Feedback channel allocation and transmission methods and apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for configuring feedback channel allocation and transmission during sidelink communications. In one embodiment, an example wireless communication method includes configuring, by a wireless communication node, a plurality of resource pools for sidelink communications. The method further includes configuring, by the wireless communication node, a first list indicating a first subset of the plurality of resource pools and a second list indicating a second subset of the plurality of resource pools. Each of the plurality of resource pools includes at least one of a first type of resource each configured for a plurality of wireless communication devices to communicate control information in the sidelink communications, a second type of resource each configured for the plurality of wireless communication devices to communicate data in the sidelink communications, and a third type of resource each configured for the plurality of wireless communication devices to communicate feedback in the sidelink communications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, and more specifically, to systems and methods for allocating and transmitting feedback channels using sidelink communication. Background Technology

[0002] Sidelink (SL) communication is direct radio communication between two or more User Equipment (UE) terminals. In this type of communication, two or more geographically proximate UEs can communicate directly without traversing an Evolved Node B (eNB), Next Generation Node B (gNB), base station (BS), or core network. Therefore, data transmission in sidelink communication differs from typical cellular network communication, where data is sent to or received from the BS (i.e., uplink transmission). In sidelink communication, data is transmitted directly from the source UE to the target UE via a unified air interface (e.g., the PC5 interface) without passing through the BS.

[0003] In 3GGP technology, the allocation of SL communication resources is based on a "resource pool," which consists of a "subframe pool" in the time domain and a "resource block pool" in the frequency domain. The "subframe pool" in the time domain includes all subframes carrying SL, while the "resource block pool" in the frequency domain is a subset of the resource blocks actually allocated to SL within the subframe pool. Two types of resource pools are defined for transmission and reception: the Tx resource pool includes candidate resources that can be used for SL Tx by the UE, while the Rx resource pool includes candidate resources that the UE can use to detect / receive SL signals from other UEs. A UE can support multiple resource pools interleaved in the time domain. Feedback channels for sidelink communication are not supported in the current 3GPP standard.

[0004] A solution is needed to address the issue that current wireless communication standards do not support sending feedback information during sidelink communication. This is due to the need for new services (such as unicast and multicast services) that require feedback information on the sidelink. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to address problems related to one or more issues presented in the prior art, and to provide additional features that will become apparent when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein according to various embodiments. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not restrictive, and that various modifications have been made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art who read this disclosure.

[0006] In one embodiment, an example wireless communication method includes: configuring a plurality of resource pools for sidelink communication by a wireless communication node. The method further includes: configuring a first list indicating a first subset of the plurality of resource pools and a second list indicating a second subset of the plurality of resource pools by the wireless communication node. Each of the plurality of resource pools includes at least one of a first type of resource, a second type of resource, and a third type of resource, each of the first type of resource being configured for use by a plurality of wireless communication devices to transmit control information in sidelink communication, each of the second type of resource being configured for use by a plurality of wireless communication devices to transmit data in sidelink communication, and each of the third type of resource being configured for use by a plurality of wireless communication devices to transmit feedback in sidelink communication.

[0007] In another embodiment, a wireless communication method includes receiving, by one of a plurality of wireless communication devices, the configuration of a plurality of resource pools for sidelink communication. The method further includes receiving, by the wireless communication devices, a first list indicating a first subset of the plurality of resource pools, and a second list indicating a second subset of the plurality of resource pools. Each of the plurality of resource pools includes at least one of a first type of resource, a second type of resource, and a third type of resource. Each of the first type of resource is configured for use by the plurality of wireless communication devices to transmit control information in sidelink communication; each of the second type of resource is configured for use by the plurality of wireless communication devices to transmit data in sidelink communication; and each of the third type of resource is configured for use by the plurality of wireless communication devices to transmit feedback in sidelink communication.

[0008] The foregoing and other aspects, and their embodiments, are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, specification, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure to aid the reader's understanding. Therefore, the drawings should not be construed as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the disclosure. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of explanation.

