System and method for controlling on / off state of intelligent node

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node. A network node (e.g., a smart node SN) may receive, from a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station BS or gNB), at least one of a first message indicating a first time-domain and / or frequency-domain T / F resource, a second message indicating a plurality of second T / F resources. The network node may determine: (i) open a forwarding entity of the network node in at least one of: a first T / F resource, one or more of a plurality of second T / F resources, one or more of a plurality of third T / F resources; and / or (ii) closing the forwarding entity in at least one of the following: the fourth T / F resource, one or more of the plurality of third T / F resources, and one or more of the plurality of fifth T / F resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, including but not limited to systems and methods for controlling the on / off state of intelligent nodes. Background Art

[0002] Coverage is a fundamental aspect of cellular network deployment. Mobile operators rely on different types of network nodes to provide blanket coverage in their deployments. Therefore, new types of network nodes are considered to increase the flexibility of network deployment by mobile operators. For example, some systems or architectures introduce integrated access and backhaul (IAB), which, as a new type of network node that does not require a wired backhaul, can be enhanced in some other systems. Another type of network node is an RF repeater, which simply amplifies and forwards any signal it receives. RF repeaters have been widely deployed in 2G, 3G, and 4G to supplement the coverage provided by conventional full-stack units. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems related to one or more problems existing in the prior art and providing additional features that will become apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who have read the present disclosure while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A network node (e.g., intelligent node SN) may receive at least one of the following from a wireless communication node (e.g., base station BS or gNB): a first message indicating a first time-domain and / or frequency-domain T / F resource, a second message indicating a plurality of second T / F resources. The network node may determine: (i) to turn on the forwarding entity of the network node in at least one of the following: the first T / F resource, one or more of the plurality of second T / F resources, one or more of the plurality of third T / F resources; and / or (ii) to turn off the forwarding entity in at least one of the following: the fourth T / F resource, one or more of the plurality of third T / F resources, one or more of the plurality of fifth T / F resources. The third T / F resource may be determined based on the first T / F resource, the second T / F resource, and / or the fourth T / F resource. The fourth T / F resource may be determined based on the first T / F resource or indicated via the first message. The fifth T / F resource may be determined based on the second T / F resource.

[0005] In some embodiments, the step of turning on the forwarding entity may further include causing the forwarding entity to forward, transmit, and / or receive only in a first T / F resource, only in one or more second T / F resources, and / or only in one or more third T / F resources. The first T / F resource may include at least one of the following: a. DL time unit; b. UL time unit; c. flexible time unit; d. time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; e. DL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; f. UL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; g. flexible time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; h. time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; i. DL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; j. UL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; k. flexible time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; l. frequency band; m. frequency band in the DL time unit; n. frequency band in the UL time unit; o. frequency band in the flexible time unit; p. T / F resource outside the frequency band; q. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the DL time unit; r. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the UL time unit; s. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the flexible time unit. The second T / F resource may be configured for the forwarding entity to forward, transmit, and / or receive. The second T / F resource may be associated with the beam indicated in the second message. The second T / F resource and / or the beam may be valid.

[0006] In some embodiments, the step of turning off the forwarding entity may further include causing the forwarding entity not to forward, transmit, and / or receive in a fourth T / F resource, one or more third T / F resources, and / or one or more fifth T / F resources. The fourth T / F resource may include resources other than the first T / F resource, or at least one of the following: a. DL time unit; b. UL time unit; c. flexible time unit; d. time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; e. DL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; f. UL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; g. flexible time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; h. time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; i. DL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; j. UL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; k. flexible time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; l. frequency band; m. frequency band in the DL time unit; n. frequency band in the UL time unit; o. frequency band in the flexible time unit; p. T / F resource outside the frequency band; q. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the DL time unit; r. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the UL time unit; s. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the flexible time unit.

[0007] In some embodiments, the fifth T / F resource may include resources other than the second T / F resource. The second T / F resource may not overlap with the fourth T / F resource, or may not include the fourth T / F resource, or the second T / F resource may belong to the first T / F resource. The third T / F resource may include resources that overlap between the fourth T / F resource and the second T / F resource, or resources that are in the second T / F resource but not in the first T / F resource, or resources that are in the first T / F resource but not in the second T / F resource.

[0008] In some embodiments, a network node may receive a second message from a wireless communication node, the second message including an indication for a forwarding entity to transmit and / or receive. If the indication satisfies at least one of the following, the network node may determine to turn on a forwarding unit in the third T / F resource: (a) the indication is periodic; (b) the indication is semi-persistent; (c) the indication is aperiodic; (d) the indication carries a priority flag; or (e) the time-domain resource and / or beam index in the indication is valid. In response to the indication in the second message not satisfying any of conditions (a) to (e), the network node may determine to turn off the forwarding unit. The time unit may be a symbol, a time slot, a subframe, or a frame. The frequency band may include at least one of the following: a sub-band, a set of resource blocks, a resource block group, a channel, a sub-channel, a carrier, a carrier group, a passband, a frequency resource, a frequency range, an operating frequency band, a cell, a bandwidth part, a spectrum band. The frequency band may be a frequency band with a DL or UL direction, an active or inactive frequency band, or a frequency band that indicates or does not indicate a TDD configuration to the network node. The first message and / or the second message may include at least one of the following: one or more system information, one or more RRC signaling, one or more MAC CE, one or more DCI signaling, combinations thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. The drawings or figures are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only the exemplary embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of illustration.

