Data communication method, wireless communication device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a device, a system and a method for a channel access procedure, and particularly discloses a data communication method, a wireless communication device and a storage medium, and the channel access procedure comprises a listen before talk (LBT) rule for preventing mismatch between a sensing beam and a transmission beam. In some embodiments, a data communication method includes performing a listen-before-talk operation prior to transmission in a plurality of beam directions, where the plurality of beam directions will start channel occupancy at the same time; and transmitting in at least one of the plurality of beam directions during the channel occupancy time.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with application number "202080104091.7", application date "August 7, 2020", and title "Channel Access Process". Technical Field

[0002] This patent document relates to wireless communications. Background Art

[0003] Mobile communication technologies are driving the world towards an increasingly connected and networked society. The rapid growth of mobile communications and advances in technology have led to greater demands for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects such as energy consumption, equipment cost, spectrum efficiency, and latency are also important to meet the needs of various communication scenarios. Various technologies are being discussed, including new ways to provide higher quality services, longer battery life, and improved performance. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present patent document describes, among other things, methods, apparatus, and systems for a channel access process including a listen-before-talk (LBT) rule for preventing mismatches between sensing beams and transmission beams. The present patent document also describes channel occupancy rules, transmission rules and LBT rules for multiple transmissions associated with different beam directions, and LBT rules for sharing channel occupancy time (COT) when transmitting in a directional beam.

[0005] In one aspect, a data communication method includes: detecting an idle channel by performing an energy detection operation by a communication node based on at least one of a transmission beam or a reception beam; and transmitting a message through a transmission beam corresponding to the idle channel when an idle channel is detected in at least one of the transmission beam or the reception beam.

[0006] In another aspect, a data communication method includes performing a listen-before-talk operation prior to transmission in a plurality of beam directions, and performing transmission in each of the plurality of beam directions during a channel occupancy time.

[0007]

[0011] In another aspect, a method of data communication includes performing one or more transmissions over one or more transmission channels by occupying one or more beam directions.

[0008] On the other hand, a data communication method includes: obtaining listen-before-talk operation information by a communication node; performing one or more listen-before-talk operations in one or more beam directions; and performing one or more transmissions based on the results of the one or more listen-before-talk operations in one or more beam directions.

[0009] On the other hand, a data communication method includes: determining a switching window between downlink transmission and uplink transmission within a channel occupancy time; and when it is determined that the switching window is longer than or equal to a predetermined duration, performing a listen-before-talk operation within the switching window.

[0010] On the other hand, a data communication method includes: performing a transmission or performing a listen-before-talk operation before transmission, and when it is determined that reception or the listen-before-talk operation has failed, adjusting at least one of a listen-before-talk mechanism, a listen-before-talk mode, and a beam direction used for the listen-before-talk process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 Different beam patterns are shown, including a directional beam pattern, a wide directional beam pattern, and an omnidirectional beam.

[0012] Figure 2 The node problem is shown in the case where the detected energy on the transmit beam is <= Thr_7 and the detected energy on the receive beam is > Thr_7.

[0013] Figure 3 The node problem is shown in the case where the detected energy on the transmit beam > Thr_7 and the detected energy on the receive beam <= Thr_7.

[0014] Figure 4 The common channel occupancy time shared by all beam directions is shown.

[0015] Figure 5 The channel occupancy time is shown maintained independently for each beam direction.

[0016] Figure 6 It is shown that the channel occupancy time is maintained independently for each beam direction, and each channel occupancy time is related to the transmission time corresponding to the beam direction.

[0017] Figure 7 It is shown that the channel occupancy time is maintained independently for some beam directions.

[0018] Figure 8 It is shown that a transmission with a beam direction remains occupied in the channel corresponding to the beam direction until a link direction switch occurs for each beam direction.

[0019] Fig. 9 It is shown that transmissions are performed in multiple beam directions such that a beam direction used for a previous transmission includes all beam directions used for subsequent transmissions.

[0020] Fig.10A method for transmitting B#0, B#1, B#2, and B#3 in the first, second, third, and fourth resources, respectively, is shown.

[0021] Fig.11 A method for transmitting a single beam for each resource opportunity is shown.

[0022] Fig.12 An additional LBT is shown applied to the end point of the time interval.

[0023] Fig.13 An additional LBT is shown that is applied based on DCI signaling triggers.

[0024] Fig.14 The switching points for the COT sharing case are shown.

[0025] Fig.15 Examples of data communication methods based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology are shown.

[0026] Fig.16 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0027] Fig.17 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0028] Fig.18 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0029] Fig.19 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0030] Fig. 20 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0031] Fig.21 An example of a wireless communication system in which the technology according to one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied is shown.

[0032] Fig. 22 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a wireless station in which techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology may be applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In some embodiments, the disclosed techniques may be used to detect mismatches in transmission beams and provide listen-before-talk (LBT) rule designs associated with such mismatch detection. In some embodiments, the disclosed techniques may also be used to provide channel occupancy rules, transmission rules, and LBT rules for multiple transmissions associated with different beam directions. In some embodiments, the disclosed techniques may be used to implement LBT rules for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing when transmitting using directional beams. In some embodiments, the disclosed techniques may also be used to handle LBT failures.

[0034] With the advent of the fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) network, there will be a surge in new user data applications supported by NR networks. With this rapid growth in user data, the demand for spectrum will increase dramatically. In order to alleviate the demand for spectrum, equipment manufacturers and operators around the world will focus on resource-rich and free unlicensed spectrum and implement a series of related technical research and product development projects. In addition, at the RAN#86 plenary meeting, a new SI (study item) was approved to study NR supporting from 52.6GHz to 71GHz. In transmissions performed at high frequency bandwidths, fine beamforming using large antenna elements is necessary to combat higher propagation losses. If omnidirectional LBT is also used for high frequency transmission, a directional mismatch between LBT and transmission occurs. This usually leads to exposed node problems and hidden node problems. Therefore, it will be necessary to introduce directional LBT, but if supported, mismatches may occur between sensing beams and transmission beams. Therefore, in some embodiments, the disclosed technology can be used to provide some rules to achieve matching between sensing beams and transmission beams.

[0035] Further, due to the beamforming transmission mode, in order to transmit messages to the served UEs within a specific range, the base station (e.g., gNB) needs to transmit different beams towards different directions, which can be within the same or different time units. Therefore, the gNB performs directional LBT only once at the beginning of multiple DL transmissions, and some beams within the MCOT may experience unoccupied channels, while other beams may encounter channels with higher interference from other coexisting nodes. Therefore, in some embodiments, the disclosed technology can be used to provide new LBT rules and transmission rules for multiple transmissions. In addition, for COT sharing situations, both the gNB and the UE can use narrow beams for LBT and data transmission, and can have different beam widths and beam directions. For such characteristics, we will provide some rules about COT sharing.

[0036] In addition, if a communication node (e.g., a base station or a user equipment UE) cannot use a channel access procedure to access a channel, then how to implement channel access before the next transmission opportunity becomes an urgent problem. In this regard, in some embodiments, the disclosed technology can be used to provide some feasible and effective solutions to solve or alleviate such problems.

[0037] In the context of this patent document, the term "node" or "communication node" may be used to refer to a mobile device such as a user equipment (UE) or a base station (BS) such as a gNB.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present patent document, the LBT mode includes at least one of the following: directional LBT, omnidirectional LBT, wide beam based LBT, multi-beam based LBT. Here, the LBT mode may also be at least one of omnidirectional LBT, single beam directional LBT, multi-beam directional LBT, and wide beam directional LBT.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present patent document, the LBT type may be at least one of the following: no LBT, Cat2 LBT, Cat3 LBT, Cat4 LBT, multiple Cat2 LBTs. In some embodiments, the Cat2 LBT may have different time domain durations, for example, the duration may be one of 0.5us, 1us, 2us, 3us, 4us, 5us, 6us, 7us, 8us, and any combination of the values ​​mentioned.

[0040] Example 1

[0041] This embodiment provides a method for determining a range of energy detection of CCA (Clear Channel Assessment).

[0042] CCA energy detection can consider at least one of the following methods:

[0043] Alternative 1: CCA energy detection is based on (multiple) transmit beams.

