Reducing power consumption in a direct wireless communication system

Abstract

In listen before transmit systems, a user equipment listens to only a subset of the transmission resources to determine the availability of potential transmission resources. The user equipment can listen to a set of non-contiguous or periodic sets of time slots to determine whether there is a conflicting transmission.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a point-to-point communication in a wireless communication system, and more specifically to an energy saving procedure in partial sensing sidelink communication. BACKGROUND

[0002] Wireless communication systems, such as the third generation (3G) mobile telephone standards and technologies, are well known. Such 3G standards and technologies are developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (RTM). Third generation wireless communication is typically used to support macrocellular mobile telephone communication. The communication systems and networks have evolved towards broadband and mobile systems.

[0003] In a cellular wireless communication system, a user equipment (UE) is connected to a radio access network (RAN) over a wireless link. The RAN comprises a set of base stations that provide wireless links to UEs in cells covered by the base stations, and the RAN also provides an interface to a core network (CN) that provides overall network control. Notably, the RAN and CN each perform respective functions related to the overall network. For convenience, the term cellular network is used to refer to the combination of the RAN and CN, with the understanding that the term is used to refer to the corresponding system for performing the disclosed functionality.

[0004] The Third Generation Partnership Project develops so-called Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems for mobile access networks, i.e. the Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), in which one or more macro cells are supported by base stations referred to as eNodeBs or eNBs (Evolved Node Bs). More recently, LTE is further evolving towards 5G or New Radio (NR) systems in which one or more cells are supported by base stations referred to as gNBs. NR proposes to use an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) physical transmission format.

[0005] The NR protocol aims to provide an option to operate in unlicensed radio frequency bands, referred to as NR-U. When operating in unlicensed radio frequency bands, the gNBs and UEs must contend for physical medium / resource access with other devices. For example, Wi-Fi (RTM), NR-U and LAA can use the same physical resources.

[0006] A trend in wireless communication is to provide services with lower latency and higher reliability. For example, NR aims to support Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), while Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) aims to provide low latency and high reliability for small data packets, typically of 32 bytes in size, with a user plane latency of 1 ms, a reliability of 99.99999%, and a packet loss rate of 10 -5 or 10 -6 .

[0007] mMTC services are designed to support a large number of devices over a long lifespan via energy-efficient communication channels, where data transmission between each device is occasional and infrequent. For example, a single unit may need to support thousands of devices.

[0008] The following disclosure relates to various improvements to cellular wireless communication systems. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This disclosure provides a method for identifying available transmission resources to support sidelink transmission from a first user equipment (UE) to a second user equipment (UE), the method being performed on the first UE, and comprising the steps of: identifying potential resources for transmission; monitoring conflicting transmissions in a time slot subset preceding the potential resources; and, when a conflicting transmission is detected, marking the potential resources as unavailable for transmission.

[0010] The time slot subset is a set of periodic time slots that repeat with a period greater than 1.

[0011] The time slots of the time slot subset are discontinuous because at least one unmonitored time slot is located between two monitored time slots.

[0012] The time slot subset is a periodic set of time slots.

[0013] The period is defined by signaling at a higher layer.

[0014] The period is 100ms.

[0015] The monitoring steps include monitoring the link control information (SCI) messages and decoding the received SCI messages to identify reserved resources.

[0016] The monitoring step includes monitoring the timing of periodic transmissions, which may also conflict with potential resources.

[0017] When the number of conflict transmissions exceeds a threshold, the potential resource is marked as unavailable.

[0018] The time slot subset includes a set of consecutive time slots preceding the potential resource, and a set of periodic time slots preceding the set of consecutive time slots.

[0019] This disclosure also provides a user equipment configured to perform the aforementioned methods. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Further details, aspects, and embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements in the drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Similar reference numerals have been included in the corresponding drawings for ease of understanding.

[0021] Figure 1 This displays a schematic diagram of the selected element in a cellular communication network.

