Transmission device, base station, integrated circuit, and communication method

Abstract

Appropriate timing control in accordance with a propagation delay between a terminal and a base station is achieved. A transmission device is provided with: a control circuit that, during operation, controls transmission timing; and a transmission circuit that, during operation, transmits a signal on the basis of the control of the transmission timing, the transmission circuit transmitting, to a reception device, information relating to the transmission timing, the information indicating the number of slots, which is a coarser granularity than the control of the transmission timing.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the following patent application: the application date is January 14, 2021, the application number is 202180014049.0, and the name of the invention is "Sending device and sending method". Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a sending device and a sending method. Background Art

[0003] In the standardization of 5G, new radio access technology (NR) is discussed in 3GPP, and Release 15 (Rel.15) specifications of NR are issued.

[0004] Prior Art Documents Non-Patent Documents Non-Patent Document 1: 3GPP, TR 38.821, V16.0.0 “Solutions for NR to support non-terrestrial networks (NTN) (Release 16)”

[0005] Non-patent document 2: 3GPP, TS 38.321, V15.8.0 "Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specification (Release 15)" Summary of the invention

[0006] However, there is room for research on appropriate timing control corresponding to the propagation delay between the terminal and the base station.

[0007] In non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure, it is helpful to provide a transmission device and a transmission method that can achieve appropriate timing control corresponding to the propagation delay between a terminal and a base station.

[0008] An embodiment of the present disclosure involves a sending device comprising: a control circuit, which controls the sending timing based on first information related to the control of the sending timing of the signal in a sending unit of the signal and second information related to the control of the sending timing in a unit smaller than the sending unit; and a sending circuit, which sends the signal based on the control of the sending timing performed by the control circuit.

[0009] Another sending device disclosed in the present invention comprises: a control circuit, which controls the sending timing during operation; and a sending circuit, which sends signals based on the control of the sending timing during operation, and the sending circuit sends information related to the sending timing to a receiving device, wherein the information indicates the number of time slots, which is a coarser granularity than the control of the sending timing.

[0010] In addition, these general or specific aspects may be implemented by a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program or a recording medium, or may be implemented by any combination of systems, apparatuses, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs and recording media.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, appropriate timing control corresponding to the propagation delay between a terminal and a base station can be implemented.

[0012] More advantages and effects of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained through the description and drawings. These advantages and / or effects are provided by several embodiments, and the features described in the description and drawings, but not necessarily all of them need to be provided in order to obtain one or more of the same features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of a four-stage random access procedure.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of timing adjustment based on terminal position information and satellite orbit information.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of transmission slot timing.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a part of a terminal.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a part of a base station.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of a terminal involved in Implementation Example 1.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the base station involved in Implementation Example 1.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing an example of a timing chart related to the timing control in the first embodiment.

[0021] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of timing adjustment using a cell-specific TA offset value and a timing adjustment value based on location information.

[0022] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing an example of timing adjustment of each TA including TA command 2.

[0023] Fig.11 It means that K is used. adj,UEA diagram showing an example of timing adjustment of information.

[0024] Fig.12 This is a diagram showing an example of a timing chart related to the timing control in the second embodiment.

[0025] Fig.13 This is a diagram showing an exemplary architecture of a 3GPP NR system.

[0026] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram showing the functional separation between NG-RAN and 5GC.

[0027] Fig.15 It is a timing diagram showing the process of setting up / resetting the RRC connection.

[0028] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram showing the utilization scenarios of large-capacity, high-speed communications (eMBB: enhanced Mobile BroadBand), multi-connected machine-type communications (mMTC: massive Machine Type Communications), and ultra-reliable, ultra-low latency communications (URLC: Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications).

[0029] Fig.17 is a block diagram representing an exemplary 5G system architecture for a non-roaming scenario. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0031] [Expansion to non-terrestrial networks (NTN)]

[0032] Release 15 of New Radio access technology (NR)

[0033] (Rel.15) is standardized as a wireless access technology for terrestrial networks. On the other hand, in NR, research is being conducted on the expansion of networks other than terrestrial networks (NTN: Non-Terrestrial Network, non-terrestrial networks) such as communications using satellites and / or high-altitude suspected satellites (HAPS: High-altitude platform) (for example, non-patent document 1). In an NTN environment, for example, a terminal and a base station communicate wirelessly via a satellite. In the following, the wireless link between a terminal and a satellite is sometimes recorded as a "service link", and the wireless link between a satellite and a base station is sometimes recorded as a "feeder link".

[0034] In the NTN environment, the coverage area (e.g., one or more cells) of the satellite to the terminal on the ground or the terminal on the aircraft is formed by the beam from the satellite. In addition, the round-trip time of the radio wave propagation between the terminal and the satellite is determined by the altitude of the satellite (e.g., a maximum of about 36,000 km) and / or the angle of observation from the terminal, that is, the positional relationship between the satellite and the terminal. In addition, when the base station is configured in the ground GW (Gateway), the round-trip time of the radio wave propagation between the base station and the terminal becomes the time to which the round-trip time of the radio wave propagation between the satellite and the ground GW is added.

[0035] For example, non-patent document 1 states that in NTN, the round trip time (RTT) of radio wave propagation between a base station and a terminal takes a maximum of about 540 ms. In addition, non-patent document 1 also states that a maximum delay difference of about 10 ms is generated due to the location of the terminal within a beam (within a cell). The so-called maximum delay difference means, for example, the difference between the round trip time between a terminal at a location farthest from a satellite and the satellite and the round trip time between a terminal at a location closest to the satellite and the satellite within a beam (within a cell).

[0036] [Random access process]

[0037] In 5G NR, the terminal uses a random access channel for initial access and data transmission requests, etc. For example, the random access process is implemented through a 4-step random access (also known as 4-step RACH (Random Access Channel) or 4-Step CBRA (Cont ention Based Random Access).

[0038] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a 4-stage random access procedure. Figure 1As shown, the terminal (UE) sends the preamble signal of PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) to the base station (gNB) in the first stage of transmission (MSG1). The MSG1 transmission in the terminal is implemented in the transmission timing (slot timing or RACH Occasion) notified from the base station to each cell. In addition, in the following, the signal for sending PRACH (for example, the preamble signal) is sometimes abbreviated as "PRACH transmission" or "transmitting PRACH". In addition, in the following, the signal for receiving PRACH is sometimes recorded as "PRACH reception" or "receiving PRACH". In addition, the transmission and reception of signals for other channels are sometimes also abbreviated.

[0039] The base station receives and decodes MSG1, and in the second stage transmission (MSG2), notifies the terminal of a RA response (Random Access Response (R AR)) to the preamble signal of the PRACH and scheduling information including uplink transmission timing of MSG3.

[0040] The terminal receives MSG2 and decodes it. In the third stage of transmission (MSG3), the terminal uses the scheduling information indicated by MSG2 to notify the base station of information related to the terminal (for example, terminal ID, etc.) and other information used for connection establishment. MSG3 is notified in PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), for example. The information notified by MSG3 can also be called RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection request information.

[0041] The base station receives and decodes MSG3, and notifies a connection establishment response and the like in the fourth stage transmission (MSG4).

[0042] [Timing Adjustment]

[0043] In 5G NR, the transmission timing of the terminal is controlled so that the reception timing of the base station receiving the signals sent from different terminals in the cell converges within a certain time in the base station. For example, the so-called certain time is within the CP (Cyclic Prefix) of the OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) signal or the DFT-S-OFDM (Discrete Fourier Transform-Spread-OFDM) signal.

[0044] In the random access process, the transmission of MSG1 of the terminal is implemented in the transmission timing (RACH Occasion) notified by the base station to each cell. Here, the terminal determines the transmission timing based on the reception timing of the synchronization signal called SSB (Synchronization Signal Block) sent from the base station in the downlink. Therefore, the reception timing in the base station deviates from the reception timing assumed in the base station according to the propagation delay between the base station and the terminal. Here, the reception timing assumed in the base station is, for example, the reception timing determined based on the transmission timing (RACHOccasion) notified by the base station to each cell.

[0045] Therefore, in MSG2, the base station sends information for correcting (adjusting) timing to the terminal. Information for correcting (adjusting) timing is sometimes referred to as a TA (Timing Advance) command (e.g., Non-Patent Document 2). The terminal corrects the transmission timing after MSG3 based on the TA command included in MSG2. In addition, when the base station detects a shift in the reception timing during the transmission and reception of signals after MSG3, it sends the TA command to the terminal.

[0046] In NTN, the communication between the base station and the terminal is long-distance communication, so compared with the terrestrial cellular system, the propagation delay between the base station and the terminal is large, and the difference in propagation delay between the terminals is large. The difference in propagation delay between the terminals is equivalent to, for example, the difference in propagation delay between a certain base station A and a certain terminal a, and the difference in propagation delay between base station A and terminal b which is different from terminal a.

[0047] Therefore, the reception timing of PRACH sent from different terminals in the base station is greatly different, and the reception processing in the base station becomes complicated. In addition, in the TA command specified in Rel.15, there are cases where the propagation delay generated in the NTN environment cannot be corrected. In addition, in order to correct the large propagation delay, when the range of the TA command value is expanded, the amount of information (for example, the number of bits) spent on the notification of the TA command increases.

[0048] Therefore, for example, research is being conducted on: the terminal calculates the propagation delay based on the terminal's location information obtained by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and the satellite's location information obtained by the satellite's orbital information (satellite ephemeris), and the terminal autonomously adjusts the timing.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of timing adjustment based on terminal location information (UE location information) and satellite orbit information (satellite ephemeris).

[0050] exist Figure 2 The example shows the downlink (DL) transmission time slot and uplink (UL) reception time slot of the base station (gNB), and the DL reception time slot and UL transmission time slot of the terminal (UE). In addition, Figure 2 The horizontal axis represents the time axis.

[0051] exist Figure 2 , the propagation delay of the feeder link (Feeder link delay) and the propagation delay of the service link (Service link delay) represent the propagation delay from the transmission timing of a certain signal in the base station to the reception timing of the signal in the terminal. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the terminal uses the TA determined based on the terminal's location information and the satellite's orbit information to adjust the signal transmission timing. Figure 2 The TA in is, for example, equivalent to twice the propagation delay of the service link.

