodes, which may be organized in one of two modes (centralized and distributed), both of which can be deployed in access networks, core networks, edge computing systems, or third-party networks. Centralized training and computing architectures are limited by potentially large communication overhead and strict user data privacy. Distributed training and computing architectures can include several frameworks, such as distributed machine learning and federated learning. In some embodiments, the AI ​​architecture may include intelligent controllers that can perform as single or multiple agents based on joint or individual optimization. New protocols and signaling mechanisms are needed to personalize the corresponding interface links using customized parameters to meet specific requirements, while minimizing signaling overhead and maximizing the overall system spectral efficiency through personalized AI techniques.

[0179] The new protocols and signaling mechanisms are provided to operate within and switch between different operating modes, including AI and non-AI modes, as well as for measurement and feedback to accommodate different possible measurements and information that may require feedback, depending on the implementation.

[0180] An air interface that uses AI as part of its implementation (e.g., one or more components used to optimize the air interface) is referred to herein as an "AI-enabled air interface". In some embodiments, AI operations in an AI-enabled air interface can be of two types: both the network and the UE learn the AI; or only the network learns the AI.

[0181] B. Sensing in communication systems

[0182] As mentioned above, communication system 100 or its communication devices often need or tend to understand their environment, which can be achieved through sensing.

[0183] Perception is the technology of acquiring information about one's surroundings, such as information about objects, including their position, speed, distance, orientation, shape, and texture. Generally, perception can be broadly classified as follows:

[0184] RF sensing: sending RF signals and acquiring information about the surrounding environment by receiving and processing those RF signals, or their echoes or other reflections.

[0185] Non-RF sensing: acquiring information about the surroundings by using non-RF signals (such as cameras or other sensors).

[0186] RF sensing can be further classified as:

[0187] Active sensing (also known as "device-based sensing"): The sensing device sends an RF signal to the target device. The target device detects the RF signal, obtains sensing information from the RF signal or by measuring some intermediate information within it, and then feeds the sensing information back to the sensing device.

[0188] Passive sensing (also known as "device-free sensing"): The sensing device sends an RF signal to an object, detects the echo of the RF signal (i.e. the reflected RF signal), and obtains the sensed information from the echo.

[0189] An example of passive sensing is a radar system, where sensing devices can transmit RF signals to locate, detect, and track target objects. Radar systems are typically implemented as standalone systems for specific applications.

[0190] In passive sensing, objects such as environmental IoT devices (smaller and less expensive IoT devices compared to traditional IoT devices) may or may not include certain identifier (ID) information (such as RF tags).

[0191] Generally, from the perspective of the transmitter and receiver, there are three types of perception:

[0192] Single static sensing, in which the transmitter and receiver are the same device;

[0193] Dual static sensing, in which the transmitter and receiver are different devices; for example, TRP 102 can be used as a transmitter and send RF signals for sensing, while UE 114 can be used as a receiver and receive RF signals.

[0194] Multi-static sensing can be decomposed into multiple bistatic Tx-Rx pairs; for example, TRP 102 can transmit RF signals for sensing, and two UEs 114 (such as UE1 and UE2) can receive RF signals, thereby forming a first Tx-Rx pair between TRP 102 and UE1, and a second Tx-Rx pair between TRP 102 and UE2.

[0195] C. Integration of sensing and communication

[0196] C-1. Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR)

[0197] The term RADAR originates from the phrase "radio detection and ranging." However, both capitalized and case-sensitive forms (i.e., Radar and radar) are equally applicable and are currently more common. Radar is typically used to detect the presence and location of objects. A radar system radiates radio frequency energy and receives the echoes of energy reflected from one or more targets. The system determines a given target based on the echoes returning from that target. The radiated energy can be in the form of energy pulses or continuous waves, which can be represented or defined by specific waveforms. Examples of waveforms used in radar include frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) and ultra-wideband (UWB) waveforms.

[0198] Radar systems can be monostatic, bistatic, or multistatic. In a monostatic radar system, the radar signal transmitter and receiver are co-located, for example, integrated into a transceiver. In a bistatic radar system, the transmitter and receiver are spatially separated by a distance equal to or greater than the expected target distance (often referred to as range). In a multistatic radar system, two or more radar components are spatially distributed but share a common coverage area. Multistatic radar is also known as multi-site or mesh radar.

[0199] Ground-based radar applications face challenges such as multipath propagation and shadow attenuation. Another challenge is identifiability, as ground targets share similar physical properties. Integrating sensing into communication systems will likely encounter similar challenges, or even more.

[0200] C-2. Introduction

[0201] In cellular communication networks, UE location information is frequently used to improve various network performance metrics. These metrics can include capacity, flexibility, and efficiency. Improvements can be achieved when network components utilize the UE's location, behavior, and / or mobility patterns within the context of prior information describing the radio environment in which the UE operates.

[0202] Sensing systems can be used to help collect UE information, including the UE's position in a reference frame (such as a global coordinate system, a local coordinate system, or a reference frame relative to one or more reference points), the UE's speed and direction of movement in the reference frame, orientation information, and information about the wireless environment. Here, the term "location" is also referred to as "position," and the two terms are used interchangeably throughout this document. Well-known examples of sensing systems include radio detection and ranging (RADAR) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR). While sensing systems can be separated from communication systems, it may be more advantageous to collect information using an integrated system, thus reducing the hardware (and cost) in the system and the time, frequency, or spatial resources required to perform both functions. However, using communication system hardware to sense objects (such as sensing objects and their location, shape, orientation, attitude, etc.) and environmental information is a highly challenging open problem. The difficulty of this problem is related to factors such as the limited resolution of the communication system, the dynamic nature of the environment, and the large number of objects whose electromagnetic properties and positions need to be estimated.

[0203] Therefore, the integration of sensing and communication (also known as the integration of communication and sensing) is one of the ideal features in existing and future communication systems.

[0204] C-3. Sensing Nodes and Sensing Management Functions

[0205] like Figure 3 As shown, any or all UE 114 and TRP 102 can be sensing nodes in system 100. A sensing node is a network entity that senses by sending and receiving sensing signals. Some sensing nodes are communication devices that simultaneously perform communication and sensing. However, some sensing nodes may not perform communication but are dedicated solely to sensing. Sensing agent 232 is an example of a sensing node dedicated solely to sensing. Unlike UE 114 and TRP 102, sensing agent 232 does not send or receive communication signals. However, sensing agent 232 can transmit configuration information, sensing information, signaling information, or other information within communication system 100. Sensing agent 232 can communicate with core network 112 to transmit information with the rest of communication system 100. For example, sensing agent 232 can determine the location of UE 114 and send that information to TRP 102 via core network 112. Although Figure 3 Only one sensing agent 232 is shown, but any number of sensing agents can be implemented in the communication system 100. In some embodiments, one or more sensing agents can be implemented in one or more RANs 104.

