Support for sidelink user equipment in co-channel coexistence environment

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for supporting sidelink user equipments in a co-channel coexistence environment. For example, a method may include configuring, for a user equipment, a shared resource pool, and a sub-resource pool comprising resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology and the sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology coexist in the same channel. The method may also include configuring a network configuration for the user equipment to adapt and use the sub-resource pools depending on the type of the user equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to communications involving mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or may relate to communications involving other communication systems, including subsequent generations of the same or similar standards. For example, certain example embodiments may generally relate to support for sidelink user equipment in a co-channel coexistence environment. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to next generation radio systems and network architectures. 5G systems are primarily built on 5G New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks may also be built on E-UTRA radio. Starting with Release 18 (Rel-18), 5G is referred to as 5G Advanced. It is estimated that NR provides bit rates of approximately 10-20 Gbit / s or higher and can support at least service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robust low latency connections as well as large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more prevalent, the need for networks that can meet the requirements of low power consumption, low data rates, and long battery life will continue to grow. Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) represents the RAN for 5G, which can provide both NR and LTE (and Advanced LTE) radio access. Note that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functions to user equipment (i.e., similar to a Node B (NB) in UTRAN, or an evolved NB (eNB) in LTE) can be named a Next Generation NB (gNB) when built on an NR radio, and a Next Generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on an e-UTRA radio. 6G is currently under development and is likely to replace 5G and 5G Advanced. Summary of the invention

[0003] One embodiment may relate to an apparatus. The apparatus may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory, including a computer program. The at least one memory and the computer program may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: configuring a shared resource pool for a user equipment, and a sub-resource pool of resources including at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology coexisting with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology on the same channel. The apparatus is also caused to perform: configuring a network configuration for the user equipment, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of the user equipment.

[0004] One embodiment may relate to an apparatus. The apparatus may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory, including a computer program. The at least one memory and the computer program may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: receiving a shared resource pool, and a configuration of a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology coexisting with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology on the same channel. The apparatus is also caused to perform: receiving a network configuration, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of user equipment. The apparatus is also caused to perform: operating in the sub-resource pool based on the network configuration.

[0005] An embodiment may be directed to a method. The method may include: configuring a shared resource pool and a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for a user equipment for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology coexisting with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology on the same channel. The method may also include: configuring a network configuration for the user equipment, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of the user equipment.

[0006] An embodiment may be directed to a method. The method may include receiving a shared resource pool and a configuration of a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology co-existing with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology. The method may also include receiving a network configuration for adapting and using the sub-resource pool depending on the type of user equipment. The method may also include operating in the sub-resource pool based on the network configuration.

[0007] One embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include: a component for configuring a shared resource pool for a user equipment, and a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology coexisting with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology on the same channel. The apparatus may also include: a component for configuring a network configuration for the user equipment, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of the user equipment.

[0008] One embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include: a component for receiving a shared resource pool and a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology coexisting with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology on the same channel. The apparatus may also include: a component for receiving a network configuration for adapting and using the sub-resource pool depending on the type of user equipment. The apparatus may also include: a component for operating in the sub-resource pool based on the network configuration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a proper understanding of the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates the spectrum designation in the 5.9 GHz band;

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates spectrum sharing in the 5.9 GHz band in Europe;

[0012] Figure 3A illustrates an example of co-channel coexistence in the same carrier using frequency division multiplexing;

[0013] Figure 3B illustrates an example of co-channel coexistence in the same carrier using time division multiplexing;

[0014] Figure 3C illustrates an example of co-channel coexistence in the same carrier using a mix of time division multiplexing and frequency division multiplexing;

[0015] Figure 3D illustrates an example of co-channel coexistence in the same carrier using overlapping new radio in long term evolution with dedicated new radio resources;

[0016] Figure 3E illustrates an example of co-channel coexistence in the same carrier using overlapping new radio in long term evolution without dedicated new radio resources;

[0017] Figure 4A The figure shows the mode 3 long term evolution side link resource allocation;

[0018] Figure 4B The figure shows the Mode 4 LTE sidelink resource allocation;

[0019] Figure 5 illustrates a new radio vehicle-to-everything subframe slot format for a physical sidelink shared channel and a physical sidelink control channel;

[0020] Figure 6 illustrates long term evolution vehicle-to-everything channelization with adjacent and non-adjacent physical sidelink control channels and physical sidelink shared channels;

[0021] Fig. 7A illustrates Mode 1 new radio side link resource allocation;

[0022] Figure 7B illustrates Mode 2 new radio side link resource allocation;

[0023] Fig. 8A illustrates a sidelink timeslot format having timeslots for a physical sidelink control channel and a physical sidelink shared channel;

[0024] Figure 8B illustrates a sidelink timeslot format having timeslots for a physical sidelink control channel and a physical sidelink shared channel and a physical sidelink feedback channel;

[0025] Fig. 9 illustrates a physical side link shared channel demodulation reference signal configuration based on the number of symbols and duration of a physical side link control channel;

[0026] Fig.10 illustrates a sidelink timeslot having a physical sidelink control channel, a physical sidelink shared channel, and a physical sidelink feedback channel;

[0027] Fig.11 illustrates a mapping of a physical side link shared channel to a physical side link feedback channel;

[0028] Fig.12 illustrates adaptation of sub-resource pools according to certain embodiments;

[0029] Fig.13A illustrates a method according to some embodiments;

[0030] Fig. 13B illustrates another method according to some embodiments; and

[0031] Fig.14 An example block diagram of a system according to an embodiment is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing support for sidelink user equipment in a co-channel coexistence environment is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but rather represents selected example embodiments.

[0033] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the appearance of the phrases "certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily all refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

[0034] Certain embodiments may have various aspects and features. These aspects and features may be applied alone or in any desired combination with each other. Other features, processes, and elements may also be applied in combination with some or all of the various aspects and features disclosed herein.

[0035] In addition, if desired, the different functions or processes discussed below can be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the described functions or processes can be optional or can be combined. Therefore, the following description should be regarded as illustrating the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, rather than limiting them.

[0036] Certain embodiments relate to support of New Radio (NR) sidelink (SL) user equipment (UE) without Long Term Evolution (LTE) SL capability in co-channel coexistence of LTE and NR SL based vehicle-to-everything (V2X). Thus, certain embodiments may relate to Release 18 (Rel-18) sidelink LTE-NR co-channel coexistence.

[0037] Figure 1 The diagram shows the designation of spectrum in the 5.9 Gigahertz (GHz) band. European governments have designated the 5855-5875 megahertz (MHz) and 5875-5925 MHz bands (referred to as the 5.9 GHz bands) for use by highway intelligent transportation systems (ITS). LTE-V2X and NR-V2X (C-V2X) technologies can be used to communicate directly via the PC5 interface in the 5.9 GHz band.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown in , different parts of the frequency band can be designated for non-safety highway ITS, safety-related ITS, and safety-related rail ITS. The non-safety highway ITS part of the spectrum can be shared with non-specific short-range devices (SRD). In contrast, the spectrum designated for safety-related ITS can be partially prioritized for highway ITS and partially prioritized for rail ITS.

