Multiplexing mechanism for SL PRS and PSCCH transmissions

Abstract

Apparatus and systems are described that provide sidelink position reference signal (SL PRS) and physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmissions. The PSCCH carrying sidelink control information (SCI) and the SL PRS are time division multiplexed (TDM) in a specific time slot. The PSCCH is transmitted in a dedicated resource pool for the SL PRS, the dedicated resource pool including a dedicated resource region allocated for the PSCCH transmission. The SL PRS is transmitted in a shared resource pool for the SL communication and the SL PRS. The SL PRS resource index is indicated in a second stage SCI carried by a physical side link shared channel (PSSCH), and the PSSCH, the PSCCH and the SL PRS are TDM. The start symbol and / or length of the SL PRS is predefined in the 3GPP specification or configured by higher layer signaling (pre).

Description

[0001] Priority claim

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 390,393 filed on July 19, 2022 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 422,367 filed on November 3, 2022, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments relate to sidelink communications in 3GPP networks. In particular, some embodiments relate to multiplexing of sidelink positioning reference signals and physical sidelink control channel transmissions in fifth generation (5G) and later networks. Background Art

[0004] The use and complexity of wireless systems has increased due to the types of electronic devices using network resources and the amount of data and bandwidth used by various applications such as video streaming that operate on electronic devices. As expected, the emergence of any new technology brings with it several issues, including the complexities associated with sidelink communications, which are used in a wide variety of development applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like reference numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings generally illustrate various embodiments discussed in this document by way of example and not by way of limitation.

[0006] Figure 1A The architecture of a network according to some aspects is illustrated.

[0007] Figure 1B A non-roaming 5G system architecture is illustrated in accordance with some aspects.

[0008] Figure 1C A non-roaming 5G system architecture is illustrated in accordance with some aspects.

[0009] Figure 2 A block diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0010] Figure 3 Sidelink positioning according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 4 Illustrated is a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmission within a sidelink position reference signal (SL PRS) resource of a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 5An example of multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in a time domain multiplexing (TDM) manner in a SL-PR resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 6 An example of multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in different time slots according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 7 An example of multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in a SL PRS resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 8 An example of multiplexing SL PRS with PSSCH and PSCCH in a shared resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0016] Fig. 9 An example of collision handling between SL PRS and Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) in a shared resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0017] Fig.10 An example of conflict handling between SL PRS and DMRS in a shared resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated.

[0018] Fig.11 A flow chart is illustrated for multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in a SL PRS resource pool according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following description and the accompanying drawings fully illustrate the specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to implement them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, process and other changes. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included in other embodiments, or replace parts and features of other embodiments. The embodiments recorded in the claims cover all available equivalents of these claims.

[0020] Figure 1A The architecture of a network according to some aspects is illustrated. The network 140A includes 3GPP LTE / 4G and NG network functions that can be extended to 6G and later generation functions. Therefore, although 5G is mentioned herein, it is to be understood that this is extendable to 6G (and later) structures, systems, and functions. The network functions can be implemented as discrete network elements on dedicated hardware, software instances running on dedicated hardware, and / or virtualized functions instantiated on an appropriate platform, for example, dedicated hardware or cloud infrastructure.

[0021] Network 140A is shown to include user equipment (UE) 101 and UE 102. UE 101 and 102 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touch screen mobile computing devices that can connect to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing devices, such as portable (laptop) or desktop computers, wireless handsets, drones, or any other computing device that includes wired and / or wireless communication interfaces. UE 101 and 102 may be collectively referred to herein as UE 101, and UE 101 may be used to perform one or more techniques disclosed herein.

[0022] Any radio link described herein (e.g., used in network 140A or any other illustrated network) may operate according to any exemplary radio communication technology and / or standard. Any spectrum management scheme, including, for example, dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (e.g., Licensed Shared Access (LSA) in 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz and other frequencies and Spectrum Access System (SAS) in 3.55-3.7 GHz and other frequencies). Different single carrier or OFDM modes (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filterbank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.), in particular 3GPP NR, may be used by allocating Orthogonal Frequency Domain Multiplexing (OFDM) carrier data bit vectors to corresponding symbol resources.

[0023] In some aspects, any one of UE 101 and 102 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) UE or a cellular IoT (CIoT) UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-term UE connections. In some aspects, any one of UE 101 and 102 may include a narrowband (NB) IoT UE (e.g., such as an enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) UE and a further enhanced (FeNB-IoT) UE). The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communications (MTC) to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), proximity-based services (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communications, sensor networks, or IoT networks. The M2M or MTC data exchange may be a machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network includes interconnecting IoT UEs using short-term connections, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure). The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate the connection of the IoT network. In some aspects, any one of the UEs 101 and 102 may include an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE or a further enhanced MTC (FeMTC) UE.

[0024] UEs 101 and 102 may be configured to be connected, e.g., communicatively coupled, to a radio access network (RAN) 110. RAN 110 may be, for example, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or some other type of RAN. RAN 110 may include one or more gNBs, one or more of which may be implemented by multiple units. Note that while gNBs may be mentioned herein, the same aspects may also apply to other generations of NodeBs, e.g., the 6th generation NodeB—and thus may also be referred to alternatively as the next generation NodeB (xNB).

[0025] Each gNB can implement protocol entities in the 3GPP protocol stack, and the layers in the protocol stack are considered to be ordered, from low to high in the following order: Physical (PHY), Medium Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Control (PDCP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC) / Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) (for control plane / user plane). The protocol layers in each gNB can be distributed in different units - Central Unit (CU), at least one Distributed Unit (DU), and Remote Radio Head (RRH). The CU can provide functions such as transmission control of user data and implement mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, and session management, in addition to those functions specifically assigned to the DU.

[0026] The higher protocol layers (PDCP and RRC for the control plane / PDCP and SDAP for the user plane) may be implemented in the CU, and the RLC and MAC layers may be implemented in the DU. The PHY layer may be split, with the higher PHY layers also implemented in the DU and the lower PHY layers implemented in the RRH. The CU, DU, and RRH may be implemented by different manufacturers, but they may be connected through appropriate interfaces. The CU may be connected to multiple DUs.

[0027] The interfaces within the gNB include E1 and front-haul (F) F1 interfaces. The E1 interface can be between the CU control plane (gNB-CU-CP) and the CU user plane (gNB-CU-UP), so that the exchange of signaling information between the control plane and the user plane can be supported through the E1AP service. The E1 interface can separate the radio network layer and the transport network layer, and enable the exchange of UE-associated information and non-UE-associated information. The E1AP service can be a non-UE-associated service related to the entire E1 interface instance between the gNB-CU-CP and the gNB-CU-UP using a non-UE-associated signaling connection, as well as a UE-associated service related to a single UE and associated with a UE-associated signaling connection maintained for the UE.

[0028] The F1 interface can be arranged between the CU and the DU. The CU can control the operation of the DU through the F1 interface. Since the signaling in the gNB is divided into control plane and user plane signaling, the F1 interface can be divided into an F1-C interface for control plane signaling between the gNB-DU and the gNB-CU-CP, and an F1-U interface for user plane signaling between the gNB-DU and the gNB-CU-UP, which support control plane and user plane separation. The F1 interface can separate the radio network and the transport network layers, and enable the exchange of UE-associated information and non-UE-associated information. In addition, the F2 interface can be between the lower and upper parts of the NR PHY layer. The F2 interface can also be separated into F2-C and F2-U interfaces based on the control plane and user plane functions.

