Method and apparatus for supporting multiple parameter sets in wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. Methods and apparatus for multiple parameter sets in a wireless communication system are provided. A method of a UE includes identifying first information associated with a set of SF groups including a first SF group and a second SF group, where the set of SF groups includes a plurality of time slots; determining whether the SF belongs to a first SF group or a second SF group based on the first information; receiving second information associated with the SF group set and related to the parameter set and the slot length; and receiving or transmitting a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the slot length included in the second information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to supporting multiple parameter sets in wireless communication systems. Background Art

[0002] The 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band, enabling high transmission rates and new services, and can be implemented not only in the "Sub 6GHz" frequency band such as 3.5 GHz, but also in the "Above 6GHz" frequency band including 28 GHz and 39 GHz, known as millimeter waves. In addition, it has been considered to implement 6G mobile communication technology (referred to as the ultra 5G system) in the terahertz (THz) frequency band (e.g., 95 GHz to 3 THz frequency band) in order to achieve a transmission rate 50 times faster than that of 5G mobile communication technology and an ultra-low latency of one-tenth of that of 5G mobile communication technology.

[0003] When starting the development of 5G mobile communication technology, in order to support services and meet the performance requirements related to enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC), standardization has been carried out on the following aspects: beamforming and massive MIMO for reducing radio wave path loss in millimeter waves and increasing radio wave transmission distance, parameter sets (e.g., operating multiple subcarrier spacings) for supporting dynamic operations for efficient utilization of millimeter wave resources and time slot formats, initial access technologies for supporting multi-beam transmission and broadband, the definition and operation of BWP (bandwidth part), new channel coding methods such as LDPC (low-density parity-check) codes for large data transmission and polarization codes for highly reliable transmission of control information, L2 preprocessing, and network slicing for providing dedicated networks dedicated to specific services.

[0004] Currently, in view of the services that 5G mobile communication technology is going to support, discussions are being carried out on the improvement and performance enhancement of the initial 5G mobile communication technology, and physical layer standardization already exists for the following technologies: such as V2X (vehicle-to-everything) for assisting in the driving determination of autonomous vehicles based on information about the position and status of the vehicle sent by the vehicle and for enhancing user convenience, NR-U (new radio unlicensed) targeting system operations that comply with various regulatory requirements in the unlicensed frequency band, NR UE energy saving, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) as UE satellite direct communication for providing coverage and positioning in areas where communication with the terrestrial network is unavailable.

[0005] In addition, standardization of the following technologies has been ongoing in the air interface architecture / protocol: industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for supporting new services through interoperability and integration with other industries, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) for providing nodes for network service area expansion by supporting wireless backhaul and access links in an integrated manner, mobility enhancements including conditional handover and dual active protocol stack (DAPS) handover, and two-step random access (two-step RACH for NR) for simplifying the random access process. Standardization of the following has also been ongoing in the system architecture / services: 5G baseline architecture for combining network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined network (SDN) technologies (e.g., service-based architecture or service-based interface), and mobile edge computing (MEC) for receiving services based on UE location.

[0006] With the commercialization of 5G mobile communication systems, exponentially growing connected devices will be connected to the communication network, so enhanced functions and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and integrated operation of connected devices are expected to be necessary. For this purpose, new research has been arranged in combination with the following: extended reality (XR) for effectively supporting augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), etc., improving 5G performance and reducing complexity by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), AI service support, metaverse service support, and drone communication.

[0007] In addition, this development of 5G mobile communication systems will not only serve as a basis for developing: new waveforms for providing coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, such as full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), multi-antenna transmission technologies like array antennas and massive antennas, metasurface-based lenses and antennas for improving the coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using orbital angular momentum (OAM), and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS); but also serve as a basis for developing: full-duplex technology for improving the frequency efficiency of 6G mobile communication technology and enhancing the system network, AI-based communication technology for achieving system optimization by leveraging satellites and AI (artificial intelligence) from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology for realizing services with a complexity level beyond the limitations of UE operating capabilities by leveraging ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources.

[0008] The fifth generation (5G) or New Radio (NR) mobile communications have recently been gathering increasing momentum with all the global technical activities of various candidate technologies from industry and academia. Candidate enabling factors for 5G / NR mobile communications include: massive antenna technology from traditional cellular bands to high frequencies to provide beamforming gain and support increased capacity; new waveforms (e.g., new radio access technology (RAT)) that can flexibly adapt to various services / applications with different requirements; new multiple access schemes that support massive connectivity, etc. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] TECHNICAL PROBLEM The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to multiple parameter sets in a wireless communication system.

[0010] SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM In one embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is provided. The UE includes a processor configured to: identify first information associated with a set of subframe (SF) groups including a first SF group and a second SF group, where the set of SF groups includes a plurality of time slots; and determine, based on the first information, whether the SF belongs to the first SF group or the second SF group. The UE further includes a transceiver operatively coupled to the processor, the transceiver being configured to: receive second information associated with the set of SF groups and related to a parameter set and a time slot length, and receive or transmit a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the time slot length included in the second information.

[0011] In another embodiment, a base station (BS) is provided. The BS includes a processor configured to generate second information associated with the set of SF groups and related to a parameter set and a time slot length, where the set of SF groups includes a plurality of time slots. The UE further includes a transceiver operatively coupled to the processor, the transceiver being configured to: transmit the second information associated with the set of SF groups and related to the parameter set and the time slot length, and transmit or receive a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the time slot length included in the second information, where: the first information associated with the set of SF groups including the first SF group and the second SF group is identified, and based on the first information, it is determined whether the SF belongs to the first SF group or the second SF group.

[0012] In yet another embodiment, a method for a UE is provided. The method includes: identifying first information associated with a set of SF groups including a first SF group and a second SF group, where the set of SF groups includes a plurality of time slots; determining, based on the first information, whether the SF belongs to the first SF group or the second SF group; receiving second information associated with the set of SF groups and related to a parameter set and a time slot length; and receiving or transmitting a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the time slot length included in the second information.

[0013] Other technical features will be clear to those skilled in the art from the following drawings, description, and claims.

[0014] Advantages of the present invention Aspects of the present disclosure provide an efficient communication method in a wireless communication system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] To more fully understand the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts.

[0016] Figure 1 An example of a wireless network according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 An example of a gNB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 An example of a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 and Figure 5 An example of a wireless transmit and receive path according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 6 An example of an antenna structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 7 An example of an antenna panel including N T antenna elements is shown.

[0022] Figure 8 An example of the RF front-end and baseband implementation of a base station according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 9 An example of a 5G NR frame structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 10 An example of a per-slot processing chain and cross-slot processing load according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 11 An example of a frame structure design according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 12 An example of an OFDM parameter set and slot structure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 13 Shows an example of a new frame structure design according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 14 Shows an example of frame structure options according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 15 Shows a flowchart of a UE method for obtaining information according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 16 Shows a flowchart of a UE method for determining an OFDM parameter set and a time slot configuration according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 17 Shows an example of subframe grouping and parameter set and time slot structure options according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 18 Shows a flowchart of a UE method for determining an OFDM parameter set and a time slot configuration according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 19 Shows an example of L2 scheduling and L1 baseband processing according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 20 Shows another example of L2 scheduling and L1 baseband processing according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 21 Shows a flowchart of a UE method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 22 Shows a flowchart of a UE method for multiple parameter sets according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 23 Shows a block diagram of the structure of a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 24 Shows a block diagram of the structure of a base station according to various embodiments of the present disclosure as disclosed herein. Detailed Description

[0039] Before proceeding with the following detailed description, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term "coupled" and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with each other. The terms "send," "receive," and "communicate" and their derivatives include both direct and indirect communication. The terms "comprise" and "include" and their derivatives mean including but not limited to. The term "or" is inclusive and means and / or. The phrase "associated with" and its derivatives mean including, being included within, interconnecting with, containing, being contained within, connected to or being connected with, coupled to or being coupled with, communicable with, cooperating, interlacing, juxtaposing, adjacent to, bound to or being bound with, having, having the attribute of, having the relationship of, and the like. The term "controller" means any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller can be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functions associated with any particular controller can be centralized or distributed, whether local or remote. When used with a list of items, the phrase "at least one" means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items can be used and that only one item in the list may be required. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

[0040] In addition, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each formed from computer-readable program code and embodied in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or portions thereof that are adapted to be implemented in appropriate computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium that can be accessed by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A "non-transitory" computer-readable medium does not include wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit transitory electrical or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media include media that can permanently store data and media that can store data and then rewrite the data, such as rewritable compact discs or erasable memory devices.

[0041] Certain other words and phrases are defined throughout this patent document. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that, in many if not most instances, such definitions apply to the prior as well as future use of the words and phrases so defined.