[0010] FIG. 1A An example cellular communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, in which the techniques and other aspects disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0011] FIG. 1B A block diagram of an example wireless communication system for transmitting and receiving downlink, uplink, and sidelink communication signals according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] FIG. 2An example allocation of a first resource pool list and a second resource pool list according to an example embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0013] FIG. 3 An example allocation of a first resource pool list and a second resource pool list according to yet another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0014] FIG. 4 Resource pool allocation for supporting sidelink communication is described according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5 A method from the perspective of a wireless node is shown, which describes the configuration of a resource pool performed by the wireless node to enable sidelink communication between communication devices that support feedback information.

[0016] FIG. 6 A method from the perspective of a wireless communication device is described, which describes the configuration of a resource pool received by the wireless device so that a device implementation supporting feedback information can perform sidelink communication. Detailed Implementation

[0017] SUMMARY

[0018] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to make and use this disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein after reading this disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example method. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or behaviors in a sample order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, this disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0019] refer to FIG. 1AAn example wireless communication network 100 is illustrated. This wireless communication network 100 illustrates group communication within a cellular network. In the wireless communication system, network-side communication nodes or base stations (BS) may include next-generation node B (gNB), E-UTRAN node B (also known as evolved Node B, eNodeB, or eNB), picocells, femtocells, transmit / receive points (TRPs), access points (APs), etc. Terminal-side nodes or user equipment (UE) may include remote communication systems, such as, for example, mobile devices, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptops, or short-range communication systems, such as, for example, wearable devices, vehicles with vehicle communication systems, etc. FIG. 1A In this disclosure, the network-side and terminal-side communication nodes are represented by BS 102 and UE 104a or 104b, respectively, and are described in the embodiments below. In some embodiments, BS 102 and UE 104a or UE 104b are sometimes referred to as a "wireless communication node" and a "wireless communication device," respectively. Such communication nodes / devices can perform wireless and / or wired communication.

[0020] exist FIG. 1A In the illustrated embodiment, BS 102 can define cell 101 where UE 104a-b resides. UE 104a can include a vehicle moving within the coverage area of ​​cell 101. UE 104a can communicate with BS 102 via communication channel 103a. Similarly, UE 104b can communicate with BS 102 via communication channel 103b. Furthermore, UE 104a-b can communicate with each other via communication channel 105. The communication channels between UEs and BS (e.g., 103a-b) are implemented through an interface such as the Uu interface, also known as the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)) air interface. The communication channels between UEs (e.g., 105) are implemented through the PC5 interface, which was introduced to address high mobility and high density applications, such as, for example, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc. In some cases, this type of vehicle network communication mode is collectively referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. It should be understood that the communication channels between UEs are used in device-to-device (D2D) communication, while still remaining within the scope of this disclosure. BS 102 is connected to the core network (CN) 108 via an external interface 107 (e.g., an Iu interface).

[0021] FIG. 1BA block diagram of an example wireless communication system 150 for transmitting and receiving downlink, uplink, and sidelink communication signals according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The system 150 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating characteristics that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one embodiment, the system 150 may be configured as described above. FIG. 1A In wireless communication environments such as wireless communication networks 100, data symbols are transmitted and received.

[0022] System 150 typically includes FIG. 1A The BS 102 and UEs 104a-b are described above. BS 102 includes a BS transceiver module 110, a BS antenna 112, a BS memory module 116, a BS processor module 114, and a network communication module 118, each module being coupled and interconnected via a data communication bus 120 as needed. UE 104a includes a UE transceiver module 130a, a UE antenna 132a, a UE memory module 134a, and a UE processor module 136a, each module being coupled and interconnected via a data communication bus 140a as needed. Similarly, UE 104b includes a UE transceiver module 130b, a UE antenna 132b, a UE memory module 134b, and a UE processor module 136b, each module being coupled and interconnected via a data communication bus 140b as needed. BS 102 communicates with UEs 104a-b via one or more of communication channels 160, which are any wireless channels known in the art or other media suitable for transmitting the data described herein.