[0029] UEs 101 and 102 utilize connections 103 and 104, respectively, each of which includes a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in more detail below); in this example, connections 103 and 104 are illustrated as air interfaces to enable communication coupling and may conform to cellular communication protocols, such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, code-division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, PTT over Cellular (POC) protocol, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, 5G protocol, 6G protocol, and the like.

[0030] In one aspect, the UEs 101 and 102 may also directly exchange communication data via the ProSe interface 105. The ProSe interface 105 may also be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface including one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), and a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0031] UE 102 is shown as being configured to access access point (AP) 106 via connection 107. Connection 107 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection compliant with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, according to which AP 106 may include wireless fidelity (WFI). ) router. In this example, AP 106 is shown connected to the Internet, but not to the core network of the wireless system (described in more detail below).

[0032] The RAN 110 may include one or more access nodes that enable connections 103 and 104. These access nodes (AN) may be referred to as base stations (BS), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), next generation NodeBs (gNBs), RAN nodes, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., ground access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a certain geographic area (e.g., a cell). In some aspects, the communication nodes 111 and 112 may be transmission-reception points (TRPs). In the case where the communication nodes 111 and 112 are NodeBs (e.g., eNBs or gNBs), one or more TRPs may operate within the communication cell of the NodeB. The RAN 110 may include one or more RAN nodes for providing macro cells, such as a macro RAN node 111, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femto cells or micro cells (e.g., cells with a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth than macro cells), such as a low power (LP) RAN node 112.

[0033] Any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 may terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for the UEs 101 and 102. In some aspects, any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 may perform various logical functions for the RAN 110, including but not limited to radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. In one example, any of the nodes 111 and / or 112 may be a gNB, an eNB, or another type of RAN node.

[0034] RAN 110 is shown as being communicatively coupled to a core network (CN) 120 via an S1 interface 113. In one aspect, CN 120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a NextGen Packet Core (NPC) network, or some other type of CN (e.g., as described in reference to FIG. Figure 1B-Figure 1CIn this aspect, the S1 interface 113 is split into two parts: an S1-U interface 114, which carries traffic data between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and a serving gateway (S-GW) 122, and an S1 mobility management entity (MME) interface 115, which is a signaling interface between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and the MME 121.

[0035] In this aspect, CN 120 includes MME 121, S-GW 122, Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) 123, and Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 124. MME 121 may be functionally similar to the control plane of a conventional Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). MME 121 may manage mobility aspects in access, such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. HSS 124 may include a database for network users, including subscription related information, to support network entities in handling communication sessions. CN 120 may include one or several HSS 124, depending on the number of mobile subscribers, the capacity of the equipment, the organization of the network, and the like. For example, HSS 124 may provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / addressing resolution, location compliance, and the like.

[0036] The S-GW 122 may terminate the S1 interface 110 towards the RAN 113 and route data packets between the RAN 110 and the CN 120. In addition, the S-GW 122 may be a local mobility anchor point for handovers between RAN nodes and may also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities of the S-GW 122 may include lawful interception, charging, and some policy enforcement.

[0037] The P-GW 123 may terminate the SGi interface toward the PDN. The P-GW 123 may route data packets between the CN 120 and external networks, such as a network including an application server 184 (or an application function (AF)) via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125. The P-GW 123 may also communicate data to other external networks 131A, which may include the Internet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IPS) network, and other networks. In general, the application server 184 may be an element that provides applications that use IP bearer resources with the core network (e.g., UMTS Packet Service (PS) domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). In this aspect, the P-GW 123 is shown as being communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the IP interface 125. Application server 184 may also be configured to support one or more communication services (eg, Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for UEs 101 and 102 via CN 120 .

[0038] The P-GW 123 may also be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 126 is a policy and charging control element of the CN 120. In a non-roaming scenario, in some aspects, there may be a single PCRF in the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with the UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with local bursts of traffic, there may be two PCRFs associated with the UE's IP-CAN session: the Home PCRF (H-PCRF) within the HPLMN, and the Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) within the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The PCRF 126 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the P-GW 123.

[0039] In some aspects, the communication network 140A can be an IoT network or a 5G or 6G network, including a 5G new radio network that uses communications in licensed (5GNR) and unlicensed (5G NR-U) spectrum. One of the current enablers of IoT is narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). Operations in unlicensed spectrum may include dual connectivity (DC) operation and a standalone LTE system in unlicensed spectrum, according to which LTE-based technology operates only in unlicensed spectrum without using an "anchor" in licensed spectrum, called MulteFire. Further enhanced operations of LTE systems in licensed spectrum as well as unlicensed spectrum are expected in future releases and 5G systems. Such enhanced operations may include techniques for sidelink resource allocation and UE processing behavior for NR sidelink V2X communications.

[0040] The NG system architecture (or 6G system architecture) may include a RAN 110 and a core network (CN) 120. The NG-RAN 110 may include multiple nodes, such as gNBs and NG-eNBs. The CN 120 (e.g., a 5G core network (5GC)) may include an access and mobility function (AMF) and / or a user plane function (UPF). The AMF and UPF may be communicatively coupled to the gNB and NG-eNB via an NG interface. More specifically, in some aspects, the gNB and NG-eNB may be connected to the AMF via an NG-C interface and to the UPF via an NG-U interface. The gNB and NG-eNB may be coupled to each other via an Xn interface.

[0041] In some aspects, the NG system architecture may use reference points between various nodes. In some aspects, each of the gNB and the NG-eNB may be implemented as a base station, a mobile edge server, a small cell, a home eNB, etc. In some aspects, the gNB may be a master node (MN) in the 5G architecture, and the NG-eNB may be a secondary node (SN).

[0042] Figure 1B The non-roaming 5G system architecture according to some aspects is illustrated. Specifically, Figure 1BThe 5G system architecture 140B is illustrated with reference point representation, which can be extended to the 6G system architecture. More specifically, the UE 102 can communicate with the RAN 110 and one or more other CN network entities. The 5G system architecture 140B includes multiple network functions (NFs), such as AMF 132, session management function (SMF) 136, policy control function (PCF) 148, application function (AF) 150, UPF 134, network slice selection function (NSSF) 142, authentication server function (AUSF) 144, and unified data management (UDM) / home subscriber server (HSS) 146.

[0043] UPF 134 can provide a connection to a data network (DN) 152, which may include, for example, operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. AMF 132 can be used to manage access control and mobility, and may also include a network slice selection function. AMF 132 can provide UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management, and the like, and may be independent of access technology. SMF 136 can be configured to establish and manage various sessions according to network policies. SMF 136 can thus be responsible for session management and IP address allocation to UE. SMF 136 can also select and control UPF 134 for data transmission. SMF 136 can be associated with a single session of UE 101 or multiple sessions of UE 101. That is, UE 101 may have multiple 5G sessions. Different SMFs may be assigned to each session. Using different SMFs allows each session to be managed separately. Therefore, the functions of each session can be independent of each other.