[0052] However, in the timing adjustment of the terminal based on the distance between the satellite and the terminal, the delay between the terminal and the satellite (i.e., the service link) can be corrected, but the delay between the base station configured in the ground GW (Gateway) and the satellite (i.e., the feeder link) cannot be corrected. In addition, in an environment where the satellite and the terminal are out of line of sight (Non Line-of-Sight: NLOS), the propagation delay calculated using the position information is sometimes different from the actual propagation delay caused by reflection and / or diffraction in the out-of-line environment.

[0053] In addition, in 5G NR, Rel.15 specifies the timing of transmission time slots.

[0054] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of transmission slot timing. Figure 3 , an example of transmission time slot timing in a terrestrial cell specified in Rel.15 and an example of transmission time slot timing studied in NTN are shown.

[0055] exist Figure 3 The example shows the DL transmission slot and UL reception slot of the base station (gNB), and the DL reception slot and UL transmission slot of the terminal (UE). In addition, Figure 3 The horizontal axis represents the time axis.

[0056] exist Figure 3 In the transmission slot timing regulations of Rel.15, in the nth time slot, a signal containing DCI (Downlink Control Information) is sent from the base station to the terminal, and in the n+K2th time slot, a PUSCH signal is sent from the terminal to the base station.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, NTN is studying: for the provisions of the transmit time slot timing of Rel.15, setting an offset K for correcting the propagation delay longer than that of the terrestrial cell offset,cell (Sometimes abbreviated as K offse t ). For example, K offset It is broadcast in each cell.

[0058] On the other hand, the round-trip propagation delay (RTT) between the terminal and the satellite is different depending on the location of the terminal within the cell. Therefore, even if an offset is set to correct the propagation delay that is longer than the terrestrial cell, the terminal may not have time to send or may have to wait a long time to send.

[0059] In addition, the lack of research on both the timing control using TA and the control of the transmission time slot was considered.

[0060] Therefore, in a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, in an environment where the propagation delay between the terminal and the base station increases, such as an NTN environment, consideration is given to using both the timing control of the TA and the control of the transmission time slot to achieve appropriate timing control corresponding to the propagation delay between the terminal and the base station.

[0061] (Implementation Method 1)

[0062] [Overview of Communication System]

[0063] A communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a terminal 100 (equivalent to a transmitting device) and a base station 200 (equivalent to a receiving device).

[0064] Figure 4is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a part of the terminal 100. Figure 4 In the terminal 100 shown in the figure, the control unit 109 controls the transmission timing based on the first information related to the control of the transmission timing of the signal in the transmission unit of the signal and the second information related to the control of the transmission timing in the unit smaller than the transmission unit. The wireless transmission unit 105 transmits the signal according to the control of the transmission timing based on the control unit 109.

[0065] Figure 5 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a part of the base station 200. Figure 5 In the base station 200 shown in the figure, the control unit 209 controls the reception timing based on the first information related to the control of the reception timing of the signal in the reception unit of the signal and the second information related to the control of the transmission timing in the unit smaller than the reception unit. The wireless reception unit 202 receives the signal according to the control of the reception timing by the control unit 209.

[0066] [Terminal structure]

[0067] Next, a configuration example of the terminal 100 will be described.

[0068] Figure 6 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal 100 according to Embodiment 1. The terminal 100 includes a PRACH generating unit 101, a data generating unit 102, a location information acquiring unit 103, a timing adjusting unit 104, a wireless transmitting unit 105, an antenna 106, a wireless receiving unit 107, and a demodulating / decoding unit 108. The PRACH generating unit 101, the data generating unit 102, the location information acquiring unit 103, the timing adjusting unit 104, and the demodulating / decoding unit 108 may also be included in the control unit 109.

[0069] The PRACH generation unit 101 determines the PRACH transmission resource from the candidates of the PRACH transmission resource that can be used in the cell of the base station 200, for example. For example, the PRACH generation unit 101 sets the time / frequency resource and the preamble number used in the PRACH transmission based on the information of the time / frequency resource and the preamble number group that can transmit the PRACH. The information of the time / frequency resource and the preamble number group that can transmit the PRACH is notified from the base station 200, for example.

[0070] The data generating unit 102 generates an uplink transmission data string, and generates a data signal to be transmitted using a time / frequency resource for data signal transmission allocated from the base station 200 and an MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme).

[0071] The position information acquisition unit 103 acquires the position information (latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) of the terminal 100 and the position information of the satellite of the communication partner through the GNSS function such as GPS. The position information acquisition unit 103 calculates the distance between the terminal 100 and the satellite, and outputs the calculated distance information to the timing adjustment unit 104. The satellite position information can also be obtained by, for example, pre-acquiring orbit information called satellite ephemeris and / or time information.

[0072] The timing adjustment unit 104 adjusts the reception timing of the reception signal and the transmission timing of the transmission signal. For example, the timing adjustment unit 104 adjusts the transmission timing based on information notified or broadcasted from the base station 200 and / or information calculated by the timing adjustment unit 104.

[0073] For example, the timing adjustment unit 104 calculates the propagation delay time between the satellite and the terminal 100 based on the distance information and the radio wave propagation speed output from the position information acquisition unit 103. Then, the timing adjustment unit 104 adjusts the transmission timing based on the reception timing of the signal sent from the base station 200, the calculated propagation delay time, the cell-common timing adjustment value broadcasted from the base station 200, and the timing adjustment value (for example, TA value) of the terminal 100 notified from the base station 200. The timing adjustment may also be different depending on the channel and / or the signal to be transmitted. For example, the timing adjustment may also be different depending on PRACH, PUSCH, PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), SRS (Sounding Reference Signal). In addition, examples of timing adjustment will be described later.

[0074] The wireless transmission unit 105 performs transmission processing such as D / A conversion and up conversion on the signal output from the PRACH generation unit 101 and the data signal output from the data generation unit 102. The wireless transmission unit 105 transmits the wireless signal obtained by the transmission processing to the base station 200 from the antenna 106 at the transmission timing adjusted by the timing adjustment unit 104.

[0075] The wireless receiving unit 107 receives a received signal from the base station 200 via the antenna 106 at the receiving timing adjusted by the timing adjustment unit 104. The received signal may be, for example, a downlink signal of a PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) or a PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel). In addition, the received signal may also include data and / or control information. The wireless receiving unit 107 performs receiving processing such as down conversion and A / D conversion on the received signal, and outputs the received processed signal to the demodulation / decoding unit 108.

[0076] The demodulation / decoding unit 108 performs demodulation and decoding processing on the signal output from the wireless receiving unit 107. For example, the demodulation / decoding unit 108 demodulates and decodes the response data signal of the PRACH. For example, when the demodulated and decoded information includes information related to the transmission timing and the reception timing, the demodulation / decoding unit 108 outputs the information to the timing adjustment unit 104.

[0077] [Structure of base station]

[0078] Figure 7 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the base station 200 according to Embodiment 1. The base station 200 includes an antenna 201, a wireless receiving unit 202, a data receiving processing unit 203, a PRACH detecting unit 204, a timing control information generating unit 205, a data generating unit 206, a data transmission processing unit 207, and a wireless transmitting unit 208. The data receiving processing unit 203, the PRACH detecting unit 204, the timing control information generating unit 205, the data generating unit 206, and the data transmission processing unit 207 may also be included in the control unit 209.

[0079] Radio reception section 202 performs reception processing such as down-conversion and A / D conversion on data signals and PRACH signals received from terminal 100 via antenna 201 , and outputs the received processed signals to data reception processing section 203 and PRACH detection section 204 .

[0080] The data reception processing unit 203 performs demodulation / decoding processing on the received data signal other than the PRACH. In addition, the data reception processing unit 203 may also perform channel estimation and timing estimation based on the received data signal. The data reception processing unit 203 outputs information related to the estimated timing to the timing information generating unit 205.

[0081] The PRACH detection unit 204 performs correlation processing on the received PRACH preamble signal, the sequence number corresponding to the set preamble number and the replica signal of the preamble signal generated using the cyclic shift amount, detects the PRACH preamble signal, and estimates the transmission timing and reception timing.

[0082] In addition, the correlation processing in the PRACH detection unit 204 can be performed in the time domain to calculate the delay profile, or it can be performed in the frequency domain after the correlation processing (division processing) is performed, and then the delay profile is calculated by performing IFFT (Inversed Fourier Transform). The calculated delay profile can also be used for estimating the transmission timing and / or reception timing.

[0083] The PRACH detection unit 204 outputs information related to the estimated transmission timing and / or reception timing to the timing information generation unit 205. For example, the PRACH detection unit 204 calculates the difference between the reference timing of the base station 200 and the arrival timing of the received signal, and outputs the calculation result to the timing information generation unit 205.

[0084] The timing information generating unit 205 generates a TA command for the terminal 100 based on the information (e.g., timing estimation result) output from the PRACH detecting unit 204 and the data receiving processing unit 203. The TA command may also be of multiple types. In addition, the timing information generating unit 205 generates a timing adjustment value common to the cell. The timing adjustment value common to the cell is generated based on, for example, at least one of the size of the cell formed by the beam of the satellite, the length of the feeder link, and the delay amount of the feeder link.

[0085] The data generating unit 206 generates downlink data signals such as user data, synchronization signals, system information (broadcast information), dedicated control information (for example, RRC control information), and MAC control information for the terminal 100. The data generating unit 206 outputs the generated downlink data signals to the data transmission processing unit 207.

[0086] The data transmission processing unit 207 encodes and modulates the downlink data signal output from the data generating unit 206 and the information output from the timing information generating unit 205 , and outputs the modulated signal to the wireless transmitting unit 208 .

[0087] The wireless transmission unit 208 performs transmission processing such as D / A conversion, up-conversion, and amplification on the signal output from the data transmission processing unit 207 , and transmits the wireless signal obtained by the transmission processing from the antenna 201 .

[0088] [Timing adjustment example]

[0089] Next, the timing adjustment in Embodiment 1 will be described. Terminal 100 performs timing adjustment using one or more timing adjustment values.

[0090] By way of example, two types of timing adjustment are performed: a relatively fine-grained timing adjustment and a relatively coarse-grained timing adjustment.