[0042] In this patent document, the various embodiments discussed below Figures 1 to 24 and for describing the principles of the present disclosure are for illustration only and should not in any way be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0043] To meet the increasing demand for wireless data services since the self-deployment of 4G communication systems and to enable various vertical applications, 5G / NR communication systems have been developed and are currently being deployed. 5G / NR communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (millimeter wave) bands (e.g., 28 GHz or 60 GHz bands) to achieve higher data rates, or in lower bands (such as 6 GHz) to achieve robust coverage and mobility support. To reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive MIMO, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antenna technologies are discussed in 5G / NR communication systems.

[0044] In addition, in 5G / NR communication systems, the development of system network improvements is based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, cooperative communication, coordinated multipoint (CoMP), receiver-side interference cancellation, etc.

[0045] The discussion of 5G systems and the frequency bands associated therewith is for reference because certain embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in 5G systems. However, the present disclosure is not limited to 5G systems or the frequency bands associated therewith, and the embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in combination with any frequency band. For example, aspects of the present disclosure may also be applied to 5G communication systems, 6G, or even later versions of deployments that may use the terahertz (THz) band.

[0046] The following Figures 1 to 3 describes various embodiments implemented in a wireless communication system and using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication technologies. Figures 1 to 3 The description does not imply a physical or architectural limitation on the manner in which different embodiments may be implemented. The different embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged communication system.

[0047] Figure 1Shows an example wireless network in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The embodiments of the wireless network shown are for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0048] As Figure 1 shown, the wireless network includes gNB 101 (e.g., a base station, BS), gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one network 130 (such as the Internet, a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, or other data networks).

[0049] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 for a first plurality of user equipments (UEs) within the coverage area 120 of gNB 102. The first plurality of UEs includes: UE 111, which may be located in a small business; UE 112, which may be located in a company; UE 113, which may be a WiFi hotspot; UE 114, which may be located in a first residence; UE 115, which may be located in a second residence; and UE 116, which may be a mobile device, such as a cellular phone, a wireless laptop computer, a wireless PDA, etc. gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 for a second plurality of UEs within the coverage area 125 of gNB 103. The second plurality of UEs includes UE 115 and UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101 - 103 may communicate with each other and with UEs 111 - 116 using 5G / NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution - Advanced (LTE - A), WiMAX, WiFi, or other wireless communication technologies.

[0050] Depending on the network type, the term "base station" or "BS" can refer to any component (or collection of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmission point (TP), a transmit-receive point (TRP), an enhanced base station (eNodeB or eNB), a 5G / NR base station (gNB), a macrocell, a femtocell, a Wi-Fi access point (AP), or other wireless-enabled devices. The base station can provide wireless access according to one or more wireless communication protocols (e.g., 5G / NR Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc.). For convenience, the terms "BS" and "TRP" may be used interchangeably in this patent document to refer to the network infrastructure components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. Additionally, depending on the network type, the term "user equipment" or "UE" can refer to any component, such as a "mobile station", "user station", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal", "reception point", or "user equipment". For convenience, the terms "user equipment" and "UE" are used in this patent document to refer to the remote wireless devices that wirelessly access the BS, whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or smartphone) or a device that is typically considered fixed (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0051] The dashed lines illustrate the approximate extent of coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as approximately circular for purposes of illustration and explanation only. It should be clearly understood that the coverage areas associated with the gNB (such as coverage areas 120 and 125) can have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on the configuration of the gNB and the variations in the wireless environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0052] As described in more detail below, one or more of UEs 111 - 116 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof to support multiple parameter sets in a wireless communication system. In certain embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101 - 103 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof to support multiple parameter sets in a wireless communication system.

[0053] Although Figure 1 an example of a wireless network is shown, modifications can be made to Figure 1Make various changes. For example, the wireless network can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. Additionally, gNB 101 can communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide these UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each of gNBs 102 - 103 can communicate directly with network 130 and provide UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. Additionally, gNB 101, gNB 102, and / or gNB 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks (such as an external telephone network or other types of data networks).

[0054] Figure 2 An example gNB 102 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The embodiment of gNB 102 shown in Figure 1 is for illustration only, and Figure 2 gNBs 101 and 103 can have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs have a wide variety of configurations, and

[0055] As Figure 2 shown, gNB 102 includes a plurality of antennas 205a - 205n, a plurality of transceivers 210a - 210n, a controller / processor 225, a memory 230, and a backhaul or network interface 235.

[0056] Transceivers 210a - 210n receive incoming RF signals, such as signals transmitted by UEs in network 100, from antennas 205a - 205n. Transceivers 210a - 210n down-convert the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are processed by receive (RX) processing circuitry in transceivers 210a - 210n and / or controller / processor 225, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. Controller / processor 225 can further process the baseband signal.

[0057] Transmit (TX) processing circuitry in transceivers 210a - 210n and / or controller / processor 225 receives analog or digital data (such as voice data, web data, email, or interactive video game data) from controller / processor 225. The TX processing circuitry encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. Transceivers 210a - 210n up-convert the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal transmitted via antennas 205a - 205n.

[0058] The controller / processor 225 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 225 may control the transceivers 210a - 210n to receive UL channel signals and transmit DL channel signals according to well-known principles. The controller / processor 225 may also support additional functions, such as more advanced wireless communication functions. For example, the controller / processor 225 may support beamforming or directional routing operations, in which the outgoing / incoming signals from / to the multiple antennas 205a - 205n are weighted differently to effectively direct the outgoing signals in a desired direction. The controller / processor 225 may support any of a variety of other functions in the gNB 102.

[0059] The controller / processor 225 is also capable of running programs and other processes residing in the memory 230, such as processes for supporting multiple parameter sets in a wireless communication system. The controller / processor 225 may move data into or out of the memory 230 as needed for running the processes.

[0060] The controller / processor 225 is also coupled to a backhaul or network interface 235. The backhaul or network interface 235 allows the gNB102 to communicate with other devices or systems via a backhaul connection or via a network. The interface 235 may support communication via any suitable wired or wireless connection. For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a wireless communication system (such as a wireless communication system supporting 5G / NR, LTE, or LTE - A), the interface 235 may allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, the interface 235 may enable the gNB 102 to communicate with a larger network (such as the Internet) via a wired or wireless local area network or via a wired or wireless connection. The interface 235 includes any suitable structure for supporting communication via a wired or wireless connection, such as Ethernet or a transceiver.

[0061] The memory 230 is coupled to the controller / processor 225. A portion of the memory 230 may include RAM, and another portion of the memory 230 may include flash memory or other ROM.

[0062] Although Figure 2 an example of the gNB 102 is shown, various changes may be made Figure 2 For example, the gNB 102 may include any number of Figure 2 each of the components shown in Figure 2 In addition, the various components in

[0063] Figure 3 FIG. 1 shows an example UE 116 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The embodiment of the UE 116 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only, and Figure 1 UEs 111 - 115 may have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs have a wide variety of configurations, and Figure 3 the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of the UE.

[0064] As Figure 3 shown, the UE 116 includes an antenna 305, a transceiver 310, and a microphone 320. The UE 116 also includes a speaker 330, a processor 340, an input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 345, an input 350, a display 355, and a memory 360. The memory 360 includes an operating system (OS) 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0065] The transceiver 310 receives incoming RF signals transmitted by the gNB of the network 100 from the antenna 305. The transceiver 310 downconverts the incoming RF signals to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is processed by RX processing circuitry in the transceiver 310 and / or the processor 340, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. The RX processing circuitry sends the processed baseband signal to the speaker 330 (such as for voice data) or processes it by the processor 340 (such as for web browsing data).

[0066] The TX processing circuitry in the transceiver 310 and / or the processor 340 receives analog or digital voice data from the microphone 320 or other outgoing baseband data (such as web data, email, or interactive video game data) from the processor 340. The TX processing circuitry encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The transceiver 310 upconverts the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal transmitted via the antenna 305.

[0067] The processor 340 may include one or more processors or other processing devices, and runs the OS 361 stored in the memory 360 to control the overall operation of the UE 116. For example, the processor 340 may control the transceiver 310 to receive DL channel signals and transmit UL channel signals according to well-known principles. In some embodiments, the processor 340 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0068] The processor 340 is also capable of running other processes and programs residing in the memory 360, such as processes for supporting multiple parameter sets in a wireless communication system.

[0069] The processor 340 can move data into or out of the memory 360 as needed for running processes. In some embodiments, the processor 340 is configured to run the application 362 based on the OS 361 or in response to signals received from the gNB or the operator. The processor 340 is also coupled to the I / O interface 345, which provides the UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptops and handheld computers. The I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these accessories and the processor 340.

