Identifying victim user equipment and aggressor user equipment

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include methods for identifying potentially victim user equipments (UEs). An exemplary method includes receiving a message including an indication to transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS) prior to a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission. The PDSCH transmission is scheduled using a first transmission parameter, the first transmission parameter being a start and length indication value (SLIV), a priority, a timing advance, or a number of repetitions. The method also includes selecting, from the activated set of SRS resources, an SRS resource having a second transmission parameter associated with the first transmission parameter. The method also includes transmitting the SRS via the SRS resource.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 336,696, filed on April 29, 2022. The contents of said application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of wireless networks, and in particular to identifying victim user equipment and aggressor user equipment. Background Art

[0004] Cellular communications may be defined in various standards to enable communications between user equipment and cellular networks. For example, the fifth generation mobile network (5G) is a wireless standard designed to improve data transmission speeds, reliability, availability, etc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 An example of a network architecture combining both Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (eg, cellular) and non-3GPP (eg, non-cellular) access to a core network (CN) according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0006] Figure 2 An example of a network architecture combining both dual 3GPP access and non-3GPP access to the CN is illustrated according to some embodiments.

[0007] Figure 3 An example system for transmitting a sounding reference signal (SRS) for clear to send (CTS) purposes is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0008] Figure 4 Example timing constraints for using an SRS configured for CTS purposes are illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 5 Example timing constraints for SRS using semi-persistent scheduling configured for CTS purposes are illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 6 Illustrated are SRS resource sets configured for CTS purposes according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 7 An example system for transmitting SRS for CTS purposes according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 8 A signaling diagram for sending SRS for CTS purposes according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0013] Fig. 9 A signaling diagram for determining whether to send a scheduled Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0014] Fig.10 A process for sending an SRS for CTS purposes according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0015] Fig.11 A process for determining whether to send a scheduled PUSCH transmission according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0016] Fig.12 A process for sending an indication to send an SRS for CTS purposes and an indication to measure the SRS for CTS purposes is illustrated according to some embodiments.

[0017] Fig.13 Examples of receiving components according to some embodiments are illustrated.

[0018] Fig.14 An example of a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0019] Fig.15 An example of a base station according to some embodiments is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following specific embodiments relate to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used to identify the same or similar elements in different drawings. In the following description, specific details, such as specific structures, architectures, interfaces, technologies, etc., are described for the purpose of illustration and not limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from the present disclosure that the various aspects of the various embodiments may be practiced in other examples that deviate from these specific details. In some cases, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the various embodiments due to unnecessary details. For the purposes of this document, the phrase "A or B" refers to (A), (B), or (A and B).

[0021] Full-duplex and half-duplex are spectrum management techniques that a network can use to achieve two-way communication between nodes. Full-duplex technology facilitates simultaneous communication between network nodes, while half-duplex technology facilitates one-way communication between network nodes. Full-duplex can be achieved via various schemes such as frequency division duplex (FDD). FDD enables network nodes to send and receive data simultaneously on separate frequency bands. Time division duplex (TDD) enables network nodes to send and receive data on the same frequency band but during alternating time blocks.

[0022] In some instances, full-duplex operation may occur within the TDD band to enhance uplink coverage. Full-duplex operation may refer to a situation where a base station operates in full-duplex (e.g., transmitting and receiving simultaneously). In some networks, a UE may operate in half-duplex while a base station operates in full-duplex only on non-overlapping subbands in the TDD band.

[0023] One problem with full-duplex (FD) mode is that data transmission by an aggressor node may interfere with the reception of data by a victim node. Consider an example in which a base station is in operable communication with a potential victim user equipment (UE) and a potential aggressor UE. The victim UE may be scheduled to receive downlink transmissions, and the aggressor UE may be scheduled to transmit uplink transmissions. Both transmissions may be scheduled to be transmitted via adjacent sub-bands in time and frequency. If the two UEs are spatially correlated, there is a cross-link interference (CLI) situation from the aggressor UE to the victim UE. CLI may occur when the aggressor UE transmits on a frequency band adjacent to the frequency band in which the victim EU is receiving. The uplink transmission of the potential aggressor UE may interfere with the downlink transmission of the potential victim UE. However, if the two UEs are separated in space, the uplink transmission of the potential aggressor UE is unlikely to interfere with the downlink transmission of the potential victim UE.

[0024] Conventional interference mitigation techniques assume the presence of interference and therefore require the UE to implement these techniques regardless of the likelihood of interference. For example, one technique is to reduce the antenna transmit power of the potential offender UE. However, if there is no potential victim UE, applying a reduced power constraint to the potential offender UE (e.g., simply relying on the downlink (DL) and uplink physical resource blocks (PRBs) allocated to the victim / aggressor UE, respectively) may result in insufficient optimization of the resources used by the potential offender UE. Another technique is to increase the width of the guard band between the downlink frequency band and the uplink frequency band. Each of these techniques is unnecessary in the case where the UE's transmission is unlikely to interfere with the transmission of another UE. However, these techniques are still used because it may be difficult to identify the potential victim UE in advance. Additionally, even if the potential victim UE is identified, it is difficult to determine how to adjust the potential offender UE to prevent interference.

[0025] The embodiments disclosed herein are intended to address the above-mentioned problems. A potential victim UE may send a sounding reference signal (SRS) prior to a scheduled physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission. The SRS may be configured for a Clear to Send (CTS) purpose. A potential offender UE may measure the SRS prior to a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission. A potential offender UE may determine whether a PUSCH transmission will interfere with a PDSCH transmission. The potential offender UE may then determine whether to continue or delay the PUSCH transmission based on the interference determination.

[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in conjunction with 5G networks. However, the embodiments are not limited thereto and are similarly applicable to other types of communication networks including other types of cellular networks.

[0027] The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure.

[0028] As used herein, the term "circuit" refers to, is part of, or includes a hardware component such as an electronic circuit, a logic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) or a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) configured to provide the functionality, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable device (FPD) (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a complex PLD (CPLD), a high capacity PLD (HCPLD), a structured ASIC, or a programmable system on chip (SoC)), a digital signal processor (DSP), etc. In some embodiments, the circuit can execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the functionality described. The term "circuit" can also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements and a program code for executing the functionality of the program code (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system). In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code can be referred to as a specific type of circuit.

[0029] As used herein, the term "processor circuit" refers to, is part of, or includes a circuit capable of sequentially and automatically performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations or recording, storing, or transmitting digital data. The term "processor circuit" may refer to an application processor, a baseband processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit, a single-core processor, a dual-core processor, a triple-core processor, a quad-core processor, or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions such as program code, software modules, and / or functional processes.

[0030] As used herein, the term "interface circuit" refers to, is a part of, or includes: a circuit that enables information exchange between two or more components or devices. The term "interface circuit" may refer to one or more hardware interfaces, such as a bus, an I / O interface, a peripheral component interface, a network interface card, etc.

[0031] As used herein, the term "user equipment" or "UE" refers to a device that has radio communication capabilities and can describe a remote user of network resources in a communication network. In addition, the term "user equipment" or "UE" may be considered synonymous and may be referred to as a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, reconfigurable mobile device, etc. In addition, the term "user equipment" or "UE" may include any type of wireless / wired device or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface.

[0032] As used herein, the term "base station" refers to a device with radio communication capabilities, which is a network component of a communication network (or more concisely, a network) and can be configured as an access node in the communication network. The access of a UE to a communication network can be at least partially managed by a base station, whereby the UE connects to the base station to access the communication network. Depending on the radio access technology (RAT), a base station can be referred to as a gNodeB (gNB), an eNodeB (eNB), an access point, etc.

[0033] As used herein, the term "network" refers to a communication network comprising a set of network nodes configured to provide communication functions to multiple user equipment via one or more base stations. For example, the network may be a public land mobile network (PLMN) implementing one or more communication technologies (including, for example, 5G communications).

[0034] As used herein, the term "computer system" refers to any type of interconnected electronic devices, computer devices, or components thereof. Additionally, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled to each other. Furthermore, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to multiple computer devices or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled to each other and configured to share computing resources or networked resources.