[0039] In this context, prioritization may mean that no harmful interference will be caused to priority applications. Furthermore, until an appropriate spectrum sharing solution is defined, road ITS and rail ITS remain restricted to their respective priority frequency ranges. Furthermore, only vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications for road ITS in the 5915-5925 MHz range will be permitted until a spectrum sharing solution for the protection of rail ITS is developed. In the absence of such a sharing solution for the protection of rail ITS, infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) communications for road ITS in the 5915-5925 MHz range may be permitted, subject to coordination with rail ITS. Use of spectrum in the frequency range 5855-5875 MHz may be conducted on a non-interference / unprotected basis and may include use by non-safety road ITS and non-specific short-range devices.

[0040] Figure 2 The diagram shows spectrum sharing in the 5.9 GHz band in Europe. Figure 2 As shown in , in the deployment band configuration of C-V2X at 5.9 GHz in Europe, LTE-V2X may be limited to the 5905-5915 MHz and 5915-5925 MHz bands. The remaining spectrum may be available for NR-V2X.

[0041] As described above, co-channel coexistence between LTE-V2X and ITS-G5 in the 5.9 GHz band may negatively impact the ability of these technologies to provide secure and reliable communications and create further complexity. Therefore, in order to enable two different types of devices to coexist while using a common carrier frequency, it is valuable to provide mechanisms to efficiently utilize resource allocations for both technologies without negatively impacting the operation of each technology.

[0042] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3E An example of co-channel coexistence in the same carrier is illustrated. Figure 3A Frequency division multiplexing (FDM) of LTE-V2X and NR-V2X is shown. Figure 3B Time division multiplexing (TDM) of LTE-V2X and NR-V2X is shown. Figure 3C A mix of FDM and TDM for LTE-V2X and NR-V2X is shown. Figure 3Dshows overlapping NR with dedicated NR resources in LTE, while Figure 3E Illustration of overlapping NR in LTE without dedicated NR resources. Figure 3E In this approach, NR-V2X can opportunistically access resources.

[0043] for Figure 3B The TDM method shown in may require synchronization / subframe boundary alignment between LTE and NR. For long-term time scale TDM operation, the LTE SL and NR SL resource pools can be configured to be non-overlapping in the time domain. For short-term time scale TDM operation, for transmit (TX) / TX overlap and TX / receive (RX) overlap, if the packet priorities of both LTE and NR side link transmission / reception are known to both radio access technologies (RAT) before the transmission time limited by the processing time, the packet with the higher relative priority can be sent / received. Various prioritizations can be performed. For example, the priority of the physical side link feedback channel (PSFCH) can be the same as the corresponding physical side link shared channel (PSSCH).

[0044] In contrast, for Figure 3A With the FDM method shown in , static frequency allocation can be made between NR and LTE SL. If the frequency separation between NR and LTE is large enough, synchronization between NR and LTE may not be required. Power allocation can be static so that the full UE TX power can be used only when LTE and NR are transmitting simultaneously.

[0045] From the perspective of resource use, Figure 3D and Figure 3E In the examples shown in , dynamic spectrum sharing can be more flexible and can achieve higher efficiency. However, these schemes can be more complex due to auxiliary mechanisms that enable coexistence with other systems. In contrast, Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C The static spectrum sharing option shown can be simpler.

[0046] Figure 3E This may be the only option available in practice, as LTE-V2X devices may be configured to occupy the entire bandwidth, and NR-V2X devices may need to be able to adapt to this in order to be able to access the ITS band. Given the potential difficulty in modifying the pre-configuration, the NR V2X UE may be allowed to use all available resources, so there are no dedicated resources for LTE or NR, but both have the same resources available, which can be considered a full overlap situation. In this case, a dynamic spectrum sharing scheme may be the only viable solution for the coexistence of LTE-V2X and NR-V2X.

[0047] Furthermore, the more new vehicles are introduced to the market, the more important it becomes to support advanced V2X use cases that require NR-V2X operation. At the same time, since CAM (or BSM) can be emitted using both LTE-V2X and NR-V2X, it is expected that over time more and more vehicles will utilize NR-V2X, while fewer vehicles will utilize LTE-V2X. Therefore, by enabling LTE-V2X and NR-V2X to coexist on the same resources, this will enable soft reuse of LTE-V2X resources. In contrast, if static TDM or FDM deployments were considered for LTE-V2X and NR-V2X, this would mean that the resources associated with LTE-V2X would potentially remain allocated for decades, while NR-V2X would not be able to use these resources. Of course, for this to make sense, NR-V2X must also be allowed to be used for safety-related ITS.

[0048] In deployment scenarios where NR-V2X devices can use the same resources, such as Figure 3D In the example depicted in , the NR-V2X digital technology may need to be contained as perfectly as possible in the LTE-V2X digital technology. NR-V2X can be deployed in frequency range 1 (FR1) with a subcarrier spacing of 30kHz, while LTE-V2X can have a subcarrier spacing of 15kHz. Therefore, in the time domain, two NR-V2X time slots can be contained in one LTE-V2X subframe, while in the frequency domain, the bandwidth of the NR-V2X PRB can be twice that of the LTE-V2X physical resource block (PRB). Both LTE-V2X and NR-V2X SL resources can be organized into resource pools, in the case of NR-V2X, the resource pools can be organized into time slots in the time domain, in the case of LTE-V2X, the resource pools can be organized into subframes in the time domain, and in the frequency domain, these resource pools can be organized into subchannels consisting of a certain number of PRBs.

[0049] If the LTE-V2X and NR-V2X PRBs are aligned in both time and frequency, multiple LTE-V2X and NR-V2X resource pools with complete overlap can be achieved.

[0050] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Mode 3 and Mode 4 LTE sidelink resource allocations are illustrated, respectively. For the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 14 (Rel-14) and Release 15 (Rel-15), LTE-V2X is designed to facilitate vehicles to communicate with other nearby vehicles via direct / SL communications. Communications between these vehicles can be carried out in LTE-V2X using Mode 3 or Mode 4, respectively. Figure 4A and Figure 4B as shown in .

[0051] like Figure 4A As shown in the figure, when the device is in mode 3, the sidelink radio resources can be scheduled by the base station or evolved NodeB (eNB). Therefore, this method can be only available when the vehicle is within cellular coverage.

[0052] like Figure 4B As shown in , when the device is in mode 4, the vehicle can autonomously select its own sidelink radio resources regardless of whether the vehicle is in cellular coverage. When the vehicle is in cellular coverage, the network can decide how to configure the LTE-V2X channel and can notify the vehicle through LTE-V2X configurable parameters. The message may include the carrier frequency of the LTE-V2X channel, the LTE-V2X resource pool, the synchronization reference, the channelization scheme, the number of subchannels per subframe, and the number of RBs per subchannel, etc.

[0053] When the vehicle is not within cellular network coverage, the vehicle can replace the LTE-V2X configurable parameters with a set of preconfigured parameters. The LTE-V2X resource pool can indicate which subframes of the channel will be used for LTE-V2X. The remaining subframes can be used by other services (including cellular communications).

[0054] Autonomous resource selection in Mode 4 may be performed using a sensing and resource exclusion process, such as described in Rel-14, where a vehicle may reserve one or more selected subchannels for a certain number of periodically repeated packet transmissions. In turn, such reservations may be sensed by other vehicles, which may affect the resource selection / exclusion decisions of other vehicles.

[0055] Figure 5 The Long Term Evolution Vehicle-to-Everything subframe slot format for the physical sidelink shared channel and the physical sidelink control channel is illustrated. LTE-V2X can use single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) and can support 10MHz and 20MHz channels. The channel can be divided into 180kHz resource blocks (RBs), each corresponding to 12 15kHz subcarriers. In the time domain, the channel can be organized into 1ms subframes.