[0022] Figure 2 Displayed Figure 1 A schematic diagram of selected elements in a wireless local area network of a cellular communication network.

[0023] Figures 3 to 8 The timing of the time slots sensed for evaluating potential resources for selection is displayed. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that the specific details of the described examples are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and that the teachings set forth herein are applicable to various alternative settings.

[0025] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates three base stations (e.g., eNB or gNB, depending on the specific cellular standard and terminology) that make up a cellular network. Typically, each base station is deployed by a cellular network operator to provide geographic coverage for UEs in that area. The base stations form a Radio Area Network (RAN). Each base station provides wireless network coverage for UEs in its area or cell. The base stations interconnect via the X2 interface and connect to the core network via the S1 interface. Only basic details are shown here to illustrate the key features of the cellular network. Sidelink (SL) communication between UEs is achieved via the PC5 interface. Figure 1 The related interface and component names are for illustrative purposes only; different systems operating on the same principles may use different naming conventions.

[0026] Each base station contains the hardware and software that implements RAN functions, including communication with the core network and other base stations, control and data signaling between the core network and UEs, and maintaining wireless communication with the UEs associated with each base station. The core network includes the hardware and software that implements network functions, such as overall network management and control, and call and data routing.

[0027] In vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) applications, onboard UEs can be integrated into vehicles such as cars, trucks, and buses. These onboard UEs can communicate with each other in both in-coverage and out-of-coverage modes. In in-coverage mode, the base station can manage and allocate resources to the UEs within the base station, while in out-of-coverage mode, no base station management or resource allocation is required. In vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications, vehicles can communicate not only with other vehicles but also with infrastructure, pedestrians, cellular networks, and potentially other devices in the surrounding environment. Examples of V2X application scenarios include:

[0028] Vehicle platooning – This allows vehicles to dynamically form a platoon and travel together. All vehicles in the platoon receive information from the lead vehicle to manage the platoon. This information enables all vehicles to travel closer together than normally would, moving in the same direction in a coordinated manner.

[0029] Extended Sensor Capabilities – This enables the exchange of raw or processed data collected by local sensors or real-time video imagery between vehicles, roadside units, pedestrians, and V2X application servers. Vehicles can increase their environmental sensing beyond what their own sensors can detect, gaining a broader and more comprehensive understanding of local conditions. High data rates are one of the key features.

[0030] Advanced Driving – Enables semi-autonomous or fully autonomous driving. Each vehicle and / or RSU shares sensing data obtained from its local sensors with nearby vehicles, allowing vehicles to synchronize and coordinate their trajectories or maneuvers. Each vehicle also shares its driving intentions with nearby vehicles.

[0031] Remote driving – This enables remote drivers or V2X applications to operate remote vehicles for passengers who cannot drive themselves or for vehicles in hazardous environments. For situations with limited variation and predictable routes, such as public transportation, cloud-based driving can be used. High reliability and low latency are key requirements for this feature.

[0032] Figure 2 A base station 102 forming a RAN is shown, along with a UE 150 having a sidelink transmitter (i.e., UE-A) and a UE 152 having a sidelink receiver (i.e., UE-B) within the RAN. Base station 102 wirelessly communicates with SL Tx UE 150 (i.e., UE-A) and SL Rx UE 152 (i.e., UE-B) via their respective connections 154. Tx UE 150 and Rx UE 152 are used to wirelessly communicate with each other via sidelink 156.

[0033] The sidelink utilizes traditional Uu transmission between the base station and the UE, using TDD (half-duplex) on a dedicated or shared carrier. Resource pools are used to manage and allocate transmission resources, and to manage interference between potential concurrent transmissions. A resource pool is a set of time-frequency resources from which transmission resources can be selected. The UE can configure multiple transmit and receive resource pools.

[0034] There are two operating modes for resource allocation in sidelink communication, depending on whether the UE is within the coverage area of ​​the cellular network. In Mode 1, V2X communication operates within the coverage area of ​​the base station (e.g., eNB or gNB). All scheduling and resource allocation can be performed by that base station.