[0206] Sensing nodes can combine sensing-based technologies with reference signal-based technologies to enhance the determination of UE-related information. This type of sensing node can also be called a sensing management function (SMF). In some networks, the SMF can also be called a location management function (LMF). In some embodiments, the SMF can be implemented as a physically independent entity located in the core network 112 and connected to multiple TRPs 102. In other embodiments, the SMF can be implemented as a logical entity co-located within the TRPs 102 through logic executed by the processor 142.

[0207] like Figure 4As shown, when implemented as a physically independent entity, the SMF 176 includes at least one processor 290, at least one transmitter 282, at least one receiver 284, one or more antennas 286, and at least one memory 288. Transceivers (not shown) may be used instead of transmitters 282 and receivers 284. A scheduler 283 may be coupled to the processor 290. The scheduler 283 may be included within the SMF 176 or may operate separately from the SMF 176. The processor 290 implements various processing operations of the SMF 176, such as signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, or any other functions. The processor 290 may also be used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments detailed above. Each processor 290 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processor 290 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, FPGA, or ASIC.

[0208] Object determination techniques based on reference signals can involve an "active" pose estimation paradigm. In this paradigm, the querier of pose information (i.e., UE 114) participates in the process of determining its own pose. The querier can send or receive (or both send and receive) signals dedicated to the pose determination process. GNSS-based (such as GPS) positioning techniques are other examples of the active pose estimation paradigm.

[0209] Conversely, perception technologies such as radar can be viewed as involving a "passive" pose determination paradigm. In the passive pose determination paradigm, the target is unaware of the pose determination process.

[0210] By integrating sensing and communication into a single system, the system no longer needs to operate according to a single mode. Therefore, combining sensing-based techniques with reference signal-based techniques can produce enhanced object determination.

[0211] For example, enhanced object determination can include acquiring UE channel subspace information, which is particularly useful for UE channel reconstruction at the sensing node, especially for beam-based operations and communications. The UE channel subspace is a subset of the entire algebraic space defined in the spatial domain, containing the entire channel from the TP to the UE. Therefore, the UE channel subspace can define the TP-to-UE channel with very high accuracy. Signals transmitted in other subspaces contribute negligibly to the UE channel. Understanding the UE channel subspace helps reduce the workload required for channel measurement on the UE side and channel reconstruction on the network side. Therefore, combining sensing-based techniques with reference signal-based techniques can significantly reduce the overhead of UE channel reconstruction compared to traditional methods. Subspace information can also facilitate subspace-based sensing, thereby reducing sensing complexity and improving sensing accuracy.

[0212] C-4. Sensing Channel

[0213] In some embodiments of integrated sensing and communication, sensing and communication use the same radioaccess technology (RAT). This avoids multiplexing two different RATs under a single carrier spectrum, or avoids providing two different carrier spectrums for two different RATs.

[0214] In embodiments that integrate sensing and communication under the same RAT, a first set of channels can be used to transmit sensing signals, while a second set of channels can be used to transmit communication signals. In some embodiments, each channel in the first set of channels and each channel in the second set of channels is a logical channel, a transport channel, or a physical channel.

[0215] At the physical layer, communication and sensing can be performed through different physical channels. For example, a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH-C) can be designated for data communication, while a second physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH-S) can be designated for sensing, such as for sensing data sharing and sensing reference signals in cooperative sensing. Similarly, separate physical uplink shared channels (PUSCHs), PUSCH-C, and PUSCH-S can be designated for UL communication and sensing. For example, PUSCH-S can be used for sensing result reporting and sensing data sharing.

[0216] For example, the same PDSCH and PUSCH can also be used for communication and sensing, where separate logical layer channels and / or transport layer channels are designated for communication and sensing. It should also be noted that control channels and data channels used for sensing can have the same or different channel structures (formats), occupying the same or different frequency bands or portions of the bandwidth.

[0217] For example, the common physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and the common physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) are used to carry control information for sensing and communication. Alternatively, separate physical layer control channels can be used to carry separate control information for communication and sensing. For instance, PUCCH-S and PUCCH-C can be used for UL control for sensing and communication, respectively, and PDCCH-S and PDCCH-C can be used for DL ​​control for sensing and communication, respectively.

[0218] Sensing and communication can be performed using different combinations of shared channels and dedicated channels at the physical layer, transport layer, and logic layer.

[0219] C-5. Half-duplex and full-duplex

[0220] Communication nodes can be half-duplex or full-duplex. Half-duplex nodes cannot use the same physical resources (time and / or frequency, etc.) to simultaneously transmit and receive; conversely, full-duplex nodes can use the same physical resources for both transmission and reception. Existing commercial wireless communication networks are all half-duplex networks. Even if full-duplex communication networks become a reality in the future, it is expected that at least some nodes in the network will still be half-duplex nodes because half-duplex devices are less complex, less expensive, and consume less power. Specifically, achieving full-duplex at high frequencies (e.g., millimeter-wave bands) is more challenging, and also very challenging for small, low-cost devices (such as femtocell base stations and UEs).

[0221] The limitations of half-duplex nodes in communication networks present additional challenges to integrating sensing and communication into devices and systems. For example, both half-duplex and full-duplex nodes can perform bistatic or multistatic sensing, but single-static sensing typically requires the sensing node to have full-duplex capability. Half-duplex nodes can perform single-static sensing under certain constraints, such as in pulse radars with specific duty cycles and ranging capabilities.

[0222] C-6. Sensing signal waveforms and frame structure

[0223] The properties of a sensing signal, or a signal used for both sensing and communication, include the signal's waveform and frame structure. The frame structure defines the signal's time-domain boundaries. The waveform describes the shape of the signal as a function of time and frequency. Examples of waveforms that can be used for sensing signals include UWB pulses, FMCW or "chirp," OFDM, CP-OFDM, and Discrete Fourier transform spread (DFT-s)-OFDM.

[0224] C-7. Sensor-Communication Integration (ISAC) System and Sensor-Communication (SAC) Signals

[0225] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 is an integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) system, used for sensing and communication using RF signals transmitted between various devices (e.g., between TRP 102 and UE 114, between different TRP 102, and between different UE 114). Therefore, the communication system 100 is a networked cooperative sensing system, rather than a standalone radar system. Cooperative sensing can be achieved through integrated communication protocols.

[0226] Those skilled in the art will understand that a first communication node (such as TRP 102) can send RF signals to one or more second communication nodes (such as UE 114) and use the RF signals for different purposes, such as signaling or data transmission. In these embodiments, the RF signal or a portion thereof can also be used for sensing. In the following description, an RF signal used for both sensing and communication may be referred to as a "sensing and communication (SAC) signal," and a communication node using the SAC signal (such as TRP 102, UE 114, sensing device, relay, etc.) is also referred to as a "SAC node." Here, the SAC signal is or includes a physical signal or channel used for communication (referred to as a "signal / channel," such as a reference signal). Alternatively, the SAC signal is or includes a physical signal / channel used for sensing (wherein the signal / channel uses OFDM waveforms or other waveforms (such as chirps)). Alternatively, the SAC signal is or includes a signal / channel used for both communication and sensing.

