Operations related to the LBT process

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a solution for performing operations related to a listen-before-talk (LBT) process for transmissions. On the one hand, a device determines the duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by another device and a start point of a cyclic prefix extension before a second transmission to be transmitted by the device. The device performs operations related to the LBT process for the second transmission based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and multiple threshold durations associated with multiple types of LBT processes. Example embodiments of the present disclosure can increase or even maximize the likelihood of a successful LBT process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of communications, and more particularly to apparatus, methods, and computer-readable media for performing operations related to a listen-before-talk (LBT) process for transmissions. Background Art

[0002] The latest development of the 3GPP standards is called Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and the Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), also commonly referred to as "4G". In addition, the term "5G New Radio (NR)" refers to an evolving communication technology that is expected to support a variety of applications and services. 5G NR is part of the continued mobile broadband evolution promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., with the Internet of Things), and other requirements. Some aspects of 5G NR may be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.

[0003] Currently, transmissions in communication networks, such as configured licensed physical uplink shared channel (CG-PUSCH) transmissions in 5G New Radio (NR-U) in unlicensed spectrum, can utilize cyclic prefix (CP) extensions of variable duration to avoid conflicts between communication devices (e.g., terminal devices). The basic idea is to have different starting points for transmitting transmissions for different terminal devices. Since terminal devices can perform clear channel assessment (CCA) or listen before talk (LBT) operations immediately before their transmissions, terminal devices that start their transmissions earlier may prevent other terminal devices from transmitting later. That is, the CP extension acts as a reservation signal, indicating to other terminal devices performing the LBT process that the channel is already occupied. However, the operations performed by the communication device for the LBT process still need to be optimized in order to improve the performance of the communication. Summary of the invention

[0004] In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for performing operations related to an LBT process for a transport.

[0005] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine a duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by another apparatus and a start point of a cyclic prefix extension before a second transmission to be transmitted by the apparatus. The at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations related to an LBT process for the second transmission based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and a plurality of threshold durations associated with a plurality of types of LBT processes.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method is provided. The method includes, at a device, determining a duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by another device and a start point of a cyclic prefix extension before a second transmission to be transmitted by the device. The method also includes, based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and a plurality of threshold durations associated with a plurality of types of LBT processes, performing an operation related to an LBT process for the second transmission.

[0007] In a third aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: means for determining a duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by another apparatus and a start point of a cyclic prefix extension before a second transmission to be transmitted by the apparatus. The apparatus also includes: means for performing an operation related to an LBT process for the second transmission based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and a plurality of threshold durations associated with a plurality of types of LBT processes.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the second aspect.

[0009] It will be understood that the "Summary of the Invention" section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a communication environment in which some example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0012] Figure 2 illustrates a flow chart of an example method according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 illustrates an example scenario showing some example starting points for a first device to transmit a CP extension after a first transmission by a second device and before a second transmission to the second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4 An example scenario according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated, in which a first device determines a gap between an end point of a first transmission by a second device and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission to the second device, and performs operations related to an LBT procedure for the second transmission;

[0015] Figure 5 illustrates another example scenario showing some example starting points for a first device to transmit a CP extension after a first transmission by a second device and before a second transmission to the second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 Another example scenario according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated, in which a first device determines a gap between an end point of a first transmission by a second device and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission to the second device, and performs operations related to an LBT procedure for the second transmission;

[0017] Figure 7 illustrates yet another example scenario according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, in which a first device determines a gap between an end point of a first transmission by a second device and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission to the second device, and performs operations related to an LBT procedure for the second transmission;

[0018] Figure 8 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Fig. 9 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0020] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It will be understood that these example embodiments are described only for illustrative purposes and help those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure without any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure being implied. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways except for the ways described below.

[0022] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0023] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not necessarily every example embodiment includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same example embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described with respect to an example embodiment, it is claimed that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art with respect to other example embodiments (whether or not explicitly described) to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic.

[0024] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. can be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first element can be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element can be referred to as the first element without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0025] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "having", "having", "including", and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, elements, components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0026] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0027] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry); and

[0028] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0029] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0030] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processor(s)), software and memory(s) with software that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions; and

[0031] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) that require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), but which may not be present when software is not required for operation.

[0032] This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" also covers (for example and if applicable to a particular claim element) a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0033] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as NR-U, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to the communication protocol of any suitable generation, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocol, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. The example embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied in various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the present disclosure. It should not be considered that the scope of the present disclosure is limited to only the aforementioned system.

[0034] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, a NodeB (NodeB or NB), a radio access network (RAN) node, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), infrastructure equipment for V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication, a transmit / receive point (TRP), a receive point (RP), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node (such as a femto, a pico), etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0035] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device that can perform wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device (such as a digital camera), a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (loT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of an industrial and / or automated processing chain), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on a commercial and / or industrial wireless network, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0036] As used herein, the terms "resource", "transmission resource", "resource block", "physical resource block", "uplink resource" or "downlink resource" may refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as a resource in the time domain, a resource in the frequency domain, a resource in the spatial domain, a resource in the code domain, or any other resource that enables communication. In the following, resources in both the frequency domain and the time domain will be used as examples of transmission resources for describing some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Note that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0037] As mentioned above, transmissions in a communication network (e.g., CG-PUSCH transmissions in NR-U) can utilize CP extensions of variable duration to avoid conflicts between communication devices. More specifically, a communication device (e.g., a terminal device) can be configured with a set of up to 7 possible starting positions for CP extension, from which the terminal device can select a starting position in a (pseudo) random manner. This may be the case when a CG-PUSCH transmission occupies all physical resource blocks (PRBs) of a 20MHz channel.

[0038] Alternatively, a communication device (e.g., a terminal device) may be configured with a single starting position among a predefined number (e.g., 7) of possible options. This may be the case when a CG-PUSCH transmission occupies less than all PRBs of a 20MHz channel. In RAN1#100-e, there is a relevant consensus as follows. For each value of CP extension, 7 possible starting positions may be introduced. Indexes to the 7 possible starting positions may be specified. The UE is configured with an index to a value from the index to the 7 values. The exact values ​​of these 7 starting positions have not yet been determined.

[0039] In addition to the value of the starting position of the CP extension, there may also be an LBT type associated with each starting position (e.g., UL LBT type, also known as the type of UL channel access procedure). Currently, NR-U can support several LBT types (e.g., UL LBT types) as follows. Type 1 LBT may refer to Cat4 LBT with exponential backoff, Type 2A LBT may refer to Cat2 single-shot LBT (25μs measurement duration), Type 2B LBT may refer to Cat2 single-shot LBT (16μs measurement duration), and Type 2C LBT may refer to Cat1 LBT, that is, transmission without channel sensing. However, there are various problems in traditional solutions.

[0040] The problem of the first aspect can be called the problem of gNB overwrite. According to the predetermined configuration of the symbol function, the gNB should stop DL transmission after a predetermined symbol, and the next symbol can be used for UL transmission. However, the gNB can override the predetermined allocation to use the resources in the next symbol and then use it for other purposes, for example, for ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) DL transmission. In one example, the gNB transmits an additional single-symbol DL transmission in the next symbol. When such an overwrite occurs, UL CG transmission using a pre-configured CP extension value and LBT type may no longer be feasible. Note that this problem may occur in the case of 30kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS) and 60kHz SCS, where the configured CP duration may be greater than one OFDM symbol.

[0041] The second aspect of the problem can be called the potential conflict problem between the scheduled UL transmission and the UL CG transmission. This may be the case where there is no overlap between the DL resources and the CG-PUSCH resources. The traditional starting position defined for UL CG transmission within the channel occupancy time (COT) acquired by the gNB only allows a starting position of 34μs (or greater) relative to the UL symbol boundary. Assuming there is no timing advance (ie, TA=0), this means that the gap between the DL transmission and the start of the UL CG transmission within the COT acquired by the gNB can be as small as 34μs.

