Eligibility for sidelink communication during shared channel occupancy time

Abstract

Wireless communication systems, apparatus, and methods are provided. According to one aspect, a method of wireless communication performed by a first user equipment (UE) includes receiving, from a second UE, an indication of a channel occupancy time (COT) associated with the second UE, and transmitting, to a third UE, a sidelink (SL) communication in a shared portion of the COT. In some aspects, transmitting the SL communication is based on at least one of: a distance between the second UE and the third UE, or a channel condition between the second UE and the third UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communication systems, and more specifically to channel occupancy time sharing for sidelink communication. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, message sending and receiving, broadcasting, and so on. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Wireless multiple access communication systems may include multiple base stations (BSs), each of which simultaneously supports communication with multiple communication devices, which may also be referred to as user equipment (UEs).

[0003] To meet the growing demand for extended mobile broadband connectivity, wireless communication technologies are evolving from LTE to Next Generation New Radio (NR) technologies. For example, compared to LTE, NR is designed to provide lower latency, higher bandwidth or throughput, and greater reliability. NR is designed to operate across a wide spectrum band array, for example, from low-frequency bands below approximately 1 GHz and mid-frequency bands from approximately 1 GHz to approximately 6 GHz to high-frequency bands such as millimeter wave (mmWave) bands. NR is also designed to operate across different spectrum types, from licensed spectrum to unlicensed spectrum and shared spectrum. Spectrum sharing allows operators the opportunity to aggregate spectrum to dynamically support high-bandwidth services. Spectrum sharing extends the benefits of NR technology to operating entities that may not have access to licensed spectrum.

[0004] NR can support a variety of deployment scenarios to benefit from a variety of spectrum, both licensed and / or unlicensed, across different frequency ranges, and / or from the coexistence of LTE and NR technologies. For example, NR can be deployed in standalone NR mode on licensed and / or unlicensed frequency bands, or in dual connectivity mode with various combinations of NR and LTE on licensed and / or unlicensed frequency bands.

[0005] In wireless communication networks, a Base Station (BS) can communicate with a UE in both uplink and downlink directions. Sidelinks were introduced in LTE to allow a UE to transmit data to another UE (e.g., from one vehicle to another) without tunneling through the BS and / or the associated core network. LTE sidelink technology has been extended to provide device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and / or cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication. Similarly, NR can be extended to support sidelink communication, D2D communication, V2X communication, and / or C-V2X on licensed and / or unlicensed frequency bands (e.g., shared bands). Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following summarizes some aspects of this disclosure to provide a basic understanding of the techniques discussed. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all the contemplative features of this disclosure, and is neither intended to identify key or essential elements of all aspects of this disclosure, nor to depict the scope of any or all aspects of this disclosure. The sole purpose of this summary is to present, in a general form, some concepts of one or more aspects of this disclosure as a prelude to the more detailed embodiments given later.

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for SL communication in an unlicensed frequency band may include or involve: a UE transmitting SL communication to a non-COT-initiating UE during a shared portion of the COT based on at least one of the distance between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE, or the channel conditions between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE. For example, if a UE sharing the COT determines that the distance between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE exceeds a configured distance threshold, the UE sharing the COT may avoid transmitting to the receiving UE during the shared portion of the COT. In this respect, a relatively large distance can reduce the reliability of the idle channel assessment of the COT-initiating UE or the COT-sharing UE in estimating or predicting the interference experienced by the receiving UE. Similarly, poor channel conditions between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE (e.g., high path loss, low received signal power) can also reduce the confidence of the idle channel assessment in predicting the interference experienced by the receiving UE.

[0008] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method of wireless communication performed by a first user equipment (UE) includes: receiving from a second UE an indication of channel occupancy time (COT) associated with the second UE; and transmitting side-link (SL) communication to a third UE in a shared portion of the COT, wherein the transmission of the SL communication is based on at least one of: the distance between the second UE and the third UE; or the channel conditions between the second UE and the third UE.

[0009] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method of wireless communication performed by a first user equipment (UE) includes: sending to a second UE an indication of a channel occupancy time (COT) initiated by the first UE; and sending to the second UE a list of one or more UEs eligible to receive side-link (SL) communication from the second UE in a shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of: the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; or the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs.

[0010] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a first user equipment (UE) includes: a memory device; a transceiver; and a processor communicating with the memory device and the transceiver, wherein the UE is configured to: receive from a second UE an indication of channel occupancy time (COT) associated with the second UE; and transmit side-link (SL) communication to a third UE in a shared portion of the COT, wherein the transmission of the SL communication is based on at least one of: the distance between the second UE and the third UE; or the channel conditions between the second UE and the third UE.

[0011] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a first user equipment (UE) includes: a memory device; a transceiver; and a processor communicating with the memory device and the transceiver, wherein the UE is configured to: send an indication to a second UE of a channel occupancy time (COT) initiated by the first UE; and send to the second UE a list of one or more UEs eligible to receive side-link (SL) communication from the second UE in a shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of: the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; or the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs.

[0012] Other aspects, features, and examples of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention. Although features of the invention may be discussed below with respect to certain aspects and the drawings, all instances of the invention may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more instances may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more such features may also be used according to the various instances of the invention discussed herein. Similarly, although exemplary aspects may be discussed below as examples of devices, systems, or methods, it should be understood that such exemplary instances may be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 Examples of wireless communication networks according to some aspects of this disclosure are provided.

[0014] Figure 2 Examples of wireless communication networks providing sidelink communication according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0015] Figure 3 Examples of COT-shared resources are illustrated according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4Examples of frequency division multiplexing of COT shared resources are illustrated according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 Examples of time-division multiplexing of COT shared resources are illustrated according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a signaling diagram of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an exemplary user equipment (UE) according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of an exemplary network unit according to some aspects of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a communication method based on some aspects of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of a communication method based on some aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The detailed description described below, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configuration in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. To provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts, the detailed description includes specific details. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0024] This disclosure relates throughout to wireless communication systems, also known as wireless communication networks. In various instances, techniques and apparatus can be used in wireless communication networks such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, LTE networks, GSM networks, 5G or New Radio (NR) networks, and other communication networks. As described herein, the terms "network" and "system" are used interchangeably.

[0025] OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, and flash-OFDM. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Specifically, Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a UMTS version using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE are described in documents provided by an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and cdma2000 is described in documents from an organization called 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). These radio technologies and standards are known or under development. For example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations aimed at defining globally applicable third-generation (3G) mobile phone specifications. 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a 3GPP initiative aimed at improving the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile phone standard. 3GPP defines specifications for next-generation mobile networks, mobile systems, and mobile devices. This disclosure relates to the evolution from LTE, 4G, 5G, NR, and more advanced wireless technologies, in which a range of new and different radio access technologies or radio air interfaces are used to share access to the radio spectrum between networks.

[0026] Specifically, 5G networks consider a variety of deployments, spectrums, services, and devices that can be implemented using a unified air interface based on OFDM. To achieve these goals, in addition to developing new radio technologies for 5G NR networks, further enhancements to LTE and LTE-A are also considered. 5G NR will be able to scale to (1) ultra-high densities (e.g., approximately 1 M nodes / km). 2 (1) Provide coverage for large-scale Internet of Things (IoT) with ultra-low complexity (e.g., approximately tens of bits per second) and ultra-low energy (e.g., approximately 10+ years of battery life), and provide deep coverage with the ability to reach challenging locations; (2) Provide coverage including strong security, ultra-high reliability (e.g., approximately 99.9999% reliability), ultra-low latency (e.g., approximately 1 millisecond), and mission-critical control for users with wide or limited mobility; and (3) Provide coverage with enhanced mobile broadband (including extremely high capacity (e.g., approximately 10 Tbps / km)). 2 ), extremely high data rates (e.g., multi-Gbps rates, 100+Mbps user experience rates), and deep-aware coverage with advanced discovery and optimization.

[0027] 5G NR can be implemented using optimized OFDM-based waveforms with scalable parameter sets and transmission time intervals (TTIs); it features a common, flexible framework to efficiently multiplex services and features using dynamic low-latency time-division duplex (TDD) / frequency-division duplex (FDD) designs; and it incorporates advanced radio technologies such as massive MIMO, robust millimeter-wave (mmWave) transmission, advanced channel decoding, and device-centric mobility. The scalability of the parameter set and the scaling of subcarrier spacing in 5G NR efficiently address the operation of various services across different spectrums and deployments. For example, in various outdoor and macro coverage deployments implementing FDD / TDD below 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur at 15 kHz over bandwidths (BWs) such as 5 MHz, 10 MHz, and 20 MHz. For other various outdoor and small-cell coverage deployments using TDD above 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur at 30 kHz over an 80 MHz / 100 MHz BW. For various other indoor broadband implementations, using TDD on the unlicensed portion of the 5 GHz band, the subcarrier spacing can occur at 60 kHz over a 160 MHz BW. Finally, for various deployments utilizing the mmWave component of TDD at 28 GHz, the subcarrier spacing can occur at 120 kHz over a 500 MHz BW.

[0028] 5G NR's scalable parameter set facilitates scalable TTIs for varying latency and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. For example, shorter TTIs can be used for low latency and high reliability, while longer TTIs can be used for higher spectral efficiency. Efficient multiplexing of long and short TTIs allows transmission to begin at symbol boundaries. 5G NR also envisions self-contained integrated subframe designs that incorporate uplink / downlink scheduling information, data, and acknowledgments within the same subframe. These self-contained integrated subframes support communication in unlicensed spectrum or contention-based shared spectrum, with adaptive uplink / downlink that can be flexibly configured on a per-cell basis to dynamically switch between uplink and downlink to meet current service demands.

[0029] Various other aspects and features of this disclosure are further described below. It should be apparent that the teachings herein may be embodied in various forms, and any particular structure, function, or both disclosed herein are merely representative and not limiting. Based on the teachings herein, those skilled in the art will understand that the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects may be combined in various ways. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement an apparatus or practice a method. Furthermore, such apparatuses or methods may be implemented using structures, functionalities, or structures and functionalities other than or different from one or more of the aspects set forth herein. For example, a method may be implemented as part of a system, device, apparatus, and / or as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium for execution on a processor or computer. Additionally, an aspect may include at least one element of the claims.

[0030] Deploying NR on unlicensed spectrum is known as NR Unlicensed (NR-U). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) are working to regulate 6 GHz as a new unlicensed band for wireless communications. Adding the 6 GHz band allows for hundreds of megahertz (MHz) of bandwidth (BW) to be used for unlicensed band communications. Additionally, NR-U can also be deployed on the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band, which is currently shared by various Radio Access Technologies (RATs) such as IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN (WLAN) or WiFi and / or Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) (i.e., Wi-Fi). Sidelink communications can benefit from utilizing the additional bandwidth available in the unlicensed spectrum. However, channel access in specific unlicensed spectrum can be regulated by official bodies. For example, some unlicensed bands may impose restrictions on the power spectral density (PSD) and / or minimum occupied channel bandwidth (OCB) for transmissions within the unlicensed band. For instance, the unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) radio band has a minimum OCB requirement of approximately 70%.

[0031] Some sidelink systems can operate on a 20MHz bandwidth in unlicensed frequency bands, for example, for Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) based channel access. The BS can configure a sidelink resource pool for sidelink communication on one or more 20MHz LBT sub-bands. The sidelink resource pool is typically allocated multiple frequency sub-channels within a Sidelink Bandwidth Part (SL-BWP), and the sidelink UE can select sidelink resources (e.g., one or more sub-channels in the frequency range and one or more time slots in the time range) from the sidelink resource pool for sidelink communication.