[0227] Depending on the specific role, if an SAC node transmits a SAC signal, it can be a transmitting node (also known as a "Tx node"), or if an SAC node receives a SAC signal and / or its echo (i.e., a reflected SAC signal), it can be a receiving node (also known as a "Rx node"). Furthermore, a communication node can function as a Tx node (when transmitting a SAC signal) or an Rx node (when receiving a SAC signal and / or its echo), or both (when transmitting a SAC signal and simultaneously receiving other SAC signals and / or their echoes).

[0228] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may use a cooperative sensing method to detect objects (also referred to as “targets”). Figure 5AThis is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a collaborative sensing method. As shown, Tx node 302 transmits a SAC signal 312. Rx node 304 receives the SAC signal 312 and its echo 314 reflected from the target object 306 (or simply "object"). Rx node 304 can detect and measure the received SAC signal 312 and / or echo 314, and report its measurement parameters to Tx node 302. Alternatively, Rx node 304 can detect and measure the received SAC signal 312 and / or echo 314, and can also measure parameters of object 306 (such as azimuth, size, velocity, etc.) based on the received SAC signal 312 and / or its echo 314, and then report the detected object 306 and its parameters to Tx node 302. Object 306 can be located near Rx node 304 or at a certain distance from Rx node 304, as long as Rx node 304 can detect and measure the parameters of object 306. In the following text, the term "measurement result" is generally used to refer to the measurement parameters of the received SAC signal 312, one or more measurement parameters of the echo 314, and / or one or more measurement parameters of the object 306.

[0229] Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram of another example of Tx node 302 cooperating with two Rx nodes 304 to sense object 306. More specifically, Rx node 304 receives the echo 314 of SAC signal 312 and reports the measurement results to Tx node 302, so that Tx node 302 can determine the position of object 306 by means of triangulation or other methods.

[0230] Similarly, Rx node 304 can collaborate with two Tx nodes 302 for object perception.

[0231] In some embodiments, the measurement results may include one or more channel-related measurements (i.e., measurements of the received SAC signal 312 and / or echo 314) and / or one or more object-related measurements (i.e., measurements of object 306). Some examples of channel-related measurements are listed below:

[0232] The delay of the first path between Tx node 302 and Rx node 304;

[0233] The delay of the most powerful path among all paths between Tx node 302 and Rx node 304; and / or

[0234] The power of the received reflected signal (e.g., the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the reflected signal).

[0235] Below are some examples of object-related measurements:

[0236] The distance between Rx node 304 and object 306;

[0237] The azimuth or angle of object 306;

[0238] The elevation angle of the object at 306;

[0239] The range of values ​​for the distance to object 306 (i.e., the upper and / or lower limits).

[0240] The range of values ​​for the azimuth angle of object 306 (i.e., the upper and / or lower limits).

[0241] The range of values ​​for the elevation angle of object 306 (i.e., the upper and / or lower limits).

[0242] The linear span (such as length or width) of object 306.

[0243] The azimuth or angular span (e.g., angular size) of object 306;

[0244] The elevation span (e.g., height) of object 306;

[0245] The radial velocity of object 306;

[0246] The azimuth or angular velocity of object 306;

[0247] The elevation velocity of the object at 306; and / or

[0248] The number of objects 306 (e.g., no objects detected (i.e., zero (0) objects), one (1) detected objects, or two (2) detected objects, etc.).

[0249] The first path typically represents the shortest path between Tx node 302 and Rx node 304, or the path with the shortest data transmission or SAC signal propagation time. The azimuth or angle of object 306 typically represents the absolute value of the orientation of object 306 relative to Rx node 304, the orientation of Rx node 304 relative to object 306, or the orientation relative to the Earth or other stationary objects. The elevation angle of object 306 typically represents the altitude of object 306 relative to Rx node 304, or the absolute value of altitude (e.g., elevation). Other parameters can be relative to Rx node 304 or other objects, or they can be absolute values.

[0250] In some embodiments, the SAC signal 312 may include one or more communication symbols for communication and one or more sensing symbols for sensing. In some embodiments, the communication symbols and sensing symbols may be OFDM symbols (in the SAC signal 312 using OFDM) or non-OFDM symbols (in the SAC signal 312 not using OFDM). Here, the symbols are generally signal components or transmission opportunities that constitute part of the SAC signal 312. For example, in the SAC signal 312 not using OFDM (i.e., the non-OFDM-based SAC signal), the symbols may be signal components carrying information (i.e., communication symbols) or signal components for sensing (i.e., sensing symbols, such as chirping signals).

[0251] When transmitting and receiving SAC signal 312, the sensing symbols and communication symbols are aligned in time and / or frequency, allowing the sensing symbols to be transmitted and received like communication symbols. Therefore, Tx node 302 and Rx node 304 can use existing transmission and reception technologies to transmit and receive sensing symbols, and / or follow the transmission and reception specifications of existing wireless communication standards. Its advantage lies in achieving efficient resource utilization in both sensing and communication. For example, resources not used for communication can be used for sensing without creating resource fragmentation.

[0252] Here, the concept of "signal alignment in time" means that when multiple symbols (which can be sensing symbols and / or communication symbols) are transmitted in the SAC signal 312, the duration of each symbol is... Each symbol in and Transmission between, where, For a predefined or configured duration, For time offset, And it is an integer.

[0253] Similarly, the concept of "signal alignment on frequency" refers to the frequency bandwidth of each symbol when transmitting multiple symbols (which can be sensing symbols and / or communication symbols). Each symbol in to Transmission within the frequency band, where BW is a predefined or configured bandwidth (which can be one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs)). For frequency offset, And the value is an integer. In some embodiments, bandwidth configuration can be based on BWP. For example, in some embodiments, TRP 102 can allocate one BWP for communication and allocate other BWPs for sensing. In some embodiments, communication and sensing can use the same BWP. Alternatively, the BWP for communication can be within the BWP for sensing, or the BWP for sensing can be within the BWP for communication. In some embodiments, in order to switch between communication and sensing, UE 114 can switch to the corresponding BWP, wherein the BWP switching delay is zero.

[0254] Accordingly, the concept of "signal alignment in time and frequency" means that when multiple symbols (which can be sensing symbols and / or communication symbols) are transmitted in the SAC signal 312,

[0255] The duration of each symbol is Each symbol in and Transmission between;

[0256] Frequency bandwidth per symbol Each symbol in to Transmission within the frequency band.

[0257] For example, in some embodiments, the sensing symbol may have the same duration as the communication symbol. (This can include periods of unused time) and the same bandwidth (This may include unused frequency ranges).

[0258] In SAC signal 312, sensing symbols and communication symbols can be multiplexed using any suitable multiplexing method.