[0056] Each subframe may have 14 orthogonal FDM (OFDM) symbols with a normal cyclic prefix. Figure 5 As shown in , nine of these symbols can be used to send data, and four of them (i.e., the third symbol, the sixth symbol, the ninth symbol, and the twelfth symbol) can be used to send a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for channel estimation and for high-speed countermeasures against the Doppler effect. The last symbol can be used as a guard symbol for timing adjustment and for allowing the vehicle to switch between transmission and reception across subframes.

[0057] RBs can be grouped into subchannels. Subchannels can only include RBs within the same subframe. The number of RBs per subchannel can vary and can be (pre)configured. Subchannels can be used to send data and control information. Data can be organized in transport blocks (TBs), which can be carried in the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH). TBs can contain complete packets, such as collaborative awareness messages (CAMs) or basic safety messages (BSMs). Depending on the size of the packet, the number of RBs per subchannel, and the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used, a TB can occupy one or several subchannels. TBs can be sent using quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM), or 64QAM modulation and turbo coding.

[0058] Each TB may have an associated sidelink control information (SCI) message, which may be carried in a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). The message may also be referred to as a scheduling assignment (SA). The SCI may occupy 2 RBs and may include information such as: an indication of the RBs occupied by the associated TB; the MCS used for the TB; the priority of the message being sent; an indication of whether the message is the first transmission or a blind retransmission of the TB; and a resource reservation interval. Blind retransmission may refer to a scheduled retransmission or repetition of a TB that is not based on feedback from a receiver. The resource reservation interval may specify when the vehicle will utilize (multiple) reserved subchannels to send the next TB of the vehicle. The SCI may include critical information for the correct reception of the TB. If the associated SCI is not received correctly, the TB may not be decoded correctly. The TB and the SCI associated with the TB may always be sent in the same subframe.

[0059] Figure 6 1 illustrates long term evolution vehicle-to-everything channelization with adjacent and non-adjacent physical sidelink control channels and physical sidelink shared channels. Figure 6 As shown in , the TB in the PSSCH and the associated SCI in the PSCCH can be sent in adjacent or non-adjacent subchannels. Figure 6 In the case of adjacent PSCCH and PSSCH as shown on the left side of , SCI and TB can be sent in adjacent RBs. For each SCI and TB transmission, SCI can occupy the first two RBs of the first subchannel used for transmission. TB can be sent in the RB after SCI and can occupy several subchannels, depending on the size of TB. If TB occupies several subchannels, it can also occupy the first two RBs of the following subchannel.

[0060] exist Figure 6In the case of non-adjacent PSCCH and PSSCH as shown on the right, the RBs can be divided into pools. One pool can be dedicated to sending only SCI, and SCI can occupy two RBs. The second pool can be reserved for sending only TBs and can be divided into subchannels.

[0061] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B Mode 1 and Mode 2 new radio side link resource allocations are illustrated respectively. 3GPP Release 16 (Rel-16) designs NR SL to facilitate user equipment to communicate with (multiple) other nearby UEs via direct / SL communication. Two resource allocation modes have been specified, and a SL transmitter (TX) UE can be configured with one of these two modes to perform the UE's own NR SL transmissions. These modes can be represented as NR SL Mode 1 and NR SL Mode 2. In Mode 1, the sidelink transmission resources can be assigned or scheduled by the network (NW) to the SL TX UE, while the SL TX UE in Mode 2 can autonomously select the UE's SL transmission resources.

[0062] In Mode 1, the gNB may be responsible for SL resource allocation, and the configuration and operation may be similar to those on the Uu interface, such as Fig. 7A The Medium Access Control (MAC) level details of this procedure can be found in Section 5.8.3 of 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.321.

[0063] The SCI may follow a 2-level SCI structure that supports size differences between SCIs for various NR-V2X SL service types such as broadcast, groupcast, and unicast. The first-level SCI (SCI format 1-A) carried by the PSCCH may contain information for enabling sensing operations and information for determining resource allocations for the PSSCH and decoding the second-level SCI. In Rel-16, the content of the first-level SCI is specified in Section 8.3.1.1 of 3GPP TS 38.212. The content of the second-level SCI is also specified in 3GPP TS 38.212 as follows.

[0064] The second-level SCI (SCI formats 2-A and 2-B) carried by PSSCH, multiplexed with the sidelink shared channel (SL-SCH), can contain source and destination identifiers, information for identifying and decoding related SL-SCH TBs, control of HARQ feedback in unicast / multicast, and triggering of CSI feedback in unicast.

[0065] The configuration of resources in the sidelink resource pool may define the minimum information required for the RX UE to be able to decode the transmission, including the number of subchannels, the number of PRBs per subchannel, the number of symbols in the PSCCH, which time slots have the PSFCH, and other configuration aspects.

[0066] For each single transmission, the details of the actual sidelink transmission (such as payload) can be provided in the PSCCH of the first level SCI. These details may include time and frequency resources, DMRS configuration of PSSCH, MCS and PSFCH, etc. Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An example of an SL slot structure is provided: Fig. 8A The time slots with PSCCH / PSSCH are shown, Figure 8B A slot with PSCCH / PSSCH is shown, where the last symbol may be used for PSFCH.

[0067] The configuration of the PSCCH, such as the demodulation reference signal (DMRS), MCS, and the number of symbols used, can be part of the resource pool configuration. In addition, the indication of which time slots have PSFCH symbols can also be part of the resource pool configuration. However, the configuration of the PSSCH, such as the number of symbols used, DMRS mode, and MCS, can be provided by the first-level SCI, which can be the payload sent within the PSCCH and can follow Fig. 9 Therefore, Fig. 9 A physical sidelink shared channel demodulation reference signal configuration based on the number of symbols and duration of a physical sidelink control channel is illustrated.

[0068] Fig.10 A sidelink timeslot with a physical sidelink control channel, a physical sidelink shared channel, and a physical sidelink feedback channel is illustrated. The PSFCH was introduced in Rel-16 to enable HARQ feedback on the sidelink from the UE that is the intended recipient of the PSSCH transmission (also referred to as the RX UE) to the UE that performs the transmission (also referred to as the TX UE). Within the PSFCH, the Zadoff-Chu sequence in one PRB can be repeated over two OFDM symbols, the first of which can be used for AGC, located near the end of the sidelink resources in the timeslot. Fig.10 Example slot formats for PSCCH, PSSCH and PSFCH are provided in . The Zadoff-Chu sequence as the base sequence is (pre-)configured for each sidelink resource pool.

[0069] Fig.11The physical sidelink shared channel to physical sidelink feedback channel mapping is illustrated. The time resource of PSFCH is (pre)configured to occur once every 1, 2 or 4 time slots. The HARQ feedback resource (PSFCH) is derived from the resource position of PSCCH / PSSCH.

[0070] For PSSCH to HARQ timing, there is a configuration parameter K in slots. The timing of PSFCH is determined by K. For a PSSCH transmission whose last symbol is in slot n, HARQ feedback is in slot n+a, where a is the smallest integer greater than or equal to K, provided that slot n+a contains PSFCH resources. As an example, if Fig.11 As shown in , the period of the PSFCH resource is configured as 4, and K(sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH) is configured as 3. For a PSSCH transmitted in time slot 1 or 2, the corresponding time opportunity of the PSFCH is time slot 4. The PSFCH resources for HARQ feedback of PSSCH transmissions with the same starting subchannel in different time slots are frequency division multiplexed (FDM). As an example, Fig.11 As shown in , the PSFCH resources of the PSSCH in time slots 1 and 2 are FDMed in time slot 4.