[0032] Communication systems, such as 5G New Radio (NR) systems, can be deployed with various components or parts in multiple ways. In a 5G NR system or network, network nodes, network entities, network mobility elements, radio access network (RAN) nodes, core network nodes, network elements or network equipment (such as base stations (BS)) or one or more units (or components) performing base station functions can be implemented in aggregated or decomposed architectures. For example, BSs (such as Node B (NB), evolved NB (eNB), NR BS, 5G NB, access point (AP), transmit / receive point (TRP), or cell, etc.) can be implemented as aggregated base stations (also known as standalone BS or monolithic BS) or decomposed base stations.

[0033] Aggregated base stations can be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. Decentralized base stations can be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed across two or more units, such as one or more central or centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs). In some aspects, the CU may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs may co-located with the CU, or alternatively, may be geographically or virtually distributed across one or more other RAN nodes. DUs may be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CUs, DUs, and RUs may also be implemented as a virtual unit, namely a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU).

[0034] Base station type operation or network design can take into account the aggregation characteristics of base station functionality. For example, decomposed base stations can be used in Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) networks, Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN (such as network configurations initiated by the O-RAN Alliance)), or Virtualized Radio Access Networks (vRAN, also known as Cloud Radio Access Networks (C-RAN)). Decomposition can include distributing functionality across two or more units in various physical locations, as well as virtually distributing the functionality of at least one unit, which enables flexibility in network design. Various units in a decomposed base station or decomposed RAN architecture can be configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one other unit.

[0035] In some aspects, one or more UEs in a network may communicate with each other using unlicensed or shared frequency bands. Due to the nature of unlicensed frequency bands or channels, a UE may perform a channel access procedure to assess interference on one or more frequency bands before making a transmission. If the total interference detected during a configured sensing window is below a threshold, the UE may acquire a time window, which may be a channel occupancy time (COT), during which the UE may communicate with one or more other UEs. In some aspects, a UE may wish to share at least a portion of the COT with one or more other UEs. For example, a UE that performs a channel access procedure and acquires or initiates a COT may share a portion of the COT with a second UE, such that the second UE can relay this information back to the COT-initiating UE. The UE sharing the COT may perform additional channel access procedures before communicating in the shared portion of the COT. In some scenarios, it may be desirable to allow a UE sharing the COT to transmit to one or more UEs other than the COT-initiating UE. For example, a first UE may initiate a COT and share a portion of it with a second UE. The second UE may have SL communication scheduled for a third UE. For example, the second UE may have SL feedback information to convey to the third UE during the shared portion of the COT. Although the second UE may also perform a channel access procedure before communicating in the shared portion of the COT, neither the first channel access procedure performed by the first UE nor the second channel access procedure performed by the second UE can adequately represent the interference or channel conditions experienced by the third UE receiving SL communication from the second UE. For example, the distance between the first UE and the third UE may be considerable, or the environment may cause significant path loss to communication to the third UE.

[0036] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for SL communication in an unlicensed frequency band may include or involve: a UE transmitting SL communication to a non-COT-initiating UE during a shared portion of the COT based on at least one of the distance between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE, or the channel conditions between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE. For example, if a UE sharing the COT determines that the distance between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE exceeds a configured distance threshold, the UE sharing the COT may avoid transmitting to the receiving UE during the shared portion of the COT. In this respect, a relatively large distance can reduce the reliability of the idle channel assessment of the COT-initiating UE or the COT-sharing UE in estimating or predicting the interference experienced by the receiving UE. Similarly, poor channel conditions between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE (e.g., high path loss, low received signal power) can also reduce the confidence of the idle channel assessment in predicting the interference experienced by the receiving UE.

[0037] In some aspects, the schemes and mechanisms described herein may include: the COT-initiating UE sending a list to the COT-sharing UEs, the list indicating one or more UEs eligible to receive communications during the shared portion of the COT. This list may be generated, determined, or otherwise created based on a comparison of estimated distances between the COT-initiating UE and one or more other UEs and a configured distance threshold. In another aspect, the list may be generated, determined, or otherwise created based on a comparison of estimated channel conditions (e.g., path loss, received signal power) between the COT-initiating UE and one or more other UEs and a configured channel condition threshold.

[0038] The schemes, mechanisms, and related aspects of this disclosure offer several advantages. For example, although the UE receiving the COT sharing instruction may not have data and / or signaling to send to the COT-initiating UE, the COT-sharing UE can still utilize resources in the shared frequency band by sending scheduled data and / or signaling to another UE. Furthermore, communicating in a shared COT based on the distance and / or channel conditions between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE reduces the probability of collisions in the shared frequency band, thereby using network resources more efficiently, reducing overhead and power waste, and improving the user experience.

[0039] Figure 1 A wireless communication network 100 according to some aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Network 100 includes several base stations (BSs) 105 and other network entities. BSs 105 may be stations communicating with a UE 115, and may also be referred to as evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next-generation eNBs (gNBs), access points, etc. Each BS 105 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to that specific geographic coverage area of ​​the BS 105 and / or the BS subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0040] BS105 provides communication coverage for macrocells or small cells (such as picocells or femtocells) and / or other types of cells. Macrocells generally cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions to a network provider. Small cells (such as picocells) generally cover a relatively small geographic area and allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions to a network provider. Small cells (such as femtocells) also generally cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and, in addition to unrestricted access, provide restricted access by UEs associated with the femtocell (e.g., UEs in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.). A BS used for macrocells may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS used for small cells may be referred to as a small cell BS, pico BS, femtocell BS, or home BS. Figure 1 In the examples shown, BS105d and 105e can be conventional macro BSs, while BS105a to 105c can be macro BSs with one of three-dimensional (3D), full-dimensional (FD), or massive MIMO capabilities. BS105a to 105c can leverage their higher-dimensional MIMO capabilities to employ 3D beamforming, either elevation or azimuth beamforming, to increase coverage and capacity. BS105f can be a small cell BS, which can be a home node or a portable access point. BS105 can support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells.

[0041] Network 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, BSs can have similar frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs can be approximately time-aligned. For asynchronous operation, BSs can have different frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs can be out of time-aligned.

[0042] UE 115 is distributed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary or mobile. UE 115 may also be referred to as a terminal, mobile station, subscriber unit, station, etc. UE 115 can be a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, tablet computer, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, etc. In one aspect, UE 115 can be a device that includes a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). In another aspect, UE 115 can be a device that does not include a UICC. In some aspects, UE 115 without a UICC may also be referred to as an IoT device or Internet of Things (IoE) device. UE 115a-115d are examples of mobile smartphone-type devices accessing network 100. UE 115 can also be a machine specifically configured for connected communications, including Machine Type Communication (MTC), Enhanced MTC (eMTC), Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), etc. UE 115e-115h are examples of various machines configured for communication via access network 100. UE 115i-115k are examples of vehicles equipped with wireless communication devices configured for communication via access network 100. UE 115 can communicate with any type of BS (whether macro BS, small cell, etc.). Figure 1 In the diagram, the lightning bolt symbol (e.g., a communication link) indicates radio transmission between UE 115 and serving BS 105 (which is a BS designated to serve UE 115 on the downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL), expected transmission between BS 105, backhaul transmission between BS 105, or sidelink transmission between UE 115.

[0043] In operation, BS105a-105c uses 3D beamforming and cooperative spatial technologies (such as Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) or multiple connectivity) to serve UEs 115a and 115b. Macro BS105d performs backhaul communications with BS105a through 105c and the small cell BS105f. Macro BS105d can also transmit multicast services subscribed to and received by UEs 115c and 115d. Such multicast services may include mobile TV or streaming video, or other services for providing community information, such as weather emergencies or alerts, such as Amber Alerts or Grey Alerts.

[0044] BS105 can also communicate with a core network. This core network provides user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. At least some of the BSs in BS105 (e.g., examples of evolved Node Bs (eNBs) or Access Node Controllers (ANCs)) can interface with core network 130 via backhaul links (e.g., S1, S2, etc.) and can perform radio configuration and scheduling to communicate with UE 115. In various examples, BS105s can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., through the core network) via backhaul links (e.g., X1, X2, etc.), which can be wired or wireless communication links.

[0045] Network 100 can also support mission-critical communication with highly reliable and redundant links for mission-critical devices such as UE 115e, which can be vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, buses, autonomous vehicles, airplanes, ships, etc.). Redundant communication links with UE 115e may include links from macro BS 105d and 105e, and links from small cell BS 105f. Other machine-type devices (such as UE 115f (e.g., a thermometer), UE 115g (e.g., a smart meter), and UE 115h (e.g., a wearable device)) can communicate directly with BSs (such as small cell BS 105f and macro BS 105e) via network 100, or in a multi-hop configuration by communicating with another user equipment that relays its information to the network, such as UE 115f conveying temperature measurement information to smart meter UE 115g, which is then reported to the network via small cell BS 105f. In some respects, UE 115h can harvest energy from the surrounding environment associated with UE 115h. Network 100 can also provide additional network efficiency through dynamic, low-latency TDD / FDD communications, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communications, and / or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications between UE 115i, 115j, or 115k and other UE 115.

[0046] In some implementations, network 100 utilizes OFDM-based waveforms for communication. OFDM-based systems can divide the system bandwidth (BW) into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are also commonly referred to as subcarriers, tones, frequency slots, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. In some instances, the subcarrier spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system BW. The system BW can also be divided into sub-bands. In other instances, the subcarrier spacing and / or the duration of the time interval (TTI) can be scalable.

[0047] In some instances, BS105 may assign or schedule transmission resources (e.g., in the form of time-frequency resource blocks (RBs)) for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions in network 100. DL refers to the transmission direction from BS105 to UE 115, while UL refers to the transmission direction from UE 115 to BS 105. This communication may take the form of radio frames. Radio frames may be divided into multiple subframes, for example, about 10. Each subframe may be divided into time slots, for example, about 2. Each time slot may also be divided into micro-time slots. In FDD mode, simultaneous UL and DL transmissions may occur in different frequency bands. For example, each subframe includes UL subframes in the UL band and DL subframes in the DL band. In TDD mode, UL and DL transmissions occur at different time periods using the same frequency band. For example, a subset of subframes in a radio frame (e.g., DL subframes) may be used for DL ​​transmission, and another subset of subframes in the radio frame (e.g., UL subframes) may be used for UL transmission.

[0048] DL subframes and UL subframes can also be divided into several zones. For example, each DL subframe or UL subframe may have a predefined zone for transmitting reference signals, control information, and data. Reference signals are predetermined signals that facilitate communication between BS105 and UE 115. For example, reference signals may have a specific pilot pattern or structure, where pilot tones may span an operational BW or frequency band, and each pilot tone is located at a predefined time and predefined frequency. For example, BS105 may transmit a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) and / or a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to enable UE 115 to estimate the DL channel. Similarly, UE 115 may transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS) to enable BS105 to estimate the UL channel. Control information may include resource allocation and protocol control. Data may include protocol data and / or operational data. In some instances, BS105 and UE 115 may communicate using self-contained subframes. Self-contained subframes may include portions for DL ​​communication and portions for UL communication. Self-contained subframes can be DL-centric or UL-centric. DL-centric subframes can include DL communication durations longer than UL communication durations. UL-centric subframes can include UL communication durations longer than UL communication durations.