[0023] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, system 150 may also include FIG. 1B Any number of modules other than those shown. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described according to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement such functionality appropriately for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0024] Wireless transmission from one antenna of UE 104a-b to the antenna of BS 102 is referred to as uplink transmission, while wireless transmission from the antenna of BS 102 to the antenna of one of UE 104a-b is referred to as downlink transmission. According to some embodiments, each of the UE transceiver modules 130a-b may be referred to herein as an uplink transceiver or a UE transceiver. The uplink transceiver may include transmitter and receiver circuitry, each coupled to a corresponding antenna 132a-b. A duplex switch may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, the BS transceiver module 110 may be referred to herein as a downlink transceiver or a BS transceiver. The downlink transceiver may include RF transmitter and receiver circuitry, each coupled to antenna 112. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to antenna 112 in a time-duplex manner. The operation of transceivers 110 and 130a-b is time-coordinated such that the uplink receiver is coupled to antennas 132a-b for reception of data transmitted via wireless communication channel 160 at the same time that the downlink transmitter is coupled to antenna 112. In some embodiments, UEs 104a-b can use UE transceivers 130a-b via their respective antennas 132a-b to communicate with BS 102 via wireless communication channel 160. Wireless communication channel 160 is any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) transmission of the data described herein. UEs 104a-b can communicate with each other via wireless communication channel 170. Wireless communication channel 170 is any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for sidelink transmission of the data described herein.

[0025] Each of the UE transceivers 130a-b and BS transceiver 110 is configured to communicate via the wireless data communication channel 160 and cooperate with an antenna arrangement appropriately configured to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some embodiments, the UE transceivers 130a-b and BS transceiver 110 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to the application of specific standards and related protocols. Rather, the UE transceivers 130a-b and BS transceiver 110 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0026] Processor modules 136a-b and 114 can each be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, content-addressable memory, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor can be implemented as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, etc. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0027] Furthermore, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 114 and 136a-b respectively, or in any actual combination thereof. Memory modules 116 and 134a-b can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 116 and 134a-b can be coupled to processor modules 114 and 136a-b respectively, such that processor modules 114 and 136a-b can read information from and write information to memory modules 116 and 134a-b respectively. Memory modules 116 and 134a-b can also be integrated into their respective processor modules 114 and 136a-b. In some embodiments, memory modules 116 and 134a-b may each include a cache for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 114 and 136a-b, respectively. Each memory module 116 and 134a-b may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 114 and 136a-b, respectively.

[0028] Network interface 118 typically represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of BS 102 that enable bidirectional communication between BS transceiver 110 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with BS 102. For example, network interface 118 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, but not limited to, network interface 118 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface, enabling BS transceiver 110 to communicate with traditional Ethernet-based computer networks. In this way, network interface 118 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). The terms “configured for” or “configured to” used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc., physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function. Network interface 118 may allow BS 102 to communicate with other BSs or core networks via wired or wireless connections.

[0029] In some embodiments, each of UEs 104a-b can operate in a hybrid communication network, where the UE communicates with BS 102 and with other UEs (e.g., between 104a and 104b). As described in further detail below, UEs 104a-b support sidelink communication with other UEs and downlink / uplink communication between BS 102 and UEs 104a-b. Typically, sidelink communication allows UEs 104a-b to establish direct communication links with each other or with other UEs from different cells without requiring BS 102 to relay data between UEs.

[0030] Embodiments to enable feedback during sidelink communications

[0031] The configuration of resource pools for supporting feedback during sidelink communication and for transmitting and receiving feedback channels, according to this disclosure, will now be explained with reference to the following two main embodiments. Both embodiments support the configuration or pre-configuration of one or more resource pools for sidelink communication. This configuration refers to scheduling performed by the base station or central node. The BS (e.g., 102) then sends a configuration message to the UE (e.g., UE 104a) that includes configuration information for one or more resource pools. The term pre-configuration generally refers to the use of pre-configuration information when the UE is outside the coverage area of ​​the base station and cannot obtain the configuration message sent by the base station.

[0032] Embodiments #1

[0033] In a first embodiment of this disclosure, support is provided for configuring one or more resource pools to include resources for a feedback channel. This embodiment supports a first list (transmitter / initiator resource pool list) of resource pools configured on a carrier or bandwidth portion (BWP), and this first list includes at least one resource pool. A second list of resource pools (receiver / responder resource pool list) is also configured, which includes at least one resource pool.