[0044] UPF 134 can be deployed in one or more configurations depending on the desired service type and can be connected to the data network. PCF 148 can be configured to provide a policy framework using network slicing, mobility management, and roaming (similar to PCRF in 4G communication systems). UDM can be configured to store subscriber profiles and data (similar to HSS in 4G communication systems).

[0045] AF 150 may provide information about packet flows to PCF 148, which is responsible for policy control, to support the desired QoS. PCF 148 may set mobility and session management policies for UE 101. To this end, PCF 148 may use packet flow information to determine appropriate policies so that AMF 132 and SMF 136 operate correctly. AUSF 144 may store data for UE authentication.

[0046] In some aspects, the 5G system architecture 140B includes an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 168B and multiple IP multimedia core network subsystem entities, such as call session control functions (CSCF). More specifically, the IMS 168B includes a CSCF that can act as a proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 162BE, a serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 164B, an emergency CSCF (E-CSCF) ( Figure 1B 166B). The P-CSCF 162B may be configured as the first point of contact for the UE 102 within the IM subsystem (IMS) 168B. The S-CSCF 164B may be configured to handle the session state in the network, and the E-CSCF may be configured to handle certain aspects of the emergency session, such as routing the emergency request to the correct emergency center or PSAP. The I-CSCF 166B may be configured to act as a contact point within the operator's network for all IMS connections that want to go to the subscriber of the network operator or are currently located in the service area of ​​the network operator. In some aspects, the I-CSCF 166B may be connected to another IP multimedia network 170B, such as an IMS operated by a different network operator.

[0047] In some aspects, UDM / HSS 146 may be coupled to an application server (AS) 160B, which may include a telephony application server (TAS) or another application server. AS 160B may be coupled to IMS 168B via S-CSCF 164B or I-CSCF 166B.

[0048] Reference point representation indicates that there may be interactions between corresponding NF services. For example, Figure 1BThe following reference points are illustrated: N1 (between UE 102 and AMF 132), N2 (between RAN 110 and AMF 132), N3 (between RAN 110 and UPF 134), N4 (between SMF 136 and UPF 134), N5 (between PCF 148 and AF 150, not shown), N6 (between UPF 134 and DN 152), N7 (between SMF 136 and PCF 148, not shown), N8 (between UDM 146 and AMF 132, not shown), N9 (between two UPFs 134, not shown), N10 (between UDM 146 and SMF 136, not shown), N11 (between AMF 132 and SMF 136, not shown), N12 (between AUSF 144 and AMF 132, not shown), N13 (between AUSF 144 and UDM 146, not shown), N14 (between two AMFs 132, not shown), N15 (between PCF 148 and AMF 132 in the case of non-roaming scenario, or between PCF 148 and visited network and AMF 132 in the case of roaming scenario, not shown), N16 (between two SMFs, not shown), and N22 (between AMF 132 and NSSF 142, not shown). Figure 1B Other reference points not shown are indicated.

[0049] Figure 1C The 5G system architecture 140C and service-based representation are illustrated. Figure 1B In addition to the network entities shown in , the system architecture 140C may also include a network exposure function (NEF) 154 and a network repository function (NRF) 156. In some aspects, the 5G system architecture may be service-based, and the interactions between network functions may be represented by corresponding point-to-point reference points Ni or as service-based interfaces.

[0050] In some aspects, such as Figure 1CAs shown in , a service-based representation can be used to represent network functions within the control plane that enable other authorized network functions to access their services. In this regard, the 5G system architecture 140C may include the following service-based interfaces: Namf 158H (a service-based interface presented by AMF 132), Nsmf 158I (a service-based interface presented by SMF 136), Nnef 158B (a service-based interface presented by NEF 154), Npcf 158D (a service-based interface presented by PCF 148), Nudm 158E (a service-based interface presented by UDM 146), Naf 158F (a service-based interface presented by AF 150), Nnrf 158C (a service-based interface presented by NRF 156), Nnssf 158A (a service-based interface presented by NSSF 142), and Nausf 158G (a service-based interface presented by AUSF 144). Figure 1C Other service-based interfaces not shown (e.g., Nudr, N5g-eir, and Nudsf).

[0051] The NR-V2X architecture can support high reliability and low latency sidelink communications with various traffic patterns, including periodic and aperiodic communications with random packet arrival times and sizes. The techniques disclosed herein can be used to support high reliability in distributed communication systems with dynamic topologies, including sidelink NR V2X communication systems.

[0052] Figure 2 The block diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments is illustrated. The communication device 200 may be a UE, such as a dedicated computer, a personal or laptop computer (PC), a tablet PC, or a smart phone, a dedicated network device, such as an eNB, a server running software to configure the server to operate as a network device, a virtual device, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) specifying actions to be taken by the machine. For example, the communication device 200 may be implemented as Figure 1A-Figure 1C One or more devices shown in . Note that the communications described herein may be encoded prior to being transmitted by a transmitting entity (e.g., UE, gNB) so as to be received by a receiving entity (e.g., gNB, UE), and decoded after being received by the receiving entity.

[0053] Examples as described herein may include logic or several components, modules or mechanisms, or may operate on logic or several components, modules or mechanisms. Modules and components are tangible entities (e.g., hardware) that can perform specified operations and can be configured or arranged in a certain manner. In one example, the circuit can be arranged as a module in a specified manner (e.g., internally or for external entities, such as other circuits). In one example, all or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., stand-alone, client or server computer systems) or one or more hardware processors may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, application parts or applications) to operate to perform a module for a specified operation. In one example, the software may reside on a machine-readable medium. In one example, the software, when executed by the underlying hardware of the module, causes the hardware to perform a specified operation.

[0054] Thus, the term "module" (and "component") is understood to encompass a tangible entity, whether physically constructed, specifically configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily (e.g., transiently) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a specified manner or to perform part or all of any operations described herein. Considering the example of temporarily configured modules, each module need not be instantiated at any one time. For example, where a module comprises a general-purpose hardware processor configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processor may be configured as various different modules at different times. The software may accordingly configure the hardware processor to, for example, constitute a particular module at one time and constitute a different module at a different time.

[0055] The communication device 200 may include a hardware processor (or equivalently, processing circuitry) 202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a GPU, a hardware processor core, or any combination of these), a main memory 204, and a static memory 206, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnection link (e.g., a bus) 208. The main memory 204 may include any or all of removable storage and non-removable storage, volatile memory, or non-volatile memory. The communication device 200 may also include a display unit 210 (e.g., a video display), an alphanumeric input device 212 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 214 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display unit 210, the input device 212, and the UI navigation device 214 may be a touch screen display. The communication device 200 may also include a storage device (e.g., a drive unit) 216, a signal generating device 218 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 220, and one or more sensors, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. The communication device 200 may also include an output controller, such as a serial (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB)), parallel or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate with one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.) or control one or more peripheral devices.

[0056] The storage device 216 may include a non-transitory machine-readable medium 222 (hereinafter referred to as a machine-readable medium) on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 224 (e.g., software) that implement or are utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 224 may also reside completely or at least partially within the main memory 204, within the static memory 206, and / or within the hardware processor 202 during their execution by the communication device 200. Although the machine-readable medium 222 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 224.

