Communication apparatus and communication method for sidelink cochannel coexistence for LTE and nr

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication apparatus and a communication method for SL co-channel coexistence of LTE and NR. In one embodiment, a communication device includes a communication device including circuitry to select a category from a plurality of categories, the plurality of categories including a first category related to a plurality of resources only for a Long Term Evolution (LTE) sidelink, the LTE sidelink including LTE data and / or LTE sidelink control information (SCI), the first category being associated with a plurality of resources only for the LTE sidelink, and the second category being associated with a plurality of resources only for the LTE sidelink. A second category associated with a plurality of resources for only a new radio (NR) sidelink, the NR sidelink comprising NR data and / or NR SCI, and a third category associated with a plurality of shared resources shared by the LTE sidelink and the NR sidelink; and a transmitter that transmits sidelink data and / or an SCI based on the selected category, where the sidelink data is LTE or NR sidelink data, and the sidelink SCI is LTE or NR SCI.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device and a communication method for sidelink (SL) co-channel coexistence of long term evolution (LTE) and new radio (NR). Background Art

[0002] As described in WID RP-213634, for the upcoming studies in 3GPP Release 18 Sidelink Evolution, the objectives for co-channel coexistence of Long Term Evolution (LTE) Sidelink (SL) and New Radio (NR) Sidelink have been specified to “study and specify mechanisms for co-channel coexistence of LTE Sidelink and NR Sidelink, if required, including performance, necessity, feasibility and potential regulatory impact (if any [RAN1, RAN2, RAN4])” and to “reuse as much as possible the in-device coexistence framework defined in Rel-16”.

[0003] In Release 16, in-device coexistence (e.g., for different spectrum) has been specified in TS38.213 as follows: when SL transmission is involved, higher priority packets will be prioritized, and otherwise it is up to the implementation (as summarized in Table 1 below).

[0004]

[0005] Table 1

[0006] However, there is still no discussion on communication devices and methods for SL co-channel coexistence of LTE and NR.

[0007] Therefore, a communication device and method that provides a feasible technical solution for SL co-channel coexistence of LTE and NR is needed. In addition, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the background technology of the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0008] Non-limiting and exemplary embodiments help provide communication devices and methods for SL co-channel coexistence of LTE and NR.

[0009] According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a circuit that selects a category from a plurality of categories, the plurality of categories comprising: a first category associated with a plurality of resources used only for a long term evolution (LTE) side link, the LTE side link comprising LTE data and / or LTE side link control information (SCI), a second category associated with a plurality of resources used only for a new radio (NR) side link, the NR side link comprising NR data and / or NR SCI, and a third category associated with a plurality of shared resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link; and a transmitter that transmits the side link data and / or SCI based on the selected category, wherein the side link data is LTE or NR side link data, and the side link SCI is LTE or NR SCI.

[0010] According to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, comprising: selecting a category from a plurality of categories, the plurality of categories comprising: a first category associated with a plurality of resources used only for a long term evolution (LTE) side link, the LTE side link comprising LTE data and / or LTE side link control information (SCI), a second category associated with a plurality of resources used only for a new radio (NR) side link, the NR side link comprising NR data and / or NR SCI, and a third category associated with a plurality of resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link; and sending side link data and / or SCI based on the selected category, the side link data being LTE or NR side link data, and the SCI being LTE or NR SCI.

[0011] It should be noted that the general or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any selective combination thereof.

[0012] The additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the specification and drawings. These benefits and / or advantages can be obtained by various embodiments and features of the specification and drawings, respectively, and all of these embodiments and features do not need to be provided in order to obtain one or more such benefits and / or advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be better understood and more apparent to those skilled in the art through the following written description taken merely as an example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 An exemplary 3GPP NR-RAN architecture is shown to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0015] Figure 2Depicted is a schematic diagram showing the functional division between NG-RAN and 5G Core Network (5GC) to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0016] Figure 3 A sequence diagram depicting an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection establishment / reconfiguration procedure to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0017] Figure 4 Depicted are schematic diagrams illustrating usage scenarios of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0018] Figure 5 A block diagram is shown illustrating an exemplary 5G system architecture for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications in non-roaming scenarios to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0019] Fig. 6A An example diagram of configuration of radio resources for avoiding conflicts between an LTE side link and an NR side link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 6B Another example diagram of configuration of radio resources for avoiding conflicts between an LTE side link and an NR side link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Fig. 7A An example diagram of the configuration of radio resources for handling conflicts between an LTE side link and an NR side link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 7B Another example diagram of configuration of radio resources for handling conflicts between an LTE side link and an NR side link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Fig. 8A An example diagram of the configuration of radio resources for handling conflicts between an LTE side link and an NR side link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 8B Another example diagram of configuration of radio resources for handling conflicts between an LTE side link and an NR side link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Fig. 9 A flow chart illustrating a communication method according to various embodiments is shown.

[0026] Fig.10A schematic block diagram of an example communication device according to various embodiments is shown.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elements in the drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily depicted to scale. For example, the size of some elements in the diagrams, block diagrams or flow charts may be enlarged relative to other elements to help improve understanding of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals and characters in the drawings refer to like elements or equivalents.

[0029] The overall system architecture assumes, among other things, a NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network), which includes gNBs that provide NG-Radio Access user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocol terminations towards user equipment (UE). The gNBs are interconnected to each other via Xn interfaces. The gNBs are also connected to NGC (Next Generation Core) via Next Generation (NG) interfaces, more specifically to AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g., a specific core entity that implements AMF) via NG-C interfaces, and to UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g., a specific core entity that implements UPF) via NG-U interfaces. Figure 1 The NG-RAN architecture 100 is shown in FIG. 1 (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 v16.3.0, section 4).