[0034] Now for reference FIG. 2 This describes an example implementation of the first embodiment, illustrating a first list 210 of resource pools and a second list 220 of resource pools. The first list 210 and the second list 220 each include at least one resource pool, referring to configuration information where at least one resource pool is included in both lists. The resource pools in the first list 210 and the second list 220 are defined separately.

[0035] If the resource pool belongs to the first list 210, the rules applicable to such resource pools (e.g., 212, 214, and 216) are as follows:

[0036] If a resource of type 1 or a data resource pool is defined / included in the resource pool in the configuration message (from BS to UE), then the data resource pool or the resource of type 1 is a candidate resource for data transmission performed by the UE.

[0037] If a second type of resource or a control resource pool is defined / included in the resource pool in the configuration message (from BS to UE), then the control resource pool or the second type of resource is a candidate resource for the UE to execute control information transmission.

[0038] If a third-type resource or a feedback resource pool is defined / included in the resource pool in the configuration message (from BS to UE), then the feedback resource pool or the third-type resource is a candidate resource for the UE to receive feedback information. It can be seen that the resource pool in the first list 210 is the data sender's resource pool (in other words, it is the data transmission resource pool). Return to reference. FIG. 2 The above rules apply to resource pool 1 (212), resource pool 2 (214), and resource pool N (216).

[0039] Compared to the first list 210, if a resource pool belongs to the second list 220, the rules applicable to such resource pools (e.g., 222, 224, and 226) are as follows:

[0040] If a first-type resource or a data resource pool is defined / included in the resource pool in the configuration message (from BS to UE), then the data resource pool or the first-type resource is a resource used for receiving data by the UE.

[0041] If a second type of resource or a control resource pool is defined / included in the resource pool in the configuration message (from BS to UE), then the control resource pool or the second type of resource is a resource used by the UE to receive control information.

[0042] If a third-type resource or a feedback resource pool is defined / included in the resource pool in the configuration message (from BS to UE), then the feedback resource pool or the third-type resource is a candidate resource used by the UE to send feedback information. It can be seen that the resource pool in the second list 220 is the data receiver's resource pool (in other words, it is the data reception resource pool). Return to reference. FIG. 2 The above rules apply to resource pools that belong to the second list, such as resource pools 222, 224, and 226.

[0043] The above configuration of one or more resource pools includes at least one of the following: time-frequency domain resource configuration information of data resources (pools), time-frequency domain resource configuration information of feedback resources (pools), and time-frequency domain configuration information of control resources (pools).

[0044] In some examples of the first embodiment, the feedback function is configured to be enabled or disabled. If enabled, feedback resource / channel sending and receiving attributes are supported. Otherwise, the configured feedback resource / channel will not be available for sending or receiving feedback information.

[0045] Now for reference FIG. 3 This illustrates yet another example of the first embodiment. In this example, the first list 310 and the second list 320 include at least one common resource pool. A common resource pool refers to the sequence number or index number of at least one resource pool included in the first list 310 and the second list 320. FIG. 3 In this context, resource pool 312 is shown as a shared resource pool for both the first list 310 and the second list 320. When the first list 310 and the second list 320 contain a shared resource pool, in some examples of the first embodiment, the configuration information includes only the index of the shared resource pool. FIG. 3 In the example implementation shown, resource pools that belong only to the second list 320 are also shown, such as resource pools 314 and 316.

[0046] In some examples of the first embodiment, the public resource pool configuration further includes configuring data resources and corresponding feedback resources at a minimum time domain interval of K time slots. The interval of K time slots refers to one of the following: the minimum time domain interval is K physical time slots, or the minimum interval is K candidate time slots, or the minimum interval is K time slots included in the resource pool. In one example implementation, K is configured based on each resource pool.

[0047] In some examples of the first embodiment, the resource pool configuration further includes configuring the time-domain period of the feedback resource to N time slots, meaning that the feedback resource occurs once every N time slots. N time slots are defined as one of the following: a period of N physical time slots or a period of N logical time slots. In some examples of the first embodiment, the logical time slot is either an SL candidate time slot or a period of N time slots belonging to the resource pool. In one example implementation, N is configured based on each resource pool.