[0042] The main idea behind defining such a minimum value for the PUSCH start position for UL CG transmissions within the COT acquired by the gNB is to provide the gNB with a means to overwrite the UL CG transmission with the scheduled PUSCH transmission. This is also why the current provision only allows UEs to use LBT Type 2A for transmissions on UL CG resources within the COT acquired by the gNB. Under these assumptions, a UE with UL CG resources may not be able to transmit using Type 2A LBT if the gap between the DL transmission and the scheduled UL transmission is, for example, 25 μs or less.

[0043] In case UL CG resources are used to carry small data packets with low latency requirements, it may be desirable to allow frequency division multiplexing of scheduled UL transmissions and UL CG transmissions, for example. To achieve this, since the gap between DL transmissions and scheduled UL transmissions may vary from COT to COT, it is desirable to introduce a specially designed value for the PUSCH start position and a mechanism to dynamically adapt the LBT type based on the slot format and the configured PUSCH start position.

[0044] The third aspect of the problem is related to the Rel-15 LTE Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) feature Autonomous UL (AUL), which supports multiple starting positions for CP extension before PUSCH transmission in addition to the grant configured by NR-U. The supported starting points are given by the following Radio Resource Control (RRC) parameters: "aul-StartingPartialBW-InsideMCOT-r15 enumeration {o34,o43,o52,o61,oOS1}, aul-StartingPartialBW-OutsideMCOT-r15 enumeration {o16,o25,o34,o43,o52,o61,oOS1}". Here, o16, o25, o34, etc. mean starting CP extension 16, 25 and 34 microseconds after the symbol boundary, respectively. oOS1 means no CP extension at all before PUSCH. The basic principle is to place the starting points 9μs apart, because in a typical LBT process, 9μs is also the duration of a CCA slot.

[0045] In Rel-15 LTE LAA Autonomous Uplink (AUL), by using the "UL Duration and Offset" field and the "COT Sharing Indication for AUL" field in the Common Physical Downlink Control Channel (C-PDCCH), the eNB can indicate that UEs configured with autonomous UL transmissions can perform Type 2A channel access procedures for autonomous UL transmissions within the eNB's COT. However, LTE LAA does not support the more efficient Type 2B and Type 2C UL channel access procedures.

[0046] In view of the above-mentioned problems and other potential problems in traditional solutions, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for performing operations related to an LBT process for transmission. In particular, some example embodiments of the present disclosure may determine an appropriate starting position (e.g., select a possible starting position) for a CP extension before transmission to maximize the possibility of channel access in different scenarios, such as within and outside the COT for both full and partial bandwidth transmissions. In addition, some example embodiments of the present disclosure may determine which LBT type to use for CP extension under different conditions. Furthermore, some example embodiments of the present disclosure take TA into account when selecting the LBT type and the starting position of the CP extension.

[0047] Multiple advantages can be achieved through the example embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, the example embodiments of the present disclosure can solve problems in traditional solutions, such as the gNB overwrite problem and the possible conflict problem between the scheduled UL transmission and the UL CG transmission, so that the possibility of success of the LBT process can be increased or even maximized. More generally, the example embodiments of the present disclosure can improve the performance of the communication network. The principles and implementations of the example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication environment 100 in which some example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Figure 1 , a communication environment (also referred to as a communication network) 100 includes a first device 110 and a second device 120 that can communicate with each other. As used herein, the first device 110 may also be referred to as an apparatus 110, and the second device 120 may also be referred to as an additional apparatus 120. The communication environment 100 also includes a third device 130 that can communicate with the second device 120. In some example embodiments, the first device 110 and the third device 130 may communicate directly with each other.

[0049] Generally, the first device 110, the second device 120, and the third device 130 may be any suitable device between which communication may be performed. In some example embodiments, the first device 110 and the third device 130 may be terminal devices, and the second device 120 may be a network device. For example, the second device 120 may be a serving device of the first device 110 and the third device 130 located in the cell 105 of the second device 120.

[0050] During communication between the first device 110, the second device 120, and the third device 130, the second device 120 may transmit a first transmission 115, e.g., a downlink transmission, to the third device 130. It should be noted that although the first transmission 115 is depicted as being from the second device 120 to the third device 130, this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In some example embodiments, the first transmission 115 may be a transmission from the second device 120 to the first device 110. In addition, the first device 110 may transmit a second transmission 125 to the second device 120. In some example embodiments, the second transmission 125 may be a configured grant physical uplink shared channel (CG-PUSCH) transmission in NR-U, e.g., the CG-PUSCH transmission may be transmitted using pre-allocated resources.

[0051] It should be noted that although the second transmission 125 is depicted as being from the first device 110 to the second device 120, this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In some example embodiments, the second transmission 125 may be a transmission from the first device 110 to the third device 130 via a side link (also referred to as a device-to-device D2D) channel 135, or a transmission from the first device 110 to another terminal device not shown. In the following, a transmission from the first device 110 to the second device 120 may be used as an example of the second transmission 125 to describe various example embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the second transmission 125 from the first device 110 to the second device 120, but are equally applicable to the second transmission from the first device 110 to any other communication device.

[0052] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may transmit the second transmission 125 on a common transmission resource (such as a time resource and / or a frequency resource) for a plurality of terminal devices including the first device 110. Thus, the plurality of terminal devices including the first device 110 may transmit corresponding CG-PUSCH transmissions using corresponding CP extensions of variable duration to avoid conflicts between the terminal devices. For example, the first device 110 may transmit the CP extension before the second transmission 125. As used herein, the combination of the CP extension and the second transmission 125 may be referred to as a transmission (e.g., an uplink transmission) from the first device 110 to the second device 120, and the second transmission 125 refers to a transmission portion without the CP extension.

[0053] In addition to the variable duration CP extension, before transmitting the transmission including the CP extension and the second transmission 125, the first device 110 can perform a listen before talk (LBT, also known as a clear channel assessment) operation to determine whether another terminal device is transmitting a transmission on the shared transmission resource to the second device 120. If the first device 110 detects that the channel is clear, the first device 110 can transmit the transmission including the CP extension and the second transmission 125. Otherwise, if the first device 110 determines that the channel is occupied, the first device 110 can delay or cancel the transmission including the CP extension and the second transmission 125.

[0054] As mentioned, there are various LBT types (also referred to as channel access procedure types) available for the first device 110 to perform an LBT operation before a transmission including a CP extension and a second transmission 125. In some example embodiments, based on the different durations of the gap between the end position of the first transmission 115 and the start position of the CP extension before the second transmission 125, the first device 110 may perform a suitable operation related to the LBT procedure for the second transmission 125. For example, the first device 110 may select a suitable type of LBT procedure for performing an LBT operation for the second transmission 125. In some cases, the first device 110 may adjust the start position of the CP extension for performing the LBT operation. In some other cases, the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and also abandon the second transmission 125. By performing such suitable operations related to the LBT procedure, the possibility of success of the LBT procedure may be increased or even maximized.

[0055] Despite Figure 1 The first device 110, the second device 120, and the third device 130 are described in the communication environment 100 of FIG. 1 , but the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be equally applicable to any other suitable communication devices that communicate with each other. That is, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Figure 1 In this regard, it should be noted that although the first device 110 and the third device 130 are Figure 1 Schematically depicted as a mobile phone, and the second device 120 is Figure 1 Schematically depicted as a base station, but it is to be understood that this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, the first device 110, the second device 120 and the third device 130 may be any other communication device, for example, a wireless communication device.

[0056] will understand, as Figure 1 The number of communication devices, the number of communication links, and the number of other elements shown in the embodiment are for illustration purposes only and do not imply any limitation. The communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of communication devices, any suitable number of communication links, and any suitable number of other elements adapted to implement the example embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, it will be appreciated that various wireless communications as well as wired communications (if desired) may exist between all communication devices.

