Channel access request in downlink transmission

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The disclosure can be applied to smart services based on 5G communication technologies and IoT-related technologies, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. Apparatus and method for channel access request in downlink transmission.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a channel access request in a downlink transmission. BACKGROUND

[0002] To meet the demand for wireless data traffic having increased since deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop an improved 5G or pre-5G communication system. Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a 'Beyond 4G Network' or a '5G Network'. The 5G communication system is considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 60GHz bands, so as to accomplish higher data rates. To decrease propagation loss of the radio waves and increase the transmission distance, the beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, an analog beam forming, large scale antenna techniques are discussed for use in the 5G communication system. In addition, in the 5G communication system, development for system network improvement is under way based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RANs), ultra-dense networks, a technology for coordination between cells, a cooperative communication, coordinated multi-points (CoMP), reception-end interference cancellation and the like. In the 5G system, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as an advanced coding modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and a sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as an advanced access technology have been developed.

[0003] The Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the Internet of Things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of the IoT technology and the Big Data processing technology through connection with a cloud server, has emerged as a new paradigm for the IoT. As technology elements, such as "sensing technology", "wired / wireless communication and network infrastructure", "service interface technology", and "security technology" have been demanded for IoT implementation, a sensor network, a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and the like have been researched. Such an IoT environment can provide intelligent Internet technology services that create a new value through collection and analysis of data generated from connected things. The IoT can be applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected cars, smart grid, health care, smart appliances, and advanced medical services through the combination of existing information technology (IT) and various industrial applications.

[0004] In line with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such as a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication can be implemented by beamforming, MIMO, and array antennas. Application of a cloud Radio Access Network (RAN) as the above-described big data processing technology can also be considered as an example of convergence between the 5G technology and the IoT technology.

[0005] Fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) mobile communication is recently gathering more and more momentum with all the global technology activities from industry and academia with various candidate technologies. The candidate enabling technologies for 5G / NR mobile communication include massive antenna technology from a conventional cellular band to a high frequency to provide beamforming gain and support increased capacity, a new waveform (e.g., new radio access technology (RAT)) to flexibly accommodate various services / applications having different requirements, a new multiple access scheme to support massive connectivity, and the like. SUMMARY

[0006] TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0007] In NR Rel-16, 5 GHz unlicensed bands and 6 GHz unlicensed bands have supported operation with shared spectrum channel access. More precisely, two types of channel access procedures are supported, where Type 1 channel access procedure includes channel sensing for a random duration before downlink transmission, and Type 2 channel access procedure includes channel sensing for a deterministic duration (e.g., including zero duration) before downlink transmission.

[0008] For higher carrier frequency ranges (e.g., 60 GHz unlicensed spectrum), transmissions can utilize highly directional beamforming. To support this, the corresponding channel sensing can also be configured to be highly directional in order to save sensing energy in directions that are not relevant for the intended transmission, where a new type of sensing is referred to as directional channel sensing to distinguish from the classic omni-directional channel sensing. However, in directional channel sensing, the antenna direction used for sensing the channel is not aligned with the transmission direction. In other words, the direction used for sensing is opposite to the direction used for transmission, and thus the interference scenario in the sensing procedure is not aligned with the actual interference scenario at the time of transmission. This mismatch can cause a problem of performance degradation, and the present disclosure focuses on resolving the mismatch problem by using CARQ in downlink transmission.

[0009] SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0010] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, the present disclosure relates to channel access request in downlink transmission.

[0011] In one embodiment, a base station (BS) in a wireless communication system including a carrier operating with shared spectrum channel access is provided. The BS includes a processor configured to determine a number of beam directions to sense, determine a number of channel access requests (CARQs) in a burst, and determine at least one field in a downlink control information (DCI) format. The at least one field indicates a set of CARQs according to the number of CARQs in the burst and a set of beam directions according to the number of beam directions to sense. The BS further includes a transceiver operably connected to the processor. The transceiver is configured to transmit the DCI format including the at least one field to a user equipment (UE) in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0012] In another embodiment, a UE in a wireless communication system is provided. The UE includes a transceiver configured to receive a DCI format from a BS in a PDCCH and a processor operably connected to the transceiver. The processor is configured to determine a number of beam directions to sense, determine a number of CARQs in a burst, and determine a set of CARQs according to the number of CARQs in the burst and a set of beam directions according to the number of beam directions to sense based on at least one field in the DCI format.

[0013] In yet another embodiment, a method of operating a UE in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a DCI format from a BS in a PDCCH, determining a number of beam directions to sense, and determining a number of CARQs in a burst. The method further includes determining a set of CARQs according to the number of CARQs in the burst and a set of beam directions according to the number of beam directions to sense based on at least one field in the DCI format.

[0014] Other technical features can be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

[0015] Advantages of the Invention

[0016] The present disclosure focuses on the design of channel access requests in directional transmissions. General aspects of features for channel access requests (CARQs) and physical layer design for CARQs are covered. More precisely, the following components are included in the present disclosure.

[0017] In the present disclosure, a new DCI based CARQ is provided, a GC-PDCCH based CARQ is provided, a PDCCH+PDSCH based CARQ is provided, and a RS based CARQ is provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are marked with like numerals:

[0019] Figure 1 An example wireless network is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 An example gNB is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure

[0021] Figure 3 An example UE is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 And Figure 5 An example wireless transmit path and an example wireless receive path are shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6 An example CARQ is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7 Another example CARQ is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0025] Figure 8 An example CARQ transmission is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Before undertaking a detailed description of the foregoing, it can be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain terms and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “coupled” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, means to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have a property of, have, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The term “controller” means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller can be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. The phrase “at least one of” followed by a list of two or more items, means that any of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, “at least one of A, B, and C” means that only A, or only B, or only C, or any combination of the three, can be employed.

[0027] Furthermore, various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed from computer readable program code and embodied in a computer readable medium. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof that are suitable for implementation in a suitable computer readable program code. The phrase “computer readable program code” includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase “computer readable medium” includes any type of medium capable of being accessed by a computer, such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A “non-transitory” computer readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links. Non-transitory computer readable media include media that can be permanently stored and media that can be stored and overwritten, such as a rewritable optical disc or an erasable memory element.