[0057] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the communication device 200 and causing the communication device 200 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable media may include non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; random access memory (RAM); and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0058] The instructions 224 may also be sent or received over a communication network using a transmission medium 226 via the network interface device 220 using any of a number of wireless local area network (WLAN) transmission protocols (e.g., frame relay, internet protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile phone network (e.g., a cellular network), a Plain Old Telephone (POTS) network, and a wireless data network. Communications over the network may include one or more different protocols, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax, the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) family of standards, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, next generation (NG) / 5th generation (5G) networks, and wireless networks. th generation, 5G) standards, etc. In one example, the network interface device 220 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the transmission medium 226.

[0059] Note that the term "circuit" as used herein refers to a hardware component such as, a part of, or including an electronic circuit, a logic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or grouped) and / or a memory (shared, dedicated, or grouped), 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 SoC), a digital signal processor (DSP), etc. In some embodiments, the circuit may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the described functions. The term "circuit" may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements (or circuits used in electrical or electronic systems) and program code to perform the functions of the program code. In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a specific type of circuit.

[0060] As used herein, the term "processor circuit" or "processor" thus refers to, is part of, or includes a circuit that is capable of sequentially and automatically performing a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations, or recording, storing, and / or transmitting digital data. The term "processor circuit" or "processor" may refer to one or more application processors, one or more baseband processors, a physical central processing unit (CPU), a single-core or multi-core processor, and / or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions such as program code, software modules, and / or functional processes.

[0061] Any radio link described herein may operate according to any one or more of the following radio communication technologies and / or standards, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) radio communication technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) radio communication technology, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) radio communication technology, and / or Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) radio communication technology, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Freedom of Multimedia Access (FOMA), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3GPP Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDMA2000), and / or LTE-Advanced (LTE-Advanced). Data, CDPD), Mobitex, Third Generation (3G), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), High-Speed ​​Circuit-Switched Data (HSCSD), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (Third Generation), UMTS (3G), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), W-CDMA (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA),High-Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), High Speed ​​Packet Access Plus (HSPA+), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System-Time-Division Duplex (UMTS-TDD), Time Division-Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), 3GPP Rel.8(Pre-4G), 3GPP Rel.9, 3GPP Rel.10, 3GPP Rel.11, 3GPP Rel.12, 3GPP Rel.13 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 13), 3GPP Rel.14 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 14), 3GPP Rel.15 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 15), 3GPP Rel.16 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 16), 3GPP Rel.17 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 17) and subsequent releases (such as Release 18, Release 19, etc.), 3GPP 5G, 5G, 5G New Radio (5G New Radio, 5G NR), 3GPP 5G New Radio, 3GPP LTE Extra, LTE-Advanced Pro, LTE Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA), MuLTEfire, UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access, UTRA), Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Access, E-UTRA), Long Term Evolution Advanced (4th Generation) (LTE Advanced (4G)), cdmaOne (2G), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (3rd Generation) (CDMA2000 (3G)), Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data Only (EV-DO),Advanced Mobile Phone System (1st Generation) (AMPS (1G)), Total Access Communication System / Extended Total Access Communication System (TACS / ETACS), Digital AMPS (2G) (D-AMPS (2G)), Push-to-talk (PTT), Mobile Telephone System (MTS), Improved Mobile Telephone System (IMTS), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMTS), OLT (Norwegian, Offentlig Landmobil Telefoni, Public Land Mobile Telephone), MTD (Swedish abbreviation of Mobiltelefonisystem D, or Mobile Telephone System D), Public Automated Land Mobile (Autotel / PALM), ARP (Finnish, Autoradiopuhelin, "Car Radiotelephone"), NMT (NordicMobile Telephony, Nordic mobile phone), NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone)'s high capacity version (Hicap), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, DataTAC, Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), Personal Handy-phone System (PHS), Wideband Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (WiDEN), iBurst, Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) (also known as the 3GPP Universal Access Network, or GAN standard), Zigbee, Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) standards, general mmWave standards (wireless systems operating at 10-300 GHz and above, such as WiGig, IEEE 802.11ad, IEEE 802.11ay, etc.), technologies operating above 300 GHz and in the THz band (based on 3GPP / LTE or IEEE 802.11p or IEEE 802.11bd and others), Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-X (V2X) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Infrastructure-to-Vehicle (I2V) communication technologies, 3GPP cellular V2X, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) communication systems, such as Intelligent Transport Systems and others (typically operating at or above 5850 MHz to 5925 MHz (typically up to 5935 MHz after the proposed changes in CEPT Report 71)), European ITS-G5 system (i.e., European-style IEEE-based DSRC of 80211p, including ITS-G5A (i.e., operation of ITS-G5 in the European ITS band dedicated to ITS for safety-related applications in the frequency range of 5,875 GHz to 5,905 GHz), ITS-G5B (i.e., operation in the European ITS band dedicated to ITS non-safety applications in the frequency range of 5,855 GHz to 5,875 GHz), ITS-G5C (i.e., operation of ITS applications in the frequency range of 5,470 GHz to 5,725 GHz), Japan's DSRC in the 700 MHz band (including 715 MHz to 725 MHz), systems based on IEEE 802.11bd, etc.

[0062] The aspects described herein can be used in the context of any spectrum management scheme, including dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, license-exempt spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (e.g., LSA = Licensed Shared Access in 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz and more frequencies and SAS = Spectrum Access System / CBRS = Citizens Broadband Radio System in 3.55-3.7 GHz and more frequencies). Applicable spectrum segments include IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) spectrum and other types of spectrum / bands, such as bands with national allocations (including 450-470 MHz, 902-928 MHz (Note: for example, allocated in the United States (FCC Part 15)), 863-868.6 MHz (Note: for example, allocated in the European Union (ETSI EN 300 220)), 915.9-929.7MHz (Note: allocated in Japan, for example), 917-923.5MHz (Note: allocated in South Korea, for example), 755-779MHz and 779-787MHz (Note: allocated in China, for example), 790-960MHz, 1710-2025MHz, 2110-2200MHz, 2300-2400MHz, 2.4-2.4835GHz (Note: this is a globally available ISM band, it is used by the Wi-Fi technology family (11b / g / n / ax) and is also used by Bluetooth), 2500-2690MHz, 698- 790MHz, 610-790MHz, 3400-3600MHz, 3400-3800MHz, 3800-4200MHz, 3.55-3.7GHz (Note: allocated in the United States for example to Citizens Broadband Radio Service), 5.15-5.25GHz and 5.25-5.35GHz and 5.47-5.725GHz and 5.725-5.85GHz bands (Note: allocated in the United States for example (FCC Part 15), consisting of four U-NII bands, a total of 500MHz spectrum), 5.725-5.875GHz (Note: allocated in the European Union for example (ETSI EN301893)), 5.47-5.65 GHz (Note: allocated in Korea, 5925-7125 MHz and 5925-6425 MHz bands (Note: under consideration in the United States and the European Union, respectively. The next generation of Wi-Fi systems is expected to include 6 GHz spectrum as an operating band, but it should be noted that as of December 2017, Wi-Fi systems are not allowed in this band.Regulation is expected to be completed in the 2019-2020 time frame), IMT-Advanced spectrum, IMT-2020 spectrum (expected to include 3600-3800 MHz, 3800-4200 MHz, 3.5 GHz band, 700 MHz band, bands in the 24.25-86 GHz range, etc.), spectrum available under the FCC’s “Spectrum Frontier” 5G initiative (including 27.5-28.35 GHz, 29.1-29.25 GHz, 31-31.3 GHz, 37-38.6 GHz, 38.6-40 GHz, 42-42.5 GHz, 57-64 GHz, 71-76 GHz, 81-8 6GHz and 92-94GHz, etc.), 5.9GHz (usually 5.85-5.925GHz) and 63-64GHz ITS (Intelligent Transport System) bands, bands currently allocated to WiGig, such as WiGig Band 1 (57.24-59.40GHz), WiGig Band 2 (59.40-61.56GHz) and WiGig Band 3 (61.56-63.72GHz) and WiGig Band 4 (63.72-65.88GHz), 57-64 / 66GHz (Note: This band is almost universally designated for multi-gigabit wireless systems (Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems, MGWS) / WiGig. In the United States (FCC Part 15), a total of 14GHz of spectrum is allocated, while the European Union (ETSI EN 302 567 and ETSI EN 301217-2 for fixed P2P) allocates a total of 9GHz of spectrum), 70.2GHz-71GHz band, any band between 65.88GHz and 71GHz, bands currently allocated for automotive radar applications, such as 76-81GHz, and future bands including 94-300GHz and above. In addition, the solution can also be used as a secondary in bands such as TV white space bands (usually below 790MHz), among which the 400MHz and 700MHz bands are particularly promising candidates. In addition to cellular applications, specific applications in vertical markets can also be addressed, such as PMSE (Program Making and Special Events), medical, health, surgery, automotive, low latency, drones, and so on.

