Systems and Methods for Sidelink Time Slot Indication

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for indicating potential sidelink time slots. In some embodiments, a method performed by a first wireless communication device includes determining, by the first wireless communication device, a first number of bits N1 for indicating a first portion of a certain number of potential sidelink time slots and / or a second number of bits N2 for indicating a second portion of the certain number of potential sidelink time slots, and providing, by the first wireless communication device, in sidelink communication, the number of potential sidelink time slots to a second wireless communication device, the number of potential sidelink time slots being obtained based on the first number of bits N1 and the second number of bits N2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, to systems and methods for V2X communication for indicating potential sidelink time slots. Background Art

[0002] Sidelink (SL) communication is wireless communication directly between two or more user equipment devices (hereinafter referred to as "UE"). In this type of communication, two or more UEs that are geographically close to each other can communicate directly without passing through an eNode or a base station (hereinafter referred to as "BS") or a core network. Therefore, data transmission in sidelink communication is different from typical cellular network communication, which transmits data to a BS (i.e., uplink transmission) or receives data from a BS (i.e., downlink transmission). In sidelink communication, data is directly transmitted from a source UE to a target UE through a unified air interface (e.g., PC5 interface) without passing through a BS.

[0003] In the case of network coverage, all UEs are within the network coverage of a BS. In the case of partial network coverage, at least one UE is within the network coverage, and at least one other UE is outside the network coverage. In the case of beyond network coverage, all UEs are outside the network coverage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Example embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems related to one or more challenges presented in the prior art, and to providing additional features that will become apparent upon reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art reading this disclosure that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0005] In some embodiments, a method performed by a first wireless communication device includes determining, by the first wireless communication device, a first number of bits N1 indicating a first portion of a certain number of potential sidelink time slots and / or determining a second number of bits N2 indicating a second portion of a certain number of potential sidelink time slots, and providing, by the first wireless communication device, in sidelink communication, the number of potential sidelink time slots, where the number of potential sidelink time slots is obtained based on the first number of bits N1 and / or the second number of bits N2.

[0006] In some embodiments, the method includes a first wireless communication device identifying a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern and the second pattern together representing a number of potential sidelink time slots. In some embodiments, the first pattern has a first period p1, and the second pattern has a second period p2. In some embodiments, the method includes the first wireless communication device determining a first number of potential sidelink time slots S1 included in the first pattern and a second number of potential sidelink time slots S2 included in the second pattern based on a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing u1.

[0007] In some embodiments, a method performed by a second wireless communication device includes the second wireless communication device receiving, in sidelink communication, indication bits from the first wireless communication device indicating a number of potential sidelink time slots, and the second wireless communication device determining a first number of bits N1 indicating a first portion of the number of potential sidelink time slots and / or a second number of bits N2 indicating a second portion of the number of potential sidelink time slots.

[0008] The above and other aspects and their implementations will be described in more detail in the drawings, the description, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Various example embodiments of the solution are described in detail below with reference to the following diagrams or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict example embodiments of the solution to facilitate understanding by the reader. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of illustration.

[0010] Figure 1A An example wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

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

[0012] Figure 2 An example wireless communication network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 3 An example diagram of a pattern according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 4 An example diagram of two patterns according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 5 An example diagram of two patterns according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation Modes

[0016] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the present solution. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example approach. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed method or process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in a sample order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0017] Refer to Figure 1A , which shows an example wireless communication network 100. The wireless communication network 100 shows group communication within a cellular network. In a wireless communication system, network-side communication nodes or base stations (BSs) may include next-generation Node Bs (gNBs), E-utran Node Bs (also referred to as evolved Node Bs, eNodeBs or eNBs), pico stations, femto stations, Transmission / Reception Points (TRPs), Access Points (APs), etc. Terminal-side nodes or user equipment (UEs) may include long-distance communication systems (such as mobile devices, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptop computers), or short-distance communication systems (such as wearable devices, vehicles with vehicle communication systems, etc.). In Figure 1A , the network-side and terminal-side communication nodes are represented by BS 102 and UE 104a or 104b respectively, and the same is true in the embodiments of the present disclosure hereinafter. In some embodiments, BS 102 and UE 104a / 104b are sometimes referred to as "wireless communication nodes" and "wireless communication devices" respectively. Such communication nodes / devices can perform wireless and / or wired communication.

[0018] In Figure 1AIn the illustrated embodiment, the BS 102 may define the cell 101 in which the UEs 104a-b are located. The UE 104a may include a vehicle moving within the coverage area of the cell 101. The UE 104a may communicate with the BS 102 via the communication channel 103a. Similarly, the UE 104b may communicate with the BS 102 via the communication channel 103b. In addition, the UEs 104a-b may communicate with each other via the communication channel 105. The communication channels between the UEs and the BS (e.g., 103a-b) may be through an interface such as the Uu interface, which is also known as the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) air interface. The communication channel between the UEs (e.g., 105) may be through the PC5 interface, which is introduced to address applications with high mobility speeds and high densities, such as, for example, Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication, Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) communication, Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication, Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) communication, etc. In some cases, such automotive network communication modes may be collectively referred to as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. It can be understood that the communication channel between the UEs may be used in Device-to-Device (D2D) communication while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. The BS 102 is connected to the core network (CN) 108 via an external interface 107 (e.g., the Iu interface).

[0019] Figure 1B FIG. shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication system 150 for transmitting and receiving downlink, uplink, and sidelink communication signals in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 150 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that are not described in detail herein. In one embodiment, as described above, the system 150 may transmit and receive data symbols in a wireless communication environment of a wireless communication network 100 such as Figure 1A of.

[0020] As Figure 1AAs described above, system 150 generally includes BS 102 and UEs 104a-b. BS 102 includes BS transceiver module 110, BS antenna 112, BS memory module 116, BS processor module 114, and network communication module 118, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via data communication bus 120 as required. UE 104a includes UE transceiver module 130a, UE antenna 132a, UE memory module 134a, and UE processor module 136a, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via data communication bus 140a as required. Similarly, UE 104b includes UE transceiver module 130b, UE antenna 132b, UE memory module 134b, and UE processor module 136b, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via data communication bus 140b as required. BS 102 communicates with UEs 104a-b via one or more communication channels 150, which can be any wireless channel or other medium known in the art and suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0021] As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, system 150 may also include any number of modules other than Figure 1B the modules shown. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logics described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described in terms of their functionality. Whether the functionality is implemented in the form of hardware, firmware, or software depends on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Persons familiar with the concepts described herein can implement such functionality in an appropriate manner for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] The wireless transmission from the antenna of one of the UEs 104a-b to the antenna of the BS 102 is referred to as an uplink transmission, and the wireless transmission from the antenna of the BS 102 to the antenna of one of the UEs 104a-b is referred to as a downlink transmission. According to some embodiments, each of the UE transceiver modules 130a-b may be referred to herein as an uplink transceiver or a UE transceiver. The uplink transceiver may include transmitter and receiver circuits, each coupled to a corresponding antenna 132a-b. A duplex switch may alternately couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-division duplex manner. Similarly, the BS transceiver module 110 may be referred to herein as a downlink transceiver or a BS transceiver. The downlink transceiver may include RF transmitter and receiver circuits, each coupled to the antenna 112. A downlink duplex switch may alternately couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the antenna 112 in a time-division duplex manner. The operations of the transceivers 110 and 130a-b are coordinated in time such that while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the antenna 112, the uplink receiver is coupled to the antennas 132a-b to receive transmissions on the wireless communication channel 150. In some embodiments, the UEs 104a-b may communicate with the BS 102 via the UE transceivers 130a-b through the corresponding antennas 132a-b over the wireless communication channel 150. The wireless communication channel 150 may be any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) data transmission as described herein. The UEs 104a-b may communicate with each other via the wireless communication channel 170. The wireless communication channel 170 may be any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for sidelink transmission of data as described herein.