[0030] The user plane protocol stack for NR (see, e.g., 3GPP TS 38.300, Section 4.4.1) includes the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, see Section 6.4 of TS 38.300), RLC (Radio Link Control, see Section 6.3 of TS 38.300) and MAC (Medium Access Control, see Section 6.2 of TS 38.300) sublayers, which terminate at the gNB on the network side. In addition, a new access stratum (AS) sublayer (SDAP, Service Data Adaptation Protocol) is introduced on top of PDCP (see, e.g., subclause 6.5 of 3GPP TS 38.300). A control plane protocol stack is also defined for NR (see, e.g., TS 38.300, Section 4.4.2). An overview of the Layer 2 functionality is given in subclause 6 of TS 38.300. The functionality of the PDCP, RLC and MAC sublayers is listed in Sections 6.4, 6.3 and 6.2 of TS 38.300, respectively. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in subclause 7 of TS 38.300. In addition, sidelink communication was introduced in 3GPP TS38.300v16.3.0. The sidelink supports UE-to-UE direct communication using sidelink resource allocation modes, physical layer signals / channels, and physical layer procedures (see, e.g., Section 5.7 of TS 38.300).

[0031] For example, the medium access control layer handles logical channel multiplexing as well as scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including the handling of different parameter sets.

[0032] For example, the physical layer (PHY) is responsible for coding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. It also handles the mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used for the transmission of a specific transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For example, the physical channels are the physical random access channel (PRACH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for uplink, and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) for downlink. In addition, the physical sidelink channels include the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), the physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), and the physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0033] NR use cases / deployment scenarios can include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), massive machine type communications (mMTC), which have different requirements in terms of data rate, latency and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20Gbps for downlink and 10Gbps for uplink) and user-experienced data rates that are three times higher than those provided for advanced IMT. On the other hand, in the case of URLLC, there is a strong demand for ultra-low latency (0.5ms for both UL and DL for user plane latency) and high reliability (1-10ms within 1ms). -5 ) Finally, mMTC may preferably require high connection density (1,000,000 devices / km2 in urban environments), large coverage in harsh environments, and very long battery life (15 years) for low-cost devices.

[0034] Therefore, an OFDM parameter set (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP) duration, number of symbols per scheduling interval) that is suitable for one use case may not be suitable for another use case. For example, low-latency services may preferably require shorter symbol duration (and therefore larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also known as TTI) compared to mMTC services. In addition, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spread may preferably require longer CP duration compared to scenarios with short delay spread. The subcarrier spacing should be optimized accordingly to maintain similar CP overhead. NR can support more than one subcarrier spacing value. Accordingly, subcarrier spacings of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz... are currently being considered. The symbol duration Tu and the subcarrier spacing Δf are determined by the formula Δf=1 / T u In a similar manner as in LTE systems, the term "resource element" may be used to denote a minimum resource unit consisting of one subcarrier of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol length.

[0035] In the new radio system 5G-NR, for each parameter set and carrier, a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined for uplink and downlink respectively. Each element in the resource grid is called a resource element and is identified based on a frequency index in the frequency domain and a symbol position in the time domain (see 3GPP TS 38.211v16.3.0).

[0036] Figure 2Schematic diagram 200 shows the functional division between NG-RAN and 5GC. The NG-RAN logical node is gNB or ng-eNB. 5GC has logical nodes access and mobility management function (AMF), user plane function (UPF) and session management function (SMF).

[0037] In particular, gNB and ng-eNB host the following key functions:

[0038] - Functions for radio resource management, such as radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, dynamic resource allocation (scheduling) to UEs in both uplink and downlink;

[0039] -IP header compression, encryption and integrity protection of data;

[0040] - Selection of the AMF at the UE attachment when the route to the AMF cannot be determined based on the information provided by the UE;

[0041] - Routing of user plane data to UPF;

[0042] - Routing of control plane information to AMF;

[0043] -Connection establishment and release;

[0044] - Scheduling and transmission of paging messages;

[0045] - Scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (originating from AMF or OAM);

[0046] - Measurement and measurement reporting configuration for mobility and scheduling;

[0047] -Transport level packet marking in uplink;

[0048] -Session management;

[0049] -Support for network slicing;

[0050] -QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers;

[0051] -Support UE in RRC_INACTIVE state;

[0052] -NAS message distribution function;

[0053] - Radio access network sharing;

[0054] -Dual connectivity;

[0055] - Tight interworking between NR and E-UTRA.

[0056] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) hosts the following key functions:

[0057] - Non-access stratum NAS signaling termination;

[0058] -NAS signaling security;

[0059] -Access layer AS security control;

[0060] -Core Network CN inter-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks;

[0061] - Idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions);

[0062] -Registration area management;

[0063] -Support for intra-system and inter-system mobility;

[0064] -Access authentication;

[0065] - Access authorization, including checking of roaming rights;

[0066] - Mobility management control (subscription and policy);

[0067] -Support for network slicing;

[0068] -Session management function SMF selection.

[0069] Additionally, the User Plane Function (UPF) hosts the following key functions:

[0070] - Anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (when applicable);

[0071] - External PDU session points for interconnection to data networks;

[0072] -Packet routing and forwarding;

[0073] -Packet inspection and user plane part of policy rule enforcement;

[0074] -Business usage reports;

[0075] - Uplink classifier that supports routing of traffic flows to the data network;

[0076] -Support branching points for multi-homed PDU sessions;

[0077] -QoS processing for the user plane, such as packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement;

[0078] - Uplink service verification (SDF to QoS flow mapping);

[0079] - Downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering.

[0080] Finally, the session management function SMF hosts the following main functions:

[0081] -Session management;

[0082] -UE IP address allocation and management;

[0083] -Selection and control of UP function

[0084] -Configure service steering at the user plane function UPF to route the service to the appropriate destination;

[0085] -Control policy enforcement and QoS;

[0086] - Downlink data notification.

[0087] Figure 3 The sequence diagram 300 in Figure 3 shows some interactions between the UE, gNB and AMF (5GC entity) in the context of the UE transitioning from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED for the NAS part (see TS 38.300v16.3.0). The transition steps are as follows:

[0088] 1.UE requests to establish a new connection from RRC_IDLE.

[0089] 2 / 2a.gNB completes the RRC establishment process.

[0090] NOTE: The following describes the scenario where the gNB rejects the request.

[0091] 3. The first NAS message from the UE piggybacked in RRCSetupComplete is sent to the AMF.