[0057] The communication in the communication environment 100 can be implemented according to any appropriate (multiple) communication protocols, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols of the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) and fifth generation (5G), NR-U, etc., wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. In addition, the communication can utilize any appropriate wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0058] Figure 2 A flowchart of an example method 200 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. In some example embodiments, the method 200 may be performed in a device (such as Figure 1 In addition or alternatively, the method 200 may also be implemented at the first device 110 shown in FIG. Figure 1 In some other example embodiments, the method 200 may be implemented at other devices shown in FIG. Figure 1 The method is implemented at a device not shown in the figure.

[0059] At block 210, the first device 110 may determine a duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission 115 to be transmitted by the second device 120 and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission 125 to be transmitted by the first device 110 to the second device 120. There may be various ways for the first device 110 to determine the duration of the gap. For example, the first device 110 may monitor the first transmission 115 performed by the second device 120 and detect an end point of the first transmission 115. The first device 110 may then select an appropriate start point of the CP extension before the second transmission 125. Based on the detected end point and the selected start point, the first device 110 may calculate the duration of the gap between them.

[0060] In some other example embodiments, the starting point of the CP extension may be configured by the second device 120 via one or more configuration messages. In this way, the starting point of the CP extension for multiple terminal devices may be configured by the network device in a centralized and flexible manner, thereby improving frequency domain multiplexing by the multiple terminal devices. In addition, the operation at the terminal device may be simplified because the terminal device does not need to determine the starting point of the CP extension.

[0061] More specifically, the first device 110 may receive a configuration message (e.g., an RRC message) from the second device 120. The configuration message may include time and frequency resources for the second transmission 125 and a duration of the CP extension. The first device 110 may then determine a starting point for the CP extension based on the configuration message, for example, based on a starting point of the second transmission 125 and the duration of the CP extension.

[0062] Similarly, the end point of the first transmission 115 may also be configured by the second device 120 and signaled to a plurality of terminal devices including the first device 110 via a configuration message. In this way, the operation at the terminal device may be simplified because the terminal device does not need to detect the end point of the first transmission 115 from the second device 120. More specifically, the first device 110 may receive a configuration message from the second device 120. Then, the first device 110 may determine the end point of the first transmission from the configuration message.

[0063] In some example embodiments, the time and frequency resources for the second transmission 125, the duration of the CP extension, and the end point of the first transmission 115 may be included in a single configuration message (e.g., an RRC message). In some other example embodiments, any two or all of the time and frequency resources for the second transmission 125, the duration of the CP extension, and the end point of the first transmission 115 may be transmitted via separate messages. For example, if the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, the first device 110 may receive a configuration message for the CP extension value to be applied before the CG-PUSCH transmission. This may be part of the RRC configuration from the second device 120. In addition, before the intended CG-PUSCH transmission, the first device 110 may detect a group-shared PDCCH (DCI format 2_0) and determine the COT structure (i.e., whether the symbol in the COT is DL "D", UL "U", or flexible "F") based on its content (such as a slot format indicator (SFI) and / or COT duration).

[0064] Based on the indicated COT structure, in particular the position of the DL symbols, the first device 110 may calculate the duration of the gap between the end of the latest DL transmission by the second device 120 (before the intended CG-PUSCH transmission) and the start point of the CP extension before the intended CG-PUSCH transmission. In the following, the CG-PUSCH transmission will be used as an example of the second transmission 125, with reference to Figure 3-Figure 7 However, it should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable to any transmission between any two communicating devices.

[0065] Figure 3An example scenario 300 is illustrated showing some example starting points 372, 374, 376, 378, 380, 382, ​​and 384 for a first device 110 to transmit a CP extension after a first transmission 115 by a second device 120 and before a second transmission 125 to the second device 120, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 A specific starting point of CP extension before the second transmission 125 is shown, but it will be appreciated that this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, the starting point of CP extension may be any suitable point in time before the second transmission 125.

[0066] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , 14 OFDM symbols 302 to 328 are depicted in this example. Each of the OFDM symbols 302 to 328 has a duration of 36 μs. However, it should be noted that in other example embodiments with different digital basic configurations (such as different subcarrier spacings), the duration of one OFDM symbol may be different. In addition, although Figure 3 Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described using a specific number of OFDM symbols with a specific duration as an example of a time unit, but it is understood that this depiction is only for example and does not imply any limitation. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable to any number of any units in the time domain.

[0067] like Figure 3 As also shown in FIG. 1 , OFDM symbols 302 and 304 are used for downlink control (DC) information 332 and 334. OFDM symbols 306, 308, 310, 312, and 314 are used for downlink data (DD) 336, 338, 340, 342, and 115, where it is assumed that OFDM symbol 314 is used by the second device 120 to transmit the first transmission 115. OFDM symbols 320, 322, 324, 326, and 328 are used for CG-PUSCH transmissions from multiple terminal devices including the first device 110 to the second device 120. In this example, the multiple terminal devices can transmit CG-PUSCH data from symbol 320 onwards. In other words, all CG-PUSCH transmissions from the terminal devices can start at point 384.

[0068] In addition, multiple terminal devices may be configured with different CP extension values ​​to avoid conflicts between terminal devices. This means that the terminal devices may actually start their transmission within symbol 316 or symbol 318. In some example embodiments, the CP extension may be transmitted immediately before the CG-PUSCH data. Although Figure 3Specific functions or purposes of symbols 302 to 328 are depicted, but it is to be understood that this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, each of symbols 302 to 328 may have any other suitable functions or purposes.

[0069] like Figure 3 As further shown in FIG. 1 , in OFDM symbols 320, 322, 324, 326, and 328, multiple terminal devices including the first device 110 may be pre-allocated with time and frequency resources and may transmit uplink transmissions to the second device 120. As an example, the first device 110 may intend to transmit an uplink transmission 350 to the second device 120, and the uplink transmission 350 may include a CP extension and a second transmission 125. Similarly, other terminal devices may also intend to transmit their respective uplink transmissions 346, 348, 352, 354, etc. to the second device 120. Although in FIG. Figure 3 , uplink transmissions 346, 348, 352, 354, etc., starting at different points are depicted as uplink transmissions from terminal devices other than the first device 110, but it should be understood that in various scenarios, the first device 110 can be configured to start uplink transmissions 350 at these points.

[0070] In some example embodiments, each of uplink transmissions 346, 348, 350, 352, etc. may include a CP extension and a CG-PUSCH transmission. As described, the CG-PUSCH transmissions of uplink transmissions 346, 348, 350, 352, etc. may all be configured to begin at the end of symbol 318 (i.e., at point 384). In contrast, the CP extensions of uplink transmissions 346, 348, 350, 352, etc. are transmitted in symbols 316 and 318 and may have different durations so that uplink transmissions from multiple terminal devices may be separated in the time domain. For ease of discussion, symbols 316 and 318 are separated in the time domain. Figure 3 is enlarged.

[0071] exist Figure 3In the example of , if the uplink transmission 350 starts at point 376, the duration of the CP extension of the uplink transmission 350 may be 72-34=38 μs. It should be noted that the 72 μs here is an approximation of the duration of one symbol of a 15kHz symbol. In other words, it is approximately but not exactly 72 μs. In fact, there are two values ​​71.87 μs and 71.34 μs. If the uplink transmission 346 starts at point 372, the duration of the CP extension of the uplink transmission 346 may be 72-16=56 μs. If the uplink transmission 348 starts at point 374, the duration of the CP extension of the uplink transmission 348 may be 72-25=47 μs. If the uplink transmission (not shown) starts at point 378, the duration of the CP extension of the uplink transmission may be 72-43=29 μs. If the uplink transmission (not shown) starts at point 380, the duration of the CP extension of the uplink transmission may be 72-52=20 μs. If the uplink transmission 352 starts at point 382, ​​the duration of the CP extension of the uplink transmission 352 may be 72-61=11 μs. For the uplink transmission 354, it has no CP extension before the CG-PUSCH transmission because the uplink transmission 354 starts at point 384.