[0028] Definitions for other certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

[0029] The following discussion Figures 1 to 8 The various embodiments described for the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of example only, and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0030] The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure as if fully set forth herein: 3GPP TS 38.211 v16.1.0, “NR; Physical channels and modulation”; 3GPP TS 38.212 v16.1.0, “NR; Multiplexing and channel coding”; 3GPP TS 38.213 v16.1.0, “NR; Physical layer procedures for control”; 3GPP TS 38.214 v16.1.0, “NR; Physical layer procedures for data”; and 3GPP TS 38.331 v16.1.0, “NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) Protocol Specification”.

[0031] The following Figures 1-3 Various embodiments are described that are implemented using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication techniques in a wireless communication system. Figures 1-3 The description of the various embodiments is not meant to imply that different embodiments can only be implemented in the manner described. Different embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged communication system.

[0032] Figure 1 An example wireless network according to embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment of the wireless network is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0033] As Figure 1 The wireless network includes a gNB 101 (e.g., base station BS), a gNB 102, and a gNB 103, as illustrated. The gNB 101 communicates with the gNB 102 and the gNB 103. The gNB 101 also communicates with at least one network 130, such as the Internet, a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, or other data network.

[0034] The gNBs 102 provides wireless broadband access to the network 130 for a first plurality of UEs in a coverage area 120 of the gNBs 102. The first plurality of UEs includes a UE 111, which can be located in a small business; a UE 112, which can be located in an enterprise (E); a UE 113, which can be located in a WiFi hotspot (HS); a UE 114, which can be located in a first residence (R); a UE 115, which can be located in a second residence (R); and a UE 116, which can be a mobile device (M), such as a cell phone, a wireless laptop, a wireless PDA, or the like. The gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to the network 130 for a second plurality of UEs in a coverage area 125 of the gNB 103. The second plurality of UEs includes the UE 115 and the UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more of the gNBs 101-103 can communicate with each other and with the UEs 111-116 using 5G / NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), WiMAX, WiFi, or other wireless communication techniques.

[0035] Depending on the network type, the term "base station" or "BS" can refer to any component (or collection of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmit point (TP), transmit-receive point (TRP), an enhanced base station (eNodeB or eNB), a 5G / NR base station (gNB), a macrocell, a femtocell, a WiFi access point (AP), or other wirelessly enabled devices. Base stations can provide wireless access to a plurality of UEs according to one or more wireless communication protocols, such as 5G / NR 3GPP NR, LTE, LTE-A, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, or the like. For the sake of convenience, the terms "BS" and "TRP" are used interchangeably herein to refer to a network infrastructure component that provides wireless access to remote terminals. Further, depending on the network type, the term "user equipment" or "UE" can refer to any component, such as a "mobile station," "subscriber station," "remote terminal," "wireless terminal," "receive point," or "user device." For the sake of convenience, the terms "user equipment" and "UE" are used interchangeably herein to refer to a remote wireless equipment that wirelessly accesses a BS, whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile telephone or smartphone) or what is typically considered a fixed equipment (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0036] Dotted lines show the approximate extents of the coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as approximately circular for the purposes of illustration and explanation only. It should be clearly understood that the coverage areas associated with gNBs, such as the coverage areas 120 and 125, can have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending upon the configuration of the gNBs and the varying characteristics of the radio environment in which the gNBs are located.

[0037] As described in more detail below, one or more of the UEs 111-116 include circuitry, programming or a combination thereof for channel access request in downlink transmissions. In certain embodiments, one or more of the gNBs 101-103 include circuitry, programming or a combination thereof for channel access request in downlink transmissions.

[0038] Although Figure 1 various changes can be made to Figure 1 the wireless network. For example, the wireless network can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. In addition, gNB 101 can be in direct communication with any number of UEs and provide those UEs access to network 130 via the wireless wide area network. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 can be in direct communication with the network 130 and provide UEs access to the network 130 via the wireless wide area network. Further, gNBs 101, 102, and / or 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks, such as external telephone networks or other types of data networks, via network 130.

[0039] Figure 2 An example gNB 102 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment of gNB 102 is merely an example and Figure 1 gNBs 101 and 103 can have the same or similar configuration. However, gNBs come in a wide variety of configurations, and Figure 2 the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of a gNB.

[0040] As Figure 2 illustrated, gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 205a-205n, multiple RF transceivers 210a-210n, transmit (TX) processing circuitry 215, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 220. gNB 102 also includes controller / processor 225, memory 230, and backhaul or network interface 235.

[0041] The RF transceivers 210a-210n receive, from the antennas 205a-205n, incoming RF signals such as signals transmitted by UEs in the network 100. The RF transceivers 210a-210n down-convert the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are sent to the RX processing circuitry 220, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. The RX processing circuitry 220 transmits the processed baseband signals to the controller / processor 225 for further processing.

[0042] The TX processing circuitry 215 receives analog or digital data, such as voice data, web data, e-mail, or interactive video game data from the controller / processor 225. The TX processing circuitry 215 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate processed baseband or IF signals. The RF transceivers 210a-210n receive the outgoing processed baseband or IF signals from the TX processing circuitry 215 and up-convert the baseband or IF signals to RF signals that are transmitted via the antennas 205a-205n.

[0043] The controller / processor 225 can include one or more processors or other processing devices to manage the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 225 can control the reception of

[0044] The controller / processor 225 can further execute programs and other processes resident in the memory 230, such as an OS. The controller / processor 225 can move data into or out of memory 230 as required by the processes being executed.