[0259] For example, Figure 6A This is a frequency-time diagram of an example SAC signal 312, in which multiple communication symbols 320 and multiple sensing symbols 322 are time-multiplexed using a suitable time-division multiplexing (TDM) method.

[0260] For example, Figure 6B SAC signal 312 is shown, wherein multiple communication symbols 320 and multiple sensing symbols 322 are multiplexed in frequency using a suitable frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) method, such that multiple communication symbols 320 are transmitted in a first frequency band 324 and multiple sensing symbols 322 are transmitted in a second frequency band 326.

[0261] For example, Figure 6CSAC signal 312 is shown, wherein multiple communication symbols 320 and multiple sensing symbols 322 are multiplexed in frequency and time using a suitable TDM / FDM method, such that a mixture of time-multiplexed communication symbols 320 and sensing symbols 322 is transmitted in a first frequency band 324 and a second frequency band 326, respectively.

[0262] For example, the SAC signal 312 may include multiple communication symbols 320 and multiple sensing symbols 322 multiplexed in terms of frequency, time, space, and coding using appropriate methods such as TDM, FDM, spatial division multiplexing (SDM) or code division multiplexing (CDM).

[0263] In some embodiments, the parameters of the sensing symbol 322 of the SAC signal 312 may be predefined (e.g., according to one or more communication standards) and / or configured by the Tx node 302 (e.g., TRP 102) to ensure that the sensing symbol 322 is aligned with the communication symbol 320. In other words, in some embodiments, the parameters of the sensing symbol 322 may not be determined by the Tx node 302, or may be determined wholly or partially by the Tx node 302; correspondingly, the parameters of the sensing symbol 322 may not be predefined, or may be partially or entirely predefined.

[0264] When configuring sensing symbols 322, Tx node 302 can determine a separate set of parameters for each of one or more sensing symbols 322, allowing each of the one or more sensing symbols 322 to use a different set of parameters. Tx node 302 can also, alternatively, determine a set of parameters for one or more other sensing symbols 322, allowing one or more other sensing symbols 322 to use the same set of parameters. Similarly, each of one or more sensing symbols 322 can use a specific set of predefined parameters, and / or one or more other sensing symbols 322 can use the same set of predefined parameters.

[0265] Tx node 302 or TRP 102 may notify Rx node 304 of the parameters of its configured sensing symbol 322 (if any). Tx node 302 may not need to notify Rx node 304 of the predefined parameters of sensing symbol 322, as such parameters may already be known to Rx node 304 (e.g., according to the specifications of one or more communication standards).

[0266] The following are examples of parameters for the perception symbol 322 that can be predefined and / or configured by the Tx node 302:

[0267] The frequency band of the sensing symbol 322; and / or

[0268] An index for each sensory symbol 322 or an index for each sensory burst having multiple sensory symbols 322.

[0269] In some embodiments, the sensing symbol 322 may include a function for time duration and bandwidth One or more sensing signals, such as one or more chirped signals, are transmitted internally. Those skilled in the art will understand that a chirped signal is a signal whose frequency increases (up-chirp) or decreases (down-chirp) over time. One type of chirped signal is a linear chirped signal, whose frequency changes linearly with time. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the linear chirped signal 330 can be represented in the frequency domain as:

[0270] (1)

[0271] for ,in It is the start time (i.e., the start time position) of the linear chirped signal 330. It is the end time (i.e., the end time position) of the linear chirped signal 330. It is the duration of the linear chirped signal 330. . It is a moment The starting frequency at time It is a moment The end frequency of time, It is a constant, called the chirp rate (also known as the slope of the chirped signal). The bandwidth of a linear chirped signal is 330. for , In other words, chirping duration. .

[0272] The time-domain expression of the linear chirped signal 316 is as follows:

[0273] (2)

[0274] Where t0≤t≤t1.

[0275] like Figure 8A As shown, in some embodiments, the sensing symbol 322 may include a chirp signal 330. In this example, the duration of the chirp signal 330 is... Less than or equal to the duration of perception of symbols ,Right now (when At that time, the duration of partial perception of symbols (Not used). Slope for The bandwidth of the chirp signal 330 can be configured for Tx node 302 or TRP 102. And notify the Rx node 304 of this configuration. Alternatively, the Tx node 302 can... (when At that time, partial sensing symbol bandwidth Configure the slope of chirp signal 330 under the condition that it is not used. And notify the Rx node 304 of this configuration.

[0276] In some embodiments, the sensing symbol 322 may include a plurality of chirped signals 330, wherein the plurality of chirped signals 330 are multiplexed in frequency using FDM and / or in time using TDM.

[0277] In some embodiments, the sensing symbol 322 may include a plurality of chirped signals 330 aligned in time and / or frequency, wherein the plurality of chirped signals 330 are multiplexed in frequency using FDM and / or in time using TDM. Here, the concept of the plurality of chirped signals 330 of the sensing symbol 322 being aligned in time and / or frequency is similar to the concept described above, except that the plurality of chirped signals 330 are within the duration and frequency band of the sensing symbol 322.

[0278] For example, Figure 8B A sensing symbol 322 is shown with two chirped signals 330 multiplexed in frequency. The Tx node 302 can configure the bandwidth of each chirped signal 330. Starting frequency End frequency and / or slope And notify the Rx node 304 of the configuration as needed. In this example, the duration of each chirp signal 330 is... The sum of the bandwidths of the two chirped signals 330 must satisfy the following condition:

[0279] (3)

[0280] For example, Figure 8C It shows the functionality of time multiplexing The perceptual symbol 322 of the chirp signal 330, wherein, And it is an integer (for example, in Figure 8C middle, Tx node 302 can be configured with the bandwidth of each chirp signal 330. Starting frequency End frequency Slope Start time and / or end time And notify the Rx node 304 of the configuration as needed. In this example, the bandwidth of each chirp signal 330 is... The sum of the durations of the two chirped signals 330 must satisfy the following condition:

[0281] (4)

[0282] For example, Figure 8D A sensing symbol 322 is shown with four chirped signals 330 multiplexed in frequency and time. The Tx node 302 can configure the bandwidth of each chirped signal 330. Starting frequency End frequency Slope Start time and / or end time And notify the Rx node 304 of the configuration as needed. In this example, the bandwidth of each chirp signal 330 is... The total duration of chirp signal 330 (some chirp signals 330 may overlap in time) must be less than or equal to 1. The total bandwidth of the chirped signal 330 (some chirped signals 330 may overlap in frequency) needs to be less than or equal to .

[0283] In some embodiments, Tx node 302 or TRP 102 may be configured to have a number of chirp signals 330 in sensing symbol 322 and / or to use a predefined number of chirp signals 330 in sensing symbol 322 for sensing.

[0284] In some embodiments, Tx node 302 or TRP 102 may configure parameters of chirp signal 330 and / or use its predefined parameters to ensure that sensing symbol 322 is aligned with communication symbol 320.