[0023] Each of the UE transceivers 130a-b and the BS transceiver 110 is configured to communicate via the wireless data communication channel 150 and cooperate with a suitably configured antenna arrangement that can support a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some embodiments, the UE transceivers 130a-b and the BS transceiver 110 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the application of specific standards and related protocols. Instead, the UE transceivers 130a-b and the BS transceiver 110 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0024] The processor modules 136a-b and 114 may each be implemented using a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0025] Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software module executed by processor modules 114 and 136a-b respectively, or in any actual combination thereof. The memory modules 116 and 134a-b may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 116 and 134a-b may be coupled to the processor modules 114 and 136a-b respectively such that the processor modules 114 and 136a-b can read information from and write information to the memory modules 116 and 134a-b respectively. The memory modules 116 and 134a-b may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 114 and 136a-b. In some embodiments, the memory modules 116 and 134a-b may each include a cache for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 114 and 136a-b respectively. The memory modules 116 and 134a-b may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 114 and 136a-b respectively.

[0026] The network interface 118 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the BS 102 that support two-way communication between the BS transceiver 110 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the BS 102. For example, the network interface 118 can be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, but not limited to, the network interface 118 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface such that the BS transceiver 110 can communicate with a conventional computer network based on Ethernet. In this way, the network interface 118 can include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). The terms "configured to" or "configured for" as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function. The network interface 118 can allow the BS 102 to communicate with other BSs or the core network via a wired or wireless connection.

[0027] In some embodiments, each of the UEs 104a-b can operate in a hybrid communication network where the UEs communicate with the BS 102 as well as with other UEs (e.g., between 104a and 104b). As described in further detail below, the UEs 104a-b support sidelink communication with other UEs as well as downlink / uplink communication between the BS 102 and the UEs 104a-b. Generally, sidelink communication allows the UEs 104a-b to establish a direct communication link with each other, or with other UEs from different cells, without the need for the BS 102 to relay data between the UEs.

[0028] UEs outside the coverage area cannot obtain the TDD UL-DL configuration information because they cannot receive the configuration signal from the network. Therefore, UEs outside the coverage area do not know the frame structure in the shared carrier with the cellular Uu link and do not know the location of the sidelink resource pool. Therefore, UEs outside the coverage area cannot perform sidelink communication (e.g., V2X) with UEs within the coverage area. Through configuration and pre-configuration, the TDD UL-DL configuration information can be kept consistent between outside and inside the coverage area. However, this limits the network configuration.

[0029] Reference Figure 2 , an example wireless communication network 200 is shown. The network 200 includes a gNB / eNB, UEs within the coverage area that communicate with the gNB / eNB, and UEs outside the coverage area that perform sidelink communication with the UEs within the coverage area. In some embodiments, the gNB / eNB is the BS 102 with respect to Figure 1A the UEs within the coverage area are with respect toFigure 1A either UE 104a or 104b, and the UE outside the coverage area is with respect to Figure 1A the other one of UE 104a and 104b, except that the UE outside the coverage area does not communicate with the gNB / eNB. The network 200 can be referred to as partial coverage. Partial coverage is a scenario that includes the UE within the coverage area and the UE outside the coverage area. The UE within the coverage area and the UE outside the coverage area can operate (e.g., perform, communicate) in different carriers. For example, the UE outside the coverage area can perform V2X communication in a dedicated carrier (e.g., a carrier with ITS (Intelligent Transport System) frequency), and the UE within the coverage area can perform V2X communication in a shared carrier (e.g., a carrier of the Uu link). The UE within the coverage area and the UE outside the coverage area can operate in the same carrier, such as in a dedicated carrier or a shared carrier. When the UE within the coverage area and the UE outside the coverage area operate in the same carrier, the frame structure information of the UE within the coverage area and the UE outside the coverage area is the same. Otherwise, their V2X communication with each other may or may not be successful. If the UE outside the coverage area performs V2X communication with the UE within the coverage area in a shared carrier, they maintain the frame structure aligned with the TDD UL-DL configuration information configured within the coverage area. They may or may not affect cellular communication, e.g., UL transmission.

[0030] In LTE V2X, the TDD UL-DL configuration information is carried in the PSBCH (Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel) to indicate the frame structure information of the shared carrier for the UE outside the coverage area. A total of 7 TDD UL-DL configurations are supported in LTE, so 3 bits are sufficient to indicate the type of the TDD UL-DL configuration.

[0031] In the NR system, the TDD UL-SL configuration information includes cell-specific frame structure configuration (e.g., tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon), UE-specific frame structure configuration (e.g., tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationDedicated), and group-common frame structure configuration (e.g., DCI format 2_0). In NR V2X, only the cell-specific frame structure configuration information is indicated in the PSBCH.

[0032] Refer to Figure 3, which shows an example diagram of pattern 300 according to some embodiments. The configuration of tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon supports a one-DL-UL pattern configuration (e.g., a configuration with a pattern such as pattern 300). As Figure 3 shown, in a one-DL-UL pattern, at least one of the DL time slot, unknown time slot, and UL time slot types can be configured. If all time slot types are configured, the order of the time slot types is one or more DL time slots, one or more unknown time slots, and one or more UL time slots. The first time slot of one or more unknown time slots can include one or more DL symbols, and the last time slot of one or more unknown time slots can include one or more UL symbols.

[0033] Reference Figure 4 , which shows an example diagram of two patterns 400 according to some embodiments. The configuration of tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon supports a two-DL-UL pattern configuration (e.g., a configuration with a dual pattern such as pattern 400). As Figure 4 shown, if two one-DL-UL patterns are included in the tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon configuration, the start of pattern 2 is joined to the end of pattern 1. The combination of these two periods repeats every 20 ms. The number of DL time slots, unknown time slots, and UL time slots can be different between these two patterns.