[0092] 4 / 4a / 5 / 5a. Additional NAS messages can be exchanged between the UE and the AMF, see TS23.502 reference

[22] (3GPP TS23.122: "Non-Access-Stratum (NAS) functions related to Mobile Station inidle mode").

[0093] 6. The AMF prepares the UE context data (including PDU session context, security keys, UE radio capabilities and UE security capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the gNB.

[0094] 7 / 7a.gNB activates AS security with UE.

[0095] 8 / 8a.gNB performs reconfiguration to set up SRB2 and DRB.

[0096] 9. The gNB notifies the AMF that the establishment process is completed.

[0097] RRC is a higher layer signaling (protocol) used for UE and gNB configuration. Specifically, the transition involves the AMF preparing UE context data (including, for example, PDU session context, security keys, UE radio capabilities and UE security capabilities, etc.) and transmitting it to the gNB with an "INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST". The gNB then activates AS security with the UE, which is performed by the gNB sending a SecurityModeCommand message to the UE and by the UE responding to the gNB with a SecurityModeComplete message. After this, the gNB performs reconfiguration by sending an RRCReconfiguration message to the UE and receiving an RRCReconfigurationComplete as a response from the gNB from the UE to establish a Signaling Radio Bearer 2 (SRB 2) and a Data Radio Bearer (DRB). For signaling-only connections, the steps related to RRCReconfiguration are skipped because SRB2 and DRB are not established. Finally, the gNB notifies the AMF of the completion of the establishment procedure using the “INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE”.

[0098] Figure 4 The schematic diagram 400 in FIG. 4 shows some use cases for 5G NR. In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project New Radio (3GPP NR), three use cases are being considered that are envisioned by IMT-2020 to support a wide variety of services and applications. The technical specifications for the first phase of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) have been completed. In addition to further extending eMBB support, current and future work will involve standardization of ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications. Figure 4 Some examples of envisaged usage scenarios of IMT for 2020 and beyond are shown (see, for example, ITU-R M.2083 Figure 2 ).

[0099] URL LC use cases have stringent requirements on capabilities such as throughput, latency, and availability, and are envisioned as one of the enablers for future vertical applications such as wireless control of industrial manufacturing or production processes, telemedicine surgery, distribution automation in smart grids, transportation safety, etc. Ultra-reliability for URLLC is supported by identifying technologies that meet the requirements set by TR 38.913. For NR URLLC in Release 15, the key requirements include a target user plane latency of 0.5ms for UL (uplink) and 0.5ms for DL ​​(downlink). The overall URLLC requirements for one transmission of a packet are: a BLER (block error rate) of 1E-5 for a packet of size 32 bytes and a user plane latency of 1ms.

[0100] From a physical layer perspective, reliability can be improved in a number of possible ways. The scope for improving reliability currently involves defining separate CQI tables for URLLC, more compact DCI formats, repetition of PDCCH, etc. However, as NR becomes more stable and developed (for NR URLLC key requirements), the scope for achieving ultra-reliability is likely to expand. Special use cases for NR URLLC in Release 15 include augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-safety, and mission-critical applications.

[0101] In addition, the technical enhancements targeted by NR URLLC are aimed at delay improvement and reliability improvement. Technical enhancements for delay improvement include configurable parameter sets, mini-slot-based scheduling and flexible mapping, unlicensed (configured authorization) uplink, mini-slot-level repetition of data channels, and downlink preemption. Preemption means that the transmission for which resources have been allocated is stopped, and the allocated resources are used for another transmission requested later, but the other transmission has a lower delay requirement / higher priority requirement. Therefore, the authorized transmission is preempted by the subsequent transmission. Preemption can be applied independently of a specific service type. For example, a transmission of service type A (URL LC) may be preempted by a transmission of service type B (such as eMBB). Technical enhancements for reliability improvement include a dedicated channel quality indicator / modulation and coding scheme (CQI / MCS) table for a target block error rate (BLER) of 1E-5.

[0102] The use case of mMTC (Massive Machine Type Communications) is characterized by a large number of connected devices that typically send relatively small amounts of non-delay sensitive data. The devices need to be low cost and have a long battery life. From the NR perspective, utilizing very narrow bandwidth portions is a possible solution to achieve power savings and extend battery life from the UE perspective.

[0103] As mentioned above, the reliability range of NR is expected to become wider. A key requirement for all cases is high reliability or ultra-reliability, which is particularly necessary for URLLC and mMTC. Several mechanisms can be considered to improve reliability from a radio perspective and a network perspective. In general, there are several key potential areas that can help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, data / control channel repetition, and diversity in frequency, time and / or space domains. These areas apply to general reliability regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0104] For NRURLLC, other use cases with more stringent requirements have been identified, such as factory automation, transportation industry, and power distribution. These more stringent requirements are higher reliability (up to 10 -6 The technology is characterized by high latency, high speed, and low latency (specifically, a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms, depending on the use case), higher availability, packet sizes up to 256 bytes, time synchronization down to a few μs (where this value can be one μs or a few μs, depending on the frequency range), and short latency on the order of 0.5 to 1 ms (specifically, a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms, depending on the use case).

[0105] In addition, for NR URLLC, from the physical layer perspective, several technical enhancements have been identified. These include PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) enhancements, which involve compact DCI, PDCCH repetition, and increased PDCCH monitoring. In addition, UCI (Uplink Control Information) enhancements are related to enhanced HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) and CSI feedback enhancements. In addition, PUSCH enhancements related to mini-slot level hopping and retransmission / repetition enhancements have been identified. The term "mini-slot" refers to a transmission time interval (TTI) that includes a smaller number of symbols than a slot (a slot including 14 symbols).

[0106] The 5G QoS (Quality of Service) model is based on QoS flows and supports QoS flows that require a guaranteed stream bit rate (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require a guaranteed stream bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). Therefore, at the NAS level, QoS flows are the finest granularity of QoS differentiation in a PDU session. QoS flows are identified within a PDU session by a QoS Flow ID (QFI) carried in the encapsulation header of the NG-U interface.