[0091] In the timing adjustment with relatively fine granularity, the terminal 100 adjusts the transmission timing in sample units. The so-called sample unit may be, for example, the basic sample time Tc (=0.509ns) recorded in Section 4.1 of TS38.211 V15.8.0. For example, the transmission timing is adjusted in the base station 200 so that it is received within the CP length of the PUSCH OFDM symbol or the PRACH symbol. In the timing adjustment with relatively coarse granularity, the terminal 100 adjusts the transmission timing in time slot and / or OFDM symbol units. In addition, the time unit of the coarse timing adjustment may be a unit of an integer multiple of the basic sample time Tc, or a time such as 1μs or 1ms. For example, the transmission timing is adjusted in the base station 200 so that it is received in the time slot or OFDM symbol assumed by the base station 200.

[0092] Examples of timing adjustment values ​​for fine-grained adjustment include the following values.

[0093] Timing adjustment values ​​based on location information calculated in the terminal;

[0094] Timing adjustment values ​​based on the initial path tracking calculated in the terminal;

[0095] · Timing adjustment value based on TA command 1 transmitted from the base station (Fine TA command).

[0096] In addition, examples of timing adjustment values ​​for coarse-grained adjustment include the following values.

[0097] The cell-specific timing adjustment value (cell-specific TA offset) broadcasted from the base station;

[0098] The terminal-specific timing adjustment value (K adj,UE );

[0099] - Timing adjustment value based on TA command 2 sent from the base station (Coarse TA command).

[0100] In addition, among the above-mentioned timing adjustment values, the timing adjustment value based on the leading path tracking calculated in the terminal will be described in the second embodiment.

[0101] Next, an example of timing control using the above-mentioned timing adjustment value will be described.

[0102] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a timing chart related to the timing control in the first embodiment. Figure 8 , an example of a signal (or a channel for sending and receiving a signal) sent and received between a terminal 100 (UE) and a base station 200 (gNB), and an example of a timing adjustment value used by the UE in signal transmission. Figure 8 Each process from step 101 (S101) to S109.

[0103] <S101>

[0104] The base station (gNB) sends SSB and SIB (System Information Block). SSB and SIB can also be sent periodically. The SSB contains synchronization signals and cell-specific basic control information (for example, Master Information Block). In addition, the SIB contains cell-specific information for the terminal to access the base station. In addition, the SIB may also contain information indicating the location of the satellite (for example, satellite ephemeris). The SIB contains the cell-specific TA offset (Cell specific TAoffset) and the slot offset (K) indicating the time slot position of the data allocation. offset,cell ).

[0105] <S102>

[0106] The terminal receives the SSB and SIB, and sends the PRACH for initial access. Here, the terminal adjusts the transmission timing of the PRACH. For example, the terminal uses the cell-specific TA offset value broadcasted from the base station and the timing adjustment value based on the location information calculated by the terminal to make timing adjustments. The timing adjustment value based on the location information is a terminal-specific adjustment value, sometimes recorded as "TA based on GNSS / ephemeris" or "GNSS / ephemeris based TA".

[0107] Here, an example of calculating the timing adjustment value based on the location information is described. The terminal obtains the location information of the terminal using the GNSS function, etc. The terminal calculates the distance between the satellite and the terminal from the satellite location information that is maintained or notified and the terminal location information. Then, the terminal calculates the distance by dividing the calculated distance by the radio wave propagation speed (for example, 3×10 8 [m / s]), calculate the one-way propagation delay time. The time twice the calculated propagation delay time is equivalent to the round trip propagation delay time (Round Trip Time: RTT). The calculated round trip propagation delay time is a timing adjustment value based on the location information. In addition, the timing adjustment value based on the location information can also be a value obtained by adding the processing delay time of the terminal and / or base station to the calculated round trip propagation delay time.

[0108] The TA value is obtained by adding the cell-specific TA offset value broadcasted from the base station to the timing adjustment value based on the location information.

[0109] For example, the terminal uses equations (1), (2), and (3) to determine the value TA used in timing adjustment: final In addition, TA determined by formula (1) final , TA determined by formula (2) NTN_offset And TA determined by formula (3) coarse For example, the unit is ns (nanosecond).

[0110]

Mathematical formula 1

[0111] TA final =(N TA +N TAoffset )×T c +TA NTN_offset (1)

[0112] TA NTN_offset =TA location+ TA coarse (2)

[0113] TA coarse =(M offset，cell +M coarse )×10 6 / 2 μ (3)

[0114] The first term on the right side of the above equation (1) is the same as that of the Rel.15NR specification. In addition, as described in TS38.211V15.8.04.1, Tc = 0.509ns, N TA is a correction value based on the TA command sent from the base station. For example, in the case of PRACH transmission, N TAbecomes zero. TAoffset It is an offset value used in timing adjustment between different base stations. The TA value calculated in formula (1) is TA final For example, the T TA In other words, the correction term TA for NTN expressed in equation (2) is added to the first term of equation (1) which is the same as that of Rel.15NR standard. NTN_offset Since the Rel.15NR specification can be reused, expansion to NTN can be achieved with less changes.

[0115] TA location Indicates the round-trip propagation delay time calculated based on the location information. For example, TA location It can also be expressed in ns.

[0116] 10 of formula (3) 6 / 2 μ The term represents the time slot length in the case of the parameter μ representing the subcarrier spacing, and the unit may also be expressed in ns. For example, the parameter μ representing the subcarrier spacing is determined to be μ=0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 for subcarrier spacings of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, and 240kHz, respectively. In addition, 10 6 / 2 μ The item is a type of scaling value, or it can be other values.

[0117] M offset,cell is a cell-specific TA offset. The cell-specific TA offset indicates, for example, the number of time slots to be shifted. coarse In the offset described later, it is set to zero when PRACH is transmitted. In addition, these offsets may be replaced with the number of time slots to indicate the time of the offset (for example, in ms). In addition, in the case of an offset indicating time, the offset may not be combined with the 10 indicating the time slot length. 6 / 2 μ It can be multiplied by the terms of , or multiplied or divided by other coefficients.

[0118] In addition, in equation (1), the correction term TA can be expressed as NTN_offset Normalization is performed and expressed as the following equation (4).

[0119]

Mathematical formula 2

[0120] TA final =(N TA +N TAoffset +N TA_NTN_offset )×T c (4)

[0121] In addition, as shown in the above formula (2), it is assumed that at TA NTN_offset The timing adjustment value TA based on the location information is included location , and a timing adjustment value TA based on the cell-specific offset and the coarse offset notified from the base station coarse , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the timing adjustment value TA based on the location information location Can also be included in N TA In TA NTN_offset It only contains timing adjustment values ​​based on the cell-specific offset and / or coarse offset notified from the base station.

[0122] The terminal advances the reference reception timing of the downlink such as SSB by the TA value (TA) described above. final )’s timing and then sends the uplink signal.

[0123] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of timing adjustment using a cell-specific TA offset value and a timing adjustment value based on location information.

[0124] exist Fig. 9 The example shows the DL transmission slot and UL reception slot of the base station (gNB), and the DL reception slot and UL transmission slot of the terminal (UE). In addition, Fig. 9 The horizontal axis represents the time axis.

[0125] exist Fig. 9 FIG. 4 shows an example of an uplink signal transmitted at a transmission timing advanced by a TA value from a downlink reference reception timing. Fig. 9 The TA value in is represented by the sum of the timing adjustment value based on the cell-specific offset value and the location information.

[0126] in addition, Fig. 9 The “DL-UL timing difference due to feeder link delay” refers to a DL-UL timing difference due to feeder link delay that occurs without using a cell-specific offset value.

[0127] By using the cell-specific TA offset value, the base station can, for example, shorten the DL-UL timing difference due to feeder link delay.

[0128] Due to the round-trip propagation delay of satellite communication, a DL-UL timing difference of several hundred ms may occur. In the actual installation of the base station, it is difficult to manage the DL-UL timing difference. As mentioned above, by using a cell-specific TA offset, the DL-UL timing difference can be controlled to a level that can be managed by the base station (for example, within 10 ms). Here, in the case of non-geostationary satellites such as LEO, the propagation delay of the feeder link changes corresponding to the position of the non-geostationary satellite that changes with time. Therefore, a cell-specific TA offset value with the shortest delay amount for correcting the feeder link delay time can also be used. Since it is corrected to the extent that the DL-UL timing difference can be easily managed by the base station, by notifying the terminal of coarse granularity values ​​such as time slot units and OFDM codeword units, the increase in notification overhead can be suppressed to cope with long delay environments of satellite communications such as NTN environments.

[0129] In addition, the information broadcast from the base station (such as SIB) may also include the time change rate (timing drift rate) of the propagation delay time of the feeder link. The terminal may also calculate the TA offset (i.e., TA) at the current moment based on the cell-specific TA offset and the time change rate broadcast from the base station. NTN_offset ).

[0130] <S103>

[0131] The base station receives the PRACH and detects the difference between the base station reference timing and the PRACH reception timing. The base station determines a TA command 1 ( Figure 8 The TA command 1 may be the same as the TA command in Rel.15NR. In addition, the response to the terminal including the TA command 1 in S103 may also be referred to as a RACH response (RAR).

[0132] The CP length of PRACH is set to a value longer than the CP length of PUSCH. Therefore, even if PRACH is received within the CP length of PRACH, there is a case where the reception timing of the PUSCH sent by the terminal after PRACH in the base station deviates from the CP length. In this step, the base station sends TA command 1 to control so that the transmission timing of the terminal enters the CP length of PUSCH.

[0133] <S104>

[0134] The terminal sends PUSCH in the time / frequency resource specified by RAR. The time resource is offset by K notified by the base station in SIB. offset,cellThe terminal transmits at the timing when the time slot corresponding to the time slot number of the corresponding time slot number is received in the base station. At this time, the terminal further adjusts the timing of the PRACH transmission according to the notified TA command 1. For example, in formula (1), the TA determined by the value of TA command 1 is used. final , for N TA Make timing adjustments and send PUSCH.