[0048] In the example above of the first embodiment, a physical time slot refers to a time slot obtained by dividing physical time. For example, in a 3GPP system, a radio frame period consists of 1024 radio frames, each radio frame being 10 milliseconds long, and the radio frames are further divided into 10 subframes. A subframe is 1 millisecond long, and a subframe contains K time slots, where K is the ratio of the currently used subcarrier spacing to the reference subcarrier spacing (15 kHz). Candidate time slots are subsets of the aforementioned physical time slots. For example, some physical time slots cannot be used by sidelinks, and these unusable time slots are excluded, leaving candidate time slots for sidelink communication. Time slots included in the resource pool are a subset of the aforementioned candidate time slots and also a subset of the aforementioned physical time slots. Only a portion of the candidate time slots are included in the resource pool. In an example implementation of the first embodiment, a radio frame has 40 physical time slots, wherein the first 20 time slots [1, 20] are used for DL ​​communication or reserved for communication other than SL. In the example implementation, the candidate time slots of SL are the remaining 20 time slots [21, 40], and the time slots of the SL resource pool are a subset of [21, 40]. For example, the resource pool may only include even-numbered time slots [22:2:40].

[0049] Embodiments #2

[0050] Now for reference FIG. 4 A second embodiment for configuring one or more resource pools is described, wherein a list of resource pools is configured (or pre-configured) on a carrier or BWP, the list including at least one resource pool (unlike embodiment #1 above, it does not distinguish between transmit / receive resource pools). FIG. 4 In the example implementation shown, there is only one list of resource pools 410. For each of the resource pools (e.g., FIG. 4 Resource pools 412, 414, and 416 are configured with at least one of the following information: data resource (pool) and data resource (pool) transceiver attributes, feedback resource (pool) and feedback resource (pool) transceiver attributes, and control resource (pool) and control resource (pool) transceiver attributes. The transceiver attributes indicate that the corresponding resource / channel is used for transmission, reception, or both.

[0051] In some examples of the second embodiment, the transceiver attributes of one or more resources (pools) can be indicated independently. In one example, since the transceiver attributes of the feedback resource (pool) consist of the transceiver attributes of the data resource (pool), it does not need to be explicitly configured. The send and receive attributes are implicitly determined. Specifically, when the attribute of the data resource is indicated as supporting "send," the attribute of the corresponding feedback resource is "receive." When the attribute of the data resource is "receive," the corresponding feedback resource supports "send." When the transceiver attribute of the data resource indicates "send and receive," then the attribute of the corresponding feedback resource is "receive and send." Similarly, the attributes of the control resource can also be implicitly determined based on the transceiver attributes of the data resource, and are the same as the transceiver attributes of the corresponding data resource.

[0052] In some examples of the second embodiment, the feedback function is configured to be enabled or disabled. If enabled, the feedback resource (pool) is configured to send and receive feedback information. Otherwise, the configured feedback resource (pool) cannot be used to send feedback information.

[0053] In some examples of the second embodiment, the configuration of one or more resource pools further includes configuring data resources and corresponding feedback resources at a minimum time domain interval of K time slots. The interval of K time slots refers to one of the following: the minimum time domain interval is K physical time slots, or the minimum interval is K candidate time slots, or the minimum interval is K time slots included in the resource pool. In one example implementation, K is configured based on each resource pool.

[0054] In some examples of the second embodiment, the configuration of one or more resource pools further includes configuring the time-domain period of the feedback resource to N time slots, meaning that the feedback resource occurs once every N time slots. The period of N time slots is defined as one of the following: the period is the period of N physical time slots, or the period of N candidate time slots, or the period of N time slots included in the resource pool. In one example implementation, N is configured based on each resource pool.