[0035] As used herein, the term "resource" refers to a physical or virtual device, a physical or virtual component within a computing environment, or a physical or virtual component within a specific device, such as a computer device, a mechanical device, a memory space, a processor / CPU time, a processor / CPU usage, a processor and accelerator load, a hardware time or usage, a power supply, an input / output operation, a port or a network socket, a channel / link allocation, throughput, memory usage, storage, a network, a database and an application, a unit of work, etc. "Hardware resources" may refer to computing, storage or network resources provided by physical hardware elements. "Virtualized resources" may refer to computing, storage or network resources provided by a virtualized infrastructure to an application, a device, a system, etc. The term "network resources" or "communication resources" may refer to resources that a computer device / system can access via a communication network. The term "system resources" may refer to any kind of shared entity that provides a service, and may include computing resources or network resources. System resources may be viewed as a set of coherent functions, network data objects or services that can be accessed through a server, wherein such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and are clearly identifiable.

[0036] As used herein, the term "channel" refers to any tangible or intangible transmission medium for communicating data or data streams. The term "channel" may be synonymous or equivalent to "communication channel", "data communication channel", "transmission channel", "data transmission channel", "access channel", "data access channel", "link", "data link", "carrier", "radio frequency carrier" or any other similar term representing a path or medium through which data is communicated. Additionally, as used herein, the term "link" refers to a connection made between two devices for the purpose of sending and receiving information.

[0037] As used herein, the terms "instantiate," "instantiate," and the like refer to the creation of an instance. "Instance" also refers to a specific occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code.

[0038] The term "connected" may mean that two or more elements at a common communication protocol layer have an established signaling relationship with each other through a communication channel, link, interface, or reference point.

[0039] As used herein, the term "network element" refers to physical or virtualized equipment or infrastructure for providing wired or wireless communication network services. The term "network element" may be considered synonymous with or referred to as a networked computer, networking hardware, network equipment, network node, virtualized network function, etc.

[0040] The term "information element" refers to a structural element that contains one or more fields. The term "field" refers to a single content of an information element or a data element that contains content. An information element may include one or more additional information elements.

[0041] The term "3GPP access" refers to access (e.g., radio access technology) specified by the 3GPP standards. These accesses include, but are not limited to, GSM / GPRS, LTE, LTE-A, or 5G NR. In general, 3GPP access refers to various types of cellular access technologies.

[0042] The term "non-3GPP access" refers to any access (e.g., radio access technology) not specified by the 3GPP standards. These accesses include, but are not limited to, WiMAX, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, WLAN, or fixed networks. Non-3GPP accesses can be divided into two categories, "trusted" and "untrusted": trusted non-3GPP accesses can interact directly with the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or 5G Core (5GC), while untrusted non-3GPP interoperates with the EPC / 5GC via network entities (such as Evolved Packet Data Gateways or 5G NR Gateways). In general, non-3GPP access refers to various types of non-cellular access technologies.

[0043] Figure 1An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is illustrated, which combines both 3GPP (e.g., cellular) access and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to a 5G core network (CN). As shown, a UE 106 can access a 5G CN through both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., a base station 104 that can be a gNB) and an access point (AP) 112. The AP 112 may include a connection to the Internet 100 and a connection to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 103 network entity. The N3IWF may include a connection to a core access and mobility management function (AMF) 105 of the 5G CN. The AMF 105 may include an instance of a 5G mobility management (5G MM) function associated with the UE 106. In addition, the RAN (e.g., base station 104) may also have a connection to the AMF 105. Therefore, the 5G CN may support unified authentication on both connections and allow UE 106 access to be registered simultaneously via the gNB 104 and the AP 112. As shown in the figure, AMF 105 may include one or more functional entities associated with 5G CN (e.g., network slice selection function (NSSF) 120, short message service function (SMSF) 122, application function (AF) 124, unified data management (UDM) 126, policy control function (PCF) 128, or authentication server function (AUSF) 130). It should be noted that these functional entities may also be supported by the session management function (SMF) 106a and SMF 106b of the 5G CN. AMF 105 may be connected to (or communicate with) SMF 106a. In addition, base station 104 may communicate with (or be connected to) user plane function (UPF) 108a, which may also communicate with SMF 106a. Similarly, N3IWF 103 may communicate with UPF 108b, which may also communicate with SMF 106b. Both UPFs may communicate with a data network (eg, DNs 110a and 110b ) or the Internet 100 and an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem / IP Multimedia Core Subsystem (IMS) core network 110 .

[0044] In general, base station 104 communicates with one or more UEs (e.g., including UE 106) via a transmission medium. Each of the user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Base station (BS) 104 may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware to enable wireless communication with UE 106.

[0045] The communication area (or coverage area) of the base station 104 may be referred to as a "cell". The base station 104 and the UE 106 may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), and the like. If the base station 104 is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". If the base station 104 is implemented in the context of 5GNR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0046] The base station 104 may also be equipped to communicate with a network (e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider such as 5G CN, a telecommunication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or the Internet, and various possible networks). Thus, the base station 104 may facilitate communication between user devices or between the UE 106 and the network. Specifically, the cellular base station 104 may provide the UE 106 with various telecommunication capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0047] Base station 104 and other similar base stations operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards may thus provide a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UE 106 and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0048] Thus, although base station 104 may function as Figure 1 100, but the UE 106 may also be able to receive signals from one or more other cells (and possibly within communication range thereof), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also be able to facilitate communications between user devices or between user devices and the network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, or any other variety of granularity of cells providing service area size.

[0049] In some embodiments, base station 104 may be a next generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB". In some embodiments, the gNB may also be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network or to an NR core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0050] UE 106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), UE 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, UE 106 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0051] FD operation in the TDD band will be studied as part of 3GPP Release 18 enhancements. In particular, the purpose of FD operation is to use FDD in the TDD band to at least enhance UL coverage. In 3GPP RAN#93-e, FD operation is further discussed, and in 3GPP RAN#94-e, 3GPP Release 18 enhancements should assume half-duplex UEs and, at the base station, perform FD operation only on non-overlapping subbands in the TDD band.

[0052] Figure 2 20. is an illustration of a TDD time slot 202 at T0. As shown, at any given time, the RAN resources are configured for either a DL time band 204 or a UL time band 206. As illustrated, a guard band 208 is arranged between the DL transmission 204 and the UL transmission 206. The UE does not transmit or receive during the time interval associated with the guard band 208. It can be seen that the UE does not have time to transmit and receive simultaneously.

[0053] However, the UE is required to simulate the FDD mode. For example, the UE needs to operate as illustrated in the FDD time slot 210 at T1. It can be seen that the RAN resources can be configured for DL ​​transmission in the DL frequency band 212, and for UL transmission in the UL frequency band 214. As illustrated, the guard band 216 is arranged between the DL frequency band 212 and the UL frequency band 214. As with the TDD time slot 202, the guard band 216 helps to minimize interference between the UL transmission and the DL transmission. The FDD time slot 218 at T2 is similar to the FDD time slot 210, except that the UL frequency and the DL frequency have been reversed.

[0054] In 3GPP Release 18, a half-duplex UE camping in a cell operating in DF mode will ideally have minimal regulatory impact. Figure 2 Consider an example where the T0 cell is performing conventional half-duplex operation, and therefore all UEs in the cell are using conventional TDD time slots. At T1 (or T2), the cell is performing FD operation. UEs currently receiving DL transmissions and UEs currently sending UL transmissions still assume TDD time slots (all symbols can be used for DL ​​or UL, respectively). Even if the UE assumes DL or UL, UE transmissions via FDD time slots will affect UEs receiving DL transmissions.

[0055] Figure 3 An example 5G system 300 according to some embodiments is illustrated. As illustrated, CN 302 may interact with RAN 304. It should be understood that CN 302 may be a sixth generation (6G) CN, as the 6G CN architecture is comparable to the 5G CN architecture. RAN 304 may be included in a set of base stations that together form a radio local area network (RAN) that interacts with CN 302. RAN 304 may perform various functions, including sending user data to UEs. The base stations of RAN 304 may also communicate with other base stations directly or indirectly through backhaul links.

