Method, device and computer storage medium for communication

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, devices, and computer storage media for communication. A method includes sending, from a first device to a second device, multiple repetitions of a physical channel for scheduling communication between the first device and the second device, wherein the multiple PDCCH repetitions indicate the same offset information for the communication; determining a time offset between the repetition and the communication based on the same offset information and index information about the repetitions in the multiple repetitions; and performing communication with the second device based on the time offset. Embodiments of the present disclosure enable both network devices and terminal devices to obtain real-time offsets of corresponding communications from the physical channel repetitions and improve the reliability and robustness of the physical channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and particularly to methods, devices, and computer storage media for communications. Background Art

[0002] In the 3GPP meeting RAN#86, enhancements to the support for multiple transmission and reception point (multi-TRP) deployments have been discussed. For example, it has been proposed to use multiple TRPs and / or multiple panels with the Release 16 reliability features as a baseline to identify and specify features to improve the reliability and robustness of channels other than the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). It has also been proposed to identify and specify features to enable inter-cell multi-TRP operation. It has also been proposed to evaluate and specify enhancements for simultaneous multi-TRP transmission with multi-panel reception.

[0003] In 3GPP meetings RAN1#98-99, support for PDCCH repetition was proposed to improve PDCCH reliability and robustness. Specifically, PDCCH signals (such as downlink control information) can be sent more than once from a network device to a terminal device to improve PDCCH reliability and robustness. However, the details of PDCCH repetition have not yet been discussed or specified. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally speaking, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, and computer storage media for communications.

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes: sending, from a first device to a second device, multiple repetitions of a physical channel, wherein the physical channel is used to schedule communication between the first device and the second device, the multiple repetitions indicating the same offset information for the communication; determining a time offset between the repetitions and the communication based on the same offset information and index information about the repetitions in the multiple repetitions; and performing communication with the second device based on the time offset.

[0006] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes: receiving, from a first device and at a second device, repetitions of a physical channel used to schedule communication between the first device and the second device, wherein the first device sends multiple repetitions of the physical channel to the second device, and the multiple repetitions include the received repetitions and indicate the same offset information used for the communication; determining a time offset between the repetitions and the communication based on the same offset information and index information about the repetitions; and performing communication with the first device based on the time offset.

[0007] In a third aspect, a communications device is provided. The device includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform actions. The actions include: sending, from the device to another device, multiple repetitions of a physical channel used to schedule communications between the device and the other device, the multiple repetitions indicating the same offset information for the communications; determining a time offset between the repetitions and the communications based on the same offset information and index information regarding repetitions in the multiple repetitions; and performing communications with the other device based on the time offset.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a communications device is provided. The device includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform actions. The actions include: receiving a repetition for a physical channel from another device, the physical channel being used to schedule communications between the device and the other device, wherein the other device sends multiple repetitions for the physical channel to the device, the multiple repetitions including the received repetition and indicating the same offset information used for the communications; determining a time offset between the repetition and the communications based on the same offset information and index information about the repetitions; and performing communications with the other device based on the time offset.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0011] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended 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

[0012] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through a more detailed description of some embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A-1B shows an example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0014] Figure 2 is an example signaling diagram illustrating an example communication process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 An example of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 4 An example of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

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

[0021] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the description of these embodiments is only for the purpose of illustrating and helping those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, and does not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways in addition to the way 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] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "including" and its variations should be understood as open terms, meaning "including but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on." The terms "some embodiments" and "one embodiment" should be understood as "at least some embodiments." The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment." The terms "first," "second," etc. may refer to different or identical objects. Other definitions (explicit and implicit) may be included below.

[0024] In some examples, values, processes, or devices are referred to as "best," "lowest," "highest," "minimum," "maximum," etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a selection may be made among many functional alternatives used, and that such selection is not necessarily better, lesser, higher, or otherwise preferred over other selections.

[0025] As mentioned above, in the 3GPP meeting RAN1#98-99, support for PDCCH repetition has been proposed to improve the reliability and robustness of PDCCH. That is, PDCCH signals (such as downlink control information) can be repeatedly sent more than once from a network device to a terminal device, where each transmission of a PDCCH signal can be referred to as a PDCCH repetition. However, the details about PDCCH repetition have not yet been discussed or specified. In the current 3GPP specifications for new radio access (NR), there is no specification on PDCCH repetition, but some details related to PDCCH are specified.

[0026] In 3GPP specification TS 38.212, downlink control information (DCI) format 0_1 ​​is specified for PUSCH scheduling in a cell. The information sent by means of DCI format 0_1 ​​includes at least the following:

[0027] - Time Domain Resource Allocation - 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 bits as defined in subclause 6.1.2.1 of 3GPP specification TS 38.214. The bit width used for this field is determined as bits, where I is the number of entries in the higher-layer parameter pusch-TimeDomainAllocationList if the higher-layer parameter has been configured; otherwise, I is the number of entries in the default table.

[0028] - SRS Request - 2 bits defined in Table 7.3.1.1.2-24 for UEs not configured with supplementary Uplink (SUL) in the ServingCellConfig in the cell; 3 bits for UEs configured with supplementary Uplink in the ServingCellConfig in the cell, where the first bit is the non-SUL / SUL indicator defined in Table 7.3.1.1.1-1 and the second and third bits are defined in Table 7.3.1.1.2-24. This bit field may also indicate the associated CSI-RS according to subclause 6.1.1.2 of 3GPP specification TS 38.214.