[0049] In some instances, network 100 may be an NR network deployed on licensed spectrum. BS 105 may transmit synchronization signals (e.g., including a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS)) within network 100 to facilitate synchronization. BS 105 may broadcast system information associated with network 100 (e.g., including a primary information block (MIB), residual minimum system information (RMSI), and other system information (OSI)) to facilitate initial network access. In some instances, BS 105 may broadcast PSS, SSS, and / or MIB in the form of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) on the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and may broadcast RMSI and / or OSI on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0050] In some instances, UE 115 attempting to access network 100 can perform an initial cell search by detecting the PSS from BS105. The PSS enables time-slot synchronization and indicates a physical layer identification value. UE 115 can then receive the SSS. The SSS enables radio frame synchronization and provides a cell identification value, which can be combined with the physical layer identification value to identify the cell. The SSS also enables detection of duplex mode and cyclic prefix length. The PSS and SSS can be located in the center portion of the carrier or at any suitable frequency within the carrier.

[0051] After receiving the PSS and SSS, UE 115 can receive the MIB. The MIB may include system information for initial network access and scheduling information for RMSI and / or OSI. After decoding the MIB, UE 115 can receive the RMSI and / or OSI. The RMSI and / or OSI may include radio resource control (RRC) information related to the Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure, paging, control resource set (CORESET) for monitoring the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), power control, SRS, and cell prohibition.

[0052] After obtaining the MIB, RMSI, and / or OSI, UE 115 may execute a random access procedure to establish a connection with BS 105. For the random access procedure, UE 115 may send a random access preamble, and BS 105 may respond with a random access response. Upon receiving the random access response, UE 115 may send a connection request to BS 105, and BS 105 may respond with a connection response (e.g., a contention resolution message).

[0053] After the connection is established, UE 115 and BS 105 can enter the normal operation phase, during which they can exchange operational data. For example, BS 105 can schedule UE 115 for UL communication and / or DL ​​communication. BS 105 can send UL scheduling grants and / or DL ​​scheduling grants to UE 115 via PDCCH. BS 105 can send DL communication signals to UE 115 via PDSCH based on the DL scheduling grant. UE 115 can send UL communication signals to BS 105 via PUSCH and / or PUCCH based on the UL scheduling grant.

[0054] Network 100 can be designed to enable a wide range of use cases. While in some examples, network 100 may utilize a monolithic base station, several other architectures exist that can be used to implement aspects of this disclosure. For example, BS105 may be separated into a Remote Radio Header (RRH) and a Baseband Unit (BBU). The BBU may be centralized in a BBU pool and connected to the RRH via low-latency and high-bandwidth transmission links, such as optical transmission links. The BBU pool may be a cloud-based resource. In some aspects, baseband processing is performed on virtualized servers running in a data center rather than co-located with BS 105. In another example, base station functionality may be split among Remote Units (RUs), Distributed Units (DUs), and Central Units (CUs). RUs typically perform low physical layer functions, while DUs perform higher layer functions, which may include higher physical layer functions. CUs perform higher RAN functions, such as Radio Resource Control (RRC).

[0055] For simplicity of discussion, this disclosure refers to the methods of this disclosure being implemented by a base station or more generally by a network entity, while functionality can be implemented by various architectures other than monolithic base stations. In addition to decomposed base stations, aspects of this disclosure can also be implemented by centralized units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), radio units (RUs), near real-time (near-RT) RAN intelligent controllers (RICs), non-real-time (non-RT) RICs, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, relay nodes, sidelink nodes, etc.

[0056] In some respects, UE 115i can execute a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) procedure. UE 115i can obtain Channel Occupancy Time (COT) based on the success of the LBT procedure. During the COT, UE 115i can send COT-sharing information to UE 115j for sharing the COT with UE 115j.

[0057] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication network 200 providing sidelink communication according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Network 200 may correspond to a portion of network 100. For the purpose of simplifying the discussion, Figure 2 Two BS205s (shown as 205a and 205b) and six UEs 215s (shown as 215a1, 215a2, 215a3, 215a4, 215b1, and 215b2) are illustrated, but it will be appreciated that aspects of this disclosure can be scaled to any suitable number of UEs 215s (e.g., about 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or more) and / or BS205s (e.g., about 1, 3, or more). BS205s and UEs 215s may be similar to BS105 and UE 115, respectively. BS205s and UEs 215s may share the same radio frequency band for communication. In some instances, the radio frequency band may be a 2.4 GHz unlicensed band, a 5 GHz unlicensed band, or a 6 GHz unlicensed band. Generally, the shared radio frequency band can be at any suitable frequency.

[0058] BS205a and UEs 215a1-215a4 can be operated by a first network operating entity. BS205b and UEs 215b1-215b2 can be operated by a second network operating entity. In some aspects, the first network operating entity may use the same RAT as the second network operating entity. For example, BS205a and UEs 215a1-215a4 of the first network operating entity and BS205b and UEs 215b1-215b2 of the second network operating entity are NR-U devices. In some other aspects, the first network operating entity may use a different RAT than the second network operating entity. For example, BS205a and UEs 215a1-215a4 of the first network operating entity may utilize NR-U technology, while BS205b and UEs 215b1-215b2 of the second network operating entity may utilize WiFi or LAA technology.

[0059] In network 200, some of UEs 215a1-215a4 can communicate with each other in peer-to-peer communication. For example, UE 215a1 can communicate with UE 215a2 via side link 252, UE 215a3 can communicate with UE 215a4 via another side link 251, and UE 215b1 can communicate with UE 215b2 via yet another side link 254. Side links 251, 252, and 254 are unicast bidirectional links. Some of UEs 215 can also communicate with BS205a or BS205b via communication link 253 in the UL direction and / or DL ​​direction. For example, UEs 215a1, 215a3, and 215a4 are within the coverage area 210 of BS205a and therefore can communicate with BS205a. UE 215a2 is outside the coverage area 210 and therefore does not communicate directly with BS205a. In some instances, UE 215a1 can operate as a repeater for UE 215a2 to reach BS 205a. Similarly, UE 215b1 is within the coverage area 212 of BS 205b and therefore can communicate with BS 205b, and can operate as a repeater for UE 215b2 to reach BS 205b. In some aspects, some UEs in UE 215 are associated with vehicles (e.g., similar to UE 115i-k), and communications via side links 251, 252, and 254 can be C-V2X communications. C-V2X communications can refer to communications between a vehicle and any other wireless communication device in a cellular network.

[0060] In some aspects, UE 215 may communicate with each other based on the distance between them. For example, UEs 215a1 and 215a2 may be separated by a distance 262. In some aspects, one or both of UEs 215a1 and 215a2 may be configured to determine the distance 262 based on one or more indications from the other UE. For example, one or both of UEs 215a1 and 215a2 may be configured to send a signal indicating a region identifier (ID) that indicates the UE's global location or region. Thus, the region ID can be used as a representation of the UE's global positioning to estimate or determine the distance 262. In some aspects, the distance 262 may be large enough to affect one or more aspects of communication between UEs 215a1 and 215a2. For example, the distance 262 may be large enough that path loss between UEs 215a1 and 215a2 causes communication difficulties. On the other hand, if the distance 262 is large, the interference experienced by each of UEs 215a1 and 215a2 may be significantly different, such that the interference experienced by one of UEs 215a1 and 215a2 may be an adverse representation of the interference experienced by the other of UEs 215a1 and 215a2. Therefore, channel assessments (e.g., idle channel assessment, LBT, etc.) performed by UE 215a1 based on the initiated channel occupancy time (COT) may not take into account the degree of interference experienced by UE 215a2 during the COT. However, on the other hand, the distance 264 between UE 215a1 and UE 215a3 may be small enough that the CCA performed by UE 215a1 can adequately estimate the channel conditions experienced by UE 215a3. In addition, the path loss experienced for communication between UE 215a1 and UE 215a3 may be less than the path loss for communication between UE 215a1 and UE 215a2.

[0061] Figure 3 Examples of COT-shared resources are illustrated according to some aspects of this disclosure. Figure 3In this diagram, the x-axis represents time in some arbitrary unit, and the y-axis represents frequency in some arbitrary unit. In some aspects, a first-sidelink UE (e.g., UE115 or UE700) may perform a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) procedure to gain access to COT 320. The first-sidelink UE may perform LBT procedures or other Clear Channel Assessments (CCAs) on one or more sidelink communication channels. In some instances, the first-sidelink UE may perform LBT procedures or other CCAs to gain access to COT 320 in unlicensed (e.g., shared) spectrum. For example, the first-sidelink UE may perform Category 1 LBT, Category 2 LBT, Category 3 LBT, and / or Category 4 LBT to gain access to COT 320 in unlicensed spectrum. In some aspects, the first-sidelink UE may perform LBT in one or more time resources, spatial resources, and / or frequency resources. These frequency resources may include spectrum, frequency bands, frequency sub-bands, frequency sub-channels, resource elements, resource blocks, and / or frequency interleaving. These time resources may include time slots, sub-time slots, symbols, subframes, or any other suitable time resources. In some aspects, the first-side-link UE may perform LBT against one or more directional beams (e.g., beams in the direction of UEs to which the first-side-link UE intends to transmit and / or receive communications).

[0062] The first-side-link UE can successfully acquire COT 320 based on LBT procedure 322. The first-side-link UE can acquire COT 320 to send communications to the other-side-link UE. Additionally or alternatively, the first-side-link UE can share COT with other side-link UEs.

[0063] A first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information to a second sidelink UE (e.g., UE 115, UE 215, or UE 700) for sharing COT 320 with the second sidelink UE. The first sidelink UE may send the COT sharing information to the second sidelink UE during COT 320, as indicated by arrow 324. The COT sharing information may include COT resource allocations indicating resources available to the second sidelink UE for sharing COT 320. In some aspects, the first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information to the second sidelink UE and other sidelink UEs (e.g., a group of sidelink UEs, a set of sidelink UEs). The first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information, including resource allocations, to a set of sidelink UEs to share COT with the set of sidelink UEs. For example, the first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information to a third sidelink UE, as indicated by arrow 326.

[0064] In some respects, the first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information via sidelink control information (SCI) 314 (e.g., SCI-1, SCI-2), RRC messages, PSCCH messages, PSSCH 312 messages, or other suitable communications. For example, the first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information in the SL_COT_SharingInformation field via sidelink control information 2 (SCI-2).

[0065] In some aspects, COT sharing information may include information (e.g., parameters, resources, settings, commands, etc.) that enables a first sidelink UE to share COT 320 with other sidelink UEs (e.g., a second sidelink UE). Sharing COT 320 with other sidelink UEs enables those UEs to send and / or receive communications during COT 320 in an efficient and coordinated manner. In some aspects, COT sharing information may include identifiers associated with the set of sidelink UEs sharing COT 320. Sidelink UE identifiers may include a layer-one identifier unique to each sidelink UE sharing the COT.

[0066] In some aspects, COT sharing information may include time resource allocation associated with COT sharing. For example, time resource allocation may include COT start time, COT end time, and / or COT duration. Time resource allocation may include time resources (e.g., time slots, sub-time slots, symbols, frames, etc.) allocated to the set of sidelink UEs sharing the COT 320. For example, time resource allocation may indicate an index that indicates the initial time slot and / or sub-time slot allocated to the set of sidelink UEs. Time resource allocation may indicate the number of time resources allocated to the set of sidelink UEs (e.g., the number of time slots, sub-time slots, and / or symbols). For example, time resource allocation may indicate that time slot 1 is allocated to a first sidelink UE, time slot 2 is allocated to a second sidelink UE, and time slot 3 is allocated to a third sidelink UE. The first sidelink UE may indicate the time resource allocation to the sidelink UEs sharing the COT in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) via SCI-1.