[0044] Alternative 2: CCA energy detection is based on receive beam(s).

[0045] For Alternative 1 and Alternative 2, if one or more nodes detect the channel(s) as idle in the transmit / receive beam before transmitting the transmission, then one or more nodes may transmit one or more transmissions in the transmit beam(s). Otherwise, if one or more nodes detect the channel(s) as busy in the transmit / receive beam, then a method based on the implementation of Example 9 discussed below may be used.

[0046] In addition, different transmit / receive beam modes are associated with different CCA detection thresholds, or a new CCA detection threshold may be introduced in addition to the normal CCA detection threshold, which will be discussed in Example 2 below.

[0047] Alternative 3: CCA energy detection is based on at least one of a transmit beam and a receive beam. In addition, whether (multiple) nodes can transmit on a transmit beam may depend on some rules, which will be discussed in Embodiment 3 below. The mode of CCA energy detection may be determined based on at least one of the following: RRC signaling, physical layer DCI signaling, and is predefined.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] Based on Alternative Scheme 1 or Alternative Scheme 2 of Embodiment 1, this embodiment can provide a more detailed design and description.

[0050] Case 1: Different transmit / receive beam patterns are associated with different CCA detection thresholds.

[0051] In some embodiments, the CCA detection threshold may be a function of the beam angle and / or beam width.

[0052] Figure 1 Different beam patterns are shown, including a directional beam pattern, a wide directional beam pattern, and an omnidirectional beam.

[0053] In some embodiments, the transmit / receive beam pattern includes a directional beam (or a narrow directional beam), a wide directional beam, or an omnidirectional beam, such as Figure 1 In one example, the CCA detection threshold Thr_1 of the directional beam and the CCA detection threshold Thr_2 of the wide directional beam may be a function of the beam angle and / or the beam width.

[0054] For example, a directional beam corresponds to a CCA detection threshold based on a directional beam, which is marked as Thr_1; a wide directional beam corresponds to a CCA detection threshold based on a wide directional beam, which is marked as Thr_2; and an omnidirectional beam corresponds to a CCA detection threshold based on an omnidirectional beam, which is marked as Thr_3.

[0055] When the transmit / receive beam is in directional beam mode, the node performs a channel access procedure according to the directional beam-based CCA detection threshold (Thr_1) before transmitting on the transmit beam. If the detected energy within the transmit / receive beam is lower than or equal to the directional beam-based CCA detection threshold (Thr_1), the channel is determined to be idle (i.e., available) and the node can transmit on the transmit beam. Otherwise, if the detected energy within the transmit / receive beam is greater than the directional beam-based CCA detection threshold (Thr_1), the channel is determined to be busy (i.e., unavailable) and the node cannot transmit on the transmit beam.

[0056] The same or similar approach applies to a wide directional beam pattern or an omnidirectional beam pattern of the receive beam.

[0057] Case 2: Introducing a new CCA detection threshold This new threshold is defined for the case where there is a mismatch between the energy detection beam and the transmission beam.

[0058] Regardless of which receive beam mode is used, the node only determines whether the current channel is idle by this new CCA detection threshold. For example, if the detected energy within the receive beam is lower than or equal to the new CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_4), the channel is determined to be idle and the node can transmit on the transmit beam. Otherwise, if the detected energy within the receive beam is greater than the new CCA detection threshold (Thr_4), the channel is determined to be busy and the node cannot transmit on the transmit beam.

[0059] Case 3: Combination of the normal CCA detection threshold and the newly introduced CCA detection threshold.

[0060] For example, if the detected energy within the receive beam is greater than the normal CCA detection threshold Thr_5, it does not directly determine whether the current channel corresponding to the transmit beam is unavailable, but continues to evaluate whether the detected energy within the receive beam is lower than or equal to the new CCA detection threshold Thr_6. Once this condition is met, the node can determine that the channel is idle and can transmit on the transmit beam.

[0061] Example 3

[0062] Based on Alternative Scheme 3 of Embodiment 1, this embodiment can be implemented to provide a more detailed design and description.

[0063] The core idea of ​​these schemes is to design some rules to determine whether the current channel on the transmission beam is available based on the detection results on the transmission beam and the reception beam. That is, the node performs energy detection on the transmission beam and the reception beam before transmitting on the transmission beam. Specific rules for whether the CCA successfully determines or determines that the channel of the transmission beam is idle can be considered, as will be discussed below:

[0064] Method 1: Only one CCA detection threshold is set, as shown in rows 1 to 4 of Table 1 below. The core idea is that as long as the energy detected in at least one of the transmission beam and the reception beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), the channel on the transmission beam is determined to be idle or available, and the node can transmit on the transmission beam. Otherwise, if the energy detected in both the transmission beam and the reception beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold, the current channel on the transmission beam is determined to be unavailable.

[0065] For example, rules 1-8 may be applied, as will be discussed below.

[0066] Rule 1: When a node performs channel access operations on a transmit beam and a receive beam, if the detected energy on the transmit beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), and the detected energy on the receive beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), the channel on the transmit beam can be used or considered idle (available).

[0067] Rule 2: When a node performs channel access operations on a transmission beam and a reception beam, if the detected energy on the transmission beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), but the detected energy on the reception beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), the channel on the transmission beam can be identified as idle (available).

[0068] In some cases, this approach may lead to exposed node problems, such as Figure 2 As shown, and therefore CCA evaluation is based on the detected energy in the transmit beam. Further, it is necessary to introduce CCA detection in both the transmit beam and receive beam methods to reduce the impact of exposed node problems.

[0069] Figure 2 The node problem is shown in the case where the detected energy on the transmit beam is <= Thr_7 and the detected energy on the receive beam is > Thr_7.

[0070] Rule 3: When a node performs channel access operations on a transmission beam and a reception beam, if the detected energy on the transmission beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), but the detected energy on the reception beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), the channel on the transmission beam can be identified as idle (available).

[0071] For this situation, Figure 3 It is shown that when the channel availability on the transmit beam is evaluated only by the detected energy in the receive beam, this may lead to a hidden node problem because there may be interference in the area inside the transmit beam and outside the receive beam. To alleviate this problem, we can consider setting a dual CCA detection threshold or a receive node assisted approach.

[0072] Figure 3 The node problem is shown in the case where the detected energy on the transmit beam > Thr_7 and the detected energy on the receive beam <= Thr_7.

[0073] Rule 4: When a node performs a channel access operation on a transmission beam and a reception beam, if the detected energy on the transmission beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), but the detected energy on the reception beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), then the channel on the transmission beam may be marked as busy (unavailable). In some embodiments, for this situation, a dual CCA detection threshold may be considered / used.

[0074] Method 2: Set the dual CCA detection threshold as shown in rows 5 to 8 of Table 1 below.

[0075] Rule 5: When a node performs a channel access operation on a transmission beam and a reception beam, if the detected energy on the transmission beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), but the detected energy on the reception beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7). Further, if the difference between the detected energies in the transmission beam and the reception beam is lower than or equal to the additional CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_8), the channel on the transmission beam can be identified as idle (available).

[0076] Rule 6: When a node performs a channel access operation on a transmission beam and a reception beam, if the detected energy on the transmission beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), but the detected energy on the reception beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7). Further, if the difference between the detected energies in the transmission beam and the reception beam is greater than the additional CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_8), the channel on the transmission beam can be identified as busy (unavailable).

[0077] Rule 7: When a node performs a channel access operation on a transmission beam and a reception beam, if the detected energy on the transmission beam is greater than a CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), and the detected energy on the reception beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7). Further, if the difference between the detected energies in the transmission beam and the reception beam is lower than or equal to an additional CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_8), the channel on the transmission beam can be identified as idle (available).

[0078] Rule 8: When a node performs a channel access operation on a transmission beam and a reception beam, if the detected energy on the transmission beam is greater than the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7), and the detected energy on the reception beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_7). Further, if the difference between the detected energies in the transmission beam and the reception beam is greater than the additional CCA detection threshold (marked as Thr_8), the channel on the transmission beam can be identified as busy (unavailable).