[0029] - CSI request - 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 bits determined by the higher layer parameter reportTriggerSize.

[0030] In 3GPP specification TS 38.212, DCI format 1_1 is specified for PDSCH scheduling in a cell. The information sent by means of DCI format 1_1 includes at least the following:

[0031] - Time Domain Resource Allocation - 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 bits as defined in subclause 5.1.2.1 of 3GPP specification TS 38.214. The bit width for this field is determined as bits, where I is the number of entries in the higher-layer parameter pdsch-TimeDomainAllocationList if the higher-layer parameter has been configured; otherwise, I is the number of entries in the default table.

[0032] - Zero Power (ZP) CSI-RS Trigger - 0, 1 or 2 bits as defined in subclause 5.1.4.2 of 3GPP specification TS 38.214. The bit width for this field is determined to be bits, where n ZP The number of ZP CSI-RS resource sets configured by higher layers.

[0033] -PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator - 0, 1, 2 or 3 bits as defined in subclause 9.2.3 of 3GPP specification TS 38.213. The bit width for this field is determined as bits, where I is the number of entries in the higher layer parameter dl-DataToUL-ACK.

[0034] - SRS Request - 2 bits defined in Table 7.3.1.1.2-24 for UEs not configured with supplementary Uplink (SUL) in the ServingCellConfig in the cell; 3 bits for UEs configured with supplementary Uplink in the ServingCellConfig in the cell, where the first bit is the non-SUL / SUL indicator defined in Table 7.3.1.1.1-1 and the second and third bits are defined in Table 7.3.1.1.2-24. This bit field may also indicate the associated CSI-RS according to subclause 6.1.1.2 of 3GPP specification TS 38.214.

[0035] In 3GPP specification TS 38.214, the resource allocation in the time domain to be used for PDSCH is specified. When a user equipment (UE) is scheduled by downlink control information (DCI) to receive PDSCH, the time domain resource allocation field value m of the DCI may provide a row index m+1 to the allocation table. The determination of the resource allocation table used is defined in subclause 5.1.2.1 of 3GPP specification TS 38.214. The index row defines the slot offset K0, the start and length indicator SLIV, or directly defines the start symbol S and the allocation length L, and the PDSCH mapping type to be assumed in PDSCH reception.

[0036] Table 5.1.2.1-1: Valid S and L combinations

[0037]

[0038] In 3GPP specification TS 38.214, the resource allocation in the time domain to be used for PUSCH is specified. When a user equipment (UE) is scheduled to transmit PUSCH via downlink control information (DCI), the time domain resource allocation field value m of the DCI may provide a row index m+1 to the allocation table. The determination of the resource allocation table to be used is defined in subclause 6.1.2.1 of 3GPP specification TS 38.214. The index row defines the slot offset K0, the start and length indicator SLIV, or directly defines the start symbol S and the allocation length L, and the PUSCH mapping type to be assumed in the PUSCH transmission.

[0039] Table 6.1.2.1-1: Valid S and L combinations

[0040]

[0041] In 3GPP specification TS 38.211, the sequence generation of demodulation reference signals for PDCCH is specified. The UE shall assume that the reference signal sequence r of OFDM symbol 1 is l (m) is defined by the following formula

[0042]

[0043] where the pseudo-random sequence c(i) is defined in Section 5.2.1. The pseudo-random sequence generator should be initialized to

[0044]

[0045] Where l is the number of OFDM symbols in a time slot, Is the number of time slots in a frame. If the higher-level parameter pdcch-DMRS-ScramblingID is provided, then N ID ∈{0, 1, ..., 65535} is given by the higher-layer parameter pdcch-DMRS-ScramblingID; otherwise,

[0046] In order to support PDCCH repetition, several issues need to be addressed. For example, DCI sent via PDCCH can be used to schedule PDSCH transmissions to a terminal device, trigger transmission of an aperiodic channel state information reference signal (A-CSI-RS) to a terminal device, indicate time / frequency resources for an aperiodic ZP CSI-RS, schedule PUSCH transmissions from a terminal device, trigger transmission of an aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS) from a terminal device, trigger transmission of an aperiodic channel state information (CSI) report from a terminal device, or trigger hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback from a terminal device. However, if PDCCH repetition is enabled, it is unclear how to provide offset indications for: PDSCH transmissions to a terminal device, transmission of an A-CSI-RS to a terminal device, indication of time / frequency resources for an aperiodic ZP CSI-RS to a terminal device, PUSCH transmissions from a terminal device, aperiodic SRS transmissions from a terminal device, transmission of an aperiodic CSI report from a terminal device, or HARQ feedback from a terminal device. Furthermore, if combining of PDCCH repetitions is desired, the offset values ​​indicated in different PDCCH repetitions should be the same. However, if the offset values ​​indicated in different PDCCH repetitions are the same, it is unclear how to indicate the real-time offset for corresponding channel / signal transmission and / or reception.

[0047] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions to the above problems and / or one or more other potential problems. The solution enables both network devices and terminal devices to obtain real-time offsets for corresponding communications from physical channel repetitions and improve the reliability and robustness of physical channels. Since the payloads of different physical channel repetitions are the same, it is possible to combine physical channel repetitions, thereby improving the reliability and robustness of physical channels. Figures 1A-7 The principles and implementations of the present disclosure are described in detail.

[0048] Figure 1A An example communication network 100 is shown in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network 100 includes a network device 110 and a terminal device 120 served by network device 110. Network 100 may provide one or more serving cells 102 to serve terminal device 120. It should be understood that the number of network devices, terminal devices, and / or serving cells is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation on the present disclosure. Network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices, terminal devices, and / or serving cells suitable for implementing the present disclosure.