[0034] In a DL-UL pattern, the content that needs to be indicated includes at least the periodicity of the DL-UL pattern and one or more potential sidelink time slots in the DL-UL pattern. A potential sidelink time slot refers to a time slot that can be used for sidelink resource pool mapping. If only one pattern (e.g., pattern 1) is configured in tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, a total of 9 cycle values need to be supported. If two patterns (e.g., pattern 1 and pattern 2) are configured in tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, a total of 16 periodic combination values should be supported. Multiple sidelink SCS (Sub-carrier Spacing) are supported in NR V2X. For 120 kHz, the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots can reach 80.

[0035] In NR V2X, the payload of the PSBCH is limited to 32 bits without CRC. 12 bits indicate cell-specific frame structure configuration information. When Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 are configured in tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, 12 bits are not sufficient to indicate the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots. For example, assuming the sidelink SCS is 120 kHz and each period is 10 ms. The frame structure information of UEs outside the coverage area can be different from that of UEs within the coverage area.

[0036] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a V2X communication method that can indicate cell-specific frame structure configuration information and maintain frame structure alignment between UEs within the coverage area and UEs outside the coverage area. The proposed V2X communication method can improve the stability of V2X communication. In the following description, systems and methods for potential sidelink time slot indication are described based on indication bits equal to N bits. In some embodiments, N = 7.

[0037] One or two patterns are configured in the TDD UL-DL configuration (e.g., tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon). If only Pattern 1 is configured, the indication of the number of potential sidelink time slots in the DL-UL pattern of Pattern 1 is determined based on one pattern.

[0038] In some embodiments, a first wireless communication device (e.g., a UE within the coverage area) identifies a pattern representing a certain number of potential sidelink time slots, and the pattern has a period. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines the number of potential sidelink time slots included in the pattern based on the configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device obtains a first number of bits N1 based on the number of potential sidelink time slots (e.g., N = N1). In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device obtains a second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and the total number of indicated bits N, where N = N1 + N2.

[0039] In some embodiments, a second wireless communication device (e.g., a UE outside the coverage area) identifies a pattern representing a certain number of potential sidelink time slots, and the pattern has a period. The second wireless communication device can determine the number of potential sidelink time slots included in the pattern based on the configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first number of bits N1 based on the number of potential sidelink time slots (e.g., N = N1). In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device can determine a second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and the number of indicated bits N, where N = N1 + N2.

[0040] If Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 are configured, an indication of the number of potential sidelink time slots in the DL-UL pattern of Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 is determined based on the two patterns.

[0041] A first wireless communication device (e.g., a UE within coverage) determines, in sidelink communication, a first number of bits N1 indicating a first part of a certain number of potential sidelink time slots, and a second number of bits N2 indicating a second part of the certain number of potential sidelink time slots. The first wireless communication device provides, in sidelink communication, the number of potential sidelink time slots to a second wireless communication device (e.g., a UE outside coverage), where the number of sidelink time slots is obtained based on at least one of the first number of bits N1 and the second number of bits N2. In some embodiments, if one of the first number of bits N1 and the second number of bits N2 is obtained, N bits are used, i.e., N = N1 or N = N2. If both the first number of bits N1 and the second number of bits N2 are obtained, the sum of N1 and N2 is equal to N. In some embodiments, the number of potential sidelink time slots is indicated in a field of the PSBCH (e.g., the TDD-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon message).

[0042] The second wireless communication device receives, in sidelink communication, indication bits indicating a certain number of potential sidelink time slots from the first wireless communication device. The second wireless communication device determines a first number of bits N1 indicating a first part of the certain number of potential sidelink time slots and a second number of bits N2 indicating a second part of the certain number of potential sidelink time slots.

[0043] In some embodiments, the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots supported in the DL-UL pattern is scaled by a scaling factor M, where M is a positive integer in units of time slots or ms (milliseconds). In some embodiments, X = L / M, where L is the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots supported in the DL-UL pattern based on a configured or pre-configured subcarrier (e.g., SL SCS), and X is the value of the integer part of the number of potential sidelink time slots supported in the DL-UL pattern based on a granularity of M time slots or M ms. N1 can indicate an index of the integer part or an index corresponding to a combination of the integer parts in Pattern 1 and Pattern 2. The index can be in the range from 0 to X - 1.

[0044] For example, if the potential sidelink time slots in Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 are L1 and L2 respectively, based on scaling factors M1 and M2 (M1 can be equal to M2), the scaled numbers of potential sidelink time slots in Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 can be derived from X1 = L1 / M1 and X2 = L2 / M2. In some embodiments, X1 and X2 are combined with an index in a table. The index can be represented by N1 bits in the PSBCH. The index can be in the range from 0 to X1*X2 - 1.

[0045] If N2 is greater than 0, the N2 bits may indicate a fractional part on a per-slot granularity. The fractional part refers to one or more slots remaining after the number of potential sidelink slots is scaled by M1 or M2. For example, Y1 = L1 - X1 * M1 and Y2 = L2 - X2 * M2, where Y1 and Y2 are the values of the fractional parts of the potential sidelink slots for Pattern 1 and Pattern 2, respectively. In some embodiments, the values of Y1 and Y2 are combined with an index in a configuration or pre-configuration table. The N2 bits in the PSBCH may indicate the index corresponding to the combination of Y1 and Y2. The index may be in the range from 0 to Y1 * Y2 - 1.

[0046] For example, for sidelink (SL) SCS = 120 kHz, the slot duration is 0.125 ms, and each of Pattern 2 and Pattern 1 is configured with a periodicity of 5 ms. It can be calculated that L1 = L2 = 40 (= 5 ms / 0.125 ms) is the maximum number of supported potential sidelink slots per. The potential number of combinations of the combined values of L1 and L2 is the product of L1 and L2, i.e., 1600 (40 * 40). If N = 7, the N bits can only indicate 128 values of the combination of L1 and L2.

[0047] If the number of slots is scaled by a factor of 8 (i.e., M1 = M2 = 8), then L1 = 5 and L2 = 5. The maximum number of combinations of the integer parts of the potential sidelink slot numbers is 25 (= 5 * 5). Only N1 = 5 bits out of the N bits are needed to indicate the combinations of the integer parts of the potential sidelink slot numbers. If N = 7, another N2 = 2 bits out of the N bits can indicate the fractional part of the potential sidelink slot numbers. These 2 bits can indicate 4 combinations of the fractional parts of the potential sidelink slot numbers configured or pre-configured for the two patterns. An example is shown in the following table:

[0048] Number of integer parts:

[0049]

[0050] Number of fractional parts:

[0051]

[0052] In some embodiments, a first wireless communication device identifies a first pattern and a second pattern, which together represent the number of potential sidelink slots. In some embodiments, the first pattern has a first period p1, and the second pattern has a second period p2. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a first number S1 (e.g., L1) of potential sidelink slots included in the first pattern and a second number S2 (e.g., L2) of potential sidelink slots included in the second pattern based on a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing u1 (e.g., SL SCS) by:

[0053] S1 = p1 × 2 u1 and S2 = p2 × 2 u1

[0054] In some embodiments, the first quantity corresponds to the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots that can be included in a first pattern, and the second quantity corresponds to the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots that can be included in a second pattern.