[0285] When configuring chirp signals 330, Tx node 302 can individually determine a set of parameters for each of the one or more chirp signals 330, such that the one or more chirp signals 330 can use different parameters, or it can additionally or alternatively determine a set of parameters for one or more other chirp signals 330, such that the one or more chirp signals 330 can use the same set of parameters. Similarly, each of the one or more chirp signals 330 can use a specific set of predefined parameters, and / or one or more other sensing symbols 322 can use the same predefined set of parameters.

[0286] Tx node 302 may notify Rx node 304 of the number of chirps 330 configured therein and / or the parameters of the chirps 330 (if any). Tx node 302 may not need to notify Rx node 304 of the predefined parameters of the chirps 330, as such parameters may already be known to Rx node 304 (e.g., according to the specifications of one or more communication standards).

[0287] The following are examples of parameters for the chirp signal 330 that can be predefined and / or configured by the Tx node 302:

[0288] The bandwidth of the chirped signal is 330. ;

[0289] The starting frequency of the chirp signal 330 ;

[0290] The end frequency of the chirp signal 330 ; and / or

[0291] The slope of the chirped signal 330 (i.e., the chirped rate) ).

[0292] For example, in some embodiments, the entire carrier bandwidth can be predefined or configured for sensing using one or more chirped signals, etc. In these embodiments, Tx node 302 may not need to configure the start frequency of the chirped signal 330. For example, in some embodiments, the starting frequency of the chirp signal 330 is... This is predefined as the lowest frequency of the carrier. In these embodiments, Tx node 302 may not need to configure the start frequency of the chirp signal 330. .

[0293] For example, in Figure 8C In the example shown, the sensing symbol 322 includes two time-multiplexed chirped signals 330. The bandwidth of each chirped signal 330 can be configured individually for the Tx node 302. Starting frequency or end frequency Slope And / or the start time position or end time position (i.e., the start time or end time). Alternatively, Tx node 302 can be configured with the same set of slopes for both chirped signals. and / or starting frequency / End frequency And configure the start or end time position of each chirp signal 330 individually. For example, when there are multiple chirp signals multiplexed in frequency (see...). Figure 8B (etc.), TRP 102 can configure the start frequency of the first chirp signal 330A. The starting frequency of the second chirp signal 330B The predefined end frequency of the first chirp signal 330A .

[0294] Using the parameters described above, sensing symbol 322 and communication symbol 320 are aligned in time. More specifically, when sensing symbol 322 and communication symbol 320 are multiplexed (and aligned) in frequency, the start time boundary of sensing symbol 322 is aligned (i.e. the same) with the start time boundary of communication symbol 320, and / or the end time boundary of sensing symbol 322 is aligned (i.e. the same) with the end time boundary of communication symbol 320.

[0295] When sensing symbol 322 and communication symbol 320 are time-multiplexed, the start time boundary of sensing symbol 322 is aligned with (i.e. the same as) the end time boundary of the previous communication symbol 320, and / or the end time boundary of sensing symbol 322 is aligned with (i.e. the same as) the start time boundary of the next communication symbol 320.

[0296] In some embodiments that comply with 5G NR or similar standards, communication symbol 320 is an OFDM symbol. Figure 9 This is a frequency-time diagram of an example of a SAC signal 312 using OFDM symbols as communication symbols 320.

[0297] Each OFDM symbol 320 includes an information portion 342, which comprises multiple information items 344 (such as data items) arranged on multiple subcarriers. The information items 344 are transformed into a time-domain signal using a method such as the inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), and then the tail portion of the time-domain signal is copied to its beginning as a cyclic prefix (CP) 346 to compensate for channel distortion. Therefore, the duration of the OFDM symbol 320 is... It is the total duration of CP 346 and information section 342. The start time boundary of OFDM symbol 320 is the start time boundary of its CP 346.

[0298] Sensing symbol 322 and communication symbol 320 are time-multiplexed and have the same duration. Therefore, the start time boundary of sensing symbol 322 is time-aligned with the end time boundary of the previous communication symbol 320, and / or the end time boundary of sensing symbol 322 is time-aligned with the start time boundary of the next communication symbol 320.

[0299] As mentioned above, UE 114, used as Rx node 304, may continuously report perceived measurement results. Here, these perceived measurement results can be categorized as UL RAN local traffic data. For example... Figure 10As illustrated in the example, RAN local traffic data 352 (or simply "RAN local traffic") includes messages (such as signaling or data) transmitted between RAN 104 (e.g., TRP 102) and UE 114, enabling these messages to be recognized and parsed by TRP 102. For example, signaling or data is transmitted using standard protocols or air interfaces defined by 3GPP RAN. Therefore, the signaling or data is visible within the RAN, and the data format and data transmission scheme are within the scope of 3GPP standardization. Furthermore, in next-generation wireless communication networks (e.g., including 6G networks), it is conceivable to transmit messages within the RAN. These messages can be generated and transmitted from the TRP side to the UE side, or vice versa. Additionally, sensed measurement results and AI-related data can also be classified as RAN local traffic 352. Typically, local traffic refers to "traffic" within RAN 104, where messages are transmitted and parsed within RAN 104. On the other hand, some other messages, such as regular core network data, can be transmitted through the RAN and parsed outside the RAN (e.g., transmitted to core network 112 and used there).

[0300] like Figure 10 As shown, RAN local traffic 352 may include DL local traffic data 354 (or simply "DL local traffic") and UL local traffic data 356 (or simply "UL local traffic"). DL local traffic 354 includes messages generated on the TRP side and transmitted to the UE side. UL local traffic 356 includes messages generated on the UE side and transmitted to the TRP side.

[0301] In some embodiments, the UE 114, acting as Rx node 304, can report sensing measurement results via uplink control information (UCI). Traditional technologies (such as 4G and 5G standards) may require complex UCI piggybacking or other methods carried on the PUSCH (thus increasing UE complexity), while the UE 114 in these embodiments can use downlink control information (DCI) for unified UCI reporting, reducing UE complexity compared to traditional UCI reporting.

[0302] More specifically, UE 114 can employ a two-tier DCI structure (including a first-tier DCI and a second-tier DCI) to schedule resources for UCI (such as HARQ and channel state information (CSI)) and / or UL local traffic 356. UCI and UL local traffic 356 are not piggybacked or carried on the PUSCH used for regular UL data, while UCI and UL local traffic can be multiplexed on the PUSCH used for UL local information (ULI).

[0303] Furthermore, the second-level DCI can instruct the reporting content of UCI and / or UL local traffic. For example, UE 114 has sensed data {position, range, Doppler} (where "Doppler" refers to "Doppler measurement") and raw data. Based on the sensed fusion results at TRP 102 and the available network resources, TRP 102 can instruct UE 114 to report either the raw data or {position, range, Doppler}. In this example, UE 114 can use a two-level DCI to report to TRP 102.