[0049] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, vehicle-mounted devices for V2X communication (where X represents pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks), or image capture devices (such as digital cameras, gaming devices, music storage and playback devices), or Internet devices that support wireless or wired Internet access and browsing, etc. For the purpose of discussion, some embodiments will be described below with reference to UE as an example of terminal device 120.

[0050] As used herein, the term "network equipment" or "base station" (BS) refers to a device that is capable of providing or hosting a cell or coverage area in which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network equipment include, but are not limited to, Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), low power nodes (such as femto nodes, pico nodes), etc.

[0051] In one embodiment, the terminal device 120 can communicate with the first network device and the second network device ( Figure 1A(not shown) connected. One of the first network device and the second network device may be a primary node, and the other may be a secondary node. The first network device and the second network device may use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device, and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device may be an eNB, and the second RAT device may be a gNB. Information related to different RATs may be sent from at least one of the first network device and the second network device to the terminal device 120. In one embodiment, the first information may be sent from the first network device to the terminal device 120, and the second information may be sent from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device 120. In one embodiment, configuration-related information configured by the second network device for the terminal device may be sent from the second network device via the first network device. Reconfiguration-related information configured by the second network device for the terminal device may be sent from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. This information may be sent via any of the following: radio resource control (RRC) signaling, a media access control (MAC) control element (CE), or downlink control information (DCI).

[0052] In such Figure 1A In the communication network 100 shown, the network device 110 can transmit data and control information to the terminal device 120, and the terminal device 120 can also transmit data and control information to the network device 110. The link from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120 is called the downlink (DL), and the link from the terminal device 120 to the network device 110 is called the uplink (UL).

[0053] In some embodiments, for downlink transmission, the network device 110 may send control information to the terminal device 120 via the PDCCH and / or send data to the terminal device 120 via the PDSCH. In addition, the network device 110 may send one or more reference signals (RS) to the terminal device 120. The RS sent from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120 may also be referred to as a "DL RS". Examples of DL RS may include, but are not limited to, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), a fine time and frequency tracking reference signal (TRS), etc.

[0054] In some embodiments, for uplink transmission, terminal device 120 may send control information to network device 110 via PUCCH and / or send data to network device 110 via PUSCH. In addition, terminal device 120 may send one or more RSs to network device 110. RSs sent from terminal device 120 to network device 110 may also be referred to as "UL RSs." Examples of UL RSs may include, but are not limited to, DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PTRS, fine time and frequency TRS, etc.

[0055] Communications in network 100 may conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communications (MTC), etc. In addition, communications may be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include but are not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, and fifth generation (5G) communication protocols.

[0056] Network equipment 110 (such as a gNB) can be equipped with one or more TRPs or antenna panels. As used herein, the term "TRP" refers to an antenna array (having one or more antenna elements) available to a network device located at a particular geographic location. For example, a network device can couple with multiple TRPs located at different geographic locations to achieve better coverage. One or more TRPs can be included in the same serving cell or in different serving cells.

[0057] It should be understood that a TRP may also be a panel, and a panel may also refer to an antenna array (having one or more antenna elements). Although some embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to, for example, multiple TRPs, these embodiments are merely for the purpose of illustrating and helping those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the present disclosure described herein may be implemented in various other ways besides the ways described below.

[0058] Figure 1B Shown as Figure 1A An example scenario of the network 100 is shown. Figure 1BAs shown, for example, the network device 110 can communicate with the terminal device 120 via TRPs 130-1 and 130-2. Hereinafter, TRP 130-1 may also be referred to as a first TRP, and TRP 130-2 may also be referred to as a second TRP. The first TRP 130-1 and the second TRP 130-2 may be included in the same service cell provided by the network device 110 (such as Figure 1A 102) or different serving cells. Although the embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the first TRP 130-1 and the second TRP 130-2 in the same serving cell provided by the network device 110, these embodiments are only for illustration and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the present disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways besides the way described below.

[0059] Figure 2 An example signaling diagram illustrating an example communication process 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the process 200 may involve a first device 210 and a second device 220. In some embodiments, the first device 210 may be a network device 110, and the second device 220 may be a terminal device 120. Figure 1A and / or Figure 1B Alternatively, in other embodiments, the first device 210 may be the terminal device 120, and the second device 220 may be the network device 110, as shown. Figure 1A and / or Figure 1B It should be understood that process 200 may include additional actions not shown, and / or may omit some of the actions shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0060] like Figure 2As shown, the first device 210 may send 201 multiple repetitions of a physical channel to the second device 220, the physical channel being used to schedule communication between the first device and the second device. In some embodiments, the multiple repetitions may indicate the same offset information used for communication. For example, the multiple physical channel repetitions may indicate the same offset value K (where K is a non-negative integer, e.g., 0≤K≤64) used for communication. Accordingly, the second device 220 may receive 201 one or more repetitions of the multiple repetitions of the physical channel from the first device 210. The first device 210 may determine 202 a time offset between the repetitions and the communication based on index information (e.g., index value X) and the same offset information (such as the same offset value K) regarding the repetitions in the multiple repetitions. Similarly, the second device 220 may determine 203 a time offset between the received repetitions and the communication based on the index information (i.e., index value X) and the offset value (i.e., the same offset value K) regarding the received repetitions. Communication between the first device 210 and the second device 220 may then be performed 204 based on the determined time offset.

