Prioritization of uplink and sidelink transmissions

Abstract

Determining priorities of simultaneous sidelink (SL) transmissions and uplink (UL) transmissions of a user equipment (UE) within a 5G New Radio (NR) network can include processing SL control information (SCI) corresponding to at least one of a SL hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) or a SL scheduling request (SR) included in a UL transmission to be transmitted by the UE, thereby determining a priority value associated with the at least one of the SL HARQ or the SL SR. The SCI of a SL transmission to be transmitted by the UE simultaneously with the UL transmission can be processed, thereby determining a priority value associated with the SL transmission. The priority value of the at least one of the SL HARQ or the SL SR can be compared with the priority value of the SL transmission. The transmissions can then be prioritized based on the comparison of the priority values.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more specifically, to prioritization of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) between sidelink (SL) and uplink (UL) transmissions (Tx). BACKGROUND

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to transmit data between base stations and wireless mobile devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols can include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G) or New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, which is commonly referred to as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); and the IEEE 802.11 standard, which is commonly referred to as Wi-Fi for wireless local area networks (WLANs). In a 3GPP radio access network (RAN) in an LTE system, base stations can comprise RAN nodes such as the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly denoted as evolved Node B, enhanced Node B, eNode B, or eNB) and / or a radio network controller (RNC) in the E-UTRAN, which communicate with wireless communication devices, known as user equipment (UE). In a fifth generation (5G) wireless RAN, RAN nodes can comprise 5G nodes, NR nodes, or gNodeBs (gNBs).

[0003] A RAN uses a radio access technology (RAT) to communicate between RAN nodes and UEs. A RAN can comprise a global system for mobile communications (GSM), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), and / or E-UTRAN, which provide access to communication services through a core network. Each RAN in a RAN operates according to a particular 3GPP RAT. For example, a GERAN implements GSM and / or EDGE RAT, a UTRAN implements universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RAT, and an E-UTRAN implements LTE RAT. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0004] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, one or more of the highest three most significant digits in a figure reference number are typically used to specifically reference that element or act. By way of example, reference number 1020 generally refers to an element having the number 1020, one of the three figures generally refers to one of the three figures 10, 20, and 30, and 20 generally refers to element 20.

[0005] Figure 1 An LTE V2X prioritization scheme at the physical layer is shown in accordance with one embodiment.

[0006] Figure 2An NR V2X priority sorting scheme between SL data and UL data according to one implementation scheme is shown.

[0007] Figure 3 The process of prioritizing sidelinks and uplinks according to one implementation scheme is illustrated.

[0008] Figure 4 A method according to one implementation scheme is shown.

[0009] Figure 5 A method according to one implementation scheme is shown.

[0010] Figure 6 A method according to one implementation scheme is shown.

[0011] Figure 7 An example of a service-based architecture according to certain implementation schemes is shown.

[0012] Figure 8 A UE according to one implementation is shown.

[0013] Figure 9 A network node according to one implementation scheme is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] User equipment (UE) can support both sidelink (SL) and uplink (UL) transmissions. SL transmissions can run on the same carrier or on different carriers as UL transmissions. Sometimes, time overlap may occur between SL and UL transmissions. Due to the total transmit power limitations of any given UE, the UE may not be able to provide its original transmit power for both SL and UL transmissions.

[0015] Therefore, power reduction schemes for different carriers and transmission dropping schemes for the same carrier may be beneficial. Power reduction or transmission dropping can be applied to transmissions with lower priority (e.g., SL or UL). Therefore, a priority ordering between SL and UL is required. Figure 1 A visual representation of the LTE V2X priority ranking scheme 100 is shown, illustrating the priority ranking of sidelink (SL) transmissions versus uplink (UL) transmissions. As illustrated in blocks 102 and 104 and in part by the SL priority threshold 106, concurrent UL transmissions are prioritized when the SL control information (SCI) priority value is higher than the corresponding SL priority threshold (i.e., a lower priority value indicates a higher priority), as further described herein. Thus, when the SCI priority value is lower than the corresponding SL priority threshold, SL transmissions take precedence over concurrent UL transmissions, as further described herein.

[0016] More specifically, in the LTE V2X physical layer, if the SL (Single-Level) and UL (Ultra-Level) transmissions are on the same carrier, and the value in the "Priority" field of the SCI (Signal Corresponding Component) corresponding to the SL transmission is less than the higher-layer parameter "thresSL-TxPrioritization", then the UL transmission is discarded. Otherwise, the SL transmission is discarded. It should be noted that the lower the value in the "Priority" field of the SCI, the higher the priority of the corresponding SL data, and conversely, the higher the value in the "Priority" field of the SCI, the lower the priority of the corresponding SL data.

[0017] In the LTE V2X physical layer, if SL transmission and UL transmission are on different carriers, and the value in the "priority" field of the SCI corresponding to the SL transmission is less than the higher-layer parameter "thresSL-TxPrioritization", then the UL transmission power is adjusted so that the total UE transmission power does not exceed P. CMAX Otherwise, adjust the SL transmission power so that the total UE transmission power does not exceed P. CMAX .

[0018] In the LTE V2X physical layer, the priority ordering of SL and UL is based on the SL data priority in SCI. Therefore, UL data priority is not considered when determining such priorities (UL data priority is not available at the physical layer).

[0019] It should be noted that, according to the New Radio (NR) V2X version 16 protocol, for power-constrained situations where simultaneous SL and UL transmissions are supported when the SL carrier is different from the UL carrier, if the SL transmission takes precedence over the UL transmission, the UE can adjust the UL transmission power before the transmission begins so that its total transmission power does not exceed P in any overlapping portion. CMAX In this case, no calculation is specified for adjusting the UL transmission power. If UL transmission takes precedence over SL transmission in this case, the UE may adjust the SL transmission power before transmission begins so that its total transmission power does not exceed P in any overlapping portion. CMAX In this case, the calculation of the adjustment for SL transmission power is not specified.

[0020] Furthermore, when SL and UL are transmitted simultaneously, the total SL transmission power is the same in the symbols used for actual PSCCH / PSSCH transmission within the time slot. When there is an uplink transmission with higher priority and the UE cannot maintain the same SL transmission power in a symbol, PSCCH / PSSCH transmissions may be dropped in some symbols. The selection of the dropped symbols depends on the specific UE implementation, and the dropped symbols may include overlapping symbols.

[0021] If simultaneous transmissions of SL and UL exceed the UE's capacity, unprioritized symbols can be discarded. How to handle RF transient cycles depends on RAN4. It's important to note that when and which transmissions should be prioritized, how to address UE processing time, and whether there are instances where some uplink transmission symbols are discarded are issues that warrant further investigation.

[0022] Figure 2 A visual representation of the NR V2X priority sorting scheme 200 is shown, illustrating the priority sorting of SL and UL transmissions at the MAC layer as described in the NR V2X RAN 2 protocol. As partially shown in boxes 202-206 and priority thresholds 208 and 210, the priority sorting of SL and UL is based on the logical channel priority of both SL data and UL data / SR. Specifically, between SL-data and UL-data / SRB (signaling radio bearer): if the highest priority value of the UL LCH with available data is greater than the UL priority threshold and the highest priority value of the SL LCH with available data is lower than the SL priority threshold, then the SL transmission is prioritized. Otherwise, the UL transmission is prioritized. Therefore, the lower the logical channel priority value, the higher the data priority, and vice versa.