[0071] For LTE-NR SL co-channel coexistence (SL Coex), NR UEs operating in NR Mode 2 may need to be able to use resources that have been configured as part of the resource pool (RP) for LTE UEs in LTE Mode 4. Both NR Mode 2 and LTE Mode 4 can operate as autonomous resource allocation modes, where the UE is allowed to select and reserve resources from the configured RP for SL transmission. LTE Mode 4 can be based on sensing or random selection, while NR Mode 2 can be more flexible. NR Mode 2 can be based on sensing or random selection, with possible preemption and inter-UE coordination (IUC).

[0072] The shared resources of LTE SL and NR SL in SL Coex can be aligned in time based on the SL frame boundary, and therefore the LTE SL subframes and NR SL time slots can also be aligned. Therefore, in the case where a 15kHz SCS is applied to both LTE and NR, each LTE subframe can be mapped to 1 NR time slot; or, in some examples, if a 15kHz SCS is applied for LTE and a 30kHz SCS is applied for NR, each LTE subframe can be mapped to 2 NR time slots (referred to as the first time slot and the second time slot). NR and LTE SL UEs can access these resources using RPs that overlap in time and frequency (in practice, LTE RP for LTE SL UEs and NR RP for NR UEs). This RP can be referred to as a shared RP.

[0073] 3GPP RAN1 can support three types of UE devices in SL Coex, which, for ease of reference (rather than preference or priority), can be simply referred to as Type A UE capable of using LTE SL and NR SL, Type B UE capable of using NR SL, and Type C UE capable of using LTE SL.

[0074] Changes to LTE SL may be omitted. Therefore, for the sake of completeness, Type C UEs are listed because the LTE SL of Type C UEs will not be enhanced. Type A UEs may be regarded as having an LTE SL module and an NR SL module in the same UE, and are therefore capable of sending and / or receiving both LTE SL and NR SL. In contrast, Type B UEs may be NR UEs capable of sending and / or receiving NR SL. The detailed UE capabilities or UE capability categories of Type A UEs and Type B UEs may remain open, and the NR SL of Type A UEs and Type B UEs may be enhanced. For example, Type B UEs may have some LTE SL sensing capabilities. Therefore, Type B UEs may be further classified into Type B UEs without LTE sensing capabilities (referred to as Type B1 UEs), and Type B UEs with some LTE SL sensing capabilities (referred to as other Type B UEs herein).

[0075] Certain embodiments provide a method to enable B1 type UEs without LTE SL sensing capability to use shared resources. A B1 type UE without LTE SL sensing capability may not be able to acquire sufficient knowledge about resource utilization of LTE SL transmissions in the vicinity of the UE itself for the UE to perform its own resource selection and reservation. As a result, the UE may cause conflicts for LTE SL transmissions. Efficiency and fairness aspects of resource sharing may also be considered.

[0076] Fig.12 Adaptation of sub-resource pools according to certain embodiments is illustrated. Certain embodiments may be based on exploring energy detection specified for LTE SL sensing as a way to allow fair access for B1 type UEs and at the same time allow gradual resource transition from LTE SL to NR SL UEs.

[0077] The LTE energy detection mechanism can allow LTE UEs to avoid selecting resources in subframes where the detected energy level is above a predefined threshold. Therefore, configuring NR SL UEs to prioritize the use of resources in selected subframes of the shared RP in SL Coex can gradually force LTE SL UEs that are currently using resources in the selected subframes to exit the selected subframes. If the NR SL UE's occupancy of the selected subframe remains above a threshold, this prioritization can prevent the LTE SL UE from (re)selecting resources in the selected subframe.

[0078] In order to address the efficiency and fairness issues of resource sharing, the number of such subframes selected and how to allow NR SL UEs (including type A UEs and type B UEs, type B UEs including type B1 UEs and other type B UEs) to use the resources in the selected subframes may need to be adaptable. Such adaptation may depend on, for example, the load of LTE SL UEs and NR SL UEs, and the load of NR SL UEs includes the load of type A UEs, type B1 UEs and other type B UEs.

[0079] Certain embodiments may provide a method for supporting B1 type UE in SL Coex, the method may include: configuring the NR SL UE and a shared RP, a sub-RP (which includes resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared RP), and a network configuration (which includes rules, constraints, conditions or restrictions on how to adapt and use the sub-RP resources for NR SL transmission), such as Fig.12 as shown in .

[0080] The network configuration may be achieved via, for example, system information blocks (SIBs) in common radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and dedicated radio resource control signaling (RRC) signaling from the serving gNB to the NR SL UE, or pre-configuration of the NR SL UE for out-of-coverage operation. The rules, constraints, conditions or limitations may include the following.

[0081] The SubRP may be provided with a minimum set of selected subframes or a minimum SubRP, and in addition, may be provided with one or more extended sets of selected subframes or extended SubRPs. In one option, the extended set of selected subframes or extended SubRPs may be a superset of all smaller ones, not just the smallest. That is, depending on the network configuration and based on a predefined order, (multiple) additional selected subframes may be added to the current SubRP to form the next extended SubRP. For example, the UE may start from a lower subframe and gradually extend to a higher subframe, such as Fig.12 as shown in .

[0082] Sub-RP can be mainly used for B1 type UEs based on NR SL sensing. B1 type UEs can use resources of shared RP outside the sub-pool using other designated methods (e.g., IUC), where B1 type UEs may obtain resource allocation outside the sub-RP from A type UEs, or use short-term detection, where B1 type UEs may need to detect whether there is an LTE transmission in a given subframe in order to decide whether to send NR SL transmission in the given subframe or in the NR time slot overlapping with the given subframe (if applicable).

[0083] Type A UEs and other Type B UEs may be configured to use resources from a sub-RP preferentially if at least one of the following conditions is met: the load of Type B1 UEs in the sub-RP is lower than a threshold; the load of NR SL UEs in the sub-RP is lower than a threshold; the channel busy rate (CBR) on the sub-RP is lower than a threshold; or the load of LTE SL UEs on the shared RP is higher than a threshold. Otherwise, Type A UEs and other Type B UEs may be configured to use resources from a shared RP outside the sub-RP preferentially.

[0084] The use of these different thresholds can be to keep the NR SL UE's occupancy of the sub-RP above the threshold to prevent LTE UEs from selecting resources from the sub-RP. Otherwise, type A UEs and other type B UEs can prioritize resources outside the sub-RP from the shared RP.

[0085] In order to facilitate load measurement of B1 type UEs in a sub-RP, it may be valuable that the NR SL UE is able to distinguish NR SL transmissions of different types of NR SL UEs, or at least of type B1 UEs, from other types of transmissions. In one option, such distinction may be achieved by having the NR SL SCI indicate the type of NR SL UE, i.e. the TX UE indicates in its SCI its UE type, or at least whether it is a type B1 UE, or at least when operating in a shared pool.

[0086] In another option, SL transmissions of type B1 UEs in a sub-RP may be allowed to use a priority higher than a threshold, while SL transmissions of type A UEs or other type B UEs may use a priority equal to or lower than the threshold. In this option, type A UEs or other type B UEs may preferentially use the sub-RP for SL transmissions whose actual priority is lower than the threshold. However, this option may be most valuable when SL transmissions of type B1 UEs are expected to have a high priority.

