Method, apparatus, and computer program product for management of sidelink discontinuous reception

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for configuring a receiver of a wireless communication device with a discontinuous reception mode are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the method includes obtaining two or more discontinuous reception modes for the wireless communication device for sidelink communication with one or more user devices; selecting at least one discontinuous reception mode from the two or more discontinuous reception modes of the wireless communication device; and receiving signals from and / or transmitting signals to the one or more other devices for the sidelink communication in accordance with the selected at least one discontinuous reception mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the management of discontinuous sidechain reception. Background Technology

[0002] This section is intended to provide background or context for the invention as described in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that may be pursued, but are not necessarily concepts that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise stated herein, the content described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims of this application, and is not admitted to be prior art by virtue of its inclusion in this section.

[0003] 3GPP has been developing standards for sidechains (SLs) as a tool for direct communication between user equipment (UE-UE communication) in various use cases. In some use cases, solutions including New Radio (NR) sidechains are primarily used for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, while they can also be used for public safety when service requirements are met.

[0004] For example, some commercial use cases related to NR sidechains are Network Control Interaction Service (NCIS), railway gap analysis, Enhanced Relay for Energy Efficiency and Wide Coverage (REFEC), and Audiovisual Service Production (AVPROD).

[0005] Power saving enables battery-limited user equipment (UEs) to perform sidechain operations in a more energy-efficient manner. Sidechain processes are designed based on the assumption that UEs are "always on" when operating sidechains, for example, focusing only on UEs installed in vehicles with sufficient battery capacity. Power-saving solutions may be needed for UEs in vulnerable road users (VRUs) in connected vehicle use cases, as well as in public safety and commercial use cases where UE power consumption should be minimized.

[0006] Discontinuous reception (DRX) in sidechains for broadcast, multicast, and unicast has been proposed, with the on and off durations defined and the corresponding procedures specified in the user equipment. A mechanism has also been specified for user equipment within the coverage area to align the sidechain DRX wake-up time between communicating user equipments with the DRX wake-up time of the radio interface (Uu) between the access node (also known as an access point, such as an eNodeB, eNB, gNB, or BS) and the user equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing sidechain discontinuous reception (SL-DRX) are provided.

[0008] The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the present invention is defined by the independent claims. Embodiments, examples, and features (if any) described in this specification that are not within the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0009] The subject matter of the independent claims is provided according to several aspects. Several other aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Embodiments not falling within the scope of the claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding this disclosure.

[0010] According to the first aspect, a method for managing discontinuous sidechain reception is provided, the method comprising:

[0011] To acquire two or more discontinuous reception modes for a wireless communication device for sidechain communication with one or more user devices;

[0012] Select at least one discontinuous reception mode from two or more discontinuous reception modes of the wireless communication device;

[0013] According to at least one selected discontinuous reception mode, receive signals from one or more other devices and / or transmit signals to one or more other devices for sidechain communication.

[0014] According to a second aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising components for the following:

[0015] To acquire two or more discontinuous reception modes for a wireless communication device for sidechain communication with one or more user devices;

[0016] Select at least one discontinuous reception mode from two or more discontinuous reception modes of the wireless communication device;

[0017] According to at least one selected discontinuous reception mode, receive signals from one or more other devices and / or transmit signals to one or more other devices for sidechain communication.

[0018] According to a third aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus together with the at least one processor:

[0019] To acquire two or more discontinuous reception modes for a wireless communication device for sidechain communication with one or more user devices;

[0020] Select at least one discontinuous reception mode from two or more discontinuous reception modes of the wireless communication device;

[0021] According to at least one selected discontinuous reception mode, receive signals from one or more other devices and / or transmit signals to one or more other devices for sidechain communication.

[0022] According to a fourth aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0023] A first circuit system is configured to acquire two or more discontinuous reception modes for a wireless communication device for sidechain communication with one or more user devices.

[0024] The second circuit system is configured to select at least one discontinuous reception mode from two or more discontinuous reception modes of the wireless communication device.

[0025] A third circuit system is configured to provide an indication of at least one selected discontinuous reception mode to one or more other wireless communication devices; and

[0026] A third circuit system is configured to receive signals from one or more other devices and / or transmit signals to one or more other devices, depending on at least one selected discontinuous reception mode, for sidechain communication.

[0027] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program product including computer-readable program code is provided, the computer-readable program code being configured to, together with at least one processor, cause a device to perform at least the following operations:

[0028] To acquire two or more discontinuous reception modes for a wireless communication device for sidechain communication with one or more user devices;

[0029] Select at least one discontinuous reception mode from two or more discontinuous reception modes of the wireless communication device;

[0030] According to at least one selected discontinuous reception mode, receive signals from one or more other devices and / or transmit signals to one or more other devices for sidechain communication.

[0031] According to the sixth aspect, a method is provided, the method comprising:

[0032] Obtain a set of discontinuous reception modes and rules for selecting discontinuous reception modes for sidechain communication from the network control entity or operations and maintenance manager;

[0033] Information about the set of discontinuous reception modes and the rules for selecting discontinuous reception modes from the set is provided to one or more user equipment via system information blocks or dedicated signaling.

[0034] Receive instructions for one or more selected discontinuous reception modes from one or more user equipments; and

[0035] Based on instructions received from one or more user equipments regarding one or more selected discontinuous reception modes, resources are allocated to one or more user equipments for sidelink transmission or uplink / downlink transmission.

