Mechanisms for managing user equipment on sidelink communications

Abstract

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for implementing sidelink communications between a plurality of user equipments (UEs). When a UE is in an active state, the UE operates according to a periodic discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle that includes a sidelink on duration period. The UE is in a power saving state outside of the sidelink on duration period. The UE listens to a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) during the active state to implement sidelink communications. During one or more slots of the sidelink on duration period when a receiver UE is in the active state, the UE determines the DRX cycle and the sidelink on duration period of the receiver UE and sends a message to the receiver UE.

Description

Background Technology Technical Field

[0002] The aspects described typically involve user equipment that manages sidelink communications in wireless communication systems.

[0003] Related fields

[0004] User equipment (UE) communicates with base stations (e.g., evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), or other base stations) in a wireless communication network or system. Furthermore, device-to-device (D2D) or sidelink communication between UEs is becoming increasingly important for information exchange in wireless communication systems. Sidelink communication enables direct communication between neighboring devices (e.g., multiple UEs) without going through a base station, thereby reducing communication latency between UEs. However, various problems remain to be solved regarding sidelink communication between UEs in wireless communication systems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Some aspects of this disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for implementing device-to-device (D2D) or sidelink communication between multiple user equipment (UEs) in a wireless communication system (e.g., a wireless communication system based on 3GPP Release 16 (Rel-16), Release 17 (Rel-17), or later). For example, systems and methods for designing to implement New Radio (NR) wireless systems are provided.

[0006] Some aspects of this disclosure relate to a UE (User Equipment). The UE includes a transceiver and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more UEs, including a receiver UE, via a first interface for sidelink communication. The receiver UE may be a UE within coverage area, a UE outside coverage area, or a partially covered UE. The transceiver is further configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station via a second interface supporting uplink and downlink transmissions between the base station and the UE. In some examples, the first interface is a PC5 interface, and the second interface is a Uu interface.

[0007] In some examples, the processor is configured to determine a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle for the receiver UE, the DRX cycle comprising a first number of time slots. The processor is further configured to determine a sidelink-enabled duration segment within the DRX cycle, wherein the sidelink-enabled duration segment comprises a second number of time slots less than the first number of time slots. In some examples, the second number of time slots within the sidelink-enabled duration segment are consecutive time slots. During the sidelink-enabled duration segment, the receiver UE is active to listen to the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH). The receiver UE's DRX cycle also includes a power-saving state with a third number of time slots, during which the receiver UE avoids listening to the PSCCH. Furthermore, the processor is configured to send messages to the receiver UE using a transceiver during one or more time slots of the sidelink-enabled duration segment. The messages are sent to the receiver UE via broadcast, multicast, or unicast transmission. In some examples, the messages sent to the receiver UE are carried in a Sidelink Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) and include configuration defining one or more time slots for the receiver UE to respond to the UE.

[0008] In some examples, the DRX cycle of the receiver UE is the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE, and the UE is further configured to wirelessly communicate with the second receiver UE via a first interface for sidelink communication. The processor is further configured to determine a second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE, and a second sidelink-enabled duration within the second DRX cycle. During the second sidelink-enabled duration, the second receiver UE is active and listening for the PSCCH. Furthermore, the processor is configured to determine one or more time slots when both the first and second receiver UEs are active. Subsequently, the processor is configured to use a transceiver to send messages to both the first and second receiver UEs in one-to-many communication during one or more time slots when both the first and second receiver UEs are active.

[0009] In some examples, the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE has the same time period as the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE relative to a time reference, and the first sidelink enable duration segment has the same time period as the second sidelink enable duration segment relative to a time reference. In some other examples, the first sidelink enable duration segment may have a different length than the second sidelink enable duration segment. In some other examples, the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE has a first offset relative to a time reference, and the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE has a second offset relative to a time reference, wherein the first offset has a different length than the second offset. In still other examples, the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE has a first length T, and the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE has a second length, wherein the first length is 1 / 2 or 1 / 4 of the second length. In some examples, the DRX cycle offset and enable duration configuration ensures that the activity times of multiple receiver UEs overlap with each other in a deterministic manner, and are further repeated at least once every m*T, where m*T corresponds to the longest DRX cycle among all receiver UEs, so that the UE can find a common time slot when multiple UEs are active, thereby facilitating transmission to these multiple UEs.

[0010] Some aspects of this disclosure relate to a method for operating a UE. The method includes receiving a configuration for a DRX cycle having a sidelink-enabled duration segment within the DRX cycle. The UE is active during the sidelink-enabled duration segment and in a power-saving state outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment. The method then includes listening to the PSCCH during at least one time slot within the sidelink-enabled duration segment to receive messages from other UEs that wirelessly communicate with the UE via a PC5 interface for sidelink communication. When the UE is in a power-saving state, the UE avoids listening to the PSCCH. The method also includes receiving messages from other UEs via the PC5 interface for sidelink communication when the UE is active. In some examples, the messages have a destination address matching the UE's sidelink address. Based on the received messages, the method includes determining a configuration defining one or more time slots for the UE to respond to other UEs. The method then includes sending a response message to the other UE based on the determined configuration. Some aspects of this disclosure relate to how to configure a UE for a DRX cycle. For UEs within the coverage area, DRX cycling can be configured via RRC signaling from the base station. For UEs outside the coverage area, DRX cycling can be configured via pre-configuration. To achieve configuration flexibility and allow UEs to trade off between power savings and delivery latency, various DRX configurations can be provided based on different sidelink addresses, service requirements, or QoS requirements.

[0011] Some aspects of this disclosure relate to a method for operating a UE. The method includes receiving a configuration of a DRX cycle having a sidelink-enabled duration segment within the DRX cycle. The UE is active during the sidelink-enabled duration segment and in a power-saving state outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment. The method also includes setting an activity tracking timer based on an offset relative to a time reference to continuously track the DRX cycle and the sidelink-enabled duration segment. In some examples, the configuration for the DRX cycle, the sidelink-enabled duration segment, the activity tracking timer, and the offset relative to a time reference is configured in an RRC message from a base station that wirelessly communicates with the UE through an interface supporting uplink and downlink transmissions between the base station and the UE. Setting the activity tracking timer to continuously track the DRX cycle and the sidelink-enabled duration segment includes setting a first timer as the activity tracking timer to continuously track the DRX cycle and setting a second timer to continuously track the sidelink-enabled duration segment. Similarly, in some embodiments, the first timer is the activity tracking timer to continuously track the DRX cycle, and the second timer is set to continuously track the sidelink-enabled duration segment.

[0012] Furthermore, the method includes listening to the PSCCH for messages from other UEs during at least one time slot within the sidelink-enabled duration period. These other UEs wirelessly communicate with the UE via a PC5 interface for sidelink communication. When the UE is active and the message has a target address matching the UE's sidelink address, the method receives the message from the other UE in the PSCCH via the PC5 interface for sidelink communication. In some embodiments, messages can be received via the PSCCH and / or the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH). After receiving a message, the method includes restarting an activity tracking timer to continuously track the DRX cycle and the sidelink-enabled duration period. In some embodiments, when the UE first receives a message in the PSCCH / PSSCH matching its own address within the sidelink-enabled duration period of the DRX cycle, the UE can stop a first timer for tracking the sidelink-enabled duration period and start a second timer as an activity tracking timer to track traffic activity within the DRX cycle.