[0072] Figure 4 An example scenario 400 is illustrated in which a first device 110 determines a gap between an end point of a first transmission 115 by a second device 120 and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission 125 to the second device 120, and performs operations related to an LBT process for the second transmission 125, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 A specific starting point of CP extension before the second transmission 125 is shown, but it is to be understood that this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, the starting point of CP extension may be any suitable time point before the second transmission 125.

[0073] like Figure 4 , it is assumed that the second device 120 ends the first transmission 115 at the end point 370 of the symbol 314, and thus the point 370 can be determined by the first device 110 as the end point of the first transmission 115. For ease of discussion, the point 370 can be used as a reference time point (expressed as 0 μs) for determining the gap between the end point of the first transmission 115 and the start point of the CP extension of the second transmission 125.

[0074] Therefore, if the first device 110 determines that the starting point of the CP extension before the second transmission 125 is point 376, the gap is 34μs. Similarly, if the first device 110 determines that the starting point of the CP extension is point 372, point 374, point 378, point 380, point 382, ​​or point 384, the gap is 16μs, 25μs, 43μs, 52μs, 61μs, or 72μs, respectively. Note that for a subcarrier spacing of 15kHz (approximately 72μs), a duration of 72μs can correspond to 1 OFDM symbol. In addition, it is noted that the timing advance is not considered here or is assumed to be 0, and in this example, the subcarrier spacing is 30kHz. Refer to later Figure 7 Example embodiments that take timing advance into account are further described.

[0075] Figure 5 Another example scenario 500 is illustrated, showing some example starting points 372, 374, 376, 378, 380, 382, ​​and 384 for a first device 110 to transmit a CP extension after a first transmission 115 by a second device 120 and before a second transmission 125 to the second device 120, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 A specific starting point of CP extension before the second transmission 125 is shown, but it is to be understood that this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, the starting point of CP extension may be any suitable time point before the second transmission 125.

[0076] like Figure 5 As shown in , according to a predetermined configuration, the second device 120 may need to stop DL transmissions (DD) after symbol 314. However, the gNB may override the predetermined allocation and use the resources in symbol 316 and later for other purposes, for example, for URLLC DL transmissions. In this example, the second device 120 may transmit an additional single-symbol DL transmission in symbol 316. Such an override by the second device 120 may be signaled to or detected by the first device 110, which may then determine the transmission in symbol 316 (instead of the DL transmission in symbol 344) as the first transmission 115. In other words, in Figure 5 In the scenario of FIG. 1 , OFDM symbols 306 , 308 , 310 , 312 , 314 , and 316 are used for downlink data (DD) 336 , 338 , 340 , 342 , 344 , and 115 , wherein it is assumed that OFDM symbol 316 is used by second device 120 to transmit first transmission 115 .

[0077] Figure 6Another example scenario 600 is illustrated in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure, in which the first device 110 determines a gap between an end point of a first transmission 115 by the second device 120 and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission 125 to the second device 120, and performs operations related to an LBT process for the second transmission 125. Figure 6 A specific starting point of CP extension before the second transmission 125 is shown, but it is to be understood that this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, the starting point of CP extension may be any suitable time point before the second transmission 125.

[0078] like Figure 6 , the first device 110 may determine the end point of the first transmission 115 from the second device 120 to be the end of symbol 316, i.e., point 520. Therefore, if the first device 110 determines that the starting point of the CP extension before the second transmission 125 is point 378, the gap is 7 μs. Similarly, if the first device 110 determines that the starting point of the CP extension is point 380, point 382, ​​or point 384, the gap is 16 μs, 25 μs, or 36 μs, respectively. In some example embodiments, if the first device 110 determines that the starting point of the CP extension before the second transmission 125 is point 372, 374, or 376, because the first transmission 115 overlaps with these possible starting points of the CP extension, the first device 110 may determine that the gap is a negative value (or unavailable), which means that there is no gap between the end point of the first transmission 115 and the starting point of the CP extension before the second transmission 125 for the first device 110 to perform an LBT operation before transmitting the transmission of the CP extension and the second transmission 125.

[0079] In some example embodiments, the UE may also take into account the timing advance it applies to uplink transmissions when calculating the duration of the gap between the end of the latest DL transmission by the second device 120 (before the intended CG-PUSCH transmission) and the start of the CP extension before the intended CG-PUSCH transmission. More specifically, the TA may shorten the gap between the end point of the first transmission 115 and the start point of the CP extension. In this way, the impact of the timing advance on operations related to the LBT process for the second transmission 125 may be minimized or even eliminated, thereby making the example embodiments of the present disclosure applicable to scenarios where the timing advance is applied to the second transmission 125. Reference is made below to Figure 7 To describe such an example.

[0080] Figure 7Still another example scenario 700 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated, in which the first device 110 determines a gap between an end point of a first transmission 115 by the second device 120 and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission 125 to the second device 120, and performs operations related to an LBT process for the second transmission 125. Figure 7 A specific starting point of CP extension before the second transmission 125 is shown, but it is to be understood that this depiction is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, the starting point of CP extension may be any suitable time point before the second transmission 125.

[0081] As can be seen, Figure 7 Depicted with Figure 3 Similar examples to the example of Figure 7 A TA of 13 μs is applied in FIG. 1 . Correspondingly, the gap between the end point 370 of the first transmission 115 and the start point of the CP extension is shortened by 13 μs. It is to be understood that the specific value of TA is only used for example and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, TA may be any other suitable value.

[0082] More specifically, when determining the duration of the gap to which the TA is applied, the first device 110 may determine a timing advance value for the second transmission 125. For example, Figure 7 In the example of , the first device 110 may determine a timing advance value of 13 μs. In some example embodiments, the timing advance value may be configured by the second device 120 via a configuration message.

[0083] Then, the first device 110 may determine a starting point for CP extension based on the timing advance value. Figure 7 In the example of FIG. 1 , if the timing advance value is zero (0), that is, regardless of the timing advance value, the first device 110 may determine the initial starting point as follows: Figure 3 Then, based on the timing advance value of 13 μs, the first device 110 may determine the starting point of CP extension as 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, 712 or 714 by advancing the initial starting point by the timing advance value of 13 μs.

[0084] Thereafter, the first device 110 may determine the duration of the gap based on the end point of the first transmission 115 and the start point of the CP extension (which is determined based on the timing advance value). Figure 7In the example of , if the first device 110 determines that the starting point of the CP extension before the second transmission 125 is point 702, the gap is 3 μs. Similarly, if the first device 110 determines that the starting point of the CP extension is point 704, point 706, point 708, point 710, point 712, or point 714, the gaps are 12 μs, 21 μs, 30 μs, 39 μs, 48 ​​μs, or 59 μs, respectively.

[0085] Return to reference Figure 2 After determining the duration of the gap, at block 220, the first device 110 may perform operations related to an LBT process for the second transmission 125 based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and a plurality of threshold durations associated with the plurality of types of LBT processes. In other words, there may be a plurality of types of LBT processes available for the first device 110 to perform channel sensing or LBT operations on the common transmission resources before transmitting a transmission to the second device 120 in order to determine whether the common transmission resources are occupied.

[0086] As described, NR-U may support several LBT types (e.g., UL LBT types) as follows: Type 1 LBT may refer to Cat4 LBT with exponential backoff, Type 2A LBT may refer to Cat2 single-shot LBT (25 μs measurement duration), Type 2B LBT may refer to Cat2 single-shot LBT (16 μs measurement duration), and Type 2C LBT may refer to Cat1 LBT, i.e., transmission without channel sensing.

[0087] Thus, in an example embodiment where the communication network 100 employs NR-U, a first LBT type among the plurality of LBT types may be a type 2A LBT process, a second LBT type among the plurality of LBT types may be a type 2B LBT process, and a third LBT type among the plurality of LBT types may be a type 2C LBT process. In such an example embodiment, a first threshold duration among the plurality of threshold durations may be 25 μs, and a second threshold duration among the plurality of threshold durations may be 16 μs. It should be understood that the specific number of LBT types and the specific threshold duration are for example only and do not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, there may be any number of LBT types associated with any threshold duration.