[0070] The processor 340 is also coupled to the input 350, which includes, for example, a touch screen, a keypad, etc., and the display 355. The operator of the UE 116 can use the input 350 to input data into the UE 116. The display 355 can be a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display, or other display capable of rendering text and / or at least limited graphics such as from a website.

[0071] The memory 360 is coupled to the processor 340. A portion of the memory 360 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of the memory 360 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0072] Although Figure 3 one example of the UE 116 is shown, various changes can be made Figure 3 thereto. For example, Figure 3 the various components in Figure 3 can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added according to specific needs. As a specific example, the processor 340 can be divided into multiple processors such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). In another example, the transceiver 310 can include any number of transceivers and signal processing chains and can be connected to any number of antennas. Additionally, although

[0073] Figure 4 and Figure 5 show example wireless transmit and receive paths according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, the transmit path 400 can be described as being implemented in a gNB such as the gNB 102, while the receive path 500 can be described as being implemented in a UE such as the UE 116. However, it can be understood that the receive path 500 can be implemented in the gNB, and the transmit path 400 can be implemented in the UE. In some embodiments, the receive path 500 is configured to support multiple parameter sets in a wireless communication system.

[0074] As Figure 4 shown, the transmit path 400 includes a channel coding and modulation block 405, a serial-to-parallel (S-to-P) block 410, an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block 415 of size N, a parallel-to-serial (P-to-S) block 420, a cyclic prefix addition block 425, and an upconverter (UC) 430. As Figure 5 shown, the receive path 500 includes a downconverter (DC) 555, a cyclic prefix removal block 560, a serial-to-parallel (S-to-P) block 565, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) block 570 of size N, a parallel-to-serial (P-to-S) block 575, and a channel decoding and demodulation block 580.

[0075] As Figure 4 illustrated, the channel coding and modulation block 405 receives a set of information bits, applies coding (such as low density parity check (LDPC) coding), and modulates the input bits (such as with quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)) to generate a sequence of frequency domain modulated symbols.

[0076] The serial-to-parallel block 410 converts (such as demultiplexes) the serial modulated symbols into parallel data to generate N parallel symbol streams, where N is the IFFT / FFT size used in the gNB 102 and the UE 116. The IFFT block 415 of size N performs an IFFT operation on the N parallel symbol streams to generate a time domain output signal. The parallel-to-serial block 420 converts (such as multiplexes) the parallel time domain output symbols from the IFFT block 415 of size N to generate a serial time domain signal. The cyclic prefix addition block 425 inserts a cyclic prefix into the time domain signal. The upconverter 430 modulates (such as upconverts) the output of the cyclic prefix addition block 425 to an RF frequency for transmission via the wireless channel. The signal may also be filtered at baseband before being converted to the RF frequency.

[0077] The transmit RF signal from the gNB 102 arrives at the UE 116 after passing through the wireless channel, and operations opposite to those at the gNB 102 are performed at the UE 116.

[0078] As Figure 5 shown, the downconverter 555 downconverts the received signal to a baseband frequency, and the cyclic prefix removal block 560 removes the cyclic prefix to generate a serial time domain baseband signal. The serial-to-parallel block 565 converts the time domain baseband signal into a parallel time domain signal. The FFT block 570 of size N performs an FFT algorithm to generate N parallel frequency domain signals. The parallel-to-serial block 575 converts the parallel frequency domain signals into a sequence of modulated data symbols. The channel decoding and demodulation block 580 demodulates and decodes the modulated symbols to recover the original input data stream.

[0079] Each of gNBs 101-103 may implement a similar method to that of transmitting in the downlink to UEs 111-116. Figure 4 The transmission path 400 shown in FIG. 4 and the reception from UEs 111-116 in the uplink may be implemented similarly to the example in FIG. Figure 5 Receive path 500 is shown. Similarly, each of UEs 111-116 can implement transmit path 400 for transmitting to gNB 101-103 in the uplink, and can implement receive path 500 for receiving from gNB 101-103 in the downlink.

[0080] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Each component in may be implemented using hardware only or a combination of hardware and software / firmware. As a specific example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 At least some components in can be implemented with software, while other components can be implemented by configurable hardware or a mixture of software and configurable hardware. For example, FFT block 570 and IFFT block 415 can be implemented as configurable software algorithms, wherein the value of size N can be modified according to the implementation.

[0081] In addition, although described as using FFT and IFFT, this is for illustration only and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Other types of transforms may be used, such as discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) functions. It will be appreciated that for DFT and IDFT functions, the value of variable N may be any integer (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), while for FFT and IFFT functions, the value of variable N may be any integer that is a power of 2 (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.).

[0082] although Figure 4 and Figure 5 An example of a wireless transmit and receive path is shown, but the Figure 4 and Figure 5 Make various changes. For example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 The various components in may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added as required. Figure 4 and Figure 5 It is intended to illustrate examples of the types of transmit and receive paths that may be used in a wireless network. Any other suitable architecture may be used to support wireless communications in a wireless network.

[0083] The unit for DL signaling or UL signaling on a cell is called a time slot and may include one or more symbols. The bandwidth (BW) unit is called a resource block (RB). One RB includes multiple subcarriers (SCs). For example, a time slot may have a duration of one millisecond, and an RB may have a bandwidth of 180 KHz and include 12 SCs with an SC interval of 15 KHz. A time slot may be a full DL time slot, or a full UL time slot, or a hybrid time slot similar to a special subframe in a time division duplex (TDD) system.

[0084] DL signals include data signals that convey information content, control signals that convey DL control information (DCI), and reference signals (RS) also known as pilot signals. The gNB transmits data information or DCI through the corresponding physical DL shared channel (PDSCH) or physical DL control channel (PDCCH). The PDSCH or PDCCH can be sent on a variable number of time slot symbols including one time slot symbol. The spatial setting for PDCCH reception can be indicated to the UE based on the configuration of the TCI state value of the CORESET where the UE receives the PDCCH. The spatial setting for PDSCH reception can be indicated to the UE based on a higher layer configuration or an indication of the DCI format for PDSCH reception that schedules the TCI state value. The gNB can configure the UE to receive signals on the cell within the DL bandwidth part (BWP) of the cell DL BW.

[0085] The gNB transmits one or more of multiple types of RS including channel state information RS (CSI-RS) and demodulation RS (DMRS). CSI-RS is mainly intended for the UE to perform measurements and provide channel state information (CSI) to the gNB. For channel measurements, non-zero power CSI-RS (NZP CSI-RS) resources are used. For interference measurement reporting (IMR), CSI interference measurement (CSI-IM) resources associated with zero power CSI-RS (ZP CSI-RS) configurations are used. The CSI process consists of NZP CSI-RS and CSI-IM resources. The UE can determine CSI-RS transmission parameters through DL control signaling or higher layer signaling such as radio resource control (RRC) signaling from the gNB. The transmission instance of CSI-RS can be indicated by DL control signaling or configured by higher layer signaling. DMRS is only sent within the BW of the corresponding PDCCH or PDSCH, and the UE can use DMRS to demodulate data or control information.

[0086] The UL signal also includes a data signal for conveying information content, a control signal for conveying UL control information (UCI), a DMRS associated with data or UCI demodulation, a sounding RS (SRS) enabling the gNB to perform UL channel measurements, and a random access (RA) preamble enabling the UE to perform random access. The UE transmits data information or UCI via the corresponding physical UL shared channel (PUSCH) or physical UL control channel (PUCCH). The PUSCH or PUCCH can be transmitted on a variable number of slot symbols including one slot symbol. The gNB can configure the UE to transmit signals on a cell within the UL BWP of the cell UL BW.

[0087] The UCI includes hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information indicating correct or incorrect detection of a data transport block (TB) in the PDSCH, a scheduling request (SR) indicating whether the UE has data in the UE's buffer, and a CSI report capable of enabling the gNB to select appropriate parameters for transmission to the UE of the PDSCH or PDCCH. The HARQ-ACK information can be configured to have a finer granularity than per TB and can be per data code block (CB) or per data CB group, where a data TB includes a plurality of data CBs.

[0088] The CSI report from the UE can include: a channel quality indicator (CQI) that notifies the gNB of the maximum modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the UE to detect a data TB with a predetermined block error rate (BLER) (such as a BLER of 10%); a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) that notifies the gNB of how to combine signals from multiple transmitter antennas according to MIMO transmission principles; and a rank indicator (RI) that indicates the transmission rank of the PDSCH. The UL RS includes DMRS and SRS. The DMRS is only transmitted in the BW of the corresponding PUSCH or PUCCH transmission. The gNB can use the DMRS to demodulate the information in the corresponding PUSCH or PUCCH. The SRS is transmitted by the UE to provide UL CSI to the gNB, and for a TDD system, the SRS transmission can also provide a PMI for DL transmission. Additionally, to establish synchronization or an initial higher layer connection with the gNB, the UE can transmit a physical random access channel.