[0013] The content of this invention is provided for illustrative purposes only, to provide an understanding of the subject matter described herein. Therefore, the features described above are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subject matter of this disclosure. Other features, aspects, and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of this specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the specification, further serve to explain the principles of the disclosure and enable those skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure.

[0015] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless system according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, which implements a design for sidelink communication between multiple user equipment (UEs).

[0016] Figures 2A to 2C An exemplary wireless system according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, the exemplary wireless system including a plurality of UEs operating according to a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, the DRX cycle including a sidelink-on duration segment for sidelink communication.

[0017] Figures 3A to 3C An exemplary DRX cycle according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, which has a sidelink-enabled duration segment for sidelink communication between multiple UEs.

[0018] Figure 4 An exemplary method for a device that supports sidelink communication between multiple UEs is shown according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0019] Figures 5A to 5B An exemplary method for a device that supports sidelink communication between multiple UEs is shown according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6 A block diagram of an exemplary electronic device system according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, which implements a design for sidelink communication between multiple UEs.

[0021] Figure 7 It is an exemplary computer system for implementing some aspects or parts of the disclosure provided herein.

[0022] This disclosure is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally indicate the same or similarly functional elements. Furthermore, the leftmost numeral of the reference numerals generally appears first in the drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0023] In a wireless system, a User Equipment (UE) can communicate with a base station (e.g., an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNB), or other base stations) via uplink and downlink in a wireless communication network or system. Additionally, a UE can communicate directly with one or more other UEs via sidelink channels using device-to-device (D2D) or sidelink (SL) communication. Various sidelink channels are defined in interfaces used for sidelink communication, such as the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) in a PC5 interface. Compared to conventional cellular communication, sidelink communication can offer many advantages, such as greater efficiency and transparency, resulting in higher spectral efficiency and lower latency. Other terms have been used to describe SL-related communication systems, such as ProSe communication and D2D communication. However, these terms (e.g., SL communication, D2D communication, ProSe communication) may differ from each other in some respects. In this disclosure, SL, D2D, and ProSe are used interchangeably. SL communication can operate using licensed cellular spectrum (referred to as in-band communication) and unlicensed spectrum (referred to as out-of-band communication).

[0024] Power management is a critical issue for UEs. To conserve battery power, UEs can enter idle mode, reducing communication or computing activity. If a UE is in connected mode with a base station and has no data to send or receive, the base station can (e.g., based on a timer) instruct the UE to enter idle mode after a certain amount of time. Specifically, the base station can send a Radio Resource Control (RRC) release message to the UE, allowing it to enter idle mode. When a UE is in idle mode, there must be procedures available to access the UE if downlink data for that UE is available. In a radio system, paging is a mechanism for initiating service for UEs in idle mode. When a UE is within the coverage area of ​​a base station, the base station maintains a unique identifier for that UE to identify it. Therefore, the base station can perform a paging operation to exit idle mode for the UE. Paging messages can be one-to-one messages for a specific UE or one-to-many messages, which can be multicast or broadcast messages.

[0025] However, performing paging operations via SL is more complex. The UE lacks a unique identifier to identify other peer UEs in its vicinity, making it impossible for the UE to notify other peer UEs based on their identifiers. Instead, SL links are identified by a pair of Layer 2 (L2) addresses. Therefore, a UE can be associated with multiple L2 addresses across multiple sidelinks. In the prior art, the UE cannot know whether a peer UE is active. When a UE performs a paging operation for one or more other UEs, a connection may not be established between that UE and those other UEs. Current solutions allow the UE to continuously listen to or monitor the control channel of SL communication, such as the PSCCH in the PC5 interface. However, such solutions can be very power-intensive for the UE.

[0026] Some aspects of this disclosure provide improved solutions for SL communication, reducing UE power consumption. The UE can be in different states with varying power consumption, rather than constantly listening to or monitoring other UEs. For example, the UE can be in an active state, during which it listens to or monitors messages from other UEs via SL communication. Furthermore, the UE can be in a power-saving state, during which it does not listen to or monitor messages from other UEs, or avoids listening to messages. Therefore, the UE can conserve power when it is in a power-saving state. The UE can periodically cycle between active and power-saving states, a process known as discontinuous reception (DRX) cycling. Specifically, a UE's DRX cycle comprises a first number of time slots. A DRX cycle includes a sidelink-enabled duration segment that comprises a second number of time slots (e.g., a subset of the first number of time slots) less than the first number of time slots. The UE should be in an active state while at least during the sidelink-enabled duration segment. The UE is in a power-saving state during time slots outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment of the DRX cycle. The power-saving state can be referred to as a sleep state or a sleep mode. In addition, power saving states can include multiple states, each with different levels of power saving capability.

[0027] In addition to active and power-saving states, other states may exist for a UE. Furthermore, active or power-saving states are defined relative to the SL control channel monitoring messages from other UEs. When a UE is in a power-saving state for RX, it can still perform other communication or computational activities without listening to the SL communication control channel. For example, the UE can choose to perform certain transmissions. A state can also be referred to as a mode. The terms listening and monitoring, channel sensing, or carrier sensing are used interchangeably.

[0028] In several ways, the UE can know the receiver UE's DRX cycle in advance. For example, the UE's DRX cycle and sidelink-enabled duration can be configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) level signaling. To perform a paging operation to send a message to the receiver UE, the UE determines the receiver UE's DRX cycle and further determines the sidelink-enabled duration within the receiver UE's DRX cycle. Therefore, the UE sends a message to the receiver UE during one or more time slots of the sidelink-enabled duration when the receiver UE is active. In this way, direct communication between the UE and the receiver UE can be achieved without any prior connection between the two UEs and without the receiver UE constantly listening to the control channel for SL communication. One way to ensure this consensus on the DRX configuration is to allow only a single DRX configuration in the system and specify it in the RRC signaling for the entire cell. However, this may not be in the best interest of all UEs, as different UEs may require different DRX configurations. To ensure that the transmitter UE and receiver UE reach a consensus on the DRX configuration with a DRX cycle used by the receiver UE without prior connection, the DRX configuration can be defined based on different sidelink addresses. Therefore, if a UE wants to transmit SL messages to a specific address, it can derive its DRX cycle configuration based on the target address to be used. When multiple receiver UEs are communicating with the UE via SL, the DRX cycles of these multiple receiver UEs can be designed to be identical or correlated, allowing the UE to find one or more common time slots and send one-to-many messages to these multiple receiver UEs in the same one or more time slots. Therefore, compared to any existing solution, the UE can perform paging operations during SL communication, reducing the UE's power consumption.

[0029] The UEs disclosed herein can operate in wireless communication systems based on 3GPP Release 16 (Rel-16), Release 17 (Rel-17), or New Radio (NR) systems. However, these 3GPP releases are not intended to be restrictive. While some examples of SL communication between multiple UEs have been provided above, aspects of this disclosure are not limited to these examples, and SL communication between multiple UEs may include fewer, more, or other parameters, instructions, and / or information.

[0030] Figure 1An exemplary wireless system 100 according to some aspects of this disclosure is illustrated, which implements a design for sidelink communication between multiple UEs. The wireless system 100 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the aspects disclosed. System 100 may include, but is not limited to, a network node (referred to herein as a base station) 101 and multiple UEs (e.g., UE 102, UE 103, UE 104, UE 106, UE 108).