[0088] In some example embodiments, type 2A or 2B or 2C LBT may be applied under some restrictions. For example, a restriction on type 2A LBT may be that the gap between a downlink (DL) transmission and a subsequent UL transmission (or between two consecutive UL transmissions) is at least 25 μs. A restriction on type 2B LBT may be that the gap between a DL transmission and a subsequent UL transmission is 16 μs. A restriction on type 2C LBT may be that the gap between a DL transmission and a subsequent UL transmission is up to 16 μs and the duration of the UL transmission is no more than 0.584 ms.

[0089] Since the plurality of LBT types are associated with the plurality of threshold durations, which means that the plurality of LBT types can be distinguished by the threshold duration, the first device 110 can compare the gap with the plurality of threshold durations. Based on the result of the comparison between the gap and the plurality of threshold durations, the first device 110 can determine, for example, based on the restriction of the plurality of LBT types, an appropriate operation related to the LBT process for the second transmission 125. Then, the first device 110 can perform the appropriate operation before transmitting the CP-extended transmission and the second transmission 125.

[0090] For example, based on the result of the comparison and optionally based on the restriction of multiple LBT types, the first device 110 can identify that a specific type of LBT process is suitable for the determined gap, and therefore the first device 110 can perform a specific type of LBT operation during the gap before transmitting the CP extension. As another example, based on the result of the comparison and optionally based on the restriction of multiple LBT types, the first device 110 may find that any of the multiple types of LBT processes are not suitable for the gap. In such a case, the first device 110 can extend or shorten the gap by adjusting the starting point of the CP extension so that the gap is adjusted to be suitable for performing a specific type of LBT process. Then, the first device 110 can perform a specific type of LBT operation during the adjusted gap before transmitting the transmission of the CP extension and the second transmission 125. Alternatively, in the case where multiple types of LBT processes are not suitable for the gap, the first device 110 can abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and also abandon the second transmission 125.

[0091] In the following, without loss of generality, we will refer to Figure 3-Figure 71 and 2 to describe some specific examples. In particular, a first type of LBT process is associated with channel sensing for a first threshold duration, a second type of LBT process is associated with channel sensing for a second threshold duration that is shorter than the first threshold duration, and a third type of LBT process is not associated with channel sensing. In some example embodiments, the first threshold duration and the second threshold duration may be 25 μs and 16 μs, respectively. In some other example embodiments, the first threshold duration and the second threshold duration may be any other suitable length of time.

[0092] In some scenarios, the first device 110 may determine that the gap is shorter than both the first threshold duration and the second threshold duration (which is shorter than the first threshold duration). Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assume that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 520, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 378. In this case, Figure 6 As further shown in FIG. 1 , the first device 110 may determine the gap to be (43-36)=7 μs, which is shorter than the first threshold duration of 25 μs and the second threshold duration of 16 μs.

[0093] Further references Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 520, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 372, 374, or 376. In such a case, the first device 110 may determine the gap as a negative value (or unavailable), which may also be considered shorter than the first threshold duration of 25 μs and the second threshold duration of 16 μs in some example embodiments.

[0094] As another example, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 370 and the start point of the CP extension as point 702. In this case, the first device 110 may determine the gap as (3-0)=3 μs, which is shorter than the first threshold duration 25 μs and the second threshold duration 16 μs.

[0095] Further references Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 370 and the start point of the CP extension as point 704. In this case, the first device 110 may determine the gap as (12-0)=12 μs, which is shorter than the first threshold duration 25 μs and the second threshold duration 16 μs.

[0096] If the first device 110 determines that the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and also shorter than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform an appropriate type of LBT operation, or alternatively abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and also abandon the second transmission 125. In this way, in the case where the gap for the LBT operation is short, the first device 110 may select an appropriate LBT type for the LBT operation for the second transmission 125, or abandon the second transmission 125. In some cases, even if there is no gap or the gap is not initially suitable for performing the LBT operation, the first device 110 may perform the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 after adjusting the CP extension before the second transmission 125. Therefore, the possibility of success of the LBT process may be improved or even maximized.

[0097] For example, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and also shorter than (or equal to) the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform a third type of LBT operation without channel sensing. More specifically, if the duration of the second transmission 125 is within a predetermined duration, the first device 110 may perform a third type of LBT operation. In this way, the first device 110 may perform an LBT operation without any adjustment of the CP extension before the second transmission 125, thereby causing minimal impact on the CP extension and the second transmission 125 and also simplifying the operation of the first device 110.

[0098] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, the predetermined duration may be 584 μs. Thus, the first device 110 may transmit a CG-PUSCH transmission after performing Cat1 LBT (i.e., a Type 2C UL channel access procedure) when the starting point for CP extension is less than or equal to 16 μs after the indicated DL symbol (i.e., the DL-UL gap is less than or equal to 16 μs) and the duration of the CG-PUSCH transmission does not exceed 584 μs. It is to be understood that the specific value of the predetermined duration is for example only and does not imply any limitation. In other example embodiments, the predetermined duration may be any other suitable value.

[0099] As an example of performing the third type of LBT operation, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 378 and thus the gap is 7 μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 is within a predetermined duration (eg, 584 μs), the first device 110 may perform the third type of LBT operation.

[0100] Similarly, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 702 or 704 and thus the gap is 3 μs or 12 μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 is within a predetermined duration (e.g., 584 μs), the first device 110 may perform the third type of LBT operation.

[0101] Alternatively, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and also shorter than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration. For example, if the duration of the second transmission 125 exceeds the predetermined duration, the first device 110 may determine an adjusted starting point of a CP extension later than the initial starting point by shortening the CP extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to the second threshold duration. Then, the first device 110 may perform a second type of LBT operation. In this way, even if the gap is initially not suitable for performing an LBT operation, after adjusting the CP extension before the second transmission 125, the first device 110 may perform an LBT operation for the second transmission 125. Therefore, the likelihood of a successful LBT process may be improved or even maximized.

[0102] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, if the starting point for the CP extension is less than or equal to 16 μs after the indicated DL symbol (i.e., the DL-UL gap is less than 16 μs) and the duration of the CG-PUSCH transmission exceeds 584 μs, the first device 110 may reduce the length of the CP extension by X μs (and thereby enlarge the DL-UL gap) and apply a Cat2 LBT of 16 μs (i.e., Type 2B or Type 2A UL channel access procedure), where X=16 μs-gap.

[0103] For example, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension to be point 378 and thus the gap is 7 μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 is longer than the predetermined duration (e.g., 584 μs), the first device 110 may shorten the CP extension by X=16-7=9 μs. Therefore, the first device 110 may determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension to be 16 μs (assuming reference point 520=0 μs) so that the duration of the gap is extended to 16 μs. Then, the first device 110 may perform the second type of LBT operation.

[0104] In addition, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6, assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 372, 374, or 376 and therefore the gap is a negative value (or unavailable). In this case, for point 372, 374, or 376, the first device 110 can shorten the CP extension by X=16-(-20)=36μs, X=16-(-11)=27μs, or X=16-(-2)=18μs, respectively. Therefore, the first device 110 can determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension as 16μs (assuming reference point 520=0μs) so that the duration of the gap is extended to 16μs. Then, the first device 110 can perform the second type of LBT operation.

[0105] Similarly, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension to be point 702 or 704 and therefore the gap is 3μs or 12μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 is longer than the predetermined duration (e.g., 584μs), the first device 110 may shorten the CP extension by X=16-3=13μs or X=16-12=4μs. Therefore, the first device 110 may determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension to be 16μs (assuming reference point 520=0μs) so that the duration of the gap is extended to 16μs. Then, the first device 110 may perform the second type of LBT operation.