[0107] For each UE, the 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions. For each UE, the NG-RAN establishes at least one data radio bearer (DRB) together with the PDU session, and may subsequently configure additional DRBs for the QoS flows of that PDU session (when to configure depends on the NG-RAN), for example, as described above with reference to Figure 3As shown in Figure 2. NG-RAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in UE and 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS flows, while AS-level mapping rules in UE and NG-RAN associate UL and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0108] Figure 5 The 5G NR non-roaming reference architecture is shown (see TS 23.287 v16.4.0, version 4.2.1.1). Figure 4 The application function (AF) exemplarily described in the specification, such as an external application server hosting a 5G service, interacts with the 3GPP core network to provide services, such as supporting the impact of applications on service routing, accessing the network exposure function (NEF) or interacting with the policy framework for policy control (see Policy Control Function, PCF), such as QoS control. Based on operator deployment, application functions that are considered to be trusted by the operator may be allowed to interact directly with related network functions. Application functions that the operator does not allow direct access to network functions interact with related network functions using an external exposure framework via NEF.

[0109] Figure 5 Further functional units of the 5G architecture for V2X communication are shown, namely unified data management (UDM), policy control function (PCF), network exposure function (NEF), application function (AF), unified data repository (UDR), access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF) and user plane function (UPF) in 5GC, as well as V2X application server (V2AS) and data network (DN) (such as operator services, Internet access or third-party services). All or part of the core network functions and application services can be deployed and run in a cloud computing environment.

[0110] For co-channel coexistence of LTE sidelink and NR sidelink, the two RATs (radio access technologies) can allocate the same time / frequency resources because they share the same radio spectrum. This is different from R16 intra-device coexistence, in which the LTE sidelink and NR sidelink are separated. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a mechanism to handle co-channel coexistence of LTE sidelink and NR sidelink.

[0111] One possible solution to this problem is to leave it to gNB scheduling for SL with the base station. Another solution is to simply reuse all the rules specified for R16 in-device coexistence for SL without the base station. However, there are issues such as how to prioritize packets with higher priority when it comes to transmission, and UE implementation is required for all other cases.

[0112] For co-channel coexistence of LTE side link and NR side link, radio resources can be classified according to different purposes. For example, there may be resources used only for LTE side link, resources used only for NR side link, and resources shared by both LTE side link and NR side link. The visibility of classification may be different for different UEs. For UEs that support resources shared by LTE side link and NR side link, they can identify all categories; while for UEs that do not support resources shared by LTE side link and NR side link, they can only identify some of the categories (e.g., only the first one or the first two categories).

[0113] Resources can be implemented as configurable sets (e.g., resource pools), or separated in time or frequency (by regulators, vendors, etc.). Resources used for different purposes can be mutually exclusive or overlapping with each other. Resources can be further separated for transmit (TX) or receive (RX) purposes.

[0114] In an embodiment, for an RF band that both the LTE side link and the NR side link can access (e.g., an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) band), the band can be configured with different types of resource pools, such as a resource pool for the LTE side link only, a resource pool for the NR side link only, and a resource pool shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link (e.g., shared resources). For the first two types of resource pools, only LTE UEs and NR UEs can access them respectively. For resource pools shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link, both LTE UEs and NR UEs can access them. For LTE-only UEs, they can treat the shared pool in the same way as the LTE-only pool. For NR-only UEs, they can treat the shared pool in the same way as the NR-only pool. For UEs that support both LTE and NR without the ability to share resources, they can treat the shared pool as an LTE-only resource pool or an NR-only resource pool by configuration, pre-configuration, or specified behavior. Each of these resource pools may also be referred to as multiple resources. Multiple resources used only for the LTE side link, multiple resources used only for the NR side link, and multiple shared resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link may be indicated by physical or higher layer signaling or may be defined in the technical specification.

[0115] For a UE supporting both LTE and NR and having the capability for shared resources, when performing NR SL TX, a reservation and / or indication (e.g., reservation, indication of one or more resources of NR, or control information related to one or more resources of NR) may be signaled via LTE signaling (e.g., Sidelink Control Information (SCI)) defined in the LTE / LTE-Advanced system or to be defined in the LTE / LTE-Advanced system, so that the LTE UE will be able to skip the resources used by NR. The LTE reservation and / or indication may precede the NR transmission, such as Fig. 6A 600. For example, an LTE or NR transmission such as an LTE physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) 602 is sent with an LTE PSSCH 604 transmission prior to a transmission of an NR PSSCH 606. LTE reservations and / or indications may also be sent with NR transmissions. For example, Figure 6B In diagram 608, an LTE physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) 610 is transmitted along with a transmission of the NR PSSCH 612. This arrangement requires simultaneous LTE and NR TX.

[0116] Alternatively, the SCI information may be signaled via different radio access technologies (RATs, e.g., LTE, NR, etc.) depending on the receiving UE. For information to be received by LTE-only UEs, UEs capable of utilizing shared resources may also receive the information via LTE sidelink resources instead of NR. For information to be received by NR-capable UEs, UEs capable of utilizing shared resources may also receive the information via NR sidelink resources.

[0117] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to separate the LTE / NR side links and reserve / indicate transmission to handle conflicts between the LTE and NR side links, some conflict handling rules can also be utilized. This conflict occurs when LTE SL (Tx or Rx) and NR SL (Tx or Rx) exist simultaneously for the UE or for the system. The conflict situation can be classified as: [LTE TX, NR TX]; [LTETX, NR RX]; [LTE RX, NR TX]; [LTE RX, NR RX]. For the conflict situations of [LTE TX, NR TX], [LTE TX, NR RX], [LTE RX, NR TX], the same R16 priority rules for TX / RX packets with higher priority can be reused. For the conflict situation of [LTE RX, NR RX], a SL UE with simultaneous Rx capability can be defined so that the UE can receive both LTE PSCCH and NR PSCCH at the same time. For such a UE with simultaneous Rx capability, which RAT PSSCH to receive can be decided by the priority value of PSCCH, or other sidelink control information and / or signals (e.g., sidelink channel state information (SL-CSI)) and / or reports (e.g., SL measurement reports) on PSCCH or PSSCH. LTE / NR can be frequency division multiplexed (FDMed) in the same time slot, e.g. Fig. 7A As shown in diagram 700 of FIG. 7 (e.g., LTE RX 702 and NR RX 704 may be in the same time slot 706), or overlapped via code / space separation, as shown in FIG. Figure 7B As shown in diagram 708 (e.g., LTE RX 710 and NR RX 712 overlap each other in the time domain and / or frequency domain).