[0056] The base stations of the RAN 304 may be in operable communication with the first UE 306 and the second UE 308. The first UE 306 and the second UE 308 may be supported by the RAN 304. Communications between the RAN 304 and the first UE 306 and the second UE 308 may include uplink (UL) transmissions, including transmissions from the first UE 306 or the second UE 308 to the RAN 304. The communications may also include DL transmissions from the RAN 304 to the first UE 306 or the second UE 308.

[0057] The RAN 304 may be configured to transmit a DL transmission including information that assists a potential aggressor UE in identifying a potential victim UE. The RAN 304 may send an indication to the first UE 306 that an SRS for CTS purposes is sent before a scheduled physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission. The SRS is designated for CTS purposes to help minimize the CLI between the potential aggressor UE and the potential victim UE. The indication may be included in downlink control information (DCI) (e.g., a DCI for scheduling PDSCH transmissions). In some embodiments, the DCI may include one or more bits of an SRS bit field that may activate a set of SRS resources configured for a clear transmission (CTS) purpose. The DCI may also activate a set of SRS resources configured for CTS purposes.

[0058] In other embodiments, the RAN 304 may mark the SRS resource set with a radio resource control (RRC) flag. The RRC may be a layer in a protocol stack executed in the RAN 304. Similar to the SRS bit field included in the DCI, the RRC flag may be an indication to the UE to transmit an SRS for clear to send (CTS) purposes prior to a scheduled PDSCH transmission and to activate an SRS resource set configured for CTS purposes.

[0059] The SRS resource set may include multiple SRS resources that can be used by the first UE 306 to send SRS. Each SRS resource in the SRS resource set may include a set of resource elements. These resource elements may span multiple physical resource blocks (PRBs) in the frequency domain and consecutive symbols in the time domain. The SRS resource may include one or more antenna ports and associated comb patterns, and may span specific symbols and PRBs in the frequency domain.

[0060] As described herein, each SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set may carry one or more parameters regarding a scheduled PDSCH transmission to the first UE 306. For example, one SRS resource in the SRS resource set may be configured to convey a scheduled PDSCH transmission as a high priority transmission, wherein another SRS resource in the SRS resource set is configured to convey a scheduled PDSCH transmission as a low priority transmission. The first UE 306 may select an SRS resource from an SRS resource set including parameters describing a specific scheduled PDSCH transmission. The RAN 304 may configure an SRS resource set for the first UE 306, which typically includes parameters that may be associated with a scheduled PDSCH transmission. The first UE 306 may then select an SRS resource that carries information for best representing the scheduled PDSCH transmission. In some other embodiments, the RAN 304 may configure an SRS resource set for the first UE 306 for CTS purposes based on a specific scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, the RAN 304 may configure the SRS resource set for the first UE 306 to transmit the SRS in the first x symbols of the time slot before the PDSCH transmission time slot. In other embodiments, the PDSCH transmission is a semi-persistently scheduled PDSCH (SPS-PDSCH) transmission. In these embodiments, the RAN 304 may periodically configure the SRS resource set for the first UE 306 to transmit the SRS.

[0061] Each SRS resource set may include one or more SRS resources that can be used by the first UE 306 to send an SRS. As described above, the SRS resource may include information about a first parameter related to the scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, the first parameter may include a length indication value (SLIV), a priority, a timing advance, or a number of repetitions of the scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, the first SRS resource indicates a SLIV from symbol 7 to symbol 13 of the time slot and a high priority. The second SRS resource indicates a SLIV from symbol 7 to symbol 13 and a low priority. The third SRS resource indicates a SLIV from symbol 0 to symbol 6 and a high priority. The fourth SRS resource indicates a SLIV from symbol 0 to symbol 6 and a low priority.

[0062] The first UE 306 may receive an indication from the RAN 304 to send SRs before a scheduled PDSCH transmission. The UE 306 may also detect an activated SRS resource set and determine that the SRS is for CTS purposes. The first UE 306 may detect a first parameter of a scheduled PDSCH transmission. The first UE 306 may select the SRS resource based on a first parameter related to a second parameter carried by an SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set. The first UE 306 may select an SRS resource from the activated SRS resource set based on which SRS resource best describes the scheduled PDSCH transmission. In some embodiments, the first UE 306 selects a single SRS resource in the SRS resource set. This is in contrast to non-CTS operation, in which the first UE 306 may send SRS on all SRS resources in the activated SRS resource set.

[0063] In some examples, the SRS transmitted by the first UE 306 may overlap with an ongoing UL transmission of another UE (e.g., the second UE 308) in the time domain. The SRS may have a higher or lower priority than the UL transmission of the second UE 308. The second UE 308 may detect the SRS and determine the priority of the SRS relative to the ongoing UL transmission. If the SRS has a higher priority than the UL transmission, the other second UE 308 may discard the UL transmission. However, if the SRS has a lower priority than the UL transmission, the second UE 308 may continue to perform the UL transmission.

[0064] RAN 304 may transmit an indication to measure SRS (such as SRS transmitted by first UE 306) to second UE 308. For example, the SRS request bit field may activate an SRS resource set. Second UE 308 may detect the activated SRS resource set and determine that SRS is for CTS purposes based on the configuration of the SRS resource set. Second UE 308 may measure SRS to determine whether to transmit or not transmit a scheduled PUSCH transmission. It should be understood that, contrary to the current specification that SRS resource activation indicates SRS transmission, as described herein, SRS resource activation is an indication of measuring SRS. Second UE 308 may measure SRS using various measurement techniques, such as CLI received signal strength indicator (CLI-RSSI) technique and SRS reference signal received power (SRS-RSRP). CLI-RSSI technique is to calculate the total received broadband power measured over the entire bandwidth. SRS-RSRP technique is to calculate the linear average of the reference signal power measured over a specified bandwidth. The decision on which technique to use to measure SRS may be indicated by RAN 304. For example, if multiple UEs use the same SRS resources to send SRS, the RAN 304 may instruct the second UE 308 to use the CLI-RSSI technique. However, if a single UE is using the SRS resources to send SRS, the RAN 304 may instruct the second UE 308 to use the SRS-RSRP technique.

[0065] The measured SRS may include parameters related to the scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, the parameters may include the SLIV, priority, timing advance, or number of repetitions of the PDSCH. As described above, in some embodiments, the first UE 306 uses a single SRS resource to transmit the SRS. However, the second UE 308 performs measurements on all SRS resources in the activated SRS resource set. This is because the second UE 308 does not receive information about how many UEs have transmitted SRS configured for CTS purposes.

[0066] In some embodiments, the RAN 304 configures a common SRS resource for the second UE 308 that conforms to the common SRS resource associated with the first UE 306. Thus, if the second UE 308 is measuring on multiple SRS resources and different UEs are transmitting SRS, the set of SRS resources conforms to the same PDSCH parameters regardless of the transmitting UE. In other embodiments, the RAN 304 configures SRS resources for the second UE 308 based on a specific PUSCH transmission. For example, the RAN 304 configures SRS resources for the second UE 308 based on the first y symbols of the time slot before the scheduled PUSCH transmission time slot. In yet other embodiments, the PUSCH transmission is a periodic transmission. In these instances, the RAN 304 may periodically configure SRS resources for the second UE 308.

[0067] In some embodiments, the RAN (e.g., RAN 304) may operate in a dynamic TDD mode so that the base station may dynamically allocate and reallocate time domain resources between UL transmissions and DL transmissions. In addition, a base station in one cell may occasionally schedule UL transmissions for a UE that interferes with the scheduled DL transmissions of another UE. For example, a base station in a first cell may schedule a PUSCH for a UE, and a neighboring base station in a second cell may have previously scheduled a PDSCH for another UE in the time slot. Using the methods described herein, each base station may send an indication (e.g., via DCI or RRC information) to cause one UE to send an SRS configured for CTS purposes and cause another UE to measure the SRS. In other words, the DCI information or the RRC information does not need to originate from the same base station, and the UE may be served by different base stations in different cells of the network.