[0089] In the present disclosure, a beam is determined by any one of the following: (1) a TCI state that establishes a quasi co-location (QCL) relationship between a source reference signal (e.g., a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) and / or a CSI-RS) and a target reference signal; or (2) spatial correlation information that establishes an association with a source reference signal (such as an SSB or a CSI-RS or an SRS). In either case, the ID of the source reference signal identifies the beam.

[0090] The TCI state and / or the spatial relation reference RS can determine the spatial Rx filter for receiving the downlink channel at the UE, or the spatial Tx filter for transmitting the uplink channel from the UE.

[0091] Rel.14 LTE and Rel.15 NR support up to 32 CSI-RS antenna ports, which enables the eNB to be equipped with a large number of antenna elements (such as 64 or 128). In this case, multiple antenna elements are mapped to one CSI-RS port. For the millimeter wave band, although the number of antenna elements can be larger for a given form factor, due to hardware constraints (such as the feasibility of installing a large number of ADC / DACs at millimeter wave frequencies), the number of CSI-RS ports (which can correspond to the number of digital precoding ports) tends to be limited, as Figure 6 shown.

[0092] Figure 6 An example antenna structure 600 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 The embodiment of the antenna structure 600 shown in is for illustration only.

[0093] In this case, one CSI-RS port is mapped to a large number of antenna elements that can be controlled by a set of analog phase shifters 601. One CSI-RS port can then correspond to a subarray, and the one subarray generates a narrow analog beam through analog beamforming 605. The analog beam can be configured to scan across a wider range of angles 620 by changing the phase shifter bank across symbols or subframes. The number of subarrays (equal to the number of RF chains) is the same as the number of CSI-RS ports N CSI-PORT The digital beamforming unit 610 performs a linear combination across N CSI-PORT the analog beams to further increase the precoding gain. Although the analog beam is broadband (and thus not frequency selective), the digital precoding can vary across frequency subbands or resource blocks. Receiver operation can be conceived similarly.

[0094] Since the above system uses multiple analog beams for transmission and reception (where one or a small number of analog beams are selected from a large number of analog beams, for example, from time to time after a training period), the term "multi-beam operation" is used to refer to the overall system aspect. For illustrative purposes, this includes: indicating the assigned DL or UL TX beam (also referred to as "beam indication"), measuring at least one reference signal for calculating and performing beam reporting (also referred to as "beam measurement" and "beam reporting" respectively), and receiving the DL or UL transmission by selecting the corresponding RX beam.

[0095] The above system can also be applicable to higher frequency bands, such as >52.6 GHz. In this case, the system can employ only analog beams. Due to the O2 absorption loss (about 10 dB additional loss per 100 m distance) at frequencies near 60 GHz, more numerous and sharper analog beams (and thus more radiators in the array) may be required to compensate for the additional path loss.

[0096] Figure 7 An example of an antenna panel including N T antenna elements 700 is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The embodiment of the antenna panel including N T antenna elements 700 shown in is for illustrative purposes only.

[0097] Figure 7 An antenna panel including N T antenna elements is described, and these antenna elements are divided into sub-arrays of an equal number of elements (e.g., N A antenna elements). The total number of sub-arrays is denoted as N D , and N D = N T / N A .

[0098] Figure 8 An example of the RF front-end and baseband implementation of a base station 800 is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 The embodiment of the RF front-end and baseband implementation of the base station 800 shown in is for illustrative purposes only.

[0099] Figure 8 An RF front-end and baseband implementation of a base station equipped with the Figure 7 antenna panel in is shown. This RF front-end is a possible implementation of hybrid analog-digital beamforming. N Figure 8 RF signals to be transmitted from the antenna panel are constructed according to T .

[0100] Starting from the right, L data streams or L modulation symbol sequences are provided to a digital beamformer (BF), which can convert L streams into N D data streams and multiply them on resource elements including a physical resource block (PRB) bundle k with a dimension ofN D x L digital precoder , where k = 0, …, N PRB-bundles – 1, and N PRB-bundles is the total number of PRB bundles to which the data stream is mapped.

[0101] Then, N D the modulation symbols on each of the N D data streams are mapped to resource elements, subjected to OFDM modulation, and finally converted into time-domain samples. These time-domain samples are converted to analog, subjected to carrier modulation, and an analog signal is obtained for each of these

[0102] Then, the analog signal passes through an analog BF block, and an analog precoder of size N A x1 is applied to path d , where d = 0, …, N D -1. Applying the analog BF to the signals on all N D paths constructs N T = N A x N D RF signals on the antenna elements.

[0103] Figure 9 shows an example of a 5G NR frame structure 900 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 9 The embodiments of the 5GNR frame structure 900 shown in

[0104] Figure 9 are for illustration only.

[0105] Table 1. Frame structure parameters

[0106] In 5G NR, a time slot includes multiple consecutive OFDM symbols. From the L2 perspective, a time slot may correspond to a typical duration for transmitting a TB over the air; unless otherwise configured, the transmission of a TB is restricted within the time slot duration. From the L1 perspective, a time slot corresponds to an OFDM symbol grid that includes one or more MIMO layers, and each OFDM symbol grid includes multiple consecutive OFDM symbols onto which the TB processed by L1 is mapped.

[0107] Figure 9 A potential problem with the conventional frame structure is that the number of time slots per radio frame increases as the subcarrier spacing increases. For higher subcarrier spacing cases, this causes implementation difficulties in L2 and upper layer PHY implementations. For example, the required number of L2 scheduling decisions per 10 milliseconds becomes large, e.g., 80 and 160 for 120 and 240 kHz subcarrier spacing cases, which requires a larger number of computing cores at L2. In particular, for large-scale MIMO or X-MIMO applications with a huge L2 MU-MIMO scheduling burden, the number of scheduling decisions per ms can be limited to a smaller number to make the base station implementation more efficient.

[0108] Figure 10 FIG. shows an example of the per-time-slot processing chain and processing load across time slot 1000 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 10 The embodiments of the per-time-slot processing chain and processing load across time slot 1000 shown in are for illustrative purposes only.

[0109] In Figure 10 shows the problem. In per-time-slot processing (e.g., Figure 10 (a)) of Figure 10 the illustration, L2 scheduling takes 0.25 milliseconds per time slot, and L1 baseband processing takes 0.25 milliseconds per time slot. The RF time slot duration is 0.125 milliseconds. In Figure 10 (e.g., (b)), the L2-L1-RF processing across 5 consecutive time slots is shown. To continuously feed the necessary data to the L1 baseband and RF Tx modules, L2 needs to process the scheduling decisions of multiple (i.e., 4) time slots in parallel. Similarly, the L1 baseband also needs to process 4 time slots in parallel. The more parallel processing required, the more computing resources are needed. This incurs higher CAPEX and implementation costs, which can hinder the market adoption of these higher-end base stations.

[0110] The UE is configured with multiple subframe groups, where the first subframe group corresponds to those subframes using the default parameter set and time slot configuration. For each subframe number group other than the first subframe group, the UE is configured with a replacement OFDM parameter set and a replacement time slot configuration. When the subframe number belongs to a certain subframe number group, the UE configures the UE receiver and transmitter to use the replacement parameter set and the replacement time slot configuration corresponding to the parameters configured for that subframe number group. Here, a subframe divides a 10 - millisecond radio frame into equal durations, for example, 1 millisecond / subframe or 0.5 millisecond / subframe.

[0111] The information conveyed through the configuration of the parameter set and the time slot structure includes at least some of the time slot duration, the number of OFDM symbols per time slot, the CP length, and the number of sub - carriers per PRB.

[0112] Figure 11 An example of a frame structure design 1100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 11 The embodiment of the frame structure design 1100 shown is for illustration only.

[0113] Table 2. Parameters

[0114] Figure 11 And Table 2 shows some embodiments of the present disclosure that overcome the challenges of higher CAPEX and implementation costs. In this design, the time slot duration is constant for all sub - carrier spacing values, but the number of OFDM symbols per time slot becomes different for different sub - carrier spacing values. The main benefit of this design is that the L2 processing burden does not increase as the sub - carrier spacing value increases.

[0115] Similar to 5G NR and LTE, the subframe duration is also defined so that the system has an absolute time measurement. Here, the subframe length is chosen to be 0.5 milliseconds. When the time slot length and the subframe length are the same by default, the traditional subframe duration of 1 millisecond is too long to support low - latency applications, while 0.5 milliseconds can be a better choice.