[0118] For any conflicting situations where the priority for LTE and NR is the same, or when the priority is unknown, the SL UE can choose to (1) prioritize one of LTE TX, LTE RX, NR TX, and NR RX, (2) prioritize packets with a certain UE type (e.g., TX only, RX only, road side unit (RSU), etc.), and (3) one or more combinations of the above (e.g., RSU with LTE-Tx, TX only UE with LTE-Tx, etc.).

[0119] During the discussion of in-device coexistence, the Tx / Rx of NR PSFCH is considered the same as regular NR Tx / Rx because LTE and NR have different spectrums. For co-channel coexistence, some optimizations can be applied because PSFCH only occupies the last 2 / 3 symbols within a slot (except for guard symbols). For more efficient resource utilization, when NR PSFCH collides with LTE, the UE can send LTE PSCCH / PSSCH with a shortened length together with NR PSFCH in the same slot, such as Fig. 8A and 8B For example, in Fig. 8A In the diagram 800 of FIG. 8 , LTE PSCCH 802 and LTE PSSCH 804 are time division multiplexed (TDMed) with NR PSFCH 806 in the same time slot 808 and Figure 8B In diagram 810, LTE PSSCH 814 is time-division multiplexed with NR PSFCH 816 in the same time slot 818, and the combination is frequency-division multiplexed with LTE PSCCH 812. In both diagrams, the LTE portion may use the first 10 symbols, while the NR PSFCH may use the next 3 symbols. These examples require a different or modified MCS from the current LTE and NR technical specifications, and / or different or modified resource element mapping rules for LTE PSSCH and / or LTE PSCCH so that the data can be correctly mapped to radio resources accessible to both NR and LTE UEs. Alternatively, the UE can prioritize packets with PSFCH Tx / Rx by comparing the priority of the NR PSCCH with the LTE PSCCH priority or the LTE PSSCH priority, or prioritize packets with higher priority.

[0120] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, for the conflict situation of [LTE TX, NR TX], in addition to the R16 in-device coexistence drop rules, some optimizations of dynamic power sharing can be considered for simultaneous transmissions. cmax ), the UE can perform simultaneous transmission.

[0121] When the sum of the default power of LTE and NR is greater than the limit P cmax When the priorities from the two RATs are known to have different values, the UE may (1) send the RAT with the higher priority packets (separately) and discard the other RAT packets, (2) send the (pre-)configured prioritized RAT packets and discard the other RAT packets, (3) send the RAT with its default power (e.g., P PSSCH，LTE ) to send the RAT with the higher priority packet and use the remaining power (e.g., P PSSCH,NR=P CMAX -P PSSCH,LTE ) to send packets with lower priority to the RAT, (4) to send packets with higher weight (e.g., P PSSCH,LTE =a*P cmax ) to send packets with higher priority, and to send packets with lower weight (e.g., P PSSCH,NR =b*P cmax ) to the RAT with the lower priority packet (where a>b and a+b≤1). On the other hand, if it is known that the priorities from the two RATs have the same value, the UE can (1) transmit the different RATs at the same power, i.e., P PSSCH，NR =P PSSCH，LTE ≤0.5*P cmax , and (2) send (pre)configured prioritized RAT packets and discard other RAT packets. In one embodiment, when the priorities from two RATs are unknown, the UE can (1) send different RATs at the same power, i.e., P PSSCH，NR =P PSSCH，LTE ≤0.5*P cmax , (2) send (pre-)configured prioritized RAT packets and discard other RAT packets, (3) send gNB (if Mode-1) semi-statically configure UE to prioritize LTE or NR packets, (4) send UE at its default power (e.g. P PSSCH，LTE ) sends packets of the (pre-)configured prioritized RATs and uses the remaining power (e.g., P PSSCH，LTE =a*P cmax ) send other RATs with lower priority packets, and (5) send packets with higher weighted P cmax (For example, P PSSCH，LTE =a*P cmax ) sends packets of the prioritized RAT and sends packets with lower weighted P cmax (For example, P PSSCH，NR =b*P cmax ) sends packets of other RATs (where a>b and a+b≤1). In such transmission, the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in different symbols may be affected and some modes may be disabled for simultaneous transmission of LTE SL and NR SL.

[0122] The UE may first attempt to use an LTE-only or NR-only resource pool, and if the conditions are met (e.g., the channel busy ratio / channel occupancy ratio (CBR / CR) exceeds a certain threshold), the UE may attempt to switch to a shared LTE / NR resource pool.

[0123] For a resource pool shared by LTE SL and NR SL, the resource pool can be freely used by LTE and NR SL. The resource pool can also be separated, for example, some parts are used for LTE SL and some other parts are used for NR SL.

[0124] For resource pools shared by LTE SL and NR SL, it may not make sense for LTE to schedule resources for NR if LTE schedules resources for NR in the PHY layer. NR scheduling resources for LTE may be achieved by some reserved bits in the first phase SCI transmission, or a new second phase SCI format may be used to indicate LTE scheduling resources or scheduled LTE resources. LTE reporting to NR and NR reporting to LTE about resource allocation of RATs may be reports to another RAT or another UE through the payload (but not through the physical layer).

[0125] For a resource pool shared by LTE SL and NR SL, it is also possible to specify that the periodic reservation for LTE V2X is used for LTE V2X and the remaining resources are used for NR V2X. Dynamically scheduled NR can take precedence over LTE even if it has a lower priority.

[0126] Since LTE subcarrier spacing (SCS) is only 15kHz, while NR has multiple options of 15 / 30 / 60 / 120kHz, the resource pool shared by LTE SL and NR SL can be limited to 15kHz SCS.