[0079] The above-mentioned additional CCA detection threshold value may also be defined as a new threshold value relative to the CCA detection threshold value Thr_7. That is, if at least one of the detected energy in the transmission beam and the detected energy in the reception beam is lower than or equal to the new detection threshold value (Thr_8), the channel on the transmission beam may be identified as idle (available), as shown in rows 9 to 14 of Table 1.

[0080] Table 1: Rules for CCA testing

[0081]

[0082]

[0083] Example 4

[0084] For the case of directional LBT configuration, if the node performs a successful LBT, a channel occupation time may be initiated in the corresponding beam direction. For the beam switching case, these issues may include whether the node still needs to maintain occupation time in the switched beam direction, what type of LBT mechanism should be used for the switched beam direction, whether the channel occupation (multiple) corresponding to each beam direction should have a common channel occupation time or have separate channel occupation times, and how long the channel occupation time is for each beam direction.

[0085] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, this embodiment provides the following solutions.

[0086] For different beam direction situations, the channel occupancy time can be maintained by at least one of the following:

[0087] Alternative 1: Common channel occupancy time.

[0088] Specifically, all / each beam direction and / or all / each frequency carrier / subband / RB set / bandwidth part (BWP) can share a common channel occupancy time. The common channel occupancy time is related to the first successful LBT operation, or is determined based on the maximum / minimum channel occupancy time or random selection of all carriers / subbands / RB sets / bandwidth parts (BWP). Here, LBT can be a "fallback" LBT mechanism or a "no fallback" LBT mechanism, for example, Cat4 LBT, enhanced Cat4 LBT, one or more Cat2 LBTs, no LBT. If LBT is configured, the relationship between LBT and channel occupancy time needs to be defined. Among them, the LBT operation includes at least one of the following: directional listen before talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4LBT, enhanced Cat4 LBT, Cat2 LBT or multiple Cat 2LBT, beam direction of LBT, beam width of LBT, beam pattern / index of LBT.

[0089] Figure 4 The common channel occupancy time shared by all beam directions is shown.

[0090] Taking a single frequency carrier / subband / RB set / bandwidth part (BWP) as an example, for a switching beam, the channel occupation time associated with the switching beam is the remaining channel occupation time corresponding to the beam for which the common channel occupation has been initiated. Figure 4As shown, a common channel occupancy time is shared by all beam directions. Optionally, in this method, for the first beam, Cat4 LBT or enhanced Cat4 LBT or one or more Cat2 LBTs or no LBT may be applied. For subsequent beams, in some embodiments, one or more Cat2 LBTs or no LBT may be applied. In some embodiments, if LBT is configured (e.g., Cat2 LBT, such as a single Cat2 LBT or multiple Cat2 LBTs, or no LBT), the relationship between LBT and channel occupancy time needs to be defined.

[0091] Figure 5 The channel occupancy time is shown maintained independently for each beam direction.

[0092] Alternative 2: Maintain the channel occupancy time independently for each beam direction, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0093] In this method, the channel occupancy time is related to the LBT operation. Wherein, the LBT operation includes at least one of the following: directional listen before talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4LBT, enhanced Cat4LBT, Cat2 LBT or multiple Cat 2LBT, beam direction of LBT, beam width of LBT, beam pattern / index of LBT. Optionally, in this method, for the first beam, Cat4 LBT or enhanced Cat4 LBT or one or more Cat2LBT or no LBT can be applied. For subsequent beams, in some embodiments, one or more Cat2 LBT or no LBT can be applied. In some embodiments, if LBT is configured (e.g., Cat2 LBT, such as a single Cat2LBT or multiple Cat2 LBTs, or no LBT), it is necessary to define the relationship between LBT and channel occupancy time.

[0094] In some implementations, different LBT mechanisms may correspond to different channel occupancy times.

[0095] Figure 6 It is shown that the channel occupancy time is maintained independently for each beam direction, and each channel occupancy time is related to the transmission time corresponding to the beam direction.

[0096] Alternative 3: The channel occupancy time is maintained independently for each beam direction, and each channel occupancy time is related to the transmission time corresponding to the beam direction, such as Figure 6 shown.

[0097] For example, if a node uses beam #0 in resource #0 to transmit, the channel occupancy time corresponding to beam #0 is the duration corresponding to resource #0.

[0098] For the first beam, Cat4 LBT or enhanced Cat4 LBT or one or more Cat2 LBTs or no LBT may be applied. For subsequent beams, in some embodiments, one or more Cat2 LBTs or no LBT may be applied. In some embodiments, if LBT is configured (e.g., Cat2 LBT, such as a single Cat2 LBT or multiple Cat2 LBTs, or no LBT), the relationship between LBT and channel occupancy time needs to be defined.

[0099] As another example, three beam indices are used for DL ​​transmission respectively, and each beam direction can occupy a time domain opportunity as shown in Table 2.

[0100] Table 2: Relationship between beam index and channel occupancy time length associated with beam and time resource index

[0101]

[0102] Figure 7 It is shown that the channel occupancy time is maintained independently for some beam directions.

[0103] Alternative 4: For some beam directions, the channel occupancy time is maintained independently, and each channel occupancy time is related to the transmission time corresponding to some beam direction, such as Figure 7 In some implementations, the channel occupancy time may be configured in a predefined manner or in a relationship between an LBT mechanism and the occupancy time.

[0104] For this approach, this will help reduce the overhead of performing LBT.Further, there are benefits in supporting spatial reuse.

[0105] For the first group beam, Cat4 LBT or enhanced Cat4 LBT or one or more Cat2 LBT or no LBT may be applied. For subsequent beams, in some embodiments, one or more Cat2 LBT or no LBT may be applied. In some embodiments, if LBT is configured (e.g., Cat2 LBT, such as a single Cat2 LBT or multiple Cat2 LBTs, or no LBT), the relationship between LBT and channel occupancy time needs to be defined. Optionally, single or multiple beam LBT modes may also be considered.

[0106] The above mentioned methods may be applied to the case of one or more frequency carriers / subbands / RB sets / bandwidth parts (BWPs).

[0107] Example 5

[0108] The disclosed techniques may be used in some embodiments to maintain rights to a channel during the channel occupancy time.

[0109] In the case of transmitting using different beam directions, a node may transmit the transmission by at least one of the following:

[0110] Alternative 1: Once a node begins transmitting a transmission with one or more beam directions, the beam direction(s) will continue to carry the transmission until a link direction switch occurs, or one or more transmissions complete.

[0111] Figure 8 It is shown that a transmission with a beam direction remains occupied in the channel corresponding to the beam direction until a link direction switch for each beam direction occurs.

[0112] like Figure 8 As shown, a base station (BS) is taken as an example to illustrate the method of alternative scheme 1, and it is assumed that the BS transmits B#0, B#1, B#2 and B#3 in the first, second, third and fourth transmission opportunities respectively.

[0113] In the first transmission opportunity, the BS transmits the transmission only in B#0 to ensure that the channel is not occupied in the B#0 direction, and then in the second transmission opportunity, the BS transmits the transmission in B#0 and B#1 at the same time. Similarly, in order to avoid that the channels corresponding to B#0 and B#1 are not occupied, in the third transmission opportunity, the BS can transmit the transmission in B#0, B#1 and B#3 at the same time. The same method can also be applied to subsequent transmission opportunities.

[0114] Optionally, based on the reception of DL transmission, the UE may obtain an optimal receive beam direction for receiving DL.

[0115] In terms of channel occupancy, this method can also be based on omnidirectional LBT.

[0116] Optionally, Cat4 LBT or enhanced Cat4 LBT or one or more Cat2 LBT or no LBT may be applied. Single beam LBT or multi-beam LBT may be applied.

[0117] Optionally, the node only needs to introduce additional LBT before a certain beam index, for example, in the second resource opportunity, the node can perform additional LBT under beam index #1.

[0118] Alternative 2: A node transmits a transmission with multiple beam directions, and the beam directions used for the transmission include all beam directions corresponding to the current transmission and subsequent transmissions.

[0119] Fig. 9 It is shown that transmissions are performed in multiple beam directions such that a beam direction used for a previous transmission includes all beam directions used for subsequent transmissions.