[0055] In some embodiments, a first wireless communication device uses the following relationship to obtain a first number of bits N1 based on a first quantity S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second quantity S2 of potential sidelink time slots:

[0056] N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2))

[0057] In some embodiments, a first wireless communication device determines a reference subcarrier spacing u0 (e.g., u). In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device uses (e.g., at least one) the following relationship to obtain a first number of bits N1 based on a first quantity S1 of potential sidelink time slots, a second quantity S2 of potential sidelink time slots, a subcarrier spacing u1, and a reference subcarrier spacing u0:

[0058] N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2 × 4 (u0-u1) )) or N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × 2 (u0-u1) × S2 × 2 (u0-u1) ))

[0059] In some embodiments, a first wireless communication device obtains a second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and a total indicated number of bits N, where the total indicated number of bits N is predefined, i.e., the sum of N1 and N2.

[0060] In some embodiments, a second wireless communication device identifies a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern and the second pattern together representing the number of potential sidelink time slots. The first pattern may have a first period p1, and the second pattern has a second period p2. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first quantity S1 of potential sidelink time slots included in the first pattern and a second quantity S2 of potential sidelink time slots included in the second pattern based on a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing u1 (e.g., SL SCS) by:

[0061] S1 = p1 × 2 u1 and S2 = p2 × 2 u1

[0062] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first number of bits N1 using the following relationship based on a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots:

[0063] N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2))

[0064] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a reference subcarrier spacing u0. The second wireless communication device may determine the first number of bits N1 using (e.g., at least one of) the following relationships based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots, the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, a subcarrier spacing u1, and the reference subcarrier spacing u0:

[0065] N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2 × 4 (u0-u1) )) or N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × 2 (u0-u1) × S2 × 2 (u0-u1) ))

[0066] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and an indication number of bits N, where the indication number of bits N is predefined and is the sum of N1 and N2.

[0067] In some embodiments, a UE (e.g., a UE within coverage or a UE outside coverage) determines a reference SCS (ref - SCS) as the minimum of the following two items: (a) a pre - determined or configured or pre - configured SL - SCS (e.g., 120 kHz) and / or (b) the highest available SCS for indicating the number of potential sidelink time slots. In some embodiments, the highest available SCS is determined iteratively. For example, 120 kHz is explored as an available SCS. Using 120 kHz results in L1 = L2 = 40, such that the combination of L1 and L2 is 1600. This is greater than 128, which is the number of indices that can be indicated based on N = 7. In this example, next 60 kHz is explored, and the number of indices (400) is still greater than the number of indices that can be indicated. In this example, next 30 kHz is explored, and the number of indices (100) is less than the number of indices that can be indicated. Thus, in this example, 30 kHz is the highest available SCS for indication and is selected as the reference SCS.

[0068] In some embodiments, the SCS factor (u) is associated with ref - SCS. In some embodiments, the UE calculates (e.g., determines, identifies, looks up, etc.) u. In some embodiments, the mapping from ref - SCS to u is included in a table (e.g., a look - up table). In some embodiments, the mapping is pre - determined or pre - configured. In some embodiments, the mapping includes:

[0069]

[0070]

[0071] In some embodiments, u0 is the factor associated with the current SL - SCS. In some embodiments, pattern 1 has a first period P1, and pattern 2 has a second period P2. The units of P1 and P2 can be milliseconds (ms). In some embodiments, a non - negative integer n k (e.g., nk) is solved based on the following relationship:

[0072] 2 nk ≥p1×p2×4 u

[0073] In some embodiments, the first number of bits N1 is solved based on the following relationship:

[0074] N1 = min{nk}

[0075] N2 can be solved based on N1 and N, where N is the sum of N1 and N2. In some embodiments, N is fixed (e.g., N1 + N2 = 7). The following table is based on SL SCS = 120kHz and N1 + N2 = 7:

[0076]

[0077]

[0078] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines the reference sub - carrier spacing. In some embodiments, the reference sub - carrier spacing is pre - determined, configured, or pre - configured. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device uses the following relationship to obtain the first number of bits:

[0079] 2 nk ≥p1×p2×4 u And N1 = min{nk}

[0080] Wherein, nk is a non - negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents a reference sub - carrier spacing factor. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device obtains a second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and the indicated total number of bits N, where the indicated total number of bits N is predefined and is the sum of N1 and N2.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a reference sub - carrier spacing u0 and a sub - carrier spacing u1. In some embodiments, in response to the determination, the first wireless communication device scales a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots based on the granularity of M time slots, where:

[0082] M = 2 (u1-u0)

[0083] In some embodiments, in response to the determination, the first wireless communication device scales a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots based on the granularity of M, where M is a positive value, for example, 1 ms (millisecond) or 10 time slots.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a scaled - down first number S1′ of potential sidelink time slots and a scaled - down second number S2′ of potential sidelink time slots based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots, the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, the reference sub - carrier spacing u0, and the sub - carrier spacing u1, where:

[0085] S1′ = S1×2 (u0-u1) and S2′ = S2×2 (u0-u1)

[0086] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication, based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots, the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, the reference sub - carrier spacing u0, and the sub - carrier spacing u1, uses (e.g., at least one) the following relationships to obtain the first number of bits N1:

[0087] N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1×S2×4 (u0-u1) )) or N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1×2 (u0-u1) ×S2×2 (u0-u1) ))

[0088] Or, based on the scaled - down first number S1′ of potential sidelink time slots and the scaled - down second number S2′ of potential sidelink time slots, the first number of bits is obtained using the following relationship:

[0089] N1 = ceil(log 2(S1′×S2′))

[0090] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication obtains a second number of bits N2 based on a first number of bits N1 and an indicated total number of bits N, where the indicated total number of bits N is predefined and is the sum of N1 and N2.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a first number of potential sidelink time slots included in a first pattern and a second number of potential sidelink time slots included in a second pattern based on a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing (e.g., SLSCS). In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device scales the first number of potential sidelink time slots and the second number of potential sidelink time slots by reducing the subcarrier spacing until the product of the scaled first number of potential sidelink time slots and the scaled second number of potential sidelink time slots does not exceed a power of two of the indicated total number of bits, in order to determine a reduced subcarrier spacing as a reference subcarrier spacing u (e.g., u0).