[0068] RAN 304 may also instruct the second UE 308 to map the measured value to an action, such as transmitting PUSCH transmission or not transmitting PUSCH transmission. The measured value of SRS-RSRP and CLI-RSSI measurement may, for example, be measured in decibel (dB) units and mapped to an action. The second UE 308 may also determine whether to continue to send the scheduled PUSCH transmission or not to send the scheduled PUSCH transmission based on the measurement of the value. In some embodiments, if the measured value is greater than a threshold value (e.g., greater than a threshold value dB (XdB)), the second UE 308 may not transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission. However, if the measured value is less than a threshold value (e.g., less than a threshold value dB (XdB)), the second UE 308 may transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission. The threshold may be based on the scheduled PDSCH transmission priority. For example, the second UE 308 may be configured to compare the measured value with a first threshold value for a high priority PDSCH and a second threshold value for a low priority PDSCH, wherein the first threshold value is less than the second threshold value. Furthermore, the second UE 308 may not send a scheduled PUSCH transmission if the scheduled PUSCH transmission collides with a scheduled PDSCH transmission.

[0069] In some embodiments, the RAN 304 may provide further indications to the second UE 308. The RAN 304 may indicate that if there is a symbol set or a PRB set in which the RAN 304 operates in full-duplex mode, and the measured value is greater than a threshold, the second UE 308 may discard the scheduled PUSCH transmission. For example, the indication may be provided via a group common DCI (GC-DCI) or a UE-specific DCI. Alternatively, the RAN 304 may send an SRS resource-specific indication to the second UE 308, and the second UE 308 may identify the indication based on the detected SRS resource. In each case, the second UE 308 may map the measured value to an action.

[0070] For example, the second UE 308 may send a measurement report to the RAN 304 via a medium access control-control element (MAC-CE). For aperiodic SRS, the transmission of the report is aperiodic. The measurement report may be triggered periodically, or, for example, based on a measurement value exceeding a threshold.

[0071] Figure 4 A diagram 400 illustrating timing constraints for using an SRS configured for CTS purposes according to some of the illustrated embodiments is shown. A RAN (not shown) sends a first DCI 402 to a first UE (not shown) to schedule a PDSCH transmission 404, to indicate to the first UE to transmit an SRS 406 of a CTS sequence prior to the scheduled PDSCH transmission 404, and to provide a timing constraint. A base station may be included in Figure 3 The first UE may be Figure 3 The RAN may send a first DCI 406 to the first UE on a first DL frequency band 410. The first UE may be scheduled to receive a PDSCH transmission 404 on the first DL frequency band 410. The RAN may send a second DCI 408 to a second UE (not shown) to schedule a PUSCH transmission 412, to indicate that each SRS (including SRS 406) is measured before the scheduled PUSCH transmission 412, and to provide a timing constraint. The second UE may be Figure 3 The PUSCH transmission 412 may be scheduled to be transmitted on the first UL frequency band 414. The guard band 416 may separate the first DL frequency band 408 from the first UL frequency band 414. The second guard band 418 may separate the first UL frequency band 414 from the second DL frequency band 420.

[0072] Figure 5 is a diagram 500 illustrating timing constraints for using an SRS configured for CTS purposes according to some embodiments. Specifically, Figure 5is an example where SRS 502 is an SPS-SRS. SRS periodicity 504 may be the time interval at which the SRS will repeat. The SRS period may be from the start of one SRS to the start of the next SRS. For the purpose of simplicity, except that SRS 502 is an SPS-SRS, Figure 4 The features described can be applied to Figure 5 .

[0073] The timing constraint may indicate that the gap between the last symbol of the first DCI 402 and the SRS 406 is not less than N a 422, where N a The value of N 422 depends on the capabilities of the first UE and the minimum SCS among the subcarrier spacing SCS of the first DCI 402, SRS 406, and PDSCH transmission 404. This gap provides the first UE with sufficient time to process the first DCI 402 and transmit SRS 406 before the scheduled PDSCH transmission. a It may be the same as or smaller than 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.214, v17.1.0 (2022-04-08) (given that SRS 406 is transmitted over a small bandwidth).

[0074] The timing constraint may indicate that the gap between the last symbol of the second DCI 408 and the first symbol of the SRS 406 is not less than N d 424, where N d The value of 424 depends on the capabilities of the second UE and the minimum SCS among the second DCI 408, SRS 406, and the SCS of the scheduled PUSCH transmission 412. The gap provides sufficient time for the second UE to transmit the second DCI 408 before the transmission of the SRS 406.

[0075] The timing constraint may indicate that the gap between the last symbol of the SRS 406 and the first symbol of the scheduled PDSCH 404 is not less than N b 426, where N b 426 depends on the capability of the first UE and the minimum SCS among the first DCI 402, the SRS 406, and the SCS of the scheduled PDSCH transmission 404. The gap provides sufficient time for the first UE to transmit the SRS before receiving the scheduled PDSCH transmission 404.

[0076] The timing constraint may indicate that the gap between the last symbol of the SRS 406 and the first symbol of the scheduled PUSCH transmission 412 is not less than N c428, where Nc depends on the capabilities of the second UE and the minimum SCS among the first DCI 402, SRS 406, and the SCS of the scheduled PUSCH transmission 412. The gap provides the second UE with sufficient time to measure the SRS 406 before the scheduled PUSCH transmission. In some embodiments, N c The value can be T proc,2 and additional symbols.

[0077] The SRS 406 configured for CTS purposes may be transmitted for measurement by any potential aggressor UE spatially related to the first UE, including the second UE.The timing advance applied to the transmission of the SRS by the potential victim UE may be based on a given offset to the DL transmission time.

[0078] Figure 6 600 is an example of an SRS resource set 602 including a first SRS resource 604, a second SRS resource 606, a third SRS resource 608, and a fourth SRS resource 610. It should be understood that the SRS resource set 602 includes four SRS resources for illustration purposes, and may be more than four SRS resources or less than four SRS resources. As described above, each SRS resource in the SRS resource set 602 may be configured separately.

[0079] like Figure 6 As illustrated, each SRS resource is configured separately. For simplicity, the first SRS resource 604 is described. It should be understood that each of the second SRS resource 606, the third SRS resource 608, and the fourth SRS resource 610 can be configured to include information related to the scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, the first resource 604 can be configured according to the SCS of the SRS, the starting PRB of the SRS, the number of PRBs used for SRS transmission, the symbol index, the number of symbols used for SRS transmission, and the periodicity of SRS transmission.

[0080] The first UE (such as Figure 3 The first UE 306 may have several opportunities to receive a first DCI (such as Figure 4 The last symbol of the first DCI 402) is the same as the scheduled PDSCH transmission (such as Figure 4 The first UE may send the SRS on one of the SRS resources in the SRS resource set 602 between the scheduled PDSCH transmission 404 of the first DCI. The first UE may send the SRS at the first available opportunity after the last symbol of the first DCI, such as Figure 4 The premise is that the gap between the last symbol of the first DCI and the SRS is not less than the reference Figure 4 Description aA further prerequisite is that the gap between the last symbol of SRS and the first symbol of scheduled PDSCH is not less than that in reference Figure 4 Description b Before transmitting the SRS, the first UE may determine whether the reference Figure 4 Description a and N b For example, the first UE may identify a first opportunity for sending an SRS. Then, the first UE may determine whether the gap between the last symbol of the first DCI and the SRS is not less than N a The first UE may also determine whether the gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol of the scheduled PDSCH is not less than N b If these conditions are met, the first UE may send the SRS. However, if one of these conditions is not met, the first UE may identify a second opportunity for sending the SRS and check whether the gap condition is met. The second UE (such as Figure 3 The second UE 308) can detect possible SRS transmissions based on the SRS transmission periodicity. The premise is that the gap between the last symbol of SRS 406 and the first symbol of scheduled PUSCH transmission 412 is not less than the reference Figure 4 Description c A further prerequisite is that the gap between the last symbol of the second DCI 408 and the first symbol of the SRS 406 is not less than Figure 4 Description d .