[0061] In some embodiments, the physical channel may include one of the following: PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PUSCH, or physical random access channel (PRACH). For the purpose of discussion, some embodiments will be described below with reference to PDCCH as an example of a physical channel. For example, when the physical channel is PDCCH, the first device 210 may be the network device 110, and the second device 220 may be the terminal device 120, as shown in FIG. Figure 1A and / or Figure 1B It should be understood that this is for illustration only and does not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0062] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may send DCI to the terminal device 120 via the PDCCH. The terminal device 120 may receive the DCI from the network device 110. The DCI may be used to schedule or trigger communication between the network device 110 and the terminal device 120, and / or indicate time / frequency resources used for communication. In some embodiments, the communication may include transmission and / or reception of at least one of the following: a PDSCH signal, a PUSCH signal, a PUCCH signal, a CSI-RS, an aperiodic CSI-RS, a ZP CSI-RS, an aperiodic ZP CSI-RS, an SRS, an aperiodic SRS, a CSI report, an aperiodic CSI report, HARQ feedback (acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement), etc.

[0063] In some embodiments, there may be a time offset T (where T is a non-negative integer) between the start time of the PDCCH communication and the start time of the scheduled or triggered communication, or between the end time of the PDCCH communication and the end time of the scheduled or triggered communication. For example, T may be at least one of (0, 1, 2...336}. In some embodiments, the time offset T may be a symbol, a time slot, a subframe, a sub-time slot, a frame, or a microsecond. For example, the time offset T may include one or more symbols, time slots, subframes, sub-time slots, frames, or microseconds. In some embodiments, for the network device 110 and / or the terminal device 120, the time offset T may be a time interval between a start symbol for PDCCH communication and a start symbol for scheduled or triggered communication, or a time interval between an end symbol for PDCCH transmission and an end symbol for communication. For example, the time offset T may be a time interval between a start symbol for PDCCH communication and a start symbol for transmitting at least one of the following: a PDSCH signal, a PUSCH signal, a PUCCH signal, a CSI-RS, an aperiodic CSI-RS, a ZP CSI-RS, a non-periodic ZP CSI-RS, SRS, aperiodic SRS, CSI report, aperiodic CSI report, HARQ feedback (acknowledgement or negative acknowledgment), etc. For another example, the time offset T may be a time interval between an end symbol used for PDCCH communication and an end symbol used for transmitting at least one of the following: a PDSCH signal, a PUSCH signal, a PUCCH signal, CSI-RS, aperiodic CSI-RS, ZP CSI-RS, aperiodic ZP CSI-RS, SRS, aperiodic SRS, CSI report, aperiodic CSI report, HARQ feedback (acknowledgement or negative acknowledgment), etc.

[0064] In some embodiments, if repetition for PDCCH is enabled, there may be a duration D for PDCCH repetition (where D is a non-negative integer). For example, D may be at least one of (0, 1, 2...336}. In some embodiments, the duration D may be a symbol, a time slot, a subframe, a sub-time slot, a frame, or a microsecond. For example, the duration D may include one or more symbols, time slots, subframes, sub-time slots, frames, or microseconds. In some embodiments, the network device 110 may configure or indicate the duration D to the terminal device 120. For example, the duration D may be configured or indicated to the terminal device 120 via any one of the following: RRC signaling, MAC CE, or DCI. In some embodiments, the network device 110 may send multiple PDCCH repetitions within the duration D. In some embodiments, the value of D may be predefined and / or fixed. That is, signaling may not be required to configure the value of D.

[0065] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may configure or indicate the number of repetitions of the PDCCH to the terminal device 120. For example, the number of repetitions of the PDCCH may be expressed as B, where B is a non-negative integer. For example, B may be at least one of (1, 2...64}. In some embodiments, the network device 110 may send a PDCCH repetition for scheduling communication between the network device 110 and the terminal device 120 to the terminal device 120. In some embodiments, as described above, the communication may include transmission and / or reception of at least one of the following: a PDSCH signal, a PUSCH signal, a PUCCH signal, a CSI-RS, an aperiodic CSI-RS, a ZP CSI-RS, an aperiodic ZP CSI-RS, an SRS, an aperiodic SRS, a CSI report, an aperiodic CSI report, HARQ feedback (acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement), etc. In some embodiments, B PDCCH repetitions may be sent by the network device 110 or received by the terminal device 120 within a duration D. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may send a capability report regarding the number of PDCCH repetitions to the network device 110.

[0066] In some embodiments, the network device 110 and / or the terminal device 120 may determine the time offset T based on the offset value K indicated by the DCI and the index value X. In some embodiments, the index value X may be determined based on at least one of the following: an index of a PDCCH repetition within a plurality of PDCCH repetitions, a relative time slot index for the PDCCH repetition within a duration D, or a time slot index for the PDCCH repetition within a frame or subframe.