[0092] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines that (a) the reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing corresponding to a first period p1 and a second period p2, (b) the reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing corresponding to the first period p1 or the second period p2, (c) the reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing corresponding to a subcarrier spacing u1, or (d) the reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing corresponding to a combination of the subcarrier spacing u1 and the first period p1 and / or the second period p2.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines the reference subcarrier spacing u0 by:

[0094] u0 = min(u1, u2)

[0095] where u2 is the maximum SCS supported by the first pattern and the second pattern, or the reference subcarrier spacing u0 determined by:

[0096] u0 = min(u1, u2)

[0097] where u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing among the configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacings corresponding to the first period p1 and / or the second period p2.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a second number of bits N2 according to a configuration or a pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a first number of bits N1 based on the second number of bits N2 and an indicated total number of bits N, where the indicated total number of bits N is predefined and is the sum of N1 and N2. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a reference subcarrier spacing u0 by:

[0099] u0 = min(u1, u2)

[0100] where u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing supported by a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, and this subcarrier spacing can be indicated by the first number of bits N1.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication determines a reference subcarrier spacing u0 by:

[0102] u0 = min(u1, u2)

[0103] where u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing supported by a scaled first number S1' of potential sidelink time slots and a scaled second number S2' of potential sidelink time slots, and this subcarrier spacing can be indicated by the first number of bits N1.

[0104] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a first number of potential sidelink time slots included in a first pattern and a second number of potential sidelink time slots included in a second pattern based on a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines that the configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing for the sidelink is the reference subcarrier spacing.

[0105] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first period, a second period, and a reference subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines the first number of bits using the following relationship:

[0106] 2 nk ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 u and N1 = min{nk}

[0107] where nk is a non-negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor. The second wireless communication device may determine a second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and the indicated number of bits N, where the indicated number of bits N is predefined and is the sum of N1 and N2.

[0108] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a reference subcarrier spacing u0 and a subcarrier spacing u1. In some embodiments, in response to the determination, the second wireless communication device scales a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots based on a granularity of M time slots, where:

[0109] M = 2 (u1-u0)

[0110] In some embodiments, in response to the determination, the second wireless communication device scales a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots based on a granularity of M, where M is a positive value, e.g., 1 ms (millisecond) or 10 time slots.

[0111] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a scaled first number S1′ of potential sidelink time slots and a scaled second number S2′ of potential sidelink time slots based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots, the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, the reference subcarrier spacing u0, and the subcarrier spacing u1, where:

[0112] S1′ = S1 × 2 (u0-u1) and S2′ = S2 × 2 (u0-u1)

[0113] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first number of bits N1 based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots, the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, the reference subcarrier spacing u0, and the subcarrier spacing u1, using (e.g., at least one of) the following relationships:

[0114] N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2 × 4 (u0-u1) )) or N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × 2 (u0-u1) × S2 × 2 (u0-u1) ))

[0115] Or determines the first number of bits N1 based on the scaled first number S1′ of potential sidelink time slots and the scaled second number S2′ of potential sidelink time slots, using the following relationship:

[0116] N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1′ × S2′))

[0117] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and an indication number of bits N, where the indication number of bits N is predefined and is the sum of N1 and N2.

[0118] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first number of potential sidelink time slots included in a first pattern and a second number of potential sidelink time slots included in a second pattern based on a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device scales the first number of potential sidelink time slots and the second number of potential sidelink time slots by reducing the subcarrier spacing until the product of the scaled first number of sidelink time slots and the scaled second number of potential sidelink time slots does not exceed a power of two indicating the number of bits, thereby determining a reduced subcarrier spacing as a reference subcarrier spacing u.

[0119] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines (a) that a reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing corresponding to a first period p1 and a second period p2, (b) that a reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing corresponding to a first period p1 or a second period p2, (c) that a reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing corresponding to a subcarrier spacing u1, or (d) that a reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing corresponding to a combination of a subcarrier spacing u1 and a first period p1 and / or a second period p2.

[0120] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines the reference subcarrier spacing u0 by:

[0121] u0 = min(u1, u2)

[0122] where u2 is the maximum SCS supported by the first pattern and the second pattern, or determines the reference subcarrier spacing u0 by:

[0123] u0 = min(u1, u2),

[0124] where u2 is the maximum SCS configured or pre-configured corresponding to the first period p1 and / or the second period p2.

[0125] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a second number of bits N2 according to a configuration or pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first number of bits N1 based on the second number of bits N2 and an indicated number of bits N, where the indicated number of bits N is predefined and is the sum of N1 and N2. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines the reference subcarrier spacing u0 by:

[0126] u0 = min(u1, u2),

[0127] where u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing supported by a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, and the subcarrier spacing can be indicated by the first number of bits N1.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a reference subcarrier spacing u0 in the following manner:

[0129] u0 = min(u1, u2)

[0130] where u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing supported by a scaled first quantity S1' of potential sidelink time slots and a scaled second quantity S2' of potential sidelink time slots, and this subcarrier spacing can be indicated by a first number of bits N1.

[0131] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a first quantity of potential sidelink time slots included in a first pattern and a second quantity of potential sidelink time slots included in a second pattern based on a configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines that the configured or preconfigured subcarrier spacing for sidelink is the reference subcarrier spacing.

[0132] In some embodiments, N2 is determined according to configuration or preconfiguration. In some embodiments, N1 is solved based on N and N2. In some embodiments, a non - negative integer u (e.g., uk) is solved based on the following relationship: k (e.g., uk):

[0133] 2 N1 ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 uk

[0134] In some embodiments, the reference SCS factor u is solved based on the following relationship:

[0135] u = max{uk}

[0136] In some embodiments, a UE (e.g., a UE within coverage or a UE outside coverage) determines ref - SCS based on u. In some embodiments, the mapping from u to ref - SCS is included in a table (e.g., a look - up table). In some embodiments, the mapping is pre - determined or pre - configured. In some embodiments, the mapping includes:

[0137] u Ref-SCS 0 15kHz 1 30kHz 2 60kHz 3 120kHz

[0138] In some embodiments, a UE (e.g., a UE within coverage or a UE outside coverage) determines ref - SCS based on u k determines ref - SCS. In some embodiments, the mapping from u k to ref - SCS is included in a table (e.g., a look - up table). In some embodiments, the mapping is pre - determined or pre - configured. In some embodiments, the mapping includes:

[0139] <![CDATA[u k > Ref-SCS 0 15kHz 1 30kHz 2 60kHz 3 120kHz

[0140] In some embodiments, a first wireless communication device obtains a second number of bits that is configured or pre-configured. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device obtains a first number of bits based on the second number of bits and an indication of a total number of bits. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device identifies a first pattern and a second pattern, where the first pattern and the second pattern together represent a number of potential sidelink time slots. The first pattern may have a first period, and the second pattern may have a second period. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device calculates a reference subcarrier spacing factor using the following relationship:

[0141] 2 N1 ≥p1×p2×4 uk and u = max{uk}

[0142] where N1 represents the first number of bits, which, in some embodiments, is equal to the total number of bits N indicated, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, uk is a non-negative integer, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device determines a reference subcarrier spacing.