[0116] In Table 2, it is shown that the number of OFDM symbols per time slot is linearly proportional to the configured sub - carrier spacing value. When the sub - carrier spacing value doubles, the number of OFDM symbols per time slot doubles. For a 15 - kHz sub - carrier spacing, the basic number of OFDM symbols per time slot is 7. When the sub - carrier spacing doubles from 15 kHz to 30 kHz, the number of OFDM symbols per time slot also doubles from 7 to 14; and so on.

[0117] In Figure 11In Table 2, the slot index is determined differently according to the configured subcarrier spacing. What is provided is to determine the slot number according to the subframe index and the slot index increment specific to the subcarrier spacing in the following manner: (slot number) = (subframe index) ∙ (slot index increment). Using this slot number, even when the number of OFDM symbols per slot changes based on the configuration, the scrambling specific to the slot number for DMRS can be used.

[0118] Table 3. Parameters

[0119] In some embodiments, in order to be able to easily divide the OFDM symbols including a slot into smaller groups, the basic number of OFDM symbols per slot is configured to be 8 instead of 7. In this case, the number of OFDM symbols per slot is determined according to Table 3. When the subcarrier spacing value doubles, the number of OFDM symbols per slot doubles. For a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing, the basic number of OFDM symbols per slot is 8. When the subcarrier spacing doubles from 15 kHz to 30 kHz, the number of OFDM symbols per slot also doubles from 8 to 16; and so on.

[0120] In addition, the number of subcarriers per PRB can also be updated to 16 to further facilitate the easy mapping and division of various overhead channels. For example, for multi-port CSI-RS / DMRS mapping in the frequency domain, where the number of ports is defined as a power of 2.

[0121] It is observed that Table 3 can result in a higher number of OFDM symbols per 0.5 millisecond duration than Table 2. Therefore, if the same CP length is used in both tables, it is expected that the CP overhead of Table 3 is more than that of Table 2.

[0122] To maintain the same overhead in two different frame structure methods, the system needs to configure a smaller CP length in Table 3 than in Table 2. The disadvantage of this method is that in the case of the method of Table 3, the coverage range without ISI will be reduced. Assume that the network is allowed to select one of these frame structure methods considering the cell size and indicate the selection of the frame structure to the UE, that is, between {Option 1: longer CP + smaller number of OFDM symbols per slot} and {Option 2: shorter CP + larger number of OFDM symbols per slot}, where both options result in the same CP overhead. For larger cell coverage, the network configures Option 1; for smaller cell coverage, the network configures Option 2.

[0123] Figure 12 An example of an OFDM parameter set and a slot structure 1200 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 12The example of the OFDM parameter set and the time slot structure 1200 shown is for illustration only.

[0124] Figure 12 Examples of default and alternative OFDM parameter sets and time slot structures are shown. The illustration is constructed based on a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing.

[0125] The subframe index is divided into two groups, a default group and an alternative group. In this example, subframe {0} corresponds to the default parameter set subframe group, and the other subframes correspond to the alternative parameter set subframe group. Accordingly, the OFDM parameter set for time slot 0 can follow the default OFDM parameter set, i.e., 14 OFDM symbols per time slot, and the OFDM parameter set for time slots other than 0 can be configured via broadcast signaling.

[0126] For the default time slots, the UE is configured with {Option 1: 14 OFDM symbols / slot and CP length X}, and for the alternative time slots, the UE is configured with {Option 2: 16 OFDM symbols / slot and CP length Y = 7 / 8X}. Based on the subframe number and the signaling that determines Option 1 or Option 2, the UE determines which number of OFDM symbols to use for PDSCH and PDCCH demodulation.

[0127] The number of OFDM symbols / slot for these time slots other than the OH time slots can be configured via broadcast signaling (e.g., the Master Information Block (MIB) or the System Information Block (SIB)), or implicitly configured by scrambling the PHY signals in the OH time slots. On the other hand, the number of OFDM symbols / slot for these OH time slots is pre-configured.

[0128] Figure 12 The case of a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing is shown. The number of OFDM symbols per time slot for other subcarrier spacing values for those time slots other than the OH time slots is measured according to Tables 2 and 3. Depending on the configuration status in the broadcast signaling, the number of OFDM symbols is selected from {7, 14, 28, 56, 118} or {8, 16, 32, 64, 128}.

[0129] Generally, the UE can be configured with parameters that jointly determine the CP length and the number of OFDM symbols per time slot duration (e.g., per 0.5 millisecond duration, per 1 millisecond duration, etc.) via higher layer broadcast signaling that can be in the MIB or SIB. The signaling can also be UE-specific signaling - dynamically via DCI or semi-statically via RRC.

[0130] Figure 13 Examples of a new frame structure design 1300 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 13The embodiment of the new frame structure design 1300 shown is for illustration only.

[0131] The advantages of the new frame structure design are Figure 13 shown in. In the illustration of Figure 13 per time slot processing (e.g., Figure 13 (a) in), L2 scheduling takes 0.25 milliseconds per time slot, and L1 baseband processing takes 0.5 milliseconds per time slot. The RF time slot duration is 0.5 milliseconds. In Figure 13 (e.g., Figure 13 (b) in), the L2-L1-RF processing across 2 consecutive time slots is illustrated. To continuously feed the necessary data to the L1 baseband and RF Tx modules, L2 scheduling can be done back-to-back across time slots without the need for parallel processing. On the other hand, the L1 baseband still requires parallel processing of 2 time slots, but the number of time slots to be processed in parallel is significantly reduced compared to the Figure 10 case of Figure 10 (b) in. By comparing Figure 13 with Figure 10 , it can be observed that based on the new frame structure design, the number of required processing cores can be reduced.

[0132] Figure 14 Shows an example of the frame structure option 1400 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 14 The embodiment of the frame structure option 1400 shown is for illustration only.

[0133] Figure 14 Shows a frame structure option according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. A 10 millisecond radio frame is divided into 20 time slots. In one embodiment, one of these 20 time slots is designated as an overhead (OH) time slot. In another embodiment, two of the 20 time slots are designated as OH time slots.

[0134] In these overhead time slots, PSS / SSS / PBCH / CSI-RS / TRS / BRS are sent. Common control signaling such as SIB can also be scheduled in these time slots. In the case of multi-beam operation, multiple copies of these signals on multiple beams are sent in the OH time slots, similar to multiple SSBs in 5G-NR. In the case where the same radio frame structure is repeated across all radio frames, due to these OH time slots, the overhead can be 5 or 10%, which is quite small.

[0135] In some embodiments, Figure 9 and Figure 14One of these frame structures shown is configured by default by the standard specification. After the UE obtains DL synchronization, the slot duration and the corresponding frame structure can be updated via higher layer signaling (e.g., MIB in PBCH, SIBx in PDSCH, or UE-specific RRC signaling in PDSCH).

[0136] For this purpose, several specified slots during several radio frames are transmitted according to the "default" slot structure specified by various parameter set parameters (e.g., subcarrier spacing value, number of subcarriers per PRB, number of OFDM symbols per slot, CP length, etc.). At least those OH slots are configured as the default slot structure. After obtaining synchronization and decoding the MIB and / or SIB in those OH slots, the UE obtains information about the slot structure information of other slots from those signals transmitted in these specified slots.

[0137] In some embodiments, the default configuration is determined according to Table 4 so that the new generation network provides the same coverage as 4G LTE and 5G NR.

[0138] Table 4. Default Configuration

[0139] Table 4 shows parameters configured for OFDM signal transmission and reception according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The parameter set parameters include subcarrier spacing, number of subcarriers per PRB, CP length, etc., and the slot structure parameters include slot duration, number of symbols per slot duration, etc. In some embodiments, all these parameters can be referred to as OFDM parameter set parameters.

[0140] In one embodiment, several slots within a 10 millisecond radio frame are designated as OH slots in which SSB (SS / PBCH block, which includes PSS, SSS, PBCH) is transmitted. These OFDM signals transmitted in these OH slots are generated according to the "default" OFDM parameter set and the "default" slot structure (e.g., based on Table 2 or Table 3). The OFDM parameter set parameters and slot structure parameters for other slots (referred to as "replacement" parameter set and "replacement" slot structure) are indicated by signaling transmitted within those OH slots via their PHY channels. For example, the signaling can be transmitted in the MIB (on PBCH), SIB (on PDSCH), or by specific scrambling (i.e., specific scrambling ID of a specific PHY signal (e.g., PBCH DMRS, PSS, SSS) corresponding to a specific parameter set & slot parameter combination), etc.

[0141] Figure 15 shows a flowchart of a UE method 1500 for obtaining information according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The UE method 1500 can be performed by a UE (e.g., asFigure 1 Execute as shown in 111 - 116). Figure 15 The embodiments of the UE method 1500 shown are for illustration only. Figure 15 One or more components shown can be implemented in dedicated circuitry configured to perform the mentioned functions, or one or more components can be implemented by one or more processors running instructions for performing the mentioned functions.