[0045] The controller / processor 225 is also coupled to the backhaul or network interface 235. The backhaul or network interface 235 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems over a backhaul connection or network. The interface 235 could support communications via any suitable wired or wireless connection, such as a wired connection via Ethernet or a wireless connection via Wi-Fi. When gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (such as one supporting 5G / NR, LTE, or LTE-A), the interface 235 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs over a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, the interface 235 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices, such as other access points over a wired or wireless local area network, or with a larger network (such as the Internet) through a wired or wireless connection. The interface 235 includes any suitable structure supporting communications over a wired or wireless connection, such as an Ethernet or RF transceiver.

[0046] The memory 230 is coupled to the controller / processor 225. Part of the memory 230 could include RAM, and another part of the memory 230 could include flash or other ROM.

[0047] Although Figure 2 various changes can be made to Figure 2 the gNB 102 shown. For example, gNB 102 could include any number of each component shown. As a specific example, an access point could include a number of interfaces 235, and the controller / processor 225 could support routing Figure 2 functionality to route data between different network addresses. As another specific example, while shown as including a single instance of TX processing circuitry 215 and a single instance of RX processing circuitry 220, the gNB 102 could include multiple instances of each (such as one per RF transceiver) to provide load balancing between instances of the Figure 2 components in FIG. 11 could be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components could be added according to particular needs.

[0048] Figure 3 An example UE 116 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The embodiment of the UE 116 shown is for illustration only, and Figure 1 UEs 111-115 could have the same or similar configuration. However, UEs come in a wide variety of configurations, and Figure 3 the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of a UE.

[0049] As Figure 3As shown, UE 116 includes antenna 305, radio frequency (RF) transceiver 310, TX processing circuitry 315, microphone 320, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 325. UE 116 also includes speaker 330, processor 340, input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 345, touchscreen 350, display 355, and memory 360. Memory 360 includes operating system (OS) 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0050] RF transceiver 310 receives, from antenna 305, an incoming RF signal transmitted by a gNB of network 100. RF transceiver 310 down-converts the incoming RF signal to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is sent to RX processing circuitry 325, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. RX processing circuitry 325 transmits the processed baseband signal to speaker 330 (such as for voice data) or to processor 340 for further processing (such as for web browsing data).

[0051] TX processing circuitry 315 receives analog or digital voice data from microphone 320 or other outgoing baseband data (such as web browsing data, e-mail, or interactive video game data) from processor 340. TX processing circuitry 315 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. RF transceiver 310 receives the outgoing processed baseband or IF signal from TX processing circuitry 315 and up-converts the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal that is transmitted via antenna 305.

[0052] Processor 340 can include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute the OS 361 stored in memory 360 in order to control the overall operation of UE 116. For example, processor 340 can be responsible for the

[0053] The processor 340 is also capable of executing other processes and programs resident in the memory 360, such as a process to handle channel access requests in downlink transmissions. The processor 340 can move data into or out of memory 360 as required by the executing processes. In some embodiments, the processor 340 is configured to execute the applications 362 based on the OS 361 or in response to signals received from gNBs or an operator. The processor 340 is also coupled to the I / O interface 345, which provides the UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptop computers and handheld computers. The I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these accessories and the processor 340.

[0054] The processor 340 is also coupled to the touchscreen 350 and the display 355. The operator of the UE 116 can use the touchscreen 350 to enter data into the UE 116. The display 355 can be a liquid crystal display, light emitting diode display, or other display capable of rendering text and / or at least limited graphics, such as from web sites.

[0055] The memory 360 is coupled to the processor 340. Part of the memory 360 can include random access memory (RAM), and another part of the memory 360 can include

[0056] Although Figure 3 One example of a UE 116 is shown in FIG. 3, but Figure 3 various changes can be made Figure 3 The various components in the UE 116 can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components can be added according to particular needs. As a particular example, the processor 340 can be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). Also, while the UE 116 is shown as a mobile phone or smart phone in FIG. 3, a UE can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or stationary devices. Figure 3

[0057] ​To meet the demand for wireless data traffic having increased since deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop and deploy 5G / NR communication systems. The 5G / NR communication system is considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 28 GHz or 60 GHz bands, so as to accomplish higher data rates or in lower frequency bands such as 6 GHz, to enable robust coverage and mobility support. To decrease the propagation loss of the radio waves and increase the transmission distance, the beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, an analog beam forming, large scale antenna techniques are discussed in 5G / NR communication systems.

[0058] In addition, in 5G / NR communication systems, development for system network improvement is under way based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RANs), ultra-dense networks, a device to device (D2D) communication, a wireless backhaul, a moving network, a cooperative communication, coordinated multi-points (CoMP), reception-end interference cancellation and the like.

[0059] The discussion of the 5G system and the frequency bands associated therewith is for reference because certain embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the 5G system. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the 5G system or the frequency bands associated therewith, and embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in conjunction with any frequency bands. For example, aspects of the present disclosure can also be applied to deployment of 5G communication systems, 6G or even newer versions that can use terahertz (THz) bands.

[0060] A communication system includes a downlink (DL) that refers to a transmission from a base station or one or more transmission points to a UE and an uplink (UL) that refers to a transmission from a UE to a base station or one or more reception points.

[0061] A time unit used for DL signaling or for UL signaling on a cell is referred to as a slot, and can include one or more symbols. A symbol can also be used as an additional time unit. A frequency (or bandwidth (BW)) unit is referred to as a resource block (RB). One RB includes a plurality of subcarriers (SCs). For example, one slot can have a duration of 0.5 milliseconds or 1 millisecond, include 14 symbols, and one RB can include 12 SCs with an interval of 30 KHz or 15 KHz between SCs, and the like.

[0062] The DL signals include data signals conveying information content, control signals conveying DL control information (DCI), and reference signals (RS) also known as pilot signals. The gNB transmits data information or DCI through a corresponding physical DL shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical DL control channel (PDCCH). The PDSCH or PDCCH can be transmitted through a variable number of slot symbols including one slot symbol. For brevity, a DCI format scheduling a UE's PDSCH reception is referred to as a DL DCI format and a DCI format scheduling a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission from a UE is referred to as a UL DCI format.