[0067] In some aspects, the time resource allocation included in the COT sharing information may indicate the time resources associated with the shared COT relative to the successful execution of LBT procedure 322. For example, if the first sidelink UE performs a successful LBT 322 at time slot i, the time resource allocation may indicate the resources associated with COT sharing relative to time slot i. In some instances, the time resource allocation may indicate the resources associated with COT sharing as a number (e.g., an integer number) of time slots, a number of sub-time slots, or a number of symbols starting from time slot i (e.g., the end of time slot i and / or the beginning of time slot i). In some aspects, the time resource allocation may indicate the resources associated with COT sharing as a time value (e.g., several milliseconds) relative to time slot i.

[0068] In some aspects, COT sharing information can indicate the COT duration. The COT duration can indicate the time period during which the sidelink UE shares COT 320, during which the first sidelink UE and the COT-sharing UE can communicate. The COT duration can begin with a successful LBT 322 performed by the first sidelink UE. In some aspects, the COT duration can be based on the amount of data (e.g., transport blocks) that the first sidelink UE and the COT-sharing UE need to transmit. A larger data volume may require a longer COT duration compared to a smaller data volume. The COT duration can be indicated to the COT-sharing UE as several time slots, several sub-time slots, several symbols, several milliseconds, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the COT duration can be indicated as the remaining COT duration. For example, the COT duration can be the duration of x time slots. The first sidelink UE can use y time slots out of x time slots to transmit sidelink communication. The remaining COT duration can be indicated as xy time slots to the second sidelink UE and / or other COT-sharing sidelink UEs.

[0069] In some aspects, COT sharing information may include frequency resource allocations (e.g., frequency ranges) associated with COT sharing. For example, frequency resource allocation may include a starting frequency (e.g., starting frequency subchannel index, starting frequency band, starting frequency interleaving). Frequency resource allocation may include an ending frequency (e.g., ending subchannel, ending frequency band). Frequency resource allocation may include frequency interleaving (e.g., frequency interleaving index, subchannel index). Frequency resource allocation may indicate frequency resources allocated to a set of sidelink UEs sharing COT 320 with a first sidelink UE. The first sidelink UE may indicate frequency resource allocations to the sidelink UEs sharing COT 320 in Frequency Domain Resource Allocation (FDRA) via SCI-1.

[0070] In some respects, the first sidelink UE may transmit a flag indicating that it is sharing COT 320. In this regard, the first sidelink UE may transmit the flag indicating that it is sharing COT 320 via SCI 314 (e.g., SCI-1, SCI-2). This flag may include a single-bit (e.g., 0 or 1) indicator, a multi-bit indicator, a code point, or other indicators to indicate that other sidelink UEs (e.g., the sidelink UE receiving the flag) may share COT 320.

[0071] In some aspects, the first sidelink UE may transmit the flag in SCI-2 via PSSCH 312. SCI-2 may include a destination identifier associated with the second and other sidelink UEs, indicating that the first sidelink UE shares COT 320 with the second and other sidelink UEs. If SCI-2 includes an identifier that matches an identifier associated with the receiving sidelink UE, then a sidelink UE close to the first sidelink UE that receives and decodes SCI-2 may share COT 320 with the first sidelink UE.

[0072] Figure 4 Examples of COT sharing using frequency division multiplexing resources are illustrated according to some aspects of this disclosure. Figure 4 In this diagram, the x-axis represents time in some arbitrary unit, and the y-axis represents frequency in some arbitrary unit. In some aspects, a first-side-link UE (e.g., UE 115, UE 215, or UE 700) may execute a Listen-After-Speak (LBT) procedure 322 to gain access to COT 320. The first-side-link UE may execute LBT procedure 322 or other Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) on one or more side-link communication channels. In some instances, the first-side-link UE may execute LBT procedure 322 or other CCA to gain access to COT 320 in unlicensed (e.g., shared) spectrum. For example, the first-side-link UE may execute Category 1 LBT, Category 2 LBT, Category 3 LBT, and / or Category 4 LBT to gain access to COT 320 in unlicensed spectrum.

[0073] The first-side-link UE can successfully acquire COT 320 based on LBT procedure 322. The first-side-link UE can acquire COT 320 to send communications to the other-side-link UE. Additionally or alternatively, the first-side-link UE can share COT with other side-link UEs.

[0074] A first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information to a second sidelink UE (e.g., UE 115, UE 215, or UE 700) for sharing COT 320 with the second sidelink UE. The first sidelink UE may send the COT sharing information to the second sidelink UE in time slot 1, as indicated by arrow 324. The COT sharing information may include COT resource allocations indicating resources available to the second sidelink UE for sharing COT 320. In some aspects, the first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information to the second sidelink UE and other sidelink UEs (e.g., a group of sidelink UEs, a set of sidelink UEs). The first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information, including resource allocations, to a set of sidelink UEs to share COT with the set of sidelink UEs. For example, the first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information to a third sidelink UE, as indicated by arrow 326.

[0075] In some aspects, COT sharing information may include time resource allocation associated with COT sharing. For example, time resource allocation may include COT start time, COT end time, and / or COT duration. Time resource allocation may include time resources (e.g., time slots, sub-time slots, symbols, frames, etc.) allocated to the set of sidelink UEs sharing the COT. For example, time resource allocation may indicate an index that indicates the initial time slot and / or sub-time slot allocated to the set of sidelink UEs. Time resource allocation may indicate the number of time resources allocated to the set of sidelink UEs (e.g., the number of time slots, sub-time slots, and / or symbols). For example, time resource allocation 414 may indicate that time slots 1 and 2 are allocated to a first sidelink UE, and time slot 3 is allocated to a second and third sidelink UE. The first sidelink UE may indicate the time resource allocation to the sidelink UEs sharing the COT in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) via SCI-1.

[0076] In some aspects, the first sidelink UE may send COT sharing information for sharing COT320 to the second and third sidelink UEs. The COT sharing information may indicate frequency resources 416 allocated to the second sidelink UE that are frequency-division multiplexed with the frequency resources 418 allocated to the third sidelink UE. In some aspects, the COT sharing information may indicate the same Cyclic Prefix Extension (CPE) length 412 allocated to the second and third sidelink UEs. By having the same CPE length 412, the second and third sidelink UEs may each transmit sidelink communication simultaneously in time slot 3, and since the second and third sidelink UEs transmit in different frequency ranges 416 and 418, the sidelink transmissions may not interfere with each other. In some aspects, the second and third sidelink UEs may perform LBT (e.g., CAT 1 LBT, CAT 2 LBT) before transmitting in time slot 3 based on the time gap between the end of the first sidelink UE's transmission in time slot 2 and the CPE length 412 indicated by the COT sharing information.

[0077] Figure 5 Examples of COT sharing using time-division multiplexing resources are illustrated according to some aspects of this disclosure. Figure 5 In this diagram, the x-axis represents time in some arbitrary unit, and the y-axis represents frequency in some arbitrary unit. In some aspects, a first-sidelink UE (e.g., UE 115, UE 215, or UE 700) may perform a Listen-After-Speak (LBT) procedure to gain access to COT 320. The first-sidelink UE may perform LBT procedures or other Clear Channel Assessments (CCAs) on one or more sidelink communication channels. In some instances, the first-sidelink UE may perform LBT procedures or other CCAs to gain access to COT 320 in unlicensed (e.g., shared) spectrum. For example, the first-sidelink UE may perform Category 1 LBT, Category 2 LBT, Category 3 LBT, and / or Category 4 LBT to gain access to COT 320 in unlicensed spectrum.

[0078] The first-side-link UE can successfully acquire COT 320 based on LBT procedure 322. The first-side-link UE can acquire COT 320 to send communications to the other-side-link UE. Additionally or alternatively, the first-side-link UE can share COT with other side-link UEs.

[0079] The first-side-link UE may send COT sharing information to the second-side-link UE (e.g., UE 115, UE 215, or UE 700) for sharing COT 320 with the second-side-link UE. The first-side-link UE may send the COT sharing information to the second-side-link UE in time slot 1, as indicated by arrow 324. The first-side-link UE may send COT sharing information to the third-side-link UE, as indicated by arrow 326.

[0080] In some aspects, COT sharing information may include time resource allocation associated with COT sharing. For example, time resource allocation may include COT start time, COT end time, and / or COT duration. Time resource allocation may indicate that time slot 1 is allocated to a first sidelink UE, time slot 2 is allocated to a second sidelink UE, and time slot 3 is allocated to a third sidelink UE. The first sidelink UE may indicate the time resource allocation to the sidelink UEs sharing the COT in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) via SCI-1.

[0081] COT sharing information can indicate time-division multiplexing of the time resources allocated to the second sidelink UE with the time resources allocated to the third sidelink UE. For example, the first sidelink UE can transmit in time slot 1, the second sidelink UE can transmit in time slot 2, and the third sidelink UE can transmit in time slot 3. Time slots 1, 2, and 3 can be consecutive or non-consecutive. The first, second, and third sidelink UEs can transmit in the same frequency range or in different frequency ranges. In some aspects, COT sharing information can indicate the same CPE lengths 412 and 413 allocated to the second and third sidelink UEs, respectively. In some aspects, COT sharing information can indicate different CPE lengths 412 and 413 allocated to the second and third sidelink UEs. The second and third sidelink UEs can each transmit sidelink communication in their respective time allocations and will not interfere with each other due to transmitting at different times. In some respects, the second-side-link UE and the third-side-link UE may perform LBT (e.g., CAT 1 LBT, CAT 2 LBT) based on the end of the transmission of the first-side-link UE and the time interval between the CPE lengths 412 and 413 indicated for the second-side-link UE and the third-side-link UE, respectively.

[0082] As explained above, it is desirable to allow a UE sharing a COT to send SL communications to one or more UEs other than the COT-initiating UE. For example, a first UE may initiate a COT and share a portion of the COT with a second UE. The second UE may have SL communications scheduled for a third UE. For example, the second UE may have SL feedback information to convey to the third UE during the shared portion of the COT. Although the second UE may also perform a channel access procedure before communicating in the shared portion of the COT, neither the first channel access procedure performed by the first UE nor the second channel access procedure performed by the second UE can adequately represent the interference or channel conditions experienced by the third UE receiving SL communications from the second UE. For example, the distance between the first UE and the third UE may be considerable, or the environment may cause significant path loss to communication to the third UE. This disclosure describes schemes and mechanisms for communicating during the shared portion of a COT based on one or more COT-sharing eligibility parameters. In some aspects, COT-sharing eligibility parameters may include the distance between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE. In other aspects, COT-sharing eligibility parameters may include one or more channel conditions between the COT-initiating UE and the receiving UE. Further aspects will become clear from the following description and corresponding figures.

[0083] Figure 6 This is a signaling diagram of a wireless communication method 600 according to some aspects of this disclosure. The actions of the communication method 600 may be performed by a computing device of the communication apparatus (e.g., a processor, processing circuitry, and / or other suitable components) or other suitable parts for performing these actions. For example, a wireless communication apparatus (such as UE 115, UE 215, or UE 700) may utilize one or more components (such as a processor 702, a memory 704, a COT sharing module 708, a transceiver 710, a modem 712, and one or more antennas 716) to perform aspects of method 600.