[0127] For long term time scale coordination, the resource pool being utilized can be simply treated as a LTE-only or NR-only resource pool. R16 rules can still be reused. For short term time scale coordination, dynamic scheduling and processing may be required. For long term time scale mixed with short term time scale coordination, it will be treated the same as short term time scale coordination, or treated as a LTE / NR shared resource pool (long term) with NR / LTE SL (short term) with dynamic scheduling.

[0128] For UEs supporting both LTE SL and NR SL, all UEs supporting both LTE SL and NR SL can access the resources or resource pool shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link, or only some UEs supporting both LTE SL and NR SL can access the resources or resource pool shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link, and some other UEs supporting both LTE SL and NR SL cannot access the resources or resource pool shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link.

[0129] The UE can assign / indicate resources of another UE based on the category of resources. In addition, the embodiments and examples described above are applicable to SL UEs without base station scheduling (LTE mode-4, NR mode-2) and SL UEs with base station scheduling (LTE mode-3, NR mode-1).

[0130] Fig. 9 A flow chart 900 illustrating a communication method according to various embodiments is shown. In step 902, a category is selected from a plurality of categories, the plurality of categories comprising: a first category relating to a plurality of resources used only for a long term evolution (LTE) side link, the LTE side link comprising LTE side link data and / or LTE side link control information (SCI), a second category relating to a plurality of resources used only for a new radio (NR) side link, the NR side link comprising NR side link data and / or NR SCI, and a third category relating to a plurality of resources shared by an LTE side link and an NR side link. In step 904, the side link data and / or SCI are transmitted based on the selected category, the side link data being LTE or NR side link data, and the SCI being LTE or NR SCI.

[0131] Fig.10 It is shown that according to Figures 1 to 9 Schematic partially exploded view of a communication device 1000 of various embodiments and example implementations shown. According to various embodiments, the communication device 1000 may be implemented as a UE or a base station.

[0132] The various functions and operations of the communication device 1000 are arranged into layers according to a layered model. In this model, lower layers report to higher layers and receive instructions from them according to 3GPP technical specifications. For simplicity, the details of the layered model are not discussed in this disclosure.

[0133] like Fig.10 As shown, the communication device 1000 may include a circuit 1014, at least one radio transmitter 1002, at least one radio receiver 1004, and at least one antenna 1012 (for simplicity, for the purpose of illustration, in Fig.10Only one antenna is depicted in the figure). The circuit 1014 may include at least one controller 1006 for software and hardware assistance in performing the tasks that the at least one controller 1006 is designed to perform, including controlling communications with one or more other communication devices in the wireless network. The circuit 1014 may also include at least one transmit signal generator 1008 and at least one receive signal processor 1010. The at least one controller 1006 may control the at least one transmit signal generator 1008 to generate signals (e.g., signals indicating a geographic area) to be transmitted to one or more other communication devices via the at least one radio transmitter 1002, and control the at least one receive signal processor 1010 to process signals (e.g., signals indicating a geographic area) received from one or more other communication devices via the at least one radio receiver 1004. The at least one transmit signal generator 1008 and the at least one receive signal processor 1010 may be independent modules of the communication device 1000, which communicate with the at least one controller 1006 for the above-mentioned functions, such as Fig.10 As shown. Alternatively, at least one transmit signal generator 1008 and at least one receive signal processor 1010 may be included in at least one controller 1006. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the arrangement of these functional modules is flexible and may vary according to actual needs and / or requirements. Data processing, storage and other related control devices may be provided on appropriate circuit boards and / or in chipsets. In various embodiments, at least one radio transmitter 1002, at least one radio receiver 1004 and at least one antenna 1012 may be controlled by at least one controller 1006.

[0134] The communication device 1000 provides the functionality required for SL co-channel coexistence of LTE and NR. For example, the communication device 1000 can be a UE, and the circuit 1014 can select a category from a plurality of categories, the plurality of categories including: a first category related to a plurality of resources used only for a long term evolution (LTE) side link, the LTE side link including LTE side link data and / or LTE side link control information (SCI), a second category related to a plurality of resources used only for a new radio (NR) side link, the NR side link including NR side link data and / or NR SCI, and a third category related to a plurality of shared resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link. The transmitter 1002 can transmit the side link data and / or SCI based on the selected category, wherein the side link data is LTE or NR side link data, and the side link SCI is LTE or NR SCI.

[0135] A plurality of resources used only for the LTE side link, a plurality of resources used only for the NR side link, and a plurality of shared resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link may be indicated by physical or higher layer signaling, or defined in a technical specification. The communication device may be an LTE-only UE, and the circuit 1014 may select the first category or the third category. The communication device 1000 may be an NR-only UE, and the circuit 1014 may select the second category or the third category. The communication device 1000 may support both LTE and NR side links and may not have the capability for the third category, and the circuit 1014 may also select the first category or the second category based on a configuration, pre-configuration, or specified behavior. The communication device 1000 may support both LTE and NR side links and may have the capability for the third category, and the circuit 1014 may also select the first category, the second category, or the third category based on a configuration, pre-configuration, or specified behavior. The transmitter 1002 may transmit the NR side link, and the LTE SCI includes an indication for the LTE UE to skip resources used by the NR side link in the plurality of shared resources, and the LTE SCI is transmitted before or during the transmission of the NR side link.

[0136] Different radio resources may be allocated to a plurality of resources used only for the LTE side link, a plurality of resources used only for the NR side link, and a plurality of shared resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link, and the transmitter 1002 may use the radio resources allocated to the selected category to transmit the side link data and / or the side link SCI. The transmitter 1002 may also skip the transmission timing of the side link data and / or the side link SCI based on reservation or indication.

[0137] The communication device 1000 may be a UE with simultaneous Rx (receive) capability, and further includes a receiver that simultaneously receives an LTE physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and an NR PSCCH based on priority values ​​of the LTE PSCCH and the NR PSCCH, or based on other sidelink control information, sidelink channel state information (SL-CSI), or SL measurement reports on the PSCCH or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH). The LTE PSCCH and the NR PSCCH may be frequency domain multiplexed (FDMed) in the same time slot, or overlap each other via code or spatial separation.