[0081] Figure 7Different CTS scenarios 700 are illustrated. It should be understood that in many instances, the transmission and reception point (TRP) is serving a potential victim UE in the same cell as the potential offender UE. However, in some instances, the first UE 702 may be scheduled to receive a PDSCH transmission from the first TRP 704, where the first TRP 702 and the TRP 704 are located in the first cell of the network. The second UE 706 may be scheduled to transmit a PUSCH transmission to the second TRP 708. The second UE 706 and the second TRP 708 may be located in an adjacent second cell of the network. Even in scenarios such as this, the scheduled PUSCH transmission may interfere with the scheduled PDSCH transmission. The techniques described herein may be applied to scenarios in which the first UE 702 and the first TRP 704 are located in the first cell of the network, and the second UE 706 and the TRP 708 are located in the second cell of the network. In such scenarios, the first SRS resource set 710 associated with the first cell is configured to be the same as the second SRS resource set 712 associated with the second cell. In this sense, the second UE 706 can detect that the SRS is configured for CTS purposes even if the SRS is being transmitted using SRS resources configured by the TRP of the neighboring cell.

[0082] The above techniques relate to CLI experienced between a potential victim UE and a potential offender UE. It should be understood that a potential victim UE is a UE scheduled to receive transmissions, and a potential offender UE is a UE scheduled to transmit transmissions. With respect to a base station, a potential victim base station is a base station scheduled to receive transmissions, and a potential offender base station is a base station scheduled to transmit transmissions.

[0083] Figure 8 A signaling diagram 800 for transmitting an SRS for CTS purposes is illustrated. As illustrated, a RAN 802 may communicate with a first UE 804. At 806, the RAN 802 may transmit an indication to transmit the SRS prior to a scheduled PDSCH transmission. The scheduled PDSCH transmission may include transmission parameters such as SLIV, priority, timing advance, and number of repetitions. In some embodiments, the indication is transmitted via a DCI (e.g., a DCI that schedules the PDSCH transmission). In other embodiments, the indication is transmitted via an RRC transmission.

[0084] At 808, the first UE 804 may select an SRS resource from an SRS activated resource set for transmitting an SRS. The SRS resource set may be activated based on a DCI or (in other instances) an RRC flag. The first UE 804 may be configured with an SRS resource so that the SRS resource is configured to carry information related to a scheduled PDSCH. Each SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set may carry information related to a scheduled PDSCH transmission, respectively. For example, one SRS resource may carry a parameter indicating that a scheduled PDSCH transmission is a high priority PDSCH transmission, while another SRS resource may carry an indication that a scheduled PDSCH transmission is a low priority PDSCH transmission. The first UE 804 may select an SRS resource based on parameters of a scheduled PDSCH related to the parameters of the SRS resource.

[0085] At 810, the first UE 804 may transmit an SRS using an SRS resource selected from the activated SRS resource set. In some embodiments, the RAN 802 may transmit a timing constraint for transmitting the SRS. Thus, the first UE 804 may transmit the SRS based on the timing constraint. The timing constraint may include a minimum gap between the last symbol transmitted at step 806 and the first symbol of the SRS. The timing constraint may also include a minimum gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol of the scheduled PDSCH transmission.

[0086] At 812, the RAN 802 may transmit the scheduled PDSCH transmission. The first UE 804 may receive the scheduled PDSCH transmission.

[0087] Fig. 9 A signaling diagram 900 is illustrated for determining whether to proceed or not to send a scheduled PUSCH transmission. As illustrated, a RAN 902 may be in communication with a second UE 904. A base station of the RAN 902 that schedules the PUSCH may be a scheduling Figure 8 The same base station of the PDSCH referenced in the above, or the base station scheduling the PUSCH may be a different base station. The second UE 904 may be connected to Figure 8 The first UE 804 may be located in the same cell, or the second UE 904 may be located in a cell adjacent to the cell of the first UE 804.

[0088] At 906, the RAN 902 may transmit an indication to measure the SRS before the scheduled PUSCH transmission. In some embodiments, the indication may be sent via a DCI (e.g., a DCI that schedules the PUSCH transmission). In other embodiments, the indication may be sent via an RRC configuration. The SRS may be sent by a first UE (such as the first UE 804). At 908, the second UE 904 may activate an SRS resource set and measure the SRS. The second UE 904 may measure the SRS using various techniques (such as CLI-RSSI or SRS-RSRP). It should be understood that in some embodiments, the first UE sends the SRS on one SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set, and the second UE 904 measures on each SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set. This is because multiple UEs may have sent SRS on corresponding SRS resources before their scheduled PDSCH transmission.

[0089] In some embodiments, the RAN 902 may also send a timing constraint for measuring the SRS sent by the first UE. Thus, the second UE 904 may send the SRS based on the timing constraint. The timing constraint may include a minimum gap between the last symbol sent at step 906 and the first symbol of the SRS. The timing constraint may also include a minimum gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol of the scheduled PUSCH transmission.

[0090] At 906, the second UE 904 may determine whether to proceed with the scheduled PUSCH transmission or not to transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission. The second UE 904 may use measurements to determine whether the scheduled PUSCH transmission interferes with the scheduled PDSCH transmission. If the measurements indicate that the scheduled PUSCH transmission interferes with the scheduled PDSCH transmission, the second UE 904 may not transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission. However, if the measurements indicate that the scheduled PUSCH does not interfere with the scheduled PDSCH, the second UE 904 may transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission.

[0091] In some embodiments, the RAN 902 may further transmit an indication that the measurement is mapped to an action, such as to transmit or not transmit a scheduled PUSCH transmission. The RAN 902 may also indicate one or more thresholds for determining whether to continue or not transmit a scheduled PUSCH transmission. The indicated thresholds may also be based on the priority of the scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, one threshold is used for high priority PDSCH transmissions and another threshold is used for low priority PDSCH transmissions.

[0092] Fig.10A process 1000 for sending an SRS for CTS purposes is illustrated. At 1002, a first UE may receive an indication to send an SRS before a scheduled PDSCH. The indication may be received from a RAN via a DCI that schedules the PDSCH. In some embodiments, the DCI may include an SRS bit field that indicates that the SRS is for CTS purposes. In other embodiments, the first UE receives an RRC flag that indicates that the SRS is for CTS purposes.

[0093] At 1004, the first UE may select an SRS resource from the SRS activated resource set for transmitting the SRS. The SRS resource set may be activated based on an SRS bit field of a DCI or (in other embodiments) an RRC flag. Each SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set may carry information related to a scheduled PDSCH transmission. The first UE may select an SRS resource based on parameters of a scheduled PDSCH related to parameters of an SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set.

[0094] At 1006, the first UE may send an SRS using an SRS resource selected from the activated SRS resource set. In some embodiments, the first UE may receive a timing constraint for sending the SRS. The first UE may send the SRS based on the received timing constraint. The first UE sends the SRS and then receives a scheduled PDSCH transmission. It should be understood that the first UE may send the SRS on a single SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set, rather than sending the SRS on each SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set.

[0095] Fig.11 A method 1100 for determining whether to transmit a PUSCH transmission or not is illustrated. At 1102, a second UE may receive an indication to measure the SRS before a scheduled PUSCH transmission. In some embodiments, the indication may be sent via a DCI (such as a DCI that schedules the PUSCH transmission). In other embodiments, the indication may be sent via an RRC parameter. At 1104, the second UE may activate an SRS resource set and measure the SRS via various techniques (such as CLI-RSSI or SRS-RSRP). It should be understood that the second UE measures the SRS on each SRS resource in the activated SRS resource set. This is because multiple UEs may have sent SRS on corresponding SRS resources before their scheduled PUSCH transmission. In some embodiments, the second UE also receives a timing constraint for measuring the SRS. Therefore, the second UE may measure the SRS transmission based on the timing constraint.

[0096] At 1106, the second UE may compare the measured value with a threshold. The second UE 904 may use the measurement to determine whether the scheduled PUSCH transmission interferes with the scheduled PDSCH transmission. The threshold may be based on the priority of the scheduled PDSCH transmission value. Thus, the second UE may compare the measured value with a first threshold for high priority PDSCH transmission or a second threshold for low priority PDSCH transmission.