[0084] At action 602, one or more of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m send SL communication to UE 115i. In some aspects, UE 115i may be referred to as a COT-initiating UE, as will become clear below. In some aspects, the SL communication may include one or more of PSCCH, PSSCH, PSFCH, and / or SL reference signals (e.g., S-SRS). In some aspects, the SL communication may include or carry one or more demodulation reference signals (DMRS). For example, the SL communication may include PSSCH communication containing DMRS. In another example, the SL communication may include an SCI indicating the area ID or other location-based information associated with the corresponding UE. For example, UE 115j may send a first SL communication including PSCCH and PSSCH. The PSSCH may include or carry an SCI-2 indicating the area ID of UE 115j. The area ID may be based on a global coordinate system. In another aspect, SCI-2 may include or indicate other location-based information of UE 115j, such as the relative position of UE 115j relative to UE 115i.

[0085] At action 604, UE 115i can successfully perform LBT. UE 115i can perform Category 1 LBT, Category 2 LBT, Category 3 LBT, and / or Category 4 LBT to gain access to COT in unlicensed spectrum. In some aspects, UE 115i can perform LBT based on a configured energy detection threshold. In other aspects, performing LBT may include determining or measuring quantified interference energy, as explained further below.

[0086] At action 606, UE 115k may send SL communication to UE 115j. In some aspects, SL communication includes at least one of PSCCH communication and / or PSSCH communication. In some aspects, UE 115j may be configured with SL feedback resources, such as Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) resources for providing ACK / NACK to the UE. Therefore, receiving SL communication at action 606 may trigger or cause UE 115j to send a PSFCH signal at a subsequent PSFCH timing.

[0087] At action 608, UE 115i determines whether each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m is eligible to receive communications during the shared portion of the COT, based on the SL communications received at action 602. In some aspects, this determination may be based on the location of each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m. For example, the determination may be based on the distance between UE 115i and each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m. In some aspects, UE 115i may determine the distance between UE 115i and each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m based on location information provided by each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m at action 602. For example, UE 115i may determine the distance based on a comparison of its own area ID with the area IDs of each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m.

[0088] In some aspects, action 608 may include: UE 115i comparing each distance with a distance threshold. In some aspects, UE 115i may be configured with one or more distance thresholds for determining whether one or more UEs are eligible to receive communication from different UEs during the shared portion of a COT initiated by UE 115i. In some aspects, UE 115i may be configured with multiple distance thresholds for determination at action 608. In this regard, the thresholds used by UE 115i to identify eligible UEs may be based on one or more configurations, parameters, or measurements associated with the LBT performed at action 604. For example, each distance threshold may correspond to an energy detection threshold of one of two or more configurations associated with the LBT performed at action 604. In this regard, each UE in UE 115i may be configured with at least one of multiple possible energy detection thresholds. If a first energy detection threshold is configured at UE 115i for the LBT performed at action 604, then a first distance threshold can be applied to UE 115i, and if a different second energy detection threshold is configured, then a different second distance threshold can be applied. The distance thresholds for multiple different energy detection thresholds are shown in Table 1 below.

[0089]

[0090] Table 1

[0091] On the other hand, the distance threshold applied by UE 115i may be based on or associated with the quantized interference energy of the LBT performed at action 604. For example, UE 115i may select one of a plurality of distance thresholds based on the amount of quantized interference energy detected during the LBT. For example, UE 115i may use a first distance threshold for a first quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m are eligible for COT sharing. UE 115i may use a second distance threshold for a second quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m are eligible for COT sharing. UE 115i may use a third distance threshold for a third quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m are eligible for COT sharing. The distance thresholds for multiple different quantized interference energy levels are shown in Table 2 below.

[0092]

[0093] Table 2

[0094] In some aspects, this determination may be based on the channel conditions between UE 115i and each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m. For example, the determination may be based on the reference signal received power (RSRP) and / or path loss between UE 115i and each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m. In some aspects, UE 115i may determine the RSRP between UE 115i and each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m based on the DMRS in the PSSCH transmitted by each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m at action 602. In another aspect, UE 115i may perform one or more PSSCH transmissions to each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m. Each of UEs 115j, 115k, and 115m can measure RSRP based on the transmitted PSSCH DMRS and indicate RSRP to UE 115i using higher-layer signaling. UE 115i can determine the path loss between UE 115i and each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m based on the transmit power used to transmit each PSSCH DMRS and the indicated RSRP indication provided by UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m.

[0095] In some aspects, action 608 may include: UE 115i comparing each RSRP and / or path loss with an RSRP threshold and / or a path loss threshold. In some aspects, UE 115i may be configured with one or more RSRP thresholds for determining whether one or more UEs are eligible to receive communication from different UEs during a shared portion of a COT initiated by UE 115i. In some aspects, UE 115i may be configured with multiple RSRP thresholds for determination at action 604. For example, each RSRP threshold may correspond to one of two or more configured energy detection thresholds. In this respect, each UE in UE 115i may be configured with at least one of multiple possible energy detection thresholds. If a first energy detection threshold is configured at UE 115i for the LBT performed at action 604, UE 115i may apply the first RSRP threshold, and if a different second energy detection threshold is configured, a different second RSRP threshold may be applied. The RSRP thresholds for multiple different energy detection thresholds are shown above in Table 1.

[0096] On the other hand, the RSRP threshold applied by UE 115i may be based on or associated with the quantized interference energy of the LBT performed at action 604. For example, UE 115i may select one of a plurality of RSRP thresholds based on the amount of quantized interference energy detected during LBT. For example, UE 115i may use a first RSRP threshold for a first quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m are eligible for COT sharing. UE 115i may use a second RSRP threshold for a second quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m are eligible for COT sharing. UE 115i may use a third RSRP threshold for a third quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m are eligible for COT sharing. The distance thresholds for multiple different quantized interference energy levels are shown in Table 2 above.

[0097] In some aspects, UE 115i may be configured with one or more path loss thresholds for determining whether one or more UEs are eligible to receive communication from different UEs during the shared portion of a COT initiated by UE 115i. In some aspects, UE 115i may be configured with multiple path loss thresholds for determination at action 608. For example, each path loss threshold may correspond to one of two or more configured energy detection thresholds. In this respect, each UE in UE 115i may be configured with at least one of multiple possible energy detection thresholds. If a first energy detection threshold is configured at UE 115i for the LBT performed at action 604, the first path loss threshold may be applied to UE 115i, and if a different second energy detection threshold is configured, a different second path loss threshold may be applied. The path loss thresholds for multiple different energy detection thresholds are shown above in Table 1.

[0098] On the other hand, the path loss threshold applied by UE 115i may be based on or associated with the quantized interference energy of LBT. For example, UE 115i may select one of a plurality of path loss thresholds based on the amount of quantized interference energy detected during LBT. For example, UE 115i may use a first path loss threshold for a first quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m is eligible for COT sharing to initiate UE reception from a non-COT-initiated UE. UE 115i may use a second path loss threshold for a second quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m is eligible for COT sharing to initiate UE reception from a non-COT-initiated UE. UE 115i may use a third path loss threshold for a third quantized interference energy to determine whether UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m is eligible for COT sharing to initiate UE reception from a non-COT-initiated UE. The distance thresholds for various interference energy levels are shown in Table 2 above.

[0099] On the other hand, UE 115i can use multi-level thresholds to determine the duration or amount of time during which each of UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m can perform a transmission during the shared portion of the COT. The multi-level thresholds can be multi-level distance thresholds and / or multi-level channel condition thresholds (e.g., RSRP threshold, path loss threshold, etc.). In one example, UE 115i compares the distance between UE 115k and UE 115i with each of a first distance threshold, a second distance threshold, and a third distance threshold. Depending on which multi-level distance thresholds are met or not met, UE 115i can determine the duration during which UE 115k can perform a transmission up to a non-COT-initiating UE (e.g., UE 115j) within the shared portion of the COT. In one example, if the distance between UE 115i and UE 115k satisfies all three thresholds (i.e., UE 115k is determined to be closer to UE 115i than each of the multi-level distance thresholds), then UE 115i can determine that UE 115k may perform transmission during the entire shared portion of the COT. If the distance satisfies two of the three thresholds, then UE 115i can determine that UE 115k may perform transmission during only a portion of the shared portion of the COT (i.e., less than the entire shared portion of the COT). If UE 115i determines that the distance does not satisfy any of the multi-level distance thresholds, then UE 115i can determine that UE 115k may not perform any transmission during the shared portion of the COT. Example threshold schemes are illustrated in Table 3 below.

[0100]

[0101] Table 3

[0102] As shown in Table 3, multiple multi-level candidate thresholds can be configured. The multi-level candidate thresholds 0-5 can be distance thresholds and / or thresholds based on channel conditions. Based on the energy detection threshold, the multi-level thresholds are first divided into a first threshold set A1 and a second threshold set A2, as explained above. On the other hand, based on the quantified interference energy, which is an alternative or supplement to the energy detection threshold, the multi-level thresholds can be divided into threshold sets A1 and A2. For each energy detection threshold, multiple multi-level thresholds are configured or indicated. For threshold A1, multi-level thresholds with indices 0-2 are configured, where threshold 2 is the highest or most lenient threshold, and threshold 0 is the strictest threshold. For example, if the multi-level threshold is a distance threshold, threshold 0 may correspond to a smaller distance compared to thresholds 1 and 2, and threshold 2 may correspond to a larger distance compared to thresholds 0 and 1. Referring to Tables 1 to 3, it will be understood that the energy detection threshold and the quantified interference energy values are exemplary, and any suitable values can be used to determine or select the distance threshold and / or the channel condition threshold. Additionally, with respect to Tables 1 to 2, it will be understood that more than two energy detection thresholds can be configured and less than or more than three quantified interference energy thresholds or levels can be configured for selecting the distance threshold and / or the channel condition threshold.

[0103] The multi-level thresholds described above may allow UE 115i to determine the duration or portion during which UE 115j, 115k, and / or 115m can perform transmissions to the non-COT initiating UE in the shared portion of the COT. For example, referring to Table 3, if an energy detection threshold of -72 dBm is configured and if the distance between UE 115i and UE 115k satisfies thresholds 2 and 1 but not threshold 0, then UE115i can determine that UE 115k can transmit during the first M μs of the shared portion of the COT but not during the remaining portion. If UE115i determines that the distance between UE 115i and UE 115k satisfies threshold 2 but not threshold 0 or 1, then UE 115i can determine and indicate to UE 115k that UE 115k cannot transmit any unicast transmissions with user plane data during the shared portion of the COT, and UE 115k can only transmit during the first N μs of the shared portion of the COT but not during the remaining portion, where N < M. If UE115i determines that the distance between UE 115i and UE 115k does not satisfy any of the thresholds 0-2, then UE 115i can determine that UE 115k is not eligible to transmit to the non-COT initiating UE during the shared portion of the COT.

[0104] At action 610, based on the determination at action 608, UE 115i sends SL communication and UE 115j receives SL communication. In some aspects, the SL communication includes at least one of PSCCH and / or PSSCH. In some aspects, the SL communication includes SCI. The SL communication may indicate to UE 115j that UE 115i has initiated or acquired COT. In another aspect, the SL communication may indicate to UE 115j that a portion 614 of COT may be shared with UE 115j and used by UE 115j to send one or more SL communications to UE 115i and / or to one or more other UEs (such as UE 115k, 115m). In some aspects, the indication of COT and / or the indication of COT sharing may be carried in the same SCI or in a separate SCI. In some aspects, action 610 may include: sending one or more SCI-2 indicating COT and / or COT sharing. For example, UE 115i may send COT sharing information in the SL_COT_SharingInformation field via SCI-2. In some aspects, the COT sharing information may include information (e.g., parameters, resources, settings, commands, etc.) that enables UE 115i to share the COT with UEs 115j, 115k, and 115m. In some aspects, the COT sharing information may include identifiers associated with a set of sidelink UEs sharing the COT. The sidelink UE identifier may include a layer-one identifier unique to each sidelink UE sharing the COT.