[0106] Alternatively, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and also shorter than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration. For example, if the duration of the second transmission 125 exceeds the predetermined duration, the first device 110 may determine an adjusted starting point of a CP extension later than the initial starting point by shortening the CP extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to the first threshold duration. Then, the first device 110 may perform the first type of LBT operation. In some other example embodiments, the duration of the gap may be extended to be greater than the first threshold duration by shortening the CP extension. In this way, even if the gap is not initially suitable for performing an LBT operation, after adjusting the CP extension before the second transmission 125, the first device 110 may perform an LBT operation for the second transmission 125. Therefore, the likelihood of success of the LBT process may be increased or even maximized.

[0107] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, if the starting point for the CP extension is less than or equal to 16 μs after the indicated DL symbol (i.e., the DL-UL gap is less than 16 μs) and the duration of the CG-PUSCH transmission exceeds 584 μs, the first device 110 may reduce the length of the CP extension by Y μs (and thereby enlarge the DL-UL gap) and apply a Cat2 LBT of 25 μs (i.e., Type 2B or Type 2A UL channel access procedure), where Y = 25 μs-gap.

[0108] For example, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension to be point 378 and therefore the gap is 7 μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 is longer than the predetermined duration (e.g., 584 μs), the first device 110 may shorten the CP extension by Y=25-7=18 μs. Therefore, the first device 110 may determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension to be 25 μs (assuming reference point 520=0 μs) so that the duration of the gap is extended to 25 μs. Then, the first device 110 may perform the first type of LBT operation.

[0109] In addition, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 372, 374, or 376 and therefore the gap is a negative value (or unavailable). In this case, the first device 110 can shorten the CP extension by Y=25-(-20)=45μs, Y=25-(-11)=36μs, or Y=25-(-2)=27μs. Therefore, the first device 110 can determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension as 25μs (assuming reference point 520=0μs) so that the duration of the gap is extended to 25μs. Then, the first device 110 can perform the first type of LBT operation.

[0110] Similarly, refer to Figure 7, assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension to be point 702 or 704 and therefore the gap is 3μs or 12μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 is longer than the predetermined duration (e.g., 584μs), the first device 110 can shorten the CP extension by Y=25-3=22μs or Y=25-12=13μs. Therefore, the first device 110 can determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension to be 25μs (assuming reference point 520=0μs) so that the duration of the gap is extended to 25μs. Then, the first device 110 can perform the first type of LBT operation.

[0111] Alternatively, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and also shorter than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and also abandon the second transmission 125. For example, if the duration of the second transmission 125 exceeds the predetermined duration, the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and the second transmission 125. In this way, the first device 110 can ensure that the second transmission 125 does not conflict with other potential transmissions from other terminal devices, and the operation of the first device 110 is also simplified.

[0112] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, the first device 110 may abandon the CG-PUSCH transmission if the starting point for the CP extension is less than or equal to 16 μs after the indicated DL symbol (i.e., the DL-UL gap is less than 16 μs) and the duration of the CG-PUSCH transmission exceeds 584 μs.

[0113] For example, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 378 and thus the gap is 7 μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 exceeds a predetermined duration (e.g., 584 μs), the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and the second transmission 125. In addition, assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 372, 374, or 376 and thus the gap is a negative value (or unavailable). In this case, the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and the second transmission 125.

[0114] In addition, reference Figure 7, assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 702 or 704 and thus the gap is 3 μs or 12 μs. In this case, if the first device 110 determines that the duration of the second transmission 125 exceeds the predetermined duration (e.g., 584 μs), the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and the second transmission 125.

[0115] In some scenarios, the first device 110 may determine that the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and equal to the second threshold duration. Figure 3 and Figure 4 , assume that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 370, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 372. In this case, Figure 4 As further shown in , the first device 110 may determine the gap as (16-0)=16 μs, which is shorter than the first threshold duration of 25 μs and equal to the second threshold duration of 16 μs.

[0116] As another example, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assume that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 520, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 380. In this case, Figure 6 As further shown in , the first device 110 may determine the gap as (16-0)=16 μs, which is shorter than the first threshold duration of 25 μs and equal to the second threshold duration of 16 μs.

[0117] If the first device 110 determines that the duration of the gap is equal to the second threshold duration (which is shorter than the first threshold duration), the first device 110 may perform a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration. In this manner, the first device 110 may perform the LBT operation without any adjustment to the CP extension prior to the second transmission 125, thereby causing minimal impact on the CP extension and the second transmission 125 and also simplifying the operation of the first device 110.

[0118] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, if the starting point for CP extension is 16 μs after the indicated DL symbol (i.e., the gap is equal to 16 μs), the first device 110 can apply a Cat2 LBT of 16 μs (i.e., Type 2B UL channel access procedure).

[0119] For example, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4, assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 372 and thus the gap is 16 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may perform the second type of LBT operation. Similarly, referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 380 and thus the gap is 16 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may perform the second type of LBT operation.

[0120] In some scenarios, the first device 110 may determine that the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and longer than the second threshold duration. Figure 7 , assume that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 370, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 706. In this case, Figure 7 As further shown in , the first device 110 may determine the gap as (21-0)=21 μs, which is shorter than the first threshold duration of 25 μs and longer than the second threshold duration of 16 μs.

[0121] If the first device 110 determines that the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and longer than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform an appropriate type of LBT operation, or alternatively abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and the second transmission 125. In this way, in the event that the gap for the LBT operation is not suitable for performing any type of LBT operation, the first device 110 may select an appropriate LBT type for the LBT operation for the second transmission 125, or abandon the second transmission 125. In some cases, even if the gap is initially not suitable for performing the LBT operation, the first device 110 may perform the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 after adjusting the CP extension before the second transmission 125. Therefore, the likelihood of success of the LBT process may be improved or even maximized.

[0122] For example, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and longer than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration. More specifically, the first device 110 may determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension later than the above-mentioned starting point by shortening the CP extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to the first threshold duration. The reason may be that the first type or the second type of LBT operation may not be allowed to be performed in a gap between 16μs and 25μs. Then, the first device 110 may perform a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration. In some example embodiments, the duration of the gap may be extended to be longer than the first threshold duration. In this way, even if the gap is not initially suitable for performing an LBT operation, after adjusting the CP extension before the second transmission 125, the first device 110 may perform an LBT operation for the second transmission 125. Therefore, the possibility of success of the LBT process can be improved or even maximized.

[0123] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, if the starting point for the CP extension is more than 16 μs and less than 25 μs after the indicated DL symbol, the first device 110 may reduce the length of the CP extension (and thereby extend the DL-UL gap) by X μs, and apply a Cat2 LBT (i.e., Type 2 AUL channel access procedure) of 25 μs, where X=25 μs-gap.

[0124] For example, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 706 and therefore the gap is 21 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may shorten the CP extension by X=25-21=4 μs. Therefore, the first device 110 may determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension as 25 μs (assuming reference point 370=0 μs) so that the duration of the gap is extended to 25 μs. Then, the first device 110 may perform the first type of LBT operation. In some example embodiments, the duration of the gap may be extended to be longer than 25 μs.

[0125] Alternatively, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and longer than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration. For example, the first device 110 may determine an adjusted starting point of a CP extension earlier than the above-mentioned starting point by extending the CP extension so that the duration of the gap is shortened to the second threshold duration. Then, the first device 110 may perform a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration. In this way, even if the gap is initially not suitable for performing an LBT operation, after adjusting the CP extension before the second transmission 125, the first device 110 may perform an LBT operation for the second transmission 125. Therefore, the likelihood of success of the LBT process may be improved or even maximized.

[0126] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, if the starting point for the CP extension is more than 16 μs and less than 25 μs after the indicated DL symbol, the first device 110 may extend the length of the CP extension (and thereby shorten the DL-UL gap) by Y μs and apply a type 2 BUL channel access procedure, depending on the duration of the CG-PUSCH transmission, where Y = gap - 16 μs.