[0023] The following priority ordering rules also apply: Between SL-data and UL-SR: UL-SR priority is based on the UL LCH that triggered the ULSR; Between SL-data and SL-SR (on the uplink channel): priority is based on a direct comparison between the associated LCH priorities; LTE solutions are reused between SL-data and UL-TX on the PUSCH used for MAC CE; and Msg 1 / 3 for the RACH procedure and PUSCH for emergency PDU connections always take precedence over SL transmissions.

[0024] It should be noted that in NR V2X Release 16, the following protocols have been established in RAN 1: multiplexing of SL Hybrid Automatic Repeat (HARQ) and Radio Interface (Uu) UL Control Information (UCI) is not supported on PUCCH or PUSCH (what the UE should do if the SL HARQ report to gNB overlaps with the Uu UCI is open); and when the report in PUCCH overlaps with the PUSCH transmission, SL HARQ-ACK is reported in PUSCH (reusing the Rel-15 procedure and signaling of multiplexing DL HARQ-ACK in PUSCH).

[0025] The principles described in this article provide solutions to several problems, including: 1. How to determine the priority between SL and UL transmissions, including the specific priority of a particular SL transmission, which can determine whether to reuse the UL-SL priority ordering performed in NR V2X RAN2 for uplink transmissions with available priority information, or to reuse the LTE V2X priority ordering between SL and UL transmissions (note that NR V2X RAN2 considers data logical channel priority; NR V2X RAN2 does not consider physical layer priority information; and NR V2X RAN2 does not consider UL transmissions containing SL HARQ or SL SR); 2. How to prioritize uplink transmissions containing SL HARQ and Uu UCI (note that if a UL transmission reporting SL HARQ to the gNB overlaps with a Uu UCI in time, one of them must be dropped because multiplexing is not supported, and the dropping depends on the priority ordering between UL transmissions reporting SL HARQ and Uu UCI); 3. How to multiplex SL HARQ reports to the gNB with UL data (note that SL reports to the gNB are allowed to be multiplexed). The HARQ report will be transmitted on the PUSCH along with UL data transmission, so whether it should be applied to all UL data is answered by the principles described in this document; and 4. How to prioritize SL authorizations from gNB under Mode 1. Note that in Mode 1 resource allocation, SL authorizations can be dynamic authorizations, Type 1 configuration authorizations, and Type 2 configuration authorizations, and multiple Type 1 or Type 2 configuration authorizations are supported.

[0026] Regarding the first question, the following process describes the priority ordering between SL and UL transmissions: 1.1. If the uplink transmission is a PRACH or PUSCH scheduled by RAR UL authorization, then the UL transmission is prioritized; 2. If the uplink transmission contains URLLC traffic, then the UL transmission is prioritized (if the "Priority Indicator" field in the scheduling / authorization DCI (format 1_1, 1_2, 0_1, 0_2) is equal to 1 or the uplink configuration authorization configuration is configured, then the corresponding DL HARQ feedback, CSI or SRS, and uplink data are considered URLLC traffic, and the UL transmission may or may not contain SL HARQ or SLSR); 3. If the uplink transmission contains SL HARQ or SL SR, and the "Priority" value of the SL HARQ / SR is lower than the "Priority" level in the SCI of the SL transmission, then the UL transmission is prioritized (the "Priority" value of the SL HARQ is equal to the "Priority" field in the corresponding SCI; SL The "priority" value of the SR is equal to the logical channel priority of the corresponding SL data; UL transmission can be PUCCH or PUSCH; UL data can be carried in the PUSCH; and this is a direct comparison between SL priorities without using UL data priority); 4. If the PUCCH contains SL HARQ or SL SR, and the "priority" value of the SL HARQ or SL SR is higher than the "priority" level in the SCI of the SL transmission, then the SL transmission is prioritized (since Rel16 V2X does not support the multiplexing of SL HARQ and Uu UCI on PUCCH / PUSCH, the priority of SL HARQ / SR can be simply compared with the priority of the SL transmission; this is a direct comparison between SL priorities without using UL data / Uu UCI priority); 5. If the PUSCH contains only SL HARQ or SL SR and not UL data, and the SL HARQ or SL... If the "priority" value of the SR is higher than the "priority" level in the SCI of the SL transmission, then the SL transmission is prioritized (this is a direct comparison between SL priorities without using UL data priority); 6. If the value in the "priority" field of the SCI of the SL transmission is less than the higher-layer parameter "thresSL-TxPrioritization", then the SL transmission is prioritized; otherwise, the UL transmission is prioritized (this step applies, but is not limited to, cases where the PUSCH contains both sidelink HARQ or sidelink SR and uplink data, and the "priority" value of the sidelink HARQ or sidelink SR is higher than the "priority" level in the SCI of the sidelink transmission; this step applies, but is not limited to, cases where the PUCCH or PUSCH contains eMBB Uu UCI and / or eMBB uplink data, but does not apply to any URLLC traffic for which UL transmissions have already been prioritized).It should be noted that in the above process, the priority value of the SL PSFCH transmission is indicated by the corresponding SCI, and the priority value of the SSB transmission is indicated by the configuration. If multiple SL transmissions are considered, the highest priority among them (i.e., the lowest priority value in the SCI) is used. If multiple SL HARQs or SL SRs in uplink transmissions are considered, the highest priority among them (i.e., the lowest priority value in the SCI) is used. The above steps can be arranged sequentially.

[0027] Figure 3 A visual representation of the process 300 described more fully above is shown. In particular, boxes 302 to 306 show the case of prioritizing ULs, boxes 308 and 310 show the case of prioritizing SLs, and box 312 shows other cases where the priority ordering depends on the transmission priority of the SL.

[0028] Figure 4 A flowchart of method 400 for determining the priority of simultaneous SL and UL transmissions within a 5G New Radio (NR) network for a UE is shown. In block 402, method 400 processes SL control information (SCI) corresponding to at least one of the SL Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) or SL Scheduling Request (SR) included in a UL transmission to be sent by the UE, thereby determining a priority value associated with at least one SL HARQ or SL SR, wherein the UL transmission does not include Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by Random Access Response (RAR) UL authorization, or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) traffic. Note that the SL HARQ report in the UL transmission can be an ACK / NACK of the SL transmission. Furthermore, the SCI can be transmitted in the SL transmission from Tx UE to Re UE, rather than being included in the SL HARQ report (note that the SCI includes a "priority value" field). In block 404, method 400 processes the SCI of SL transmissions that will be transmitted simultaneously by the UE and UL transmissions, thereby determining a priority value associated with the SL transmission. In block 406, method 400 compares the priority value of at least one SL HARQ or SLSR with the priority value of the SL transmission. In block 408, method 400 prioritizes the transmissions based on the comparison of priority values.