[0063] The aspects described herein may also enable hierarchical application of the scheme, such as by introducing hierarchical prioritization (e.g., low / medium / high priority, etc.) for usage by different types of users based on prioritized access to the spectrum, such as giving the highest priority to Tier 1 users, then Tier 2, then Tier 3, and so on.

[0064] By allocating OFDM carrier data bit vectors to corresponding symbol resources, the aspects described in this article can also be applied to different single carrier or OFDM forms (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter bank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.) and in particular 3GPP NR (New Radio).

[0065] As mentioned above, mobile communications have evolved significantly from early voice systems to modern, high-precision integrated communications platforms used in current generation networks. It is expected that the next generation of wireless communication systems, 5G or New Radio (NR), will provide access to information and sharing of data by an increasing number and type of users and applications anywhere, at any time. NR will be a unified network / system with the goal of meeting very different and sometimes conflicting performance dimensions and services. This diverse multi-dimensional requirement is driven by different services and applications.

[0066] NR supports a wide range of applications that may desire highly accurate positioning in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. This positioning may rely on timing-based, angle-based, power-based and / or hybrid techniques to estimate the location of the user (UE) in the network. Specifically, the following positioning techniques depending on the radio access technology (RAT) can be used to meet the positioning requirements of various use cases (e.g., indoor, outdoor, industrial Internet of Things (IoT), etc.): Downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), Uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA), Downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD), Uplink angle of arrival (ULAoA), Multi-cell round trip time (multi-RTT), NR enhanced cell ID (E-CID).

[0067] With wider bandwidth and beamforming capabilities for positioning signals in the mmWave frequency band (about 30 GHz to about 300 GHz), higher positioning accuracy can be achieved through RAT-dependent positioning techniques. In Rel-16, downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) and uplink sounding reference signal (UL-SRS) for positioning are introduced to achieve the target performance characteristics.

[0068] In Rel-18, in order to address use cases such as autonomous driving, sidelink or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) positioning is considered. More specifically, for sidelink positioning, various scenarios including in-coverage, partial coverage, and out-of-network coverage are considered. To meet the positioning accuracy requirements, a new sidelink reference signal, the sidelink position reference signal (SL PRS), is introduced.

[0069] Figure 3 Sidelink positioning according to some embodiments is illustrated. Figure 3 The sidelink positioning in includes an anchor UE and a target UE. In this example, the target UE refers to the UE to be positioned, and the anchor UE refers to the UE that supports positioning of the target UE, for example, by sending and / or receiving SL PRS and providing positioning related information (for example, timing or power measurement, or distance or relative position to the sending UE). SL PRS can be transmitted between the anchor UE and the target UE for sidelink positioning.

[0070] The SL PRS configuration can be configured by higher layers, and the sidelink control information (SCI) format can be used to allocate and reserve resources for SL PRS transmission. To ensure appropriate resource allocation for SL PRS transmission, the following defines a mechanism for multiplexing between the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) carrying SCI and SL PRS transmission.

[0071] Mechanism for multiplexing SL PRS and PSCCH transmission

[0072] In general, multiple SL PRS resources may be mapped to a resource pool for SL PRS, regardless of whether they are further multiplexed with other SL channels within the resource pool. Different SL PRS resources may be multiplexed in time, frequency, or a combination of time and frequency (e.g., using different comb offsets, with repeated or staggered assignments between OFDM symbols). In addition, SL PRS resources may be indexed according to a specified order to identify different resources mapped to different time resources (symbols or time slots), different physical resource blocks (PRBs), or different comb offsets, etc. In the following embodiments, a SL PRS resource pool may refer to a dedicated resource pool for SL PRS.

[0073] In one embodiment, the PSCCH and SL PRS carrying the SCI may be multiplexed in the SL PRS dedicated resource pool using a combination of time division multiplexing (TDM) and frequency division multiplexing (FDM). Specifically, the PSCCH may occupy resources allocated for the SL PRS resources. In some embodiments, different comb tooth offsets may be used to identify different SL PRS resources. In some cases, if different comb tooth offsets are used to identify different SL PRS resources, the PSSCH may be transmitted in the SL PRS dedicated resource pool using the same comb tooth offset as the SL PRS transmission and occupying some or all resource elements (RE) used for SL PRS transmission. For this option, single-port transmission may be used for both SL PRS transmission and PSCCH transmission.

[0074] For this option, for Mode 2 resource allocation of SL PRS transmission, the UE may select SL PRS resources based on the results of sensing and resource selection. Specifically, the UE may allocate resources for the initial SL PRS transmission and reserve up to N resources for subsequent SL PRS transmissions. rev resources, where N rev It may be predefined in the specification or (pre)configured by a higher layer (i.e., configured by higher layer signaling). Alternatively, sl-MaxNumPerReserve for SL communication may be reused for the maximum number of reserved resources for SL PRS transmission. In another example of SL PRS resource reservation, when there is duplication for SL PRS transmission configuration, N rev Each of the resources may correspond to a certain number of repetitions of the SL PRS transmission, which may be transmitted via Note that similar to DL-PRS transmission, SL PRS repetitions can be interspersed with resource gap, thus A gap of 100 resources is inserted between two consecutive repetitions of SL PRS transmission.

[0075] In addition, for mode 1 resource allocation for SL PRS transmission, the gNB may extend the existing DCI format 3_0 or a new DCI format to allocate and reserve resources for SL PRS transmission. A SL PRS resource indication field may be included in the DCI to indicate the resources allocated / reserved for SL PRS transmission.