[0105] At action 612, UE 115i transmits a list of eligible UEs and UE 115j receives the list of eligible UEs. In some aspects, action 612 includes: UE 115i transmitting a PSCCH and / or PSSCH carrying an SCI indicating the list of eligible UEs. In some aspects, the list of eligible UEs may include a list of UE IDs (e.g., SL destination identifiers) eligible to receive communications during the shared portion 614 of the COT. In other aspects, action 612 may include: UE 115i transmitting one or more of an RRC message, a MAC-CE, and / or any other suitable type of SL communication indicating the list. In some aspects, the list may further indicate multiple COT shared durations or portions during which one or more of UEs among UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m may receive SL communications from COT-sharing UE 115j during the shared portion 614 of the COT. For example, the list could indicate that UE 115k can receive during the entire shared portion 614 of the COT, and that UE 115m can receive during a portion 616 of the shared portion 614 of the COT. For example, portion 616 of the shared portion 614 could include the first Mμs of the shared portion 614 of the COT. The list could be configured based on multi-level thresholds, where UE 115i uses multiple levels of distance or channel condition thresholds to determine the appropriate duration for each other UE, as illustrated and described above with respect to Table 3.

[0106] In some respects, the list of eligible UEs and the time-based list can be provided in the same list. In other respects, the time-based list and the list of eligible UEs can be provided or indicated in separate lists. In some respects, these lists can be sent by UE115i in the same SL communication. For example, these lists can be sent in the same SCI, RRC message, and / or MAC-CE. In other respects, these lists can be sent in separate SL communications (e.g., separate SCI, RRC message, and / or MAC-CE). In other respects, actions 610 and 612 can be performed using a single SL transmission. For example, a single PSCCH and PSSCH communication can indicate COT, COT shared information, the list of eligible UEs, and / or the time-based list for each eligible UE. In other respects, UE115i can send separate SL communications in actions 610 and 612.

[0107] At action 613, UE 115j sends PSFCH communication to UE 115k based on the list provided at action 612. In some aspects, action 613 includes determining or verifying that UE 115k is on the list provided at action 612. In other aspects, sending PSFCH communication includes sending PSFCH based on the time-based list described above. For example, if the distance and / or channel conditions between UE 115i and UE 115j satisfy only one of the multi-level thresholds, then UE 115j may send PSFCH to UE 115k during a smaller portion 616 of the shared portion 614. In another example, if the distance and / or channel conditions between UE 115i and UE 115k satisfy all configured multi-level thresholds, then UE 115j may send PSFCH during a larger portion of the shared portion 614. In some aspects, a longer duration of the shared portion 614 of the COT may increase the probability of sending PSFCH. For example, UE 115 can be configured with a PSFCH period. For example, this period can be configured as several time slots. A longer duration for enabling or allowing PSFCH transmission during the shared portion can increase the probability of scheduling periodic PSFCH opportunities within the duration, and thus increase the probability of PSFCH being transmitted.

[0108] In this regard, at action 618, UE 115j may send a PSFCH to UE 115m during a smaller portion 616 of the shared portion 614 of the COT. For example, in some aspects, UE 115i may determine that the distance and / or channel conditions between UE 115i and UE 115m satisfy one or more, but not all, of the configured multi-level thresholds. UE 115i may provide a time-based list for UEs 115j, 115k, and / or 115m based on the multi-level thresholds. This list may indicate that UE 115m may transmit within the first Nμs of the shared portion 614 of the COT. Therefore, UE 115i may send the PSFCH in a smaller portion 616, which may include the first Nμs of the shared portion 614 of the COT.

[0109] although Figure 6 Actions 613 and 618 are illustrated as including PSFCH transmission, but it will be understood that any one or both of actions 613 and / or 618 may include transmitting other types of SL communication besides PSFCH. For example, any one or both of actions 613 and / or 618 may include transmitting PSCCH, PSSCH, reference signals, and / or any other suitable SL communication during the shared portion 614 of the COT, as an alternative to or supplement to transmitting PSFCH.

[0110] Figure 7This is a block diagram of an exemplary UE 700 according to some aspects of this disclosure. UE 700 may be UE 115 or UE 215 in network 100 or 200 as discussed above. As shown, UE 700 may include a processor 702, a memory 704, a COT sharing module 708, a transceiver 710 including a modem subsystem 712 and a radio frequency (RF) unit 714, and one or more antennas 716. These components may be coupled to each other and communicate directly or indirectly with each other, for example, via one or more buses.

[0111] Processor 702 may include a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), controller, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, other hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 702 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0112] Memory 704 may include cache memory (e.g., the cache memory of processor 702), random access memory (RAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory devices, hard disk drives, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or combinations of different types of memory. In some instances, memory 704 includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Memory 704 may store instructions 706. Instructions 706 may include, when executed by processor 702, causing processor 702 to perform various aspects of this document combined with the present disclosure (e.g., ...). Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 9 and / or Figure 10 (Instructions for operation as described in UE 115) Instruction 706 may also be referred to as code. The terms “instruction” and “code” should be broadly interpreted to include any type of computer-readable statement. For example, the terms “instruction” and “code” may refer to one or more programs, routines, subroutines, functions, procedures, etc. “Instruction” and “code” may include a single computer-readable statement or many computer-readable statements.

[0113] The COT shared module 708 can be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the COT shared module 708 can be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 706 stored in memory 704 and executed by processor 702. In some aspects, the COT shared module 808 can be implemented as... Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 9 and / or Figure 10 This applies to various aspects. For example, the COT sharing module 708 can execute a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) procedure. The COT sharing module 708 can acquire the Channel Occupied Time (COT) based on the success of the LBT procedure. During the COT, the COT sharing module 708 can send COT sharing information to the second-side-link UE for sharing the COT with the second-side-link UE. It will be understood that the functionality and configuration of the COT sharing module 708 may include controlling one or more other components of the UE 700 (such as processor 702, memory 704, and / or transceiver 710) and / or cooperating with such one or more other components to perform the actions described herein. Therefore, although the COT sharing module 708 may be described as being "configured" to perform an action, it will be understood that the COT sharing module 708, in conjunction with one or more other components of the UE 700, can control, initiate, and / or monitor the action.

[0114] In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 may be configured to cause the transceiver 710 to transmit and / or receive indications to the COT. In other aspects, the COT sharing module 708 is configured to cause the transceiver 710 to convey the COT sharing indication. In some aspects, the COT sharing indication may include or indicate COT sharing information. The COT indication and / or COT sharing information may be carried in an SCI transmitted in at least one of the PSCCH signal and / or PSSCH signal. In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 is configured to cause the transceiver 710 to receive and / or transmit an SCI-2 including COT sharing information indicated in the SL_COT_SharingInformation field. In some aspects, the COT sharing information may include time resources and / or frequency resources associated with the shared portion of the COT.

[0115] In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 is configured to initiate a COT by executing a channel access procedure. For example, the COT sharing module 708 may execute a type 1 channel access procedure to initiate a COT. The type 1 channel access procedure may include CAT4LBT. In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 may be configured to execute a type 2 channel access procedure to share a portion of the COT. For example, the COT sharing module 708 may execute a type 2A or type 2B channel access procedure to communicate during the shared portion of the COT.

[0116] In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 is configured to communicate during the shared portion of the COT. For example, the COT sharing module 708 may be configured to convey SL communication based on the distance between the COT-initiating UE and the receiver of the SL communication. In other aspects, the COT sharing module 708 may be configured to convey SL communication based on the channel conditions between the COT-initiating UE and the receiver of the SL communication. In some aspects, the UE 700 may be the COT-initiating UE. In other aspects, the UE 700 may be the sender of the SL communication. In other aspects, the UE 700 may be the receiver of the SL communication. In some aspects, the channel conditions may include signal power (e.g., RSRP) and / or path loss. In other aspects, the channel conditions may include Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and / or any other suitable channel conditions.

[0117] In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 may determine whether to transmit SL communication based on a comparison of distance and / or channel conditions with a corresponding threshold. In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 is configured to receive an indication of the threshold in RRC signaling. In other aspects, the COT sharing module 708 may receive the indication of the threshold via SCI, MAC-CE, and / or any other suitable form of communication. In some aspects, the COT sharing module 708 may transmit a list indicating one or more UEs eligible to receive SL communication from a non-COT-initiating UE during a shared portion of the COT. In some aspects, the list may further indicate that at least one of the one or more UEs during a shared portion of the COT may receive one or more durations or portions of SL communication.

[0118] As shown in the figure, transceiver 710 may include a modem subsystem 712 and an RF unit 714. Transceiver 710 may be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices such as BS105 and / or UE 115. Modem subsystem 712 may be configured to modulate and / or encode data from memory 704 according to a modulation and decoding scheme (MCS) (e.g., low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoding scheme, turbo decoding scheme, convolutional decoding scheme, digital beamforming scheme, etc.). RF unit 714 may be configured to process modulated / coded data from modem subsystem 712 (regarding outbound transmission) or from another source such as UE 115 or BS105 (e.g., perform analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.). RF unit 714 may be further configured to perform analog beamforming in conjunction with digital beamforming. Although shown as being integrated together in transceiver 710, modem subsystem 712 and RF unit 714 may be separate devices coupled together to enable UE 700 to communicate with other devices.

[0119] RF unit 714 can provide modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets (or more generally, data messages containing one or more data packets and other information)) to antenna 716 for transmission to one or more other devices. Antenna 716 can also receive data messages transmitted from other devices. Antenna 716 can provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at transceiver 710. Antenna 716 may include multiple antennas with similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links. RF unit 714 can configure antenna 716.

[0120] In some instances, UE 700 may include multiple transceivers 710 implementing different RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In some instances, UE 700 may include a single transceiver 710 implementing multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In some instances, transceiver 710 may include various components, wherein different combinations of components can implement a RAT.

[0121] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of an exemplary network unit 800 according to some aspects of this disclosure. Network unit 800 may be a BS105, CU, DU, or RU as discussed above. As shown, network unit 800 may include a processor 802, a memory 804, a COT sharing module 808, a transceiver 810 including a modem subsystem 812 and an RF unit 814, and one or more antennas 816. These components may be coupled to each other and communicate directly or indirectly with each other, for example, via one or more buses.

[0122] Processor 802 may have various features as a particular type of processor. For example, these features may include a CPU, DSP, ASIC, controller, FPGA device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 802 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0123] Memory 804 may include cache memory (e.g., the cache memory of processor 802), RAM, MRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory devices, one or more hard disk drives, memristor-based arrays, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or combinations of different types of memory. In some instances, memory 804 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Memory 804 may store instructions 806. Instructions 806 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 802, cause processor 802 to execute this document (e.g., ...). Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 9 and / or Figure 10 Instructions for the operations described in various aspects. Instruction 806 may also be referred to as code, which can be broadly interpreted as including any type of computer-readable statement.

[0124] The COT shared module 808 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the COT shared module 808 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 806 stored in memory 804 and executed by processor 802.