[0031] According to some aspects, base station 101 may include nodes configured to operate based on a variety of wireless communication technologies, such as, but not limited to, technologies based on 3GPP standards. For example, base station 101 may include nodes configured to operate using Rel-16, Rel-17, or later versions. Base station 101 may be a fixed station and may also be referred to as a base transceiver system (BTS), access point (AP), transmit / receive point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), or some other equivalent term. System 100 may operate using licensed cellular spectrum (referred to as in-band communication) and unlicensed spectrum (referred to as out-of-band communication).

[0032] Depending on certain aspects, the UE (e.g., UE 102, UE 103, UE 104, UE 106, or UE 108) can be configured to operate based on a variety of wireless communication technologies. These technologies may include, but are not limited to, technologies based on 3GPP standards. For example, refer to... Figure 1 UE102 can be configured to operate using Rel-16, Rel-17, or later. UE 102, UE103, UE 104, UE 106, or UE 108 can include, but are not limited to: wireless communication devices, smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, tablets, personal assistants, monitors, televisions, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, communication devices in vehicles, mobile stations, subscriber stations, remote terminals, wireless terminals, user equipment, etc.

[0033] According to some aspects, base station 101 communicates with multiple UEs (e.g., UE102, UE104, UE103) within coverage area 111, while UE106 and UE108 are outside coverage area 111. Among these UEs, UE103 is a relay UE. UEs within coverage area 111 (e.g., UE102) communicate with base station 101 in the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) via a communication interface (e.g., a Uu interface).

[0034] Depending on several aspects, a UE can perform SL communication with another UE. For example, UE 102 can perform SL communication with UE 104, UE 106, and UE 108. UE 104 is within the coverage area of ​​UE 102 and base station 101 because both UE 102 and UE 104 are within the coverage area 111 of base station 101. UE 106 is partially covered by UE 102 and base station 101 because although UE 106 is outside the coverage area 111, UE 102 is within the coverage area 111 and operates on link 112 with UE 102. Furthermore, UE 106 can perform SL communication with UE 108, where both UE 106 and UE 108 are outside the coverage area because both UE 106 and UE 108 are outside the coverage area 111 of base station 101.

[0035] Depending on some aspects, a UE can communicate with another UE via an SL link through an interface (e.g., a PC5 interface), which is different from the interface between the UE and the base station. The interface used for SL communication between UEs can support one-to-many and / or any number of communication pairs between a group of UEs. For example, UE 102 and UE 106 can communicate via link 112 through the PC5 interface. An SL link (e.g., link 112) is identified by a pair of Layer 2 (L2) addresses. For example, link 112 is identified by L2 address 122 stored in UE 102 and L2 address 123 stored in UE 106. Therefore, based on the number of links a UE can form with other UEs, a UE can be associated with multiple L2 addresses. Messages can be sent from UE 102 to UE 106 using SL communication via broadcast, multicast, or unicast transmissions.

[0036] Depending on several aspects, a UE can perform SL communication with another UE for various applications. For example, UE 102 can perform SL communication with UE 106 for public safety or commercial applications to facilitate data offloading and reduce overall network overhead. It can also perform SL communication with UE 106 for indoor installation and positioning, machine-type communication (MTC), etc. UE 102 can perform vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication with UE 106 via SL communication. For example, UE 102 and UE 106 can be two vehicles. UE 102 could be a vehicle traveling at high speed, using Link 112 to warn nearby vehicle UE 106 before changing highway lanes.

[0037] Sidelink-based paging operations between UE groups (e.g., UE 102, UE 104, UE 103, UE 106, and UE 108) can be difficult to implement. UEs may continuously listen to or monitor the control channel of SL communication (e.g., the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) in the PC5 interface) to obtain paging messages. However, continuously listening for paging messages can consume significant power for the UE. The embodiments described herein provide a solution for SL communication (e.g., paging operations) between multiple UEs that reduces power consumption. The operations disclosed in this disclosure are not limited to paging messages or paging operations between UEs. Rather, the operations and embodiments are applicable to any communication, signaling, or data to be transmitted between a group of UEs, which may be in a power-saving mode where sidelink messages, including paging messages, cannot be received.

[0038] Figures 2A to 2C An exemplary wireless system 200 according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, the exemplary wireless system including a plurality of UEs operating according to a DRX cycle, the DRX cycle including a sidelink-on duration segment for SL communication. Figures 2A to 2C An exemplary wireless system 200 is illustrated, which includes a base station 201 and a plurality of UEs (e.g., UE 202, UE 204, UE 206) that operate according to a DRX cycle that includes a sidelink-enabled duration. The wireless system 200 may be as follows: Figure 1 The example shown is a wireless system 100. Similarly, base station 201, UE 202, UE 204, and UE 206 can be respectively as follows: Figure 1 Examples of base station 101, UE 102, UE 103, UE 104, UE 106 or UE 108 are shown.

[0039] In some examples, UE 202 may include transceiver 211 and processor 213 communicatively coupled to transceiver 211, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 The following is illustrated in more detail. Transceiver 211 is configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more UEs (e.g., UE 204 and UE 206) via an interface for SL communication (e.g., a PC5 interface). When UE 202 sends a message to UE 204 via SL communication, UE 202 is the transmitter UE, and UE 204 is the receiver UE. In some examples, the interface for SL communication can be a one-to-one or a one-to-many interface for multiple UEs. Furthermore, UE 202 can be configured to wirelessly communicate with base station 201 via an interface that supports uplink and downlink transmissions between base station 201 and UE 202 (e.g., a Uu interface that is part of transceiver 211 or another transceiver).

[0040] In some examples, the UE can be in different states to conserve power. For example, UE 204 can be in active state 221 or power-saving state 223. The UE can periodically change from one state to another during a DRX cycle. UE 204 has a DRX cycle 215 that includes a first number of time slots. UE 204 can have a sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 within the DRX cycle 215. During the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, UE 204 is in active state 221 to listen for the PSCCH used for SL communication. In some examples, the PSCCH may only occupy a few symbols of a time slot. Figure 2A As shown, the PSCCH occupies only 3 of the total 14 symbols in the time slot. The sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 includes a second number of time slots, which is fewer than the first number of time slots in the DRX cycle 215. In some examples, the second number of time slots can be more than one time slot when multicast is enabled. If the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 of UE 204 contains only one time slot, this could pose challenges when multiple UEs send messages to UE 204. In some examples, the second number of time slots within the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 are multiple consecutive time slots. However, in some examples, the second number of time slots can be a single time slot when a physical layer time slot design is available to allow concurrency within a single time slot.

[0041] In some examples, DRX cycle 215 also includes a third number of time slots 219 during which UE 204 is in a power-saving state 223. When UE 204 is in power-saving state 223, UE 204 does not listen to PSCCH, thus saving power consumption for UE 204. UE 204 can operate according to DRX cycle 215, alternating between the active state 221 during the sidelink-on duration 217 and the power-saving state 223 during the third number of time slots 219, without maintaining the PC5 RRC connection state.