[0063] The gNB transmits one or more of multiple types of RS including channel state information RS (CSI-RS) and demodulation RS (DMRS). The CSI-RS is mainly used for the UE to perform measurements and provide CSI to the gNB. For channel measurements, non-zero-power CSI-RS (NZP CSI-RS) resources are used. For interference measurement reporting (IMR), CSI interference measurement (CSI-IM) resources associated with zero-power CSI-RS (ZP CSI-RS) configurations are used. A CSI process includes NZP CSI-RS and CSI-IM resources.

[0064] The UE can determine the CSI-RS transmission parameters through DL control signaling or higher layer signaling (such as radio resource control (RRC) signaling) from the gNB. The transmission instances of the CSI-RS can be indicated by the DL control signaling or configured by the higher layer signaling. The DM-RS is transmitted only in the BW of the corresponding PDCCH or PDSCH and can be used by the UE to demodulate data or control information.

[0065] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Example wireless transmit and receive paths are shown in accordance with the present disclosure. In the following description, transmit path 400 can be described as implemented in a gNB (such as gNB 102), while receive path 500 can be described as implemented in a UE (such as UE 116). It can be understood, however, that receive path 500 can be implemented in a gNB and transmit path 400 can be implemented in a UE. In some embodiments, receive path 500 is configured to support a beam indication channel in a multi-beam system, as described in embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0066] As Figure 4 The transmit path 400 as illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a channel coding and modulation block 405, a serial-to-parallel (S-to-P) block 410, a size N inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block 415, a parallel-to-serial (P-to-S) block 420, a cyclic prefix addition block 425, and an up-converter (UC) 430. The S-to-P block 410 splits the output of the channel coding and modulation block 405 into N parallel signals. The IFFT block 415 performs the IFFT operation on the N parallel signals to produce time domain signals. The P-to-S block 420 converts the time domain signals output by the IFFT block 415 back into a serial signal. The cyclic prefix addition block 425 inserts the appropriate cyclic prefix for the time domain signal. The up-converter 430 modulates the time domain signal with the carrier frequency to produce an RF output signal at the desired output frequency. The cyclic prefix can be understood as a repetition of the initial portion of the symbol at the start of the symbol. The repetition of the initial portion of the symbol facilitates the gNB receiving the symbol to perform channel estimation. The cyclic prefix can also be understood as a guard interval. The guard interval can be understood as a period of time where no data is transmitted. The cyclic prefix addition block 425 can be understood to add the cyclic prefix to the time domain signal and the guard interval to the time domain signal. The up-converter 430 can be understood to increase the frequency of the time domain signal to produce the RF output signal at the desired output frequency.Figure 5 The receive path 500 as shown includes a down-converter (DC) 555, a remove cyclic prefix block 560, a serial to parallel (S-to-P) block 565, a size N fast Fourier transform (FFT) block 570, a parallel to serial (P-to-S) block 575, and a channel decoding and demodulation block 580.

[0067] As Figure 4 shown, the channel coding and modulation block 405 receives a set of information bits, applies coding (such as a low-density parity check (LDPC) coding), and modulates the input bits (such as with quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)) to generate a sequence of frequency-domain modulation symbols.

[0068] The serial-to-parallel block 410 converts (such as de-multiplexes) the serial modulated symbols to parallel data to generate N parallel symbol streams, where N is the IFFT / FFT size used in the gNB 102 and the UE 116. The size N IFFT block 415 performs an IFFT operation on the N parallel symbol streams to generate time-domain output signals. The parallel-to-serial block 420 converts (such as multiplexes) the parallel time-domain output symbols from the size N IFFT block 415 to generate a serial time-domain signal. The add cyclic prefix block 425 inserts a cyclic prefix to the time-domain signal. The up-converter 430 modulates (such as up-converts) the output of the add cyclic prefix block 425 to an RF frequency to transmit via a wireless channel. The signal can also be filtered at baseband before conversion to the RF frequency.

[0069] The RF signal transmitted from the gNB 102 arrives at the UE 116 after passing through the wireless channel, and the reverse operation to that performed at the gNB 102 is performed at the UE 116.

[0070] As Figure 5 shown, the down-converter 555 converts the received signal to baseband frequency and the remove cyclic prefix block 560 removes the cyclic prefix to generate a serial time-domain baseband signal. The serial-to-parallel block 565 converts the time-domain baseband signal to parallel time-domain signals. The size N FFT block 570 performs the FFT algorithm to generate N parallel frequency-domain signals. The parallel-to-serial block 575 converts the parallel frequency-domain signals to a sequence of modulated data symbols. The channel decoding and demodulation block 580 demodulates and decodes the modulated symbols to recover the original input data stream.

[0071] Each of the gNBs 101-103 can implement the transmit path 400 as Figure 4 shown, which is similar to that used in the downlink for transmissions to a UE 111-116, and can implement the receive path 500 as Figure 5The received path 500 shown is similar to that received from UE 111-116 in the uplink. Similarly, each of UE 111-116 may implement a transmitted path 400 for transmitting to gNB 101-103 in the uplink, and may implement a received path 500 for receiving from gNB 101-103 in the downlink.

[0072] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Each component can be implemented using only hardware or a combination of hardware and software / firmware. As a specific example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 At least some components can be implemented in software, while others can be implemented in configurable hardware or a combination of software and configurable hardware. For example, FFT block 570 and IFFT block 415 can be implemented as configurable software algorithms, where the value of size N can be modified depending on the implementation method.

[0073] Furthermore, although described as using FFT and IFFT, this is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Other types of transforms, such as the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) functions, can be used. It will be understood that for the DFT and IDFT functions, the value of variable N can be any integer (such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), while for the FFT and IFFT functions, the value of variable N can be any integer that is a power of 2 (such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.).

[0074] although Figure 4 and Figure 5 Examples of wireless transmit and receive paths are shown, but more can be found on other devices. Figure 4 and Figure 5 Make various changes. For example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed. Furthermore, Figure 4 and Figure 5 This is intended to illustrate examples of the types of transmit and receive paths that can be used in a wireless network. Any other suitable architecture can be used to support wireless communication in a wireless network.