[0125] In some respects, the COT shared module 808 can achieve... Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 9 and / or Figure 10 Various aspects. For example, the COT sharing module 808 can send or indicate the SL resource pool, COT sharing configuration, distance threshold, channel condition threshold, and / or other parameters. Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 Any other characteristic associated with each aspect.

[0126] Additionally or alternatively, the COT shared module 808 may be implemented in any combination of hardware and software, and in some specific implementations may involve, for example, a processor 802, a memory 804, an instruction set 806, a transceiver 810, and / or a modem 812.

[0127] As shown, transceiver 810 may include a modem subsystem 812 and an RF unit 814. Transceiver 810 may be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices such as UE 115 and / or 600. Modem subsystem 812 may be configured to modulate and / or encode data according to an MCS (e.g., LDPC decoding scheme, turbo decoding scheme, convolutional decoding scheme, digital beamforming scheme, etc.). RF unit 814 may be configured to process (e.g., perform analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.) modulated / encoded data from modem subsystem 812 (regarding outbound transmission) or originating from another source such as UE 115 or UE 700. RF unit 814 may be further configured to perform analog beamforming in conjunction with digital beamforming. Although shown as integrated together in transceiver 810, modem subsystem 812 and / or RF unit 814 may be separate devices coupled together at network unit 800 to enable network unit 800 to communicate with other devices.

[0128] RF unit 814 may provide modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets (or more generally, data messages containing one or more data packets and other information)) to antenna 816 for transmission to one or more other devices. For example, according to aspects of this disclosure, this may include the configuration of multiple sub-time slots within a time slot. Antenna 816 may also receive data messages transmitted from other devices and provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at transceiver 810. Antenna 816 may include multiple antennas with similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links.

[0129] In some instances, network unit 800 may include multiple transceivers 810 implementing different RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In some instances, network unit 800 may include a single transceiver 810 implementing multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In some instances, transceiver 810 may include various components, wherein different combinations of components can implement a RAT.

[0130] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a communication method 900 according to some aspects of this disclosure. Aspects of method 900 may be performed by a computing device of a wireless communication device (e.g., a processor, processing circuitry, and / or other suitable components) or other suitable components for performing these aspects. For example, a wireless communication device (such as UE 115, UE 215, or UE 700) may utilize one or more components (such as processor 702, memory 704, COT sharing module 708, transceiver 710, modem 712, and one or more antennas 716) to perform aspects of method 900. Method 900 may employ mechanisms similar to those in networks 100 and 200, and regarding… Figures 3 to 6 The aspects and actions described herein. As illustrated, method 900 includes several enumerated aspects, but method 900 may include additional aspects before, after, and between these enumerated aspects. In some aspects, one or more of these enumerated aspects may be omitted or performed in a different order.

[0131] At action 910, the first UE receives an indication of a COT associated with the second UE from the second UE. In some aspects, the COT may be initiated by the second UE. In some aspects, receiving an indication of a COT may include receiving at least one of PSCCH communication and / or PSSCH communication. For example, the indication may include a PSCCH containing an SCI. The SCI may indicate time and frequency resources used for PSSCH communication. The PSSCH communication may carry or include PSSCH data and / or an additional SCI. For example, the PSSCH may include SCI-2. In some aspects, the indication of a COT may include a COT sharing indication. COT sharing information may include a COT resource allocation indicating resources that the first UE can use to share the COT. COT sharing information may include resource allocations for the first UE to share the COT. In some aspects, the first UE may receive COT sharing information via sidelink control information (e.g., SCI-1, SCI-2), RRC messages, PSCCH messages, PSSCH messages, or other suitable communications. For example, COT sharing information can be included or indicated in the SL_COT_SharingInformation field via Side Link Control Information 2 (SCI-2). The first UE may use one or more components (such as processor 702, memory 704, COT sharing module 708, transceiver 710, modem 712 and one or more antennas 716) to perform aspects of action 910.

[0132] At action 920, the first UE transmits SL communication to the third UE during the shared portion of the COT. In some aspects, this transmission is based on at least one of the following: the distance between the second UE and the third UE; or the channel conditions between the second UE and the third UE. As mentioned above, the second UE may be the COT-initiating UE. In some aspects, the first UE may determine whether the third UE is eligible to receive communication during the shared portion of the COT initiated by the second UE based on distance and / or channel conditions. In one example, determining whether the third UE is eligible includes determining whether the third UE is on a list of eligible UEs provided by the second UE. As explained above with respect to method 600, the second UE may generate a list indicating which UEs are eligible to receive communication during the shared portion of the COT. For example, the second UE may generate the list based on the distance between the second UE and the third UE. In another aspect, the second UE may generate the list based on the channel conditions between the second UE and the third UE. Channel conditions may be, for example, RSRP or path loss.

[0133] In some aspects, transmitting SL communication includes transmitting PSFCH communication to a third UE. The first UE may transmit PSFCH communication during a PSFCH timing configured for a resource pool used by the first UE. The first UE may transmit PSFCH communication in response to receiving PSCCH and / or PSSCH communication from the third UE. In some aspects, the PSFCH timing in which the first UE transmits PSFCH communication may fall within a shared portion of the COT. In other aspects, transmitting SL communication may include the first UE transmitting at least one of PSCCH communication, PSSCH communication, reference signals, and / or any other suitable type of SL communication. The first UE may use one or more components (such as processor 702, memory 704, COT sharing module 708, transceiver 710, modem 712, and one or more antennas 716) to perform aspects of action 920.

[0134] In some respects, the first UE may perform a channel access procedure before transmitting SL communication. For example, the first UE may perform a type 2 channel access procedure. In some respects, the first UE may perform a type 2A or type 2B channel access procedure. In other respects, the first UE may not perform a channel access procedure. In this regard, the first UE may perform a "type 2C" channel access procedure, such that the first UE does not perform channel sensing during COT before transmitting SL communication.

[0135] In some respects, method 900 also includes: the first UE receiving a list of eligible UEs for receiving communications from the second UE.

[0136] In some aspects, COT sharing information may include time resource allocation associated with COT sharing. For example, time resource allocation may include COT start time, COT end time, and / or COT duration. Time resource allocation may include time resources (e.g., time slots, sub-time slots, symbols, frames, etc.) allocated to the set of sidelink UEs sharing the COT. For example, time resource allocation may indicate an index that indicates the start time slot and / or sub-time slot allocated to the set of sidelink UEs. Time resource allocation may indicate the number of time resources allocated to the set of sidelink UEs (e.g., the number of time slots, sub-time slots, and / or symbols). The first sidelink UE may indicate the time resource allocation to the sidelink UEs sharing the COT in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) via SCI-1.

[0137] Figure 10This is a flowchart of a communication method 1000 according to some aspects of this disclosure. The aspects of method 1000 may be performed by a computing device of a wireless communication device (e.g., a processor, processing circuitry, and / or other suitable components) or other suitable components for performing these aspects. For example, a wireless communication device such as UE 115 or UE 700 may utilize one or more components (such as processor 702, memory 704, COT sharing module 708, transceiver 710, modem 712, and one or more antennas 716) to perform aspects of method 1000. Method 1000 may employ mechanisms similar to those in networks 100 and 200, and regarding... Figures 3 to 6 The aspects and actions described herein. In some aspects, method 1000 is performed at least in part on unlicensed or shared frequency bands. For example, method 1000 may include or involve: transmitting one or more SL communications based on an SL-U protocol, which includes channel access procedures, one or more COTs, occupancy bandwidth configurations, and / or any other corresponding schemes for communication in unlicensed frequency bands. As illustrated, method 1000 includes several enumerated aspects, but method 1000 may include additional aspects before, after, and between these enumerated aspects. In some aspects, one or more of these enumerated aspects may be omitted or performed in a different order.

[0138] At action 1010, the first UE sends an indication of the COT associated with the first UE to the second UE. In some aspects, the COT may be initiated by the first UE. In some aspects, sending the indication of the COT may include sending at least one of PSCCH communication and / or PSSCH communication. For example, the indication may include a PSCCH containing an SCI. The SCI may indicate time and frequency resources used for PSSCH communication. The PSSCH communication may carry or include PSSCH data and / or an additional SCI. For example, the PSSCH may include SCI-2. In some aspects, the indication of the COT may include a COT sharing indication. COT sharing information may include a COT resource allocation indicating resources that the second UE can use to share the COT. COT sharing information may include resource allocations for the second UE to share the COT. In some aspects, the first UE may send the COT sharing information via sidelink control information (e.g., SCI-1, SCI-2), RRC messages, PSCCH messages, PSSCH messages, or other suitable communications. For example, COT sharing information can be included or indicated in the SL_COT_SharingInformation field via Side Link Control Information 2 (SCI-2).

[0139] At action 1020, the first UE sends a list to the second UE of one or more UEs eligible to receive SL communications from the second UE during the shared portion of the COT. In some aspects, the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE. In some aspects, the list includes the second UE and one or more UEs different from the first UE and the second UE. In some aspects, the list is based on at least one of the following: the distance between the first UE and the one or more UEs; or the channel conditions between the first UE and the one or more UEs. As mentioned above, the first UE may be the COT-initiating UE. In some aspects, the first UE may determine whether one or more UEs are eligible to receive communications during the shared portion of the COT initiated by the first UE based on distance and / or channel conditions. As explained above with respect to method 600, the first UE may generate the list based on the distance between the first UE and the one or more UEs. In another aspect, channel conditions may be, for example, RSRP or path loss.

[0140] In some aspects, method 1000 includes: a first UE executing a channel access procedure to initiate a COT. For example, the first UE may execute a type 1 channel access procedure. For example, the first UE may execute CAT4LBT. In some aspects, the first UE may determine, generate, and / or update a list of one or more UEs in response to obtaining a COT. In another aspect, the first UE may determine, generate, and / or update the list for transmission to a second UE in response to receiving SL data and / or SL signaling in a buffer. In some aspects, the first UE may transmit the list in response to obtaining a COT. In some aspects, the first UE may transmit the list in response to receiving SL data and / or SL signaling in a buffer.

[0141] The first UE can be based on the above regarding Figure 6 The scheme described above determines or generates a list of eligible UEs. In some aspects, sending the list may include sending an SCI indicating the list. For example, the list may be carried or indicated in SCI-1 and / or SCI-2. In another aspect, the list may be sent using RRC message transmission. In some aspects, the first UE may send the list by sending a MAC-CE indicating the list of eligible UEs. In another aspect, method 1000 may further include: the first UE sending a list of COT-shared durations or portions of the shared portion of the COT, wherein each eligible UE is permitted to receive SL communications from UEs other than the first UE that initiated the COT.

[0142] In one aspect, the list is based on the distance between the first UE and one or more UEs. For example, this distance may be based on an area ID indication sent by one or more UEs to the first UE. In some aspects, the distance may be based on a comparison of the first UE's first area ID with one or more second area IDs of one or more UEs. In some aspects, sending SL communication is based on a comparison of distance and a distance threshold. In some aspects, the distance threshold can be configured. In some aspects, this comparison may be performed by the second UE. In another aspect, this comparison may be performed by the first UE. In some aspects, the distance threshold may be based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with COT or quantized interference energy associated with COT. In this regard, the distance threshold may be determined based on the schemes illustrated with respect to Tables 1 to 3 and the corresponding text.