[0042] For UE 204, other states besides active state 221 and power-saving state 223 may exist. Furthermore, active state 221 or power-saving state 223 is defined relative to the SL control channel monitoring messages from other UEs. When a UE is in a power-saving state, it can still perform other communication or computational activities without listening to the control channel for SL communication. As described for UE 204, other UEs (e.g., UE 202, UE 206) can operate in a similar manner with respect to active state, power-saving state, DRX cycle, and sidelink-on duration.

[0043] In some examples, within UE 202, processor 213 can perform various operations to send messages (e.g., paging messages) to UE 204, referred to as the receiver UE. UE 204, relative to UE 202 and base station 201, can be a UE within coverage area, a UE outside coverage area, or a UE with partial coverage. Specifically, processor 213 is configured to determine the DRX cycle 215 and sidelink-enabled duration 217 of UE 204. The DRX cycle 215 and sidelink-enabled duration 217 of UE 204 can be determined via RRC signaling provided by base station 201. For example, base station 201 can enable or disable DRX cycling for all UEs or on a single UE basis, such that DRX cycling is disabled for some UEs. Furthermore, base station 201 can inform UE 202 of the DRX cycle configuration of UE 204. Additionally, the UE can be configured in other ways (e.g., through user programming) to provide information about the DRX cycles of other UEs.

[0044] In some examples, UE 204 can receive the configuration of DRX cycle 215, which has a sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 within DRX cycle 215. This configuration information can be received from base station 201 via RRC signaling. UE 204 is in active state 221 during sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 and in power-saving state 223 outside of sidelink-enabled duration segment 217. Therefore, UE 204 can enter and exit power-saving state 223 on its own. While in active state 221, UE 204 listens to PSCCH for messages from UE 202 during at least one time slot within sidelink-enabled duration segment 217. By using DRX cycle 215 and sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, UE 204 can synchronize with UE 202 or any other UE that wants to send messages to UE 204. During the synchronization of UE 202 and UE 204, a time reference can be shared between UE 202 and UE 204. The time reference can be used as the starting point for DRX cycle 215 and sidelink on duration segment 217.

[0045] In some examples, UE 204 may have multiple different configurations, which can be provided from base station 201 via RRC signaling. If multiple DRX cycles are allowed and configured for UE 204, UE 204 can choose which DRX cycle to follow. UE 204 can select a DRX cycle based on the type of SL service provided to UE 204. For example, when UE 204 participates in SL communication for V2X services, it can choose a shorter DRX cycle because the vehicle speed may be high. UE 204 can also select a DRX cycle based on a Quality of Service (QoS) profile, which includes priority, packet delay budget for SL communication, or other QoS factors. If the UE participates in multiple sidelink-based services, and each service is associated with a different sidelink DRX cycle configuration, the UE can be active for each of these different services in the specified on-duration period. In this case, the UE can be active and receive PSCCH in all of these on-duration periods configured with different DRX cycle configurations. In some implementations, multiple DRX cycles configured via RRC signaling can be configured by overlapping the on-time periods of these DRX cycles, allowing the UE to be active for multiple services, thus reducing the UE's active time. For example, when multiple DRX cycles have T, 2T, 4T…2 n While considering various DRX cycle lengths in the *T form, the UE can choose to be active in a time slot shared across all on-duration periods of the DRX cycle when relative to the shared common offset of the time reference.

[0046] After determining the DRX cycle 215 and sidelink-enabled duration 217 of UE 204, the processor 213 of UE 202 can use transceiver 211 to send messages to UE 204 during one or more time slots of the sidelink-enabled duration 217. Messages can be sent to UE 204 via broadcast, multicast, or unicast transmission. UE 202 can send messages and UE 204 can receive messages via the PC5 interface used for SL communication. In some examples, messages sent to UE 204 can be carried in a sidelink media access control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) and include a configuration defining one or more time slots for UE 204 to respond to UE 202. Therefore, UE 204 can determine the configuration defining one or more time slots for UE 204 to respond to UE 202 based on the received messages. Then, UE 204 sends a response message to UE 202 based on the determined configuration.

[0047] For example, such as Figure 2BAs shown in more detail, UE 202 sends a message at time slot 216, which is included in the sidelink-on duration segment 217 within the DRX cycle 215 of UE 204. This message includes a configuration defining one or more time slots (e.g., time slot 218) for UE 204 to respond to UE 202. Therefore, UE 204 sends a response message to UE 202 at time slot 218.

[0048] In some examples, such as Figure 2C As shown, multiple message exchanges can occur between UE 204 and UE 202. For example, UE 202 can send message 232 to UE 204 to request the establishment of direct communication between UE 202 and UE 204. UE 204 can respond with message 234 to indicate acceptance of the request to establish direct communication with UE 202. Subsequently, UE 202 can send message 236 to UE 204 to indicate the configuration for SL communication. Furthermore, UE 204 can respond to UE 202 with message 238 to indicate that the configuration for SL communication has been completed. In addition, various security setting messages 231 can be exchanged between UE 202 and UE 204. UE 202 and UE 204 can also exchange message 233 to indicate the capability for SL communication between them. When UE 204 is in active state 221, it may exchange some or all of these messages (e.g., messages 232, 234, 236, 238, 231, and 233), as indicated by the sidelink-on duration segment 217 within DRX loop 215.

[0049] In addition, such as Figure 2A As shown, UE 202 can perform SL communication with UE 206 simultaneously with UE 204, such that the SL communication is a broadcast or multicast transmission. Specifically, processor 213 is further configured to determine the DRX cycle of UE 206 and the sidelink-enabled duration within the DRX cycle of UE 206. UE 206 is active and listens for the PSCCH during the sidelink-enabled duration. Furthermore, processor 213 determines one or more time slots when both UE 202 and UE 204 are active. Subsequently, during one or more time slots when both UE 204 and UE 206 are active, processor 213 can use transceiver 211 to send messages to UE 204 and UE 206 in a one-to-many communication manner.

[0050] When multiple receiver UEs communicate with UE 202 via SL, the DRX cycles of these multiple receiver UEs can be designed to be the same or have a certain correlation, so that UE 202 can find one or more common time slots and send one-to-many messages to these multiple receiver UEs in the same one or more time slots. Figures 3A to 3C More details are shown in the image.

[0051] Figures 3A to 3C An exemplary DRX cycle according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, which has a sidelink-enabled duration segment for sidelink communication between multiple UEs.

[0052] In some examples, Figure 3A Two DRX cycles are shown: DRX cycle 301 for the first UE and DRX cycle 303 for the second UE. The first UE and the second UE can be UE 204 and UE 206, which communicate with UE 202, as shown below. Figure 2A As shown. Furthermore, DRX cycle 301 includes a first sidelink activation duration segment 302, and DRX cycle 303 includes a second sidelink activation duration segment 304. DRX cycle 301 and DRX cycle 303 can be the same time period relative to a time reference 309 shared by the two UEs. Furthermore, relative to time reference 309, the first sidelink activation duration segment 302 can be the same time period as the second sidelink activation duration segment 304.