[0075] This disclosure focuses on the design of channel access requests in directed transmissions. It covers general aspects of the characteristics of channel access requests (CARQ) and the physical layer design for CARQ. More specifically, the following components are included in this disclosure.

[0076] In the present disclosure, new DCI based CARQ is provided, GC-PDCCH based CARQ is provided, PDCCH+PDSCH based CARQ is provided, and RS based CARQ is provided.

[0077] In NR Rel-16, 5 GHz unlicensed band and 6 GHz unlicensed band have supported operation with shared spectrum channel access. More precisely, two types of channel access procedures are supported, where Type 1 channel access procedure includes channel sensing of random duration prior to downlink transmission, and Type 2 channel access procedure includes channel sensing of deterministic duration (e.g., including zero duration) prior to downlink transmission.

[0078] For higher carrier frequency ranges (e.g., 60 GHz unlicensed spectrum), transmissions can utilize highly directional beamforming. To support this, the corresponding channel sensing can also be configured to be highly directional in order to save sensing energy in directions that are not relevant for the intended transmission, where the new type of sensing is referred to as directional channel sensing to distinguish from the classic omni-directional channel sensing. However, in directional channel sensing, the antenna direction used for sensing the channel is not aligned with the direction used for transmission. In other words, the direction used for sensing is opposite to the direction used for transmission, so the interference scenario in the sensing procedure is not aligned with the actual interference scenario at the time of transmission. This mismatch can cause issues of performance degradation, and the present disclosure focuses on resolving the mismatch issue by using CARQ in downlink transmission.

[0079] Although the following exemplary description and embodiments assume OFDM or OFDMA, the present disclosure can be extended to other OFDM-based transmission waveforms or multiple access schemes (such as Filtered-OFDM (F-OFDM)).

[0080] The present disclosure encompasses several components, which can be used in conjunction or combination with each other, or can operate as independent schemes.

[0081] In one embodiment, CARQ can be used for requesting an occupation of a channel, where the channel can be, for example, a downlink channel, and the CARQ is transmitted by a gNB.

[0082] Figure 6 An example CARQ 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 The shown embodiment of CARQ 600 is for illustration only.

[0083] In one example, in a channel sensing procedure (e.g., 613 in FIG. 6B) associated with a channel occupation initialized by a gNB (e.g., 611 in FIG. 6B) Figure 6 In one example, in a channel sensing procedure (e.g., 613 in FIG. 6B) associated with a channel occupation initialized by a gNB (e.g., 611 in FIG. 6B) Figure 6after the channel sensing procedure (e.g., 601 in FIG. 6) can be transmitted within the gNB’s initialized channel occupancy, as shown in 602 in FIG. 6. Figure 6

[0084] In another example, after a potential channel sensing procedure (e.g., 601 in FIG. 6) Figure 6 after the channel sensing procedure (e.g., 607 in FIG. 6) can be transmitted within the gNB’s initialized channel occupancy, as shown in 608 in FIG. 6. Figure 6

[0085] Figure 7 Another example CARQ 700 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 The embodiment of the CARQ 700 shown is for illustration. Other embodiments of the CARQ 700 are used in this disclosure.

[0086] In yet another example, after a channel sensing procedure (e.g., 701 in FIG. 7) associated with the CARQ Figure 7 after the channel sensing procedure (e.g., 702 in FIG. 7) can be transmitted outside the gNB’s initialized channel occupancy, as shown in 702 in FIG. 7. Figure 7

[0087] In one example, the CARQ can be associated with at least one channel access response (CARP) transmitted by the UE addressed in the CARQ (e.g., 604 and 610 in FIG. 6, or 704 in FIG. 7), where the CARP includes a report of channel sensing results for the beam direction included in the CARQ, and after the CARP declares the channel available for transmission from the UE side, the gNB can only initialize a DL burst transmission (e.g., 606 and 612 in FIG. 6, or 706 in FIG. 7). The declaration of the channel available for transmission can be based on at least one of: energy detection based channel sensing, RRM measurements including RSRP / RSRQ, RSSI measurements, or CSI measurements. Figure 6 Figure 7 In another example, the antenna configuration used for sensing prior to transmission of the CARQ (e.g., 601 and 607 in FIG. 6, or 701 in FIG. 7) can be the same as the antenna configuration of the CARQ for transmission. In yet another example, the antenna configuration used for transmitting the CARQ can be the same as the antenna configuration used for transmitting the corresponding DL transmission. Figure 6 Figure 7

[0088] An example CARQ transmission 800 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 The embodiment of the CARQ transmission 800 shown is for illustration. Other embodiments of the CARQ transmission 800 are used in this disclosure. Figure 7

[0089] Figure 8 An example CARQ transmission 800 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 The embodiment of the CARQ transmission 800 shown is for illustration. Other embodiments of the CARQ transmission 800 are used in this disclosure. ​​​​​​​

[0090] In one example, a CARQ can include one beam direction to request channel access, and transmission of the CARQ is based on a CARQ burst to request channel access from multiple beam directions (as shown in 801 of FIG. 8). Figure 8

[0091] In another example, a CARQ can include all beam directions to request channel access, and channel access requests for all beam directions are included in a single CARQ transmitted by the gNB (as shown in 802 of FIG. 8). Figure 8

[0092] In yet another example, a CARQ can include one or more beam directions to request channel access, and channel access requests for all beam directions can be included in one or more CARQs (as shown in 803 of FIG. 8). Figure 8

[0093] For the beam directions included in a CARQ, at least one of the following examples can be utilized. In one example, a CARQ can include an indication of a list of at least one transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state associated with a PDSCH in a corresponding DL burst. In one example, the number of TCI states in the list included in a CARQ can be configured by a higher layer parameter. In another example, the number of TCI states in the list included in a CARQ can be fixed in the specification.