[0035] Mode 2 applies when V2X services operate outside the coverage area of ​​cellular base stations, in which case the UE needs to make its own arrangements. For fair utilization, the UE typically uses sensed transmission resource allocation. In Mode 2, the UE reserves transmission resources by transmitting a Sidelink Control Information (SCI) message, indicating that resources have been used. The SCI notifies the receiver (which could be a single UE in unicast, a group of UEs in multicast, or all accessible UEs in broadcast) of the details of the expected transmission. The SCI message is the control information required to decode the sidelink data content and also indicates the reserved resources. The first phase SCI is transmitted in the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), and the second phase SCI is transmitted in the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH). The UE can reserve transmission resources for the initial transmission of a transport block (TB) of data, or for repeated transmissions of TBs, to improve reliability in the event of an initial transmission failure.

[0036] 3GPP TR 37.985, v16.0.0 describes the functionalities required for LTE and NR standards to support V2X services and adequately meet basic road safety service requirements. Vehicles with UEs containing these functionalities can use uplink, downlink, and sidelinks to exchange information about their own status, such as location, speed, and direction of travel, with other nearby vehicles, infrastructure nodes, and pedestrians. Sidelink communication improves efficiency through features including sidelink carrier aggregation, higher-order modulation, and reduced latency.

[0037] The apparatus, method, and system described in this application reduce device power consumption in a side-link autonomous resource selection mode. The set of time slots (sub-slots) to be sensed is configured and matched to the resource pool configuration. This is achieved by monitoring retransmitted reserved resources and periodically reserved resources. The apparatus, method, and system of this application also describe performing sensing by enabling downselection and configuring sensing functions to match user needs to achieve further power reduction.

[0038] In particular, the apparatus, methods and systems described in this application focus on improvements to the power consumption portion and the standard-defined portion of sensing.

[0039] In the LTE standard, to reduce power consumption and avoid the UE fully sensing the resource pool, the UE can have limited sensing capabilities or no sensing capabilities at all. When the UE does not sense, it simply performs a random selection, but this carries the risk of conflict. A tradeoff method called "partial sensing" allows the UE to sense the resource pool for a limited time to search for reserved resources that might influence its selection. Reserved resources are periodic, with possible periods being multiples of 100 milliseconds. In standard operation where partial sensing is performed for resource selection, a partially sensing UE can select any resource within a selected window. If n is the resource selection time, the selected window is [n+T1, n+T2]. To determine whether a resource in the selected window is reserved, the partially sensing UE must sense potential transmission channels that might fall within the reserved resources of the selected window.

[0040] Figure 3 The required time slots are shown (only 8 1ms sensing slots are shown for clarity) to determine if the required time slot A is idle. In this example, the limited sensing UE senses all previous (logical) time slots to search for retransmission reserved resources.

[0041] Partial sensing is defined and permitted by Radio Resource Control (RRC or higher). If partial sensing is configured by a higher layer, the following two steps are used:

[0042] Step 1) Candidate single subframe resource R for PSSCH transmission x，y Defined as a subframe L with sub-channels x+j subCH A set of consecutive subchannels, where j = 0, ..., L subCH -1. During implementation, the UE will determine a subframe set, which consists of at least Y subframes in the time interval [n+T1, n+T2], where T1 and T2 are selected by the UE according to T1≤4 and T2≤4. 2min (prio TX If T ≤ T2 ≤ 100, then T 2min (prio TX(prio can be provided by a higher level) TX Parameters, otherwise 20≤T2≤100. The Y value is set in RRC, where n is the resource selection time, n+T1 is the start time of the selection window, and n+T2 is the end time of the selection window. The UE's selection of T2 can meet the delay requirement, and the Y value must be greater than or equal to the higher-layer parameter minNumCandidateSF. As described in Section 14.1.5 of TS 36.213g20, the UE assumes that any L in the PSSCH resource pool subCH Each consecutive sub-channel set corresponds to one candidate subframe resource. The total number of candidate single-frame resources is M. total .