[0304] refer to Figure 11A In these embodiments, the two-level DCI 400 includes a first-level DCI 402 transmitted from TRP 102 to UE 114 and a corresponding second-level DCI 404 transmitted from TRP 102 to UE 114 after the transmission of the first-level DCI 402.

[0305] The first-level DCI 402 includes control information for the second-level DCI 404 (indicated by arrow 406), including indications of resources (such as time resources, frequency resources, and / or spatial resources) for the second-level DCI 404. Optionally, the first-level DCI 402 may also include an indication of the presence of the second-level DCI 404. If the second-level DCI 404 is present, the UE 114 can receive both the first-level DCI 402 and the second-level DCI 404 to obtain control information for data transmission. The second-level DCI 404 includes control information for UE data 408 (indicated by arrow 410, which can be any data that the UE 114 can receive from the TRP 102 (i.e., DL data) or any data transmitted to the TRP 102 (such as regular UL data, UCI, UL local traffic, etc.)), including indications of resources (e.g., time resources, frequency resources, and / or spatial resources) for the UE data 408.

[0306] exist Figure 11BIn some embodiments shown, the first-level DCI 402 may include control information for the second-level DCI 404 (indicated by arrow 406), or a portion of the control information for the UE data 408 (indicated by arrow 412). The second-level DCI 404 may include other portions of the control information for the UE data 408 (indicated by arrow 410) (if the first-level DCI 402 includes a portion of the control information for the UE data 408) or all of the control information for the UE data 408 (if the first-level DCI 402 does not include any control information for the UE data 408). If the second-level DCI 404 is not present (which may be indicated by the first-level DCI 402), the first-level DCI 402 may include all of the control information for the UE data 408, and the UE 114 may receive the first-level DCI 402 and obtain control information therefrom for data transmission.

[0307] like Figure 11A and Figure 11B As shown, Level 1 DCI 402 and Level 2 DCI 404 are transmitted from TRP 102 to UE 114 in different physical channels. For example, Level 1 DCI 402 can be transmitted on PDCCH 414, and Level 2 DCI 404 can be transmitted on PDSCH 416, wherein Level 2 DCI 404 is not multiplexed with UE DL data. In other words, Level 2 DCI 404 is transmitted on PDSCH 416 without using the downlink shared channel (DL-SCH), where DL-SCH is the transport channel used for downlink data transmission. More specifically, the physical resources of PDSCH 416 used to transmit Level 2 DCI 404 are used to include the transmission of Level 2 DCI 404 without multiplexing it with other downlink data. For example, the cells transmitted on the PDSCH416 are physical resource blocks (PRBs) in the frequency domain and time slots in the time domain. The entire resource block within a time slot can be used for Level 2 DCI transmission. This allows for maximum flexibility in the size of the Level 2 DCI 404, unconstrained by the size of the transmittable Level 2 DCI 404, which could introduce constraints if a scheme involving multiplexing with other downlink data is employed. This also avoids the complexity of rate matching for other downlink data if it is multiplexed with the Level 2 DCI 404 in other ways.

[0308] UE 114 receives Level 1 DCI 402 (e.g., by receiving the physical channel carrying Level 1 DCI 402) and performs decoding (e.g., blind decoding) to decode Level 1 DCI 402. Scheduling information for transmitting Level 2 DCI 404 on PDSCH 416 is explicitly indicated by Level 1 DCI 402. As a result, based on the scheduling information in Level 1 DCI 402, UE 114 can receive and decode Level 2 DCI 404 without performing blind decoding.

[0309] Since the second-level DCI 404 is not subject to the constraints that may exist in PDCCH transmission, the size of the second-level DCI 404 is very flexible and can be used to indicate scheduling information such as one carrier, multiple carriers, or multiple transmissions of one carrier.

[0310] In some embodiments, regular UL data (such as data to be transmitted to core network 112) and UL local information (ULI) can be scheduled simultaneously. In these embodiments, ULI includes UCI and / or UL local traffic 356. UL local traffic 356 includes perception-related and / or AI-related local information, L1 signaling for local information, or higher-level signaling (such as L2 or L3 signaling) for local information exchanged between TRP 102 and UE 114. UCI includes scheduling request (SR), hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK), channel state information (CSI), and / or other UL L1 signaling (i.e., L1 signaling unrelated to UL local traffic 356).

[0311] In some embodiments, the ULI may not be piggybacked on or carried on the PUSCH used for regular UL data. Instead, the two-level DCI 400 may indicate resources used for both regular UL data (e.g., data from the core network) and the ULI.

[0312] like Figure 12 As shown, the second-level DCI 404 may include two DCI fields to indicate control information 410 for UE data 408, including:

[0313] The first DCI field 422 includes an indication (indicated by arrow 442) of resources (such as time resources, frequency resources and / or spatial resources) for the uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) 432, wherein the resources of PUSCH 418 are allocated for regular UL data transmission.

[0314] The second DCI field 424 includes an indication (indicated by arrow 444) of resources (such as time resources, frequency resources and / or space resources) for ULI 434, wherein the resources of PUSCH 418 are allocated for ULI transmission.

[0315] In some embodiments, the resources allocated to PUSCH 418 for UL-SCH 432 (for regular UL data transmission) are different from the resources allocated to PUSCH 418 for ULI 434 (for ULI transmission).

[0316] and Figure 11B A similar example exists, in which Level 1 DCI 402 may include a portion of the control information from UL-SCH 432 and / or ULI434.

[0317] In some embodiments, UCI and UL local traffic 356 can be multiplexed into a PUSCH. "Multiplexing into a PUSCH" here means placing multiple types of data into a single PUSCH to achieve multiplexed transmission of multiple data types on the PUSCH, i.e., transmitting multiple types of data through a single PUSCH. Different types of data may have different priorities when multiplexed into a PUSCH. The multiplexing priority of UCI and UL local traffic can be predefined; for example, UCI can be placed into the PUSCH first, then AI-related local traffic, and finally perception-related local traffic. Alternatively, the multiplexing priority of UCI and UL local traffic can be configured by TRP 102. During multiplexing, if the total payload exceeds the payload capacity of the PUSCH, lower-priority data is discarded.

[0318] In some embodiments, UCI and UL local traffic may not be multiplexed into a single PUSCH. In these embodiments, separate resources are configured for the transmission of UCI and UL local traffic.

[0319] Level 2 DCI indicates which types of UCI and / or UL local traffic can be reported. Therefore, Level 2 DCI may also include one or more of the following information:

[0320] UCI indicator: Indicates which type of UCI can be reported or not. For example, it indicates that HARQ-ACK can be not reported, but CSI can be reported.

[0321] UL Local Traffic Indicator: Indicates what type of UL local traffic can be transmitted. For example, it can report indicator range and Doppler measurements, and it can report AI model loss.

[0322] UL Local Information Indicator: Indicates what types of UCI and UL local traffic can be transmitted. In some embodiments, if the UL Local Information Indicator is used, the UCI Indicator and UL Local Traffic Indicator are not used.