[0138] Circuit 1014 may prioritize one of LTE sidelink transmission (Tx), LTE sidelink Rx, NR sidelink Tx, and NR sidelink Rx, a grouping of only Tx UE type, only Rx UE type, and road side unit (RSU), or a combination thereof. Transmitter 1002 may transmit an LTE sidelink in a time slot when an NR physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) is also transmitted in the same time slot, the LTE sidelink including an LTE PSCCH and / or an LTE physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) with a shortened symbol length. The NR PSFCH may be transmitted in the last 2 or 3 symbols of the time slot, and the LTE PSSCH may be transmitted in a portion of symbols other than the last 2 or 3 symbols in the time slot.

[0139] The transmitter 1002 may also provide a maximum possible output power (P cmax ) when the LTE and NR side links are sent simultaneously. The transmitter 1002 may also transmit the LTE and NR side links when the sum of the default powers of the LTE side link and the NR side link is greater than the P of the communication device 1000. cmax When the LTE and NR sidelink data and / or SCI are transmitted based on the priority value associated with the LTE sidelink and another priority value associated with the NR sidelink, the transmitter 1002 may also transmit the LTE sidelink or NR sidelink with a higher priority packet at its default power, and transmit the corresponding NR sidelink or LTE sidelink with a lower priority packet at the remaining power. The transmitter 1002 may also transmit the LTE sidelink or NR sidelink with a higher priority packet at a higher power weight, and transmit the corresponding NR or LTE sidelink with a lower priority packet at a lower power weight.

[0140] (Control signal)

[0141] In the present disclosure, the downlink control signal (information) related to the present disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted through the PDCCH of the physical layer, or may be a signal (information) transmitted through a higher layer MAC control element (CE) or RRC. The downlink control signal may be a predefined signal (information).

[0142] The uplink control signal (information) related to the present disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted through the PUCCH of the physical layer, or may be a signal (information) transmitted through the MAC CE or RRC of a higher layer. In addition, the uplink control signal may be a predefined signal (information). The uplink control signal may be replaced with uplink control information (UCI), first-stage sidelink control information (SCI), or second-stage SCI.

[0143] (Base Station)

[0144] In the present disclosure, a base station may be, for example, a transmit receive point (TRP), a cluster head, an access point, a remote radio head (RRH), an eNodeB (eNB), a gNodeB (gNB), a base station (BS), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base station unit, or a gateway. In addition, in sidelink communications, a terminal may be used instead of a base station. A base station may be a relay device that relays communications between a higher node and a terminal. A base station may also be a roadside unit.

[0145] (Uplink / Downlink / Sidelink)

[0146] The present disclosure may be applied to any one of an uplink, a downlink, and a sidelink.

[0147] The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, uplink channels (such as PUSCH, PUCCH and PRACH), downlink channels (such as PDSCH, PDCCH and PBCH), and sidelink channels (such as physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH)).

[0148] PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH and PUCCH are examples of downlink control channel, downlink data channel, uplink data channel and uplink control channel, respectively. PSCCH and PSSCH are examples of sidelink control channel and sidelink data channel, respectively. PBCH and PSBCH are examples of broadcast channels, respectively, and PRACH is an example of random access channel.

[0149] (Data Channel / Control Channel)

[0150] The present disclosure may be applied to any one of a data channel and a control channel. The channels in the present disclosure may be replaced with data channels including PDSCH, PUSCH and PSSCH and / or control channels including PDCCH, PUCCH, PBCH, PSCCH and PSBCH.

[0151] (Reference signal)

[0152] In the present disclosure, a reference signal is a signal known to both a base station and a mobile station, and each reference signal may be referred to as a reference signal (RS) or sometimes referred to as a pilot signal. The reference signal may be any one of a DMRS, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a tracking reference signal (TRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), and a sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0153] (Time interval)

[0154] In the present disclosure, the time resource unit is not limited to one or a combination of a time slot and a symbol, and may be a time resource unit (such as a frame, a superframe, a subframe, a time slot, a time slot subslot, a microslot) or a time resource unit (such as a symbol, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a single carrier frequency division multiplexing access (SC-FDMA) symbol) or other time resource units. The number of symbols included in a time slot is not limited to any number of symbols exemplified in the above embodiments, and may be other numbers of symbols.

[0155] (frequency band)

[0156] The present disclosure is applicable to any of the licensed frequency band and the unlicensed frequency band.

[0157] (communication)

[0158] The present disclosure can be applied to any of the communication between a base station and a terminal (Uu link communication), the communication between terminals (side link communication), and the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The channels in the present disclosure can be replaced with PSCCH, PSSCH, physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), PSBCH, PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PBCH.

[0159] In addition, the present disclosure can be applied to any of a terrestrial network using a satellite or a high altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS) or a network other than a terrestrial network (NTN: non-terrestrial network). In addition, the present disclosure can be applied to a network having a large cell size, and a terrestrial network such as an ultra-wideband transmission network having a large delay compared to a symbol length or a time slot length.

[0160] (Antenna port)

[0161] An antenna port refers to a logical antenna (antenna group) formed by one or more physical antennas. That is, an antenna port does not necessarily refer to one physical antenna, and sometimes refers to an array antenna formed by multiple antennas, etc. For example, it is not defined how many physical antennas form an antenna port, but an antenna port is defined as the minimum unit through which a terminal is allowed to send a reference signal. An antenna port can also be defined as the minimum unit for multiplication of precoding vector weights.

[0162] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an advanced communication system, a communication method, and a communication device that advantageously implement SL co-channel coexistence of LTE and NR.

[0163] The present disclosure can be implemented by software, hardware or in collaboration with software and hardware. Each functional block used in the description of each embodiment described above can be partially or completely implemented by an LSI such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in each embodiment can be partially or completely controlled by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. LSI can be formed as multiple chips alone, or a chip can be formed to include some or all functional blocks. LSI may include data input and output coupled thereto. According to the difference in integration, the LSI here may be referred to as IC, system LSI, super LSI or ultra LSI. However, the technology for implementing integrated circuits is not limited to LSI, and can be implemented by using a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. In addition, an FPGA (field programmable gate array) that can be programmed after the manufacture of the LSI or a reconfigurable processor in which the connection and setting of the circuit unit arranged inside the LSI can be reconfigured can be used. The present disclosure can be implemented as digital processing or analog processing. If future integrated circuit technology replaces LSI due to the advancement of semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, future integrated circuit technology can be used to integrate functional blocks. Biotechnology can also be applied.