[0029] Regarding the second question, the following procedure describes the priority ordering of UL transmissions with SL HARQ reports (i.e., to gNB) and Uu UCI (i.e., ULTx) as a solution to the problem of potential time overlap between SL HARQ reports and Uu UCI in the Uu control domain: 1. If the UL transmission is a Uu URLLC UCI transmission on PUCCH / PUSCH (including URLLC downlink HARQ-ACK, CSI report, or scheduling request (SR)), indicated by DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, 1_2 with a "Priority Indicator" field equal to 1, then the UL transmission (i.e., Uu URLLC UCI) is prioritized, and the SLHARQ report is discarded (i.e., Uu URLLC UCI transmissions always take precedence over sidelink HARQ reports); 2. If the UL transmission is an eMBB UCI transmission on PUCCH / PUSCH, indicated by DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, 1_2 with the "Priority Indicator" field equal to 0, indicated by an unconfigured "priorityIndicator-ForDCIformat", or indicated by DCI format 0_0, 1_0, or a periodic / semi-persistent CSI report, then the priority ranking depends on the priority of the SL HARQ report. Specifically, if the "priority" value in the SCI corresponding to an SL HARQ report is below the threshold (SL-priorityThreshold), the UL transmission is discarded (i.e., eMBB UCI), and the SL HARQ reports are prioritized (note that the "priority" value in the SCI can be equal to the LCP (Logical Channel Priority) value of the SL data). Conversely, if the "priority" value in the SCI corresponding to an SL HARQ report is above the threshold (SL-priorityThreshold), the SL HARQ report is discarded, and the UL transmissions (i.e., eMBB UCI) are prioritized; and 3. if multiple SL HARQ reports are considered, the lowest "priority" value among all SCIs corresponding to the SL HARQ reports is used. Therefore, the priority ordering of UL transmissions with SL HARQ reports (i.e., to gNB) and Uu UCI (i.e., UL Tx) can take into account the Uu UCI priority (i.e., URLLCUCI or eMBB UCI) and the sidelink HARQ report priority (as indicated in the corresponding SCI), and discard either the Uu UCI or the sidelink HARQ report.

[0030] Figure 5A flowchart of a method 500 for determining the priority of simultaneous transmissions by a User Equipment (UE) within a 5G New Radio (NR) network is shown. In block 502, method 500 identifies Radio Interface (Uu) Uplink (UL) Control Information (UCI) transmissions to be sent by the UE and Sidelink (SL) Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) reports to be sent by the UE. In block 504, method 500 determines a priority value for the Uu UCI transmission. In block 506, method 500 determines the transmission type associated with the Uu UCI transmission, at least in part, based on the determined priority value. In block 508, method 500 prioritizes the UE's transmissions based on the determined transmission types associated with the UL transmissions.

[0031] Alternatively, the following procedures can be used to resolve the second issue in the MAC (i.e., the time overlap between the SL HARQ report and the Uu UCI solution): 1. The conditions indicated by the DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, 1_2 with a "Priority Indicator" field equal to 1 can be checked, which applies only to UL URLLC UCI; and 2. In the 3GPP RRC specification, a threshold for UL traffic has been agreed to be introduced as part of the MAC layer configuration (i.e., "ul-PrioritizationThres-r16"), so the UE can identify the logical channel that triggers to the UL Tx and determine whether the LCH priority of that traffic is lower than the ul-PrioritizationThres threshold. If the LCH priority of that traffic is lower than the threshold, the UE will prioritize the UCI transmissions used for that LCH in the PUCCH / PUSCH. Conversely, if the LCH priority of that traffic is not lower than the threshold, the UE can begin using the previous solution to the second issue, which is associated with determining that the UL transmission is an eMBB UCI transmission on the PUCCH / PUSCH.

[0032] Regarding the third issue, the following procedure describes the priority ordering associated with multiplexing SL HARQ reports with uplink data on the PUSCH in the Uu data domain, as a solution to potential problems arising from time overlap between SL HARQ reports and UL data transmission to the gNB: 1. For URLLC uplink data transmission on the PUSCH, this is indicated by an uplink configuration authorization in DCI format 0_1, 0_2, or with a "priority indicator" field equal to 1: URLLC uplink data transmission always takes precedence over SL HARQ reports. In such cases, SL HARQ reports are not transmitted (i.e., only URLLC uplink data is transmitted); 2. For eMBB uplink data transmission on the PUSCH, which is indicated by the uplink configuration authorization indication in DCI format 0_1, 0_2 or with a "priority indicator" field equal to 0, by the unconfigured "priorityIndicator-ForDCIformat", or by DCI format 0_0, there are several options as follows: Option 1: Based on UL data priority and SL HARQ report priority, discard or delay eMBB UL data transmission or SL HARQ reports as follows: Option 1a: If the LCP value of the eMBB UL data is below the threshold (UL-priorityThreshold), then discard or delay the SL HARQ report. If not, and the LCP value of the SL data corresponding to the SL HARQ report is below the threshold (SL-priorityThreshold), then discard or delay the eMBB UL data. If the eMBB UL data is not lower than the UL-priorityThreshold, and the LCP value of the SL data corresponding to the SL HARQ report is also not lower than the SL-priorityThreshold, then the SL HARQ report is discarded or delayed; Option 1b (i.e., used instead of Option 1a): If the LCP value of the eMBB UL data is lower than the LCP value of the SL data corresponding to the SL HARQ report, then the SL HARQ report is discarded or delayed. Conversely, if the LCP value of the eMBB UL data is not lower than the LCP value of the SL data corresponding to the SL HARQ report, then the eMBB UL data is discarded or delayed; Option 2 (i.e., used instead of Option 1): Piggyback the SL HARQ report on the PUSCH with UL transmission.

[0033] Figure 6A flowchart of method 600 for determining the priority of simultaneous transmissions of user equipment (UE) on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) within a 5G New Radio (NR) network is shown. In block 602, method 600 identifies a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) report multiplexed with uplink (UL) data transmission. In block 604, method 600 determines a priority value for UL data transmission. In block 606, method 600 determines the transmission type associated with the UL data transmission based at least in part on the determined UL data priority value. In block 608, method 600 prioritizes UE transmissions based on the determined transmission type associated with the UL data transmission.

[0034] Alternatively, other options can be used to address the third problem (i.e., determining the multiplexing order of UL authorizations). Typically, UL authorizations are multiplexed according to the MAC procedure described in Clause 5.4.3.1.3 of TS 38.321. Additionally, while it is noted that URLLC traffic may not be multiplexed with SL HARQ, unique challenges may arise in determining how to compare SL HARQ reports with the general UL logical channel and other MAC CEs in this LCP procedure. In this case, the following option can be considered: Option 1: Accommodate SL HARQs earlier than any UL LCH. Regarding the relationship between this and other MAC CEs, whether it will be reused after a UL BSR (unfilled) or SL BSR (unfilled), or follow the same rules defined for the SL BSR case in RAN2, remains to be determined; Option 2: Some UL LCHs below ul-PrioritizationThres will be reused earlier than SL HARQs, and for other UL LCHs, if the highest priority SL LCH included in the SL MAC PDU that triggers the SL HARQ is below sl-PrioritizationThres, then the SL HARQ will be reused earlier. Otherwise, those UL data will be reused earlier than the SL HARQ.

[0035] Regarding the fourth question, the following procedure describes the priority ranking of SL grants in Mode 1 (note that in NR Uu links, time overlap between dynamic grant PUSCH and configuration grant PUSCH can occur, in which case dynamic grant PUSCH usually takes precedence over configuration grant PUSCH): 1. If SL configuration grants and SL dynamic grants overlap in time, there are two alternative options: 1a: SL dynamic grants take precedence over SL configuration grants; or option 1b: prioritize SL grant processes with lower Logical Channel Priority (LCP) values.