[0135] In addition, the terminal can also notify the base station of timing information ( Figure 8 For example, the terminal can notify the TA value determined using formula (1) final , or the TA in the base station can be notified of an unknown value NTN_offset Or TA location In either case, the notification is rounded to a coarse granularity such as a time slot length unit or an OFDM symbol length unit. For example, the conversion to a coarse granularity value may also use round or floor operations. This notification is used to control the allocation of PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK time slots in the base station, so it is a coarse granularity notification such as a time slot unit. By notifying with coarse granularity, the notification overhead can be reduced. In addition, the timing information notified by the terminal to the base station may also be to convert the TA final TA NTN_offset Or TA location Or these values ​​normalized by the time slot length are expressed as relative values ​​to the values ​​notified to the entire cell through broadcast information, for example. For example, the value notified to the entire cell through broadcast information may also be a cell-specific K indicating the transmission timing of PUSCH or HARQ-ACK for DCI or PDSCH timing. offse t,cell In addition, the terminal may also notify information represented by a relative value, which indicates that it can be obtained from the K offset,cell The PUSH or HARQ-ACK is sent at a timing (e.g., time slot) earlier than the set cell-specific timing. By representing the information notified by the terminal as a relative value, the notification overhead can be reduced. In addition, as the satellite moves, the propagation delay amount changes and the terminal's transmission timing also changes, so the rate of change of the propagation delay amount or the transmission timing, such as the time (e.g., number of time slots) taken for the timing to change by 1 time slot, can also be reported together. As a result, the base station can calculate the change in timing of each terminal accompanying the movement of the satellite, and thus can appropriately control the timing offset value K of each terminal described later. adj,UE In addition, the terminal can also notify the location information obtained in GNSS as TA locatio n You can also notify TAlocation The notified location information may be, for example, location information with a granularity of about 1 km, or location information with values ​​below the decimal point of latitude and longitude, so that the calculated error of propagation delay is less than a specified value. For example, the notified location information may be with a granularity of the time slot length (or subcarrier spacing), so that the calculated error of propagation delay is less than the time slot length. In addition, the location information may also reuse information for control of switching, etc.

[0136] <S105>

[0137] The base station uses PDSCH to send information for contention resolution in random access and / or RRC configuration information, etc. For example, the base station sends a TA command 2 ( Figure 8 The base station sets the TA command 2 according to the information of the TA value notified from the terminal in S104.

[0138] For example, the larger the TA value notified from the terminal to the base station, the longer the propagation delay, so the base station may also set the TA command 2 notified to the terminal to a smaller value. In this case, the time slot of the PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK allocated by the DCI becomes a time slot with a later timing, that is, a time slot with a larger time slot number. The terminal can send PUSCH or HARQ-ACK after receiving DCI or PDSCH for a sufficient transmission preparation time.

[0139] On the other hand, the smaller the TA value notified from the terminal, the shorter the propagation delay, and the larger the TA command 2 can be set. In this case, the time slot of PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK becomes a time slot with an earlier timing, that is, a time slot with a smaller time slot number. In the case of a relatively short propagation delay, even if the terminal is adjusted to the previous timing with TA command 2, it can send PUSCH or HARQ-ACK after a sufficient transmission preparation time from receiving DCI or PDSCH. For example, K is set according to the propagation delay generated in the terminal located at the place farthest from the satellite in the cell. offset,cell In the case of , the TA command 2 notified to the terminal located at the farthest place from the satellite may be set to zero. In this case, the terminal located closer to the satellite may be notified of a TA command 2 with a larger value. Through such control, the closer the terminal is to the satellite, the lower the delay can be.

[0140] In addition, when the terminal notifies the location information in S104, the base station may estimate the TA value of the terminal based on the notified location information and set the TA command 2 in the same manner as described above.

[0141] In addition, TA command 2 may also be included in the RRC configuration information and sent.

[0142] <S106>

[0143] The terminal uses M in equation (2) to adjust the timing of PUSCH and HARQ-ACK transmission thereafter. coarse The TA value determined by the value notified by TA command 2 (TA in formula (1) final ).

[0144] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing an example of timing adjustment of each TA including TA command 2.

[0145] exist Fig.10 In the example, the DL transmission slot and UL reception slot of the base station (gNB), and the DL reception slot and UL transmission slot of the terminal (UE) are illustrated. In addition, Fig.10 The horizontal axis represents the time axis.

[0146] Fig.10 “Coarse TA” means the TA notified through TA command 2. Fig.10 “Fine TA” means TA notified through TA command 1. Fig.10 The "TA based on GNSS / ephemeris" and "Cell specific TA offset" of Fig. 9 The "TA based on GNSS / ephemeris" and "Cellspecific TA offset" shown are the same.

[0147] in addition, Fig.10 The "cell specific timing" is the timing of the PUSCH reception of the base station when the transmission of TA command 2 such as the aforementioned msg3 is not used. For example, in a certain cell, the round-trip propagation delay time of the terminal farthest from the satellite is taken into consideration, and the timing is set so that even the farthest terminal can transmit. On the other hand, because it is the timing that matches the farthest terminal, it generates useless delays for the terminals close to the satellite. Fig.10 As shown, by using the coarse TA notified by the TA command 2, the transmission and reception timing of the PUSCH can be advanced beyond the cell specific timing.

[0148] Here, the M in formula (2) can also be transformed by the granularity of TA command 2 coarse For example, if the granularity is in OFDM symbol units, the value notified in TA command 2 (value in time slot units) may be converted into a value in OFDM symbol units by dividing the value in time slot units by 14, which is the number of OFDM symbols per time slot.

[0149] <S107, S108>

[0150] When the satellite and / or the terminal moves more than the threshold of the moving distance, the terminal again calculates the propagation delay using the position information from the GNSS position information and the satellite ephemeris, and updates the TA of equation (1): location In addition, TA location The update of is not limited to the case where the satellite and / or the terminal moves above the threshold, and can be performed at a predetermined period, for example. location Updates may also be performed both when the satellite and / or terminal moves above a threshold and at a determined period.

[0151] In addition, TA location The update can also be performed based on the change in the detection timing of the leading path of the received signal from the base station. TS38.133 V15.6.0 section 7 for the terrestrial network states that the timing of the downlink timing (i.e. the timing of the leading path of the received signal) advanced by the TA value is set as the reference timing, and the transmission timing is adjusted so that the timing error as the difference between the reference timing and the transmission timing does not exceed a specific value T. e In NTN, the downlink timing varies with the movement of the satellite, so the reference timing varies. Therefore, in this method, TA location The update of the reference timing and the transmission timing makes the difference between the reference timing and the transmission timing not exceed a specific value (T e ) and sends it at the updated TA value. location The update makes the timing error not exceed the specified value (T e ), the change in the reception timing from the terminal observed at the base station is less than a specified value, so the same base station reception processing as that of the terrestrial network can be performed, and the base station equipment can be shared or simplified.

[0152] TA locationThe frequency and period of updating of the TA value, or the threshold of the moving distance may also be notified from the base station. The change amount of the TA value accompanying the movement may also be notified instead of the threshold of the moving distance. location The updating frequency and period, or the threshold of the moving distance may also use predetermined values.

[0153] In addition, when the round-trip propagation delay changes by more than a specified value (e.g., more than the time equivalent to 1 / 2 time slot), the terminal may also notify the base station of the corrected timing value information and / or location information in the same manner as S104. The terminal may also send user data without notifying the corrected timing value information and / or location information when there is no change in the round-trip propagation delay by more than a specified value. Here, for example, when notifying the terminal's location information, even if the propagation delay changes due to the movement of the satellite, for a stationary terminal or a terminal whose movement is below a threshold, the base station can grasp the change in TA based on the terminal's location information notified last time. Therefore, it is possible to avoid frequently notifying the terminal's location information and reduce the overhead of notifying the location information.

[0154] <S109>

[0155] When the round-trip propagation delay of the terminal changes by more than a predetermined value (for example, more than 1 time slot), the base station sends TA command 2 to change the allocated time slot of the PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK of the terminal.

[0156] As shown in the timing diagram described above, the terminal performs two timing adjustments: a relatively fine-grained timing adjustment and a relatively coarse-grained timing adjustment. In addition, the terminal performs different timing adjustments according to the channel and / or the transmitted signal.

[0157] In addition, in the above sequence diagram, the information notified from the base station to the terminal is an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the information notified by the TA command 2 of the above S105 and S109 may also be the offset value (K) for the allocated time slot. adj,UE ) to be notified to replace the TA command. a dj,UE ) is, for example, a terminal-specific timing adjustment value.

[0158] By using the offset value (K adj,UE ) is notified, M in formula (2) coarse It can also be not used or set to zero. In addition, by using the offset value (K adj,UE ) is notified, the terminal interprets the allocated time slot of PUSCH as “n+K2+K offset,cell -K adj,UEHere, n is the time slot in which the DCI for PUSCH allocation is transmitted, and K2 is the value notified by DCI. For example, K2 is set to the time required for preparation of PUSCH transmission after DCI reception and / or the time until the next uplink time slot that can be transmitted. The offset value (K adj,UE ) can also take negative values. In addition, the offset value (K adj,UE ) can also be separated from K offset,cell In addition, the offset value (K adj,UE ) is not only used for PUSCH allocation, but also can be used to notify the time slot of HAR Q-ACK for PDSCH. In addition, the base station can also notify the terminal of the equivalent of (K offset,cell -K ad j,UE ) value K offset,UE , terminal replaces K offset,cell And use K notified from the base station offset,UE value.

[0159] Fig.11 It means that K is used. adj,UE A diagram showing an example of timing adjustment of information.

[0160] exist Fig.11 The example shows the DL transmission slot and UL reception slot of the base station (gNB), and the DL reception slot and UL transmission slot of the terminal (UE). In addition, Fig.11 The horizontal axis represents the time axis.

[0161] exist Fig.11 In the example, the terminal determines the PUSCH allocation time slot to be shifted from the time slot as the "cell specific timing" by K. adj,UE The time slot with the offset value.