[0076] In one option, the number of symbols carrying PSCCH in SCI format may be (pre)configured by higher layers.As a further extension, sl-TimeResourcePSCCH may be reused for PSCCH in the SL PRS resource pool.

[0077] In one option, the number of PRBs or subcarriers may be (pre)configured by a higher layer. Alternatively, sl-FreqResourcePSCCH may be reused for PSCCH in the SL PRS resource pool. If the number of PRBs is (pre)configured, the number of REs allocated for PSCCH and the associated demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is determined by the number of PRBs and the comb size of the SL PRS transmission.

[0078] In addition, for this option, PSCCH is transmitted starting from the lowest subcarrier of the start RE offset of the associated SL PRS transmission. The start RE offset of the SL PRS transmission is determined based on the allocated SL PRS resource index, which can be allocated by the gNB for the Mode 1 resource allocation mechanism of SL PRS transmission, or by the UE for the Mode 2 resource allocation mechanism of SL PRS transmission.

[0079] In addition, the existing DMRS pattern can be reused for PSCCH transmission, but mapped to REs allocated for SL PRS resources. Specifically, DMRS is mapped on every 4 REs allocated for SL PRS resources or PSCCH transmission.

[0080] Figure 4The figure illustrates a PSCCH transmission within the SL PRS resource of a UE. As shown, the first symbol in the SL PRS resource pool is used for the AGC symbol, and the last symbol is allocated as a protection symbol for Tx-Rx switching purposes. The comb size configured for SLPRS transmission is 4. In addition, four SL PRS resources are configured within the SL PRS resource pool, where each SLPRS resource corresponds to a different starting RE offset in the first symbol of the SL PRS transmission.

[0081] In addition, two symbols within the SL PRS resource pool are configured for PSCCH transmission. Based on sensing and resource selection, the UE first selects the SL PRS resource corresponding to the first starting RE of the comb in the first symbol. In this case, the PSCCH occupies a portion of the REs allocated for the first SL PRS resource, which spans the first two symbols and the N subcarriers configured by higher layers.

[0082] In some embodiments, PSCCH transmission carrying SCI and SL PRS transmission may be multiplexed in a TDM manner in the same time slot.

[0083] In one option, both the PSCCH carrying the SCI and the SL PRS may be transmitted in the SL PRS resource pool. Specifically, a dedicated resource region may be allocated for PSCCH transmission, and multiplexed with the SL PRS transmission in a TDM manner.

[0084] For this option, the existing physical structure of PSCCH transmission for SL communication can be reused.In addition, the number of symbols and the number of PRBs used for PSCCH transmission can be (pre-)configured by higher layers or based on sl-TimeResourcePSCCH and sl-FreqResourcePSCCH, respectively.

[0085] The subchannel used for transmission of PSCCH may be allocated by the gNB for resource allocation mode 1 or may be selected by the UE for resource allocation mode 2. In the latter case, the UE may select the subchannel used for PSCCH transmission based on the result of sensing and resource selection. In this case, the UE may indicate the SL PRS resource used for SL PRS transmission in the SCI format or based on a predefined association rule between the subchannel and the SL PRS resource.

[0086] Note that the number of PRBs of a subchannel used for PSCCH transmission may be different from the number configured for SL communication. In one example, the size of a subchannel may be the same as the number of PRBs configured for PSCCH transmission.

[0087] In another option, the UE may first determine the SL PRS resources for SL PRS transmission. In addition, based on the association between the subchannels and SL PRS resources in the SL PRS resource pool, the UE may determine the subchannels for PSCCH transmission. The association rule may be defined as one-to-one, many-to-one, or one-to-many, depending on the number of subchannels and SL PRS resources in the SL PRS resource pool.

[0088] Specifically, assuming that N subch subchannels are used for PSCCH transmission and N SL-PRS SL PRS resources are used for SL PRS transmission, then the association can be defined as:

[0089] when When one subchannel for PSCCH transmission is mapped to more than one SLPRS resource. In this case, the SL PRS resource used for SL PRS transmission can be indicated in the SCI. The field size can be determined as:

[0090] when When PSCCH is transmitted, one subchannel used for PSCCH transmission is mapped to one SL PRS resource.

[0091] when When more than one subchannel for PSCCH transmission is mapped to one SLPRS resource, the UE may determine the subchannel for PSCCH transmission based on the sensing and resource selection results.

[0092] Figure 5 An example of multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in a TDM manner in a SL-PR resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated. In this example, within the SL PRS resource pool, the first symbol is used for an automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and the last symbol is allocated to a protection symbol for Tx-Rx switching purposes. In addition, PSCCH is transmitted in the first two symbols after the AGC symbol, and four symbols are allocated for SL PRS transmission. Figure 5 In the example shown, a comb size of two is configured for the SL PRS resource pool. Based on the sensing and resource allocation and association between PSCCH and SL PRS, UE#1 can select SL PRS resource 1 for SL PRS transmission and subchannel 1 for PSCCH transmission. Similarly, UE#2 can select SL PRS resource 2 for SL PRS transmission and subchannel 3 for PSCCH transmission. Note that in Figure 5 In the embodiment, a guard symbol or AGC symbol is allocated between PSCCH transmission and SL PRS transmission.

[0093] In another embodiment, the PSCCH transmission carrying the SCI and the SL PRS transmission may be multiplexed in a TDM manner in different time slots. In one option, the PSCCH carrying the SCI may be transmitted in the SL communication resource pool, and the SL PRS may be transmitted in the SL PRS resource pool. In another option, both the PSCCH carrying the SCI and the SL PRS may be transmitted in the SL PRS resource pool.

[0094] For this option, the PSCCH carrying the SCI may be allocated in a subchannel with or without an associated PSSCH transmission. The time gap between the PSCCH and the initial SL PRS transmission may be indicated in the SCI or (pre)configured by higher layers. In this case, the initial SL PRS is transmitted in the first time slot after this time gap after the PSCCH transmission allocated for the SL PRS resource pool. In one example, the time gap may be indicated as 0, which indicates that the initial SL PRS is transmitted in the first time slot after the PSCCH transmission allocated for the SL PRS resource pool.

[0095] In addition, the SL PRS resources used for SL PRS transmission may be indicated in the SCI, or determined according to a predefined association rule between subchannels and SL PRS resources as described above.

[0096] Figure 6 An example of multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in different time slots according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 6 In the example shown, the PSCCH carrying the SCI is allocated in the SL communication resource pool, while the SL PRS is allocated in the SL PRS resource pool. In addition, the time gap between the PSCCH and the initial SL PRS transmission is two time slots. Based on the sensing and resource allocation and association between the PSCCH and the SL PRS, UE#1 can select subchannel 1 for the PSCCH and select SL PRS resource 1 for the SL PRS transmission. Similarly, UE#2 can select subchannel 3 for the PSCCH and select SL PRS resource 2 for the SL PRS transmission.

[0097] In another embodiment, the PSCCH carrying the SCI and the SL PRS may be multiplexed in the SL PRS resource pool in a combination of TDM and FDM. Specifically, the PSSCH may occupy some PRBs allocated for SL PRS transmission.