[0143] On the other hand, this list is based on the channel conditions between the first UE and one or more UEs. As explained above, channel conditions may include at least one of signal power (e.g., RSRP) or path loss. However, other types of channel conditions are also envisioned, including signal quality (e.g., RSRQ), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and / or any other suitable type of channel condition. This list may be based on a comparison of the channel conditions between the first UE and one or more UEs with configured or indicated channel condition thresholds. Similar to distance thresholds, channel condition thresholds may be determined based on the schemes illustrated in Tables 1 through 3 and the corresponding text.

[0144] In some respects, the first UE may send a list in response to the first UE initiating a COT. In other respects, the first UE may periodically or occasionally send an updated list of eligible UEs to a second UE and / or other UEs. In some respects, the list may also indicate one or more durations of a shared portion of the COT, wherein a UE sharing the COT may send it to a non-COT-initiating UE. For example, the list may indicate that a third UE may send it only during a portion of the shared portion of the COT (see, for example, 616). Figure 6 ) or during the entire shared portion of the COT (see, for example, 614, Figure 6 The first UE may send a separate list indicating the duration of the data, either as a supplement to or as an alternative to the list of eligible UEs.

[0145] Other aspects of this disclosure include the following:

[0146] Aspect 1. A method of wireless communication performed by a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving from a second UE an indication of channel occupancy time (COT) associated with the second UE; and transmitting side-link (SL) communication to a third UE in a shared portion of the COT, wherein the transmission of the SL communication is based on at least one of: the distance between the second UE and the third UE; or the channel condition between the second UE and the third UE.

[0147] Aspect 2. The method according to aspect 1, wherein the transmission of the SL communication is based on the distance between the second UE and the third UE, and wherein the transmission of the SL communication is further based on a comparison of the distance with a distance threshold.

[0148] Aspect 3. The method according to aspect 2, wherein the distance threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0149] Aspect 4. The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the transmission of the SL communication is based on the channel condition between the second UE and the third UE, wherein the channel condition includes signal power, and wherein the transmission of the SL communication is further based on a comparison of the signal power with a signal power threshold.

[0150] Aspect 5. The method according to aspect 4, wherein the signal power threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0151] Aspect 6. The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein transmitting the SL communication is based on the channel conditions between the second UE and the third UE, wherein the channel conditions include path loss, and wherein transmitting the SL communication is further based on a comparison of the path loss with a path loss threshold.

[0152] Aspect 7. The method according to aspect 6, wherein the path loss threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0153] Aspect 8. The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, the method further comprising: receiving from the second UE a list of one or more UEs eligible to receive SL communications from the first UE in a shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, wherein the one or more UEs include the third UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of: the distance between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; or the channel conditions between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs.

[0154] Aspect 9. The method according to aspect 8, the method further comprising: receiving from the second UE an indication of one or more durations corresponding to the one or more UEs of the shared portion of the COT, wherein each of the one or more durations is based on a comparison of at least one threshold with at least one of: the distance between the second UE and the one or more UEs; or the channel condition between the second UE and the one or more UEs.

[0155] Aspect 10. The method according to aspect 9, wherein the at least one threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold configured and associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0156] Aspect 11. A method of wireless communication performed by a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: sending to a second UE an indication of a channel occupancy time (COT) initiated by the first UE; and sending to the second UE a list of one or more UEs eligible to receive side-link (SL) communication from the second UE in a shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of: the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; or the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs.

[0157] Aspect 12. The method according to aspect 11, the method further comprising: sending to the second UE an indication of one or more durations corresponding to the shared portion of the COT, wherein each of the one or more durations is based on a comparison of at least one threshold with at least one of: the distance between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; or the channel condition between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs.

[0158] Aspect 13. The method according to aspect 12, wherein the at least one threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0159] Aspect 14. The method according to any one of Aspects 11 to 13, wherein the list is based on the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, and wherein the list is further based on a comparison of the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs with a distance threshold.

[0160] Aspect 15. The method according to aspect 14, wherein the distance threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0161] Aspect 16. The method according to any one of Aspects 11 to 15, wherein the list is based on the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, wherein the channel conditions include signal power, and wherein the list is further based on a comparison of the signal power between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs with a signal power threshold.

[0162] Aspect 17. The method according to aspect 16, wherein the signal power threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0163] Aspect 18. The method according to any one of Aspects 11 to 17, wherein the list is based on the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, wherein the channel conditions include path loss, and wherein the list is further based on a comparison of the path loss between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs with a path loss threshold.

[0164] Aspect 19. The method according to aspect 18, wherein the path loss threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

[0165] Aspect 20. A first UE, the first UE comprising: a memory device; a transceiver; and a processor, the processor communicating with the memory device and the transceiver, wherein the first UE is configured to perform an action according to any one of aspects 1 to 10.

[0166] Aspect 21. A first UE, the first UE comprising: a memory device; a transceiver; and a processor, the processor communicating with the memory device and the transceiver, wherein the first UE is configured to perform an action according to any one of aspects 11 to 19.

[0167] Aspect 22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, wherein the program code includes instructions executable by a processor of a UE to cause the UE to perform an action according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10.

[0168] Aspect 23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, wherein the program code includes instructions executable by a processor of a UE to cause the UE to perform an action according to any one of aspects 11 to 19.

[0169] Aspect 24. A UE, the UE comprising a component for performing an action according to any one of aspects 1 to 10.

[0170] Aspect 25. A UE, the UE comprising a component for performing an action according to any one of aspects 11 to 19.

[0171] Information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0172] The various exemplary blocks and modules described herein in conjunction with this disclosure can be implemented or executed using general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternative embodiments, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0173] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and specific implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions may also be physically located in different locations, including portions distributed such that the functions are implemented in different physical locations. Furthermore, as used herein (including in the claims), "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items followed by phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, such that a list such as [at least one of A, B, or C] means: A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C).

[0174] As those skilled in the art will understand to date and depending on the specific application at hand, many modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the materials, apparatus, configuration, and methods of use of the devices disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the specific examples illustrated and described herein (as they are merely examples), but should be fully equivalent to the appended claims and their functional equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication performed by a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receive an indication of the Channel Occupancy Time (COT) associated with the second UE from the second UE; The second UE receives a list of one or more UEs that are eligible to receive sidelink SL communication from the first UE in the shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of the following: the distance between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; or the channel conditions between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; as well as In the shared portion of the COT, SL communication is sent to a third UE, wherein the one or more UEs include the third UE, and wherein the SL communication is sent based on at least one of the following: The distance between the second UE and the third UE; or The channel status between the second UE and the third UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the SL communication is based on the distance between the second UE and the third UE, and wherein sending the SL communication is further based on a comparison of the distance with a distance threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the SL communication is based on the channel condition between the second UE and the third UE, wherein the channel condition includes signal power, and wherein sending the SL communication is further based on a comparison of the signal power with a signal power threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal power threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the SL communication is based on the channel condition between the second UE and the third UE, wherein the channel condition includes path loss, and wherein sending the SL communication is further based on a comparison of the path loss with a path loss threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the path loss threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The second UE receives an indication of one or more durations corresponding to the shared portion of the COT, wherein each of the one or more durations is based on a comparison of at least one threshold with at least one of the following: The distance between the second UE and the one or more UEs; or The channel conditions between the second UE and the one or more UEs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold configured with respect to the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

10. A method for wireless communication performed by a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Send an indication to the second UE of the Channel Occupancy Time (COT) initiated by the first UE; as well as Send to the second UE a list of one or more UEs eligible to receive sidelink SL communication from the second UE in the shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of the following: The distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; or The channel status between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Sending an indication to the second UE of one or more durations corresponding to the shared portion of the COT, wherein each of the one or more durations is based on a comparison of at least one threshold with at least one of the following: The distance between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; or The channel conditions between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the list is based on the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, and wherein the list is further based on a comparison of the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs with a distance threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the distance threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the list is based on the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, wherein the channel conditions include signal power, and wherein the list is further based on a comparison of the signal power between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs with a signal power threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the signal power threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the list is based on the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, wherein the channel conditions include path loss, and wherein the list is further based on a comparison of the path loss between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs with a path loss threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the path loss threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

19. A first user equipment (UE), the first user equipment (UE) comprising: Memory devices; transceiver; and A processor that communicates with the memory device and the transceiver, wherein the UE is configured to: Receive an indication of the Channel Occupancy Time (COT) associated with the second UE from the second UE; The second UE receives a list of one or more UEs that are eligible to receive sidelink SL communication from the first UE in the shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of the following: the distance between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; or the channel conditions between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; as well as In the shared portion of the COT, SL communication is sent to a third UE, wherein the one or more UEs include the third UE, and wherein the SL communication is sent based on at least one of the following: The distance between the second UE and the third UE; or The channel status between the second UE and the third UE.

20. The first UE according to claim 19, wherein: The first UE is configured to send the SL communication based on the distance between the second UE and the third UE; The first UE is also configured to send the SL communication based on a comparison of the distance with a distance threshold; and The distance threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

21. The first UE according to claim 19, wherein: The first UE is configured to send the SL communication based on the channel conditions between the second UE and the third UE; The channel conditions include signal power, and the first UE is further configured to transmit the SL communication based on a comparison of the signal power with a signal power threshold; and The signal power threshold is based on at least one of the energy detection threshold associated with the COT or the quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

22. The first UE according to claim 19, wherein: The first UE is configured to send the SL communication based on the channel conditions between the second UE and the third UE; The channel conditions include path loss, and the first UE is further configured to transmit the SL communication based on a comparison of the path loss with a path loss threshold; and The path loss threshold is based on at least one of the energy detection threshold associated with the COT or the quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

23. The first UE according to claim 19, wherein the UE is further configured to: The second UE receives an indication of one or more durations corresponding to the shared portion of the COT, wherein each of the one or more durations is based on a comparison of at least one threshold with at least one of the following: The distance between the second UE and the one or more UEs; or The channel conditions between the second UE and the one or more UEs.

24. A first user equipment (UE), the first user equipment (UE) comprising: Memory devices; transceiver; and A processor that communicates with the memory device and the transceiver, wherein the UE is configured to: Send an indication to the second UE of the Channel Occupancy Time (COT) initiated by the first UE; and Send to the second UE a list of one or more UEs eligible to receive sidelink SL communication from the second UE in the shared portion of the COT, wherein the one or more UEs are different from the first UE and the second UE, and wherein the list is based on at least one of the following: The distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; or The channel status between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs.

25. The first UE according to claim 24, wherein: The first UE is also configured as follows: Send to the second UE an indication of one or more time periods corresponding to the shared portion of the COT, which is provided to the one or more UEs; Each of the one or more durations is based on a comparison of at least one threshold with at least one of the following: The distance between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; or The channel conditions between the second UE and each of the one or more UEs; and The at least one threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

26. The first UE according to claim 24, wherein: The list is based on the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; The list is also based on a comparison of the distance between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs with a distance threshold; and The distance threshold is based on at least one of an energy detection threshold associated with the COT or a quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

27. The first UE according to claim 24, wherein: The list is based on the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, wherein the channel conditions include signal power; The list is also based on a comparison of the signal power with a signal power threshold between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; and The signal power threshold is based on at least one of the energy detection threshold associated with the COT or the quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

28. The first UE according to claim 24, wherein: The list is based on the channel conditions between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs, wherein the channel conditions include path loss; The list is also based on a comparison of the path loss with a path loss threshold between the first UE and each of the one or more UEs; and The path loss threshold is based on at least one of the energy detection threshold associated with the COT or the quantized interference energy associated with the COT.

Images