[0067] In some embodiments, a plurality of PDCCH repetitions (e.g., B PDCCH repetitions) may be sent from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120 during a duration D. For example, the duration may include M time slots, where M is an integer and 1≤M≤64. In some embodiments, within the duration D or M time slots, the number of PDCCH candidates in different time slots may be the same or different. In some embodiments, within the duration D or M time slots, there may be at least one time slot in which at least one PDCCH candidate may be present. In some embodiments, within the duration D or M time slots, there may be at least one time slot in which there may be no PDCCH candidate. In some embodiments, a time offset T between a given PDCCH repetition (such as a transmission or reception of a given PDCCH repetition) and a communication may be determined as one of the following: K+X, KX, K+X+1, K+X-1, KX-1, KX-1, K+M-X+1, or K+MX-1 time slots, where X represents a relative time slot index within the M time slots and K represents an offset value indicated in the PDCCH repetition. For example, 0≤X≤M-1 or 1≤X≤M. In some embodiments, for the ath time slot among M time slots (e.g., a is a non-negative integer and 1≤a≤M), X can be one of the following: a-1, a, Ma, or Ma-a+1. For example, for the first time slot among M time slots (i.e., a=1), X can be one of the following: 0, 1, M, or M-1. For another example, for the second time slot among M time slots (i.e., a=2), X can be one of the following: 1, 2, M-1, or M-2. For another example, for the last time slot among M time slots (i.e., a=M), X can be one of the following: M, M-1, 0, or 1.

[0068] Figure 3 An example of such an embodiment is shown. Figure 3As shown, for example, the network device 110 may send a plurality of PDCCH repetitions 310-1, 310-2, ... 310-N (collectively or individually referred to as "(multiple) PDCCH repetitions 310") to the terminal device 120 for scheduling a communication 320, where N is an integer and 1 ≤ N ≤ 64. In some embodiments, the PDCCH repetitions 310-1, 310-2, ... 310-N may be indexed with 0, 1 ... N-1, respectively. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the PDCCH repetitions 310-1, 310-2 ... 310-N may be indexed with 1, 2 ... N, respectively. For example, in this case, the time offset T between the PDCCH repetition 310 (such as the transmission or reception of the PDCCH repetition 310) and the communication 320 may be determined as one of the following: KX, K-X+1, KX-1, K+N-X+1, or K+NX-1 time slots, where X∈[0,N-1] or [1,N]. For another example, the time offset T between the PDCCH repetition 310 (such as the transmission or reception of the PDCCH repetition 310) and the communication 320 can be determined as one of the following: K+X, K+X+1, or K+X-1 time slots, where X∈[0,N-1] or [1,N].

[0069] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may configure and / or indicate the time offset T to the terminal device 120 via any of the following: RRC signaling, MAC CE, or DCI. For example, in response to receiving the configuration and / or indication of the time offset T, the terminal device 120 may ignore the offset value K indicated in the DCI.

[0070] In some embodiments, multiple PDCCH repetitions (e.g., B PDCCH repetitions) may be sent from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120 during a duration D. For example, the duration may include M time slots, where M is an integer and 1≤M≤64. In some embodiments, the time offset T between a given PDCCH repetition (such as a transmission or reception of a given PDCCH repetition) and a communication may be determined as one of: K+X, KX, K+X+1, K+X-1, KX-1, KX-1, K+M-X+1, or K+MX-1 time slots, where X represents a relative time slot index among the M time slots and K represents an offset value indicated in the PDCCH repetition. For example, X may be determined by the PDCCH DMRS initialization value c defined in equation (2) above. init Sure:

[0071]

[0072] Where l is the number of OFDM symbols in a time slot, is the time slot index within a frame or subframe. For another example, X can be based on the duration D or M time slots or the time slot index n within a frame or subframe. slot (where n slot is a non-negative integer and 0≤n slot ≤159). In some embodiments, X can be determined as one of the following: slot +N slot -n0)modN slot -1M-(n slot +N slot -n0)modN slot +1M-(n slot +N slot -n0)modN slot (n slot +N slot -n0)modN slot -1, (n slot +N slot -n0)modN slot +1 or (n slot +N slot -n0)modN slot In some embodiments, n0 may represent a slot index of a starting PDCCH repetition in a plurality of PDCCH repetitions (e.g., n0 indicates a slot in which transmission or reception of a starting PDCCH repetition in a plurality of PDCCH repetitions occurs). Alternatively, n0 may represent a slot index of a first slot in the M slots. Alternatively, n0 may represent a slot index within a frame or subframe. n slot Indicates the slot index of a given PDCCH repetition (e.g., n slot indicating the time slot in which the transmission or reception of a given PDCCH repetition occurs), and N slot Indicates the number of time slots per frame or subframe. For example, in Indicates the number of time slots per frame. For example, in Indicates the number of time slots per subframe. For example, and is the slot number / index within the subframe. For another example, and is the timeslot number / index within the frame. In some embodiments, for subcarrier spacing configurations, timeslots are numbered in ascending order within a subframe. and are numbered in ascending order within the frame. For example, if μ=0 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 15kHz, then and / or For another example, if μ=1 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 30kHz, then and / or For another example, if μ=2 and / or the subcarrier spacing is 60kHz, then and / or For another example, if μ=3 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 120kHz, then and / or For another example, if μ=4 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 240kHz, then and / or For another example, if μ=5 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 480kHz, then and / or For another example, if μ=5 or 6 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 960kHz, then For another example, if μ=5 or 6 or 7 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 1920kHz, then and / or For another example, if μ=5 or 6 or 7 or 8 and / or the subcarrier spacing value is 3840kHz, then and / or In some embodiments, there are consecutive OFDM symbols, where Depends on the cyclic prefix given in Table 1, Table 2 and Table 3 below. Time slot in a subframe The start of the OFDM symbol in the same subframe The start of is aligned in time.

[0073] Table 1: Number of OFDM symbols per slot, per frame slot, and per subframe slot for standard cyclic prefix.

[0074]

[0075] Table 2: Number of OFDM symbols per slot, per frame slot, and per subframe slot for extended cyclic prefix.