[0120] like Fig. 9 As shown, a base station (BS) is taken as an example to illustrate the Alt-2 method, and it is assumed that the BS transmits B#0, B#1, B#2 and B#3 in the first, second, third and fourth resources respectively.

[0121] In order to reduce the overhead of performing LBT, some transmission rules can be considered.

[0122] At the first transmission opportunity, the BS may transmit the transmission in B#0, B#1, B#2, and B#3. At the second transmission opportunity, the BS only needs to transmit the transmission in B#1, B#2, and B#3 simultaneously. Similarly, at the third transmission opportunity, the BS may transmit the transmission in B#2 and B#3 simultaneously. The same method may also be applied to subsequent transmission opportunities.

[0123] In some embodiments, Cat4 LBT or enhanced Cat4 LBT or one or more Cat2 LBT or no LBT, and / or single beam LBT or multi-beam LBT may be applied to the starting point of the transmission. If LBT is successfully performed, the following transmission may perform no LBT operation.

[0124] Alternative 3: For the first M beam directions, the Alt-2 method may be applied for the remaining NM beam directions.

[0125] Fig.10 A method for transmitting B#0, B#1, B#2, and B#3 in the first, second, third, and fourth resources, respectively, is shown.

[0126] like Fig.10 As shown, a base station (BS) is taken as an example to illustrate the method of alternative scheme 3, and it is assumed that the BS transmits B#0, B#1, B#2 and B#3 in the first, second, third and fourth resources respectively.

[0127] In order to reduce the overhead of performing LBT, some transmission rules can be considered.

[0128] For the first two transmission opportunities, the BS may use B#0 and B#1 for transmission at the first transmission opportunity, and use B#1 for transmission at the second transmission opportunity. For the remaining two transmission opportunities, the BS may use B#2 and B#3 for transmission at the third transmission opportunity, and use B#3 for transmission at the fourth transmission opportunity.

[0129] In some embodiments, Cat4 LBT or enhanced Cat4 LBT or one or more Cat2 LBT or no LBT, and / or single beam LBT or multi-beam LBT may be applied to the starting point of the first M transmissions and the starting point of the remaining NM transmissions. If LBT is successful, the remaining transmissions may perform no LBT operations within the first M transmissions and the remaining NM transmissions.

[0130] Fig.11 A method for transmitting a single beam for each resource opportunity is shown.

[0131] Alternative 4: If Fig.11 As shown, a single beam is transmitted for each resource opportunity. The disclosed technology can be implemented in some embodiments as discussed below.

[0132] Example 6

[0133] This embodiment will provide LBT rules for multiple DL / UL transmissions with one or more beam directions.

[0134] For the case of multiple DL transmissions, considering the number of DL transmissions with different beam directions, if LBT is applied before each DL transmission, the overhead of performing the LBT operation will be considerable. Based on this, one of the following methods can be considered:

[0135] Conventional approach: Before switching beams, perform directional LBT, if configured. This approach may result in significant overhead for LBT and increase the probability of losing the channel.

[0136] Method 1: Before the first transmission, one or more beam-based LBTs may be applied, if configured. Optionally, if LBT is successfully performed on one or more beam directions, the node transmits the transmission on one or more of the (multiple) LBT successful beam directions. If the (multiple) LBT successful beam directions do not completely cover the (multiple) beam directions of the intended transmission, additional LBT may be introduced. The additional LBT may be a single directional LBT, or a multi-beam based LBT, or an LBT based on a wider beam. In some embodiments, the number of LBTs performed is related to the number of transmission beams, and / or the LBT results and / or LBT patterns corresponding to the LBT patterns.

[0137] Optionally, the node can send indication information, such as available / unavailable beam indication, channel occupancy time of beam direction, beam switching information, or a combination of the above. This method is equivalent to a pre-protection mechanism that notifies surrounding nodes which beam directions are occupied within a certain period of time, which helps to achieve spatial reuse.

[0138] Method 2: Before the first transmission, LBT based on a wider beam may be applied, if configured. Optionally, if the wider beam range corresponding to the LBT success does not fully cover all transmission directions, additional LBT may be introduced. The additional LBT may be a single directional LBT, or a multi-beam based LBT, or a wider beam based LBT. In some embodiments, the number of LBTs performed is related to the number of transmission beams, and / or the LBT results corresponding to the LBT pattern, and / or the LBT pattern.

[0139] In some embodiments, the node may notify neighboring nodes of the wider beam information. In the case of coexistence of another system, the node may retain or transmit information in the currently unused / used beam direction. The benefit of doing so is to reduce the overhead of performing LBT. Further, the node may also notify available / unavailable beam information at a certain opportunity.

[0140] Fig.12 An additional LBT is shown applied to the end point of the time interval.

[0141] Method 3: Define a time interval or timer, such as Fig.12 Optionally, it is related to the LBT mode and / or the LBT mechanism and / or the RRC signaling and / or the DCI signaling and / or is predefined, or the length of the time interval may be related to the statistics of the interference status information.

[0142] Within the time interval or timer, the node does not need to perform LBT operation. Outside / at the start of the time interval or timer, (additional) LBT operation is introduced. Among them, LBT operation includes at least one of the following: directional listen before talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat4LBT, enhanced Cat4 LBT, Cat2 LBT or multi-Cat2LBT, beam direction of LBT, beam width of LBT, beam pattern / index of LBT.

[0143] In some embodiments, the time interval may be configured and / or enabled by at least one of: RRC signaling, DCI signaling, or predefined. For example, the time interval is provided by RRC signaling, but enabled by DCI signaling; or the time interval is provided and enabled by RRC signaling; the time interval is provided by RRC signaling, and whether the time interval is enabled depends on the LBT mode and / or LBT mechanism.

[0144] The granularity of the time interval can be at symbol level, slot level, subframe level or mini-slot level.

[0145] Method 4: Once LBT is successfully performed, the node does not need to perform LBT operation during transmission unless it receives signaling / event trigger. For example, DCI signaling reaches a threshold or a timer expires. Optionally, the threshold can be the number of beam switches. Or unless the node receives signaling / event trigger to perform LBT operation, no LBT is applied before transmission.

[0146] That is, once a node receives signaling / event trigger, it needs to perform additional LBT before transmission. In some embodiments, the additional LBT may be one or K Cat2 LBTs, and / or directional LBTs or multi-beam based LBTs. In some embodiments, each of the K Cat2 LBTs to be performed may use the same directional beam or different beam directions.

[0147] For the above method, if the additional LBT is a single-beam LBT, its beam direction is determined based on the beam direction corresponding to the next transmission or one of the beams corresponding to the subsequent transmission. If the additional LBT is a multi-beam based LBT, its beam direction is determined based on the beam corresponding to the subsequent transmission. If the additional LBT is a wide-beam based LBT, its beam direction includes at least the direction of the subsequent transmission.

[0148] In some embodiments, which type of LBT mode and / or beam direction is used depends on DCI signaling and / or a default method and / or remaining channel or beam information.

[0149] Fig.13 An additional LBT is shown that is applied based on DCI signaling triggers.

[0150] Here, the omnidirectional LBT is taken as an example to illustrate the DCI triggering additional LBT operation. Fig.13 shown.

[0151] If the node receives such DCI signaling, the node needs to perform additional LBT. Otherwise, if no DCI signaling is received, the node continues to transmit.

[0152] In some embodiments, the LBT mode corresponding to the additional LBT may be a predefined configuration or a DCI signaling indication. Further, the DCI signaling may indicate at least one of the LBT mode, the LBT type, the resources used for the LBT operation, the beam pattern of the LBT, and the beam direction / index of the LBT.

[0153] Example 7

[0154] This embodiment will mainly introduce a switching point for channel occupancy time sharing.

[0155] Fig.14The switching points for the COT sharing case are shown.

[0156] like Fig.14 As shown, for the switching point between DL and UL or UL and DL, a node (e.g., a base station or a UE) may perform an LBT operation before DL or UL transmission. In some embodiments, the LBT operation may include at least one of the following: an LBT mode, an LBT mechanism, a beam pattern / index of an LBT operation, which is equivalent to the above operation. Further, whether an LBT operation is required is related to the length of the interval between DL and UL or UL and DL, and / or whether there is DCI signaling or UCI indication, and / or whether the transmission is located in a protected time interval / COT sharing / beam coverage.