[0098] For this option, the existing physical structure of PSCCH transmission for SL communication can be reused. In addition, the number of symbols and the number of PRBs used for PSCCH transmission can be (pre-)configured by higher layers or based on sl-TimeResourcePSCCH and sl-FreqResourcePSCCH, respectively. In addition, PSCCH is transmitted starting from the lowest subcarrier of the lowest PRB of the associated SL PRS transmission.

[0099] Figure 7 An example of multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in the SL PRS resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated. In this example, in the SL PRS resource pool, the first symbol is used for the AGC symbol, and the last symbol is allocated to the protection symbol for Tx-Rx switching purposes. In addition, two symbols within the SL PRS resource pool are configured for PSCCH transmission. In this case, PSCCH occupies some PRBs allocated for the first SL PRS resource, which spans the first two symbols and N PRBs configured by higher layers.

[0100] In an embodiment, the physical channel structure of the PSCCH associated with the SL PRS transmission without any PSSCH may be the same as the PSCCH of the Phase 1 SCI of the SL communication. Note that the content of the SCI may be different from the Phase 1 SCI defined in Rel-16. For example, the Phase 1 SCI may include one or more of the following: source ID, destination ID, area ID. Similar to the considerations for the communication range requirement indication in the Phase 2 SCI, the positioning range requirement based on a rough estimate of the relative position between the transmitting UE and the receiving UE may be defined and indicated via the Phase 1 or Phase 2 SCI (the latter, if defined for the SCI associated with the SL PRS).

[0101] Additionally, as mentioned above, the mapping to REs may be different from that of the Rel-16 specification, for example, aligned with the SL PRS RE mapping.

[0102] In another embodiment, the physical channel structure of the PSCCH associated with the SL PRS transmission without any PSSCH may include PSCCHs for both phase 1 and phase 2 SCI. In this case, the PSCCH for phase 2 SCI may be limited to a number of symbols (pre)configured or dynamically indicated by the associated phase 1 SCI. In addition, the DM-RS symbols for the PSCCH for phase 2 SCI may be allocated in designated symbols relative to the PSCCH with phase 2 SCI; for example, in the first symbol available for the PSCCH with phase 2 SCI. In addition, for the PSCCH associated with the SL PRS without any PSSCH, the PSCCH for phase 2 SCI may be limited to single layer transmission.

[0103] In another embodiment, when SL PRS is transmitted in a shared resource pool for SL communication and SL PRS, SL PRS and PSSCH / PSCCH may be multiplexed in a TDM manner. Specifically, the SL PRS resource index may be indicated in the Phase 2 SCI, and the Phase 2 SCI may be carried by the PSSCH. The Phase 2 SCI size is always consistent with the maximum Phase 2 SCI size of the defined SCI format. In some aspects, a fully interleaved or partially interleaved mode may be applied for SL PRS transmission in a shared resource pool. The SL PRS configuration indicated in the Phase 2 SCI may be determined based on one or more of the following transmission parameters: the number of OFDM symbols with DMRS, the number of allocated subchannels, the subchannel size, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS), the number of transmission layers, the Phase 2 SCI beta offset, the Phase 2 SCI size, and the Phase 2 SCI format.

[0104] In one option, the SL PRS mapped to the resource pool shared with the SL communication signal and / or channel may be mapped after the last symbol of the PSSCH in the time slot. In another example, if the PSFCH is mapped to a certain time slot, the SL PRS mapped to the resource pool shared with the SL communication signal and / or channel may be mapped after the last symbol of the PSFCH in the time slot. In this case, the first symbol of the SL PRS may be repeated before the SL PRS symbol as an AGC symbol. In another example, for the resource pool shared with the SL communication signal and / or channel, if the PSFCH is also mapped to a time slot with the PSCCH / PSSCH, the SL PRS may be canceled in the time slot. In another example of this option, for the resource pool shared with the SL communication signal and / or channel, if the number of symbols of the PSSCH is greater than the threshold value L PSSCH Or the number of PSSCH DMRS symbols is greater than the threshold N PSSCH-DMRS , then the SL PRS may be cancelled in the time slot with PSCCH / PSSCH, where the values ​​of these thresholds may be specified (e.g., L PSSCH =11,N PSSCH-DMRS =4) or (pre)configured.

[0105] In one option, the starting symbol and / or length of the indicated SL PRS transmission in the shared resource pool may be predefined in the specification or (pre)configured by a higher layer. In the latter case, it may be configured as part of the SL PRS configuration. In one example, the SL PRS transmission may be allocated in the last K symbols in the PSSCH transmission, which may exclude the DMRS symbols associated with the PSSCH transmission.

[0106] In another option, different configurations of the starting symbol and / or length of the SL PRS transmission configuration may be (pre-)configured, and a dynamic indication as to which configuration applies for the SL PRS transmission may be included in the stage 2 SCI.

[0107] In another option, the starting symbol and / or length of the indicated SL PRS transmission in the shared resource pool may be dynamically indicated in the stage 2 SCI, which may be carried by the PSSCH.

[0108] In addition, in one option, the indicated starting symbol of the SL PRS transmission is defined relative to the starting symbol of the time slot or the first symbol of the shared resource pool. In another option, the indicated starting symbol of the SL PRS transmission is defined relative to the end symbol of the second stage SCI on the PSSCH or the end symbol of the PSCCH. In one example, the SL PRS can be allocated starting from the end symbol of the second stage SCI on the PSSCH.

[0109] Figure 8 An example of multiplexing SL PRS with PSSCH and PSCCH in a shared resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated. In this example, one symbol SL PRS is allocated in the shared resource pool and in the last symbol allocated for PSSCH transmission. Figure 8 In , full RE mapping is assumed for SL PRS transmission, but the design can be directly extended to SL PRS transmission with full or partial staggered pattern and with more than one symbol.

[0110] In another embodiment, when the SL PRS transmission overlaps with the DMRS associated with the PSSCH in the shared resource pool, the SL PRS transmission is cancelled on the overlapping symbol(s). The SL PRS transmission is not further postponed.

[0111] Fig. 9 An example of conflict handling between SL PRS and DMRS in a shared resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated. Fig. 9 In this option, the SL PRS spans two symbols and starts from symbol #7. In addition, the SL PRS overlaps with the DMRS in symbol #8. For this option, the SL PRS transmission is cancelled in symbol #8.

[0112] In another option, when SL PRS transmission overlaps with DMRS associated with PSSCH in the shared resource pool, SLPRS transmission is cancelled on the overlapping (one or more) symbols and further postponed to the next symbol without DMRS. In another example, the postponed SL PRS symbol and any subsequent SL PRS can be cancelled at the time slot boundary.

[0113] Fig.10 An example of conflict handling between SL PRS and DMRS in a shared resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated. Fig.10 In this option, the SL PRS spans two symbols and starts from symbol #7. In addition, the SL PRS overlaps with the DMRS in symbol #8. For this option, the SL PRS is cancelled in symbol #8 and transmitted in symbol #9 after the DMRS.

[0114] In another option, the UE is not expected to receive the SL PRS and the DMRS associated with the PSSCH on the same symbol in the shared resource pool.