[0087] Depending on the sub-RP configuration for possible adaptation, the rules, constraints, conditions or limitations may include other aspects. For example, if at least one of the following conditions is met, the next extended sub-RP may be determined by a given B1 type UE according to the network configuration (e.g., adapted from the current sub-RP and put into use): there are no available resources in the current sub-RP, and preemption may be used for the given B1 type UE; the CBR on the current sub-RP is higher than a threshold; the load of NR SL UEs in the current sub-RP is higher than a threshold; the load of NR SL B1 type UEs in the current sub-RP is higher than a threshold; the CBR on a shared RP including or excluding the current sub-RP is lower than a threshold; the load of NR SL UEs on a shared RP including or excluding the current sub-RP is lower than a threshold.

[0088] In order to increase the chance of Type B1 UE accessing the sub-RP, Type B1 UE may be allowed to preempt the reserved resources of Type A UE or other Type B UE in the sub-RP even if the priority of Type A UE or other Type B UE is equal to or slightly higher than the priority of Type B1 UE (for example, within limited constraints).

[0089] The next extended sub-RP can be determined by a given type A UE or other type B UE according to the network configuration (for example, adapted from the current sub-RP and put into use) if at least one of the following conditions is met: the CBR on the current sub-RP is higher than the threshold; the load of NR SL UEs in the current sub-RP is higher than the threshold; the load of NR SL B1 type UEs in the current sub-RP is higher than the threshold; the CBR on the shared RP including or excluding the current sub-RP is lower than the threshold; the load of NR SL UEs on the shared RP including or excluding the current sub-RP is lower than the threshold; or the load of LTE SL UEs is lower than the threshold.

[0090] Depending on the network configuration, the above conditions and thresholds may be configured to vary as the adaptation changes from the current sub-RP to the next extended sub-RP, or from one selected sub-frame to another selected sub-frame. The thresholds configured for type A UEs or other type B UEs may be the same or different from the corresponding thresholds configured for type B1 UEs for sub-RP adaptation.

[0091] Type A UEs and other Type B UEs with some LTE sensing capabilities may be able to detect the presence of LTE SL UEs, measure the load of the LTE SL UEs, and indicate such information via NR SL signaling (such as NR SL SCI or IUC information) or share such information with Type B1 UEs. This can be used to enhance the adaptation of the sub-pool for Type B1 UEs, or, that is, conditions related to the load or presence of LTE SL UEs can also be applied to Type B1 UEs. For example, if Type B1 obtains the latest LTE SL load information from Type A UEs or other Type B UEs, the condition that the load of the LTE SL UE is below a threshold can be applied to Type B1 UEs.

[0092] In order to further synchronize the adaptation of sub-RPs between neighboring NR SL UEs, the NR SL UE may indicate the index of the current sub-RP, which may be represented by, for example, the index of the last subframe slot, or the highest subframe or slot of the sub-RP in the SCI. For example, a B1 type UE may determine to synchronize the current sub-RP to one of the sub-RPs indicated by a nearby A type UE. Additional synchronization may be left to the B1 type UE or specified by the network configuration, so that the B1 type UE may select the minimum sub-RP or the maximum sub-RP among the sub-RPs having an index indicated by a nearby A type UE or other NR SL UE.

[0093] NR SL UEs (at least Type A and other Type B UEs) can be configured to report LTE load to the gNB, and based on this, the gNB can reconfigure the Sub-RP and related network configuration.

[0094] In order to support legacy NR SL UEs (Rel-16 and Rel-17 NR SL UEs) in SL Coex, a minimum sub-RP can be configured for the legacy NR SL UE as a regular Tx RP. Since the legacy NR SL UE cannot adapt the sub-RP to achieve efficient and fair resource sharing, the serving network or gNB may need to perform reconfiguration of the minimum sub-RP, or allow (enable-disable) the legacy NR SL UE to use the minimum sub-RP more frequently, which depends on the load of the legacy NR SL UE in addition to the load of the LTE SL UE, Type A and Type B NR SL UEs. Therefore, Type A and Type B UEs can be configured to detect and report the presence and load of the legacy NR SL UE on the minimum sub-RP to the gNB.

[0095] Type A and other Type B SL UEs can send NR SL reservations that overlap with LTE high priority transmissions detected on the sub-RP. In this way, high priority LTE SL transmissions can also be protected in the sub-RP.

[0096] Certain embodiments may involve configuring a portion of a shared LTE-NR V2x resource pool, represented herein as a sub-RP, for NR B1 type UEs. In certain embodiments, an indication of the type of NR SL UE associated with capabilities of Type A, Type B, Type B1 as described above may be provided in the NR SL SCI, for example when operating in a shared pool.

[0097] Optionally, in some embodiments, the UE may report the determined LTE load to the gNB, for example, via SL NR Type A and Type B UEs. Type A and Type B UEs may additionally be configured to detect and report to the gNB the presence and load of legacy NR SL UEs on the smallest sub-RP.

[0098] Certain embodiments may allow a Type A UE or Type B UE with LTE detection capability to use NR SL signaling (such as NRSL SCI or IUC) to detect the presence of LTE SL UEs, and measure the load of LTE SL UEs, and share such information directly or indirectly with Type B1 UEs.

[0099] Fig.13A Methods according to some embodiments are illustrated. Fig.13A As shown in , a method may include: at 1310, configuring a shared resource pool for a user equipment, and a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool, for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology co-exists with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology, for example, for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology (NR) co-exists with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology (LTE). The sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology may be based on a time slot within a subframe, and the sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology may be based on a subframe. The method may also include: at 1320, configuring a network configuration for the user equipment, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of the user equipment.

[0100] LTE uses the term subframe, while NR uses time slots in a similar manner. As used herein, the two expressions may be understood interchangeably. The shared resource pool may include resources shared between sidelink communications according to a first RAT and sidelink communications according to a second RAT, and the resources of the selected subframe may be used for sidelink transmissions according to the first RAT or sidelink transmissions according to the second RAT.

[0101] The type of user equipment may be one of a first type that does not have the capability to receive sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology and a second type that has the capability to receive sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology.

[0102] The network configuration may be provided to the user equipment in the form of common radio resource control signaling, such as a system information block, or in the form of dedicated radio resource control signaling.The network configuration may be pre-configured to the user equipment for out of coverage operation of the user equipment.

[0103] The network configuration may include a minimum set of selected subframes or a minimum sub-resource pool, and one or more extended sets of selected subframes or extended sub-resource pools.

[0104] The one or more extended sets of selected subframes or extended sub-resource pools may be a superset of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pool.

[0105] The network configuration may provide an order of use of one or more extended sets of selected subframes or extended sub-resource pools. The network configuration may indicate that the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration when at least one of the following conditions is met: no resources in the current sub-resource pool are available for the user equipment's sidelink transmission; the channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; the load of the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; the load of the sidelink transmission from the first type of user equipment in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; the channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; the load of the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or the load of the sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold.

[0106] The user equipment may be of the first type or of the second type, wherein the first type may be type B1, which may not have the capability of side link communication according to the second radio access technology, and the second type may be type A and other type B, which may have the capability of side link communication according to the second radio access technology.

[0107] The network configuration may indicate that: in the case where the user equipment is of the second type, the user equipment will give priority to using resources from the sub-resource pool when at least one of the following conditions is met, otherwise the user equipment will give priority to using resources outside the sub-resource pool: the load of sidelink transmissions from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; the load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; the channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or the load of sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology on a shared resource pool that includes or does not include the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

[0108] The network configuration may indicate that, in case the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment shall preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool according to the first radio access technology.