[0143] In some embodiments, a second wireless communication device identifies a second number of bits that is configured or pre-configured. The second wireless communication device may determine the first number of bits based on the second number of bits and the indicated number of bits. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device identifies a first pattern and a second pattern, where the first pattern and the second pattern together represent a number of potential sidelink time slots. The first pattern may have a first period, and the second pattern may have a second period. The second wireless communication device may calculate a reference subcarrier spacing factor using the following relationship:

[0144] 2 N1 ≥p1×p2×4 uk and u = max{uk}

[0145] where N1 represents the first number of bits, which, in some embodiments, is equal to the total number of bits N indicated, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, uk is a non-negative integer, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a reference subcarrier spacing based on the reference subcarrier spacing factor.

[0146] Now refer to Figure 5, which shows an example diagram of two patterns 500 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, a UE (e.g., a UE within coverage or a UE outside coverage) determines the first time slot position in one or more potential sidelink time slots in Pattern 1 or Pattern 2 according to the time slot position of the transmission sidelink synchronization signal and / or the physical broadcast channel block (S-SSB). The time slot position of the S-SSB transmission can be determined according to the system frame number (SFN) or the direct frame number (DFN) and the time slot index within the SFN or DFN. In some embodiments, the index of the SFN or DFN (which may be referred to as n DFN ) and the time slot index within the SFN or DFN (which may be referred to as n slot ) are determined by configuration or pre-configuration, or by an indication in the S-SSB or PSBCH. The UE can determine that the position of the time slot for the S-SSB or PSBCH transmission belongs to (e.g., within the scope of Pattern 1 or Pattern 2, related thereto) the scope of Pattern 1 or Pattern 2 based on the configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing. If n DFN is even, then

[0147] x = (n slot + 1) mod (p1 × 2 u + p2 × 2 u )

[0148] where p1 and p2 are the period values of Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 respectively. In some embodiments, u is the subcarrier spacing factor corresponding to the configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, if

[0149] x ≤ p1 × 2 u

[0150] then the time slot position of the S-SSB transmission belongs to the scope of Pattern 1. Otherwise, in some embodiments, the time slot position of the S-SSB transmission belongs to the scope of Pattern 2. If n DFN is odd, then

[0151] x = (n slot + 1 + 10 × 2 u ) mod (p1 × 2 u + p2 × 2 u )

[0152] In some embodiments, if

[0153] x ≤ p1 × 2 u

[0154] Then the time slot position of S-SSB transmission belongs to the range of Pattern 1. Otherwise, in some embodiments, the time slot position of S-SSB transmission belongs to the range of Pattern 2. In some embodiments, if the time slot position for S-SSB transmission belongs to the range of Pattern 1, the index of the first time slot of one or more potential sidelink time slots in Pattern 1 is equal to n slot -N, where n is a predetermined or configured or pre-configured non-negative integer, and refers to the offset between the time slot for S-SSB transmission and the first time slot of one or more potential sidelink time slots. In some embodiments, the UE may determine the number of one or more potential sidelink time slots in Pattern 1 based on the index of the first time slot of one or more potential sidelink time slots in Pattern 1 and the period of Pattern 1 and / or the configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing (e.g., SLSCS). The number of one or more potential sidelink time slots in Pattern 2 may be determined according to the indication in the PSBCH or S-SSB. If the time slot position of S-SSB transmission belongs to the range of Pattern 2, the method is the same.

[0155] In some embodiments, the number of potential SL time slots in Pattern 1 and / or the number of potential SL time slots in Pattern 2 is determined based on the configured or pre-configured SL SCS. In some embodiments, the first available SL time slot used as the scaling granularity is determined based on the configured or pre-configured Ref-SCS. The values of N1 and N2 can be determined according to the number of the first available SL time slots.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first number of bits N1 is determined using the following relationship:

[0157] 2 nk ≥p1×p2×4 u and N1 = min{nk}

[0158] where nk is a non-negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor corresponding to the Ref-SCS. In some embodiments, the second number of bits may be determined based on the first number of bits and the total number of indication bits.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device identifies a first pattern and a second pattern, and the first pattern and the second pattern jointly represent the number of potential sidelink time slots. The first pattern may have a first period, and the second pattern may have a second period. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device identifies the configured or pre-configured reference subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device calculates the reference subcarrier spacing factor based on the reference subcarrier spacing. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device uses the following relationship to obtain the first number of bits:

[0160] 2 nk≥ p1 × p2 × 4 u and N1 = min{nk}

[0161] where nk is a non - negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents a reference sub - carrier spacing factor. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device obtains a second number of bits based on the first number of bits and the total number of indication bits.

[0162] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device identifies a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern and the second pattern together represent the number of potential sidelink time slots, the first pattern has a first period, and the second pattern has a second period. The second wireless device may identify a configured or pre - configured reference sub - carrier spacing. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device calculates a reference sub - carrier spacing factor based on the reference sub - carrier spacing. The second wireless device may determine the first number of bits using the following relationship:

[0163] 2 nk ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 u and N1 = min{nk}

[0164] where nk is a non - negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents a reference sub - carrier spacing factor; and

[0165] In some embodiments, the second wireless communication device determines a second number of bits based on the first number of bits and the number of indication bits.

[0166] In some embodiments, the first number of bits can be determined by the following relationship:

[0167] 2 Z < N slot1 × N slot2 ≤ 2 ni and n = min(n i )

[0168] where ni is a non - negative integer, N slot1 and N slot2 are respectively the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots within the periods of pattern 1 (P1) and pattern 2 (P2) based on a configured or pre - configured sidelink SCS. In some embodiments, it is assumed that N slot1 × N slot2 ≤ 2048 and Z = 7. In some embodiments, if n is even, the scaling granularity is equal to n / 2. The unit includes at least time slots. The first number of bits N1 is equal to n / 2; and

[0169] In some embodiments, the second number of bits N2 can be determined based on the first number of bits and the number of indication bits. For example, N2 is equal to (Z - n / 2).

[0170] In some embodiments, if n is odd, the scaling granularity is equal to The unit includes at least time slots. The first number of bits N1 is equal to and

[0171] In some embodiments, the second number of bits N2 can be determined based on the first number of bits and the number of indication bits.

[0172] For example, N2 is equal to

[0173] In some embodiments, the manner of indicating by the second number of bits N2 includes at least indicating an index corresponding to one or more sot numbers in the fractional part of the potential sidelink time slot.