[0036] Exemplary system architecture

[0037] In some implementations, the 5G system architecture supports data connectivity and services, enabling deployment using technologies such as network function virtualization and software-defined networking. The 5G system architecture can leverage service-based interactions between control plane network functions. Separating user plane functions from control plane functions allows for independent scalability, evolution, and flexible deployment (e.g., centralized or distributed (remote) locations). Modular function design allows for function reuse and enables flexible and efficient network slicing. Network functions and their network function services can interact directly or indirectly with another NF and its network function services via a service communication broker. Another intermediate function helps route control plane messages. This architecture minimizes dependencies between the AN and CN. The architecture may include an aggregated core network with a common AN-CN interface integrating different access types (e.g., 3GPP access and non-3GPP access). The architecture also supports a unified authentication framework, stateless NFs that decouple compute and storage resources, capability exposure, concurrent access to local and centralized services (to support low-latency services and access to local data networks, with user plane functions deployed near the AN), and / or roaming in the visited PLMN using both home-routed traffic and local breakout traffic.

[0038] A 5G architecture can be defined as service-based, and interactions between network functions can include service-based representations, where a network function within the control plane (e.g., an AMF) enables other authorized network functions to access its services. Service-based representations can also include point-to-point reference points. Reference point representations can also be used to illustrate interactions between NF services within network functions described by point-to-point reference points (e.g., N11) between any two network functions (e.g., AMF and SMF).

[0039] Figure 7 A service-based architecture 700 in 5GS according to one implementation is shown. As described in 3GPP TS 23.501, the service-based architecture 700 includes NFs such as NSSF 702, NEF 704, NRF 706, PCF 708, UDM 710, AUSF 712, AMF 714, and SMF 716 for communicating with UE 720, (R)AN 722, UPF 724, and DN 726. NFs and NF services can communicate directly (referred to as direct communication) or indirectly via SCP 718 (referred to as indirect communication). Figure 7 It also shows the corresponding service-based interfaces including Nutm, Naf, Nudm, Npcf, Nsmf, Nnrf, Namf, Nnef, Nnssf, and Nausf, as well as reference points N1, N2, N3, N4, and N6. The following describes the... Figure 7The example functions provided by NF are shown below.

[0040] NSSF 702 supports functions such as: selecting the set of network slice instances serving the UE; determining the allowed NSSAIs and, if necessary, the mapping to subscribed S-NSSAIs; determining the configured NSSAIs and, if necessary, the mapping to subscribed S-NSSAIs; and / or determining the set of AMFs to be used to serve the UE, or, based on the configuration, possibly by querying the NRF to determine a list of candidate AMFs.

[0041] The NEF 704 supports the exposure of capabilities and events. NF capabilities and events can be securely exposed by the NEF 704 (e.g., for third-party, application functions, and / or edge computing). The NEF 704 can use a standardized interface (Nudr) to the UDR to store / retrieve information as structured data. The NEF 704 can also securely provide information from external applications to the 3GPP network and can provide application functions to securely provide information to the 3GPP network (e.g., anticipated UE behavior, 5GLAN group information, and service-specific information), where the NEF 704 can authenticate and authorize and help restrict application functions. The NEF 704 can provide internal-external information translation by translating information exchanged with the AF and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 704 translates between the AF service identifier and internal 5G core information (such as DNN and S-NSSAI). The NEF 704 can handle the masking of network and user-sensitive information to external AFs according to network policies. The NEF 704 can receive information from other network functions (based on their exposure capabilities) and store the received information as structured data using a standardized interface to the UDR. The stored information can then be accessed by the NEF 704 and re-exposed to other network and application functions for purposes such as analysis. For external exposure of services related to a specific UE, the NEF 704 can reside in the HPLMN. Depending on the operator agreement, the NEF 704 in the HPLMN can have an interface with the NF in the VPLMN. When the UE is able to switch between EPC and 5GC, SCEF+NEF can be used for service exposure.

[0042] NRF 706 supports service discovery by receiving NF discovery requests from NF instances or SCPs and providing information about the discovered NF instances to the NF instances or SCPs. NRF 706 also supports P-CSCF discovery (a special case of SMF discovery AF), maintaining NF profiles of available NF instances and their supported services, and / or notifying subscribed NF service consumers or SCPs of newly registered / updated / deregistered NF instances along with their NF services. In the context of network slicing, multiple NRFs can be deployed at different levels depending on the network implementation, such as PLMN level (NRFs configured with information about the entire PLMN), shared slice level (NRFs configured with information about the network slice set), and / or slice-specific level (NRFs configured with information about the S-NSSAI). In the context of roaming, multiple NRFs can be deployed in different networks, where the NRF in the visited PLMN (referred to as vNRF) is configured with information about the visited PLMN, and the NRF in the home PLMN (referred to as hNRF) is configured with information about the home PLMN, referenced by the vNRF via the N27 interface.

[0043] PCF 708 supports a unified policy framework for managing network behavior. PCF 708 provides policy rules for control plane functions to enforce them. PCF 708 accesses subscription information related to policy decisions in the Unified Data Repository (UDR). PCF 708 can access the UDR located in the same PLMN as PCF.

[0044] The UDM 710 supports the generation of 3GPP AKA authentication credentials, user identification processing (e.g., storage and management of SUPI for each subscriber in a 5G system), de-hiding of privacy-preserving subscription identifiers (SUCI), access authorization based on subscription data (e.g., roaming restrictions), UE service NF registration management (e.g., storing AMF for UE storage services, storing SMF for UE PDU sessions), service / session continuity (e.g., maintaining SMF / DNN allocation for ongoing sessions), MT-SMS delivery, lawful interception functionality (especially in outbound roaming scenarios where the UDM is the only contact point of the LI), subscription management, SMS management, 5GLAN group management processing, and / or external parameter configuration (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters). To provide these functions, the UDM 710 uses subscription data (including authentication data) that can be stored in the UDR. In this case, the UDM implements application logic and may not require internal user data storage, and several different UDMs can provide services to the same user in different transactions. The UDM 710 can reside in the HPLMN of its subscriber and can access information from the UDR located in the same PLMN.

[0045] AF 728 interacts with the core network to provide services such as: application-driven traffic routing; access to NEF 704; interaction with policy frameworks used for policy control; and / or interaction between IMS and 5GC. Based on operator deployment, application functions trusted by the operator may be allowed to interact directly with relevant network functions. Application functions that the operator does not allow direct access to network functions may interact with relevant network functions via an external exposure framework through NEF 704.

[0046] The AUSF 712 supports authentication for 3GPP access and untrusted non-3GPP access. The AUSF 712 also provides support for network slicing-specific authentication and authorization.

[0047] AMF 714 supports the termination of the RAN CP interface (N2), the termination of the NAS (N1) for NAS encryption and integrity protection, registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception (for AMF events and interfaces to the LI system), transmission of SM messages between the UE and SMF, transparent proxy for routing SM messages, access authentication, access authorization, transmission of SMS messages between the UE and SMSF, SEAF, location service management for regulated services, transmission of location service messages between the UE and LMF and between the RAN and LMF, EPS bearer ID allocation for interoperability with EPS, UE mobility event notification, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, user plane CIoT 5GS optimization, configuration of external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters) and / or network slice-specific authentication and authorization. Some or all of the AMF functions can be supported in a single instance of AMF 714. Regardless of the number of network functions, in some implementations, only one NAS interface instance per access network between the UE and the CN terminates with one of the network functions that implements at least NAS security and mobility management. AMF 714 may also include policy-related functions.