[0323] As mentioned above, UCI and / or UL local traffic transmissions can use the same resources (e.g., multiplexed into the same PUSCH 418) or separate resources.

[0324] Two-level DCI 400 can trigger one or more specific types of measurements and indicate the reporting resources used for the measurement.

[0325] For example, a two-level DCI 400 can be used to trigger one or more types of UCI and / or UL local traffic measurements. For example, a TRP 102 can be configured with a second-level DCI 404 to trigger... Feedback is provided for various types of measurements. In some embodiments, the second-level DCI 404 may include... A measurement trigger field of 1 bit, where each bit corresponds to a type of measurement. For example, It can be three (3), and these three types of measurements include CSI, distance, and Doppler measurements. The second-level DCI 404 can include a three (3) bit measurement trigger field to trigger the three types of measurements ({CSI, distance, Doppler}).

[0326] exist Figure 13 In the example shown, the measurement trigger field of the second-level DCI 404 has a binary value of 011, which triggers UE 114 (via ULI 434) to perform ranging and Doppler measurements (but not CSI measurements) and report the distance and Doppler measurement results to TRP 102 on the resource indicated by TRP 102.

[0327] and Figure 11B A similar example exists, in which the first-level DCI 402 may include a portion of the control information of the ULI 434.

[0328] By using the two-level DCI 400 described above, a flexible UL control framework can be achieved, which allows for flexible indication of resources used for UCI feedback and / or UL local traffic transmission.

[0329] In some embodiments, DCI (such as two-level DCI 400) can schedule DL data and ULI simultaneously. Figure 14 As shown, in these embodiments, the second-level DCI 404 may include indications (indicated by arrow 442) of resources (such as time resources, frequency resources, and / or spatial resources) for DL-SCH 462 on PDSCH 416. The second-level DCI 404 may also include indications (indicated by arrow 444) of resources (such as time resources, frequency resources, and / or spatial resources) for ULI 434 on PUSCH 418 and / or HARQ-ACK indications (indicated by arrow 446) of resources (such as time resources, frequency resources, and / or spatial resources) for HARQ-ACK 466 on PUCCH 420, wherein ULI 434 may include HARQ-ACK multiplexed on PUSCH 418, other types of UCI (such as CSI), and / or other types of UL local traffic (such as AI-related UL local traffic, perception-related UL local traffic, etc.).

[0330] and Figure 11B A similar example exists, in which the first-level DCI 402 may include a portion of the control information from DL-SCH 462, ULI 434, and / or HARQ-ACK 466.

[0331] The following describes some examples of using a two-level DCI to simultaneously schedule DL data and ULI in these embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that similar methods can be used with other DCIs to simultaneously schedule DL data and ULI.

[0332] exist Figure 15A In the example shown, the second-level DCI 404 includes a DL-SCH indicator 442 on PDSCH 416 for DL-SCH 462 and a HARQ-ACK indicator 446 on PUCCH 420 for HARQ-ACK 466.

[0333] exist Figure 15B In the example shown, the second-level DCI 404 includes a DL-SCH indicator 442 on PDSCH 416 for DL-SCH 462 and a ULI indicator 444 on PUSCH 418 for ULI 434, wherein ULI 434 includes HARQ-ACK and other types of UCI (such as CSI) multiplexed on PUSCH 418.

[0334] exist Figure 15CIn the example shown, the second-level DCI 404 includes a DL-SCH indicator 442 on PDSCH 416 for DL-SCH 462 and a ULI indicator 444 on PUSCH 418 for ULI 434, wherein ULI 434 includes HARQ-ACK and other types of UL local traffic (such as AI-related UL local traffic, perception-related UL local traffic, etc.) multiplexed on PUSCH 418.

[0335] exist Figure 15D In the example shown, the second-level DCI 404 includes a DL-SCH indication 442 on PDSCH 416 for DL-SCH 462 and a ULI indication 444 on PUSCH 418 for ULI 434, wherein ULI 434 includes HARQ-ACK, other types of UCI (such as CSI) and other types of UL local traffic (such as AI-related UL local traffic and / or perception-related UL local traffic, etc.) multiplexed on PUSCH 418.

[0336] exist Figure 15E In the example shown, the second-level DCI 404 includes a DL-SCH indication 442 on PDSCH 416 for DL-SCH 462, a ULI indication 444 on PUSCH 418 for ULI 434, and a HARQ-ACK indication 446 on PUCCH 420 for HARQ-ACK 466. ULI 434 may include HARQ-ACK multiplexed on PUSCH 418, other types of UCI (such as CSI), and / or other types of UL local traffic (such as AI-related UL local traffic and / or perception-related UL local traffic, etc.).

[0337] In these embodiments, the second-level DCI 404 may indicate which types of UCI and UL local traffic can be reported (e.g., using the UCI indicator, UL local traffic indicator, and UL local information indicator as described above).

[0338] Therefore, simultaneously scheduling DL data and UL local information makes UL feedback in DL scheduling more flexible.

[0339] In some embodiments, the two-level DCI 400 can activate or deactivate semi-persistent (SP) ULI reporting or periodic ULI reporting.

[0340] For example, Figure 16This is a schematic diagram of a single type of ULI 434 SP or periodic ULI reporting according to some embodiments of this disclosure. In these embodiments, a 1-bit field 482 (such as a 1-bit activation indicator field) in the DCI (e.g., a second-level DCI 404) is used to indicate (indicated by arrow 484) the activation or deactivation of the SP or periodic ULI reporting, for example, binary 1 (1) indicates activation and binary 0 (0) indicates deactivation.

[0341] In some embodiments that use SP or periodic reporting of multiple types of ULIs (e.g., SP or periodic reporting of CSI and sensing measurement results), the activation indicator field 482 may be a multi-bit field (referred to as a “bitmap”), wherein each bit in the bitmap 482 is associated with a type of ULI, and for the associated type of ULI, a binary value of one indicates activation and a binary value of zero indicates deactivation.

[0342] In one example, a 2-bit activation indicator 482 is included in the second-level DCI 404, where the first bit is associated with CSI reporting and the second bit is associated with sensing result reporting. Figure 17 As shown, firstly, the activation indicator field 482 of the second-level DCI 404 is set to "10", thereby activating the SP or periodic ULI reporting of CSI 434 and indicating the PUSCH resources used for CSI reporting. Then, TRP 102 sets the activation indicator field 482 to "11", thereby activating the SP or periodic ULI reporting of CSI and sensed measurement results. Since the ULI reporting type has changed from CSI only to CSI and sensed measurement results, the second-level DCI also updates the indication of the resources used for SP or periodic ULI reporting. Then, UE 114 uses the updated PUSCH resource 418 to perform SP / periodic reporting of CSI and sensed measurements.