[0036] According to a seventh aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising components for the following:

[0037] Obtain a set of discontinuous reception modes and rules for selecting discontinuous reception modes for sidechain communication from the network control entity or operations and maintenance manager;

[0038] Information about the set of discontinuous reception modes and the rules for selecting discontinuous reception modes from the set is provided to one or more user equipment via system information blocks or dedicated signaling.

[0039] Receive instructions for one or more selected discontinuous reception modes from one or more user equipments; and

[0040] Based on instructions received from one or more user equipments regarding one or more selected discontinuous reception modes, resources are allocated to one or more user equipments for sidelink transmission or uplink / downlink transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To gain a more complete understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 A portion of an exemplary wireless communication access network according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0043] Figure 2 An example of a communication setup in which some embodiments can be implemented is shown;

[0044] Figure 3 An example of an ON-OFF mode for discontinuous reception in sidechain communication is shown;

[0045] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method according to one embodiment is provided;

[0046] Figure 5 A signaling diagram is depicted according to one embodiment for interactions between user equipments via sidechains and interactions between user equipments and the serving network;

[0047] Figure 6 An apparatus according to one embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "an," "one," or "some" embodiments in multiple places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference points to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature applies only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0049] Wireless equipment can be a device configured to communicate over radio waves via a radio link (i.e., a wireless link). Communication may include user services and / or signaling. User services may include data, voice, video, and / or audio. Examples of wireless links include point-to-point wireless links and point-to-multipoint wireless links. A wireless link may be established between two wireless devices. It should be understood that wireless devices may vary. For example, wireless devices connected via a wireless link may include one or more of the following: user equipment (UE), access node, access point, relay node, user terminal, and Internet of Things (IoT) device.

[0050] Radio equipment can be a radio access device configured to serve multiple other radio devices, user radio devices, and provide radio access to a communication system for user radio devices. Radio equipment can also be a radio station used as a relay node or to provide wireless backhaul for one or more radio access nodes. Examples of radio access devices include at least access nodes, access points, base stations, and (e / g) NodeBs. Examples of user radio devices include at least user terminals and user equipment (UEs). Radio equipment can be airborne radio equipment and / or extraterrestrial radio equipment configured to operate above the ground without requiring fixed installation at a specific altitude. Examples of extraterrestrial radio equipment include at least satellites and spacecraft configured for radio communications in a communication system that may include both terrestrial and extraterrestrial radio equipment. Examples of airborne radio equipment include at least High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as drones. Radio access equipment can have one or more cells to which user radio devices can connect to access the services of the communication system via the radio access equipment. Cells can include cells of different sizes, such as macrocells, microcells, picocells, and femtocells. A macro cell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over a large coverage area within the service area of ​​a communication system, such as in rural areas or along highways. A micro cell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over a smaller coverage area than a macro cell, such as in densely populated urban areas. A pico cell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over an area smaller than a micro cell, such as in a large office, shopping mall, or train station. A femto cell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over an area smaller than a femto cell, such as in a home or a small office. For example, a macro cell provides coverage for user radio equipment passing through a city on a fast lane / highway, while a local cell (e.g., a micro cell or smaller) provides coverage for user radio equipment within the city. In another example, a macro cell provides coverage for airborne and / or grounded radio equipment, while a local cell (e.g., a micro cell or smaller) provides coverage for airborne and / or grounded radio equipment located at a higher position relative to one or more radio access devices of the communication system. Therefore, airborne or extraterrestrial radio equipment can connect to a microcell of a radio access device, and when the airborne or extraterrestrial radio equipment is at a certain altitude above the ground, it can switch to a macrocell, for example, through a handover process.

[0051] Figure 1 A simplified example of a system architecture is depicted, showing only some components and functional entities, which are logical units whose implementations may differ from those shown. Figure 1The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may differ. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the system typically includes, in addition to... Figure 1 Other functions and structures besides those shown.

[0052] Figure 1 The example shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0053] Figure 1 User equipment 100 and 102 are shown, configured to wirelessly connect to an access node (such as (e / g)NodeB) 104 providing the cell on one or more communication channels within the cell. The physical link from the user equipment to the (e / g)NodeB is called an uplink or reverse link, while the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the user equipment is called a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB, or its functionality, can be implemented using any entity suitable for this use, such as a node, host, server, or access point. The access node provides access via radio frequency (RF) signal communication and may be referred to as a radio access node. It should be understood that a radio access network may include more than one access node, whereby handover of the user equipment's wireless connection from one cell of an access node (e.g., the source cell of the source access node) to another cell of another node (e.g., the target cell of the target access node) can be performed.

[0054] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB. In this case, (e / g)NodeBs can also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links can be used for signaling purposes. An (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB can also be referred to as a base station, access point, or any other type of interface device including relay stations capable of operating in a wireless environment. An (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. From the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB, a connection is provided to an antenna element, establishing a bidirectional radio link to the user equipment. The antenna element can include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is further connected to the core network 110 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side can be a Serving Gateway (S-GW, which routes and forwards user data packets), a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW, which provides connectivity between the user equipment (UE) and external packet data networks), or a Mobility Management Entity (MME), etc.

[0055] A user device (also known as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal equipment, wireless equipment, communication equipment, etc.) indicates a type of device to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, and therefore any features of a user device described herein can be implemented by a corresponding device (such as a relay node). An example of such a relay node is a base station-oriented Layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay).