[0164] The present disclosure may be implemented by any kind of device, apparatus, or system having a communication function, which is referred to as a communication device.

[0165] Some non-limiting examples of such communication devices include phones (e.g., cellular (cell) phones, smart phones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktop computers, netbooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smart watches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine (remote health and medicine) devices, and vehicles providing communication capabilities (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), and various combinations thereof.

[0166] Communication devices are not limited to portable or transportable, and may also include any kind of device, equipment, or system that is non-portable or fixed, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lighting, smart meters, control panels), vending machines, and any other "things" in an "Internet of Things (IoT)" network.

[0167] Communications may include exchanging data via, for example, cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, satellite systems, etc., and various combinations thereof.

[0168] The communication apparatus may include a device such as a controller or a sensor coupled to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in the present disclosure. For example, the communication apparatus may include a controller or a sensor that generates a control signal or a data signal used by the communication device that performs the communication functions of the communication apparatus.

[0169] The communication apparatus may also include infrastructure such as base stations, access points, and any other apparatus, device, or system that communicates with or controls apparatuses such as those in the above non-limiting examples.

[0170] It should be understood that, although some features of the various embodiments have been described with reference to an apparatus, the corresponding features also apply to the method of the various embodiments, and vice versa.

[0171] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many changes and / or modifications may be made to the present disclosure as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure as broadly described. Therefore, the present embodiments are to be considered in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising: A circuit that selects a category from a plurality of categories, the plurality of categories comprising: - a first category relating to a plurality of resources used only for a Long Term Evolution (LTE) sidelink, the LTE sidelink comprising LTE sidelink data and / or LTE sidelink control information (SCI), - a second category relating to a plurality of resources used only for a New Radio (NR) side link, the NR side link comprising NR side link data and / or NR SCI, and - a third category related to a plurality of shared resources shared by the LTE sidelink and the NR sidelink; and A transmitter that sends sidelink data and / or SCI based on the selected category, wherein the sidelink data is LTE or NR sidelink data and the sidelink SCI is LTE or NR SCI.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The multiple resources used only for the LTE side link, the multiple resources used only for the NR side link, and the multiple shared resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link are indicated by physical or higher layer signaling or defined in the technical specification.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device is an LTE-only user equipment (UE), and the circuit selects the first category or the third category.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device is a NR-only UE, and the circuit selects the second category or the third category.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device supports both the LTE side link and the NR side link and does not have capabilities for the third category, and the circuit also selects the first category or the second category based on a configuration, preconfiguration, or specified behavior.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device supports both the LTE side link and the NR side link and has capabilities for the third category, and the circuit also selects the first category, the second category or the third category based on a configuration, preconfiguration or specified behavior.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: The transmitter also transmits the NR side link, and the LTE SCI includes an indication for the LTE UE to skip resources among the multiple shared resources used by the NR side link, and the LTE SCI is transmitted before or during the transmission of the NR side link.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: Different radio resources are allocated to the multiple resources used only for the LTE side link, the multiple resources used only for the NR side link, and the multiple shared resources shared by the LTE side link and the NR side link, and the transmitter also uses the radio resources allocated to the selected category to send the side link data and / or the side link SCI.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitter also skips a transmission opportunity of the sidelink data and / or the sidelink SCI based on a reservation or an indication.

10. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device is a UE with simultaneous Rx (reception) capability, and also includes a receiver, which simultaneously receives the LTE PSCCH and the NRPSCCH based on the priority values ​​of the LTE physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and the NRPSCCH, or based on other sidelink control information, sidelink channel state information (SL-CSI) or SL measurement report on the PSCCH or physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH).

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein: The LTE PSCCH and the NR PSCCH are frequency domain multiplexed (FDMed) in the same time slot or overlapped with each other via code or spatial separation.

12. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The circuit also prioritizes one of the LTE sidelink transmission (Tx), LTE sidelink Rx, the NR sidelink Tx and NR sidelink Rx, or groups of only Tx UE type, only Rx UE type and road side unit (RSU), or a combination thereof.

13. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitter also transmits an LTE side link including an LTE PSCCH and / or an LTE physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) with a shortened symbol length in the time slot when the NR physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) is also transmitted in the same time slot.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein: The NR PSFCH is transmitted in the last 2 or 3 symbols of the time slot, and the LTE PSSCH is transmitted in a portion of symbols except the last 2 or 3 symbols in the time slot.

15. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitter also transmits the LTE side link and the NR side link simultaneously when the sum of the default powers of the LTE side link and the NR side link is lower than the configured maximum possible output power (Pcmax) of the communication device.

16. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The transmitter also sends the LTE and NR side link data and / or SCI based on a priority value associated with the LTE side link and another priority value associated with the NR side link when the sum of the default powers of the LTE side link and the NR side link is greater than Pcmax of the communication device.

17. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein: The transmitter also transmits the LTE side link or the NR side link having higher priority packets at its default power, and transmits the corresponding NR side link or LTE side link having lower priority packets at the remaining power.

18. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein: The transmitter also transmits the LTE side link or the NR side link having higher priority packets at a higher weighted power, and transmits the corresponding NR or LTE side link having lower priority packets at a lower weighted power.

19. A communication method, comprising: Select a category from a plurality of categories, the plurality of categories comprising: - a first category relating to a plurality of resources used only for a Long Term Evolution (LTE) sidelink, the LTE sidelink comprising LTE sidelink data and / or LTE sidelink control information (SCI), - a second category relating to a plurality of resources used only for a New Radio (NR) side link, the NR side link comprising NR side link data and / or NR SCI, and - a third category related to a plurality of shared resources shared by the LTE sidelink and the NR sidelink; and Sidelink data and / or SCI are sent based on the selected category, wherein the sidelink data is LTE or NR sidelink data and the sidelink SCI is LTE or NR SCI.

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