[0162] In addition, Fig.11 The figure shows that K is used in determining the allocation time slot of PUSCH. adj,UE For example, K may also be applied in determining the transmission time slot of HARQ-ACK transmission and / or SRS. adj,UE In the case where the offset value is applied to HARQ-ACK transmission, n may also be the PDSCH time slot of the HARQ-ACK object. In addition, in the case where the offset value is applied to SRS transmission, n may also be the DCI time slot indicating SRS transmission. Because the notification indicates that the TA command is replaced, the K offset,cellThe information of the offset of the notification can be reduced. The granularity of the offset notification can be in time slot units or in OFDM symbol units. By setting it in OFDM symbol units, more detailed timing control can be performed. In addition, K can also be transmitted through channels and / or signals. adj,UE You can also use a different offset value by setting the offset value to not apply.

[0163] As described above, in the present embodiment 1, by performing not only fine-granularity timing control but also coarse-granularity timing control, the increase in notification overhead can be suppressed, and the terminal transmission timing control suitable for a satellite communication environment with long propagation delay and large propagation delay difference between terminals can be performed.

[0164] (Implementation Method 2)

[0165] In the second embodiment, timing adjustment is performed by path following.

[0166] [Terminal structure]

[0167] The configuration of the terminal according to the present Embodiment 2 may be the same as the configuration of terminal 100 shown in Embodiment 1. However, the processing in timing adjustment section 104 of terminal 100 shown in Embodiment 1 is added.

[0168] The timing adjustment unit 104 follows the reception timing of the SSB, PDCCH, P DSCH or TRS (Tracking RS) received in the wireless reception unit 107, and calculates a timing adjustment value corresponding to the amount of change in the reception timing. When multiple paths (for example, delayed waves) are detected, the reception timing to be followed may also be the timing of the leading path. Then, the timing adjustment unit 104 performs timing adjustment using any one or more of the timing adjustment values ​​shown in Embodiment 1 and the timing adjustment value based on the calculated path tracking.

[0169] [Timing adjustment example]

[0170] Next, the timing adjustment in the second embodiment will be described.

[0171] For example, the terminal uses equations (5) and (6) to determine the value TA used in timing adjustment: final In addition, TA determined by formula (5) final For example, the unit is ns (nanosecond).

[0172]

Mathematical formula 3

[0173] TA final =(N TA +N TAoffset )×T c +TA NTN_offset(5)

[0174] TA NTN_offset =TA location +TA path +TA coarse 6

[0175] In addition, in equations (5) and (6), the description of the same parameters as in equations (1), (2), and (3) is omitted. Although equation (5) is the same as equation (1), the second term on the right side is expressed in equation (6). On the right side of equation (6), TA is added to the parameters on the right side of equation (2). path TA path This is a value adjusted based on the timing of path following.

[0176] The terminal uses the uplink transmission channel and / or transmission timing of the terminal in two ways: a case where timing adjustment based on location information is performed, and a case where timing adjustment based on path tracking is performed in addition to timing adjustment based on location information. For example, in the case where timing adjustment based on location information is performed (in other words, in the case where timing adjustment by path tracking is not performed), TA path It can also be set to zero. As to which of the two situations to use, the terminal can also be instructed through control information from the base station. Alternatively, a rule can be pre-specified, and the terminal can use it separately according to the specified rule.

[0177] For example, the following shows an example in which two cases are applied.

[0178] The case where the timing adjustment based on the position information is performed, that is, the case where the timing adjustment based on the path following is not performed, is, for example, the following case.

[0179] PRACH transmission;

[0180] SRS transmission;

[0181] Initial transmission after waking up from a DRX sleep interval (long sleep and / or short sleep);

[0182] The first transmission after the TA validity timer expires;

[0183] Sending in IDLE or INACTIVE state.

[0184] In addition, the case where the timing adjustment based on the position information and the timing adjustment based on the path following are performed is, for example, the following case.

[0185] RRC_CONNECTED state;

[0186] · The second or subsequent transmission after waking up from sleep mode.

[0187] Next, an example of timing control using the above-mentioned timing adjustment value will be described.

[0188] Fig.12 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a timing chart related to the timing control in the second embodiment. Fig.12 In, with Figure 8 Similarly, examples of signals (or channels used for signal transmission and reception) transmitted and received between terminal 100 (UE) and base station 200 (gNB) and timing adjustment values ​​used by UE in signal transmission are shown. Fig.12 In Figure 8 The same processing is sometimes denoted by the same reference numeral and the description thereof is omitted.

[0189] <S201>

[0190] The base station (gNB) sends SSB and SIB. SSB and SIB can also be sent periodically. The SSB contains synchronization signals and cell-specific basic control information. In addition, the SIB contains cell-specific information for terminal access to the base station. In addition, the SIB may also contain information indicating the location of the satellite (for example, satellite ephemeris). The SIB contains a cell-specific TA offset.

[0191] <S204 and S205>

[0192] The terminal sends based on PRACH ( Fig.12 The timing adjustment value TA of the position information in S102) location In the calculation of , the SSB reception timing (heading path timing) is stored. Then, the terminal receives SSB, PDCCH, or PDSCH at a certain interval and monitors the change in the timing of the head path. When a certain degree of change occurs, the terminal changes (updates) the transmission timing. When the timing change of the path is set to Δ path In the case of path =2×Δ path The terminal uses the TA in formula (3). path The timing adjustment value of each TA determines final , use the determined TA final Make timing adjustments and send PUSCH.

[0193] Alternatively, the terminal may update the timing when the change in the reception timing of the path exceeds a threshold. The interval for updating the TA value and / or the threshold for determining whether to update the TA value may be specified by the base station or may be predetermined.

[0194] As in the first embodiment, the terminal notifies the base station ( Fig.12 For example, the terminal may also notify the TA value report (TA value report) of the timing information (for example, the TA value and at least one of the location information). location With TA path Alternatively, similarly to the first embodiment, the terminal may round off to a value with a coarse granularity such as a time slot length unit or an OFDM symbol length unit and make a notification.

[0195] The terminal sleeps when there is no data to be communicated. The sleep operation may be performed in the same DRX operation as Rel.15NR described in TS38.321. In addition, the sleep of the terminal is not limited to the sleep of communication when there is no data to be communicated, and may be interpreted as the sleep of CPU operation, for example.

[0196] <S206>

[0197] The terminal obtains the terminal's location information in the first transmission (e.g., PUSCH transmission) after waking up from sleep. If the satellite position changes, the terminal uses the changed satellite position information. Then, the terminal updates the TA location , make timing adjustments, and send PUSCH. In addition, here, the terminal will TA path Set (reset or clear) to zero.

[0198] <S207>

[0199] After waking up from sleep, the position of the satellite or the terminal is likely to change, so the terminal can also notify the base station of the timing information (for example, TA value). In addition, whether to notify the base station of the timing information can be specified by the base station according to the type of satellite (geostationary satellite, non-geostationary satellite) (notified through SIB), or can be set for each terminal according to the moving speed and / or category of the terminal, and can also be notified to each terminal.

[0200] <S208 and S209>

[0201] As in S204 and S205, the terminal updates the TA by following the path. path In addition, the terminal may not update TA location .

[0202] As shown in the timing diagram described above, the terminal performs two timing adjustments: a relatively fine-grained timing adjustment and a relatively coarse-grained timing adjustment. In addition, the terminal performs different timing adjustments according to the channel and / or the transmitted signal. In addition, the terminal determines the TA by path tracking. path , using the TA path Set the timing adjustment value to make timing adjustments.

[0203] In addition, an example is shown in which the terminal is dormant in S206 and wakes up in S207, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the same applies to recovery from idle or inactive, or recovery from expiration of a TA timer. The TA timer may also be the timeAlignmentTimer described in TS38.321V15.8.0.

[0204] In the above timing chart, as in the first embodiment, K offset,cell , K adj,UE , TA command 2 (coarse TA), or not using or using a specific value. The base station can explicitly notify the deactivation or notify a specified value.

[0205] As described above, in the second embodiment, in addition to fine-granularity timing control, coarse-granularity timing control is also performed, thereby suppressing the increase of notification overhead and performing transmission timing control of terminals suitable for a satellite communication environment with a long propagation delay and a large propagation delay difference between terminals. In addition, in the second embodiment, by using a timing adjustment value based on path tracking in the timing control, it is possible to perform appropriate transmission timing control of the terminal.

[0206] In the case of timing adjustment based on the position information of the terminal and the satellite (e.g., GNSS / ephemeris position information), an error occurs relative to the actual propagation path in an out-of-line environment (e.g., an environment where there is no direct wave but a reflected wave or a diffracted wave). Although this error can be corrected by a TA command sent from the base station, every time the position of the terminal or the satellite changes, when the timing adjustment based on the GNSS / ephemeris position information is re-performed, an error occurs again, and correction based on the TA command is performed again.

[0207] Therefore, by not re-adjusting the timing based on GNSS / ephemeris position information too frequently, but performing correction based on path tracking, the accuracy of timing control can be maintained and frequent TA command transmission from the base station can be avoided. In addition, the timing accuracy can be improved while reducing the overhead. In addition, for situations where no signal is received for a long time during sleep and / or the initial transmission after stopping some functions, since there is a high possibility that path tracking cannot be performed, a certain degree of timing accuracy can be maintained by implementing timing adjustment based on GNSS / ephemeris position information.

[0208] In the above, each embodiment of the present disclosure has been described.

[0209] In addition, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, an example of an NTN environment (e.g., a satellite communication environment) is given for explanation, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The present disclosure can also be applied to other communication environments (e.g., a terrestrial cellular environment of LTE and / or NR).

[0210] In addition, the "···unit" in the above-mentioned embodiments may be a "···circuit (circuit)", "···device", "···unit (unit)" or "···module".

[0211] In addition, Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 may be used in combination.

[0212] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example of using GNSS such as GPS (i.e., position detection using satellite signals) is described, but position detection based on a ground cellular base station, position detection using WiFi signals and / or Bluetooth (registered / deposited trademark) signals, position detection using an accelerometer, etc., or position detection based on a combination thereof may also be performed. In addition, in addition to latitude and longitude, the position information may also include altitude information. In addition, the position information may also be set to the value of a coordinate system defined by other means. Altitude information may also be obtained from a pressure sensor, etc.

[0213] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the terminal notifies the base station of at least one of the TA value and the location information, but the timing of the notification (triggering of the notification) may also be different from the above embodiment. For example, the trigger of the notification may also replace the change in the TA value or the position, and be based on other indicators such as the change in channel quality. For example, as channel quality, RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality), SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise. Ratio), etc. are applicable. The threshold of the indicator or change used can also be configured from the base station (C onfigure).