[0056] User equipment (UAE) typically refers to portable computing devices, including wireless mobile communication devices with or without a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), including but not limited to: mobile stations (mobile phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones, devices using wireless modems (such as alarms or measuring devices), portable computers and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, laptops, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that UAE can also be a virtually exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or camcorder that loads images or video clips onto a network. UAE can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data over the network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. UAE can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, UAE may include small portable devices with radio components (such as watches, headphones, or glasses), and computation is performed in the cloud. UAE (or in some embodiments, a Layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more of the UAE functions. User equipment can also be referred to as subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, or user equipment (UE), with only a few names or devices mentioned.

[0057] The various techniques described in this paper can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems that collaboratively control computing elements of physical entities). CPS can realize and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in different locations within physical objects. Mobile cyber-physical systems, in which the physical systems discussed have inherent mobility, are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0058] Furthermore, although the device is depicted as a single entity, different units, processors, and / or memory units can be implemented. Figure 1 (Not all of them are shown in the image).

[0059] 5G supports the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, and far more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites that cooperate with small cells and employ multiple radio technologies, depending on service requirements, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different data sharing methods, and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC)), including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely, sub-6GHz, cmWave, and mmWave, and will also be able to integrate with existing legacy radio access technologies such as LTE. Integration with LTE can be implemented, at least in the early stages, as a system where macro coverage is provided by LTE through aggregation, and access to the 5G radio interface comes from small cells. In other words, 5G is planned to simultaneously support inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6GHz (cmWave) and sub-6GHz (cmWave, mmWave)). One of the concepts believed to be used in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnets (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0060] The current architecture in LTE networks is entirely distributed across radios and entirely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be closer to the radio, leading to local bursts and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach requires leveraging resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store and process content near cellular subscribers to accelerate response times. Edge computing encompasses a wide range of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data acquisition, mobile signature analytics, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing (which can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing), dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlets, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, the Internet of Things (IoT) (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), and critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0061] The communication system can also communicate with other networks such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network may also be able to support the use of cloud services; for example, at least a portion of the core network operation can be performed as a cloud service (this is in...). Figure 1 (Described by “Cloud” 114). The communication system may also include a central control entity, operation and maintenance manager, etc., that provides facilities for different operators’ networks to cooperate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0062] Edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Using an edge cloud may mean that access node operations are performed, at least partially, in servers, hosts, or nodes operatively coupled to a remote radio head or base station, including radio components. Node operations can also be distributed across multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. The application of the cloudRAN architecture enables real-time RAN functions to be executed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 104) and non-real-time functions to be executed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 108).

[0063] It should also be understood that the workload allocation between core network operations and base station operations may differ from, or even not exist at all, in LTE. Some other technological advancements that may be used include big data and all-IP, which could potentially transform how networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio) networks are designed to support multi-layered architectures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and base stations or NodeBs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0064] 5G can also leverage satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example, by providing backhaul. Possible use cases include providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on board vehicles, or ensuring the availability of critical communications and future rail / maritime / aviation communications. Satellite communications can utilize geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, as well as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, particularly mega-constellations (systems deploying hundreds of (nano) satellites). Each satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities that create a ground cell. Ground cells can be created via ground relay nodes 104 or gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0065] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described system is merely an example of a portion of a radio access system, and in practice, the system may include multiple (e / g) NodeBs, user equipment may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one (e / g) NodeB may be a home (e / g) NodeB. Furthermore, multiple different types of radio cells and multiple radio cells may be provided within the geographical area of ​​the radio communication system. Radio cells may be macrocells (or umbrella cells), which are large cells typically tens of kilometers in diameter, or smaller cells such as micro, femtocells, or picocells. Figure 1 The (e / g)NodeB can provide any type of these cells. Cellular radio systems can be implemented as multi-layer networks comprising several types of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells, and therefore multiple (e / g)NodeBs are required to provide this network structure.

[0066] To meet the need for improved deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeBs was introduced. Typically, in addition to home (e / g) NodeBs (H(e / g) NodeBs), networks capable of using "plug and play" (e / g) NodeBs also include home NodeB gateways or HNB-GWs ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). HNB gateways (HNB-GWs), typically installed within a carrier's network, can aggregate services from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0067] However, the embodiments are not limited to the system given as an example, but those skilled in the art can apply the solution to other communication systems with the necessary properties.

[0068] Sidechains (SLs) are oriented based on the transmitting user equipment (Tx UE), where the receiving user equipment (Rx UE) may need to continuously monitor all possible PSCCH (Physical Sidechain Control Channel) instances to receive sidechain transmissions through one or more pre-configured resource pools. There are at least two allocation methods for sidechain transmissions. The first mode (Mode 1) is a base station (BS) scheduling mode, where the serving base station allocates resources for sidechain transmissions for user equipment. The second mode (Mode 2) is an autonomous UE selection mode, where user equipment can allocate resources for sidechain transmissions without base station intervention. These modes do not differentiate between receiving Rx UEs in terms of receiving sidechains, regardless of whether the sidechain is used for broadcast, multicast, or unicast. Sidechains can be applied both within and outside coverage areas with multi-PLMN support (Tx UEs and Rx UEs from different serving PLMNs).

[0069] In public safety or road safety use cases, sidechain communication is typically used for multicast or broadcast in a connectionless manner. Therefore, a receiving user equipment (Rx UE) may need to listen to various transmitting user equipment (Tx UEs) in the vicinity without prior knowledge of which Tx UEs might be present. Consequently, the potential discontinuous reception (DRX) operation of the receiving UE needs to cope with the presence of various random Tx UEs in the vicinity. On the other hand, the transmitting UEs may not know or care whether any specific receiving UE is present nearby. This can make discontinuous reception operation specific to an individual receiving UE quite impractical.