[0097] In some embodiments, the RAN 902 may further transmit an indication that the measurement is mapped to an action, such as continuing or not transmitting a scheduled PUSCH transmission. The RAN 902 may also indicate one or more thresholds for determining whether to continue or not transmit a scheduled PUSCH transmission. The indicated threshold may also be based on the priority of the scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, one threshold is used for high priority PDSCH transmission, and another threshold is used for low priority PDSCH transmission. In addition, depending on the information carried by the SRS, if the scheduled PUSCH transmission conflicts with the scheduled PDSCH transmission, the second UE may not transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission. In other instances, the indication may be that the base station operates in full-duplex mode at a specific symbol set or PRB set. In this instance, if the measured value is greater than the threshold, the second UE may not transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission on the indicated resource. Alternatively, different SRS resources in the activated resource set may be associated with different PDSCH transmission durations, and the second UE may determine that the scheduled PUSCH transmission interferes with the scheduled PDSCH transmission based on using the scheduled PDSCH transmission duration and not transmit the scheduled PUSCH transmission.

[0098] Fig.12 A process 1200 for providing CTS-related indications according to some embodiments is illustrated. At 1202, the RAN may send an indication to send SRS before a scheduled PDSCH transmission. For example, the RAN may send the indication via the SRS bit field of the DCI that schedules the PDSCH transmission. Alternatively, the RAN may send the indication via an RRC flag. In addition to the indication for sending the SRS, the RAN may also send a timing constraint for the transmission of the SRS. The timing constraint may include providing a minimum gap between the last symbol of the transmission of the indication and the first symbol of the SRS. The timing constraint may also include a minimum gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol of the scheduled PDSCH transmission.

[0099] At 1204, the RAN may send an indication to measure the SRS before the scheduled PUSCH transmission. The RAN may also send a timing constraint for measuring the SRS. The timing constraint may include providing a minimum gap between the last symbol of the indication transmission and the first symbol of the SRS. The timing constraint may also include a minimum gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol of the scheduled PUSCH transmission. It should be understood that this step may be performed by the base station of the RAN that performs step 1202 or a base station in a neighboring cell.

[0100] Fig.13 Illustrated according to some embodiments Figure 1 1. Receive component 1300 of UE 106 of the present invention. Receive component 1300 may include antenna panel 1304, which includes a plurality of antenna elements. Panel 1304 is shown as having four antenna elements, but other embodiments may include other numbers of antenna elements.

[0101] The antenna panel 1304 can be coupled to an analog beamforming (BF) component including a plurality of phase shifters 1308(1)-1308(4). The phase shifters 1308(1)-1308(4) can be coupled to a radio frequency (RF) chain 1312. The RF chain 1312 can amplify the received analog RF signal, down-convert the RF signal to baseband, and convert the analog baseband signal to a digital baseband signal that can be provided to a baseband processor for further processing.

[0102] In various embodiments, control circuitry, which may reside in a baseband processor, may provide BF weights (e.g., W1-W4) to phase shifters 1308(1)-1308(4), which may represent phase shift values ​​to provide receive beams at antenna panel 1304. These BF weights may be determined based on channel-based beamforming.

[0103] Fig.14 UE 1400 according to some embodiments is illustrated. UE 1400 may be similar to Figure 1 UE 106 and is essentially interchangeable therewith.

[0104] Similar to what is described above with reference to UE 106, UE 1400 may be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet, an industrial wireless sensor (e.g., a microphone, a carbon dioxide sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a thermometer, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, a laser scanner, a fluid level sensor, an inventory sensor, a voltage / current meter, an actuator, etc.), a video surveillance / monitoring device (e.g., a camera, a video camera, etc.), a wearable device, or a loose IoT device. In some embodiments, the UE may be a reduced capacity UE or an NR-Light UE.

[0105] UE 1400 may include a processor 1404, an RF interface circuit 1408, a memory / storage device 1412, a user interface 1416, a sensor 1420, a driver circuit 1422, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 1424, and a battery 1428. The components of UE 1400 may be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC), a portion of an integrated circuit, a discrete electronic device, or other module, logic, hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Fig.14 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components of the UE 1400. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other implementations.

[0106] Components of UE 1400 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 1432, which may represent any type of interface, input / output, bus (local, system, or extension), transmission line, trace, optical connection, etc., which allows various circuit components (on a common or different chip or chipset) to interact with each other.

[0107] The processor 1404 may include processor circuits such as, for example, a baseband processor circuit (BB) 1404A, a central processor unit circuit (CPU) 1404B, and a graphics processor unit circuit (GPU) 1404C. The processor 1404 may include any type of circuit or processor circuit that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions (such as program codes, software modules, or functional processes from the memory / storage device 1412) to cause the UE 1600 to perform operations as described herein.

[0108] In some embodiments, the baseband processor circuit 1404A can access the communication protocol stack 1436 in the memory / storage device 1412 to communicate through a 3GPP compatible network. Generally speaking, the baseband processor circuit 1404A can access the communication protocol stack to: perform user plane functions at the PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC layer, PDCP layer, SDAP layer, and PDU layer; and perform control plane functions at the PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC layer, PDCP layer, RRC layer, and non-access layer (NAS) layer. In some embodiments, the PHY layer operations can be additionally / alternatively performed by components of the RF interface circuit 1408.

[0109] The baseband processor circuit 1404A may generate or process baseband signals or waveforms that carry information in a 3GPP-compatible network. In some embodiments, the waveforms used for NR may be based on cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) in the uplink or downlink, and discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) in the uplink.

[0110] The baseband processor circuit 1404A may also access the group information 1424 from the memory / storage 1412 to determine the search space group in which the repetition number of the PDCCH may be transmitted.

[0111] The memory / storage 1412 may include any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that may be distributed throughout the UE 1400. In some embodiments, some of the memory / storage 1412 may be located on the processor 1404 itself (e.g., L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage 1412 is external to the processor 1404 but accessible via a memory interface. The memory / storage 1412 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0112] The RF interface circuit 1408 may include a transceiver circuit and a radio frequency front end module (RFEM), which allows the UE 1400 to communicate with other devices through a radio access network. The RF interface circuit 1408 may include various elements arranged in a transmit path or a receive path. These elements may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuits, control circuits, etc.

[0113] In the receive path, the RFEM may receive the radiated signal from the air interface via antenna 1424 and proceed to filter and amplify the signal (using a low noise amplifier). The signal may be provided to the transceiver's receiver, which down-converts the RF signal to a baseband signal that is provided to the baseband processor of processor 1404.

[0114] In the transmit path, the transmitter of the transceiver up-converts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM may amplify the RF signal through a power amplifier before the signal is radiated across the air interface via the antenna 1424.

[0115] In various embodiments, the RF interface circuit 1408 may be configured to send / receive signals in a manner compatible with NR access technology.

[0116] Antenna 1424 may include multiple antenna elements, each of which converts electrical signals into radio waves to travel through the air and converts received radio waves into electrical signals. These antenna elements may be arranged into one or more antenna panels. Antenna 1424 may have an antenna panel that is omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to achieve beamforming and multiple input / multiple output communications. Antenna 1424 may include a microstrip antenna, a printed antenna manufactured on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, a patch antenna, a phased array antenna, etc. Antenna 1424 may have one or more panels that are designed for a specific frequency band included in a band in FR1 or FR2.

[0117] The user interface circuit 1416 includes various input / output (I / O) devices designed to enable a user to interact with the UE 1400. The user interface 1416 includes input device circuits and output device circuits. The input device circuit includes any physical or virtual components for accepting input, including in particular one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., reset button), physical keyboard, keypad, mouse, touch pad, touch screen, microphone, scanner, headset, etc. The output device circuit includes any physical or virtual components for displaying information or otherwise conveying information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). The output device circuit may include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, including in particular one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary state indicators (such as light emitting diodes (LEDs)) and multi-character visual outputs) or more complex outputs (such as display devices or touch screens (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.)), where the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc. is generated or produced by the operation of the UE 1400.