[0214] Alternatively, the base station may instruct which information to notify, such as the TA value or the location information.

[0215] Cell-specific TA offset and K offset,cell The difference from the value notified by the cell parameter (for example, a value equivalent to the RTT near the cell center) may be notified, etc. By notifying the difference, the amount of notification information can be reduced.

[0216] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the TA command 1 controlled with fine granularity can also use the TA command of Rel15 NR without changing the granularity and range. By using it without changing the granularity and range, the amount of change in the actual installation of the terminal and the base station can be reduced. In addition, the granularity and range of the TA command 2 can also be notified from the base station through SIB, etc. Thus, the notification of TA command 2 can be realized with an appropriate number of bits (for example, the minimum number of bits) according to the cell size and satellite height, thereby reducing the notification overhead. In addition, for K offset or K adj,UE The granularity and scope can also be notified from the base station via SIB, etc.

[0217] TA command 1 may also be expressed as a relative value to TA command 1 transmitted at the previous transmission timing, or as a control value for the TA value transmitted at the previous transmission timing. In this case, N in equation (1) TA The value accumulated from the values ​​of TA command 1 received so far is used. TA command 2 may also be expressed as a relative value to TA command 2 sent at the previous transmission timing, or as a control value for the TA value sent at the previous transmission timing. In this case, M in equation (2) is coarse The value obtained by accumulating the values ​​of TA command 2 received so far is used.

[0218] Cell-specific TA offset and / or K offset,cell It can also be a value for each beam associated with the SSB. In this case, the amount of information notified can be reduced by notifying the difference between the value notified and the value notified in units of cells. In addition, it can also be called a common TA offset or a common timing offset.

[0219] The signal and / or information broadcasted from the base station may also be transmitted through SSB and / or SIB, and a method in which multiple terminals can receive it may also be transmitted through a group common DCI format (DCI format 2_x, etc.). In addition, when TA command 1 and / or TA command 2 are collectively notified to multiple terminals and the same timing adjustment value is set in multiple terminals, TA command 1 and / or TA command 2 may also be transmitted through a group common DCI format (DCI format 2_x, etc.).

[0220] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 2, two timing adjustment values ​​with different granularities and ranges are used, and the timing can be set to the same granularity and range, or one of them can be different. In addition, three or more timing adjustment values ​​with different granularities and ranges can also be used. In addition, the cell-specific TA offset can also be used for purposes other than the purposes described above. For example, a fine-grained adjustment value can also be used as an offset value added to absorb errors in terminal location information and / or satellite location information. In addition, in the TA NTN_offset It can also include fine-grained adjustment elements and coarse-grained adjustment elements.

[0221] Alternatively, control based on NR Rel.15 TA commands (e.g., NR TA ) The timing adjustment value of the same fine granularity and the timing adjustment value of the coarser granularity can be used. In addition, the timing adjustment value of the granularity of Tc and the timing adjustment value of the coarser granularity can also be used. In addition, the timing adjustment value of the coarse granularity can also be the granularity of the time slot length and / or the granularity of the OFDM codeword length. The time slot length and / or the OFDM codeword length can be a value that depends on the SCS (subcarrier spacing) or a value that is independent of it.

[0222] In addition, the base station may also notify the terminal of information related to granularity such as a scaling factor (coefficient) of the cell-specific TA offset, for example, the terminal uses the value obtained by multiplying the notified cell-specific TA offset value by the scaling factor as the TA offset value. The range of the TA offset value can be adjusted by adjusting the scaling factor according to the application environment such as the beam size, and by adjusting the number of bits of the same cell-specific TA offset in the broadcast information.

[0223] The timing adjustment based on the GNSS / ephemeris position information and the timing adjustment based on path following of the above-mentioned implementation mode are not adjustments based on commands from the base station, but are implemented autonomously by the terminal. In the base station, the reception timing of the received signal from the terminal is detected, but if the reception timing within the averaging window during detection changes greatly, there is a possibility that the accuracy of the reception timing detection will deteriorate. Therefore, the timing adjustment implemented autonomously by the terminal specifies its minimum interval and / or minimum timing change amplitude, and the terminal can also set it so that it changes within a specified range. In addition, information related to the minimum interval and / or minimum change amplitude can also be notified from the base station to the terminal.

[0224] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the terminal may perform timing adjustment based on GNSS / ephemeris position information and timing adjustment based on path following, triggered by an instruction from the base station.

[0225] In addition, a cell may be an area defined by the received power of SSB and / or CSI-RS transmitted by a base station (or satellite), or an area defined by a geographical location. In addition, the cell in the above embodiment may also be replaced by a beam defined by SSB.

[0226] Satellite ephemeris information, which is information related to the position of the satellite, can be broadcast in system information, etc., or can be stored in advance by the terminal (or base station). In addition, the terminal (or base station) updates the satellite ephemeris information when communication is possible. In addition, the terminal (or base station) uses other information to determine the position of the satellite. In addition, the satellite ephemeris information, as information indicating the position of the satellite, can be information in a format called TLE (Two Line Elements: 2-line orbital element format) format, or PV (Position and Velocity) information, which is information on the position and moving speed / direction.

[0227] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the location information can be used is described, but for a terminal without a GNSS function and / or a terminal that cannot obtain information related to the location of a satellite, the timing control based on the timing control information common to the cell broadcasted from the base station may be replaced by the timing control. In this case, the base station may also transmit the timing control information corresponding to the propagation delay amount near the cell center.

[0228] In the case of PUSCH allocation not based on a configured grant, that is, PUSCH allocation not based on DCI, the terminal may also send PUSCH without using TA command 2 because the time slot timing of PUSCH transmission is not adjusted for DCI reception timing.

[0229] The uses of the cell-specific TA offset, TA command 1, TA command 2, and TA value notification from the terminal are not limited to those described above.

[0230] When there are multiple TA groups (TAGs) in multiple cells, systems using component carriers or transmission / reception points, the TA control shown in this embodiment may be performed for each TA group. In addition, some parameters such as cell-specific TA offset may be made common.

[0231] The timing adjustment value based on the position information is recorded as a timing adjustment value with a fine granularity. However, in consideration of the accuracy of the position information, etc., it may be positioned as a timing adjustment value with a coarse granularity.

[0232] The base station may also be referred to as a gNodeB or a gNB. In addition, the terminal may also be referred to as a UE.

[0233] The time slot may be replaced by a time slot, a mini time slot, a frame, a subframe, etc.

[0234] <5G NR system architecture and protocol stack>

[0235] 3GPP is continuing work to implement the next version of fifth generation mobile technology (also referred to simply as "5G"), including the development of new radio access technology (NR) operating in the frequency range up to 100 GHz. The first version of the 5G standard was completed in late 2017, which enabled the transition to trial production of terminals (e.g., smartphones) compliant with the 5G NR standard and commercial deployment.

[0236] For example, the system architecture as a whole envisions a NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network) including gNBs. The gNB provides the UE-side termination of the protocols of the user plane (SDAP (Service Data Adaptation Protocol) / PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) / RLC (Radio Link Control) / MAC / PHY (Physical Layer)) and control plane (RRC) of the NG radio access. The gNBs are connected to each other through an Xn interface. In addition, the gNB is connected to the NGC (Next Generation Core) through a Next Generation (NG) interface, more specifically, to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g., a specific core entity that executes the AMF) through an NG-C interface, and is also connected to the UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g., a specific core entity that executes the UPF) through an NG-U interface. Fig.16 Represents the NG-RAN architecture (for example, refer to 3GPP TS38.300v15.6.0, section 4).

[0237] The protocol stack of the user plane of NR (e.g., refer to 3GPP TS 38.300, Section 4.4.1) includes, for gNB, the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol (see Section 6.4 of TS 38.300)) sublayer, the RLC (Radio Link Control (see Section 6.3 of TS 38.300)) sublayer, and the MAC (Media Access Control (see Section 6.2 of TS 38.300)) sublayer terminated on the network side in the gNB. In addition, a sublayer (SDAP: Service Data Adaptation Protocol) of the new access stratum (AS: Access Stratum) has been introduced on PDCP (e.g., refer to Section 6.5 of 3GPP TS 38.300). In addition, a protocol stack of the control plane is defined for NR (e.g., refer to TS 38.300, Section 4.4.2). An overview of the functions of Layer 2 is described in Section 6 of TS 38.300. The functions of the PDCP sublayer, RLC sublayer and MAC sublayer are listed in Sections 6.4, 6.3 and 6.2 of TS 38.300 respectively. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in Section 7 of TS 38.300.

[0238] For example, the media access control layer handles multiplexing of logical channels, and scheduling including processing of various parameter sets and various functions associated with the scheduling.

[0239] For example, the physical layer (PHY) is responsible for coding, PHY HARQ (Physical Layer Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. In addition, the physical layer handles the mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used to send a specific transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For example, in the physical channel, the uplink physical channels include PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and the downlink physical channels include PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel).

[0240] The use cases / extended scenarios of NR may include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC), which have various requirements in terms of data rate, latency, and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20 Gbps in the downlink and 10 Gbps in the uplink) and effective (user-experienced) data rates that are about 3 times the data rates provided by IMT-Advanced (International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced). On the other hand, in the case of URLLC, more stringent requirements are proposed for ultra-low latency (the latency of the user plane is 0.5 ms in UL and DL, respectively) and high reliability (within 1 ms, 1-10-5). Finally, in mMTC, preferably, a high connection density is required (1,000,000 devices / km in an urban environment). 2 ), wide coverage in harsh environments and extremely long battery life (15 years) for a cheap device.