[0142] Figure 15 A method for a UE to obtain information about a "replacement" time slot structure and a "replacement" OFDM parameter set according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. This information is provided in the MIB on the PBCH and / or the SIB on the PDSCH, where the PBCH and / or the PDSCH are transmitted on those specified OH time slots. PRACH configuration information (e.g., PRACH parameter set, PRACH transmission occasion, etc.) is also transmitted on those specified OH time slots.

[0143] As Figure 15 As shown, in step 1502, assuming a "default" time slot structure and a "default" OFDM parameter set, the UE obtains DL synchronization using the PSS / SSS in one of these OH time slots. In step 1504, the UE decodes the MIB from the PBCH or the SIB from the PDSCH transmitted on one of these OH time slots to obtain information about the replacement OFDM parameter set and the replacement time slot structure. In step 1506, the UE decodes the necessary SIB from the PDSCH transmitted on one of those OH time slots, including the PRACH information about the PRACH. In step 1508, the UE transmits the PRACH based on the PRACH configuration.

[0144] Figure 16 A flowchart of a UE method 1600 for determining an OFDM parameter set and a time slot configuration according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The UE method 1600 can be executed by a UE (e.g., as Figure 1 shown in 111 - 116). Figure 16 The embodiments of the UE method 1600 shown are for illustration only. Figure 16 One or more components shown can be implemented in dedicated circuitry configured to perform the mentioned functions, or one or more components can be implemented by one or more processors running instructions for performing the mentioned functions.

[0145] Figure 16 A method for a UE to determine an OFDM parameter set and a time slot configuration based on some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Upon receiving as Figure 15After the configuration of the default and replacement parameter sets and slot structures in [description], the UE knows the first set of subframe numbers for which the default parameter set is applied and the second set of subframe numbers for which the replacement parameter set is applied. Based on the subframe numbers, the UE adjusts the DL receiver accordingly. If the subframe number belongs to the group of subframe numbers that includes the OH slot, the UE configures the UE receiver to receive the PDCCH and PDSCH using the default parameter set and the default slot configuration. Otherwise, the UE configures the UE receiver to receive the PDCCH and PDSCH using the replacement parameter set and the replacement slot configuration.

[0146] As Figure 16 shown, in step 1602, the UE determines whether the DL subframe number belongs to the group of subframe numbers corresponding to the OH slot. In step 1604, the UE receives the PDCCH and PDSCH using the default OFDM parameter set and slot configuration. In step 1608, the UE performs other processing. In step 1608, the UE receives the PDCCH and PDSCH using the replacement OFDM parameter set and slot configuration.

[0147] In a more general case, the UE is configured with multiple subframe groups, where the first subframe group corresponds to those subframes that use the default parameter set and slot configuration. The numbers of the subframe groups are disjoint, and the union of all these subframe numbers corresponds to the entire set of subframe numbers. For each subframe group other than the first subframe group, the UE is configured with a replacement OFDM parameter set and a replacement slot configuration. When the subframe number belongs to a certain subframe group, the UE configures the UE receiver and transmitter to use the replacement parameter set and the replacement slot configuration corresponding to the parameters configured for that subframe group.

[0148] Figure 17 illustrates an example of subframe grouping and parameter set and slot structure option 1700 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 17 The embodiment of the subframe grouping and parameter set and slot structure option 1700 shown in [description] is for illustration only.

[0149] Figure 17 illustrates an example of subframe grouping and parameter set & slot structure options that can be configured for the UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. This illustration is constructed based on a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing.

[0150] The subframe index is divided into two groups, a default group and a replacement group. In this example, subframes {0, 10} correspond to the default parameter set subframe group, while the other subframes correspond to the replacement parameter set subframe group. Correspondingly, the OFDM parameter sets for time slots 0 and 20 can follow the default OFDM parameter set, i.e., 28 (or 32) OFDM symbols per time slot, and the OFDM parameter sets for time slots other than 0 and 20 can be configured via broadcast signaling.

[0151] The broadcast signaling indicates which of option 1 and option 2 can be used for the replacement subframe group.

[0152] When option 1 is configured, the UE assumes that all subframes are configured with the default parameter set, i.e., 28 or 32 OFDM symbols per time slot.

[0153] When option 2 is configured, the UE assumes that each of those time slots corresponding to the replacement subframe group is configured with 0.25 milliseconds per time slot and 14 (or 16) OFDM symbols per time slot. For those time slots configured with the replacement parameter set, i.e., 0.25 milliseconds per time slot, the adjacent time slot indices are consecutive integers. The time slot number interval from a default parameter set time slot of 0.5 milliseconds in length to a replacement parameter set time slot of 0.25 milliseconds in length is 2. For example, time slot 0 has the default parameter set, and the next time slot, i.e., time slot 2, has the replacement parameter set, and in this case, time slot number 1 is not used.

[0154] In one embodiment, several UL subframes (denoted as the first group of UL subframes) during multiple radio frames are assigned the default parameter set and time slot parameters, and the replacement OFDM parameter set and replacement time slot parameters will be used for other UL subframes (denoted as the second group of UL subframes).

[0155] Figure 16 A method for a UE to determine an OFDM parameter set and time slot configuration based on some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0156] After receiving the configuration of the default and replacement parameter sets and time slot structures as in Figure 16 , the UE knows the first group of subframe numbers to which the default parameter set is applied, and the second group of subframe numbers to which the replacement parameter set is applied. According to the subframe numbers, the UE adjusts the UL transmitter accordingly. If the subframe number belongs to the first subframe number group, the UE configures the UE transmitter to use the default parameter set and default time slot configuration to transmit PUSCH and PUCCH. If the subframe number belongs to the second subframe number group, the UE configures the UE transmitter to use the replacement parameter set and replacement time slot configuration to transmit PUSCH and PUCCH. In some embodiments, the first group of subframe numbers is preconfigured according to the standard specification. In an alternative embodiment, the UE determines based on Figure 16A configured set of replacement parameters and replacement time slot structure parameters are used to configure all UL time slots.

[0157] In some embodiments, the UE configures the PRB size via higher layer signaling, via broadcast signaling of the MIB or SIB, or RRC signaling. The PRB size signaling content facilitates the UE to determine the system bandwidth, the number of subcarriers per PRB in the configured bandwidth part, and the number of PRBs.

[0158] The default PRB size can be used for initial access, i.e., in the default parameter set time slots. The default PRB size can be, for example, 12 or 16.

[0159] For those time slots corresponding to the replacement parameter set subframes, a replacement PRB size can be configured. The alternative PRB size can be an integer multiple of 8, 12, or 16.

[0160] Table 5

[0161] Table 5 shows several optional values configured for the PRB size and the number of PRBs for a 100 MHz and 30 kHz subcarrier spacing.

[0162] On the configured PRB size, as the bit width of the "frequency domain resource allocation" is limited according to the number of PRBs for the configured BWP, the bit width for the scheduling allocation of DCI also changes. Thus, when the PRB size is configured to a larger value, the number of bits required to indicate the scheduling allocation can be reduced, which can help the network increase the PDCCH coverage and reduce the PDCCH overhead.

[0163] In addition, the PRB size configuration helps to achieve the effect of multiple PRB bindings. The UE can assume that the same precoder is applied across all resource elements including the PRB, where the PRB size is variable. Then, the network can flexibly consider the frequency selectivity of the channel to configure the PRB size. If the channel has high frequency selectivity, the network configures a smaller PRB size; and if the channel has low frequency selectivity, the network configures a larger PRB size.

[0164] In some embodiments, the load of parallel processing can be reduced by mapping the PDSCH / PUSCH across multiple time slots and maintaining a fixed set of frame structure parameters (e.g., time slot definition, etc., as described in Table 1). Alternatively, the network can configure the number of time slots for PDSCH mapping according to the amount of parallel processing implemented.

[0165] In some embodiments, the UE is configured with a "super-slot", where a super-slot refers to a plurality of consecutive time slots, and the number is signaled via a broadcast message (e.g., MIB or SIB). When a super-slot is configured, the super-slot is used as the unit for DL / UL processing and scheduling instead of a time slot, and can be used as a transmission time interval (TTI). The super-slot configuration is effective within a "replacement" subframe, as Figure 12 or Figure 19 shown; while the default time slot is used in those "default" subframes. A super-slot includes those OFDM symbols having a plurality of consecutive time slots. The DCI in the PDCCH scheduling the PDSCH or PUSCH is transmitted within the super-slot.