[0118] Sensors 1420 may include devices, modules, or subsystems that are designed to detect events or changes in their environment and send information about the detected events (sensor data) to some other device, module, subsystem, etc. Examples of such sensors include, among others: an inertial measurement unit including an accelerometer; a gyroscope; or a magnetometer; a micro-electromechanical system or nano-electromechanical system including: a three-axis accelerometer; a three-axis gyroscope; or a magnetometer; a level sensor; a flow sensor; a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor); a pressure sensor; a barometric pressure sensor; a gravity meter; an altimeter; an image capture device (e.g., a camera or a lensless aperture); a light detection and ranging sensor; a proximity sensor (e.g., an infrared radiation detector, etc.); a depth sensor; an ambient light sensor; an ultrasonic transceiver; a microphone or other similar audio capture device; and the like.

[0119] The driver circuit 1422 may include software and hardware elements for controlling specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 1400. The driver circuit 1422 may include various drivers to allow other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may be present in or connected to the UE 1400. For example, the driver circuit 1422 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touch screen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touch screen interface, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings of the sensor circuit 1420 and controlling and allowing access to the sensor circuit 1420, a driver for obtaining an actuator position of an electromechanical component or controlling and allowing access to an electromechanical component, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0120] The PMIC 1424 may manage the power provided to various components of the UE 1400. Specifically, with respect to the processor 1404, the PMIC 1424 may control power source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion.

[0121] In some embodiments, the PMIC 1424 may control or otherwise be part of various power saving mechanisms of the UE 1400. For example, if the platform UE is in the RRC_Connected state, in which the platform is still connected to the RAN node because it expects to receive traffic soon, then after a period of inactivity, the platform may enter a state known as discontinuous reception mode (DRX). During this state, the UE 1400 may be powered off for short time intervals, thereby saving power. If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time, the UE 1400 may transition to the RRC_Idle state, in which it is disconnected from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handovers, etc. The UE 1400 enters a very low power state and performs paging, in which it wakes up again periodically to listen to the network, and then powers off again. The UE 1400 may not receive data in this state; in order to receive data, the platform must transition back to the RRC_Connected state. Additional power saving modes may prevent the device from using the network for a time exceeding the paging interval (from a few seconds to a few hours). During this time, the device is completely unable to connect to the network and can be completely powered off. Any data transmitted during this time will be significantly delayed, and it is assumed that the delay is acceptable.

[0122] The battery 1428 can power the UE 1400, but in some examples, the UE 1400 can be installed and deployed in a fixed location and can have a power source coupled to the power grid. The battery 1428 can be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some specific implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, the battery 1428 can be a typical lead-acid car battery.

[0123] Fig.15 An example of a gNB 1500 according to some embodiments is shown. The gNB node 1500 may be similar to Figure 1 base station 104 and is substantially interchangeable therewith.

[0124] gNB 1500 may include a processor 1504, an RF interface circuit 1508, a core network (CN) interface circuit 1512, and a memory / storage device circuit 1516.

[0125] The components of gNB 1500 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 1528.

[0126] The processor 1504, RF interface circuit 1508, memory / storage circuit 1516 (including communication protocol stack 1510), antenna 1524, and interconnect 1528 may be similar to those of reference Fig.13 Like-named elements are shown and described.

[0127] The CN interface circuitry 1512 may provide connectivity for a core network (e.g., a 5th Generation Core Network (5GC) using a 5th Generation Core Network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol such as a Carrier Ethernet protocol or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity may be provided to / from the gNB 1500 via optical fiber or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuitry 1512 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuitry 1512 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0128] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0129] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, or methods described in the following example section. For example, the baseband circuit described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below. For another example, the circuits associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc. described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the example section below.

[0130] Example

[0131] In the following sections, additional exemplary embodiments are provided.

[0132] Embodiment 1 includes a method implemented by a network, the method comprising: receiving an indication to send a sounding reference signal (SRS) before sending a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), wherein the PDSCH transmission is scheduled using a first transmission parameter, the first transmission parameter being a start and length indication value (SLIV), a priority, a timing advance, or a number of repetitions; selecting an SRS resource having a second transmission parameter associated with the first transmission parameter from an activated SRS resource set; and sending the SRS via the SRS resource.

[0133] Embodiment 2 includes the method of embodiment 1, wherein the indication is provided in an SRS request field in downlink control information (DCI) that schedules the PDSCH transmission, and the method further includes activating the SRS resource set based on the SRS request field.

[0134] Embodiment 3 includes the method of any one of Embodiments 1 and 2, wherein the method further comprises receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling to configure the SRS resource set for clear to send (CTS) purposes.

[0135] Embodiment 4 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the method further includes: determining that the second transmission parameter is associated with the first transmission parameter; and selecting the SRS resource from the activated SRS resource set based on the determination that the second transmission parameter is associated with the first transmission parameter.

[0136] Embodiment 5 includes the method of any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the PDSCH transmission is a semi-persistently scheduled (SPS) PDSCH transmission, and the method further includes transmitting a periodic SRS based on the SPS PDSCH transmission.

[0137] Embodiment 6 includes a method implemented by a network, the method comprising: receiving, by a first node of the network, an indication to measure a sounding reference signal (SRS) before sending a scheduled physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); measuring, by the first node of the network, the SRS to obtain a measurement value; and determining, by the first node of the network based on the measurement value, whether the scheduled PUSCH transmission will interfere with a scheduled physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission of a second network node of the network.

[0138] Embodiment 7 includes the method of embodiment 6, wherein the indication is provided in downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the PUSCH transmission, and the method further comprises activating an SRS resource set for measurement based on the indication.

[0139] Embodiment 8 includes the method described in Embodiment 7, wherein the method further includes: measuring the SRS resources in the SRS resource set to determine the transmission parameters of the scheduled PDSCH transmission based on the SRS resources, and determining whether the scheduled PDSCH transmission will interfere with the scheduled PUSCH transmission based on the transmission parameters, wherein the transmission parameters are a start and length indication value (SLIV), a priority, a timing advance, or a number of repetitions.

[0140] Embodiment 9 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 6 to 8, wherein the transmission parameter is a priority, and the method further includes: determining a threshold measurement value based on the priority; comparing the measurement value with the threshold measurement value; and determining whether the scheduled PDSCH transmission will interfere with the scheduled PUSCH transmission based on the comparison.

[0141] Embodiment 10 includes the method of any one of Embodiments 6 to 9, wherein the method further comprises measuring the SRS via an SRS Reference Signal Received Power (SRS-RSRP) technique.

[0142] Embodiment 11 includes the method of embodiments 7 to 10, wherein the method further comprises: comparing the measurement value with a threshold measurement value; and determining whether the scheduled PDSCH transmission will interfere with the scheduled PUSCH transmission based on the comparison.

[0143] Embodiment 12 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 6 to 11, wherein the method further includes: comparing the time interval of the scheduled PDSCH with the time interval of the scheduled PUSCH; and sending the scheduled PUSCH based on the comparison.

[0144] Embodiment 13 includes the method of any one of Embodiments 6 to 12, wherein the first node of the network is located in a first cell of the network, and wherein the second node of the network is located in a second cell of the network.

[0145] Embodiment 14 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 6 to 13, wherein the SRS resource set is marked with a radio resource control (RRC) mark, the RRC mark indicating that the SRS resource set is for a allowable transmission purpose (CTS), and the method further includes measuring the SRS to obtain the measurement value based on the RRC mark.

[0146] Embodiment 15 includes the method of any one of Embodiments 6 to 14, wherein the method further comprises reporting the measurement value to a base station based on a periodic trigger or a threshold-based trigger.

[0147] Embodiment 16 includes a method implemented by a network, the method comprising: sending a first indication to a first user equipment (UE) to send a first sounding reference signal (SRS) before a first scheduled physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); and sending a second indication to a second UE based on a measurement of the SRS to determine whether to transmit a scheduled physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission or not to transmit the PUSCH transmission.

[0148] Embodiment 17 includes the method of embodiment 16, wherein the first indication is sent by a first base station of a first cell of the network, and the second indication is sent by a second base station of a second cell of the network.

[0149] Embodiment 18 includes the method of any one of Embodiments 16 and 17, wherein the method further comprises configuring an SRS resource in an SRS resource set to include parameters related to the scheduled PDSCH, and wherein the SRS is sent via the SRS resource.