[0241] Therefore, sometimes the parameter set of OFDM that is suitable for one use case (for example, subcarrier spacing (SCS: SubCarrier Spacing), OFDM codeword length, cyclic prefix (CP: Cyclic Prefix) length, number of codewords per scheduling interval) is invalid for other use cases. For example, in low-latency services, it is preferred that the codeword length is shorter than that of mMTC services (therefore, the subcarrier spacing is larger) and / or the number of codewords per scheduling interval (also called "TTI (Transmission Time Interval)") is small. Moreover, in extended scenarios where the delay spread of the channel is large, it is preferred that the CP length is longer than that of scenarios where the delay spread is short. The subcarrier spacing can also be optimized according to the situation to maintain the same CP overhead. The value of the subcarrier spacing supported by NR can be more than one. Correspondingly, subcarrier spacings of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz... are currently considered. The codeword length Tu and the subcarrier spacing Δf are directly related according to the formula Δf=1 / Tu. Similar to the LTE system, the term "resource element" can be used to represent the minimum resource unit composed of one subcarrier with a length of one OFDM / SC-FDMA (Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) symbol.

[0242] In the new wireless system 5G-NR, for each parameter set and each carrier, a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined in the uplink and downlink. Each element of the resource grid is called a "resource element", which is determined based on the frequency index in the frequency domain and the symbol position in the time domain (refer to 3GPP TS 38.211v15.6.0).

[0243] <Functional separation between NG-RAN and 5GC in 5G NR>

[0244] Fig.14 Indicates the functional separation between NG-RAN and 5GC. The logical node of NG-RAN is g NB or ng-eNB. 5GC has logical nodes AMF, UPF and SMF (Session Management Function).

[0245] For example, gNB and ng-eNB host the following main functions:

[0246] - Radio Bearer Control, Radio Admission Control, Connection Mobility Control, and Radio Resource Management functions such as dynamically allocating (scheduling) resources to UEs in both uplink and downlink;

[0247] -IP (Internet Protocol) header compression, encryption and integrity protection of data;

[0248] - Selection of the AMF when attaching the UE in case the routing towards the AMF cannot be decided based on the information provided by the UE;

[0249] - Routing of user plane data towards UPF;

[0250] - Routing of control plane information towards the AMF;

[0251] -Set up and disconnect connections;

[0252] - Scheduling and sending of paging messages;

[0253] - Scheduling and sending of system broadcast information (AMF or operation, administration and maintenance function (OAM) as the originator);

[0254] - Settings for measurements and measurement broadcasts for mobility and scheduling;

[0255] - Packet marking of the transmission class in uplink;

[0256] -Session management;

[0257] - Network slicing support;

[0258] - Management of QoS (Quality of Service) flows and mapping to data radio bearers;

[0259] - Support of UE in RRC_INACTIVE state;

[0260] -NAS (Non Access Stratum) message distribution function;

[0261] -Sharing of wireless access networks;

[0262] -Dual connection;

[0263] -Close collaboration between NR and E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access).

[0264] The access and mobility management function (AMF) hosts the following main functions:

[0265] - Functionality to terminate non-access stratum (NAS) signaling;

[0266] -Security of NAS signaling;

[0267] - Security control of access layer (AS);

[0268] -Core Network (CN) inter-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks;

[0269] - the possibility of reaching the UE in idle mode (including the control and execution of paging retransmission);

[0270] - Management of the registration area;

[0271] -Support for intra-system and inter-system mobility;

[0272] -Access authentication;

[0273] - Access permission including roaming permission check;

[0274] -Mobility management control (subscription and policy);

[0275] - Network slicing support;

[0276] - Selection of Session Management Function (SMF).

[0277] In addition, the User Plane Function (UPF) hosts the following main functions:

[0278] - Anchor point for intra-RAT (Radio Access Technology) mobility / inter-RAT (Inter-RAT) mobility (where applicable);

[0279] - External PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point for interconnection with data networks;

[0280] -Packet routing and forwarding;

[0281] -Policy rule enforcement for packet inspection and user plane;

[0282] - Broadcasting of service usage;

[0283] - Uplink classifier for supporting routing of traffic towards data networks;

[0284] -Branching Point used to support multi-homed PDU session;

[0285] - QoS processing for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement);

[0286] - Verification of uplink services (mapping of SDF (Service Data Flow) to Q oS flows);

[0287] - Downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering function.

[0288] Finally, the Session Management Function (SMF) hosts the following main functions:

[0289] -Session management;

[0290] -Allocation and management of UE IP addresses;

[0291] - UPF selection and control;

[0292] - Traffic steering configuration function in the user plane function (UPF) for directing traffic to the appropriate destination;

[0293] - Enforcement of policies and QoS in the control part;

[0294] -Notification of downlink data.

[0295] <RRC connection setup and reconfiguration process>

[0296] Fig.15 Represents several interactions between the UE, gNB and AMF (5GC entity) when the NAS part of the UE transitions from RRC_IDLE (RRC Idle) to RRC_CONNECTED (RRC Connected) (refer to TS 38.300v15.6.0).

[0297] RRC is a high-layer signaling (protocol) used for the configuration of UE and gNB. Through this transition, AMF prepares UE context data (which includes, for example, PDU session context, security keys, UE radio capabilities (UE Radio Capability), UE security capabilities (UE Security Capabilities), etc.), and sends it to gNB together with the initial context setup request (INITIAL CONTEXTSETUP REQUEST). Next, the gNB activates AS security together with the UE. The gNB sends a Security Mode Command message to the UE, and the UE responds to the gNB with a Security Mode Complete (Security ModeComplete) message to activate AS security. Then, the gNB sends an RRC Reconfiguration message to the UE, and the gNB receives an RRC Reconfiguration Complete (RRCReconfigurationComplet e) from the UE for the RRC Reconfiguration message, thereby reconfiguring the Signaling Radio Bearer 2 (SRB 2) and the Data Radio Bearer (DRB). For signaling-only connections, since SRB2 and DRB are not configured, the steps related to RRC reconfiguration can be omitted. Finally, the gNB notifies the AMF that the setup process is complete using the INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPO NSE.

[0298] Therefore, the present disclosure provides the following fifth generation core network (5GC) entity (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.), which includes: a control circuit, which, when in operation, establishes a next generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB; and a sending unit, which, when in operation, sends an initial context setting message to the gNodeB via the NG connection to set a signaling radio bearer between the gNodeB and the user equipment (UE: User Equipment). Specifically, the gNodeB sends a radio resource control (RRC) signaling including a resource allocation setting information element (IE: Information Element) to the UE via the signaling radio bearer. Then, the UE performs transmission in the uplink or reception in the downlink based on the resource allocation setting.

[0299] <IMT utilization scenarios after 2020>

[0300] Fig.16Indicates several use cases for 5G NR. In the 3rd generation partnership project new radio (3GPP NR), three use cases supporting a wide range of services and applications conceived through I MT-2020 have been studied. The planning and formulation of the first phase of specifications for large-capacity high-speed communications (eMBB: enhanced mobile broadband) has been completed. In current and future work, in addition to gradually expanding support for eMBB, it also includes standardization for ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC: ultra-reliable and low-latency communications) and multiple simultaneous machine-type communications (mMTC: massive machine-type communications). Fig.16 Several examples of the conceptual use scenarios of IMT after 2020 are shown (for example, see ITU-R M.2083 Fig.14 ).

[0301] The use cases of URLLC have strict requirements related to performance such as throughput, latency (delay) and availability. The use cases of URLLC are conceived as an element technology for realizing future applications such as wireless control of industrial production processes or manufacturing processes, remote medical surgery, automation of power transmission and distribution in smart grids, and traffic safety. The ultra-high reliability of URLLC is supported by determining technologies that meet the requirements set by TR38.913. In version 15 of NR URLLC, as an important requirement, the target user plane latency is 0.5ms in UL (uplink) and 0.5ms in DL (downlink). The overall URLLC requirement for a packet transmission is that the block error rate (BLER) is 1E-5 for a packet size of 32 bytes when the user plane latency is 1ms.

[0302] Considering the physical layer, a number of possible approaches can be used to improve reliability. Current scope for improving reliability includes defining additional CQI (Channel Quality Indicator) tables for URLLC, more compact DCI formats, repetition of PDCCH, etc. However, as NR (an important prerequisite for NR URLLC) becomes more stable and further developed, the scope can be expanded to achieve ultra-high reliability. Specific use cases for NR URLLC in Release 15 include Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality (AR / VR), e-Health, e-Safety and critical applications.

[0303] In addition, the technical enhancements of the NR URLLC target are aimed at improving latency and increasing reliability. Technical enhancements for improving latency include configurable parameter sets, non-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, unauthorized (configured authorized) uplink, slot-level repetition in the data channel, and preemption in the downlink. Preemption means stopping the transmission of allocated resources and using the allocated resources for other transmissions that are requested later and meet the necessary conditions of lower latency / higher priority. Therefore, the allowed transmission will be replaced by the subsequent transmission. Preemption can be applied regardless of the specific service type. For example, the transmission of service type A (URLLC) can also be replaced by the transmission of service type B (eMBB, etc.). Technical enhancements related to reliability improvement include dedicated CQI / MCS tables for target BLER of 1E-5.

[0304] The use case of mMTC (Massive Machine Type Communications) is characterized by the fact that there are typically a very large number of connected devices that send relatively small amounts of data that are not susceptible to latency. The devices are required to be low priced and have very long battery life. From the NR point of view, utilizing very narrow bandwidth portions is one solution that can save power and extend the battery life of the UE.

[0305] As mentioned above, it is predicted that the room for reliability improvement in NR will be further expanded. It is one of the important requirements for all situations. For example, the important requirement related to URLLC and mMTC is high reliability or ultra-high reliability. From the wireless point of view and the network point of view, reliability can be improved in several mechanisms. In general, there are two to three important areas that may help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, repetition of data channels / control channels, and diversity related to frequency domain, time domain and / or space domain. These areas can be used universally to improve reliability regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0306] For NR URLLC, further use cases with stricter requirements are envisioned, such as factory automation, transportation, and power transmission. The strict requirements are high reliability (up to 10-6 reliability), high availability, packet size up to 256 bytes, time synchronization up to a few microseconds (μs) (the value can be set to 1μs or a few microseconds depending on the frequency range and short latency of around 0.5ms to 1ms (for example, 0.5ms latency in the user plane is set as the target) for the use case).

[0307] Moreover, regarding NR URLLC, from the perspective of the physical layer, there may be several technical enhancements. These technical enhancements include the enhancement of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) related to compact DCI, repetition of PDCCH, and increased monitoring of PDCCH. In addition, the enhancement of UCI (Uplink Control Information) is related to the enhancement of enhanced HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) and CSI feedback. In addition, there may be enhancement of PUSCH related to frequency hopping at the mini-slot level and enhancement of retransmission / repetition. The term "mini-slot" refers to a transmission time interval (TTI) that contains fewer symbols than a time slot (a time slot has 14 symbols).