[0094] In another example, a CARQ can include an indication of a bitmap of length equal to all TCI states. A bit in the bitmap corresponds to a TCI state associated with a PDSCH in a corresponding DL burst, and a bit taking value 1 indicates a channel access request for the corresponding TCI state. In one example, the size of the bitmap can be configured by a higher layer parameter, e.g., a higher layer parameter equal to the number of all TCI states. In another example, the size of the bitmap can be fixed in the specification.

[0095] In yet another example, a CARQ includes an indication of a bitmap of length equal to the maximum number of SS / PBCH block indices in a cell. A bit in the bitmap corresponds to a SS / PBCH block index, and a bit taking value 1 indicates a channel access request for a transmission quasi co-located (QCL) with the SS / PBCH block corresponding to the bit in the bitmap.

[0096] In one example, support for CARQ functionality can be a UE capability. In one example, support for CARQ functionality is only for RRC CONNECTED UEs.

[0097] ​​​In one embodiment, the CARQ is transmitted in a dynamic manner. For example, the CARQ can be associated with at least one channel occupancy.

[0098] In one embodiment, the CARQ is included in a DCI format and carried by a PDCCH. For example, the DCI format can be 1_0. In another example, the DCI format can be 1_1. In yet another example, the DCI format can be 1_2. In yet another example, the DCI format can be 2_0. In yet another example, the DCI format can be a new DCI format.

[0099] In one example, at least one of the following components is included in the DCI format including the CARQ (e.g., as a field of the DCI format): a field of RNTI indicating an ID for receiving the CARQ; a field indicating a beam direction(s) for transmitting the CARQ, where the indication method is according to the embodiments / examples mentioned in the present disclosure; a duration of channel occupancy of the gNB; an ID of the CARQ when multiple CARQs are transmitted in a burst; a time-domain gap defining a time difference between a slot including the CARQ and a slot including a CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; a time-domain resource allocation for the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; a frequency-domain resource indication for the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; or information related to a channel access procedure, e.g., a channel access type and / or a CP extension and / or a contention window size and / or a backoff counter size, for operating with a cell having shared spectrum channel access to transmit the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ.

[0100] In one example, the DCI format can have a CRC scrambled by an RNTI addressed to the UE to receive the CARQ, and the DCI format includes: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if a higher layer parameter configures a number N of beam directions to sense in the CARQ; (2) an index of the CARQ within M CARQs in a burst if a higher layer parameter configures a number M of CARQs within the burst; (3) COT duration indicator 1, …, COT duration indicator L if a higher layer parameter configures a number L of durations per cell; (4) (i) time and frequency domain resources for CARP #1, …, time and frequency domain resources for CARP #K, and (ii) information related to a channel access procedure for CARP #1, …, a channel access type and a CP extension for CARP #K if a higher layer parameter configures a number K of CARPs associated with the CARQ.

[0101] In another example, the DCI format can have a CRC scrambled by an RNTI addressed to the UE that is to receive the CARQ, and the DCI format includes: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if a higher layer parameter configures a number N of beam directions to sense in the CARQ, (2) an index of the CARQ within a burst if a higher layer parameter configures a number M of CARQs within a burst, (3) COT duration indicator 1, …, COT duration indicator L if a higher layer parameter configures a number L of durations per cell, and (4) (i) time and frequency domain resources for a CARP if one CARP is associated with the CARQ, (ii) information related to a channel access procedure for the CARP.

[0102] In another example, the DCI format can have a CRC scrambled by an RNTI addressed to the UE that is to receive the CARQ, and the DCI format includes: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if a higher layer parameter configures a number N of beam directions to sense in the CARQ, (2) an index of the CARQ within a burst if a higher layer parameter configures a number M of CARQs within a burst, (3) COT duration indicator 1, …, COT duration indicator L if a higher layer parameter configures a number L of durations per cell, and (4) (i) time and frequency domain resources for a CARP if one CARP is associated with the CARQ, (ii) information related to a channel access procedure for the CARP.

[0103] In another example, the DCI format can have a CRC scrambled by an RNTI addressed to the UE that is to receive the CARQ, and the DCI format includes: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if a higher layer parameter configures a number N of beam directions to sense in the CARQ, (2) an index of the CARQ within a burst if a higher layer parameter configures a number M of CARQs within a burst, (3) COT duration indicator 1, …, COT duration indicator L if a higher layer parameter configures a number L of durations per cell, and (4) (i) time and frequency domain resources for a CARP if one CARP is associated with the CARQ, (ii) information related to a channel access procedure for the CARP.

[0104] In yet another example, the DCI format can have a CRC scrambled by an RNTI addressing to the UE that is to receive the CARQ, and the DCI format includes: (1) if the higher layer parameter configures the number N of beam directions to sense in the CARQ, then includes beam direction 1, …, beam direction N; and (2) if the higher layer parameter configures the number L of durations per cell, then includes COT duration indicator 1, …, COT duration indicator L.

[0105] In yet another example, the DCI format can have a CRC scrambled by an RNTI addressing to the UE that is to receive the CARQ, and the DCI format includes: (1) one beam direction to sense in the CARQ (e.g., beam direction 1); and (2) one duration per cell (e.g., COT duration indicator 1).

[0106] In yet another example, the DCI format can have a CRC scrambled by an RNTI addressing to the UE that is to receive the CARQ, and the DCI format includes one beam direction to sense in the CARQ (e.g., beam direction 1).

[0107] In one example, the COT duration indicators have a one-to-one mapping with the beam directions to sense, e.g., N = L. In another example, the beam directions to sense have a one-to-one mapping with the CARQs in the burst, e.g., M = N.

[0108] In another embodiment, the CARQ is included in DCI format 2_0 and carried by a group common PDCCH (GC-PDCCH).

[0109] In one example, in addition to the fields currently included in DCI format 2_0, or reinterpreting the existing fields in DCI format 2_0, at least one of the following components is included in DCI format 2_0 (e.g., as a field in the DCI format): (1) a field indicating the beam direction(s) used to transmit the CARQ, where the indication method is according to the examples / embodiments mentioned in this disclosure; (2) an ID of the CARQ when multiple CARQs are transmitted in a burst; (3) a time-domain gap defining the time difference between the slot including the CARQ and the slot including the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; (4) a time-domain resource allocation for the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; (5) a frequency-domain resource indication for the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; and / or (6) information related to the channel access procedure, e.g., channel access type and / or CP extension and / or contention window size and / or backoff counter size, for operation with a cell having shared spectrum channel access to transmit the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ.