[0157] Case 1: LBT operation depends on the interval length between DL and UL or between UL and DL.

[0158] If the interval between DL and UL or UL and DL is up to a first value, the node may transmit the UL or DL ​​transmission without performing any LBT operation.

[0159] If the interval between DL and UL or UL and DL is equal to a first value, or greater than the first value but less than a second value, or greater than the second value, or equal to the second value, the node may perform directional LBT before transmission.

[0160] If the interval between DL and UL or between UL and DL is equal to a first value, or is greater than the first value and less than a second value, or is greater than the second value, or is equal to the second value, and in combination with some additional information, the node may transmit UL or DL ​​transmission without performing any LBT operation. In some embodiments, the additional information includes measurement and / or reporting results, and / or DCI indication information, and / or exchange information.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first value may be at least one of: 1us, 2us, 3us, 4us, 0.5, or any combination of the above values. The second value may be at least one of: 5us, 6us, 7us, 8us, 9us, 0.5us, or any combination of the above values.

[0162] Case 2: LBT operation depends on the indication of DCI signaling or is based on UCI information.

[0163] If the DCI or UCI indicates at least one of the LBT mechanism, LBT mode, beam index or beam pattern, protected time interval / COT sharing / beam coverage, the node may perform or not perform LBT operation based on the DCI indication or UCI information.

[0164] In some embodiments, if the DCI or UCI does not indicate that the transmission is within the protected time interval / COT sharing / beam coverage, the node needs to perform LBT operation based on a predefined manner or DCI signaling or UCI indication.

[0165] If the node knows that the transmission is within the protected time interval, the node can perform the LBT operation at the starting point of the protected time interval based on the DCI or UCI information or predefined, otherwise the node cannot perform the LBT operation before the transmission. If the node receives an indication to perform the LBT operation according to the DCI or UCI information, the node can ignore the received DCI or UCI information.

[0166] For the UE side, if the LBT operation is indicated to the UE via DCI signaling or determined by a default method, the UE can select the LBT operation between the indicated method or the default method. Here, the default method can be the LBT operation determined by the UE itself, or a default configuration.

[0167] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, at least one of the LBT mechanism, LBT mode, beam index, and beam pattern can be encoded separately or jointly. In some embodiments, the LBT mechanism includes at least one of the following: no LBT, Cat2 LBT with duration D1, Cat2 LBT with duration D2, multiple Cat2 LBT with duration D1, multiple Cat2 LBT with duration D2, Cat 4 LBT, and enhanced Cat4 LBT. The LBT mode includes at least one of the following: omnidirectional LBT, single-beam directional LBT, multi-beam directional LBT, and LBT based on a wider beam. Optionally, the number of Cat2 LBTs performed can be configured and / or predefined by DCI / UCI and / or RRC signaling.

[0168] Furthermore, the beam width and / or direction may be determined by the node itself or the base station configuration or implementation.

[0169] Example 8

[0170] The disclosed techniques may be used in some embodiments to determine multiple switching points for channel occupancy time sharing situations.

[0171] Some embodiments may be applicable to base station initiated COT sharing with UE.

[0172] For the first switching point, if the UE fails to access the channel, the current COT occupied by the base station will be lost or end prematurely. This will be detrimental to maintaining the obtained channel occupation time and improving resource utilization. Therefore, at the first switching point, before the UL transmission, LBT or Cat2 LBT with short duration and directional LBT cannot be applied. In some embodiments, the beam direction and / or beam width are the same as the beam direction and / or beam width of the first transmission or the first M transmissions.

[0173] For example, assume that UE1 and UE2 are scheduled or configured in different time domain resources, respectively (e.g., UE1 is in front of UE2). To avoid losing the channel, UE1 cannot perform LBT operation and transmit the transmission. Further, if the interval between DL and UL is less than or equal to the first value, no LBT can be used for UE1. For UE2, in some embodiments, UE2 can perform simplified / enhanced directional LBT, for example, one or more beam directions and Cat2 LBT mechanism, or UE2 cannot perform LBT operation or can perform "no LBT" operation.

[0174] For the second switching point, determine which type of LBT should be used for base station transmission. The base station can implement no LBT or one or more Cat2 LBT mechanisms. This Cat2 LBT can be single-beam directional Cat2LBT, or multi-beam directional Cat2LBT, or wide-beam directional LBT, thereby increasing the probability of channel access.

[0175] In some embodiments, the above method may be applied to the next switching point (if any), and the UE initiates COT sharing with the base station. For the first switching point, no LBT or one or more single beam directional Cat2 LBT or multi-beam directional Cat2 LBT or wide beam directional Cat2 LBT may be applied before DL transmission. For the second switching point, no LBT or one or more beam directional Cat2 LBT may be applied before UL transmission.

[0176] Example 9

[0177] This embodiment mainly provides some processing methods for transmission or LBT failure.

[0178] If the node fails to access the channel before a transmission or reception failure occurs to the target node, or if the node's transmission is not successfully received, or for retransmission or transmission failure situations, at least one of the following methods may be considered:

[0179] Method 1: Change at least one of the following: LBT mechanism, LBT mode, beam direction for LBT, or use the same LBT operation as the previous transmission. The change is based on at least one of the following: signaling information indication, or timer expiration, or the end point of the time interval and / or the capability of the node, or based on event triggering. The event triggering includes at least one of the statistical value within a certain period of time, the number of LBT or transmission or reception successes / failures, etc.

[0180] In some embodiments, prior to transmission or retransmission, the node may apply at least one of directional listen-before-talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4 LBT, Cat2 LBT, or multi-Cat 2 LBT.

[0181] In some embodiments, the listen-before-talk mechanism includes at least one of no LBT, Cat 4 LBT, enhanced Cat4 LBT, Cat2 LBT, or multiple Cat2 LBT.

[0182] In some embodiments, the listen-before-talk mode includes at least one of directional LBT, omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, or multi-directional LBT.

[0183] For one or more transmissions, if the node fails to access the channel or a reception failure occurs for the target node, it can attempt to transmit or perform channel access in the next transmission opportunity. Here, the LBT operation for performing channel access can be the same or different from the previous transmission, for example, LBT mechanism, LBT mode, beam direction.

[0184] For example, it is assumed that the node uses no LBT to transmit the transmission. If the node receives a signaling / event trigger, it needs to operate based on the triggering signaling / event, such as performing an LBT operation. Optionally, the LBT operation includes directional listen-before-talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4LBT, enhanced Cat4 LBT, Cat2LBT or multiple Cat2 LBT, at least one of the beam directions of LBT. Optionally, the event trigger includes at least one of the statistics within a certain period of time, LBT or the number of successes / failures of transmission or reception. For example, in the previous transmission, the Cat4LBT mechanism and directional LBT or no LBT were used, and failed. Then, in the next transmission opportunity, at least one of the LBT mechanism, LBT mode, and beam direction can be changed. For example, the LBT mechanism remains unchanged and multi-beam directional LBT can be used, or the LBT mechanism and LBT mode remain unchanged and the beam direction is changed. These methods are shown in the following table. The disclosed technology can be used to provide any combination of at least one of an LBT mechanism, an LBT mode, or a beam direction. If the node performs a non-LBT operation, that is, the transmission is directly transmitted without evaluating the channel state, and if the target node cannot receive information from the transmitting node or the transmitting node receives a signaling information indication, or when the timer expires or the end point of the time interval and / or the node's capabilities, or based on event triggers (such as, a statistical value within a certain period of time, or the number of successes / failures of LBT or transmission or reception, other situations, etc.), the transmitting node can perform directional listen-before-talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4LBT, enhanced Cat 4LBT, Cat2 LBT or multi-Cat 2LBT, at least one of the beam directions of LBT. Preferably, Cat2 LBT or multi-Cat2 LBT with directional LBT, or directional LBT based on multi-beams is performed. The following Tables 3-11 list some special examples.

[0185] Table 3

[0186]

[0187] Table 4

[0188]

[0189] Table 5

[0190]

[0191] Table 6

[0192]

[0193] Table 7

[0194]

[0195] Table 8

[0196]

[0197] Table 9

[0198]

[0199] Table 10

[0200]

[0201] Table 11

[0202]

[0203] Method 2: Reduce the transmission power.