[0043] Step 2) If subframe In the subframe set included in step 1, if the k-th bit of the higher-layer parameter gapCandidateSensing is set to 1, the UE will monitor any subframe. Where ty is the time of the selected resource, and Pstep is 100ms in LTE. The UE should perform the actions in the following steps based on the PSCCH decoded in these subframes and the measured S-RSSI values ​​of each subframe.

[0044] In LTE, the period is selected from a list of standardized values. When configuring some sensing UEs in a resource pool, the period can be set to a multiple of 100ms, with a maximum of 1000ms. Alternatively, it can be selected from a pool of allowed periods, configured via the ResourceReservePeriod parameter as a subset of possible multiples of 100ms.

[0045] For partially sensing UEs, only a subset of resources (Y resources) within the selection window needs to be considered. Therefore, for a specific resource within the selection window (at time t_Y), checking t_Y-k*Pstep is sufficient, where Pstep = 100ms means the partially sensing UE checks every 100ms, which is the only possible position for another UE to fall within the existing reserved resources at the expected time. Thus, partially sensing allows a partially sensing UE to evaluate at least Y resources (resources configured in the resource pool) within the selection window.

[0046] In particular, partial sensing is configured using the gapCandidate Sensing parameter over an absolute time period. This parameter is a list of 10 Boolean values, where the k-th value (k = 1, ..., 10) tells the partial sensing UE whether it needs to sense k * 100 ms before evaluating resources.

[0047] If only partial period values ​​are allowed, the actual sensing required will be reduced, as only these periods will result in reserved resources. However, these two lists are configured independently, leaving ample flexibility in period configuration and partial sensing, with this configuration depending on a trade-off between three aspects: possible periods; reduced sensing power; and conflict risk. Conflict risk arises when a partially sensing UE does not need to sense within a time period matching the configured time period to reduce its power consumption.

[0048] The resource pool can be configured to support periodic reservation, which can be configured up to 1000 milliseconds in advance. However, improper sensing may lead to conflicts. When configured to support periodic reservation, the resource pool has a sensing window that starts up to 1100 milliseconds before the resource selection time.

[0049] In NR, the possible periods (up to 16) in the resource pool can be set in the ResourceReservePeriod parameter, but this parameter can be greatly extended to allow any integer value between 1ms and 99ms, and to be a multiple of 100ms to 1000ms. Furthermore, NR introduces several different mechanisms that require partial sensing on the sidelink. In NR, the allocation of retransmission resources in terms of frequency and time is completely flexible, so up to 32 logical time slots can be reserved in advance (one or two times). Reusing existing LTE partial sensing mechanisms to sense NR would require a very long bitstring pointing to all possible moments within the 1100ms window.

[0050] The devices, methods, and systems described in this application provide efficient signaling and configuration that enable the UE to perform partial sensing and obtain possible reserved resources for retransmission or periodically reserved resources based on the time periods defined in the NR and retransmission allocation.

[0051] In the resource pool, some sensing UEs can be configured or pre-configured to perform time slot sensing, which indicates retransmission resources that may conflict with potential resources selected by the sensing UEs for their own use.

[0052] In NR, SCI can reserve up to 32 logical time slots in advance (compared to a maximum of 16 in LTE). To ensure that there is no continuous retransmission reservation for resource selection evaluation, some sensing UEs perform sensing on all logical time slots prior to the selected time slot, which is within the retransmission time resource indication range.

[0053] By listening to only these 16 or 32 time slots, it is possible to avoid listening to the full 100ms sensing window (for non-periodic resource pools; 1100ms for resource pools that allow periodic reservations), thereby reducing power consumption.

[0054] To limit the overhead of sensing 16 or 32 time slots before selecting the required resources, partial sensing UEs can be configured to sense only a portion of the available time slots according to a (pre)configured mode. This possible mode can be pre-configured and signaled via a (pre)configured index, or a bitmap can be used to indicate the logical time slots to be sensed.