[0048] In addition to the functions described above, AMF 714 may also include the following functions supporting non-3GPP access networks: support for an N2 interface with N3IWF / TNGF, on which some information (e.g., 3GPP cell identifier) ​​and procedures (e.g., handover-related) defined on 3GPP access may not be applicable, and non-3GPP access-specific information not applicable to 3GPP access may be applied; support for NAS signaling by UE via N3IWF / TNGF, where some procedures supported by NAS signaling on 3GPP access may not be applicable to untrusted non-3GPP (e.g., paging) access; support for authentication of UEs connected via N3IWF / TNGF; management of mobility, authentication, and separate security context states for UEs connected via non-3GPP access or simultaneously via 3GPP access or non-3GPP access; support for effective coordination of RM management contexts on both 3GPP and non-3GPP access; and / or support for dedicated CM management contexts for UEs connecting via non-3GPP access. Support for all of the above functions may not be required in network slicing instances.

[0049] The SMF 716 supports session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, and release, including tunnel maintenance between UPF and AN nodes), UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization) (where UE IP addresses can be received from the UPF or from an external data network), DHCPv4 (server and client) and DHCPv6 (server and client) functions, the ability to respond to Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests and / or IPv6 neighbor request requests with local cached information based on Ethernet PDUs (e.g., the SMF responds to ARP and / or IPv6 neighbor request requests by providing the MAC address corresponding to the IP address sent in the request), selection and control of user plane functions (including controlling the UPF to proxy ARP or IPv6 neighbor discovery or forwarding all ARP / IPv6 neighbor request traffic to the SMF for Ethernet PDU sessions), traffic-directing configuration at the UPF to route traffic to the appropriate destination, and 5G VN group management (e.g., maintaining the topology of the involved PSA UPF, in the PSA...). Establishing and releasing N19 tunnels between UPFs, configuring traffic forwarding at the UPF to apply local handover, and / or N6-based or N19-based forwarding, terminating the interface for policy control functions, lawful interception (for SM events and interfaces to the LI system), charging data collection and support for charging interfaces, controlling and coordinating charging data collection at the UPF, terminating the SM portion of NAS messages, downlink data notification, initiator of AN-specific SM information sent to the AN via the AMF through N2, determination of the SSC mode of the session, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, header compression, acting as an I-SMF in the deployment of insertable / removable / repositionable I-SMFs, configuring external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters), P-CSCF discovery for IMS services, roaming functions (e.g., handling local implementation to apply QoS). SLA (VPLMN), charging data collection and charging interface (VPLMN) and / or lawful interception (in the VPLMN for SM events and interfaces to LI systems), interaction with external DNs to transmit signaling for PDU session authentication / authorization for external DNs and / or instructing UPF and NG-RAN to perform redundant transmissions on N3 / N9 interfaces. Some or all of the SMF functions may be supported in a single instance of SMF. However, in some implementations, not all functions need to be supported in instances of network slices. In addition to functionality, SMF 716 may include policy-related functions.

[0050] SCP 718 includes one or more of the following functions: indirect communication; delegated discovery; message forwarding and routing to the destination NF / NF service; communication security (e.g., authorization for NF service consumers to access NF service manufacturer APIs), load balancing, monitoring, overload control, etc.; and / or optionally, interaction with a UDR to resolve UDM group ID / UDR group ID / AUSF group ID / PCF group ID / CHF group ID / HSS group ID based on UE identity (e.g., SUPI or IMPI / IMPU). Some or all of the SCP functions may be supported in a single instance of the SCP. In some implementations, SCP 718 may be deployed in a distributed manner and / or more than one SCP may exist in the communication path between NF services. SCPs may be deployed at the PLMN level, shared slice level, and slice-specific level. Carrier deployments may be left to ensure that the SCP can communicate with the relevant NRF.

[0051] UE 720 may include devices with radio communication capabilities. For example, UE 720 may include a smartphone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks). UE 720 may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), pager, laptop computer, desktop computer, wireless phone, or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface. UE is also referred to as a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, or reconfigurable mobile device. UE 720 may include an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with short-lived UE connections. The IoT UE may exchange data with an MTC server or device via a PLMN, other UEs using ProSe or D2D communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks using technologies such as M2M, MTC, or mMTC. M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. An IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure). IoT UEs may execute background applications (e.g., keeping track of activity messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0052] UE 720 can be configured to connect or communicatively couple with (R)AN 722 via radio interface 730, which can be a physical communication interface or layer configured to operate using cellular communication protocols such as GSM, CDMA network protocols, push-to-talk (PTT), cellular PTT (POC), UMTS, 3GPP LTE, 5G, NR, etc. For example, UE 720 and (R)AN 722 can use a Uu interface (e.g., LTE-Uu interface) to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack including PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layers. DL transmissions can be made from (R)AN 722 to UE 720, and UL transmissions can be made from UE 720 to (R)AN 722. UE 720 can also use a sidelink to communicate directly with another UE (not shown) for D2D, P2P, and / or ProSe communication. For example, the ProSe interface may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to the Physical Side Link Control Channel (PSCCH), Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH), Physical Side Link Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and Physical Side Link Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0053] (R)AN 722 may include one or more access nodes, which may be referred to as a base station (BS), Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), RAN node, controller, Transmitter Receiving Point (TRP), etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cellular base station). (R)AN 722 may include one or more RAN nodes for providing coverage for macrocell base stations, picocell base stations, femtocell base stations, or other types of cellular base stations. Macrocells may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow UEs to have unrestricted access with a service subscription. Picocells may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow UEs to have unrestricted access with a service subscription. Femtocells may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access for UEs associated with a femtocell (e.g., a UE in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), a UE of a user in a home, etc.).

[0054] Although not shown, multiple RAN nodes (such as (R)AN 722) may be used, with Xn interfaces defined between two or more nodes. In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. Xn-U provides non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and supports / provides data forwarding and flow control functions. Xn-C provides management and error handling functions for managing the functionality of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for UE 720 in connected modes (e.g., CM-connected) includes functions for managing UE mobility in connected modes between one or more (R)AN nodes. This mobility support may include context transfer from the old (source) serving (R)AN node to the new (destination) serving (R)AN node; and control of user plane tunnels between the old (source) serving (R)AN node and the new (destination) serving (R)AN node.

[0055] The UPF 724 can serve as an anchor point for mobility within and between RATs, an external PDU session point interconnected with the DN 726, and a branch point supporting multihomed PDU sessions. The UPF 724 can also perform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane portion enforcement of policy rules, lawful packet interception (UP collection), traffic usage reporting, QoS processing on the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), uplink traffic authentication (e.g., SDF-to-QoS flow mapping), transport-level packet marking in uplink and downlink, and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 724 may include an uplink classifier to support routing traffic flows to the data network. The DN 726 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. The DN 726 may include, for example, an application server.

[0056] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of a configurable example UE 800 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including instructions that correspond to any of the example methods and / or processes described herein, which are executed on a computer-readable medium. The UE 800 includes one or more processors 802, transceivers 804, memory 806, a user interface 808, and a control interface 810.