[0204] For example, if a node evaluates the current channel as busy, it may be allowed to transmit at a degraded transmission power from P1 to P2. In some embodiments, P1>P2. P2 is a suitable power for coexistence. Alternatively, P2 is determined by an offset.

[0205] Method 3: Upgrade the CCA detection threshold.

[0206] For example, if a node evaluates the current channel as busy, and the received energy is below a certain CCA threshold, the current channel may be considered idle.

[0207] For multiple transmissions, the node may transmit the transmission after obtaining the right to access the channel according to the LBT information in at least one of a predefined manner, an RRC signaling configuration manner, and a DCI signaling configuration manner. In some embodiments, the LBT information includes at least one of an LBT mode, an LBT mechanism, a beam direction, a beam width, a time resource corresponding to the LBT operation, and a frequency resource corresponding to the LBT operation.

[0208] Example 10

[0209] In this embodiment, a method for designing LBT for sharing channel occupation time (COT) with other nodes is provided. Here, the node initiating the channel occupation time (COT) can be a user equipment (UE) or a base station (BS). The node sharing the channel occupation time (COT) initiated by another node can also be a user equipment (UE) or a base station (BS).

[0210] For the channel occupancy time sharing case, as shown in Table 12, the rules for LBT design can follow one of the following.

[0211] Case 1: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node performs channel access using omnidirectional LBT. When it is within the COT, the node performs channel access using omnidirectional LBT.

[0212] Case 2: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node performs channel access using omnidirectional LBT. When it is within the COT, the node performs channel access using directional LBT.

[0213] Case 3: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node performs channel access using omnidirectional LBT. When it is within the COT, the node transmits without performing LBT (i.e., no LBT).

[0214] Case 4: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node performs channel access using directional LBT. When it is within the COT, the node performs channel access using omnidirectional LBT.

[0215] Case 5: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node performs channel access using directional LBT. When it is within the COT, the node performs channel access using directional LBT.

[0216] Case 6: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node performs channel access using directional LBT. When it is within the COT, the node transmits without performing LBT (ie, no LBT).

[0217] Case 7: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node transmits without performing LBT (ie, no LBT). When it is within the COT, the node performs channel access using omnidirectional LBT.

[0218] Case 8: When it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT), the node transmits without performing LBT (ie, no LBT). When it is within the COT, the node performs channel access using directional LBT.

[0219] Case 9: The node transmits the transmission without performing LBT (i.e., no LBT) when it is outside the channel occupation time (COT) window or before the start point of the channel occupation time (COT). The node transmits the transmission without performing LBT (i.e., no LBT) when it is within the COT.

[0220] Table 12: Rules for LBT design for channel occupancy time sharing

[0221] LBT mode Outside COT / Start of COT Within COT Case 1 Omnidirectional LBT Omnidirectional LBT Case 2 Omnidirectional LBT Directional LBT Case 3 Omnidirectional LBT No LBT Case 4 Directional LBT Omnidirectional LBT Case 5 Directional LBT Directional LBT Case 6 Directional LBT No LBT Case 7 No LBT Omnidirectional LBT Case 8 No LBT Directional LBT Case 9 No LBT No LBT

[0222] The embodiments discussed in this patent document may apply the above-described LBT rules in the context of COT sharing.

[0223] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, CCA energy detection (ED) is based on at least one of a transmit beam and a receive beam. In some embodiments.

[0224] When CCA ED is based on "transmit beam" or "receive beam", different transmit / receive beam modes of the transmit / receive beam are associated with different CCA detection threshold values. Further, the CCA threshold is a function of the beam angle and / or beam width. When a mismatch between a CCA energy detection (ED) beam and a transmit beam occurs, a new CCA threshold is defined, or a dual CCA threshold is set, for example, a normal CCA detection threshold value and a newly introduced CCA detection threshold value are set.

[0225] When CCA ED is based on "transmit beam" and "receive beam", only one CCA detection threshold is set, and in some embodiments, the principle for determining that the channel is idle includes as long as the detected energy in at least one of the transmit beam and the receive beam is lower than or equal to the CCA detection threshold.

[0226] A dual CCA detection threshold is set. In some embodiments, the principle for determining whether the channel is idle includes that the difference in detected energy between the transmit beam and the receive beam is less than or equal to a second set CCA threshold; or at least one of the energies detected in the transmit beam and the receive beam is lower than or equal to the second set CCA threshold.

[0227] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, maintenance of the channel occupation time (COT) for transmissions in different beam directions may be determined by at least one of the following: maintaining a common channel occupation time for each beam direction; maintaining the channel occupation time independently for each beam direction; maintaining the channel occupation time independently for each beam direction and each channel occupation time being associated with the transmission time corresponding to the beam direction; maintaining the channel occupation time independently for certain beam directions and each channel occupation time being associated with the transmission time corresponding to a certain beam direction.

[0228] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, a method for channel occupancy of multiple transmissions with directional beams includes: once a node begins transmitting a transmission with a beam direction, this beam direction will remain transmitted until the link direction is switched; or the node transmits a transmission with multiple beam directions, and the beam direction of the previous transmission includes all beam directions of subsequent transmissions; for the first M beam directions, for the remaining NM beam directions, the node transmits a transmission with M or NM beam directions, and the beam direction of the previous transmission includes all beam directions of subsequent transmissions.

[0229] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, LBT rules for multiple transmissions with directional beams include: before the first transmission, multi-beam based LBT (if configured) can be applied, if LBT is successful, the node can send indication information, such as available / unavailable beam indication, channel occupancy time of the beam direction, beam switching information, and a combination of the above; before the first transmission, wider beam based LBT (if configured) can be applied, optionally, if the wider beam range corresponding to the success of LBT does not fully cover all transmission directions, additional LBT can be introduced; define a time interval or timer, and within the time interval or timer, the node does not need to perform LBT operations. Outside the time interval or timer, additional LBT is introduced; and once LBT is successful, the node does not need to perform LBT operations during transmission unless it receives signaling / event triggers.

[0230] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the LBT rules for the switching point of COT sharing include: LBT operation depends on the interval length between DL and UL or UL and DL; LBT operation depends on the indication of DCI signaling, or based on UCI information, for the UE side, when the LBT operation is indicated by DCI signaling, the UE can select LBT operation between the indicated mode or the default mode. Here, the default mode can be the LBT operation or the default configuration determined by the UE itself, and there can be no LBT or Cat2 LBT with a short application duration and directional LBT.

[0231] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the method for handling LBT failure includes: changing at least one of the LBT mechanism, LBT mode, and LBT beam direction; using the same LBT operation as the previous transmission; and reducing the transmission power; and updating the CCA detection threshold.

[0232] Fig.15 Examples of data communication methods based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology are shown.

[0233] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the data communication method 1500 includes: at 1510, detecting an idle channel by performing an energy detection operation by a communication node based on at least one of a transmission beam or a reception beam; and at 1520, when an idle channel is detected in at least one of the transmission beam or the reception beam, transmitting a message through the transmission beam corresponding to the idle channel.

[0234] Fig.16 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0235] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the data communication method 1600 includes, at 1610, performing a listen-before-talk operation prior to transmission in a plurality of beam directions, and, at 1620, performing transmission in each of the plurality of beam directions during a channel occupancy time.

[0236] Fig.17 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0237] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the data communication method 1700 includes, at 1710, performing transmissions through one or more transmission channels by occupying one or more beam directions.

[0238] Fig.18 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0239] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the data communication method 1800 includes: at 1810, the communication node obtains listen-before-talk operation information; at 1820, one or more listen-before-talk operations are performed in one or more beam directions; and at 1830, one or more transmissions are performed based on the results of the one or more listen-before-talk operations in one or more beam directions.

[0240] Fig.19 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0241] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the data communication method 1900 includes: at 1910, determining a switching window between downlink transmission and uplink transmission within a channel occupancy time; and at 1920, when it is determined that the switching window is longer than or equal to a predetermined duration, performing a listen-before-talk operation at a time within the switching window.