[0109] The network configuration may indicate that, when the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment has the right to preempt resources of other user equipment of the second type from the sub-resource pool if the priority of other user equipment of the second type is higher than the priority of the user equipment by less than a threshold amount.

[0110] Certain embodiments may be applied to B1 type UEs instead of A type UEs and other B type UEs. These may be various sidelink configuration types. The use of sub-RPs may depend on the type of UE. Sub-RPs may be configured primarily for B1 type UEs, so that B1 type UEs may use sub-RPs according to the first RAT; and B1 type UEs may be allowed to preempt resources of A type UEs and other B type UEs under conditions that are looser than those specified in the current NR, for example, when the priority of B1 type UEs is equal to or lower than the priority of A type or other B type UEs to a certain extent (lower but within a limit).

[0111] The network configuration may include a dynamic threshold that varies from the current sub-resource pool to the next sub-resource pool, or from one selected subframe to another selected subframe.

[0112] The method may further include: at 1330, configuring a reporting configuration for the user equipment, the reporting configuration being used to report a load in the shared resource pool, the sub-resource pool, or both the shared resource pool and the sub-resource pool.

[0113] Fig. 13B Methods according to some embodiments are illustrated. Fig. 13B The method can be used with Fig.13A The methods are used in combination. Fig. 13BAs shown in , a method may include: at 1315, receiving a shared resource pool, and a configuration of a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology coexists with the sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology on the same channel. The sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology may be based on a time slot within a subframe, and the sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology may be based on a subframe. The method may also include: at 1325, receiving a network configuration, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of user equipment. The type of the user equipment may be one of a first type and a second type, the first type not having the ability to receive a sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology, and the second type having the ability to receive a sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology. The method may also include: at 1335, operating in the sub-resource pool based on the network configuration.

[0114] The network configuration may be received in the form of common radio resource control signaling, such as a system information block, or in the form of dedicated radio resource control signaling.The network configuration is pre-configured to the user equipment for out of coverage operation of the user equipment.

[0115] The network configuration may include a minimum set of selected subframes or a minimum sub-resource pool, and one or more extended sets of selected subframes or extended sub-resource pools.

[0116] The one or more extended sets of selected subframes or extended sub-resource pools may be a superset of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pool.

[0117] The network configuration may provide a usage order of one or more extended sets of selected subframes or extended sub-resource pools.

[0118] The network configuration may indicate that the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration when at least one of the following conditions is met: there are no resources in the current sub-resource pool available for sidelink transmission of the user equipment; the channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; the load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; the load of sidelink transmission from user equipment of the first type in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; the channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; the load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or the load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold.

[0119] The network configuration may indicate that: in the case where the user equipment is of the second type, the user equipment will give priority to using resources from the sub-resource pool when at least one of the following conditions is met, otherwise the user equipment will give priority to using resources outside the sub-resource pool: the load of sidelink transmissions from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; the load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; the channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or the load of sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology on a shared resource pool that includes or does not include the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

[0120] The method may also include providing the type of the user equipment in the sidelink control information at 1345. The method may also include receiving a reporting configuration at 1355, the reporting configuration being used to report a load in a shared resource pool, a sub-resource pool, or both a shared resource pool and a sub-resource pool. The method may also include reporting a load based on the reporting configuration at 1365.

[0121] The network configuration may indicate that, in case the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment shall preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool according to the first radio access technology.

[0122] The network configuration may indicate that, when the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment has the right to preempt resources of other user equipment of the second type from the sub-resource pool if the priority of other user equipment of the second type is higher than the priority of the user equipment by less than a threshold amount.

[0123] The network configuration may include a dynamic threshold that varies from the current sub-resource pool to the next sub-resource pool, or from one selected subframe to another selected subframe.

[0124] Fig.14 An example of a system including an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is illustrated. In an embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, a host, or a server in a communication network, or a node, a host, or a server serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a network node, a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), a TRP, a HAPS, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR). In some example embodiments, for example, the apparatus 10 may be a gNB, or other similar radio node.

[0125] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path, or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality (such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management, etc.). The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs via a medium-range interface (referred to as the F1 interface), and the (multiple) DUs may have one or more radio units (RUs) connected to the (multiple) DUs via a fronthaul interface. The DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of the gNB functionality, depending on the functional splitting option. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Fig.14 Components or features not shown.

[0126] like Fig.14 As shown in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, for example, the processor 12 may include one or more of the following items: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, or any other processing component. Although Fig.14 A single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled, or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0127] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including processes associated with support for sidelink user equipment in a co-channel coexistence environment.

[0128] The device 10 may also include, or be coupled to, a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12, and which is used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of the following: random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transient machine or computer readable media, or other suitable storage components. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program codes that, when executed by the processor 12, enable the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0129] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include, or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0130] In some embodiments, the device 10 may further include, or be coupled to, one or more antennas 15 for sending signals and / or data to and receiving signals and / or data from the device 10. The device 10 may further include, or be coupled to, a transceiver 18 configured to send and / or receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to (a plurality of) antennas 15, or may include any other suitable transceiver components. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BT-LE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Ultra Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks, and receive symbols (e.g., via uplinks).

[0131] Thus, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input devices and / or output devices (I / O devices), or input / output components.

[0132] In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. Memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0133] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in a processing circuit system / component or a control circuit system / component, or may form a part thereof. In addition, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in a transceiver circuit system / component, or may form a part thereof.

[0134] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to hardware circuit implementations only (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry); combinations of hardware circuitry and software; combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; any portion of a hardware processor(s) (including a digital signal processor) with software that work together to enable a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions; and / or hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) or portions thereof that operate using software, but the software may not be present when not required for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also encompass implementations of hardware circuits or processors only (or multiple processors), or portions of hardware circuits or processors, and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also encompass, for example, baseband integrated circuits in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0135] As introduced above, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be a network element or RAN node (such as a base station, access point, Node B, eNB, gNB, TRP, HAPS, IAB node, relay node, WLAN access point, satellite, etc.), or may be part of a network element or RAN node. In an example embodiment, the device 10 may be a gNB or other radio node, or may be a CU and / or DU of a gNB. According to some embodiments, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be configured to execute any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein (such as Fig.12 , Fig.13A and Fig. 13B In some embodiments, as described herein, the apparatus 10 may be configured to perform processes related to providing support for sidelink user equipment in a co-channel coexistence environment.

[0136] Fig.14 An example of an apparatus 20 according to an embodiment is also illustrated. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communication network, or a node or element associated with such a network, such as a UE, a communication node, a mobile device (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may be alternatively referred to as, for example, a mobile station, a mobile device, a mobile unit, a mobile device, a user device, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a tablet, a smart phone, an IoT device, a sensor or an NB-IoT device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and its application (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and its application (e.g., a robot and / or other wireless device operating in an industrial and / or automated processing chain environment), a consumer electronic device, a device operating on a commercial and / or industrial wireless network, etc. As an example, the apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include Fig.14 Components or features not shown.

[0138] like Fig.14 As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include, or be coupled to, a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In practice, the processor 22 may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Fig.14 A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the device 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled, or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0139] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0140] The device 20 may also include, or be coupled to, a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22, and which is used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transient machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program codes that, when executed by the processor 22, enable the device 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0141] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include, or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0142] In some embodiments, the device 20 may further include, or be coupled to, one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from the device 20 via an uplink. The device 20 may further include a transceiver 28 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 28 may further include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by a downlink or uplink, such as OFDM symbols.