[0055] Figure 4 The required time slots are shown to determine if the desired time slot A is idle. In this example, the partially sensing UE senses only 4 out of 8 (logical) time slots before searching for retransmission reservations for its selected resources.

[0056] Figure 5 The missed retransmission retention (SCI) is displayed, causing a conflict in the desired time slot A. While limiting sensing can save battery power, it may conflict with the retransmission retention if the retention is made in an unsensitized time slot. Therefore, a trade-off needs to be made in its traffic and per resource pool configuration through configuration.

[0057] The resource selection for retransmissions in the resource pool of some sensing UEs can be configured so that retransmission resources are matched with the limited sensing time pattern. This limits the flexibility of resource allocation, but allows some sensing users to listen for all conflicting retransmission resources that may affect their resource selection.

[0058] Therefore, if the resource selection and retransmission for transmission are completed immediately in step 2 of the NR side-link resource allocation mode 2, then it is checked whether the selected candidate is suitable for the configured time mode. The time mode must be reversed; for example, if a partially sensing UE senses 5 time slots before evaluating resources, it means that the resources are reserved for retransmission 5 time slots in advance. If resources are selected independently for transmission and retransmission, then the devices, systems, and methods described in this application can remove any resources in the time slots not listened to by the partially sensing UE from the candidate resource set in step 1.

[0059] Limited sensing can be enabled / disabled using resource pool configuration flags. This feature may affect resource selection flexibility and device power consumption, so it should be enabled when a limited sensing UE is present or expected to be present in the resource pool.

[0060] This approach may be suitable for resource pools in blind transfers that always use reserved retransmission resources. HARQ-based retransmission resource pools may also benefit from this approach.

[0061] Partial sensing UEs can exchange functions between UEs and / or with the network. Partial sensing UE functions can define which sensing methods and / or how many measurements a partial sensing UE can perform; for example, a partial sensing UE can define which evaluation resource or each time unit it should sense. When exchanging this information, resource pools can be configured appropriately, for example, by determining which set of resources to listen to and whether to manage the functions and expectations of each partial sensing UE.

[0062] The method described in this application works regardless of whether the resource pool is configured only as a non-periodic resource or periodically reserved, and therefore can capture the retransmission of both types of reserved resources.

[0063] Even if the resource pool is configured to enable these sensing methods, these limited sensing methods can still be applied to some sensing UEs with limited sensing capabilities, and not necessarily to all UEs in the resource pool. This configuration can affect other sensing UEs not configured through the system and method described in this application by restricting their resource selection, etc.

[0064] Partial sensing UEs can be configured to perform sensing on a limited set of time slots within a resource pool, including all time slots that overlap with any configured possible reserved periods. These reserved periods may conflict with the evaluated resources. Therefore, the partial sensing function monitors time slots corresponding to time t. y-j*Pi All time slots, where the period value P i It is configured in the ResourceReservePeriodList parameter, and j satisfies P. i *j≤SensingWindow.

[0065] Some sensing UEs can be configured to perform sensing on a limited set of time slots in the resource pool, including the last N time slots that coincide with the configured possible reserved periods, which may conflict with the evaluated resources. Therefore, N can be (pre-)configured for each configured period. Figure 6 An example is shown where periods of 20ms and 50ms (selected for illustration) are configured in the resource pool. Partially sensing UEs evaluate the time slot marked as resource A by listening to the time slot every 20ms and every 50ms before evaluating resource A, without needing to sense or listen to other time slots. More specifically, sensing is performed on the exact time slot where periodic collisions may occur, and the exact listening duration is limited to listening to the PSCCH to decode the first phase of the SCI, and possibly listening to the second phase of the SCI in these specific time slots on the PSSCH to determine if it is the expected received data.

[0066] Therefore, partial sensing requires partial sensing UE monitoring to correspond to time t. y-j*PiFor all time slots, for all period values ​​P configured in the ResourceReservePeriodList parameter i All j satisfy j≤N.