[0166] When configured with a super-slot, the duration of the PDSCH or PUSCH transmission scheduled by the DCI is within the super-slot. In some embodiments, the DCI content and payload for time-domain scheduling are adapted according to the super-slot length. For example, the starting OFDM symbol number range and the length of the PDSCH / PUSCH in the OFDM symbols are indicated differently according to the super-slot length. If the super-slot length is 1 (i.e., the same as the time slot length), the starting symbol value can be one of 0, …, 13; and the length can be 1, …, 13. If the super-slot length is 2, the starting symbol value can be one of 0, …, 27; and the length can be 1, …, 28. The duration of the PUCCH is also within the super-slot.

[0167] In some embodiments, regardless of the super-slot configuration, the DCI payload is maintained the same for the time-domain resource indication for PHY resource scheduling. The number of candidate values (in terms of bit width) of those fields signaled in the DCI can be kept the same across different super-slot sizes, for example, by uniform sub-sampling with a factor N, where N is the number of time slots in the super-slot. An example is shown in Table 6.

[0168] Table 6. Super-slot length

[0169] Figure 18 The flowchart of a UE method 1800 for determining an OFDM parameter set and a time slot configuration according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The UE method 1800 can be executed by a UE (e.g., 111-116 as shown in Figure 1 ). Figure 18 The embodiments of the UE method 1800 shown in Figure 18 are for illustration only. One or more components shown in can be implemented in a dedicated circuit system configured to perform the mentioned functions, or one or more components can be implemented by one or more processors running instructions for performing the mentioned functions.

[0170] As Figure 18 shown, in step 1802, the UE determines which subframe number group the UL subframe number belongs to. In step 1804, the UE uses the default OFDM parameter set and time slot configuration to transmit PUSCH and PUCCH. In step 1806, the UE performs other processing. In step 1808, the UE uses a replacement OFDM parameter set and time slot configuration to transmit PUSCH and PUCCH.

[0171] Figure 19 FIG. shows an example of L2 scheduling and L1 baseband processing 1900 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 19 The embodiment of L2 scheduling and L1 baseband processing 1900 shown in is for illustration only.

[0172] One example is as Figure 19 shown, where no parallel processing is required for L2 scheduling and L1 baseband processing. For a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz, time slot A in the figure can be 0.125 ms. In this example, both L2 and L1 processing take 0.5 ms. After the L1 processing is completed, the resulting PDSCH can be mapped to 4 RF transmission time slots (each with 0.125 ms). A replacement time slot definition for this multi-time slot RF Tx can be defined, which is marked as time slot B (4 × time slot A) in Figure 19 . In some embodiments, time slot B is represented as a super time slot and time slot A is represented as a time slot.

[0173] Figure 20 FIG. shows another example of L2 scheduling and L1 baseband processing 2000 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 20 The embodiment of L2 scheduling and L1 baseband processing 2000 shown in is for illustration only.

[0174] Another example is as Figure 20 shown, where there is no parallel processing for L2, but there are two parallel processing calculation cores for L1. For a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz, time slot A in the figure can still be 0.125 ms. The L2 processing and L1 processing take 0.25 ms and 0.5 ms respectively. In this case, after the L1 processing is completed, the resulting PDSCH can be mapped to 2 RF transmission time slots (each time slot has 0.125 ms). Similarly, a replacement time slot definition for this multi-time slot RF Tx can be defined, which is marked as time slot C (2 × time slot A) in Figure 20 . In some embodiments, time slot C is represented as a super time slot and time slot A is represented as a time slot.

[0175] The above example illustrates that the number of time slots for PDSCH mapping depends on the amount of parallel L1 / L2 processing assumed for implementation. Since the processing load is mainly due to the way MU-MIMO is implemented, the PDSCH of interest can be limited to the UE-specific PDSCH for unicast services.

[0176] To allow for different implementation choices, the number of time slots for such PDSCH / PUSCH / PUCCH / PDCCH mapping (also referred to as PHY channel mapping) can be configured by the network and signaled to the UE via concurrent signaling. This configuration can be signaled to the UE in a broadcast control channel such as the MIB or SIB, which effectively notifies the number of (consecutive) time slots to assume for PHY channel mapping.

[0177] In some embodiments, the super time slot is dedicated to those UEs operating in a specific communication mode, such as the MU-MIMO mode. Therefore, UE-specific (or UE-group-specific) RRC configuration is used to signal the super time slot configuration information. Additionally, to support dynamic switching between super time slot scheduling and single time slot PDSCH scheduling, for example, to support dynamic switching between MU-MIMO and SU-MIMO operations, UE-specific (or UE-group-specific) MAC CE or DCI can be used to indicate the said switching. Additionally, the number of time slots that are to include the super time slot (when enabled) is still provided in the broadcast control or RRC configuration message, as dynamically changing such a configuration may introduce implementation complexity.

[0178] Figure 21 A flowchart of UE method 2100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. UE method 2100 can be executed by a UE (e.g., 111-116 as shown in Figure 1 . Figure 21 The embodiments of UE method 2100 shown in Figure 21 are for illustrative purposes only. One or more components shown in

[0179] Figure 21 can be implemented in dedicated circuitry configured to perform the recited functions, or one or more components can be implemented by one or more processors running instructions for performing the recited functions.

[0180] As Figure 21 shown, in step 2102, the UE receives broadcast / RRC control signaling indicating the number of time slots including the overtime slot, and this number is represented as N (N>1). In step 2104, the UE determines whether the dynamic control signaling indicates that a PHY channel is to be scheduled within the overtime slot. In step 2108, the UE processes the scheduled PHY channel within the overtime slot including N consecutive time slots. In step 2110, the UE processes the scheduled PHY channel within a single time slot.

[0181] Figure 22 FIG. shows a flowchart of a UE method 2200 for multiple parameter sets according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The UE method 2200 may be performed by a UE (e.g., such as Figure 1 shown in 111-116). Figure 22 The embodiments of the UE method 2200 shown in Figure 22 are only for illustration. One or more components shown in

[0182] As Figure 22 shown, at step 2202, the method 2200 starts. In step 2202, the UE identifies first information associated with a set of SF groups including a first subframe (SF) group and a second SF group.

[0183] In step 2204, the UE determines whether the SF belongs to the first SF group or the second SF group based on the first information. In such an embodiment, the set of SF groups includes multiple time slots.

[0184] In step 2206, the UE receives second information about the parameter set and the time slot length associated with the set of SF groups.

[0185] In step 2208, the UE receives or transmits a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the time slot length included in the second information.

[0186] In one embodiment, based on determining that the SF belongs to the first SF group, the UE receives or transmits a signal in the SF based on the first parameter set and the first time slot length.

[0187] In one embodiment, based on determining that the SF belongs to the second SF group, the UE receives or transmits a signal in the SF based on the second parameter set and the second time slot length. In such an embodiment, the parameter set and the time slot length include the first parameter set and the first time slot length and the second parameter set and the second time slot length.

[0188] In one embodiment, the UE identifies the slot length of the first SF group and the subcarrier spacing (SCS) that is commonly applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group.

[0189] In one embodiment, the UE determines the number of OFDM symbols per slot of the first SF group based on the slot length and the SCS.

[0190] In one embodiment, the UE receives broadcast signaling indicating the slot length of the second SF group.

[0191] In one embodiment, the UE receives a broadcast signal indicating a value for determining the slot length of the second SF group, and identifies the slot length of the first SF group and the SCS applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group.

[0192] In one embodiment, the UE determines the number of OFDM symbols per slot of the first SF group.

[0193] In one embodiment, the UE receives a broadcast signal indicating a value for determining the slot length of the second SF group.

[0194] In one embodiment, the UE determines the number of OFDM symbols per slot of the second SF group according to the indicated value.

[0195] In one embodiment, the UE identifies the slot length of the first SF group and the subcarrier spacing (SCS) that is commonly applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group.

[0196] In one embodiment, the UE receives at least one of the following in an SF belonging to the first SF group: a signal on an overhead channel, or a broadcast signal including configuration information for a parameter set associated with the second SF group. In such an embodiment, the configuration information includes at least one of the number of OFDM symbols per slot, the number of subcarriers per PRB, the slot duration, the CP length, or the subcarrier spacing.

[0197] In one embodiment, the UE receives a broadcast message including configuration information for a superslot via the MIB or SIB; or receives an RRC message including configuration information for a superslot. In such an embodiment, a superslot includes a plurality of consecutive slots having a plurality of OFDM symbols; a superslot is used to identify a unit for DL and UL processing and scheduling operations of an SF belonging to the second SF group; each superslot is determined as a TTI; and the number of OFDM symbols included in each superslot is used to identify the DCI content and payload of time-domain scheduling.