[0150] Embodiment 19 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 16 to 18, wherein the method further includes sending a timing constraint to the first UE, and wherein the timing constraint includes a minimum gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol of the scheduled PDSCH transmission.

[0151] Embodiment 20 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 16 to 19, wherein the method further includes sending a timing constraint to the second UE, and wherein the timing constraint includes a minimum gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol sent by the scheduled PUSCH.

[0152] Embodiment 21 includes the method described in any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the SRS resources are configured according to a subcarrier spacing (SCS), a starting physical resource block (PRB), the number of PRBs used for the transmission of the SRS, a symbol index, the number of symbols used for the transmission of the SRS, or the periodicity of the transmission of the SRS.

[0153] Embodiment 22 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 8 to 15, wherein the SRS resources are configured according to the SCS, the starting PRB, the number of PRBs used for the transmission of the SRS, the symbol index, the number of symbols used for the transmission of the SRS, or the periodicity of the transmission of the SRS.

[0154] Embodiment 23 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 16 to 20, wherein the method further includes configuring SRS resources based on the SCS, the starting PRB, the number of PRBs used for the transmission of the SRS, the symbol index, the number of symbols used for the transmission of the SRS, or the periodicity of the transmission of the SRS.

[0155] Embodiment 24 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 5 and 21, wherein the method further includes: determining whether the transmission of the SRS will conflict with an uplink (UL) transmission or a downlink (DL) transmission at a first opportunity for sending the SRS; and determining whether to send the SRS based on the determination of whether the transmission of the SRS will conflict with the UL transmission or the DL transmission.

[0156] Embodiment 25 includes the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 5, 21 and 24, wherein the method further includes: determining whether there will be a minimum gap between the last symbol indicating the sending of the SRS and the first symbol of the SRS at a second time for sending the SRS; and determining whether to send the SRS at the second time based on the determination of whether there will be a minimum gap between the last symbol indicating the sending of the SRS and the first symbol of the SRS.

[0157] Embodiment 26 includes the method of any one of Embodiments 6 to 15 and 22, wherein the method further comprises detecting the SRS to be measured based on a periodicity of the transmission of the SRS.

[0158] Embodiment 27 includes a system comprising means for performing one or more elements of a method described in or related to Embodiments 1-26.

[0159] Embodiment 28 comprises a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a network, cause the network to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any one of embodiments 1 to 26.

[0160] Embodiment 29 includes a network including logic, modules or circuits for performing one or more elements of a method as described in or related to any one of embodiments 1 to 26.

[0161] Embodiment 30 includes a network comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, wherein the one or more computer-readable media include instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the network, cause the network to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any one of Embodiments 1 to 26.

[0162] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. In view of the above teachings, modifications and variations are possible or can be obtained from the practice of various embodiments.

[0163] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to include all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a network, the method comprising: receiving an indication to transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS) prior to a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission, wherein the PDSCH transmission is scheduled using a first transmission parameter, the first transmission parameter being a start and length indication value (SLIV), a priority, a timing advance, or a number of repetitions; selecting, from a set of activated SRS resources, an SRS resource having a second transmission parameter associated with the first transmission parameter; as well as The SRS is sent via the SRS resource.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is provided in an SRS request field in downlink control information (DCI) that schedules the PDSCH transmission, and the method further comprises activating the SRS resource set based on the SRS request field.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling to configure the SRS resource set for clear to send (CTS) purposes.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the method further comprises: determining that the second sending parameter is associated with the first sending parameter; as well as The SRS resource is selected from the set of activated SRS resources based on the determination that the second transmit parameter is associated with the first transmit parameter. 5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the PDSCH transmission is a semi-persistently scheduled (SPS) PDSCH transmission, and the method further comprises transmitting a periodic SRS based on the SPS PDSCH transmission.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the SRS resources are configured according to a subcarrier spacing (SCS), a starting physical resource block (PRB), the number of PRBs used for transmission of the SRS, a symbol index, the number of symbols used for the transmission of the SRS, or the periodicity of the transmission of the SRS.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the method further comprises: determining, at a first opportunity for transmitting the SRS, whether transmission of the SRS will conflict with an uplink (UL) transmission or a downlink (DL) transmission; as well as Whether to transmit the SRS is determined based on the determination of whether the transmission of the SRS will collide with a UL transmission or a DL transmission.

8. The method according to any one of claims 7, further comprising: determining, at a second opportunity for transmitting the SRS, whether a minimum gap will exist between a last symbol of a transmission indicating transmission of the SRS and a first symbol of the SRS; as well as Whether to transmit the SRS at the second opportunity is determined based on the determination of whether a minimum gap will exist between the last symbol indicating transmission of the SRS and the first symbol of the SRS.

9. A method implemented by a network, the method comprising: receiving, by a first node of the network, an indication to measure a sounding reference signal (SRS) prior to sending a scheduled physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission; Measuring the SRS by the first node of the network to obtain a measurement value; as well as Determining, by the first node of the network based on the measurement value, whether the scheduled PUSCH transmission will interfere with a scheduled Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission of a second network node of the network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication is provided in downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the PUSCH transmission, and the method further comprises activating a set of SRS resources for measurement based on the indication.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: measuring SRS resources in the SRS resource set to determine transmission parameters of the scheduled PDSCH transmission based on the SRS resources, and Whether the scheduled PDSCH transmission will interfere with the scheduled PUSCH transmission is determined based on the transmission parameter, wherein the transmission parameter is a start and length indication value (SLIV), a priority, a timing advance, or a number of repetitions.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the transmission parameter is a priority, and the method further comprises: determining a threshold measurement value based on the priority; comparing the measurement value to the threshold measurement value; as well as A determination is made based on the comparison whether the scheduled PDSCH transmission will interfere with the scheduled PUSCH transmission.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the method further comprises measuring the SRS via an SRS Reference Signal Received Power (SRS-RSRP) technique.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the method further comprises: comparing the measurement to a threshold measurement; as well as A determination is made based on the comparison whether the scheduled PDSCH transmission will interfere with the scheduled PUSCH transmission.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the method further comprises: Comparing the time interval of the scheduled PDSCH with the time interval of the scheduled PUSCH; as well as The scheduled PUSCH is transmitted based on the comparison.

16. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the first node of the network is located in a first cell of the network, and wherein the second node of the network is located in a second cell of the network.

17. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 16, wherein the SRS resource set is marked with a radio resource control (RRC) mark, the RRC mark indicating that the SRS resource set is for a allowable transmission purpose (CTS), and the method further comprises measuring the SRS to obtain the measurement value based on the RRC mark.

18. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein the method further comprises reporting the measurement value to a base station based on a periodic trigger or a threshold-based trigger.

19. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 18, wherein the SRS resources are configured according to an SCS, a starting PRB, the number of PRBs used for transmission of the SRS, a symbol index, the number of symbols used for the transmission of the SRS, or the periodicity of the transmission of the SRS.

20. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 19, wherein the method further comprises detecting the SRS to be measured based on a periodicity of the transmission of the SRS.

21. A method implemented by a network, the method comprising: sending a first indication to a first user equipment (UE) to send a sounding reference signal (SRS) before a scheduled physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); as well as A second indication is sent to a second UE based on the measurement of the SRS to determine whether to transmit a scheduled physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission or not to transmit the PUSCH transmission.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first indication is sent by a first base station of a first cell of the network, and the second indication is sent by a second base station of a second cell of the network.

23. The method according to any one of claims 21 or 22, wherein the method further comprises configuring an SRS resource in an SRS resource set to include parameters related to the scheduled PDSCH transmission, and wherein the SRS is transmitted via the SRS resource.

24. The method of any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the method further comprises sending a timing constraint to the first UE, and wherein the timing constraint comprises a minimum gap between a last symbol of the SRS and a first symbol of the scheduled PDSCH transmission.

25. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein the method further comprises sending a timing constraint to the second UE, and wherein the timing constraint comprises a minimum gap between the last symbol of the SRS and the first symbol of the scheduled PUSCH transmission.

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