[0115] In another embodiment, the phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS) associated with the PSSCH is not mapped to the symbols in the shared resource pool for transmitting the SL PRS. In this case, the PT-RS is dropped in the symbols used for SL PRS transmission.

[0116] In another option, the PT-RS associated with the PSSCH is not mapped to the resource elements in the shared resource pool containing the SL PRS transmission. In this case, the PT-RS is dropped or punctured in the resource elements used for the SL PRS transmission.

[0117] In another option, the UE is not expected to receive the SL PRS and the PT-RS associated with the PSSCH on the same resource elements in the shared resource pool.

[0118] In another embodiment, when SL PRS transmission overlaps with REs used for Phase 2 SCI transmission in the shared resource pool, SL PRS transmission is cancelled on the overlapping symbol(s). SL PRS transmission is not further deferred.

[0119] In another option, the UE is not expected to receive the SL PRS and REs with stage 2 SCI on the same symbol in the shared resource pool.

[0120] In another option, when SL PRS transmission overlaps with REs with stage 2 SCI in the shared resource pool, SLPRS transmission is cancelled on the overlapping symbol(s) and further postponed to the next symbol after the stage 2 SCI.

[0121] Fig.11A flow chart for multiplexing PSCCH and SL PRS in a SL PRS resource pool according to some embodiments is illustrated. In some embodiments, one or more electronic devices shown and described herein may be configured to perform one or more processes, techniques, or methods as described herein, or a portion thereof. Fig.11 One such process is depicted in . For example, process 1100 may include: at operation 1102, allocating resources for SL PRS in a resource pool; and at operation 1104, multiplexing a PSCCH carrying an SCI into the resources allocated for SL PRS. Other operations (such as those described in the various embodiments above) may exist but are not described in Fig.11 Shown in.

[0122] Example

[0123] Although the embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the description and the drawings should be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive. The drawings forming part of this article illustrate, by way of illustration and not limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be implemented. The illustrated embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, so that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This "specific implementation" section should therefore not be understood in a limiting sense, and the scope of the various embodiments is limited only by the appended claims and the full equivalent scope to which such claims are authorized.

[0124] Subject matter may be referred to herein individually and / or collectively by the term "embodiment", which is merely for convenience and is not intended to actively limit the scope of the present application to any single inventive concept, if more than one is actually disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that any arrangement intended to achieve the same purpose may replace the specific embodiments shown. The present disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of the various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, as well as other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description.

[0125] In this document, as is common in patent documents, the term "one" is used to indicate one or more than one, independent of any other instance or use of "at least one" or "one or more". In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to non-exclusive or, so that "A or B" includes "A, but not B", "B, but not A" and "A and B", unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms "including" and "wherein" are used as the plain English equivalents of the corresponding terms "including" and "wherein". In addition, in the appended claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open, that is, systems, UEs, articles, compositions, formulas or processes that include other elements in addition to those listed after such terms in the claims are still considered to fall within the scope of the claim. In addition, in the appended claims, the terms "first", "second" and "third" and the like are used only as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. As shown herein, although the term "one" is used herein, one or more associated elements may be used in different embodiments. For example, the term "processor" configured to perform a specific operation includes both a single processor configured to perform all operations and multiple processors that are individually configured to perform some or all operations (possibly overlapping), so that the combination of processors performs all operations. In addition, it can be considered that the term "comprising" is interpreted as "including at least" the following elements.

[0126] The Abstract of the present disclosure is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description section, it can be seen that in order to streamline the present disclosure, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment. This method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the appended claims, the subject matter of the invention resides in less than all of the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the appended claims are hereby incorporated into the "Detailed Description" section, with each claim standing alone as a separate embodiment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: Memory; and a processing circuit, configured to configure the UE to: determining that a sidelink position reference signal (SL PRS) is to be transmitted to another UE; multiplexing the SL PRS with a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmission, the PSCCH transmission including sidelink control information (SCI); and transmitting a multiplexed PSCCH and SL PRS to the other UE in a specific time slot; and Wherein, the memory is configured to store the SL PRS.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The processing circuit is further configured to multiplex the PSCCH transmission and the SL PRS using time division multiplexing (TDM).

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The processing circuit is further configured to: transmit the PSCCH in a dedicated resource pool for SL PRS, the dedicated resource pool comprising a dedicated resource region allocated for the PSCCH transmission.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein: The first symbol of the dedicated resource pool for SL PRS is reserved for an automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and the last symbol of the SL PRS resource pool is a guard symbol.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The number of symbols and the number of physical resource blocks used for PSCCH transmission are configured by higher layer signaling.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The number of symbols and the number of physical resource blocks used for PSCCH transmission are based on sl-TimeResourcePSCCH and sl-FreqResourcePSCCH respectively.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein: The SL PRS is transmitted in a shared resource pool for SL communication and the SL PRS, and The SL PRS, the PSCCH, and a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) are multiplexed using time division multiplexing (TDM).

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein: The SL PRS resource index is indicated in the second stage SCI carried by the PSSCH.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein: The size of the second-stage SCI is consistent with the maximum size of the second-stage SCI of the defined SCI format.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein: A fully interleaved or partially interleaved mode is applied to the SL PRS in the shared resource pool.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein: At least one of a starting symbol or a length of the SL PRS in the shared resource pool is predefined in the 3GPP specification or configured by higher layer signaling.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein: At least one of a starting symbol or a length of the SL PRS is configured as a part of the SL PRS configuration.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein: The SL PRS transmission is allocated in the last K symbols in a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmission and does not include a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbol associated with the PSSCH transmission.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein: Different configurations of at least one of a starting symbol or a length of the SL PRS are configured, and the processing circuit is further configured to determine a specific configuration among the different configurations to be used based on a dynamic indication provided in a second stage SCI.

15. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: Memory; and a processing circuit, configured to configure the UE to: receiving a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and a sidelink location reference signal (SLPRS) from another UE in a specific time slot, the PSCCH and the SLPRS being time division multiplexed (TDM); and extracting sidelink control information (SCI) from the PSCCH; and Wherein, the memory is configured to store the SL PRS.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein: The processing circuit is further configured to: receive the PSCCH in a dedicated resource pool for SL PSR, the dedicated resource pool comprising a dedicated resource region allocated for the PSCCH.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein: The SL PRS is transmitted in a shared resource pool for SL communication and the SL PRS, The SL PRS, the PSCCH, and the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) are multiplexed using TDM, and The SL PRS resource index is indicated in the second stage SCI carried by the PSSCH.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein: At least one of a starting symbol or a length of the SL PRS in the shared resource pool is predefined in the 3GPP specification or configured by higher layer signaling.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for execution by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), which when executed configure the one or more processors to: determining that a sidelink position reference signal (SL PRS) is to be transmitted to another UE; multiplexing the SL PRS and a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmission using time division multiplexing (TDM) in a specific time slot, the PSCCH transmission including sidelink control information (SCI); and The multiplexed PSCCH and SL PRS are transmitted to the other UE in a specific time slot.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein: When the instructions are executed, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: send the PSCCH in a dedicated resource pool for SL PRS, the dedicated resource pool including a dedicated resource region allocated for the PSCCH transmission.

Images