[0057] The one or more processors 802 may include, for example, an application processor, an audio digital signal processor, a central processing unit, and / or one or more baseband processors. Each of the one or more processors 802 may include internal memory and / or may include an interface for communicating with external memory (including memory 806). The internal or external memory may store software code, programs, and / or instructions executable by the one or more processors 802 to configure and / or facilitate the UE 800 to perform various operations, including those described herein. For example, the execution of instructions may configure the UE 800 to communicate using one or more wired or wireless communication protocols (including one or more wireless communication protocols standardized by 3GPP, such as those commonly referred to as 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, etc.) or any other current or future protocols that can be used in conjunction with the one or more transceivers 804, user interface 808, and / or control interface 810. For example, the one or more processors 802 may execute program code stored in memory 806 or other memory corresponding to the MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP (e.g., for NR and / or LTE). Alternatively, the processor 802 may execute program code stored in memory 806 or other memory that, together with the one or more transceivers 804, implements the corresponding PHY layer protocol, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA).

[0058] Memory 806 may include memory regions for the one or more processors 802 to store variables used in the protocols, configurations, controls, and other functions of the UE 800 (including operations corresponding to or including any of the example methods and / or processes described herein). Furthermore, memory 806 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), or combinations thereof. Additionally, memory 806 may interact with memory time slots through which one or more removable memory cards of various formats (e.g., SD cards, Memory Sticks, Compact Flash, etc.) can be inserted and removed.

[0059] The one or more transceivers 804 may include radio frequency transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that facilitates communication between the UE 800 and other devices supporting similar wireless communication standards and / or protocols. For example, the one or more transceivers 804 may include switches, mixer circuitry, amplifier circuitry, filter circuitry, and synthesizer circuitry. Such RF circuitry systems may include a receive signal path having circuitry for down-converting RF signals received from a front-end module (FEM) and providing baseband signals to the one or more processors 802. The RF circuitry may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry for up-converting the baseband signals provided by the baseband processor and providing an RF output signal for transmission to the FEM. The FEM may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas, amplify the received signals, and provide an amplified version of the received signals to the RF circuitry for further processing. The FEM may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry configured to amplify transmit signals provided by the RF circuitry for transmission by one or more antennas. In various implementations, amplification along the transmit or receive signal path can be performed only in the RF circuitry, only in the FEM, or in both the RF and FEM circuitries. In some implementations, the FEM circuitry may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit and receive mode operation.

[0060] In some exemplary embodiments, the one or more transceivers 804 include transmitters and receivers that enable the device 1200 to communicate with various 5G / NR networks according to various protocols and / or methods proposed for standardization by 3GPP and / or other standards bodies. For example, such functionality may operate cooperatively with the one or more processors 802 to implement a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technologies, as described herein with reference to other figures.

[0061] User interface 808 may take various forms depending on the specific implementation, or may not be present in UE 800. In some implementations, user interface 808 includes a microphone, speaker, slide button, pressable button, display, touchscreen display, mechanical or virtual keypad, mechanical or virtual keyboard, and / or any other user interface features typically present on mobile phones. In other implementations, UE 800 may include a tablet computing device with a large touchscreen display. In such implementations, one or more mechanical features of user interface 808 may be replaced by equivalent or functionally equivalent virtual user interface features (e.g., virtual keypad, virtual buttons, etc.) implemented using a touchscreen display, as is well known to those skilled in the art. In other implementations, UE 800 may be a digital computing device, such as a laptop computer, desktop computer, workstation, etc., which includes a mechanical keyboard that can be integrated, detached, or removable according to a particular exemplary implementation. Such digital computing devices may also include a touchscreen display. Many example implementations of UE 800 with a touchscreen display are capable of receiving user input, such as input related to exemplary methods and / or processes described herein or known to those skilled in the art.

[0062] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the UE 800 may include an orientation sensor, which may be used in various ways by the features and functions of the UE 800. For example, the UE 800 may use the output of the orientation sensor to determine when a user has changed the physical orientation of the touchscreen display of the UE 800. An indication signal from the orientation sensor can be used by any application executing on the UE 800 to automatically change the orientation of the screen display (e.g., from portrait to landscape) when the indication signal indicates a change of approximately 90 degrees in the physical orientation of the device. In this way, the application is able to maintain the screen display in a user-readable manner regardless of the physical orientation of the device. Additionally, the output of the orientation sensor may be used in conjunction with various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0063] The control interface 810 may take various forms depending on the specific implementation. For example, the control interface 810 may include an RS-232 interface, an RS-485 interface, a USB interface, an HDMI interface, a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE (“FireWire”) interface, and an I / O interface. 2 Interfaces include C-type interfaces and PCMCIA interfaces. In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, control interface 1260 may include an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet interface, as described above. In some embodiments of this disclosure, control interface 810 may include analog interface circuitry, including, for example, one or more digital-to-analog (D / A) converters and / or analog-to-digital (A / D) converters.

[0064] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the list of features, interfaces, and radio frequency communication standards above is merely exemplary and not limited to the scope of this disclosure. In other words, UE 800 may include more than Figure 8 Further functionalities are shown, including, for example, a video and / or still image camera, microphone, media player, and / or recorder. Additionally, the one or more transceivers 804 may include circuitry for communicating using additional radio frequency communication standards, including Bluetooth, GPS, and / or others. Furthermore, the one or more processors 802 may execute software code stored in memory 806 to control such additional functionalities. For example, directional velocity and / or position estimates output from a GPS receiver can be used by any application executing on the UE 800, including various exemplary methods and / or computer-readable media according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0065] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of a configurable example network node 900 according to various embodiments of this disclosure, including instructions executed on a computer-readable medium corresponding to any of the example methods and / or processes described herein.

[0066] Network node 900 includes one or more processors 902, a radio network interface 904, a memory 906, a core network interface 908, and other interfaces 910. Network node 900 may include, for example, a base station, eNB, gNB, access node, or components thereof.

[0067] The one or more processors 902 may include any type of processor or processing circuitry and may be configured to perform one of the methods or processes disclosed herein. Memory 906 may store software code, programs, and / or instructions executable by the one or more processors 902 to configure network node 900 to perform various operations, including those described herein. For example, execution of such stored instructions may configure network node 900 to communicate with one or more other devices using protocols (including one or more methods and / or processes described above) according to various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, execution of such stored instructions may configure and / or facilitate network node 900 to communicate with one or more other devices using other protocols or protocol layers (such as one or more of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or NR, or any other higher-level protocols used in conjunction with radio network interface 904 and core network interface 908). By way of example, and not limitation, core network interface 908 includes an S1 interface, and radio network interface 904 may include a Uu interface, as standardized by 3GPP. The memory 906 may also store variables used in the protocols, configurations, control, and other functions of the network node 900. Therefore, the memory 906 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, hard disk, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), network-based (e.g., "cloud") storage devices, or combinations thereof.

[0068] The radio network interface 904 may include a transmitter, receiver, signal processor, ASIC, antenna, beamforming unit, and other circuitry enabling the network node 900 to communicate with other equipment (such as multiple compatible user equipment (UEs) in some embodiments). In some embodiments, the network node 900 may include various protocols or protocol layers, such as the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G / NR. According to further embodiments of this disclosure, the radio network interface 904 may include a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technologies. In some embodiments, the functionality of such a PHY layer may be provided cooperatively by the radio network interface 904 and the one or more processors 902.