[0076]

[0077] Table 3: Supported transmission parameters.

[0078]

[0079] In response to determining the time offset T, communication between the network device 110 and the terminal device 120 may be performed based on the determined time offset T. In some embodiments, the communication may be downlink (DL) communication. For example, the network device 110 may send 204 a signal to the terminal device 120 based on the determined time offset T. For example, the signal may include any of the following: a PDSCH signal, a ZP CSI-RS, an A-CSI-RS, an aperiodic ZP CSI-RS, a TRS, an aperiodic TRS, etc. In this case, the terminal device 120 may receive 204 the signal from the network device 110 based on the determined time offset T. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the communication may be uplink (UL) communication. For example, the terminal device 120 may send 204 a signal to the network device 110 based on the determined time offset T. For example, the signal may include any of the following: a PUSCH signal, a CSI report, an aperiodic CSI report, HARQ feedback, an SRS, an aperiodic SRS, etc. In this case, the network device 110 may receive 204 the signal from the terminal device 120 based on the determined time offset T.

[0080] In some embodiments, the PDCCH repetitions sent from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120 may be used to schedule PDSCH repetitions / transmissions / receptions / candidates. Figure 1B In the multi-TRP / multi-panel communication scenario shown, the network device 110 can configure multiple transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for the terminal device 120 for multi-TRP / multi-panel communication. As used in this document, the TCI state can indicate a reference signal (RS) set and parameters for configuring the quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship between the RS in the RS set and the DMRS port for PDSCH. In some embodiments, different TCI states can be used for different PDCCH repetitions / transmissions / receptions and / or PDSCH repetitions / transmissions / receptions. In some embodiments, the TCI state for the last one of the PDCCH repetitions / transmissions / receptions and the TCI state for the starting one of the PDSCH repetitions / transmissions / receptions can be QCLed for a certain QCL type, can be the same, or can be associated with the same TRP. In this way, the beam switching overhead for PDCCH repetitions and PDSCH repetitions can be reduced.

[0081] In some embodiments, if the terminal device 120 is configured with the higher layer parameter tci-PresentInDCI set to "enabled" for the control resource set (CORESET) scheduling PDSCH, the terminal device 120 may assume that the TCI field is present in the DCI of the PDCCH transmitted on the CORESET. If tci-PresentInDCI is not configured for the CORESET scheduling PDSCH or the PDSCH is scheduled with DCI format 1_0, and if the time offset between the reception of the last PDCCH potential repetition / candidate or DCI and the corresponding PDSCH within a duration of D, M slots, or B repetitions is equal to or greater than a threshold timeDurationForQCL (if applicable, where the threshold is based on reported UE capabilities) in order to determine PDSCH antenna port quasi co-location, the terminal device 120 may assume that the TCI state or QCL assumption for the PDSCH is the same as the TCI state or QCL assumption applied to the CORESET for the PDCCH transmission.

[0082] In some embodiments, if tci-PresentInDCI is set to "enabled", the TCI field in the DCI in the scheduled component carrier points to an activated TCI state in the scheduled component carrier or DL ​​bandwidth part (BWP), and if the PDSCH is scheduled via DCI format 1_1, the terminal device 120 may use the TCI state to determine that the PDSCH antenna ports are quasi co-located based on the value of the "Transmission Configuration Indicator" field in the detected PDCCH with the DCI. If the time offset between the reception of the last PDCCH potential repetition / candidate or DCI within a duration of D, M time slots, or B repetitions and the corresponding PDSCH is equal to or greater than a threshold timeDurationForQCL, where the threshold is based on the reported UE capabilities, the terminal device 120 may assume that the DMRS ports of the PDSCH of the serving cell are quasi co-located with the (multiple) RSs in the TCI state with respect to the (multiple) QCL type parameters given by the indicated TCI state. When the terminal device 120 is configured with a single-slot PDSCH, the indicated TCI state should be based on the activated TCI state in the slot with the scheduled PDSCH. When the terminal device 120 is configured with a multi-slot PDSCH, the indicated TCI state should be based on the activated TCI state in the slot with the scheduled PDSCH, and the terminal device 120 can expect the activated TCI state to be the same across the slots with the scheduled PDSCH. When the terminal device 120 is configured with a CORESET associated with a search space set for cross-carrier scheduling, the terminal device 120 may expect tci-PresentInDci to be set to 'enabled' for the CORESET; and if one or more of the TCI states configured for the serving cell scheduled by the search space set includes 'QCL-TypeD', the terminal device 120 may expect the time offset between the reception of the last PDCCH potential repetition / candidate or detected PDCCH and the corresponding PDSCH within the search space set for a duration of D, M time slots or B repetitions to be equal to or greater than the threshold timeDurationForQCL.

[0083] In some embodiments, for both the cases where tci-PresentInDCI is set to be "enabled" and tci-PresentInDCI is not configured in RRC connected mode, if the offset between the reception of the last PDCCH potential repetition / candidate or DCI and the corresponding PDSCH within the duration D, M time slots or B repetitions is lower than the threshold timeDurationForQCL, the terminal device 120 can assume that the DMRS port of the PDSCH of the serving cell is quasi-co-located with the (multiple) RS with respect to the (multiple) QCL parameters of the PDCCH quasi-co-location indication for the CORESET, which is associated with the monitored search space with the lowest CORESET-ID in the most recent time slot, in which one or more CORESETs within the active BWP of the serving cell are monitored by the terminal device 120.