[0242] Fig. 20 Another example of a data communication method based on some example embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0243] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the data communication method 2000 includes, at 2010, performing a transmission or performing a listen-before-talk operation before the transmission, and at 2020, when it is determined that the reception or the listen-before-talk operation has failed, changing at least one of the listen-before-talk mechanism, the listen-before-talk mode, and the beam direction used for the listen-before-talk process.

[0244] Fig.21 An example of a wireless communication system 2100 in which the technology according to one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied is shown. The wireless communication system 2100 may include one or more base stations (BSs) 2105a, 2105b, one or more wireless devices 2110a, 2110b, 2110c, 2110d, and a core network 2125. The base stations 2105a, 2105b may provide wireless services to the wireless devices 2110a, 2110b, 2110c, and 2110d in one or more wireless sectors. In some embodiments, the base stations 2105a, 2105b include directional antennas to generate two or more directional beams to provide wireless coverage in different sectors.

[0245] The core network 2125 can communicate with one or more base stations 2105a, 2105b. The core network 2125 provides connections with other wireless communication systems and wired communication systems. The core network may include one or more service subscription databases to store information related to the subscribed wireless devices 2110a, 2110b, 2110c and 2110d. The first base station 2105a can provide wireless services based on a first wireless access technology, and the second base station 2105b can provide wireless services based on a second wireless access technology. Depending on the deployment scenario, base stations 2105a and 2105b can be co-located or can be separately installed on site. Wireless devices 2110a, 2110b, 2110c and 2110d can support a variety of different wireless access technologies. The techniques and embodiments described herein can be implemented by the wireless devices or base stations described herein.

[0246] Fig. 222205 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a wireless station in which techniques according to one or more embodiments of the present technology may be applied. A wireless station 2205, such as a base station or a wireless device (or UE), may include a processor electronic device 2210, such as a microprocessor that implements one or more of the wireless technologies presented in this document. The wireless station 2205 may include a transceiver electronic device 2215 to send and / or receive wireless signals through one or more communication interfaces, such as an antenna 2220. The wireless station 2205 may include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. The wireless station 2205 may include one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information, such as data and / or instructions. In some embodiments, the processor electronic device 2210 may include at least a portion of the transceiver electronic device 2215. In some embodiments, the wireless station 2205 is used to implement at least some of the disclosed techniques, modules, or functions. In some embodiments, the wireless station 2205 may be configured to perform the methods described in this document.

[0247] It should be understood that this document discloses techniques that can be implemented in various embodiments to establish and manage multicast sessions in various scenarios. The disclosed and other embodiments, modules, and functional operations described in this document can be implemented in a digital electronic circuit system, or in a computer software, firmware, or hardware including the structures disclosed in this document and their structural equivalents, or a combination of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by a data processing device or for controlling the operation of a data processing device. The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter that implements a machine-readable propagation signal, or a combination of one or more of them. The term "data processing device" includes all devices, equipment, and machines for processing data, including, as examples, a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. In addition to hardware, the device may include code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, for example, code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, such as a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus.

[0248] A computer program (also referred to as a program, software, software application, script, or code) may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program may be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files storing portions of one or more modules, subroutines, or code). A computer program may be deployed to execute on one computer or on multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

[0249] The processes and logic flows described herein may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows may also be performed by, and the apparatus may be implemented as, a special purpose logic circuit system, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit).

[0250] As an example, processors suitable for executing computer programs include both general-purpose microprocessors and special-purpose microprocessors, as well as any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. In general, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. In general, a computer will also include one or more mass storage devices (such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks) for storing data, or be operably coupled to receive data from or transmit data to the one or more mass storage devices, or both. However, a computer does not require such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including, by way of example, semiconductor memory devices (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices); magnetic disks (e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks); magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by or incorporated into a dedicated logic circuit system.

[0251] Some embodiments may preferably implement one or more of the following solutions listed in clause format. In the above examples and throughout this document, the following clauses are supported and further described. As used in the following clauses and claims, a wireless terminal may be a user equipment, a mobile station, or any other wireless terminal including a fixed node such as a base station. A network node includes a base station, including a next generation Node B (gNB), an enhanced Node B (eNB), or any other device operating as a base station. A resource range may refer to a range of time-frequency resources or blocks.

[0252] Clause 1. A data communication method, comprising: receiving by a mobile device, detecting an idle channel by performing an energy detection operation by a communication node based on at least one of a transmission beam or a reception beam; and transmitting a message via a transmission beam corresponding to the idle channel when an idle channel is detected in at least one of the transmission beam or the reception beam.

[0253] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the energy detection operation is performed based on one or more detection threshold values.

[0254] Clause 3. The method of clause 2, wherein the one or more detection threshold values ​​are determined based on a pattern of at least one of the transmit beam or the receive beam.

[0255] Clause 4. The method of any of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the one or more detection threshold values ​​are a function of at least one of a beam angle and a beam width.

[0256] Clause 5. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein one or more detection thresholds are updated or determined based on whether there is a mismatch between the detection beam and the transmission beam based on the clear channel assessment energy.

[0257] Clause 6. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the pattern comprises at least one of a directional beam pattern, a wide directional beam pattern, or an omnidirectional beam pattern, or a multi-directional beam pattern.

[0258] Clause 7. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein when the detected energy is detected to be lower than or equal to a detection threshold, the corresponding channel is determined to be idle, and when the detected energy is detected to be greater than the detection threshold, the corresponding channel is determined to be busy.

[0259] Clause 8. A method according to clause 2, wherein an energy detection operation is performed based on one or more detection threshold values, such that if the detected energy in at least one of the transmit beam and the receive beam is lower than or equal to a first detection threshold value, the channel corresponding to the transmit beam is determined to be idle.

[0260] Clause 9. A method according to clause 2, wherein an energy detection operation is performed based on one or more detection threshold values, such that if the energy detection operation in at least one of the transmission beam and the reception beam is lower than a first detection threshold value, and the difference in detected energy between the transmission beam and the reception beam is lower than or equal to a second detection threshold value, the channel corresponding to the transmission beam is determined to be idle.

[0261] Clause 10. A method according to Clause 2, wherein an energy detection operation is performed based on one or more detection threshold values, such that if the energy detection operation in at least one of a transmit beam and a receive beam is greater than or equal to a first detection threshold value, and less than or equal to a second detection threshold value, the channel corresponding to the transmit beam is determined to be idle.

[0262] Clause 11. The method according to clause 1 further includes adjusting at least one of the listen-before-talk mechanism, the listen-before-talk mode, and the beam direction of the listen-before-talk process when no idle channel is detected in at least one of the transmission beam or the reception beam.

[0263] Clause 12. A method of data communication, comprising: performing a listen-before-talk operation prior to transmission in a plurality of beam directions, and performing transmission in each of the plurality of beam directions during a channel occupancy time.

[0264] Clause 13. The method of clause 12, wherein the plurality of beam directions have a common channel occupancy time.

[0265] Clause 14. The method of clause 13, wherein the common channel occupation time is determined based on a first listen-before-talk operation that has been successfully performed.

[0266] Clause 15. A method according to any of clauses 12 or 14, wherein the listen-before-talk operation includes at least one of directional listen-before-talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4 LBT, Cat2 LBT or multi-Cat 2 LBT.

[0267] Clause 16. The method of clause 12, wherein each of the plurality of beam directions has a channel occupancy time that is maintained independently of one another.

[0268] Clause 17. The method of clause 16, wherein each channel occupancy time corresponding to each of the plurality of beam directions is determined based on a time taken to complete a transmission on the channel of the corresponding beam direction.

[0269] Clause 18. The method of clause 12, wherein the plurality of beam directions are grouped into a plurality of beam direction groups, and each beam direction group has a channel occupancy time that is maintained independently of one another.

[0270] Clause 19. The method of clause 18, wherein each channel occupancy time corresponding to each of the plurality of beam direction groups is determined based on a time taken to complete a transmission on a channel in a beam direction of the corresponding beam direction group.

[0271] Clause 20. A method of data communication, comprising: performing one or more transmissions over one or more transmission channels by occupying one or more beam directions.