[0069] The core network interface 908 may include transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry enabling the network node 900 to communicate with other equipment in the core network (in some embodiments, such as circuit-switched (CS) and / or packet-switched (PS) networks). In some embodiments, the core network interface 908 may include an S1 interface standardized by 3GPP. In some embodiments, the core network interface 908 may include one or more interfaces to one or more SGW, MME, SGSN, GGSN, and other physical devices, including functions known to those skilled in the art in GERAN, UTRAN, E-UTRAN, and CDMA2000 core networks. In some embodiments, these one or more interfaces may be multiplexed together on a single physical interface. In some embodiments, the lower layers of the core network interface 908 may include one or more of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet Protocol over Ethernet (IP), SDH over fiber, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those skilled in the art.

[0070] Other interfaces 910 may include transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry that enables network node 900 to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc., for the operation, management, and maintenance of network node 900 or other network equipment operatively connected thereto.

[0071] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods described in the Embodiments section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples below. As another example, circuitry associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc., described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the Examples section below.

[0072] Embodiment section

[0073] Example 1a may include a method for determining the priority of simultaneous sidelink (SL) and uplink (UL) transmissions of a user equipment (UE) within a 5G New Radio (NR) network, the method comprising: processing SL control information (SCI) corresponding to at least one of an SL Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) or SL Scheduling Request (SR) included in a UL transmission to be transmitted by the UE, thereby determining a priority value associated with the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR, wherein the UL transmission does not include Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by Random Access Response (RAR) UL grant, or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) traffic; processing the SCI of an SL transmission to be transmitted simultaneously by the UE and the UL transmission, thereby determining a priority value associated with the SL transmission; comparing the priority value of the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR with the priority value of the SL transmission; and prioritizing the transmissions based on the comparison of the priority values.

[0074] Example 2a may include the method of Example 1a, further comprising: determining, based on a comparison of the priority values, that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission; and, in response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission, prioritizing the UL transmission over the SL transmission.

[0075] Example 3a may include the method described in Example 1a, further comprising: determining that the UL transmission is a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH); determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission based on a comparison of the priority values; and, in response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, prioritizing the SL transmission over the UL transmission.

[0076] Example 4a may include the method described in Example 1a, further comprising: determining that the UL transmission is a PUSCH, including the SL HARQ or the SL SR, but excluding other uplink data; determining that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission based on a comparison of the priority values; and, in response to determining that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, prioritizing the SL transmission over the UL transmission.

[0077] Example 5a may include an apparatus for a user equipment (UE) comprising: one or more processors configured to: identify radio interface (Uu) uplink (UL) control information (UCI) transmissions to be sent by the UE and sidelink (SL) hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) reports to be sent by the UE; determine a priority value for the Uu UCI transmissions; determine a transmission type associated with the Uu UCI transmissions based at least in part on the determined priority value; and prioritize the UE transmissions based on the determined transmission type associated with the UL transmissions; and a memory configured to store the Uu UCI and the SL HARQ reports.

[0078] Example 6a may include the apparatus described in Example 5a, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that the transmission type is an Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) UCI ​​transmission; and based on determining that the transmission type is the URLLC UCI transmission: transmit the UCI transmission; and discard the SL HARQ report.

[0079] Example 7a may include the apparatus described in Example 6a, wherein the URLLC UCI transmission includes one of URLLC downlink HARQ-ACK, Channel State Information (CSI) report, or Scheduling Request (SR).

[0080] Example 8a may include the apparatus described in Example 5a, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that the transmission type is an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) UCI ​​transmission; and based on determining that the transmission type is the eMBB UCI transmission: process SL control information (SCI) corresponding to the SL HARQ report to determine a priority value associated with the SL HARQ report; compare the priority value associated with the SL HARQ report with a priority threshold; and prioritize the transmission based on the comparison of the priority value of the SL HARQ report with the priority threshold.

[0081] Example 9a may include the apparatus described in Example 8a, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that the priority value is lower than the priority threshold based on comparing the priority value associated with the SL HARQ report with the priority threshold; and based on determining that the priority value is lower than the priority threshold: transmit the SL HARQ report; and discard the eMBB UCI transmission.

[0082] Example 10a may include the apparatus of Example 8a, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that the priority value is higher than the priority threshold based on comparing the priority value associated with the SL HARQ report with the priority threshold; and based on determining that the priority value is higher than the priority threshold: transmit the eMBB UCI transmission; and discard the SL HARQ report.

[0083] Example 11a may include the apparatus of Example 8a, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: identify at least one additional SL HARQ report to be transmitted by the UE; process an SCI corresponding to each of the at least one additional SL HARQ report to determine a priority value associated with each of the at least one additional SL HARQ report; and use the SCI corresponding to each of the at least one additional HARQ report and the one that has the lowest priority value when compared with the priority threshold.

[0084] Example 12a may include a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of the user equipment (UE) configured to determine the priority of simultaneous transmissions of a user equipment (UE) on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) within a 5G New Radio (NR) network, cause the processor to perform the following operations: identify a Sidelink (SL) Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) report that will be multiplexed with uplink (UL) data transmissions; determine a priority value for the UL data transmissions; determine a transmission type associated with the UL data transmissions based at least in part on the determined UL data priority value; and prioritize the UE's transmissions based on the determined transmission type associated with the UL data transmissions.

[0085] Example 13a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 12, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the transmission type is Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) UL data transmission; and based on the determination that the transmission type is the URLLC UL data transmission: send the UL data transmission; and discard the SL HARQ report.

[0086] Example 14a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 12a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determining that the transmission type is enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) UL data transmission; and based on determining that the transmission type is the eMBB UL data transmission, comparing the priority value of the UL data transmission with a first UL priority threshold; and prioritizing the transmission of the UE based on the comparison of the priority value of the UL data transmission with the UL priority threshold.

[0087] Example 15a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 14a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the priority value of the UL data transmission is lower than the UL priority threshold; and based on the determination that the priority value of the UL data transmission is lower than the UL priority threshold: transmit the UL data transmission; and discard or delay the SL HARQ report.

[0088] Example 16a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 14a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the priority value of the UL data transmission is higher than the UL priority threshold; and based on the determination that the priority value of the UL data transmission is higher than the UL priority threshold: process SL control information (SCI) corresponding to the SL HARQ report to determine a priority value associated with the SL HARQ report; compare the priority value of the SL HARQ report with the SL priority threshold; and prioritize the transmission based on the comparison of the priority value of the SL HARQ report with the SL priority threshold.

[0089] Example 17a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 16a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the priority value of the SL HARQ report is lower than the SL priority threshold; and based on the determination that the priority value of the SL HARQ report is lower than the SL priority threshold: transmit the SL HARQ report; and discard or delay the UL data transmission.

[0090] Example 18a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 16a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the priority value of the SL HARQ report is higher than the SL priority threshold; and based on determining that the priority value of the SL HARQ report is higher than the SL priority threshold: transmit the UL data transmission; and discard or delay the SL HARQ report.

[0091] Example 19a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 12a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the transmission type is enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) UL data transmission; and based on determining that the transmission type is the eMBB UL data transmission: process SL control information (SCI) corresponding to the SL HARQ report to determine a priority value associated with the SL HARQ report; compare the priority value of the UL data transmission with the priority value of the SL HARQ report; and prioritize the transmission based on the comparison of the priority value of the UL data transmission with the priority value of the SL HARQ report.