[0110] In one example, the DCI format 2_0 can have CRC scrambled by SFI-RNTI and include at least one of the following new fields compared to existing fields in Rel-16: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if higher layer parameter configures the number N of beam directions to sense in CARQ; (2) index of CARQ within M CARQs in a burst if higher layer parameter configures the number M of CARQs in a burst; (3) (i) time and frequency domain resources for CARP #1, …, time and frequency domain resources for CARP #K if higher layer parameter configures the number K of CARPs associated with CARQ; and / or (ii) information related to channel access procedure for CARP #1, …, channel access type and CP extension for CARP #K.

[0111] In another example, the DCI format 2_0 can have CRC scrambled by SFI-RNTI and include at least one of the following new fields compared to existing fields in Rel-16: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if higher layer parameter configures the number N of beam directions to sense in CARQ; (2) index of CARQ within M CARQs in a burst if higher layer parameter configures the number M of CARQs in a burst; (3) (i) time and frequency domain resources for CARP if one CARP is associated with CARQ; and / or (ii) information related to channel access procedure for CARP.

[0112] In yet another example, the DCI format 2_0 can have CRC scrambled by SFI-RNTI and include at least one of the following new fields compared to existing fields in Rel-16: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if higher layer parameter configures the number N of beam directions to sense in CARQ; (2) (i) time and frequency domain resources for CARP #1, …, time and frequency domain resources for CARP #K if higher layer parameter configures the number K of CARPs associated with CARQ; and / or (ii) information related to channel access procedure for CARP #1, …, channel access type and CP extension for CARP #K.

[0113] In yet another example, the DCI format 2_0 can have CRC scrambled by SFI-RNTI and include at least one of the following new fields compared to the existing fields in Rel-16: (1) beam direction 1, …, beam direction N if the higher layer parameter configures the number N of beam directions to sense in the CARQ; and (2) if one CARP is associated with the CARQ, (i) time and frequency domain resources for the CARP; and / or (ii) channel access type and CP extension for the CARP.

[0114] In another embodiment, the CARQ is included in a message of a transport block carried by a PDSCH and the PDSCH is scheduled by an associated PDCCH.

[0115] In one example, at least one of the following components is included in a message of a transport block carried by a PDSCH (e.g., as a field in the message of the transport block carried by the PDSCH): (1) a field indicating the beam direction(s) used to transmit the CARQ, where the indication method is according to the embodiments / examples mentioned in this disclosure; (2) an ID of the CARQ when multiple CARQs are transmitted in a burst; (3) a time domain gap defining a time difference between a slot including the CARQ and a slot including the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; (4) time domain resource allocation for the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; (5) frequency domain resource indication for the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; and / or (6) information related to the channel access procedure, e.g., channel access type and / or CP extension and / or contention window size and / or backoff counter size, for operating with a cell having shared spectrum channel access to transmit the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ.

[0116] In another embodiment, the CARQ is included in a downlink signal (e.g., a downlink reference signal).

[0117] In one example, at least one of the following components is utilized to construct a downlink signal to carry the CARQ: (1) an RNTI, representing an ID used to receive the CARQ; (2) an indication of the beam direction(s) used to transmit the CARQ, where the indication method is according to the embodiments / examples mentioned in this disclosure; (3) an ID of the CARQ when multiple CARQs are transmitted in a burst; and / or (4) an index indicating the timing of the RS, e.g., a slot index and / or a symbol index.

[0118] In one example, the downlink signal is constituted by a pseudo-random sequence, wherein the initial condition comprises an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ, an index of one beam direction for the channel access request (e.g., an index of a TCI state), and an index of the CARQ within a burst of CARQs when multiple CARQs in a burst are configured.

[0119] In one sub-example, the initial condition can be determined as wherein, is an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ, is an index of the CARQ within a burst of CARQs, and is an index of one beam direction for the channel access request.

[0120] In another sub-example, the initial condition can be determined as wherein, is an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ, is an index of the CARQ within a burst of CARQs, and is an index of one beam direction for the channel access request.

[0121] In another example, the downlink signal is constituted by a pseudo-random sequence, wherein the initial condition comprises an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ and an index of one beam direction for the channel access request (e.g., an index of a TCI state).

[0122] In one sub-example, the initial condition can be determined as wherein, is an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ, and is an index of one beam direction for the channel access request.

[0123] In another sub-example, the initial condition can be determined as wherein, is an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ, and is an index of one beam direction for the channel access request.

[0124] In yet another example, the downlink signal is constituted by a pseudo-random sequence, wherein the initial condition comprises an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ and an index indicating timing of the RS (e.g., a slot index and / or a symbol index).

[0125] In one sub-example, the initial condition can be determined as wherein, is an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ, and is an index indicating the timing of the RS (e.g., slot index and / or symbol index).

[0126] For another sub-example, the initial condition can be determined as wherein, is an RNTI representing an ID for receiving the CARQ, and is an index indicating the timing of the RS (e.g., slot index and / or symbol index).

[0127] In one embodiment, the CARQ is transmitted in a semi-static manner. For example, the CARQ can be associated with an RRC configuration or a MAC CE, and is applicable to multiple channel occupancy.

[0128] In one embodiment, the CARQ is included as part of an RRC parameter, and is configured to the UE. In one example, at least one of the following components is included (e.g., as a field in the RRC parameter): (1) a field indicating the beam direction(s) that need to be sensed by the UE, where the indication method is according to the examples / embodiments mentioned in this disclosure; (2) a time domain resource allocation for the UE to feedback the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; or (3) a frequency domain resource indication for the UE to feedback the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ.

[0129] In one example, the CARQ can be associated with a measurement object configured by an RRC parameter. In one example, the CARQ can be cell-specific. In another example, the CARQ can be UE-specific. In yet another example, the CARQ can be UE-group-specific. For example, the CARQ can be beam-specific.