[0070] In connection-oriented unicast and multicast use cases, discontinuous reception operations specific to individual receiving user equipment (DUE) can be pre-agreed between receiving and transmitting DUEs via sidechains. Typically, considering sidechain support for low-power wearable devices or relay DUEs, a managed or relay DUE can act as a common coordination point for DRX operations of all receiving DUEs connected to or served by the same managed or relay DUE.

[0071] In the above use case, the receiving user equipment can become the transmitting user equipment and switch to Uu (air interface) from time to time for network access, so the capability limitations of the user equipment and / or half-duplex issues may need to be considered.

[0072] In addition, the following factors may have a direct impact on the demand for and / or priority of DRX operations by receiving user equipment:

[0073] -Rx UE may be in different states of mobile battery power, such as low, medium, and high.

[0074] -Rx UEs may experience different SL channel conditions and different synchronization timings for different Tx UEs, because Tx UEs may come from different serving carriers or PLMNs, network coverage states, etc., even for the same service.

[0075] -Rx UEs may provide different services to different Tx UEs via SL, and provide services to service BS via Uu.

[0076] Considering all the observations and influencing factors listed above, a semi-static ON-OFF mode that allows transmitting or receiving user equipment (UFOs) to determine individual receiving UFOs' DRX operations via sidechains during operation is generally impractical, as coordination may be required between all receiving UFOs of the same transmitting UFO or all transmitting UFOs of the same receiving UFO via sidechains. This coordination can be quite cumbersome or extensive (increasing with the number of transmitting and receiving UFOs involved), as the number of transmitting or receiving UFOs may dynamically change depending on the use case and the UE context (including service profiles, states, or conditions).

[0077] Below, according to one embodiment, a method for network configuration using a semi-static ON-OFF mode is described. This semi-static ON-OFF mode corresponds to a pre-defined combination of pre-configured supported user equipment or user equipment class, based on sidechain discontinuous reception for in-coverage operation or out-of-coverage operation. This also aligns with the resource pool configuration and solution, at least for sidechain reception, which is common to all relevant user equipment. Specifically, the Rx UE in the DRX is configured to receive SL via a sub-pool derived from the selected ON-OFF mode and the corresponding configuration pool, monitored via the Physical Sidechain Control Channel (PSCCH). Therefore, extensive coordination between the relevant Tx UE(s) and Rx UE(s) for determining and agreeing on the ON-OFF mode for DRX operation can be avoided.

[0078] The term ON-OFF mode refers to the time during which a user equipment's receiver is able to receive (i.e., in receive mode (e.g., on)) and the time during which the receiver is not in receive mode (e.g., off). ON-OFF modes can repeat sequentially unless changed to another mode or temporarily interrupted, such as when there is still data to be transmitted during the current on period and the time reserved for the on period is about to end.

[0079] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an example of DRX's ON-OFF mode. The ON period indicates the time during which the receiver of a user equipment (UE) is enabled (e.g., turned on, powered on) to receive transmissions from other devices (such as from another UE and / or from a base station). The OFF period indicates the time during which the receiver of a UE is disabled (e.g., turned off, powered off) to receive transmissions from other devices (such as from another UE and / or from a base station). The DRX cycle indicates the total length (time) of the DRX period, i.e., the length of one ON period and one OFF period.

[0080] In the following text, ON-OFF mode is also referred to as timing mode, receive enable-disable mode, discontinuous receive mode, or simply DRX mode.

[0081] DRX mode can be referred to as semi-static DRX mode, meaning that when selected, the DRX mode indicates the length of the DRX period and, within that period, the length of the ON and OFF periods. However, after selection, the lengths of the ON and / or OFF periods can be changed if certain conditions indicate otherwise. This change can be reversible or irreversible until the next DRX period selection (if any).

[0082] Figure 2 An example of a communication setup in which some embodiments can be implemented is shown. A base station 200 is present, which can operate as an access point for user equipment 204, 206, 208 to a communication network 202. User equipment 204, 206, 208 has wireless communication capabilities with other user equipment and / or base stations. For example, in Figure 2 In this setup, one user equipment 204 acts as a relay between other user equipments 206, 208 and base station 200. However, some of user equipments 204, 206, and 208 can also have direct communication connections with each other without any relay user equipment or base station. Figure 2 In the example, the second user equipment 206 and the third user equipment 208 are communicating with each other, while the first user equipment 204 is communicating with the base station 200, the second user equipment 206 and the third user equipment 208.

[0083] For example, user devices that are directly connected to each other can use sidechain connection 210.

[0084] exist Figure 2 In the diagram, User Equipment 204 is communicating with Base Station 200 using both downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), while User Equipment 206 is communicating with Base Station 200 using only downlink (DL), i.e., receiving signals only from Base Station 200, and communicating with the other two User Equipments 204 and 208 via sidelinks. User Equipment 208 is communicating with User Equipments 204 and 206 only via sidelinks. However, User Equipment 204, which can communicate with Base Station 200, can forward messages from other User Equipments 206 and 208 to Base Station 200, and can also forward messages from Base Station 200 to other User Equipments 206 and 208.

[0085] User equipment (UE) may be able to receive signals from the base station, but signals transmitted by the UE may not be received by the base station. This could be because the base station's available transmission power is higher than the UE's transmission power. In this case, the UE may, for example, receive control information from the base station (via downlink DL) and, for example, transmit responses and data to the relay UE via sidelink communication with the relay UE.