[0198] The above process flow diagrams illustrate example methods that can be implemented in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, and various changes can be made to the methods shown in the flowcharts herein. For example, although shown as a series of steps, the various steps in each figure can overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or occur multiple times. In another example, steps can be omitted or replaced by other steps.

[0199] Figure 23 A block diagram showing the structure of a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 23 Corresponding to Figure 3 An example of a UE.

[0200] As Figure 23 shown, a UE according to an embodiment may include a transceiver 2310, a memory 2320, and a processor 2330. The transceiver 2310, memory 2320, and processor 2330 of the UE may operate according to the communication method of the UE described above. However, the components of the UE are not limited thereto. For example, a UE may include more or fewer components than those described above. Additionally, the processor 2330, transceiver 2310, and memory 2320 may be implemented as a single chip. Furthermore, the processor 2330 may include at least one processor.

[0201] The transceiver 2310 generally refers to a UE receiver and a UE transmitter, and may send / receive signals to / from a base station or a network entity. Signals sent to or received from a base station or a network entity may include control information and data. The transceiver 2310 may include an RF transmitter for upconverting and amplifying the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for amplifying the frequency of a received signal with low noise and downconverting it. However, this is only an example of the transceiver 2310, and the components of the transceiver 2310 are not limited to the RF transmitter and the RF receiver.

[0202] In addition, the transceiver 2310 may receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to the processor 2330, and send a signal output from the processor 2330 through the wireless channel.

[0203] The memory 2320 may store programs and data required for the operation of the UE. In addition, the memory 2320 may store control information or data included in the signals obtained by the UE. The memory 2320 may be a storage medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD, or a combination of storage media.

[0204] The processor 2330 may control a series of processes such that the UE operates as described above. For example, the transceiver 2310 may receive data signals including control signals sent by the base station or network entity, and the processor 2330 may determine the results of receiving the control signals and data signals sent by the base station or network entity.

[0205] Figure 24 The block diagram showing the structure of a base station according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 24 Corresponding to Figure 2 An example of the gNB.

[0206] As Figure 24 As shown, the base station according to an embodiment may include a transceiver 2410, a memory 2420, and a processor 2430. The transceiver 2410, memory 2420, and processor 2430 of the base station may operate according to the communication method of the base station described above. However, the components of the network entity are not limited thereto. For example, the base station may include more or fewer components than those described above. Additionally, the processor 2430, transceiver 2410, and memory 2420 may be implemented as a single chip. Furthermore, the processor 2430 may include at least one processor.

[0207] The transceiver 2410 generally refers to the base station receiver and the base station transmitter, and may send signals to / receive signals from the terminal. The signals sent to or received from the terminal may include control information and data. The transceiver 2410 may include an RF transmitter for up-converting and amplifying the frequency of the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for amplifying the low noise and down-converting the frequency of the received signal. However, this is only an example of the transceiver 2410, and the components of the transceiver 2410 are not limited to the RF transmitter and the RF receiver.

[0208] In addition, the transceiver 2410 may receive signals through the wireless channel and output them to the processor 2430, and send the signals output from the processor 2430 through the wireless channel.

[0209] The memory 2420 may store programs and data required for the operation of the base station. In addition, the memory 2420 may store the control information or data included in the signals obtained by the base station. The memory 2420 may be a storage medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD, or a combination of storage media.

[0210] The processor 2430 may control a series of processes such that the network entity operates as described above. For example, the transceiver 2410 may receive data signals including control signals sent by the terminal, and the processor 2430 may determine the results of receiving the control signals and data signals sent by the terminal.

[0211] Although the present disclosure has been described by way of example embodiments, various changes and modifications may be made to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to cover such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Any description in this application should not be construed as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included within the scope of the claims. The scope of the patent subject matter is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprises: a transceiver; and a controller coupled to the transceiver and configured to: identify first information associated with a set of subframe (SF) groups including a first SF group and a second SF group, wherein the set of SF groups includes a plurality of time slots, and determine whether the SF belongs to the first SF group or the second SF group based on the first information, receive second information regarding a parameter set and a time slot length associated with the set of SF groups, and receive or transmit a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the time slot length included in the second information.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the parameter set and the time slot length include a first parameter set and a first time slot length and a second parameter set and a second time slot length, and wherein the controller is further configured to: receive or transmit the signal in the SF based on the first parameter set and the first time slot length when it is determined that the SF belongs to the first SF group, and receive or transmit the signal in the SF based on the second parameter set and the second time slot length when it is determined that the SF belongs to the second SF group.

3. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: identify the time slot length of the first SF group and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) generally applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group, determine the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols per time slot of the first SF group based on the time slot length and the SCS, and receive broadcast signaling indicating the time slot length of the second SF group.

4. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive broadcast signaling indicating a value for determining the time slot length of the second SF group, identify the time slot length of the first SF group and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) generally applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group, determine the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols per time slot of the first SF group based on the time slot length and the SCS, and determine the number of OFDM symbols per time slot of the second SF group according to the indicated value.

5. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: identify the time slot length of the first SF group and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) generally applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group, and in an SF belonging to the first SF group, receive at least one of: a signal in the SF on an overhead channel, or a broadcast signal including configuration information of a parameter set associated with the second SF group.

6. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of: the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols per time slot, the number of subcarriers per physical resource block (PRB), the time slot duration, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, or the subcarrier spacing.

7. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: Receiving a broadcast message including configuration information for a super slot via a master information block (MIB) or a system information block (SIB), or Receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message including the configuration information for the super slot, wherein the super slot includes a plurality of consecutive time slots, and the plurality of consecutive time slots include a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, wherein the super slot is used to identify a unit for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) processing and scheduling operations of the SF belonging to the second SF group, wherein each of the super slots is determined as a transmission time interval (TTI), and wherein the number of OFDM symbols included in each of the super slots is used to identify downlink control information (DCI) content and payload for time domain scheduling.

8. A base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the BS comprising: a transceiver; and a controller coupled to the transceiver and configured to: generate second information regarding a parameter set and a slot length associated with a set of subframe (SF) groups, wherein the set of SF groups includes a plurality of time slots, transmit the second information regarding the parameter set and the slot length associated with the set of SF groups, and transmit or receive a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the slot length included in the second information, wherein the first information associated with the set of SF groups includes a first SF group and a second SF group, and wherein it is determined whether the SF belongs to the first SF group or the second SF group based on the first information.

9. The BS according to claim 8, wherein the parameter set and the slot length include a first parameter set and a first slot length, and a second parameter set and a second slot length, and wherein the controller is further configured to: transmit or receive the signal in the SF based on the first parameter set and the first slot length when it is determined that the SF belongs to the first SF group, and transmit or receive the signal in the SF based on the second parameter set and the second slot length when it is determined that the SF belongs to the second SF group.

10. The BS according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit broadcast signaling indicating the slot length of the second SF group, wherein the slot length of the first SF group and the subcarrier spacing (SCS) generally applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group are identified, and wherein the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols per time slot of the first SF group is determined based on the slot length and the SCS.

11. The BS according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a broadcast signal indicating a value for determining the slot length of the second SF group, wherein the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols per time slot of the second SF group is determined according to the indicated value, wherein the slot length of the first SF group and the subcarrier spacing (SCS) generally applicable to the first SF group and the second SF group are identified, and Among them, based on the time slot length and the SCS, the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols per time slot of the first SF group is identified.

12. The BS according to claim 8, wherein, the controller is further configured to: in the SF belonging to the first SF group, receive at least one of the following: the signal in the SF on the overhead channel, or a broadcast signal including configuration information of a parameter set associated with the second SF group.

13. The BS according to claim 12, wherein, the configuration information includes at least one of the following: the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols per time slot, the number of subcarriers per physical resource block (PRB), the time slot duration, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, or the subcarrier spacing.

14. The BS according to claim 8, wherein, the controller is further configured to: send a broadcast message including configuration information for the super time slot via a master information block (MIB) or a system information block (SIB), or send a radio resource control (RRC) message including the configuration information for the super time slot, wherein the super time slot includes a plurality of consecutive time slots, and the plurality of consecutive time slots include a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, wherein the super time slot is used to identify a unit for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) processing and scheduling operations of the SF belonging to the second SF group, wherein each of the super time slots is determined as a transmission time interval (TTI), and wherein the number of OFDM symbols included in each of the super time slots is used to identify downlink control information (DCI) content and payload for time domain scheduling.

15. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: identifying first information associated with a set of SF groups including a first subframe (SF) group and a second SF group, wherein the set of SF groups includes a plurality of time slots; determining, based on the first information, whether the SF belongs to the first SF group or the second SF group; receiving second information about a parameter set and a time slot length associated with the set of SF groups; and receiving or sending a signal in the SF based on the parameter set and the time slot length included in the second information.

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