[0067] To reduce sensing time and power consumption, when N=1, only the time slot corresponding to the last moment of the time difference equal to the configured possible period is sensed. Figure 7 In this configuration, only one time slot is sensed per period; before evaluating resource A, one time slot is sensed every 50 milliseconds and another every 20 milliseconds. If the time slot corresponding to the moment of potential period reservation conflict is not an SL time slot, some sensing UEs will sense that the moment corresponding to the last SL time slot corresponds to the aforementioned period.

[0068] If any portion of the sensing UE in the execution cycle reservation has no data to transmit, it will not transmit on the reserved resources at all. Therefore, sensing only the portion of the UE in the last moment (N=1) cannot guarantee whether the periodic resources were reserved at that time. Therefore, to improve reliability, N>1 can be set.

[0069] To reduce sensing time, a limited number of sensing UEs can be configured to sense only time slots corresponding to a subset of possible periods. While this offers power savings, it can lead to conflicts. The sensing period can be configured in the `ReducedSensingPeriodList` parameter and a bitmap of the same length as the list of possible periods can be sent.

[0070] Optionally, the apparatus, method, and system can set minimum and / or maximum period values ​​for the sensing period. These finite sensing periods can be configured to match the partially sensing UE functionality that signals through a resource pool. The partially sensing UE can be configured to perform sensing on a finite set of time slots in the resource pool, including all time slots that overlap with potentially reserved periods. These reserved periods may conflict with the evaluated resources. Therefore, the partially sensing functionality monitors the time corresponding to time point t. y-j*Pi All time slots, where the period value P i It is configured in a subset of ResourceReservePeriodList, and j satisfies P. i *j≤SensingWindow (or ≤N).

[0071] Partial sensing UEs can be configured to perform the partial sensing method described in this application within a limited sensing window.

[0072] In NR, a window of 1100 milliseconds for periodically activating resource pools is long compared to many short-cycle reservations. Therefore, reserving resource pools allows UEs with limited sensing capabilities to reduce their sensing windows to a minimum size, such as 100ms. The exact value of the sensing window can be left to implementation, but a minimum configured value can be limited. UEs with limited sensing capabilities can share their user-limited sensing capabilities, including the maximum possible sensing window size.

[0073] The apparatus, method, and system described in this application can be configured to be activated / deactivated using a dedicated flag or by the presence or absence of desired configuration parameters. Such configuration changes can be triggered by limited sensing of the presence of the UE and its functions.

[0074] Typically, a sidelink resource pool will allow for multiple periodically reserved transmissions and retain multiple repeated non-periodic transmissions within a single SCI, where periodically reserved transmissions may also include retransmissions. Furthermore, periodically reserved transmissions may require a one-off transmission, for example, a retransmission can be performed within the packet delay budget upon receiving a HARQ NACK. Power-constrained UEs need to apply the strategy combination described in this application to minimize their sensing requirements.

[0075] Therefore, some sensing UEs will listen to a set of resources before their selection window (evaluating resource A) to sense any retransmission reserved resources that may potentially conflict with candidate resources. In addition, some sensing UEs will sense the time slots corresponding to periodic instances, thus realizing the periodic configuration as part of the resource pool configuration.

[0076] Resource pool configurations can use appropriate fields to indicate the boundary between two intervals of partial sensing. The partial sensing boundary may be associated with transmission priority. For a simple example, a resource pool configuration can define a priority threshold. If a power-constrained UE is transmitting packets with a priority higher than this threshold, a boundary-indicating sensing event can be performed first, such as periodic and non-periodic partial sensing, with a duration limited to 100ms. If the packet priority is equal to or lower than this priority threshold, these UEs will perform partial sensing for a longer duration, either spanning the entire sensing window or indicated by configuring a display duration as part of the resource pool configuration.