[0143] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the device 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0144] In one embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology such as NR.

[0145] According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in, or may form part of, processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in, or may form part of, transceiver circuitry.

[0146] As described above, according to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be a UE, a SL UE, a relay UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or a NB-IoT device, etc. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as Fig.12 , Fig.13A and Fig. 13B One or more operations shown or described, or any other method described herein. For example, in one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled to perform processes related to providing support for sidelink user equipment in a co-channel coexistence environment, as described in detail elsewhere herein.

[0147] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and / or apparatus 20) may include a component for performing a method, process, or any variant discussed herein. Examples of the component may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program codes for causing the execution of any operation discussed herein.

[0148] In view of the foregoing, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages over prior art processes and constitute at least an improvement in the field of wireless network control and / or management technology. Certain embodiments may have various benefits and / or advantages. For example, certain embodiments may allow improved co-channel coexistence between LTE-V2X SL and NR-V2X SL with different types of NR SL UEs, such as with or without LTE SL capabilities. Such improved coexistence may improve spectral efficiency and minimize unnecessary collisions.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, signaling diagram, algorithm, or flow chart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or code portions, which are stored in a memory or other computer-readable or tangible medium and can be executed by a processor.

[0150] In some example embodiments, a device may include or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit, or entity, which is configured as (multiple) arithmetic operations, or is configured as a program or program portion (including added or updated software routines) executed by at least one operating processor or controller. The program (also referred to as a program product or computer program, including software routines, applets, and macros) may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium and may include program instructions for performing specific tasks. The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. One or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or code portion. The modifications and configurations required to implement the functions of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) added or updated software routines. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded into the device.

[0151] For example, software or computer program code or code portion can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it can be stored in some carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium, which can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such a carrier can include a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and / or a software distribution package. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program can be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed in multiple computers. A computer readable medium or a computer readable storage medium can be a non-transient medium. The term "non-transient" used herein is a restriction on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than a signal), rather than a restriction on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0152] In other example embodiments, the functions of the example embodiments may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device, such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other hardware and software combination. In yet another example embodiment, the functions of the example embodiments may be implemented as a signal carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network, such as a non-tangible component.

[0153] According to example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for (multiple) arithmetic operations and / or an operating processor for performing (multiple) arithmetic operations.

[0154] The example embodiments described herein may apply to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in conjunction with describing certain embodiments. For example, an embodiment describing the operation of a single network node may also apply to example embodiments including multiple instances of a network node, and vice versa.

[0155] Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be practiced with processes in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a different configuration than disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments. Partial glossary:

[0156] AGC Automatic Gain Control

[0157] BSM Basic Safety Information

[0158] CAM Collaborative Awareness Message

[0159] DMRS Demodulation Reference Signal

[0160] HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0161] ITS Intelligent Transportation System

[0162] MCS Modulation and Coding Scheme

[0163] OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0164] PRB Physical Resource Block

[0165] PSCCH Physical Sidelink Control Channel

[0166] PSFCH Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel

[0167] PSSCH Physical Sidelink Shared Channel

[0168] QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

[0169] QPSK Quadrature Phase Shift Keying

[0170] RP Resource Pool

[0171] RSRP Reference Signal Received Power

[0172] RX Receiver

[0173] SA Scheduling Allocation Assignment

[0174] SCI Side Link Control Information

[0175] SC-FDMA Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access

[0176] SPS Semi-Persistent Scheduling

[0177] TB Transfer Block

[0178] TX Transmitter

[0179] V2X Vehicle to Everything

Claims

1. A device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: configuring, for a user equipment, a shared resource pool and a sub-resource pool comprising resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for a sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology co-existing on a same channel with a sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology; as well as A network configuration is configured for the user equipment, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of the user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology is based on time slots within a subframe, and the sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology is based on a subframe.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the type of the user equipment is one of a first type and a second type, the first type not having the capability of receiving sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology, and the second type having the capability of receiving sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology. 4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the network configuration is provided to the user equipment in the form of public signaling or in the form of dedicated signaling. 5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the network configuration is pre-configured to the user equipment for out-of-coverage operation of the user equipment.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network configuration comprises: A minimum set or minimum sub-resource pool of the selected subframes, and one or more extended sets or extended sub-resource pools of the selected subframes. 7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pool is a superset of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pool.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the network configuration provides an order of use of the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the network configuration indicates that when at least one of the following conditions is met, the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration: There is no resource in the current sub-resource pool available for side link transmission of the user equipment; The channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than the threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; The load of the side link transmission from the first type of user equipment in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; A channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network configuration indicates that, when the user equipment is of the second type, the user equipment will preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool when at least one of the following conditions is met, otherwise the user equipment will preferentially use resources outside the sub-resource pool: A load of sidelink transmission from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool being below a threshold; The channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network configuration indicates that, if the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment is to preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool according to the first radio access technology.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the network configuration indicates that: when the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment has the right to preempt resources of other user equipment of the second type from the sub-resource pool under the condition that the priority of the other user equipment of the second type is higher than the priority of the user equipment by less than a threshold amount.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network configuration comprises a dynamic threshold value that varies from a current sub-resource pool to a next sub-resource pool or from one selected subframe to another selected subframe.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least perform: A reporting configuration is configured for the user equipment, where the reporting configuration is used to report a load in the shared resource pool, the sub-resource pool, or both the shared resource pool and the sub-resource pool.

15. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least: receiving a shared resource pool and a configuration of a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmissions according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology co-existing on a channel with sidelink transmissions according to a second radio access technology; as well as receiving a network configuration for adapting and using the sub-resource pool depending on a type of the user equipment; as well as Based on the network configuration, operate in the sub-resource pool. 16 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the network configuration is received in the form of public signaling or in the form of dedicated signaling.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the network configuration is pre-configured to the user equipment for out-of-coverage operation of the user equipment.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the network configuration comprises: A minimum set or minimum sub-resource pool of the selected subframes, and one or more extended sets or extended sub-resource pools of the selected subframes.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pool is a superset of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pool.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the network configuration provides an order of use of the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the network configuration indicates that when at least one of the following conditions is met, the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration: There is no resource in the current sub-resource pool available for side link transmission of the user equipment; The channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than the threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; The load of the side link transmission from the first type of user equipment in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; A channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold.

22. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the network configuration indicates that, when the user equipment is of the second type, the user equipment will preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool when at least one of the following conditions is met, otherwise the user equipment will preferentially use resources outside the sub-resource pool: A load of sidelink transmission from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool being below a threshold; The channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least perform: The type of the user equipment is provided in sidelink control information.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least perform: receiving a reporting configuration for reporting a load in the shared resource pool, the sub-resource pool, or both the shared resource pool and the sub-resource pool; and Based on the reporting configuration, the load is reported.

25. A method comprising: configuring, for a user equipment, a shared resource pool and a sub-resource pool comprising resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for a sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology co-existing on a same channel with a sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology; as well as A network configuration is configured for the user equipment, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on the type of the user equipment.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology are based on time slots within subframes, and sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology are based on subframes.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the type of the user equipment is one of a first type and a second type, the first type does not have the ability to receive sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology, and the second type has the ability to receive sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the network configuration is provided to the user equipment in the form of public signaling or in the form of dedicated signaling.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the network configuration is pre-configured to the user equipment for out-of-coverage operation of the user equipment.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the network configuration comprises: A minimum set or minimum sub-resource pool of the selected subframes, and one or more extended sets or extended sub-resource pools of the selected subframes.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pool is a superset of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pool.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the network configuration provides an order of use of the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the network configuration indicates that the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration when at least one of the following conditions is met: There is no resource in the current sub-resource pool available for side link transmission of the user equipment; The channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than the threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; The load of the side link transmission from the first type of user equipment in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; A channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold.