[0053] In some examples, Figure 3B Three DRX cycles relative to time reference 319 are shown: DRX cycle 311 for the first UE, DRX cycle 313 for the second UE, and DRX cycle 315 for the third UE. The first UE, second UE, and third UE can be UE 204, UE 206, and UE 202, as shown. Figure 2AAs shown. Furthermore, DRX cycle 311 includes a first sidelink start duration segment 312, DRX cycle 313 includes a second sidelink start duration segment 314, and DRX cycle 315 includes a third sidelink start duration segment 316. DRX cycle 315 has a length of X time slots, DRX cycle 313 can have a length of X / 2 time slots, and DRX cycle 311 can have a length of X / 4 time slots. Lengths X / 2 and X / 4 are shown only as examples. Other tiers, such as X / 3, X / 9, etc., can also be used. In some examples, the first sidelink start duration segment 312, the second sidelink start duration segment 314, and the third sidelink start duration segment 316 can have the same length. In some other examples, the first sidelink start duration segment 312, the second sidelink start duration segment 314, and the third sidelink start duration segment 316 can have different lengths.

[0054] In some examples, Figure 3C Three DRX cycles are illustrated: DRX cycle 321 for a first UE, DRX cycle 323 for a second UE, and DRX cycle 325 for a third UE. DRX cycles 321, 323, and 325 may have different offsets relative to time reference 329, rather than all starting from the same time reference 329. DRX cycle 321 has an offset 331 relative to time reference 329, DRX cycle 323 has an offset 333 relative to time reference 329, and DRX cycle 325 has an offset 335 relative to time reference 329, wherein offsets 331, 333, and 335 may be different from each other. Furthermore, DRX cycle 321 includes a first sidelink-on duration segment 322, DRX cycle 323 includes a second sidelink-on duration segment 324, and DRX cycle 325 includes a third sidelink-on duration segment 326. DRX cycles 325, 323, and 321 may have the same length or different lengths. Similarly, the first side link activation duration segment 322, the second side link activation duration segment 324, and the third side link activation duration segment 326 may have the same length or different lengths.

[0055] When applied to SL communication between multiple UEs Figures 3A to 3C The three different methods shown for defining DRX loops with sidelink on duration segments can have various characteristics and performance. Table 1 below provides a brief comparative overview.

[0056] Table 1

[0057]

[0058] Figure 4 An exemplary method 400 for a device according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, the device supporting sidelink communication between multiple UEs. For convenience and not limitation, reference may be made to... Figure 1 , Figure 2A , Figure 6 and Figure 7 Element description Figure 4 Method 400 can represent an electronic device (e.g., Figure 1 UE 102, UE 103, UE 104, UE 106, UE 108, Figure 2A The operation of UE202, UE204, or UE206 implements a mechanism for supporting sidelink communication between multiple UEs. Method 400 can also be... Figure 6 System 600 and / or Figure 7 The method is executed by computer system 700. However, method 400 is not limited to the specific aspects depicted in these figures, and other systems may be used to execute the method, as those skilled in the art will understand. It should be understood that not all operations may be required, and these operations may not be compatible with... Figure 4 Perform them in the same order as shown.

[0059] At point 402, the UE determines the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE and the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE, wherein the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE are in a group of UEs that wirelessly communicate with each other to achieve sidelink communication. For example, as for... Figure 2A As described, UE 202 determines the first DRX cycle of UE 204 and the second DRX cycle of UE 206. The first DRX cycle and the second DRX cycle can be as follows: Figure 3A The DRX loops 301 and 303 shown are as follows: Figure 3B The DRX loops 311 and 313 shown, or as shown in the figure, are DRX loop 311 and DRX loop 313. Figure 3C The DRX loops 321 and 323 are shown.

[0060] At 404, the UE determines the duration of the first sidelink on within the first DRX cycle when the first receiver UE is active, and the duration of the second sidelink on within the second DRX cycle when the second receiver UE is active. For example, as for... Figure 2A As described, UE 202 determines a first sidelink enable duration segment within a first DRX cycle of UE 204, and a second sidelink enable duration segment within a second DRX cycle of UE 206. The first sidelink enable duration segment and the second sidelink enable duration segment can be as follows: Figure 3AThe side link activation duration segment 302 and side link activation duration segment 304 shown are as follows: Figure 3B The side link activation duration segment 312 and side link activation duration segment 314 shown, or as... Figure 3C The side link activation duration segment 322 and side link activation duration segment 324 are shown.

[0061] At 406, the UE determines one or more time slots when both the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE are active. For example, as for... Figure 2A As described, UE 202 determines one or more time slots when both the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE are active. Such one or more time slots can be determined by, for example... Figure 3A The side link enable duration segment 302 and side link enable duration segment 304 shown, or as... Figure 3B Any time slot shared by the side link enable duration segment 312 and side link enable duration segment 314 shown. In, as... Figure 3C If there is no shared time slot between the side link activation duration segment 322 and the side link activation duration segment 324, the UE can select two different time slots: one time slot within the side link activation duration segment 322 and the other time slot within the side link activation duration segment 324.

[0062] At 408, the UE sends messages to the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE in one-to-many communication during one or more defined time slots. For example, UE 202 can, as shown in... Figure 3A In one or more time slots (e.g., time slot 308) shared by side link enable duration segment 302 and side link enable duration segment 304, as shown, or in... Figure 3B Messages are transmitted in one or more time slots (e.g., time slot 318) shared by side link enable duration segment 312 and side link enable duration segment 314, as shown. Figure 3C If there is no shared time slot between the side link activation duration segment 322 and the side link activation duration segment 324, the UE can send messages in two different time slots in a one-to-one manner: one time slot is in the side link activation duration segment 322 and the other time slot is in the side link activation duration segment 324.

[0063] The method 400 shown above is used to send messages to two receiver UEs. Based on the determination of the DRX cycle and the sidelink on duration of the receiver UE, similar methods can be developed for sending messages to one or more receiver UEs. Additional operations, not shown in method 400, may exist, which are performed by the UE before or after sending messages to the first and second receiver UEs. For example, the UE may perform a resource selection operation to select the resource to send messages to the receiver UEs. The resource for carrying the message can be selected through a random selection algorithm or through sense-based dynamic scheduling, as shown in Table 1.

[0064] Figures 5A to 5B Exemplary methods (methods 500 and 510) for a device according to some aspects of this disclosure are shown, the device supporting sidelink communication between multiple UEs. For convenience and not limitation, reference may be made to... Figure 1 , Figure 2A , Figure 6 and Figure 7 Element description Figures 5A to 5B Methods 500 and 510 can represent electronic devices (e.g., Figure 1 UE102, UE103, UE104, UE106, and UE108. Figure 2A The operation of UE 202, UE 204, or UE 206 implements a mechanism for supporting sidelink communication between multiple UEs. Methods 500 and 510 can also be performed by... Figure 6 System 600 and / or Figure 7 The computer system 700 executes the method. However, methods 500 and 510 are not limited to the specific aspects depicted in these figures, and other systems may be used to perform the method, as those skilled in the art will understand. It should be understood that not all operations may be necessary, and these operations may not be performed in accordance with... Figures 5A to 5B Perform them in the same order as shown.

[0065] like Figure 5A As shown, at 502, the UE receives a configuration for a DRX cycle with a sidelink-enabled duration within the DRX cycle, wherein the UE is active during the sidelink-enabled duration and is in a power-saving state outside the sidelink-enabled duration. For example, as Figure 2A As shown, UE 204 receives a configuration for DRX cycle 215 with a sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 within DRX cycle 215. UE 204 is in an active state 221 during the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, and the UE is in a power-saving state 223 outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, as for... Figure 2A As described.