[0343] Therefore, by using two levels of DCI 400 to activate or deactivate SP ULI reporting or periodic ULI reporting, flexible activation and deactivation of UCI reporting and / or UL local traffic reporting can be achieved.

[0344] Those skilled in the art will understand that PDCCH 414, PDSCH 416, PUSCH 418 and PUCCH 420, as shown in the figure above, can each represent one or more corresponding channels.

[0345] The above embodiments describe several methods for unified UCI and local traffic reporting using a two-level DCI 400, including:

[0346] Use Level 2 DCI 404 to indicate which types of UCI and ULI can be reported, where UCI and UL local traffic can be multiplexed in the PUSCH used for ULI;

[0347] Use DCI to trigger measurements of one or more types of ULIs and configure resources for measurement feedback, where Level 2 DCI 404 can indicate the resources used for ULI reporting;

[0348] Two-level DCI 400 is used to activate or deactivate SP or periodic UCI reporting, where the activation indicator field 482 can be included in the second-level DCI 404. For example, the activation indicator field 482 can be a 1-bit field for reporting a single type of ULI 434, or a bitmap for reporting multiple ULI types of ULI 434, where each bit is associated with a corresponding ULI type. Resources used for SP or periodic reporting can be reconfigured by the second-level DCI 404.

[0349] In the above embodiments, the communication system 100 is a mobile communication system having a terrestrial communication network and / or a non-terrestrial communication network (such as a combination of cellular networks and satellite communication networks). In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may include or alternatively be other RANs, such as Wi-Fi (a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance of Austin, Texas, USA).

[0350] In the above embodiments, Rx node 304 detects the SAC signal and its echo to detect the object reflecting the echo and determine the object's parameters. In some embodiments, Rx node 304 may also use the detected SAC signal to determine its own parameters. In some embodiments, Rx node 304 may not detect any echo of the SAC signal, and therefore can only determine its own parameters. The above description can be applied to Rx node 304 in these embodiments, but any description related to echoes above should be considered as relating to SAC signals.

[0351] In the above embodiments, the sensing symbol 322 includes one or more sensing signals, such as one or more chirp signals 330. In other embodiments, the sensing symbol 322 may include other types of sensing signals, such as pulses, unmodulated continuous waves, frequency-modulated continuous waves, OFDM signals, etc.

[0352] As described above, in some embodiments, one or more Tx nodes 302 and one or more Rx nodes 304 can detect one or more objects through cooperative sensing using one or more SAC signals 312. In other embodiments, the communication nodes can send SAC signals 312 and receive their echoes to detect objects.

[0353] In the above description, it is mentioned that Tx node 302 can perform configuration. Those skilled in the art will understand that configuration can be performed by TRP 102 (which may or may not be Tx node 302), but is nonetheless performed by Tx node 302. Notification can be sent to Tx node 302 and / or Rx node 304 as needed. Alternatively or additionally, Rx node 304 can perform configuration and can notify Tx node 302 and / or TRP 102 as needed.

[0354] Various embodiments of a cooperative sensing method for achieving integrated sensing and communication are described herein. In some embodiments, the cooperative sensing method disclosed herein can be implemented as one or more circuits (such as one or more processing units, or one or more processors) of a module, device, apparatus, system, etc. In some embodiments, the cooperative sensing method disclosed herein can be implemented as computer-executable instructions stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices, such that when the instructions are executed, they cause one or more circuits (such as one or more processing units, or one or more processors) to perform the cooperative sensing method disclosed herein. The technical features and advantages of the above embodiments may include:

[0355] By using a two-level DCI, a flexible UL control framework can be achieved, which allows for flexible indication of resources used for UCI feedback and / or UL local traffic transmission.

[0356] Simultaneous scheduling of DL data and ULI makes UL feedback of DL scheduling more flexible;

[0357] By using a two-level DCI to activate or deactivate SP ULI reporting or periodic ULI reporting, flexible activation and deactivation of UCI reporting and / or UL local traffic reporting can be achieved.

[0358] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments and / or their features can be customized and / or combined as needed or required. Furthermore, while embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for communicating within and / or through a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: First downlink control information (DCI) and second DCI are generated to notify the device of resources for subsequent transmissions, wherein, The subsequent transmission includes the transmission of the following information: The first information includes at least one of a first Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) and Uplink Local Information (ULI) to be transmitted on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). Secondary information for uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL) information; The ULI includes UL local traffic and / or related uplink control information (UCI), wherein the UL local traffic includes local information to be resolved within the RAN; The first DCI includes information for the second DCI, and the information for the second DCI includes a first indication of the resources for the second DCI; The second DCI includes at least a first portion of information for the subsequent transmission, the information for the subsequent transmission including a second indication of resources for the first information and a third indication of resources for the second information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first DCI is used for transmission on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and the second DCI is used for transmission on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The second DCI is used for transmission on the PDSCH and is not multiplexed with any DL data.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The control information used for the second DCI also includes a fourth indication for indicating the presence of the second DCI.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The first DCI also includes at least a second portion of the control information for the subsequent transmission.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The second information is used for transmission on the uplink shared channel (UL-SCH).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The second indication includes at least one of a fourth indication of the transmission resources of the ULI and a fifth indication of the resources on the PUCCH for the first HARQ-ACK.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The second DCI includes a first DCI field and a second DCI field, the first DCI field includes the third indication, and the second DCI field includes the fourth indication.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The ULI and the second information are used for transmission on different Physical Uplink Shared Channels (PUSCH).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The UCI and the UL local traffic are multiplexed for transmission on the same PUSCH.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The UCI is given higher priority than the UL local traffic when it is placed in the PUSCH.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The second DCI also includes: One or more first indicators are used to indicate one or more of the following: The first type of UCI to be reported; Type II UCI that does not require reporting; The first type of UL local traffic to be transmitted; The second type of UL local traffic that does not require transmission.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The second DCI also includes: The second indicator is used to indicate activation or deactivation reported by semi-static (SP) or periodic ULI.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The second indicator is a 1-bit field used to indicate the activation or deactivation of a single type of ULI's SP or periodically reported activation or deactivation.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The second indicator is a multi-bit field, where each bit is associated with a corresponding type of ULI and is used to indicate the activation or deactivation of the SP or periodically reported ULI of that type.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The second DCI also includes: The sixth instruction is used to trigger the device to perform one or more types of measurements.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The sixth indication is a third DCI field consisting of multiple bits, each bit corresponding to one of the one or more types of measurements.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, The one or more types of measurements include CSI measurements, distance measurements, and Doppler measurements.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein, The UL local traffic includes perception-related information and / or artificial intelligence (AI)-related information, as well as signaling for the perception-related information and / or the AI-related information.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein, The UCI includes a scheduling request (SR), a second HARQ-ACK, channel state information (CSI), and / or UL L1 signaling unrelated to the UL local traffic.

21. One or more circuits for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices, comprising computer-executable instructions, wherein, When the instructions are executed, they cause one or more circuits to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

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