[0127] For example, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as point 706 and thus the gap is 21 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may extend the CP extension by Y=21-16=5 μs. Therefore, the first device 110 may determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension as 16 μs (assuming reference point 370=0 μs) so that the duration of the gap is shortened to 16 μs. Then, the first device 110 may perform the second type of LBT operation.

[0128] Alternatively, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and longer than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform a third type of LBT operation without channel sensing. For example, the first device 110 may determine an adjusted starting point of a CP extension earlier than the above-mentioned starting point by extending the CP extension so that the duration of the gap is shortened to be shorter than the second threshold duration. Then, the first device 110 may perform a third type of LBT operation without channel sensing. In this way, even if the gap is initially not suitable for performing an LBT operation, after adjusting the CP extension before the second transmission 125, the first device 110 may perform an LBT operation for the second transmission 125. Therefore, the likelihood of success of the LBT process may be improved or even maximized.

[0129] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, if the starting point for the CP extension is more than 16 μs and less than 25 μs after the indicated DL symbol, the first device 110 may, depending on the duration of the CG-PUSCH transmission, extend the length of the CP extension (and thereby shorten the DL-UL gap) by a value greater than Y μs, and apply a type 2C UL channel access procedure, where Y = gap - 16 μs.

[0130] For example, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension to be point 706 and thus the gap is 21 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may extend the CP extension by a value greater than Y=21-16=5 μs. Therefore, the first device 110 may determine the adjusted starting point of the CP extension to be before 16 μs (assuming reference point 370=0 μs) so that the duration of the gap is shortened to be shorter than 16 μs. Then, the first device 110 may perform the third type of LBT operation.

[0131] Alternatively, in the case where the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and longer than the second threshold duration, the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and the second transmission 125. In this way, the first device 110 may ensure that the second transmission 125 does not conflict with other potential transmissions from other terminal devices, and also simplify the operation of the first device 110.

[0132] More specifically, for the example embodiment where the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, the first device 110 may drop the CG-PUSCH if the starting point for CP extension is more than 16 μs and less than 25 μs after the indicated DL symbol.

[0133] For example, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension as the point 706 and thus the gap is 21 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and also abandon the second transmission 125.

[0134] In some scenarios, the first device 110 may determine that the gap is longer than the second threshold duration and longer than or equal to the first threshold duration. Figure 3 and Figure 4 , assume that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 370, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 374, 376, 378, 380, 382, ​​or 384. In such a case, Figure 4As further shown in FIG. 1 , the first device 110 may determine the gap to be 25 μs, 34 μs, 43 μs, 52 μs, 61 μs, or 72 μs, respectively, which are longer than the second threshold duration 16 μs and longer than or equal to the first threshold duration 25 μs.

[0135] As another example, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assume that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 520, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 382 or 384. In this case, Figure 6 As further shown in FIG. 1 , the first device 110 may determine the gap to be 25 μs or 36 μs, respectively, which are longer than the second threshold duration 16 μs and longer than or equal to the first threshold duration 25 μs.

[0136] As another example, refer to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the end point of the first transmission 115 as point 370, and determines the start point of the CP extension as point 708, 710, 712, or 714. In this case, the first device 110 may determine the gap as 30 μs, 39 μs, 48 ​​μs, or 59 μs, respectively, which are longer than the second threshold duration 16 μs and longer than or equal to the first threshold duration 25 μs.

[0137] If the first device 110 determines that the duration of the gap is longer than the second threshold duration and longer than or equal to the first threshold duration, the first device 110 may perform a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration. In this manner, the first device 110 may perform the LBT operation without any adjustment to the CP extension prior to the second transmission 125, thereby causing minimal impact on the CP extension and the second transmission 125 and also simplifying the operation of the first device 110.

[0138] More specifically, for an example embodiment in which the second transmission 125 is a CG-PUSCH transmission, if the starting point for CP extension is at least 25 μs after the indicated DL symbol, the first device 110 can apply a Cat2 LBT of 25 μs (ie, Type 2A UL channel access procedure).

[0139] For example, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension to be point 374, 376, 378, 380, 382, ​​or 384, and thus the gap is 25 μs, 34 μs, 43 μs, 52 μs, 61 μs, or 72 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may perform the first type of LBT operation. Similarly, referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of the CP extension to be point 382 or 384, and thus the gap is 25 μs or 36 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may perform the first type of LBT operation. Similarly, referring to Figure 7 , assuming that the first device 110 determines the starting point of CP extension as point 708, 710, 712, or 714, and thus the gap is 30 μs, 39 μs, 48 ​​μs, or 59 μs. In this case, the first device 110 may perform the first type of LBT operation.

[0140] In some example embodiments, if second transmission 125 (e.g., CG-PUSCH transmission) by first device 110 does not fit in the configuration (e.g., COT) indicated by second device 120, first device 110 may apply a Cat4 LBT procedure (i.e., LBT of Type 1) for second transmission 125. For example, this may be the case when the available symbols indicated in the configuration from second device 120 end before the starting point of the CP extension preceding second transmission 125.

[0141] The embodiments of the present disclosure can solve various problems in conventional solutions. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be seen from the above, the embodiments of the present disclosure well solve the problem of gNB overwriting as pointed out in the previous part of the present disclosure. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In this case, according to conventional solutions, a second transmission (eg, UL CG transmission) 125 using a preconfigured CP extension value and an LBT type may no longer be feasible.

[0142] Taking the starting point 376 as an example, according to the conventional solution, the first device 110 needs to perform a CCA of 25 μs and start transmitting the CP extension 34 μs after the boundary between the symbol 314 and the symbol 316. If the second device 120 uses the symbol 316 for DL ​​data transmission, the first device 110 will detect that the channel is busy and cannot start transmission at the configured starting point.

[0143] Taking the starting point 378 as another example, the gap between the end of the DL transmission and the start position of the predefined transmission (including CP extension) changes from 43 μs to 7 μs after the overwrite by the second device 120. Therefore, the first device 110 is not allowed to use the predefined type 2A UL channel access for CG-PUSCH transmission because the type 2A UL channel access type is only allowed when the gap is 25 μs or more.

[0144] In contrast, as described above, if the first device 110 determines point 376 or point 378 as the starting point of the CP extension before the second transmission 125, the first device 110 can adaptively change the duration of the CP extension to adjust the gap to be suitable for performing a specific type of LBT operation. Therefore, compared to conventional solutions, embodiments of the present disclosure can make LBT operations possible even if any LBT operations are not allowed according to conventional solutions. Alternatively, in some cases, the first device 110 can actively abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission 125 and the second transmission 125, thereby avoiding useless channel sensing in conventional solutions and saving power.

[0145] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 200 (e.g., first device 110) may include components for performing corresponding steps of method 200. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0146] In some example embodiments, the device includes: a component for determining the duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by another device and a start point of a CP extension before a second transmission to be transmitted by the device; and a component for performing operations related to an LBT process for the second transmission based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and multiple threshold durations associated with multiple types of LBT processes.

[0147] In some example embodiments, means for performing an operation includes: if it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and a second threshold duration that is shorter than the first threshold duration, means for performing an operation selected from the group consisting of: performing a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration, performing a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration, performing a third type of LBT operation without channel sensing, or abandoning the LBT operation for the second transmission and the second transmission.

[0148] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing a third type of LBT operation if it is determined that the duration of the second transmission is within the predetermined duration.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: if it is determined that the duration of the second transmission exceeds a predetermined duration, a component for determining an adjusted starting point of a cyclic prefix extension that is later than the above-mentioned starting point by shortening the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to a second threshold duration; and a component for performing a second type of LBT operation.

[0150] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: a component for determining an adjusted starting point of a cyclic prefix extension later than the above-mentioned starting point by shortening the cyclic prefix extension if it is determined that the duration of the second transmission exceeds a predetermined duration, so that the duration of the gap is extended to a first threshold duration; and a component for performing a first type of LBT operation.

[0151] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for abandoning the LBT operation for the second transmission and the second transmission if it is determined that the duration of the second transmission exceeds a predetermined duration.