[0066] At point 504, the UE listens to the PSCCH for messages from another UE during at least one time slot within the sidelink-enabled duration. This other UE wirelessly communicates with the UE via the PC5 interface used for sidelink communication, while the UE avoids listening to the PSCCH when it is in a power-saving state. For example, as for... Figure 2A As described, UE 204 listens to the PSCCH for at least one time slot during the sidelink-enabled duration 217 to obtain messages from UE 202, which wirelessly communicates with UE 204 via a PC5 interface for sidelink communication. When UE 204 is in a power-saving state 223, UE 204 avoids listening to the PSCCH. For example, when UE 204 is in power-saving state 223, UE 204 does not listen to the PSCCH, or listens to the PSCCH occasionally in a random manner.

[0067] At point 506, when the UE is active, it receives messages from other UEs via the PC5 interface used for sidelink communication. For example, as for... Figure 2A As described, when UE 204 is in active state 221, UE 204 receives messages from UE 202 through the PC5 interface used for sidelink communication.

[0068] Figure 5B Method 510 is illustrated in detail. At 512, the UE receives a configuration for a DRX cycle with a sidelink-enabled duration segment within the DRX cycle, wherein the UE is active during the sidelink-enabled duration segment and is in a power-saving state outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment. For example, as Figure 2A As shown, UE 204 receives a configuration for DRX cycle 215 with a sidelink-enabled duration segment 217 within DRX cycle 215. UE 204 is in an active state 221 during the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, and the UE is in a power-saving state 223 outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, as for... Figure 2A As described.

[0069] At 514, the UE sets an activity tracking timer based on an offset relative to a time reference to continuously track DRX cycles and sidelink-on durations. For example, as for... Figure 2A and Figure 3A As described, UE 204 sets an activity tracking timer relative to time reference 309 to continuously track DRX cycle 301 and sidelink on duration segment 302, where the offset is 0. (As for...) Figure 2A and 3CAs described, UE 204 sets an activity tracking timer based on an offset 331 relative to time reference 329 to continuously track DRX cycle 321 and sidelink-on duration 322. In some examples, UE 204 may set multiple timers to perform the described function. For example, UE 204 may set a first timer as an activity tracking timer to continuously track DRX cycle 321 and a second timer to continuously track sidelink-on duration 322. Furthermore, UE 204 may set a third timer to continuously track offset 331. After offset 331 reaches a specified time period, the first timer continuously tracking DRX cycle 321 and the second timer continuously tracking sidelink-on duration 322 may start simultaneously when offset 331 reaches the specified time period. The second timer times out at the end of sidelink-on duration 322, while the first timer continues until DRX cycle 321 ends. In some examples, the RRC message from base station 201 to UE 204 is configured with settings for DRX cycle 321, sidelink-on duration segment 322, and offset 331 relative to time reference 329. Based on this discussion, those skilled in the art will recognize different ways to implement the operation at 514, using one timer, two timers, three timers, or even four timers to track various time periods (e.g., offset 331, DRX cycle 321, or sidelink-on duration segment 322).

[0070] At point 516, when the UE's sidelink enable duration has not timed out, the UE determines whether it has received a message from another UE in the PSCCH via the PC5 interface used for sidelink communication. The received message may have a destination address that matches the UE's sidelink address. For example, as for... Figure 2A and Figure 3A As described, when the sidelink enable duration 302 of UE 204 has not timed out, UE 204 receives messages from UE 202 in the PSCCH via the PC5 interface used for sidelink communication. When the sidelink enable duration 302 has not timed out, UE 204 is in an active state and can receive messages in the PSCCH if the message has a target address that matches the sidelink address of UE 204.

[0071] At point 518, the UE restarts the activity tracking timer after receiving the message to continuously track the DRX cycle and the sidelink on duration. In some examples, the activity tracking timer can continuously track sidelink activity within the DRX cycle. For example, as for... Figure 2A , Figure 3A or Figure 3CAs described, UE 204 restarts the activity tracking timer after receiving a message to continuously track DRX cycle 301 and side link on duration segment 302, or restarts the activity tracking timer after receiving a message to continuously track DRX cycle 321 and side link on duration segment 322.

[0072] At 520, the UE determines whether the sidelink enable duration has timed out. If the sidelink enable duration has not timed out, while the UE is active, it will continue to listen to the PSCCH and / or receive messages from other UEs in the PSCCH via the PC5 interface used for sidelink communication, as described at 516. On the other hand, if the sidelink enable duration has timed out, the UE will skip receiving any further messages in the PSCCH until the next enable duration begins, and return to 514 to set an activity tracking timer based on an offset relative to the time reference to continuously track the DRX cycle and the sidelink enable duration. In some implementations, the timeout of the timer for continuously tracking the sidelink enable duration can represent the timeout of the sidelink enable duration.

[0073] Additional operations, not shown in method 510, may exist and are performed by the UE. For example, such as those for... Figure 5A As described at point 504, the UE listens to the PSCCH for messages from another UE during at least one time slot within the sidelink-enabled duration period. This other UE wirelessly communicates with the UE via a PC5 interface for sidelink communication, wherein the UE does not listen to the PSCCH when it is in a power-saving state.

[0074] Figure 6 A block diagram of an exemplary electronic device system 600 according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown, which implements a design for sidelink communication between multiple UEs. System 600 can be any of the electronic devices of system 100 (e.g., base station 101, UE 102, UE 103, UE 104, UE 106, UE 108), or... Figure 2A UEs 202, UE 204, and UE 206 of system 200. System 600 includes a processor 610, one or more transceivers 620, communication infrastructure 640, memory 650, operating system 652, application program 654, and one or more antennas 660. The system shown is provided as an exemplary part of system 600, and system 600 may include other circuitry and subsystems. Moreover, although system 600 is shown as a single component, aspects of this disclosure may include any combination of these components, fewer components, or more components.

[0075] Memory 650 may include random access memory (RAM) and / or cache, and may include control logic components (e.g., computer software) and / or data. Memory 650 may include other storage devices or memories, such as, but not limited to, hard disk drives and / or removable storage devices / units. According to some examples, operating system 652 may be stored in memory 650. Operating system 652 may manage data transfer from memory 650 and / or one or more applications 654 to processor 610 and / or one or more transceivers 620. In some examples, operating system 652 supports one or more network protocol stacks (e.g., Internet protocol stack and cellular protocol stack, etc.) that may include several logical layers. At the corresponding layer of the protocol stack, operating system 652 includes control mechanisms and data structures to perform the functions associated with that layer.

[0076] According to some examples, application 654 may be stored in memory 650. Application 654 may include applications used by wireless system 600 and / or users of wireless system 600 (e.g., user applications). Applications in application 654 may include, but are not limited to, applications such as, Siri. TM FaceTime TM Radio current, video stream, remote control and / or other user applications.

[0077] System 600 may also include communication infrastructure 640. Communication infrastructure 640 provides communication between, for example, processor 610, one or more transceivers 620, and memory 650. In some implementations, communication infrastructure 640 may be a bus. Processor 610, together with instructions stored in memory 650, executes to enable system 600 to implement mechanisms for sidelink communication between multiple UEs, as described herein. Figure 1 The system 100 shown Figure 2A The system 200, method 400, method 500, or method 510 shown.