[0077] The sensing methods described in this application can further reduce power consumption caused by monitoring radio resources by configuring a UE with limited sensing capabilities to stop or suspend its monitoring of a set of time slots / sub-channels that correspond to potential reservation notifications of reserved resources.

[0078] exist Figure 8In this context, the SCI is used to monitor reserved time slots for potential conflicts sensed by some sensing UEs. The SCI will reserve resources that overlap with evaluation resource A for another UE. When a resource is selected from the resources in the Y list as the new evaluation resource, sensing for future conflict reservations will stop and be set to unavailable.

[0079] Optionally, a partially sensing UE can sense the last moment of a reserved conflict to verify whether the periodic resource is still in use. It's important to note that if a restricted sensing UE is considering multiple frequency division resources (different sub-channels) within the same time slot and only reserves a portion of that time slot, the restricted sensing UE can still monitor the remaining time slot to check for further conflicts with non-conflicting resources. This will still require the partially sensing UE to be active in radio reception, but it can reduce decoding and processing of the PSCCH area, which may still lead to further conflicts.

[0080] This interruption sensing method is applicable to both periodically reserved partial sensing and retransmission partial sensing. In the case of periodically reserved partial sensing, potential conflicts occur when the same sub-channel as the selected resource is used, and these sub-channels can be easily identified and removed from the sensing. In the case of retransmission partial sensing, retransmission resources have sufficient flexibility in both the time and frequency domains; therefore, interruption sensing in time-slot scenarios may lead to potential conflicts, requiring all candidate resources for the selected time slot to be reserved to cancel monitoring of the corresponding time slot.

[0081] Although not shown in detail, any device forming part of the network may include at least a processor, a storage unit, and a communication interface, wherein the processor, storage unit, and communication interface are configured to perform methods of any aspect of the invention. Further options and choices are described below.

[0082] Embodiments of the present invention, particularly the signal processing functions of the gNB and UE, can be implemented using computer systems or architectures known to those skilled in the art. This computer system can be a desktop computer, laptop computer or notebook computer, handheld computing device (PDA, mobile phone, PDA, etc.), server, client, or any other type of general-purpose computing device required for a given application or environment. The computer system may include one or more processors, which can be implemented using general-purpose or special-purpose processing engines, such as microprocessors, microcontrollers, or other control modules.

[0083] A computer system may also include main memory, such as random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic memory, for storing information and instructions that can be executed by the processor. This main memory may also be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information needed during the execution of instructions by the processor. A computer system may also include read-only memory (ROM) or other static storage devices for storing static information and instructions of the processor.

[0084] The computer system may also include an information storage system, which may include media drives and removable storage interfaces. Media drives may include drives or other mechanisms for securing or supporting removable storage media, such as hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, magnetic tape drives, optical disc drives, optical disc (CD) or digital video drive (DVD) (RTM) read or write drives (including writable or erasable drives), or other removable or secured media drives. Storage media may include, for example, hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, optical discs, CDs, or DVDs, or other secured or removable media read and written by media drives. Storage media may include computer-readable storage media having specific computer software or data stored therein.

[0085] In alternative embodiments, the information storage system may include other similar components for allowing computer programs or other instructions or data to be loaded into the computer system. Such components may include, for example, removable storage units and interfaces, such as program boxes and box interfaces, removable memory (e.g., flash memory or other removable memory modules) and memory slots, as well as other removable storage units and interfaces that allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage units to the computer system.

[0086] Computer systems may also include communication interfaces. These interfaces allow the transfer of software and data between the computer system and external devices. Examples of communication interfaces may include modems, network interfaces (such as Ethernet or other NIC cards), communication ports (such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports), PCMCIA time slots and cards, etc. The software and data transferred via the communication interface are in the form of signals, which can be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals that can be received by the communication interface medium.