[0272] Clause 21. A method according to clause 20, wherein one or more beam directions remain occupied by one or more transmissions until a link direction switch occurs or one or more transmissions are completed, or the one or more beam directions used for transmission include all beam directions corresponding to the current transmission and subsequent transmissions.

[0273] Clause 22. The method according to any one of clauses 20 to 21 further includes performing at least one of directional listen-before-talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4 LBT, Cat2 LBT or multi-Cat 2 LBT.

[0274] Clause 23. A method according to clause 20, wherein for the first M beam directions or NM beam directions out of a total of N beam directions, the beam directions in the current beam direction include beams corresponding to current transmissions and beams corresponding to subsequent transmissions within the M beam directions or NM beam directions.

[0275] Clause 24. The method of clause 20, wherein each of the plurality of beam directions occupies a different channel occupancy time from one another.

[0276] Clause 25. A data communication method, comprising: obtaining listen-before-talk operation information by a communication node; performing one or more listen-before-talk operations in one or more beam directions; and performing one or more transmissions based on the results of the one or more listen-before-talk operations in the one or more beam directions.

[0277] Clause 26. The method according to clause 25 further comprises transmitting an indication of at least one of availability or unavailability of a beam direction, channel occupancy time of the beam direction, or beam switching information if one or more listen-before-talk operations are successfully performed.

[0278] Clause 27. A method according to clause 25, wherein one or more listen-before-talk operations include at least one of directional listen-before-talk (LBT), multi-directional LBT, or wide directional beam LBT, omnidirectional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4 LBT, Cat2 LBT, or multi-Cat 2 LBT.

[0279] Clause 28. The method of clause 25, further comprising setting a time interval to continue the one or more transmissions during the time interval without performing additional listen-before-talk operations.

[0280] Clause 29. The method of clause 28, wherein the time interval is configured by at least one of radio resource control signaling, downlink control information signaling, or is predefined.

[0281] Clause 30. The method of clause 28, wherein the granularity of the time interval is a symbol level, a slot level, a subframe level, or a mini-slot level.

[0282] Clause 31. The method of clause 25, further comprising performing an additional listen-before-talk procedure upon receiving a signaling message / or upon occurrence of a predetermined event / or at an end point of a time interval, or when a timer expires.

[0283] Clause 32. A data communication method, comprising: determining a switching window between downlink transmission and uplink transmission within a channel occupancy time; and when it is determined that the switching window is longer than or equal to a predetermined duration, performing a listen-before-talk operation during the time within the switching window.

[0284] Clause 33. The method of clause 32, further comprising performing the transmission without performing the listen-before-talk operation when it is determined that the switching window is shorter than the predetermined duration.

[0285] Clause 34. The method of clause 33 further comprises transmitting information associated with the transmission without performing a listen-before-talk operation to a mobile device, wherein the information comprises at least one of a channel measurement, a report result, uplink control information, or an exchange information.

[0286] Clause 35. The method according to clause 32, wherein the listen-before-talk operation is based on an indication of downlink control information signaling or based on uplink control information.

[0287] Clause 36. A method according to clause 35, wherein the indication includes at least one of a listen-before-talk (LBT) mechanism, an LBT mode, a beam index, a beam pattern, a protected time interval, a channel occupancy time sharing, or a beam coverage range.

[0288] Clause 37. The method of clause 32, further comprising transmitting an indication of downlink control information signaling to a mobile device so that the mobile device selects a default listen-before-talk operation or one of a different listen-before-talk operation indicated by the indication.

[0289] Clause 38. The method of clause 35, wherein the switching window comprises a plurality of switching points.

[0290] Clause 39. A method according to clause 38, wherein at a first switching point among a plurality of switching points, at least one of an uplink transmission or a downlink transmission is performed without performing a listen-before-talk operation, or is performed in the following manner: before at least one of the uplink transmission or the downlink transmission, a listen-before-talk operation without fallback or at least one of one or more directional listen-before-talk operations is performed.

[0291] Clause 40. A method according to clause 38, wherein at a second switching point among a plurality of switching points, at least one of the base station or the user equipment performs transmission without performing a listen-before-talk operation, or a single-beam directional listen-before-talk operation without fallback, or a multi-beam directional listen-before-talk operation without fallback.

[0292] Clause 41. A data communication method, comprising: performing a transmission or performing a listen-before-talk operation before transmission; and upon determining that reception or the listen-before-talk operation has failed, adjusting at least one of a listen-before-talk mechanism, a listen-before-talk mode, and a beam direction used for the listen-before-talk process.

[0293] Clause 42. The method of clause 41, further comprising reducing the power of the transmission signal.

[0294] Clause 43. The method of clause 41, further comprising updating an energy detection threshold for clear channel assessment.

[0295] Clause 44. A method according to clause 41, wherein the listen-before-talk operation includes at least one of directional listen-before-talk (LBT), omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, multi-directional LBT, no LBT, Cat 4 LBT, Cat2 LBT or multi-Cat 2 LBT.

[0296] Clause 45. The method of clause 41, wherein the listen-before-talk mechanism comprises at least one of no LBT, Cat 4 LBT, enhanced Cat4 LBT, Cat2 LBT, or multiple Cat2 LBT.

[0297] Clause 46. The method of clause 41, wherein the listen-before-talk mode comprises at least one of directional LBT, omnidirectional LBT, wide directional beam LBT, or multi-directional LBT.

[0298] Clause 47. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the processor reads code from the memory and implements a method as set forth in any one of clauses 1 to 46.

[0299] Clause 48. A computer-readable program storage medium having stored thereon code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method of any one of clauses 1 to 46.

[0300] Although this patent document contains many details, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of any invention or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as working in certain combinations, or even initially claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from a claimed combination may be excluded from the combination, and a claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

[0301] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a particular order in the drawings, this should not be understood as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all of the operations shown be performed, in order to achieve the desired results. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described in this patent document should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

[0302] Only a few implementations and examples are described, and other implementations, enhancements, and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims

1. A data communication method, comprising: performing a listen-before-talk operation before transmitting in a plurality of beam directions, wherein the plurality of beam directions will begin channel occupation at the same time; and Transmission is performed in at least one beam direction of the plurality of beam directions during a channel occupancy time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of beam directions have a common channel occupation time, and the common channel occupation time is determined based on a first listen-before-talk operation that has been successfully performed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Each channel occupation time corresponding to each of the plurality of beam directions is determined based on a time taken to complete transmission on the channel of the corresponding beam direction.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of beam directions are grouped into a plurality of beam direction groups, and each beam direction group maintains a channel occupancy time independently of each other.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The channel occupation time corresponding to each of the plurality of beam direction groups is determined based on the time taken to complete transmission on the channel of the beam direction of the corresponding beam direction group.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of beam directions remain occupied by one or more transmissions until a link direction switch occurs, or the one or more transmissions are completed, or the plurality of beam directions used for transmissions includes all beam directions corresponding to a current transmission and subsequent transmissions.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: For the first M beam directions or NM beam directions among the total N beam directions, the beam directions in the current beam directions include beams corresponding to current transmission and beams corresponding to subsequent transmissions within the M beam directions or the NM beam directions.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of beam directions occupies a different channel occupancy time from each other.

9. A data communication method, comprising: The communication node obtains the listen-before-speak operation information; performing one or more beam-based listen-before-talk operations before transmitting in one or more beam directions; If the listen-before-talk is successfully performed in the one or more beam directions, transmission is performed in one or more of the beam directions in which the listen-before-talk is successfully performed.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: During channel occupancy, if the interval between downlink transmission and uplink transmission, or uplink transmission and downlink transmission is less than or equal to a time interval, no additional listen-before-talk operation is performed before one or more transmissions; if the interval between downlink transmission and uplink transmission, or uplink transmission and downlink transmission is greater than a time interval, Cat 2 listen-before-talk operation is performed before one or more transmissions.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The time interval is configured through at least one of radio resource control signaling and downlink control information signaling, or is predefined.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein: If the DCI indicates a listen-before-talk mechanism, the communication node performs a listen-before-talk operation according to the listen-before-talk mechanism indicated by the DCI.

13. A wireless communication device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the processor reads a code from the memory and implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A computer-readable program storage medium having codes stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images