[0078] One or more transceivers 620 transmit and receive communication signals that support mechanisms for sidelink communication between multiple UEs, as described herein. Figure 1 The system 100 shown Figure 2A As illustrated in system 200, method 400, method 500, or method 510. Additionally, one or more transceivers 620 transmit and receive communication signals that support mechanisms for sidelink communication between multiple UEs, as described herein. Figure 1 The system 100 shown Figure 2AAs illustrated in system 200, method 400, method 500, or method 510. According to some aspects, one or more transceivers 620 may be coupled to antenna 660. Antenna 660 may include one or more antennas, which may be the same or of different types. One or more transceivers 620 allow system 600 to communicate with other devices, which may be wired and / or wireless. In some examples, one or more transceivers 620 may include circuitry / devices such as processors, controllers, radio components, receptacles, plugs, buffers, etc., for connecting to and communicating over a network. According to some examples, one or more transceivers 620 include one or more circuitries connected to and communicating over a wired and / or wireless network.

[0079] According to some aspects of this disclosure, one or more transceivers 620 may include a cellular subsystem, a WLAN subsystem, and / or Bluetooth. TM Each subsystem includes its own radio transceiver and protocol, as those skilled in the art will understand based on the discussion provided herein. In some implementations, one or more transceivers 620 may include more or fewer systems for communicating with other devices.

[0080] In some examples, one or more transceivers 620 may include one or more circuits (including WLAN transceivers) to enable connectivity and communication over a WLAN network, such as, but not limited to, networks based on the standards described in IEEE 802.11.

[0081] Alternatively, one or more transceivers 620 may include components for implementing, for example, Bluetooth-based... TM Protocol, Bluetooth TM Low power protocol or Bluetooth TM One or more circuits for low-power remote protocol connectivity and communication (including Bluetooth) TM (Transceiver). For example, one or more transceivers 620 may include Bluetooth. TM Transceiver.

[0082] Additionally, one or more transceivers 620 may include one or more circuits (including cellular transceivers) for connecting to and communicating on a cellular network. The cellular network may include, but is not limited to, 3G / 4G / 5G networks, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. For example, one or more transceivers 220 may be configured to operate according to one or more of the 3GPP standards Rel-15, Rel-16, Rel-17, or later versions.

[0083] According to some aspects of this disclosure, processor 610 implements the methods and mechanisms discussed in this disclosure, either alone or in combination with computer instructions stored in memory 650 and / or one or more transceivers 620. For example, processor 610 implements a mechanism for sidelink communication between multiple UEs, either alone or in combination with computer instructions stored in memory 650 and / or one or more transceivers 620. According to some aspects of this disclosure, processor 610, either alone or in combination with computer instructions stored in memory 650 and / or one or more transceivers 620, can receive a configuration of DRX cycle 215 having a sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, listening to PSCCH for messages from UE 202 during at least one time slot within the sidelink-enabled duration segment 217, UE 202 wirelessly communicating with UE 204 via a PC5 interface for sidelink communication, and further receiving messages from UE 202 via the PC5 interface for sidelink communication when UE 204 is active.

[0084] One or more computer systems, such as Figure 7 The computer system 700 shown implements various aspects. The computer system 700 can be any computer capable of performing the functions described herein (such as, Figure 1 UE 102, UE 103, UE 104, UE 106, UE 108 in Figure 2A UE 202, UE 204, UE 206 or Figure 6 (600 in the original text). Computer system 700 includes one or more processors (also referred to as central processing units or CPUs), such as processor 704. Processor 704 is connected to communication infrastructure 706 (e.g., a bus). Computer system 700 also includes user input / output devices 703, such as monitors, keyboards, pointing devices, etc., that communicate with communication infrastructure 706 via user input / output interface 702. Computer system 700 also includes main memory or primary memory 708, such as random access memory (RAM). Main memory 708 may include one or more levels of cache. Main memory 708 stores control logic components (e.g., computer software) and / or data.

[0085] The computer system 700 may also include one or more auxiliary storage devices or memories 710. Auxiliary storage 710 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 712 and / or a removable storage device or drive 714. The removable storage drive 714 may be a floppy disk drive, magnetic tape drive, optical disk drive, optical storage device, magnetic tape backup device, and / or any other storage device / drive.

[0086] Removable storage drive 714 can interact with removable storage unit 718. Removable storage unit 718 includes a computer-usable or readable storage device on which computer software (control logic components) and / or data are stored. Removable storage unit 718 can be a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disc, DVD, optical storage disk, and / or any other computer data storage device. Removable storage drive 714 reads from and / or writes to removable storage unit 718 in a well-known manner.

[0087] According to some aspects, the auxiliary storage 710 may include other means, tools, or other methods for allowing the computer system 700 to access computer programs and / or other instructions and / or data. Such means, tools, or other methods may include, for example, a removable storage unit 722 and an interface 720. Examples of removable storage units 722 and interfaces 720 may include program boxes and box interfaces (such as those found in video game devices), removable memory chips (such as EPROM or PROM) and associated sockets, memory sticks and USB ports, memory cards and associated memory card slots, and / or any other removable storage units and associated interfaces.

[0088] In some examples, main memory 708, removable memory unit 718, and removable memory unit 722 can store instructions that, when executed by processor 704, cause processor 704 to perform actions specific to the UE (e.g., Figure 1 UE 102, UE103, UE 104, UE 106, and UE 108 are among them. Figure 2A The operations of UEs 202, 204, and 206 in the example. In some examples, these operations include: determining a first DRX cycle for a first receiver UE and a second DRX cycle for a second receiver UE, wherein the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE are in a group of UEs that wirelessly communicate with each other to enable sidelink communication; determining a first sidelink-on duration within the first DRX cycle when the first receiver UE is active, and a second sidelink-on duration within the second DRX cycle when the second receiver UE is active; determining one or more time slots when both the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE are active; and sending messages to the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE in one-to-many communication during the determined one or more time slots.

[0089] Computer system 700 may also include a communication or network interface 724. Communication interface 724 enables computer system 700 to communicate and interact with any combination of remote devices, remote networks, remote entities, etc. (individually and collectively referred to by reference numeral 728). For example, communication interface 724 may allow computer system 700 to communicate with remote device 728 via communication path 726, which may be wired and / or wireless, and may include any combination of LAN, WAN, Internet, etc. Control logic components and / or data may be transmitted to and from computer system 700 via communication path 726.

[0090] The operations described in the foregoing aspects can be implemented in various configurations and architectures. Therefore, some or all of the operations described in the foregoing aspects can be performed in hardware, software, or both. In some aspects, tangible, non-transitory devices or articles of art include tangible, non-transitory computer-usable or readable media on which control logic components (software) are stored, also referred to herein as computer program products or program storage devices. This includes, but is not limited to, computer system 700, main memory 708, secondary memory 710, and removable storage units 718 and 722, and tangible articles embodying any combination thereof. Such control logic components, when executed by one or more data processing devices (such as computer system 700), cause such data processing devices to operate as described herein.

[0091] Based on the teachings contained in this disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art how to use [other methods]. Figure 7 The aspects of this disclosure may be made and used with data processing devices, computer systems, and / or computer architectures other than those shown herein. In particular, the aspects may operate with software, hardware, and / or operating system implementations other than those described herein.