[0086] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 4 Flowchart, Figure 5 Signaling diagrams for interactions between user equipment via sidechains and interactions between user equipment and the serving network, and Figure 2 The system settings are used to describe some example implementations.

[0087] One or more predefined sets of different receive enable-disable modes are defined. Each set of predefined different receive enable-disable modes may include one or more different receive enable-disable modes. According to one embodiment, a method for selecting a DRX mode may include selecting one set from the above-mentioned set of one or more sets, and if the selected set includes more than one DRX mode, selecting one DRX mode from the selected set of DRX modes.

[0088] For example, the DRX mode can be selected as follows.

[0089] User equipment (related user equipment, related UE) acquisition ( Figure 4Box 401 in the diagram represents a set of predefined semi-static ON-OFF modes for the SL DRX, for example, received from the serving network (e.g., in coverage operation) or from another user equipment (e.g., in relay operation), or retrieved from the user equipment's memory (e.g., in out-of-coverage operation, e.g., from a subscriber identification module or another storage circuit system). The serving network then configures the user equipment with this set of predefined semi-static ON-OFF modes for the SLDRX, either as a pre-configuration by the serving network for out-of-coverage situations, or as a cell-specific or area-specific configuration by the serving network for coverage situations via the transmission of a System Information Block (SIB) carrying System Information (SI) or dedicated signaling. Each configured ON-OFF mode is assigned a unique identifier (ID) corresponding to a specified combination of known use cases, service profiles, states, and / or conditions for the relevant user equipment. For example, different ON-OFF modes can be specified for different target use cases and / or service profiles (application / service profiles), such as road safety messaging services for VRU UEs (vulnerable road user equipment), mission-critical voice group calls and multimedia messaging services for public safety UEs, multimedia messaging services for low-power sensor-based wearable UEs, and network access services for relay UEs. For different states of mobile battery remaining power or its lifespan, there can be subsets (or adjustment offsets) of different ON-OFF modes (or specified time periods) to reflect different critical levels or priorities of power-saving needs. For different configured resource pools and / or different channel busy rates (CBRs) or load conditions of corresponding resource pools or carriers, there can be subsets (or adjustment offsets) of different ON-OFF modes (or ON-OFF time periods). For example, when a user equipment notices that its battery life has dropped below a threshold, the user equipment can select another DRX mode for the same ongoing use case and / or service profile, if available (because the user equipment can be configured or pre-configured with one or more DRX modes according to the supported use cases and / or service profiles corresponding to different predefined ranges of mobile battery states), with the aim of reducing the power consumption of the user equipment.

[0090] The relevant user equipment can be configured to select (402) the correct ON-OFF mode for the required or supported DRX on the SL, as described below, depending on its target application / service and status / conditions, and an indication of the selected ON-OFF mode ID received from other nearby relevant user equipment. For example, this can be a voluntary selection by the user equipment or a mandatory control by the serving base station or associated managed or relay user equipment.

[0091] Associated user equipment (User Equipment) can be configured to align the use of DRX and the timing of the selected ON-OFF mode with other nearby associated User Equipment (User Equipment), consistent with the use of corresponding configured or pre-configured resource pools. For example, all individual User Equipment (User Equipment) of a target sidechain multicast service (all members of a public safety User Group with mission-critical voice group calls or messaging) can select the DRX mode configured for the sidechain multicast service and need to keep DRX operations synchronized with each other in the vicinity of the multicast service. Therefore, associated User Equipment can be configured to indicate (403) the ID of the selected ON-OFF mode on the SL to other nearby associated User Equipment. This can be enforced by the service network, at least for those associated User Equipment that act as synchronization sources for sidechain, hosted, or relay User Equipment. Note that these enforced User Equipment may not require DRX but may support DRX from other User Equipment connected to them, for example, in the case of wearable devices. It should also be noted that, for example, in the case of group communications for public safety, the relevant user equipment (UE) may be equally active in both reception (Rx) and transmission (Tx), or in the case of vulnerable road UEs, the relevant UE may be more active in transmission but less active in reception. The relevant UE can be configured to indicate the selected ON-OFF mode to the serving BS, such that, for example, the serving BS can respect DRX operation on the UE's sidechain when allocating resources for sidechain transmissions or scheduling UL / DL transmissions for the UE. The relevant UE can be configured to indicate critical power-saving levels and / or required QoS (Quality of Service) (corresponding to target conditioning during ON-OFF periods) separately from the ID of the selected ON-OFF mode. This can be based, for example, on the following options:

[0092] (i) Critical power-saving needs, such as due to the low state of mobile batteries or the high power consumption of ongoing services.

[0093] (ii) The critical half-duplex issue, since it needs to transmit on SL or switch to Uu;

[0094] (iii) Critical services, such as high-priority services or ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), should avoid conflicts through resource allocation.

[0095] When acting as a transmission user equipment, the relevant user equipment adapts the SL transmission based on the selected ON-OFF mode applied to the service corresponding to the SL transmission, as well as the received indications regarding the selected ON-OFF mode and / or key power-saving levels from other nearby relevant user equipment. Figure 4 (Box 404 in the middle).

[0096] This adaptation can be considered as part of or a result of aligning the selected DRX mode among nearby related user equipment. If different individual related user equipment selects and indicates different or multiple DRX modes for the same or different service profiles, the transmitting user equipment can adapt the SL transmission to the indicated different or multiple DRX modes during overlapping ON periods (if such periods can be found), or by repeating the same SL transmission multiple times for different related UEs during the ON period of each indicated DRX mode. This is because: (i) a user equipment can select more than one DRX mode(s) for more than one service(s) on the SLs of one or more other user equipments; and (ii) different user equipments can select different DRX modes (if predefined and configured) for the same service on the SLs of one or more other user equipments, depending on their state / conditions.