[0055] In all the examples above in the second embodiment, a physical time slot refers to a time slot obtained by dividing physical time. For example, in a 3GPP system, a radio frame period consists of 1024 radio frames, each radio frame being 10 milliseconds long, and each radio frame is further divided into 10 subframes. A subframe is 1 millisecond long, and a subframe contains K time slots, where K is the ratio of the currently used subcarrier spacing to the reference subcarrier spacing (15 kHz). Candidate time slots are subsets of the aforementioned physical time slots. For example, some physical time slots cannot be used by sidelinks, and these time slots are not alternative time slots for sidelink communication.

[0056] A time slot included in a resource pool that belongs to one or more resource pools refers to a time slot that is only a portion of the physical time slots or candidate time slots included in the resource pool. In other words, a time slot included in the resource pool is either a physical time slot or a candidate time slot.

[0057] Description applicable to two embodiments

[0058] In this disclosure, the control resource (pool) corresponds to the control channel (CCH), the feedback resource (pool) corresponds to the feedback channel (FCH), and the data resource (pool) corresponds to the data channel (SCH). The resource configuration applies to the data sender, which transmits data on the data resources of the configured or pre-configured resource pool and receives feedback information in the feedback resource.

[0059] In some example embodiments, if a UE (e.g., UE 104a) needs to perform data transmission, the UE's configuration information includes: receiving or obtaining configuration or pre-configuration information including at least one resource pool, obtaining a transmission authorization for data transmission on a resource pool, and sending data corresponding to the authorization. The UE then sends data using data resources configured on a resource pool and receives feedback information on a feedback resource corresponding to that data resource, wherein the feedback resource is configured on a resource pool.

[0060] In some embodiments, the transmission grant includes at least one data resource on one or more resource pools for transmitting data, and obtaining the transmission grant includes obtaining scheduling information from a base station or scheduling node, the scheduling information including the transmission grant on at least one resource pool. The scheduling information includes at least one data resource corresponding to the transmission grant, or the UE independently selects at least one data resource on at least one resource pool as the data resource corresponding to the transmission grant.

[0061] In some embodiments, there is a one-to-one correspondence between data resources in the resource pool and their corresponding feedback resources in the resource pool, for example, a time-domain correspondence. In some embodiments, if the last symbol of a data resource is located in time slot n, then the corresponding feedback resource is located in time slot n+a. The value of “a” is greater than or equal to the minimum time interval K between the data resource in the resource pool and its corresponding feedback resource, which is configured or pre-configured. The feedback resource is configured in time slot n+a. In some embodiments, the feedback resource is within the frequency range of its corresponding data resource.

[0062] In some embodiments, the data receiver is configured to receive data on one or more configured or pre-configured data resource pools and is configured to send feedback using configured or pre-configured feedback resources. In some embodiments, the configuration information for the UE (e.g., UE 104a) to receive data includes: receiving or acquiring configuration or pre-configuration information including at least one resource pool, and receiving data resources on each of the at least one resource pool.

[0063] In some embodiments of this disclosure, since the feedback resource used to send feedback is determined based on the data resource of the received data transmission, transmission authorization is not required before the UE sends feedback. In example embodiments, there is a one-to-one correspondence (e.g., time-domain correspondence) between data resources on the resource pool and their corresponding feedback resources. If the last symbol of a data resource is located in time slot n, then the corresponding feedback for that data resource is located in time slot n+a. The value of “a” is greater than or equal to the minimum time interval K between the data resource and its corresponding feedback resource on the resource pool, which is configured or pre-configured on the resource pool. In some embodiments, the feedback resource is within the frequency range of its corresponding data resource.

[0064] In some embodiments, after determining the feedback resource corresponding to the data resource, the receiving UE can provide feedback regarding the data received on the data resource, including: sending positive feedback such as ACK on the corresponding feedback resource if the data and its corresponding control information are received correctly; sending negative feedback such as NACK on the corresponding feedback resource if the data is received incorrectly and the corresponding control information is received correctly; not sending feedback if the data and its corresponding control information are received correctly; sending negative feedback such as NACK on the corresponding feedback resource if the data is received incorrectly and the corresponding control information is received correctly; not sending feedback if the data and its corresponding control information are received correctly; and sending negative feedback such as NACK on the corresponding feedback resource if the data is received incorrectly, the corresponding control information is received correctly, and the distance between the receiving UE and the transmitting UE is less than a threshold distance.