[0084] Figure 4 An example of such an embodiment is shown. Figure 4 As shown, for example, the network device 110 may send PDCCH repetitions 410 and 420 for scheduling PDSCH repetitions 430 and 440 to the terminal device 120. Assume that TCI state A is used for PDCCH repetition 410, TCI state B is used for PDCCH repetition 420, TCI state C is used for PDSCH repetition 430, and TCI state D is used for PDSCH repetition 430. In some embodiments, TCI states B and C may be QCLed with respect to a certain QCL type or may be associated with the same TRP to reduce beam switching overhead for PDCCH repetition 420 and PDSCH repetition 430.

[0085] In summary, it can be seen that the embodiments of the present disclosure enable both network devices and terminal devices to obtain real-time offsets for corresponding communications between the network devices and terminal devices from PDCCH repetitions. Because the payloads of different PDCCH repetitions are the same, PDCCH repetitions can be combined, thereby improving the reliability and robustness of the PDCCH.

[0086] Figure 5 1 shows a flow chart of an example method 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 500 may be performed in a manner such as Figure 2 The method 500 is executed at the first device 210. It should be understood that the method 500 may include additional blocks not shown, and / or may omit some of the blocks shown, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0087] At block 510, the first device 210 transmits to the second device 220 a plurality of repetitions for a physical channel for scheduling communications between the first device 210 and the second device 220. The plurality of repetitions may indicate the same offset information for the communications.

[0088] At block 520 , the first device 210 determines a time offset between the repetition and the communication based on the same offset information and index information about the repetition in the plurality of repetitions.

[0089] In block 530 , the first device 210 performs communication with the second device 220 based on the time offset.

[0090] In some embodiments, performing communication with the second device includes sending a signal to the second device based on the time offset.

[0091] In some embodiments, the physical channel is a PDCCH, and the signal comprises one of: a PDSCH signal; a CSI-RS; or a TRS.

[0092] In some embodiments, performing communication with the second device includes receiving a signal from the second device based on the time offset.

[0093] In some embodiments, the physical channel is a PDCCH, and the signal comprises one of: a PUSCH signal; a CSI report; HARQ feedback; or an SRS.

[0094] In some embodiments, method 500 further includes: determining an index of a repetition within the plurality of repetitions; and determining index information about the repetition based on the index.

[0095] In some embodiments, the plurality of repetitions for the physical channel are transmitted from the first device to the second device during the plurality of time slots, and the repetitions are transmitted from the first device to the second device in a time slot in the plurality of time slots. The method 500 further includes: determining a relative index of the time slot within the plurality of time slots; and determining index information about the repetition based on the relative index.

[0096] In some embodiments, the plurality of repetitions are sent from the first device to the second device in a frame or subframe, and the repetitions are sent from the first device to the second device in a time slot of the frame or subframe. The method 500 also includes: determining an index of the time slot within the frame or subframe; and determining index information about the repetition based on the index.

[0097] In some embodiments, the physical channel comprises one of: PDCCH; PDSCH; PUCCH; PUSCH; or PRACH.

[0098] Figure 6 600 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 The method 600 is executed at the second device 220. It should be understood that the method 600 may include additional blocks not shown, and / or may omit some of the blocks shown, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0099] At block 610, repetitions for a physical channel are received from a first device 210 and at a second device 220, the physical channel being used to schedule communications between the first device 210 and the second device 220. The first device 210 may send multiple repetitions for the physical channel to the second device 220, with the multiple repetitions including the received repetitions and indicating the same offset information used for the communications.

[0100] In block 620 , the second device 220 determines a time offset between the repetition and the communication based on the same offset information and index information about the repetition.

[0101] In block 630 , the second device 220 performs communication with the first device 210 based on the time offset.

[0102] In some embodiments, performing communication with the first device includes receiving a signal from the first device based on the time offset.

[0103] In some embodiments, the signal comprises one of: a PDSCH signal; a CSI-RS; or a TRS.

[0104] In some embodiments, performing communication with the first device includes sending a signal to the first device based on the time offset.

[0105] In some embodiments, the signal comprises one of: a PUSCH signal; a CSI report; a HARQ feedback; or an SRS.

[0106] In some embodiments, method 600 further includes: determining an index of a repetition within the plurality of repetitions; and determining index information about the repetition based on the index.

[0107] In some embodiments, the plurality of repetitions for the physical channel are received from the first device during the plurality of time slots, and the repetitions are received from the first device in time slots in the plurality of time slots. The method 600 further includes: determining a relative index of the time slots within the plurality of time slots; and determining index information about the repetitions based on the relative index.

[0108] In some embodiments, the plurality of repetitions are to be received from the first device in a frame or subframe, and the repetitions are received from the first device in a time slot of the frame or subframe.Method 600 also includes: determining an index of a time slot within the frame or subframe; and determining index information about the repetition based on the index.

[0109] In some embodiments, the physical channel comprises one of: PDCCH; PDSCH; PUCCH; PUSCH; or PRACH.

[0110] Figure 7is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 700 can be considered as Figure 2 1 and 2. Thus, the device 700 may be implemented at the first device 210 or the second device 220 or as at least a part of the first device 210 or the second device 220.

[0111] As shown, device 700 includes a processor 710, a memory 720 coupled to processor 710, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 740 coupled to processor 710, and a communication interface coupled to TX / RX 740. Memory 720 stores at least a portion of a program 730. TX / RX 740 is configured for bidirectional communication. TX / RX 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, but in practice, the access nodes referred to in this application may have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs, an S1 interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Serving Gateway (S-GW) and an eNB, a Un interface for communication between an eNB and a relay node (RN), or a Uu interface for communication between an eNB and a terminal device.