[0097] This adaptation can trigger a relevant transport user equipment (UE) to adaptively request mode 1 resources for SL transmissions to other relevant UEs based on received indications of their ON-OFF modes. For example, a transport UE can request SL mode 1 SPS allocation from the base station based on the ON-OFF mode indicated by a nearby relevant UE. Therefore, the transport UE may need to indicate its selected ON-OFF mode and the ON-OFF modes received from other nearby relevant UEs to request appropriate mode 1 resource allocation (RA).

[0098] When acting as a transmitting user equipment, the relevant user equipment is configured to follow the indicated ON-OFF mode or dynamically extend the ON period of the indicated ON-OFF mode based on the indicated critical power saving level and / or required QoS, etc. For example, if the relevant user equipment indicates a low power level or critical half-duplex constraint or non-critical QoS requirement for other transmissions and the selected ON-OFF mode, the transmitting user equipment can fully follow the indicated ON-OFF mode for SL transmissions, even if some data still needs to be transmitted after the ON period ends. Otherwise, if the transmitting user equipment identifies the necessity and / or possibility of extending the ON period of the current DRX cycle, for example, due to critical services with strict QoS and / or non-critical situations in the relevant receiving user equipment in terms of power level or half-duplex issues, the transmitting user equipment can use the first-stage resource reservation SCI (sidechain control information) to indicate the next expected SL transmission to other relevant user equipment (also applicable to scheduled exclusive mode 1 resources, not just selected shared mode 2 resources) to trigger the relevant receiving user equipment to extend the ON period of the current DRX cycle. This allows the receiving user equipment to determine dynamic ON-OFF during the ON duration of the selected ON-OFF mode.

[0099] When a user equipment (UE) is in a connected state, it is configured to indicate to the serving base station the selected ON-OFF mode on the SL. This selected ON-OFF mode is chosen by the UE or based on instructions received from other nearby UEs (indicating the selected ON-OFF mode on the SL). This can be used by the serving base station to align the DRX on the Uu and the DRX on the SL, and to schedule mode 1 resources for the UE or reconfigure (multiple) resource pools for the UE.

[0100] Relevant user equipment (belonging to a specific predefined user equipment category or group) can be configured with a common semi-static ON-OFF mode. This mode is selected by the user equipment or enforced by the serving BS, managed, or relay user equipment for SL DRX. This means that the relevant user equipment is configured to monitor, for example, SCI on the PSCCH to receive SL through a sub-pool of the overall Rx pool derived from the configured ON-OFF mode. In other words, some embodiments suggest a flexible time-sharing solution for SL resource pools configured for different use cases, service profiles, states, or conditions for relevant user equipment, without requiring explicit sub-pooling and configuration for all relevant user equipment to facilitate DRX support on the SL of the relevant user equipment. The determination and coordination of DRX operations on the SL are shifted to the serving network to some extent, rather than relying entirely on distributed determination and coordination between user equipment. Therefore, this is more practical and controllable, consistent with SL resource configuration and allocation.

[0101] In one embodiment, the network can coordinate and configure the ON-OFF mode of SL DRX and the SL resource pool configuration over the entire effective area of ​​multiple serving cells.

[0102] In one embodiment, the network may configure user equipment to not follow the region-based spatial solution for mode 2 resources when SL DRX is present, because the combination of the two may result in a shortage of transport resources in mode 2.

[0103] In one embodiment, the transmitting user equipment (TUE) adjusts its SL transmission based on the most critical ON-OFF mode received from other nearby relevant receiving user equipments. By indicating the next expected SL transmission using the first phase of the PSCCH, the TUE can be allowed to dynamically extend the ON period when there is still more data to transmit, regardless of whether it is using mode 1 or mode 2 resources. In an alternative or additional embodiment, the TUE can send a request, for example in the form of a MAC CE on the SL, to extend the current ON period of the selected ON-OFF mode to other relevant user equipments.

[0104] In one embodiment, the network may define a set of ON-OFF modes that correspond to the supported QoS categories but not directly to use cases or applications. In this case, it may be necessary to establish common mapping rules between (multiple) applications / (multiple) services and their corresponding ON-OFF modes, enabling user equipment (UEs) to select the correct ON-OFF mode for their applications / services. In another option, assuming the application layer is informed of the predefined ON-OFF modes supported by the access network, the selection and coordination of ON-OFF modes among relevant UEs can be delegated to the application layer. Note that it may be necessary to indicate and align one or at least a limited number of ON-OFF modes through all nearby relevant UEs. If the indication of the selected ON-OFF modes is implemented using the proximity discovery service on the SL, even if the access layer (serving network and UE) can be chosen to define and select the ON-OFF modes, the application still needs to be informed of the selected ON-OFF mode.

[0105] In one embodiment, a user equipment (UE) may have more than one selectable ON-OFF mode because the UE can be active in more than one service with different other UEs or groups of UEs. In this case, the UE can indicate the individual's selectable ON-OFF mode list to other relevant UEs in the vicinity.