[0152] In some example embodiments, means for performing operations include means for performing a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for a second threshold duration if the duration of the gap is determined to be equal to a second threshold duration that is shorter than the first threshold duration.

[0153] In some example embodiments, means for performing operations include: if it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and longer than a second threshold duration, means for determining an adjusted starting point of a cyclic prefix extension that is later than the above-mentioned starting point by shortening the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to the first threshold duration; and means for performing a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration.

[0154] In some example embodiments, means for performing operations include: if it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and longer than a second threshold duration, means for determining an adjusted starting point of a cyclic prefix extension earlier than the above starting point by extending the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is shortened to the second threshold duration; and means for performing a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration.

[0155] In some example embodiments, means for performing operations include: if it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and longer than a second threshold duration, means for determining an adjusted starting point of a cyclic prefix extension earlier than the above starting point by extending the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is shortened to be shorter than the second threshold duration; and means for performing a third type of LBT operation without channel sensing.

[0156] In some example embodiments, means for performing operations include means for abandoning LBT operation for the second transmission and the second transmission if it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than the first threshold duration and longer than the second threshold duration.

[0157] In some example embodiments, means for performing operations include means for performing a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for a first threshold duration if it is determined that the duration of the gap is longer than or equal to a first threshold duration that is longer than a second threshold duration.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for receiving a configuration message from another apparatus, the configuration message comprising time and frequency resources for the second transmission and a duration of the cyclic prefix extension; and means for determining a starting point of the cyclic prefix extension based on the configuration message.

[0159] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for receiving a configuration message from the further apparatus; and means for determining an end point of the first transmission from the configuration message.

[0160] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a timing advance value for the second transmission; and means for determining a starting point for cyclic prefix extension based on the timing advance value.

[0161] In some example embodiments, the first transmission is a downlink transmission and the second transmission is a configured Granted Physical Uplink Shared Channel (CG-PUSCH) transmission.

[0162] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises a terminal device and the further apparatus comprises a network device.

[0163] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some example embodiments of method 200. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, with the at least one processor, to cause execution of the apparatus.

[0164] Figure 8 800 is a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 800 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 8. As shown, the device 800 includes one or more processors 810, one or more memories 820 coupled to the processors 810, and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to the processors 810.

[0165] The communication module 840 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 840 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communicating with other network elements.

[0166] Processor 810 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 800 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0167] The memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic storage devices and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that will not persist for the duration of a power outage.

[0168] The computer program 830 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 810. The computer program 830 may be stored in the ROM 824. The processor 810 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the computer program 830 into the RAM 822.

[0169] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by means of a computer program 830 so that the device 800 can execute the instructions as described in the reference Figure 2 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0170] In some example embodiments, the computer program 830 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device 800 (such as in the memory 820) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 800. The device 800 may load the computer program 830 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 822 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage device, such as a ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0171] Fig. 9 A block diagram of an example computer readable medium 900 is illustrated according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 In the example of FIG. 8 , the computer readable medium 900 is in the form of a CD or a DVD. The computer readable medium 900 has a computer program 830 stored thereon.

[0172] In general, various example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the example embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it will be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0173] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as computer executable instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above referenced Figure 2 Method 200 described. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functions of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed in various example embodiments. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local devices or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in both local storage media and remote storage media.

[0174] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, so that these program codes, when executed by the processor or controller, enable the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, executed as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0175] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0176] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer readable storage media will include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0177] In addition, although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or requiring all illustrated operations to be performed to achieve a desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although the above discussion includes several specific implementation details, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular example embodiment. Certain features described in the context of the separated example embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single example embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single example embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple example embodiments, or implemented with any suitable sub-combination.

[0178] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it will be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: determining a duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by the further apparatus and a start point of a cyclic prefix extension preceding a second transmission to be transmitted by the apparatus, wherein the first transmission is a downlink transmission and the second transmission is an uplink transmission; as well as Based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and multiple threshold durations associated with multiple types of listen-before-talk (LBT) processes, operations related to the LBT process for the second transmission are performed, wherein performing the operations related to the LBT process includes adjusting the starting point of the cyclic prefix extension.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the operations by: If it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and a second threshold duration that is shorter than the first threshold duration, performing the operation selected from the group consisting of: performing a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration, performing a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration, performing a third type of LBT operation without channel sensing, or Abandon the LBT operation for the second transmission and the second transmission.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: If it is determined that the duration of the second transmission is within a predetermined duration, the LBT operation of the third type is performed.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: If it is determined that the duration of the second transmission exceeds a predetermined duration, determining an adjusted starting point of the cyclic prefix extension that is later than the starting point by shortening the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to the second threshold duration; and Perform the LBT operation of the second type.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: If it is determined that the duration of the second transmission exceeds a predetermined duration, determining an adjusted starting point of the cyclic prefix extension that is later than the starting point by shortening the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to the first threshold duration; and Perform the LBT operation of the first type.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: If it is determined that the duration of the second transmission exceeds a predetermined duration, the LBT operation for the second transmission and the second transmission are abandoned.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform the operations by: If it is determined that the duration of the gap is equal to a second threshold duration that is shorter than the first threshold duration, a second type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the second threshold duration is performed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform the operations by: If it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and longer than a second threshold duration, determining an adjusted starting point of the cyclic prefix extension that is later than the starting point by shortening the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is extended to the first threshold duration; and A first type of LBT operation is performed with channel sensing for the first threshold duration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform the operations by: If it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and longer than a second threshold duration, determining an adjusted starting point of the cyclic prefix extension that is earlier than the starting point by extending the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is shortened to the second threshold duration; and A second type of LBT operation is performed with channel sensing for the second threshold duration.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform the operations by: If it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and longer than a second threshold duration, determining an adjusted starting point of the cyclic prefix extension that is earlier than the starting point by extending the cyclic prefix extension so that the duration of the gap is shortened to be shorter than the second threshold duration; and A third type of LBT operation without channel sensing is performed.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to perform the operations by: If it is determined that the duration of the gap is shorter than a first threshold duration and longer than a second threshold duration, the LBT operation for the second transmission and the second transmission are abandoned.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform the operations by: If it is determined that the duration of the gap is longer than or equal to a first threshold duration that is longer than a second threshold duration, a first type of LBT operation with channel sensing for the first threshold duration is performed.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: receiving a configuration message from the further apparatus, the configuration message comprising time and frequency resources for the second transmission and the duration of the cyclic prefix extension; and Based on the configuration message, the starting point of the cyclic prefix extension is determined.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: receiving a configuration message from the further device; and The end point of the first transmission is determined from the configuration message.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: determining a timing advance value for the second transmission; and Based on the timing advance value, the starting point of the cyclic prefix extension is determined.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second transmission is a configured Granted Physical Uplink Shared Channel (CG-PUSCH) transmission.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-16, wherein the apparatus comprises a terminal device and the further apparatus comprises a network device.

18. A method for communication, comprising: determining, at a device, a duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by another device and a start point of a cyclic prefix extension preceding a second transmission to be transmitted by the device, wherein the first transmission is a downlink transmission and the second transmission is an uplink transmission; as well as Based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and multiple threshold durations associated with multiple types of listen-before-talk (LBT) processes, operations related to the LBT process for the second transmission are performed, wherein performing the operations related to the LBT process includes adjusting the starting point of the cyclic prefix extension.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising: means for determining a duration of a gap between an end point of a first transmission to be transmitted by the further apparatus and a start point of a cyclic prefix extension preceding a second transmission to be transmitted by the apparatus, wherein the first transmission is a downlink transmission and the second transmission is an uplink transmission; as well as A component for performing operations related to a listen-before-talk (LBT) process for the second transmission based on a comparison between the duration of the gap and multiple threshold durations associated with multiple types of LBT processes, wherein performing the operations related to the LBT process includes adjusting the starting point of the cyclic prefix extension.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to claim 18.

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