[0174] For example, the periods of pattern 1 (P1) and pattern 2 (P2) are both 2.5 ms. The sidelink SCS is 120 kHz. Therefore, N slot1 *N slot2 = 20 * 20 = 400 (time slots). Assuming Z = 7, then 2 Z <N slot1 ×N slot2 is satisfied. For N slot1 ×N slot2 ≤2 ni , min{n i} = 9, that is, n = 9. Since n (i.e., 9) is odd, the scaling granularity is equal to That is, 4 time slots. bits, and bits. That is to say, the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots within the periods of pattern 1 and pattern 2 is scaled by a unit of 4 time slots. After scaling, the maximum number of integer parts of the potential sidelink time slots within the periods of pattern 1 and pattern 2 based on the scaling granularity is 5 for both. The possible combinations of the number of integer parts of the potential sidelink time slots in pattern 1 and pattern 2 are 5 × 5 = 25. For example, the combination of 10 time slots and 15 time slots can be indicated by 5 bits. 2 bits are reserved to indicate the potential sidelink time slots in pattern 1 and pattern 2 after scaling. 2 bits can indicate 4 combinations of potential sidelink time slots, such as the combination of 1 time slot and 2 time slots, which can be configured and pre-configured and indicated by 2 bits.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first number of bits can be determined by the following relationship:

[0176] 2 Z <Nslot1 ×N slot2 ≤2 ni and n = min(n i )

[0177] where ni is a non - negative integer, N slot1 and N slot2 are respectively the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots within the periods of pattern 1 (P1) and pattern 2 (P2) of the configured or pre - configured sidelink SCS. In some embodiments, assume N slot1 ×N slot2 ≤2048 and Z = 7.

[0178] In some embodiments, the scaling granularity is equal to n - 6. The unit includes at least time slots. The first number of bits N1 is equal to N / 2.

[0179] In some embodiments, the second number of bits N2 can be determined based on the first number of bits and the number of indication bits.

[0180] For example, N2 is equal to (Z - 6).

[0181] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example and not limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict example architectures or configurations, and the provided example architectures or configurations enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present solution. However, these persons will understand that the solution is not limited to the shown example architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above - described illustrative embodiments.

[0182] It should also be understood that any reference to elements using names such as "first", "second", etc. generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. Instead, these names are used herein as a convenient means to distinguish two or more elements or element instances. Thus, the reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must be located before the second element in some manner.

[0183] Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various different technologies and processes can be used to represent information and signals. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols, such as those referred to in the above description, can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0184] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or combinations thereof), firmware, various forms of programs or design code containing instructions (which for convenience may be referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described generally in terms of their functionality above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not result in a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

[0185] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) that includes a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, modules, and circuits can further include an antenna and / or a transceiver to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0186] If implemented in software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Accordingly, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented in software stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium includes computer storage media and communication media, and the communication media includes any medium that enables a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. The storage media can be any available medium accessible by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that is accessible by a computer.

[0187] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. Additionally, for purposes of facilitating discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions in accordance with an embodiment of the present solution.

[0188] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present solution, a memory or other memory and communication components may be employed. It should be understood that, for clarity, the above description has described embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is apparent that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without affecting the present solution. For example, functions shown to be performed by different processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, the reference to a particular functional unit is only a reference to the appropriate means for providing the described function, and not an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0189] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: identifying, by a first wireless communication device, a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern and the second pattern jointly representing a plurality of potential sidelink time slots, the first pattern having a first period p1, and the second pattern having a second period p2, the first wireless communication device including wireless communication devices within the coverage area; determining, by the first wireless communication device, based on a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing u1, a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots included in the first pattern and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots included in the second pattern by the following means: S1 = p1 × 2 u1 and S2 = p2 × 2 u1 ; determining, by the first wireless communication device, based on the identified first pattern and second pattern, a first number of bits N1 for indicating a first portion of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots in sidelink communication or a second number of bits N2 for indicating a second portion of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots in sidelink communication; and providing, by the first wireless communication device, to a second wireless communication device, in the sidelink communication, a configuration indicating the plurality of potential sidelink time slots according to an arrangement of at least one of the first number of bits N1 and the second number of bits N2 in a configuration indicating the plurality of sidelink time slots, the second wireless communication device including wireless communication devices outside the coverage area.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots using the following relationship: N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2)).

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the first wireless communication device, a reference subcarrier spacing u0; obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots, the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots, the subcarrier spacing u1, and the reference subcarrier spacing u0 using the following relationship: N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2 × 4 (u0-u1) )) or N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × 2 (u0-u1) × S2 × 2 (u0-u1) )); and obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the second number of bits N2 for indicating a second portion of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots based on the first number of bits N1 and a total number of indication bits N, where the total number of indication bits N is predefined and N is the sum of N1 and N2.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the first wireless communication device, a reference subcarrier spacing; obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 using the following relationship: where nk is a non-negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents a reference subcarrier spacing factor; and 2 nk ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 u and N1 = min{nk}; obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the second number of bits N2 for indicating a second portion of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots based on the first number of bits N1 and a total number of indication bits N, where the total number of indication bits N is predefined and N is the sum of N1 and N2.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: ​ ​ The reference subcarrier spacing u0 and the subcarrier spacing u1 are determined by the first wireless communication device; Based on the reference subcarrier spacing u0 and the subcarrier spacing u1, the first wireless communication device scales the first number S1 of the potential sidelink time slots and the second number S2 of the potential sidelink time slots at a granularity of M time slots, where: M＝2 (u1-u0) ； The first wireless communication device determines the scaled first number S1' of the potential sidelink time slots and the scaled second number S2' of the potential sidelink time slots, where: S1′ = S1 × 2 (u0-u1) and S2′ = S2 × 2 (u0-u1) .

6. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further includes: The first wireless communication device scales the first number S1 of the potential sidelink time slots and the second number S2 of the potential sidelink time slots by reducing the subcarrier spacing until the product of the scaled first number of the potential sidelink time slots and the scaled second number of the potential sidelink time slots does not exceed a power of two of the total number of the indication bits, thereby determining the reduced subcarrier spacing as the reference subcarrier spacing.

7. The wireless communication method according to claim 5, wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further includes: The first wireless communication device determines that the reference subcarrier spacing u0 is a subcarrier spacing configured or pre-configured corresponding to a combination of the subcarrier spacing u1 and the first period p1 and / or the second period p2.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 5, wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further includes: The first wireless communication device determines the reference subcarrier spacing u0 by: u0 = min(u1, u2), where u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing among the subcarrier spacings configured or pre-configured corresponding to the first period p1 and / or corresponding to the second period p2.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 5, wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further includes: The first wireless communication device determines the second number of bits N2 for indicating the second part of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots according to configuration or pre-configuration; Based on the second number of bits N2 and the total number of indication bits N, the first wireless communication device determines the first number of bits N1, where the total number of indication bits N is predefined and N is the sum of N1 and N2; The first wireless communication device determines the reference subcarrier spacing u0 by: u0 = min(u1, u2), where u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing supported by the first number S1 of the potential sidelink time slots and the second number S2 of the potential sidelink time slots, which can be indicated by the first number of bits N1.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further includes: The first wireless communication device determines that the subcarrier spacing configured or pre-configured for the sidelink is the reference subcarrier spacing.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further includes: obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the configured or pre-configured second number of bits N2; obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 based on the second number of bits N2 and an indicated total number of bits N; calculating, by the first wireless communication device, a reference subcarrier spacing factor using the following relationship: 2 N1 ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 uk and u = max{uk}; wherein, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, uk is a non-negative integer, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor; and determining, by the first wireless communication device, a reference subcarrier spacing.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying, by the first wireless communication device, a configured or pre-configured reference subcarrier spacing; calculating, by the first wireless communication device, a reference subcarrier spacing factor based on the reference subcarrier spacing; obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 using the following relationship: 2 nk ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 u and N1 = min{nk}; wherein, nk is a non-negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor; and obtaining, by the first wireless communication device, the second number of bits N2 for indicating a second part of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots based on the first number of bits N1 and the indicated total number of bits N.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, the plurality of potential sidelink time slots are indicated in a field of the PSBCH.