[0112] Assume that the program 730 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 710, enable the device 700 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, as described herein with reference to Figures 1A to 6 The embodiments herein may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 710 of the device 700, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The processor 710 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the combination of the processor 710 and the memory 720 may form a processing component 750 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0113] Memory 720 can be of any type suitable for the local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, by way of non-limiting example, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 720 is shown in device 700, there can be several physically distinct memory modules in device 700. Processor 710 can be of any type suitable for the local technology network and, by way of non-limiting example, can include 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 700 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0114] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented using hardware, while other aspects may be implemented using firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0115] 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 instructions included in program modules, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of program modules can be executed on local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0116] The program code for executing the disclosed method 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 the program code causes the function / operation specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized when executed by the processor or controller. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0117] The program code can be embodied in a machine-readable medium, which can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use with an instruction execution system, device or equipment or be used in combination with the program. The machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A more specific example of a machine-readable storage medium 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 disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0118] In addition, although operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in sequence or performing all of the operations shown to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details have been included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0119] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should 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 communication method performed by a base station, the method comprising: A downlink control information (DCI) format within at least one of two repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates is sent to a user equipment (UE), wherein: The two PDCCH candidates for repetition are sent in one slot, and The two repeated PDCCH candidates include: a first PDCCH candidate starting from a first starting symbol, and a second PDCCH candidate starting from a second starting symbol, where the second starting symbol is later in time than the first starting symbol. wherein a first control resource set (CORESET) for the first PDCCH candidate is associated with a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state or a first quasi co-location (QCL) assumption, and a second CORESET for the second PDCCH candidate is associated with a second TCI state or a second QCL assumption, wherein a start symbol for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) defined in relation to the second start symbol is based on the DCI format; and The PDSCH is transmitted based on one of the first TCI state and the second TCI state, or one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption. 2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each DCI format within each of the two PDCCH candidates includes the same corresponding information indicating an offset for the PDSCH. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the time offset between the second PDCCH candidate and the PDSCH is compared by the UE with a value of timeDurationForQCL.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The DCI format does not have a TCI field and the time offset is equal to or greater than the value of timeDurationForQCL.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: When the DCI format has a TCI field and the time offset is equal to or greater than the value of timeDurationForQCL, the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port of the PDSCH is assumed to be quasi-co-located with the reference signal (RS) in the TCI state with respect to the quasi-co-location (QCL) type parameters given by the TCI state indicated by the TCI field.

6. A communication method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: A downlink control information (DCI) format within at least one of two repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates is received from a base station, wherein: The two PDCCH candidates for repetition are sent in one slot, and The two repeated PDCCH candidates include: a first PDCCH candidate starting from a first starting symbol, and a second PDCCH candidate starting from a second starting symbol, where the second starting symbol is later in time than the first starting symbol. wherein a first control resource set (CORESET) for the first PDCCH candidate is associated with a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state or a first quasi co-location (QCL) assumption, and a second CORESET for the second PDCCH candidate is associated with a second TCI state or a second QCL assumption; determining, based on the DCI format, a start symbol for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) defined in relation to the second start symbol; and The PDSCH is received from the base station based on one of the first TCI state and the second TCI state, or one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each DCI format within each of the two PDCCH candidates includes the same corresponding information indicating an offset for the PDSCH.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: The time offset between the second PDCCH candidate and the PDSCH is compared with the value of timeDurationForQCL.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The DCI format does not have a TCI field and the time offset is equal to or greater than the value of timeDurationForQCL.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: When the DCI format has a TCI field and the time offset is equal to or greater than the value of timeDurationForQCL, it is assumed that the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port of the PDSCH is quasi-co-located with the reference signal (RS) in the TCI state with respect to the quasi-co-location (QCL) type parameter given by the TCI state indicated by the TCI field.

11. A user equipment (UE), comprising: processor; as well as a memory coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the UE to: A downlink control information (DCI) format within at least one of two repeated physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates is received from a base station, wherein: The two PDCCH candidates for repetition are sent in one slot, and The two repeated PDCCH candidates include: a first PDCCH candidate starting from a first starting symbol, and a second PDCCH candidate starting from a second starting symbol, where the second starting symbol is later in time than the first starting symbol. wherein a first control resource set (CORESET) for the first PDCCH candidate is associated with a first transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state or a first quasi co-location (QCL) assumption, and a second CORESET for the second PDCCH candidate is associated with a second TCI state or a second QCL assumption; determining, based on the DCI format, a start symbol for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) defined in relation to the second start symbol; and The PDSCH is received from the base station based on one of the first TCI state and the second TCI state, or one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption. 12 . The UE of claim 11 , wherein each DCI format within each of the two PDCCH candidates includes the same corresponding information indicating an offset for the PDSCH.

13. The UE of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the UE to: The time offset between the second PDCCH candidate and the PDSCH is compared with the value of timeDurationForQCL.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the UE to: The DCI format does not have a TCI field and the time offset is equal to or greater than the value of timeDurationForQCL.

15. The UE of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the UE to: When the DCI format has a TCI field and the time offset is equal to or greater than the value of timeDurationForQCL, it is assumed that the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port of the PDSCH is quasi-co-located with the reference signal (RS) in the TCI state with respect to the quasi-co-location (QCL) type parameter given by the TCI state indicated by the TCI field.

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