[0092] Example 20a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 19a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the priority value of the UL data transmission is lower than the priority value of the SL HARQ report; and based on the determination that the priority value of the UL data transmission is lower than the priority value of the SL HARQ report: transmit the UL data transmission; and discard or delay the SL HARQ report.

[0093] Example 21a may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of the UE configured to determine the priority of simultaneous sidelink (SL) and uplink (UL) transmissions of a user equipment (UE) within a 5G New Radio (NR) network, cause the processor to perform the following operations: process SL control information (SCI) corresponding to at least one of an SL Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) or SL Scheduling Request (SR) included in a UL transmission to be transmitted by the UE, thereby determining a priority value associated with the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR, wherein the UL transmission does not include Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by Random Access Response (RAR) UL grant, or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) traffic; process the SCI of an SL transmission to be transmitted simultaneously by the UE and the UL transmission, thereby determining a priority value associated with the SL transmission; and process the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR. The priority value of the SR is compared with the priority value of the SL transmission; and the transmissions are prioritized based on the comparison of the priority values.

[0094] Example 22a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 21a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determining, based on a comparison of the priority values, that the at least one SL HARQ or SLSR has a higher priority than the SL transmission; and in response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission, prioritizing the UL transmission over the SL transmission.

[0095] Example 23a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 21a, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the UL transmission is a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH); determine that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission based on a comparison of the priority values; and in response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, prioritize the SL transmission over the UL transmission.

[0096] Example 24a may include the computer-readable storage medium of Example 21, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the following operations: determine that the UL transmission is a PUSCH, including the SL HARQ or the SL SR, but excluding other uplink data; determine that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission based on a comparison of the priority values; and in response to determining that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, prioritize the SL transmission over the UL transmission.

[0097] Example 1b may include an apparatus comprising means for performing one or more elements of a method or process described or associated with any of the methods or processes described herein.

[0098] Example 2b may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the method or any other method or process described herein, as described in any of the above embodiments or related to them.

[0099] Example 3b may include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of the methods described or associated with any of the above embodiments or any other methods or processes described herein.

[0100] Example 4b may include any of the methods, techniques, or processes, or parts or components thereof, described or associated with any of the above examples.

[0101] Example 5b may include an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods, techniques, or processes or portions thereof described in or related to any of the above embodiments.

[0102] Example 6b may include any of the signals or parts or components thereof described in or associated with any of the above examples.

[0103] Example 7b may include datagrams, packets, frames, segments, protocol data units (PDUs) or messages or parts or components thereof as described in or related to any of the above examples, or as otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0104] Example 8b may include any of the above examples or related encoded data signals or portions or components thereof, or other content described in this disclosure.

[0105] Example 9b may include signals or portions or components thereof encoded as datagrams, packets, frames, segments, PDUs or messages in any of the above examples or in connection with them, or the content otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0106] Example 10b may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods, techniques, or processes or portions thereof described in or related to any of the above examples.

[0107] Example 11b may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform any of the methods, techniques, or processes or portions thereof described in or associated with any of the above embodiments.

[0108] Example 12b may include signals in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0109] Example 13b may include methods for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0110] Example 14b may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0111] Example 15b may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0112] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. In view of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be obtained from the practice of various embodiments.

[0113] Implementations and specific embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components, including specific logical components for performing the operations, or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0114] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific implementations. These implementations may be combined into a single system, partially integrated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Furthermore, it is conceivable to use parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of one implementation in another implementation. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., are described only in one or more implementations, and it should be recognized that unless specifically stated herein, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., may be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of another implementation.

[0115] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0116] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that many alternative ways exist to implement both the processes and apparatus described herein. Therefore, embodiments of the invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and this specification is not limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for determining the priority of sidelink SL transmission and uplink UL transmission simultaneously performed by a user equipment (UE) in a 5G New Radio (NR) network, the method comprising: Process a first SL control information SCI corresponding to at least one of the SL Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) or SL Scheduling Request (SR) included in a UL transmission to be transmitted by the UE, thereby determining a priority value associated with the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR, wherein the UL transmission does not include the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by the Random Access Response (RAR) UL Authorization, or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) traffic. Process a second SCI for SL transmissions to be sent simultaneously by the UE and the UL transmission, thereby determining a priority value associated with the SL transmission from the second SCI; The priority value of the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR from the first SCI is compared with the priority value of the SL transmission; and The transmissions are prioritized based on the comparison of the priority values.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission; as well as In response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission, the UL transmission is prioritized over the SL transmission.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: It is determined that the UL transmission is the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH); Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, the SL transmission is prioritized over the UL transmission.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The UL transmission is determined to be PUSCH, including the SL HARQ or the SL SR, but excluding other uplink data; Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, the SL transmission is prioritized over the UL transmission.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user equipment (UE) configured to determine the priority of simultaneous sidelink (SL) and uplink (UL) transmissions within a 5G New Radio (NR) network, cause the processor to perform the following operations: Process a first SL control information SCI corresponding to at least one of the SL Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) or SL Scheduling Request (SR) included in a UL transmission to be transmitted by the UE, thereby determining a priority value associated with the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR, wherein the UL transmission does not include the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by the Random Access Response (RAR) UL Authorization, or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) traffic. Process a second SCI for SL transmissions to be sent simultaneously by the UE and the UL transmission, thereby determining a priority value associated with the SL transmission from the second SCI; The priority value of the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR from the first SCI is compared with the priority value of the SL transmission; and The transmissions are prioritized based on the comparison of the priority values.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to: Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission, the UL transmission is prioritized over the SL transmission.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to: It is determined that the UL transmission is the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH); Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, the SL transmission is prioritized over the UL transmission.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to: The UL transmission is determined to be PUSCH, including the SL HARQ or the SL SR, but excluding other uplink data; Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, the SL transmission is prioritized over the UL transmission.

9. A user equipment (UE) device, comprising: processor; as well as Memory, storage instructions, which, when executed by the processor, configure the device to: Process a first SL control information SCI corresponding to at least one of the SL Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) or SL Scheduling Request (SR) included in a UL transmission to be transmitted by the UE, thereby determining a priority value associated with the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR, wherein the UL transmission does not include the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by the Random Access Response (RAR) UL Authorization, or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) traffic. Process a second SCI for SL transmissions to be sent simultaneously by the UE and the UL transmission, thereby determining a priority value associated with the SL transmission from the second SCI; The priority value of the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR from the first SCI is compared with the priority value of the SL transmission; and The transmissions are prioritized based on the comparison of the priority values.

10. The UE device according to claim 9, wherein, The instructions also configure the device as follows: Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a higher priority than the SL transmission, the UL transmission is prioritized over the SL transmission.

11. The UE device according to claim 9, wherein, The instructions also configure the device as follows: It is determined that the UL transmission is the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH); Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the at least one SL HARQ or SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, the SL transmission is prioritized over the UL transmission.

12. The UE device according to claim 9, wherein, The instructions also configure the device as follows: The UL transmission is determined to be PUSCH, including the SL HARQ or the SL SR, but excluding other uplink data; Based on the comparison of the priority values, it is determined that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission; and In response to determining that the SL HARQ or the SL SR has a lower priority than the SL transmission, the SL transmission is prioritized over the UL transmission.

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