14. A wireless communication method, comprising: receiving, by a second wireless communication device in sidelink communication, a configuration of indication bits indicating a plurality of potential sidelink time slots from a first wireless communication device, the second wireless communication device including a wireless communication device outside a coverage area, the first wireless communication device including a wireless communication device within a coverage area, the indication bits indicating the plurality of potential sidelink time slots according to an arrangement of a first number of bits N1 and a second number of bits N2; and identifying, by the second wireless communication device, a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern and the second pattern jointly representing the plurality of potential sidelink time slots, the first pattern having a first period p1, and the second pattern having a second period p2; determining, by the second wireless communication device, a first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots included in the first pattern and a second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots included in the second pattern based on a configured or pre-configured subcarrier spacing u1 by: S1 = p1 × 2 u1 and S2 = p2 × 2 u1 ; determining, by the second wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 for indicating a first part of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots and the second number of bits N2 for indicating a second part of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, further comprising: determining, by the second wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 based on the first number S1 of potential sidelink time slots and the second number S2 of potential sidelink time slots using the following relationship: N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × S2)).

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, further comprising: Determined by the second wireless communication device a reference subcarrier spacing u0; Determined by the second wireless communication device the first number of potential sidelink time slots S1, the second number of potential sidelink time slots S2, the subcarrier spacing u1, and the reference subcarrier spacing u0, and using the following relationship to determine the first number of bits N1: N1 = floor(log 2 (S1 × S2 × 4 (u0-u1) )) or N1 = ceil(log 2 (S1 × 2 (u0-u1) × S2 × 2 (u0-u1) )); And Determined by the second wireless communication device the second number of bits N2 for indicating the second part of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots based on the first number of bits N1 and the indicated number of bits N, where the indicated number of bits N is predefined, and N is the sum of N1 and N2.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, further Comprising: Determined by the second wireless communication device the first period, the second period, and the reference subcarrier spacing; Determined by the second wireless communication device the first number of bits N1 using the following relationship: 2 nk ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 u and N1 = min{nk}; Where, nk is a non-negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor; and Determined by the second wireless communication device the second number of bits N2 for indicating the second part of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots based on the first number of bits N1 and the indicated number of bits N, where the indicated number of bits N is predefined, and N is the sum of N1 and N2.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, further Comprising: Determined by the second wireless communication device a reference subcarrier spacing u0; Scaled by the second wireless communication device the first number of potential sidelink time slots S1 and the second number of potential sidelink time slots S2 based on the reference subcarrier spacing u0 at a granularity of M time slots, where: M＝2 (u1-u0) ； Determined by the second wireless communication device the scaled first number of potential sidelink time slots S1' and the scaled second number of potential sidelink time slots S2', where: S1' = S1 × 2 (u0-u1) and S2' = S2 × 2 (u0-u1) .

19. The wireless communication method according to claim 17, Wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further comprises: Scaled by the second wireless communication device the first number of potential sidelink time slots S1 and the second number of potential sidelink time slots S2 by reducing the subcarrier spacing u1 until the product of the scaled first number of potential sidelink time slots and the scaled second number of potential sidelink time slots does not exceed the power of two of the indicated number of bits, thereby determining the reduced subcarrier spacing as the reference subcarrier spacing.

20. The wireless communication method according to claim 18, Wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further comprises: Determined by the second wireless communication device the reference subcarrier spacing u0 is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the combination of the subcarrier spacing u1 and the first period p1 and / or the second period p2 that is configured or pre-configured.

21. The wireless communication method according to claim 18, Wherein, Determining the reference subcarrier spacing further comprises: Determined by the second wireless communication device the reference subcarrier spacing u0 in the following manner: u0 = min(u1, u2), Wherein, u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing in the subcarrier spacings corresponding to the first period p1 and / or the second period p2 that are configured or pre-configured.

22. The wireless communication method according to claim 18, wherein, determining the reference subcarrier spacing further includes: determining, by the second wireless communication device according to configuration or pre-configuration, the second number of bits N2 for indicating the second part of the plurality of potential sidelink time slots; determining, by the second wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 based on the second number of bits N2 and the number of indication bits N, where the number of indication bits N is predefined and N is the sum of N1 and N2; determining, by the second wireless communication device, the reference subcarrier spacing u0 by: u0 = min(u1, u2), wherein, u2 is the maximum subcarrier spacing supported by the first number S1 of the potential sidelink time slots and the second number S2 of the potential sidelink time slots, and it can be indicated by the first number of bits N1.

23. The wireless communication method according to claim 17, wherein, determining the reference subcarrier spacing further includes: determining, by the second wireless communication device, that the subcarrier spacing configured or pre-configured for the sidelink is the reference subcarrier spacing.

24. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, further includes: identifying, by the second wireless communication device, the configured or pre-configured second number of bits N2; determining, by the second wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 based on the second number of bits N2 and the number of indication bits N; calculating, by the second wireless communication device, a reference subcarrier spacing factor using the following relationship: 2 N1 ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 uk and u = max{uk}; wherein, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, uk is a non-negative integer, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor; and determining, by the second wireless communication device, the reference subcarrier spacing.

25. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, further includes: identifying, by the second wireless communication device, the configured or pre-configured reference subcarrier spacing; calculating, by the second wireless communication device, a reference subcarrier spacing factor based on the reference subcarrier spacing; determining, by the second wireless communication device, the first number of bits N1 using the following relationship: 2 nk ≥ p1 × p2 × 4 u and N1 = min{nk}; wherein, nk is a non-negative integer, N1 represents the first number of bits, p1 represents the first period, p2 represents the second period, and u represents the reference subcarrier spacing factor; and determining, by the second wireless communication device, the second number of bits N2 based on the first number of bits N1 and the number of indication bits N.

26. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, wherein, the plurality of potential sidelink time slots are indicated in a field of the PSBCH.

27. The wireless communication method according to claim 19, wherein, the first number S1 of the potential sidelink time slots corresponds to the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots that can be included in the first pattern, and the second number S2 of the potential sidelink time slots corresponds to the maximum number of potential sidelink time slots that can be included in the second pattern.

28. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, the processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

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