[0065] Now for reference FIG. 5 Method 500 is described from the perspective of a wireless communication node (e.g., BS 102). This method describes the configuration of one or more resource pools performed by the wireless node to enable sidelink communication supporting feedback information to occur.

[0066] At step 502, multiple resource pools are configured for sidelink communication of the wireless communication nodes. One or more of the configured resource pools are configured to support sending or receiving three different types of information: data, control information, or feedback information.

[0067] At step 504, the wireless node further configures a first list and a second list of resource pools. Each of the first and second lists includes at least one of a first type of resource, or a second type of resource, or a third type of resource: each of the first type of resource is configured for multiple wireless communication devices to transmit control information in sidelink communication, each of the second type of resource is configured for multiple wireless communication devices to transmit data in sidelink communication, and each of the third type of resource is configured for multiple wireless communication devices to transmit feedback in sidelink communication.

[0068] Now for reference FIG. 6 Method 600 is described from the perspective of a wireless communication device (e.g., UE 104a). This method describes the configuration of one or more resource pools required for sidelink communication to occur, which supports feedback information occurring at the UE.

[0069] At step 602, the wireless communication device receives multiple resource pools configured for sidelink communication. In some embodiments, the device receiving the configuration is UE 104a. The configuration of the received resource pools is configured to support sending or receiving three different types of information: data, control information, or feedback information.

[0070] At step 604, the wireless device further receives a configuration of one or more resource pools, including a first list and a second list of resource pools. Each of the first and second lists includes at least one of a first type of resource, or a second type of resource, or a third type of resource: each of the first type of resource is configured for multiple wireless communication devices to transmit control information in sidelink communication; each of the second type of resource is configured for multiple wireless communication devices to transmit data in sidelink communication; and each of the third type of resource is configured for multiple wireless communication devices to transmit feedback in sidelink communication.

[0071] While various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented merely by way of example and not by way of limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the exemplary features and functionality of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary architectures or configurations shown, but is implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0072] It should also be understood that any reference to elements in this document using names such as “first”, “second”, etc., does not generally restrict the number or order of these elements. Rather, these names are used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, references to first and second elements do not imply that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must somehow precede the second element.

[0073] Furthermore, those skilled in the art should understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and skills. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will also understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein are implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of program or design code containing instructions (which may be referred to herein as "software" or "software module" for convenience), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not lead to a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

[0075] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein are implemented within or executed by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. Logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor is a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0076] If implemented as software, these functions are stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein are implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes computer storage media and communication media, including any medium capable of transmitting a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage medium is any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible to a computer.