34. The method according to claim 25, wherein the network configuration indicates that, in the case where the user equipment is of the second type, when at least one of the following conditions is met, the user equipment will preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool, otherwise the user equipment will preferentially use resources outside the sub-resource pool: A load of sidelink transmission from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool being below a threshold; The channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the network configuration indicates that if the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment is to preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool according to the first radio access technology.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein the network configuration indicates that: when the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment has the right to preempt resources of other user equipment of the second type from the sub-resource pool under the condition that the priority of the other user equipment of the second type is higher than the priority of the user equipment by less than a threshold amount.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the network configuration includes a dynamic threshold that varies from a current sub-resource pool to a next sub-resource pool or from one selected subframe to another selected subframe.

38. The method of claim 25, further comprising: A reporting configuration is configured for the user equipment, where the reporting configuration is used to report a load in the shared resource pool, the sub-resource pool, or both the shared resource pool and the sub-resource pool.

39. A method comprising: receiving a configuration of a shared resource pool and a sub-resource pool including resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for sidelink transmissions according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology co-channel coexisting with sidelink transmissions according to a second radio access technology; as well as receiving a network configuration for adapting and using the sub-resource pool depending on a type of the user equipment; as well as Based on the network configuration, operate in the sub-resource pool.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the network configuration is received in the form of public signaling or in the form of dedicated signaling.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the network configuration is pre-configured to the user equipment for out-of-coverage operation of the user equipment.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the network configuration comprises: A minimum set or minimum sub-resource pool of the selected subframes, and one or more extended sets or extended sub-resource pools of the selected subframes.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools are supersets of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pools.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the network configuration provides an order of use of the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the network configuration indicates that the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration when at least one of the following conditions is met: There is no resource in the current sub-resource pool available for side link transmission of the user equipment; The channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than the threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; The load of the side link transmission from the first type of user equipment in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; A channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold.

46. ​​The method according to claim 39, wherein the network configuration indicates that, in the case where the user equipment is of the second type, when at least one of the following conditions is met, the user equipment will preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool, otherwise the user equipment will preferentially use resources outside the sub-resource pool: A load of sidelink transmission from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool being below a threshold; The channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

47. The method of claim 39, further comprising: The type of the user equipment is provided in sidelink control information.

48. The method of claim 39, further comprising: receiving a reporting configuration for reporting a load in the shared resource pool, the sub-resource pool, or both the shared resource pool and the sub-resource pool; as well as Based on the reporting configuration, the load is reported.

49. An apparatus comprising: means for configuring a shared resource pool and a sub-resource pool comprising resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for a user equipment for a sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology co-existing on a same channel with a sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology; as well as Means for configuring a network configuration for the user equipment, the network configuration being used to adapt and use the sub-resource pool depending on a type of the user equipment.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology are based on time slots within subframes and sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology are based on subframes.

51. An apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the type of the user equipment is one of a first type and a second type, the first type does not have the ability to receive sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology, and the second type has the ability to receive sidelink transmissions according to the second radio access technology.

52. The apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the network configuration is provided to the user equipment in the form of public signaling or in the form of dedicated signaling.

53. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the network configuration is pre-configured to the user equipment for out-of-coverage operation of the user equipment.

54. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the network configuration comprises: A minimum set or minimum sub-resource pool of the selected subframes, and one or more extended sets or extended sub-resource pools of the selected subframes.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools are supersets of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pools.

56. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the network configuration provides an order of use of the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools.

57. The apparatus according to claim 56, wherein the network configuration indicates that the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration when at least one of the following conditions is met: There is no resource in the current sub-resource pool available for side link transmission of the user equipment; The channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than the threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; The load of the side link transmission from the first type of user equipment in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; A channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold.

58. The apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the network configuration indicates that, in the case where the user equipment is of the second type, when at least one of the following conditions is met, the user equipment will preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool, otherwise the user equipment will preferentially use resources outside the sub-resource pool: A load of sidelink transmission from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool being below a threshold; The channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

59. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the network configuration indicates that if the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment is to preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool according to the first radio access technology.

60. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the network configuration indicates that: when the user equipment is of the first type, the user equipment has the right to preempt resources of other user equipment of the second type from the sub-resource pool under the condition that the priority of the other user equipment of the second type is higher than the priority of the user equipment by less than a threshold amount.

61. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the network configuration comprises a dynamic threshold that varies from a current sub-resource pool to a next sub-resource pool or from one selected subframe to another selected subframe.

62. The apparatus of claim 49, further comprising: Means for configuring a reporting configuration for the user equipment, the reporting configuration being used to report a load in the shared resource pool, the sub-resource pool, or both the shared resource pool and the sub-resource pool.

63. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving a shared resource pool and a configuration of a sub-resource pool comprising resources of at least one selected subframe of the shared resource pool for use with a sidelink transmission according to a first radio access technology, the sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology co-channel coexisting with a sidelink transmission according to a second radio access technology; as well as means for receiving a network configuration for adapting and using the sub-resource pool depending on a type of the user equipment; as well as Means for operating in the sub-resource pool based on the network configuration.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the network configuration is received in the form of public signaling or in the form of dedicated signaling.

65. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the network configuration is pre-configured to the user equipment for out-of-coverage operation of the user equipment.

66. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the network configuration comprises: A minimum set or minimum sub-resource pool of the selected subframes, and one or more extended sets or extended sub-resource pools of the selected subframes.

67. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools are supersets of the minimum set of selected subframes or the minimum sub-resource pools.

68. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein the network configuration provides an order of use of the one or more extended sets of selected subframes or the extended sub-resource pools.

69. The apparatus according to claim 68, wherein the network configuration indicates that the user equipment will use the next extended sub-resource pool according to the network configuration when at least one of the following conditions is met: There is no resource in the current sub-resource pool available for side link transmission of the user equipment; The channel busy rate on the current sub-resource pool is higher than the threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; The load of the side link transmission from the first type of user equipment in the current sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold; A channel busy rate on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmissions according to the first radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the current sub-resource pool is below a threshold.

70. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the network configuration indicates that, in the case where the user equipment is of the second type, the user equipment will preferentially use resources from the sub-resource pool when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied, otherwise the user equipment will preferentially use resources outside the sub-resource pool: A load of sidelink transmission from user equipment of the first type in the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; a load of sidelink transmission according to the first radio access technology in the sub-resource pool being below a threshold; The channel busy rate on the sub-resource pool is lower than a threshold; or A load of sidelink transmission according to the second radio access technology on the shared resource pool including or excluding the sub-resource pool is higher than a threshold.

71. The apparatus of claim 63, further comprising: Means for providing said type of said user equipment in sidelink control information.

72. The apparatus of claim 63, further comprising: means for receiving a reporting configuration for reporting a load in the shared resource pool, the sub-resource pool, or both the shared resource pool and the sub-resource pool; as well as Means for reporting the load based on the reporting configuration.

73. A computer program product encoding instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 25 to 48.

74. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform the method of any one of claims 25 to 48.

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