[0087] In this document, the terms "computer program product," "computer-readable medium," etc., are generally used to refer to tangible media, such as memory, memory devices, or storage units. These and other forms of computer-readable media may store one or more instructions for use by a processor, including a computer system, to cause the processor to perform specified operations. Such instructions are generally referred to as "computer program code" (which may be grouped as a computer program or other groupings). When executed, the computer system is able to perform the functions of embodiments of the present invention. Note that the code may directly cause the processor to perform specified operations, be compiled to perform such operations, and / or be combined with other software, hardware, and / or firmware elements (e.g., function libraries for performing standard functions) to perform such operations.

[0088] Non-transitory computer-readable media may include at least one of the following: hard disk, CD-ROM, optical storage device, magnetic storage device, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, EPROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, and flash memory. In embodiments using software-implemented components, the software may be stored in a computer-readable medium and loaded into a computer system using, for example, a removable storage drive. The control module (in this example, software instructions or executable computer program code), when executed by a processor in the computer system, causes the processor to perform the functions of the invention as described herein.

[0089] Furthermore, the inventive concept can be applied to any circuit used to perform signal processing functions within network components. It is further envisioned that, for example, semiconductor manufacturers can incorporate the inventive concept into the design of standalone devices, such as microcontrollers for digital signal processors (DSPs), or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or any other subsystem elements.

[0090] For clarity, the above description refers to embodiments of the invention with reference to a single processing logic. However, the inventive concept can also be implemented by multiple different functional units and processors to provide signal processing functionality. Therefore, references to specific functional units are considered merely as references to appropriate means of providing the described functionality, and not as indicating a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0091] Various aspects of this invention can be implemented in any suitable form, including hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. This invention can be implemented, at least in part, as computer software running on one or more data processors and / or digital signal processors or configurable module components such as FPGA devices.

[0092] Therefore, the components and elements of embodiments of the present invention can be implemented physically, functionally, and logically in any suitable manner. In fact, the function may be implemented in a single unit, in multiple units, or as part of other functional units. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. Rather, the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims. Furthermore, although features appear to have been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various features of the described embodiments can be combined according to the invention. In the claims, the term "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other components or steps.

[0093] Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple means, components, or method steps can be implemented by, for example, a single unit or processor. Additionally, while individual features may be included in different claims, these features may be advantageously combined, and inclusion in different claims does not imply that such combination of features is infeasible and / or advantageous. Moreover, including a feature in one claim class does not imply limitation on that class, but rather indicates that the feature is equally applicable to other claim classes where appropriate.

[0094] Furthermore, the order of features in the claims does not imply that these features must be performed in any particular order, and in particular, the order of steps in a method claim does not imply that these steps must be performed in that order. On the contrary, these steps may be performed in any suitable order. Moreover, singular references do not exclude plural forms. Therefore, references to “a,” “an,” “first,” “second,” etc., do not exclude plural forms.

[0095] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. Rather, the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims. Furthermore, although features appear to have been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various features of the described embodiments can be combined according to the invention. In the claims, the terms "comprising" or "including" do not exclude the presence of other elements.

Claims

1. A method for identifying available transmission resources to support sidelink transmission from a first user equipment (UE) to a second user equipment (UE), the method being performed on the first UE, comprising the following steps: Identify potential resources for transmission; Monitor conflict transmissions in a subset of time slots preceding the potential resources; and When a conflicting transmission is detected, the potential resource is marked as unavailable for transmission; The time slots of the time slot subset are discontinuous because at least one unmonitored time slot is located between two monitored time slots.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The time slot subset is a set of periodic time slots that repeat with a period greater than 1.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The time slot subset is a periodic set of time slots.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cycle is defined by signaling at a higher layer.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The period is 100ms.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The monitoring steps include monitoring the link control information (SCI) messages and decoding the received SCI messages to identify reserved resources.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The monitoring steps include monitoring the timing of periodic transmissions that also have opportunities to conflict with potential resources.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the number of conflict transmissions exceeds a threshold, the potential resource is marked as unavailable.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The time slot subset includes a continuous time slot set preceding the potential resource, and a periodic time slot set preceding the continuous time slot set.

10. A user equipment, characterized in that, The user equipment includes a module for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

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