[0077] In this application, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of such elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. Furthermore, for the purposes of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0078] Furthermore, in embodiments of this disclosure, memory or other storage devices and communication components may be employed. It should be understood that, for clarity, the foregoing description refers to embodiments of this disclosure with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution among different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without departing from this disclosure. For example, a function illustrated as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, references to specific functional units are merely references to suitable means for providing said function and do not indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0079] Various modifications to the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein will be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be endowed with the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: The configuration of multiple resource pools for sidelink communication is sent by the wireless communication node; The configuration of the plurality of resource pools includes a first list indicating a first subset of the plurality of resource pools and a second list indicating a second subset of the plurality of resource pools. The resource pools in the first subset of the plurality of resource pools include a first type of resource, a second type of resource, and a third type of resource: each of the first type of resource is configured for a wireless communication device to transmit control information in the sidelink communication; each of the second type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to transmit data in the sidelink communication; and each of the third type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to receive feedback in the sidelink communication. In the resource pools of the first subset of the plurality of resource pools, the third type of resource has a time-domain correspondence with the second type of resource. The resource pools in the second subset of the plurality of resource pools include a first type of resource, a second type of resource, and a third type of resource: each of the first type of resource is configured for a wireless communication device to receive control information in the sidelink communication; each of the second type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to receive data in the sidelink communication; and each of the third type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to send feedback in the sidelink communication. In the resource pools of the second subset of the plurality of resource pools, the third type of resource has a time-domain correspondence with the second type of resource. The time interval between the second type of resource and the corresponding third type of resource is 'a', where the value of 'a' is greater than or equal to the minimum time interval K between the second type of resource and the corresponding third type of resource. The minimum time interval K is configured or pre-configured, and 'a' and 'K' are counted in units of time slots included in the resource pool.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, Each resource pool in the first list of the first subset is configured for the wireless communication device to perform at least one of the following operations: sending the control information, sending the data, and receiving the feedback; and each resource pool in the second list of the second subset is configured for the wireless communication device to perform at least one of the following operations: receiving the control information, receiving the data, and sending the feedback.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: The wireless communication node associates the first subset of the resource pool with the corresponding first index in the first list; as well as The wireless communication node associates the second subset of the resource pool with the corresponding second index in the second list. The first index and the second index are independent of each other.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: The wireless communication node configures the period of the third type of resource to N time slots for each of at least one of the plurality of resource pools. The N time slots are calculated based on physical time slots, time slots identified as candidate time slots for side links, or time slots identified as belonging to at least one of the multiple resource pools.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: The wireless communication node associates one of the third type of resources with one of the second type of resources; The wireless communication node configures the minimum time interval between one of the third type of resources and one of the second type of resources into M time slots. The M time slots are calculated based on physical time slots, time slots identified as candidate time slots for side links, or time slots identified as belonging to at least one of the multiple resource pools.

6. A communication device comprising a processor and a memory, the processor being configured to read instructions from the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A computer-readable medium having code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A wireless communication method, comprising: The configuration of multiple resource pools for sidelink communication is received by the wireless communication device; The configuration of the plurality of resource pools includes a first list indicating a first subset of the plurality of resource pools and a second list indicating a second subset of the plurality of resource pools; The resource pools in the first subset of the plurality of resource pools include a first type of resource, a second type of resource, and a third type of resource: each of the first type of resource is configured for a wireless communication device to transmit control information in the sidelink communication; each of the second type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to transmit data in the sidelink communication; and each of the third type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to receive feedback in the sidelink communication. In the resource pools of the first subset of the plurality of resource pools, the third type of resource has a time-domain correspondence with the second type of resource. The resource pools in the second subset of the plurality of resource pools include a first type of resource, a second type of resource, and a third type of resource: each of the first type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to receive control information in the sidelink communication; each of the second type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to receive data in the sidelink communication; and each of the third type of resource is configured for the wireless communication device to send feedback in the sidelink communication. In the resource pools of the second subset of the plurality of resource pools, the third type of resource has a time-domain correspondence with the second type of resource. The time interval between the second type of resource and the corresponding third type of resource is 'a', where the value of 'a' is greater than or equal to the minimum time interval K between the second type of resource and the corresponding third type of resource. The minimum time interval K is configured or pre-configured, and where 'a' and 'K' are counted in units of time slots included in the resource pool.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 8, wherein, Each resource pool in the first list of the first subset is configured for the wireless communication device to perform at least one of the following operations: sending the control information, sending the data, and receiving the feedback; and each resource pool in the second list of the second subset is configured for the wireless communication device to perform at least one of the following operations: receiving the control information, receiving the data, and sending the feedback.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 8, further comprising: The wireless communication device transmits control information on a first type of resource, which is located in a resource pool within the first subset. And sending data information on a second type of resource, which is on a resource pool in the first subset; The wireless communication device receives feedback information on a third type of resource associated with the second type of resource, based on a resource pool in a first subset of the plurality of resource pools.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 10, further comprising: The time interval between the second type of resource and the third type of resource is determined to be A time slots, where A is equal to or greater than M time slots, and M is the minimum time interval configured between the second type of resource and the third type of resource; and The A time slots are calculated based on physical time slots, time slots identified as candidate time slots for side links, or time slots identified as belonging to at least one of the multiple resource pools.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 10, further comprising: The frequency bandwidth of the third type of resource is determined to be within the bandwidth of the second type of resource.

13. A communication apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the processor being configured to read instructions from the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

14. A computer-readable medium having code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

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