[0130] In one embodiment, the CARQ is included as part of a MAC CE, and is configured to the UE.

[0131] In one example, at least one of the following components is included (e.g., as a field in the MAC CE): (1) a field indicating the beam direction(s) that need to be sensed by the UE, where the indication method is according to the examples / embodiments mentioned in this disclosure; (2) a time domain resource allocation for the UE to feedback the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ; and / or (3) a frequency domain resource indication for the UE to feedback the CARP(s) associated with the CARQ.

[0132] For illustrative purposes, the steps of the algorithm are described sequentially, however, some of the steps can be performed in parallel with each other. The above operational illustrations an example method that can be implemented in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, and various changes can be made to the method illustrated in the flowcharts herein. For example, while shown as a series of steps, various steps in each figure can overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or occur multiple times. In another example, steps can be omitted or replaced by other steps.

[0133] While the present disclosure has been described with an example embodiment, various changes and modifications can be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims. None of the description in this application should be read in the limitations of any particular elements, steps or functionality, as such can have multiple alternative implementations if appropriate to the particular application, and the application should be understood to encompass all such alternatives. The scope of the subject matter sought to be patented is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A base station (BS) in a wireless communication system comprising a carrier operating using a shared spectrum channel access, the BS comprising: The processor is configured as follows: Determine the number of beam directions to be sensed; Determine the number of Channel Access Requests (CARQs) in a burst; as well as Determine at least one field in the downlink control information (DCI) format, wherein the at least one field indicates: The CARQ set is based on the number of CARQs in the aforementioned burst; as well as The set of beam directions based on the number of beam directions to be sensed; and A transceiver, operatively connected to the processor, is configured to: Transmit a higher-level parameter set, which indicates the number of beam directions to be sensed and the number of CARQs in the burst; In the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), a DCI format including at least one of the fields is transmitted to the User Equipment (UE). in: The number of beam directions to be sensed is equal to the number of CARQs in the burst, and The number of CARQs in the burst corresponds to the number of beam directions to be sensed.

2. The BS according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is also configured to: Before a carrier operating via shared spectrum channel access transmits DCI format in the PDCCH, a channel access procedure is performed, wherein the channel access procedure is performed based on the duration of energy sensing on the carrier; and Transmission will only occur after the carrier is determined to be idle based on the channel access procedure.

3. The BS according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is also configured to: Determine the duration of Channel Occupancy Time (COT); and At least one field in the DCI format includes information indicating the set of COT durations based on the number of COT durations.

4. The BS according to claim 3, wherein: The duration of the COT is indicated in a higher-level parameter set. The COT duration is equal to the number of beam directions to be sensed, and The COT duration corresponds to the number of beam directions to be sensed.

5. The BS according to claim 1, wherein, The DCI format is one of the following: DCI format 1_0; DCI format 1_1; DCI format 1_2; or DCI format 2_0.

6. The BS according to claim 1, wherein: The transceiver is also configured to receive at least one Channel Access Response (CARP) from the UE, and The CARP includes information about the sensing results for the beam directions in the set of beam directions indicated in the DCI format.

7. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising: The transceiver is configured as follows: Receive a higher-level parameter set, which indicates the number of beam directions to be sensed and the number of Channel Access Requests (CARQs) in a burst; Receive downlink control information (DCI) in the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) from the base station (BS) in DCI format; and A processor, operably connected to the transceiver, is configured to: Determine the number of beam directions to be sensed; Determine the number of Channel Access Requests (CARQs) in the burst; and Determined based on at least one field in the DCI format: The CARQ set is based on the number of CARQs in the aforementioned burst; as well as The set of beam directions based on the number of beam directions to be sensed. in: The number of beam directions to be sensed is equal to the number of CARQs in the burst, and The number of CARQs in the burst corresponds to the number of beam directions to be sensed.

8. The UE according to claim 7, wherein, The processor is also configured to: Determine the duration of Channel Occupancy Time (COT); and The COT duration set is determined based on at least one field in the DCI format, according to the number of COT durations.

9. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The duration of the COT is indicated in a higher-level parameter set. The COT duration is equal to the number of beam directions to be sensed, and The number of COT durations corresponds to the number of beam directions to be sensed.

10. The UE according to claim 7, wherein, The DCI format is one of the following: DCI format 1_0; DCI format 1_1; DCI format 1_2; or DCI format 2_0.

11. The UE according to claim 7, wherein: The transceiver is also configured to transmit at least one Channel Access Response (CARP) to the BS, and The CARP includes information about the sensing results for the beam directions in the set of beam directions indicated in the DCI format.

12. A method for operating a base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: Determine the number of beam directions to be sensed; Determine the number of Channel Access Requests (CARQs) in a burst; as well as Determine at least one field in the downlink control information (DCI) format, wherein the at least one field indicates: The CARQ set based on the number of CARQs in the aforementioned burst; and The set of beam directions based on the number of beam directions to be sensed; and Transmit a higher-level parameter set, which indicates the number of beam directions to be sensed and the number of CARQs in the burst; Transmit DCI format including at least one of the fields to the User Equipment (UE) in the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH); in: The number of beam directions to be sensed is equal to the number of CARQs in the burst, and The number of CARQs in the burst corresponds to the number of beam directions to be sensed.

13. A method for operating a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: Receive a higher-level parameter set, which indicates the number of beam directions to be sensed and the number of Channel Access Requests (CARQs) in a burst; Receive downlink control information in DCI format from the base station BS in the physical downlink control channel PDCCH; Determine the number of beam directions to be sensed; Determine the number of Channel Access Requests (CARQs) in the burst; as well as Determined based on at least one field in the DCI format: The CARQ set is based on the number of CARQs in the aforementioned burst; as well as The set of beam directions based on the number of beam directions to be sensed. in: The number of beam directions to be sensed is equal to the number of CARQs in the burst, and The number of CARQs in the burst corresponds to the number of beam directions to be sensed.

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