[0106] Figure 5 A signaling diagram illustrating interactions between user equipments via sidechains and interactions between user equipments and the serving network, according to one embodiment, is depicted. Base station 500 transmits a set of pre-configured ON-OFF modes for SL DRX to all relevant user equipments residing within its radio coverage area in an SIB message broadcast. This base station includes SL peer-to-peer transmitting user equipment (SL Tx UE) 502 and SL peer-to-peer receiving user equipment (SL Rx UE) 501. Figure 5(Arrows 503-504 in the image). User equipment 501 receives the SIB message and selects 505 at least one ON-OFF mode from a pre-configured set for the target SL DRX. User equipment 501 sends an indication of the selected ON-OFF mode in an indication message (Ind) to other relevant user equipment, including SL peering user equipment 502. In 507, because user equipment 501 may from time to time become a Tx UE to perform ongoing communication services with other nearby SL peering user equipment via SL, user equipment 501 may indicate the selected ON-OFF mode to base station 500 in advance. Transmitting user equipment 502 determines the at least one ON-OFF mode selected by the relevant user equipment, i.e., receiving user equipment 501, and adapts the SL transmission toward the relevant user equipment 501 based on the determined at least one ON-OFF mode of the relevant user equipment 501. Figure 5 (See box 508 in the image). Transmitting User Equipment 502 sends a request (509) to Base Station 500 for Mode 1 resources used for SL transmission. This request includes an indication of a selected set of ON-OFF modes based on received indications of selected ON-OFF modes from (multiple) related User Equipments, including Receiving User Equipment 501. If Base Station 500 authorizes the requested resources, it sends a Mode 1 SL Resource Allocation (RA) Authorization Message (510) to Transmitting User Equipment 502. Transmitting User Equipment 502 may then send three messages to User Equipment 501: a first-stage SCI indicating the RA reserved for the next SL transmission (in this example, authorized Mode 1 resources), arrow 511; a second-stage SCI indicating the RA for the current SL transmission (in this example, authorized Mode 1 resources), arrow 512; and the data for the current SL transmission, arrow 513. During the transmission of these three messages, User Equipment 501 is in the ON state. User equipment 501 determines 514's dynamic ON-OFF during the ON duration based on the received first-stage SCI.

[0107] In some use cases (e.g., business, mission-critical group communications, or VRU), relevant user equipment may require a user equipment discovery process, or relevant user equipment may be pre-grouped / classified.

[0108] It should be noted that VRUs such as PUEs in LTE do not need to receive SLs at all. In 5G, if a VRU is required to receive SLs within a limited range, this can be done, for example, by configuring all VRUs to use a single DRX mode, i.e., 10ms ON and 90ms OFF within a 100ms DRX period (DRX is OFF for 90% of the time). This DRX mode of the VRU is also pre-configured / indicated to all other relevant V-UEs, so that messages from V-UEs targeting the VRU should be sent to them during the VRU's ON period. The VRU does not need to indicate anything on the SL here. If only one pre-configured DRX mode is applied to other types of UEs, this also applies to them.

[0109] The following provides some non-limiting examples of ON-OFF modes (also known as discontinuous reception modes) for sidechain DRX:

[0110] - The first subset has one mode: DRX period is 20ms, ON-OFF period is 10+10ms, suitable for delay-critical real-time services, 50% OFF for power saving;

[0111] - A second subset with two modes: DRX period of 40ms, ON-OFF periods of 10+30 and 20+20ms, for real-time service, with two options: 75% and 50% OFF for power saving;

[0112] - The third subset has 5 modes: DRX period of 100ms, ON-OFF periods of 10+90, 20+80, 30+70, 40+60, 50+50ms, for messaging services, with 5 options: 90% to 50% OFF for power saving.

[0113] Defining such ON-OFF modes to suit a wide range of use cases and power-saving needs is quite flexible, provided that multiple or a large number of such modes are not required.

[0114] Figure 6 Examples of apparatuses according to at least some embodiments of the present invention are shown. The apparatus may be a radio device, such as a radio access node or a user radio device. The apparatus may perform one or more functions according to the examples described herein.

[0115] The device includes a processor 602 and a transceiver 604. The processor is operatively connected to the transceiver for controlling the transceiver. The device may include a memory 606. The memory may be operatively connected to the processor. It should be understood that the memory may be a separate memory or may be included in the processor and / or the transceiver.

[0116] According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to control the transceiver to perform one or more functions as described in the embodiment.

[0117] Memory can be a computer-readable medium that is non-transitory. Memory can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Data processor can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can include one or more of general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures, as non-limiting examples.

[0118] Implementations may be carried out using software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic. The software, application logic, and / or hardware may reside on memory or any computer medium. In example embodiments, the application logic, software, or instruction set is maintained on any of a variety of conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" can be any medium or apparatus that can contain, store, transmit, propagate, or transfer instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer).

[0119] In relevant contexts, references to "computer-readable storage medium," "computer program product," "tangible computer program," or "processor" or "processing circuit system" should be understood to encompass not only computers with different architectures such as single / multiprocessor architectures and sequencer / parallel architectures, but also special-purpose circuits such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices, and other devices. References to computer-readable program code devices, computer programs, computer instructions, computer code, etc., should be understood to refer to software used in programmable processor firmware, such as programmable content of hardware devices, as instructions for a processor, or as configuration or configuration settings for fixed-function devices, gate arrays, programmable logic devices, etc.

[0120] While the examples above describe embodiments of the invention operating within a user radio equipment, UE, radio access equipment, or gNB, it should be understood that the invention described above can be implemented as part of any apparatus including a circuit system in which radio frequency signals are transmitted and / or received. Therefore, for example, embodiments of the invention can be implemented in mobile phones, base stations, radio stations, user radio equipment, or computers including radio frequency communication devices (e.g., wireless LANs, cellular radios, etc.), such as desktop or tablet computers.