[0092] It should be understood that the Detailed Description section, rather than the Summary and Abstract section, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract section may set forth one or more, but not all, exemplary aspects of this disclosure as contemplated by the inventors, and is therefore not intended to limit this disclosure or the appended claims in any way.

[0093] Although this disclosure has been described herein with reference to exemplary aspects of exemplary fields and applications, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited thereto. Other aspects and modifications are possible and are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. For example, and without limiting the generality of this paragraph, the aspects are not limited to the software, hardware, firmware, and / or entities shown in the figures and / or described herein. Furthermore, the aspects (whether explicitly described herein or not) have significant utility for fields and applications beyond those described herein.

[0094] The aspects have been described here using functional building blocks that illustrate specific implementations of functions and their relationships. For ease of description, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein. Alternative boundaries may be defined as long as the specified functions and relationships (or their equivalents) are performed appropriately. Furthermore, alternative aspects may perform functional blocks, steps, operations, methods, etc., in an order different from that described herein.

[0095] References to “an implementation,” “implementation,” “exemplary implementation,” or similar phrases herein indicate that the described implementation may include specific feature structures, structures, or characteristics, but each implementation may not necessarily include such feature structures, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such terminology does not necessarily refer to the same implementation. Additionally, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an implementation, whether or not it is explicitly mentioned or described herein, the integration of such feature, structure, or characteristic into other aspects is within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

[0096] The breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the foregoing exemplary aspects, but should be defined solely by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0097] 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.

[0098] For one or more embodiments or examples, 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 as described in the Examples section below. For example, circuitry associated with one or more of the UEs, base stations, network elements, etc., described above in conjunction with the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the Examples section below.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: A transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more UEs, including a first receiver UE and a second receiver UE, via a first interface for sidelink communication; and A processor, communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to: Determine a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle for the first receiver UE, the first DRX cycle comprising a first number of time slots; A first sidelink enabled duration segment is determined within the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE, wherein the first receiver UE is active to listen to the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) during the first sidelink enabled duration segment, and wherein the first sidelink enabled duration segment includes a second number of time slots within the first DRX cycle, the second number of time slots within the first DRX cycle being less than the first number of time slots within the first DRX cycle, and wherein the second number of time slots is more than one time slot. as well as During one or more time slots of the first side link open duration period, the transceiver is used to send a message to the first receiver UE, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determine the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE; Determine the second side link enable duration within the second DRX cycle, wherein during the second side link enable duration, the second receiver UE is active to listen to the PSCCH; Determine one or more time slots when both the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE are in the active state; as well as During one or more time slots when both the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE are in the active state, the transceiver is used to send other messages to the first receiver UE and the second receiver UE in one-to-many communication.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station through a second interface supporting uplink and downlink transmission between the base station and the UE, wherein the first interface is a PC5 interface and the second interface is a Uu interface.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE further includes a power-saving state having a third number of time slots, and wherein the first receiver UE avoids listening to the PSCCH during the power-saving state.

4. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the second number of time slots within the first side link open duration period are consecutive time slots.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the message sent to the first receiver UE is carried in a sidelink media access control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) and includes a configuration defining one or more time slots for the first receiver UE to respond to the UE.

6. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the message is sent to the first receiver UE via broadcast transmission, multicast transmission or unicast transmission.

7. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the first receiver UE is a UE within the coverage area, a UE outside the coverage area, or a UE partially covered.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein, relative to a time reference, the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE has the same time period as the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE, and relative to the time reference, the first sidelink-on duration has the same time period as the second sidelink-on duration.

9. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE has a first offset relative to a time reference, and the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE has a second offset relative to the time reference, and wherein the first offset has a length different from the length of the second offset.

10. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first DRX cycle of the first receiver UE has a first length, the second DRX cycle of the second receiver UE has a second length, and the first length is 1 / 2 or 1 / 4 of the second length.

11. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first side link activation duration segment has a length different from the length of the second side link activation duration segment.

12. A method for operating user equipment (UE), comprising: The configuration of receiving a first DRX cycle having a sidelink-enabled duration segment within a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle, wherein the UE is active during the sidelink-enabled duration segment and is in a power-saving state outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment, wherein the first DRX cycle includes a first number of time slots, the sidelink-enabled duration segment includes a second number of time slots within the first DRX cycle, and wherein the second number of time slots within the first DRX cycle is more than one time slot and less than the first number of time slots within the first DRX cycle; The Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) is listened to during at least one time slot within the sidelink-on duration to obtain messages from other UEs that wirelessly communicate with the UE via a PC5 interface for sidelink communication. When the UE is in the power-saving state, the UE avoids listening to the PSCCH. The at least one time slot for listening to the messages within the sidelink-on duration is shared by an active receiver UE in a second DRX cycle, during which the PSCCH from the other UE is listened to. as well as Receive the message from the other UE, wherein the message is sent by the other UE to the UE and the receiver UE in one-to-many communication during the at least one time slot when both the UE and the receiver UE are in the active state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the message comprises: When the UE is in the active state, it receives messages from the other UEs through the PC5 interface used for sidelink communication.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: Based on the received messages, determine the configuration for the UE to respond to one or more time slots of the other UE; as well as Based on the determined configuration, a response message is sent to the other UEs.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the message from the other UE includes receiving the message via broadcast transmission, multicast transmission, or unicast transmission.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the other UE is a UE within the coverage area, a UE outside the coverage area, or a UE partially covered.

17. A method for operating user equipment (UE), comprising: The configuration of receiving a first DRX cycle having a sidelink-enabled duration segment within a first discontinuous reception DRX cycle, wherein the UE is active during the sidelink-enabled duration segment and is in a power-saving state outside the sidelink-enabled duration segment, wherein the first DRX cycle includes a first number of time slots and the sidelink-enabled duration segment includes a second number of time slots within the first DRX cycle, and wherein the second number of time slots within the first DRX cycle is more than one time slot and less than the first number of time slots within the first DRX cycle; An activity tracking timer is set based on an offset relative to a time reference to continuously track the first DRX cycle and the side link on duration. During at least one time slot within the sidelink-on duration, the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) is listened to obtain messages from other UEs that wirelessly communicate with the UE via a PC5 interface for sidelink communication. The at least one time slot for listening to the messages within the sidelink-on duration is shared by an active receiver UE within a second DRX cycle, during which the PSCCH from the other UE is listened to. When the UE is in the active state and the message is sent by the other UE to the UE and the receiver UE in one-to-many communication during the at least one time slot when both the UE and the receiver UE are in the active state, the message from the other UE is received in the PSCCH through the PC5 interface for sidelink communication; as well as Upon receiving the message, the activity tracking timer is restarted to continuously track the first DRX cycle and the side link on duration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a configuration is configured in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message from a base station for the first DRX cycle, the sidelink enable duration, and the offset relative to the time reference, and the base station wirelessly communicates with the UE through an interface supporting uplink and downlink transmissions between the base station and the UE.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein setting the activity tracking timer to continuously track the first DRX cycle and the side link on duration comprises: Set the first timer to the activity tracking timer to continuously track the first DRX cycle; as well as Set a second timer to continuously track the duration of the side link being enabled.

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