[0308] <QoS Control>

[0309] The 5G QoS (Quality of Service) model is based on QoS flows, supporting both QoS flows that require guaranteed bit rate (GBR: Guaranteed Bit Rate QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). Therefore, at the NAS level, QoS flows are the most fine-grained QoS divisions in a PDU session. QoS flows are determined within a PDU session based on the QoS flow ID (QFI: QoS Flow ID) transmitted by the encapsulation header via the NG-U interface.

[0310] For each UE, 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions. For each UE, in conjunction with the PDU session, NG-RAN, for example, as described in the previous reference Fig.15 As described above, at least one data radio bearer (DRB) is established. In addition, the DRB added to the QoS flow of the PDU session can also be set later (when to set it depends on NG-RAN). NG-RAN maps packets belonging to various PDU sessions to various DRBs. The NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC are used to associate UL packets and DL packets with QoS flows, and the AS-level mapping rules in the UE and NG-RAN associate UL QoS flows and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0311] Fig.17 Represents the non-roaming reference architecture of 5G NR (refer to TS23.501v16.1.0, section 4.23). Application Function (AF) (e.g., host Fig.16The 3GPP core network (an external application server for the 5G service illustrated) interacts with the 3GPP core network to provide services. For example, accessing the Network Exposure Function (NEF) to support applications that affect the routing of services, or interacting with the policy framework for policy control (for example, QoS control) (refer to the Policy Control Function (PCF)). Based on the operator's deployment, the operator considers that trusted application functions can interact directly with the associated network function (Network Function). Application functions that are not allowed by the operator to directly access the network function interact with the associated network function via NEF using an open framework to the outside.

[0312] Fig.17 It also represents further functional units of the 5G architecture, namely, Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Network Reposito ry Function (NRF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF) and Data Network (DN: Data Network, such as services provided by operators, Internet access or services provided by third parties). All or part of the core network functions and application services can also be deployed and operated in a cloud computing environment.

[0313] Therefore, the present disclosure provides the following application server (for example, AF of 5G architecture), which includes: a sending unit, which, in order to establish a PDU session of a wireless bearer between a g-node B and a UE corresponding to the QoS requirements, sends a request for QoS requirements for at least one of URLLC service, eMMB service and mMTC service to at least one function of the 5GC (for example, NEF, AMF, SMF, PCF, UPF, etc.); and a control circuit, which, in action, uses the established PDU session for service.

[0314] The present disclosure can be implemented by software, hardware or software in cooperation with hardware. The functional blocks used in the description of the above embodiments are partially or entirely implemented as LSI (Large Scale Integration) as an integrated circuit, and the various processes described in the above embodiments may also be partially or entirely controlled by one LSI or by a combination of LSIs. LSI can be composed of individual chips, or it can be composed of one chip in a manner that includes part or all of the functional blocks. LSI may also include data input and output. LSI may also be referred to as "IC (Integrated Circuit)", "System LSI", "Super LSI", "Ultra LSI" depending on the degree of integration.

[0315] The method of integrated circuitization is not limited to LSI, and can also be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. In addition, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor (Reconfigurable Processor) that can reconfigure the connection or setting of the circuit blocks inside the LSI can also be used. The present disclosure can also be implemented as digital processing or analog processing.

[0316] Furthermore, if integrated circuit technology that replaces LS I emerges as semiconductor technology advances or other technologies are derived, it is of course possible to use this technology to achieve integration of functional blocks. There is also the possibility of applying biotechnology, etc.

[0317] The present disclosure can be implemented in all kinds of devices, equipment, and systems (collectively referred to as "communication devices") with communication functions. The communication device may also include a wireless transceiver and a processing / control circuit. The wireless transceiver may also include a receiving unit and a transmitting unit, or perform the functions of these parts. The wireless transceiver (transmitting unit, receiving unit) may also include an RF (Radio Frequency) module and one or more antennas. The RF module may also include an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, or a device similar to these. Non-limiting examples of communication devices include: phones (mobile phones, smart phones, etc.), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (laptops, desktops, notebook computers, etc.), cameras (digital cameras, digital video cameras, etc.), digital players (digital audio / video players, etc.), wearable devices (wearable cameras, smart watches, tracking devices, etc.), game consoles, e-book readers, telehealth / telemedicine (telehealth / medical prescription) equipment, vehicles with communication functions or transportation vehicles (cars, airplanes, ships, etc.), and combinations of the above-mentioned various devices.

[0318] Communication devices are not limited to portable or movable devices, but also include all kinds of devices, equipment, and systems that cannot be carried or fixed. For example, they include: smart home devices (home appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or meters, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and all other "things" that can exist on the I oT (Internet of Things) network.

[0319] The communication includes data communication performed by a cellular system, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) system, a communication satellite system, etc., and also includes data communication performed by a combination of these systems.

[0320] In addition, the communication device also includes devices such as controllers or sensors connected or linked to the communication equipment that performs the communication functions described in the present disclosure. For example, it includes a controller or sensor that generates a control signal or data signal used by the communication equipment that performs the communication functions of the communication device.

[0321] In addition, the communication device includes infrastructure equipment that communicates with the above-mentioned non-limiting various devices or controls the above-mentioned various devices, such as base stations, access points, and all other devices, equipment, and systems.

[0322] An embodiment of the present disclosure involves a sending device comprising: a control circuit, which controls the sending timing based on first information related to the control of the sending timing of the signal in a sending unit of the signal and second information related to the control of the sending timing in a unit smaller than the sending unit; and a sending circuit, which sends the signal based on the control of the sending timing performed by the control circuit.

[0323] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first information is at least one of third information specific to a cell, fourth information specific to the transmitting device, and fifth information indicating timing control.

[0324] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second information is at least one of sixth information determined based on the position of the sending device and the position of the receiving device which is the communication partner of the sending device, seventh information determined according to the arrival timing of the path of the signal reaching the sending device, and eighth information indicating timing control.

[0325] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when at least one of the position of the transmitting device, the position of the receiving device, and the change in the first value is greater than a threshold, the transmitting circuit transmits information related to the eighth information to the receiving device.

[0326] The information related to the eighth information is at least one of the eighth information, the position information of the transmitting device, and the position information of the receiving device.

[0327] In a sending method involved in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a sending device controls the sending timing based on first information related to the control of the sending timing of the signal in a sending unit of the signal and second information related to the control of the sending timing in a unit smaller than the sending unit, and sends the signal based on the control of the sending timing.

[0328] The disclosure of the specification, drawings and abstract contained in Japanese application No. 2020-022772 filed on February 13, 2020 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0329] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY One aspect of the present disclosure is useful for a wireless communication system.

[0330] Description of symbols

[0331] 100 Terminals

[0332] 101PRACH generation unit

[0333] 102, 206 Data generation unit

[0334] 103 Position information acquisition unit

[0335] 104 Timing adjustment unit

[0336] 105, 208 wireless transmission unit

[0337] 106, 201 antenna

[0338] 107, 202 wireless receiving unit

[0339] 108 demodulation / decoding unit

[0340] 109, 209 control unit

[0341] 200 Base Stations

[0342] 203 Data receiving processing unit

[0343] 204PRACH detection unit

[0344] 205 Timing information generation unit

[0345] 207 Data transmission processing unit

Claims

1. A sending device, comprising: A control circuit, in operation, controls the transmission timing; and The sending circuit, in operation, sends a signal based on the control of the sending timing, The transmission circuit transmits information on transmission timing to the receiving device, the information indicating the number of time slots, which is a coarser granularity than control of the transmission timing.

2. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein: The transmission timing is controlled based on the cell-specific information and the transmission device-specific information.

3. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein: The transmission timing is also controlled based on the position of the transmission device and the position of a reception device which is a communication partner of the transmission device.

4. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein: When the change in the value related to the transmission timing is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the information related to the transmission timing is transmitted.

5. A communication method, comprising: Control sending timing; Performing signal transmission based on the control of the transmission timing; and Information on the transmission timing is transmitted to the receiving device, the information indicating the number of time slots, which is a coarser granularity than the control of the transmission timing.

6. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein: The transmission timing is controlled based on the cell-specific information and the transmission device-specific information.

7. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein: The transmission timing is also controlled based on the position of the transmission device and the position of a reception device which is a communication partner of the transmission device.

8. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein: When the change in the value related to the transmission timing is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the information related to the transmission timing is transmitted.

9. A base station, comprising: A control circuit, in operation, controls the transmission timing; and The receiving circuit receives the signal based on the control of the sending timing during operation. The receiving circuit receives information on the transmission timing, the information indicating the number of time slots, which is a coarser granularity than control of the transmission timing.

10. The base station according to claim 9, wherein: The transmission timing is controlled based on the cell-specific information and the transmission device-specific information.

11. The base station according to claim 9, wherein: When the change in the value related to the transmission timing is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the information related to the transmission timing is transmitted.

12. A communication method, comprising: Controlling the timing of transmission; and receiving a signal based on the control of the transmission timing, Information on transmission timing is received, the information indicating the number of time slots, which is a coarser granularity than control of the transmission timing.

13. The communication method according to claim 12, wherein: The transmission timing is controlled based on the cell-specific information and the transmission device-specific information.

14. The communication method according to claim 12, wherein: When the change in the value related to the transmission timing is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the information related to the transmission timing is transmitted.

15. An integrated circuit comprising: A control circuit, during operation, controls the timing of control transmission; and The sending circuit controls the signal sending based on the control of the sending timing during operation. The transmission circuit performs control during operation to transmit information related to the transmission timing to the receiving device, wherein the information indicates the number of time slots, which is a coarser granularity than the control of the transmission timing.

16. An integrated circuit comprising: generating circuit, in operation, controlling the control transmission timing; and The receiving circuit controls signal reception based on the control of the sending timing during operation. The receiving circuit performs control during operation and receives information related to the transmission timing, wherein the information indicates the number of time slots, which is a coarser granularity than the control of the transmission timing.

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