[0121] Generally, various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry or any combination thereof. Although various aspects of the invention may be illustrated and described as block diagrams or using some other graphical representation, it is well understood that, by way of non-limiting example, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0122] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more of the following:

[0123] (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems), and

[0124] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

[0125] (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0126] (ii) Any part of a hardware processor(s) having software (including multiple digital signal processors(s)), software, and memory, which work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0127] (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when operation is not required.

[0128] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers implementations of only hardware circuitry or processors (or processors in general) and portions thereof, and their accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0129] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the invention by way of exemplary and non-limiting examples. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims, given the foregoing description. Nevertheless, all such modifications and similar alterations taught in this invention will still fall within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment from a base station, two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns in a discontinuous reception mode for the user equipment for sidelink communication with one or more other user equipments, wherein each of the semi-static ON-OFF patterns corresponds to a particular service profile, wherein the semi-static ON-OFF patterns indicate how long a discontinuous reception period is, and, within the discontinuous reception period, how long an ON period is and how long an OFF period is; determining one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns that has a closest correspondence to a target service profile of the user equipment; selecting the one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns that has the closest correspondence to the target service profile of the user equipment; and receiving broadcast or groupcast signals from the one or more other user equipments and / or transmitting broadcast or groupcast signals to the one or more other user equipments in accordance with the selected one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns for the sidelink communication.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising: providing an indication of the selected one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns to the one or more other user equipments.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising: obtaining two or more sets of discontinuous reception patterns, wherein each of the two or more sets comprises one or more discontinuous reception patterns, wherein at least one discontinuous reception pattern is selected by: selecting a set from the two or more sets; and selecting the one or more discontinuous reception patterns from the selected set.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns indicates an ON time when a receiver of the user equipment is enabled to receive signals from other user equipments, and an OFF time during which the receiver is prohibited to receive signals from the other user equipments.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising: checking, prior to prohibiting the receiver of the user equipment to receive signals from other user equipments at the end of an ON period, whether the ON period should be extended depending on whether an indication of a resource reservation for a further upcoming sidelink transmission from one or more other user equipments is received, and, if the indication is received, keeping the receiver enabled to receive signals from other user equipments until the extension of the ON period is no longer needed.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising one of: ​ transmitting, to one or more other user equipment, information of one or more attributes that can have an impact on the one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns; receiving, from one or more other user equipment, information of one or more attributes that can have an impact on the one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: indicating, to the base station, the selected one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns of itself.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: indicating a resource reservation for more upcoming sidelink transmissions to one or more other user equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the indicated resource reservation refers to resources allocated by an access node to a transmitting user equipment, or resources selected by the transmitting user equipment.

10. A user equipment for communication, comprising means for: receiving, from a base station, two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns in a discontinuous reception pattern for the user equipment for sidelink communication with one or more other user equipment, wherein each of the semi-static ON-OFF patterns corresponds to a particular service profile, wherein the semi-static ON-OFF patterns indicate how long a discontinuous reception period is, and, within the discontinuous reception period, how long an ON period is and how long an OFF period is; determining one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns that has a closest correspondence to a target service profile of the user equipment; selecting the one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns that has the closest correspondence to the target service profile of the user equipment; and receiving, from one or more other user equipment, and / or transmitting, to one or more other user equipment, broadcast or groupcast signals in accordance with the selected one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns for the sidelink communication.

11. The user equipment of claim 10, further comprising means for: providing, to one or more other user equipment, an indication of the selected one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns.

12. The user equipment of claim 10 or 11, further comprising means for: obtaining two or more groups of discontinuous reception patterns, wherein each of the two or more groups comprises one or more discontinuous reception patterns, wherein at least one discontinuous reception pattern is selected by: selecting a group from the two or more groups; and selecting the one or more discontinuous reception patterns from the selected group.

13. The user device of claim 10 or 11, further comprising means for: checking whether an ON period should be extended depending on whether an indication of a resource reservation for further upcoming sidelink transmissions from one or more other user devices is received, and if the indication is received, keeping the receiver of the user device enabled to receive signals from other user devices until the extension of the ON period is no longer needed.

14. The user device of claim 10 or 11, further comprising means for at least one of: sending, to one or more other user devices, information of one or more properties that can have an impact on the one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns; receiving, from one or more other user devices, information of one or more properties that can have an impact on the one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns.

15. The user device of claim 10 or 11, further comprising means for: indicating to the base station a selected one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns of itself.

16. The user device of claim 10 or 11, further comprising means for: indicating a resource reservation for further upcoming sidelink transmissions to one or more other user devices.

17. The user device of claim 10 or 11, wherein the user device is a receiving user device, and / or a transmitting user device.

18. A user device for communication, comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user device to: receive, from a base station, two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns in a discontinuous reception pattern for the user device for sidelink communication with one or more other user devices, wherein each of the semi-static ON-OFF patterns corresponds to a particular service profile, wherein the semi-static ON-OFF patterns indicate how long a discontinuous reception period is, and, within the discontinuous reception period, how long an ON period is and how long an OFF period is; determine one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns that has the closest correspondence to a target service profile of the user device; select the one of the two or more semi-static ON-OFF patterns that has the closest correspondence to a target service profile of the user device; and receiving broadcast or groupcast signals from one or more other user equipments, and / or transmitting broadcast or groupcast signals to one or more other user equipments, for the sidelink communication, in accordance with the selected one of the two or more predefined semi-static ON-OFF patterns.

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