[0010] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, in which the technologies disclosed herein may be implemented;

[0011] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example base station and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 3Shows a schematic diagram of the transmission links between the BS and the SN and between the SN and the UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 Shows a framework diagram of an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 8 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 9 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 10 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 11 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 12 Shows an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 13 Shows a flowchart of an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Embodiments

[0023] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment

[0024] Figure 1FIG. 0 shows an example wireless communication network and / or system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a NarrowBand Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is herein referred to as "network 100". Such an example network 100 includes base stations 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS102"; also referred to as wireless communication nodes) and user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as wireless communication devices) that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 that cover a geographical area 101. In Figure 1 this, BS102 and UE 104 are included within the respective geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station that operates within its allocated bandwidth to provide sufficient radio coverage to its intended users.

[0025] For example, BS102 may operate on an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS102 and UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS102 and UE 104 are described as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" that can generally practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0026] Figure 2 FIG. 9 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that are not described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, as described above, system 200 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as Figure 1 the wireless communication environment 100.

[0027] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS202") and a user equipment 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE204"). BS202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, and each module is coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, and each module is coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0028] As understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, system 200 may also include any number of modules other than Figure 2 the modules shown. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logics described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described in terms of their functions. Whether such a function is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein can implement such functions in a manner suitable for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may herein be referred to as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-division duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may herein be referred to as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-division duplex manner. The operations of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 to receive transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operations of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 to receive transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 while the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in the duplex direction.

[0030] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 that can support a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to applications to specific standards and related protocols. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0031] According to various embodiments, for example, BS202 may be an evolved Node B (eNB), serving eNB, target eNB, femtocell, or picocell. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user equipment, such as mobile phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, laptop computers, wearable computing devices, and the like. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or accomplished with a general-purpose processor, content addressable memory, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof for performing the functions described herein. In this manner, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, and the like. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0032] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed respectively by processor modules 214 and 236, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be respectively coupled to processor modules 210 and 230 such that processor modules 210 and 230 can respectively read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed respectively by processor modules 210 and 230. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed respectively by processor modules 210 and 230.

[0033] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable two-way communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX services. In a typical deployment, but not limited to, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface that enables the base station transceiver 210 to communicate with a conventional Ethernet-based computer network. In this manner, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). As used herein, the terms "configured for", "configured to", and their inflected forms, when used with respect to a particular operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the particular operation or function.

[0034] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "Open Systems Interconnection model") is a conceptual and logical layout of network communication defined for systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven sub-components or layers, each representing a set of concepts of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines logical networks and effectively describes computer packet transmission by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be the Non-Access (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is another layer.

[0035] The following describes various exemplary embodiments of the present solution with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the present solution. It will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an exemplary method. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed method or process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in a sample order, and unless otherwise explicitly stated, the present solution is not limited to the presented specific order or hierarchy.

[0036] 2. Systems and Methods for Controlling the On / Off State of Smart Nodes

[0037] In certain systems (e.g., 5G New Radio (NR), Next Generation (NG) systems, 3GPP systems, and / or other systems), a Network-Controlled Repeater (NCR) can be introduced as an enhancement to traditional Radio Frequency (RF) repeaters that have the ability to receive and / or process auxiliary control information from the network. As discussed herein, for simplicity, network nodes including, but not limited to, network-controlled repeaters, smart repeaters, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), and Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) can be represented as Smart Nodes (SNs) (e.g., network nodes). For example, an SN can include, correspond to, or refer to a type of network node to assist BS102 in improving coverage (e.g., avoiding / evading blockages / obstacles, increasing transmission range, etc.).

[0038] When the SN is not in use, it can be switched to the off state to save power consumption and reduce interference to nearby devices (e.g., adjacent UEs / BSs / SNs). When the SN is used to improve coverage and increase system capacity, the SN can be switched back to the on state. To more smoothly turn on / off the SN according to actual requirements or explicit / implicit indications, a method for on / off state control can be executed.

[0039] Coverage can be a fundamental aspect of cellular network deployment. Mobile operators may rely on different types of network nodes to provide blanket coverage in their deployments. Thus, novel network nodes are considered to increase the flexibility of mobile operators in network deployment. For example, some systems or architectures introduce integrated access and backhaul (IAB), which serves as a novel network node that does not require a wired backhaul. Another type of network node is an RF repeater, which simply amplifies and forwards any signals it receives. RF repeaters have been widely deployed in 2G, 3G, and 4G to supplement the coverage provided by conventional full-stack units. An RF repeater can have a radio unit.

[0040] Network-controlled repeaters can be introduced as an enhancement to traditional RF repeaters that have the ability to receive and / or process auxiliary control information from the network. The auxiliary control information can allow the network-controlled repeater to perform its amplification and forwarding operations in a more efficient manner. Potential benefits include reduced unnecessary noise amplification, better spatial directivity in transmission and reception, and simplified network integration. The same mechanisms specified in this disclosure for control can also be applied to other systems including reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS).

[0041] Figure 3 Figure 300 shows a schematic diagram of the transmission links between BS102 and SN 302 and between SN 302 and UE 104. SN302 can include at least two functional components / units (e.g., functional entities) or be composed of them. For example, a communication unit (CU) (e.g., SN CU, sometimes referred to as the first functional entity or unit) and a forwarding unit (FU) (e.g., SN FU, sometimes referred to as the second functional entity or unit). The functional entities can support different functions. For example, SN CU can be a network-controlled repeater (NCR) MT. In another example, SN FU can be an NCR forwarder / forward (Fwd). SN CU can act as / manifest as or include features similar to UE 104, e.g., receiving and decoding auxiliary control information from BS102. SN CU can be a control unit, controller, mobile terminal (MT), part of a UE, a third-party IoT device, etc. SN FU can use the auxiliary control information received by SNCU to perform intelligent amplification and forwarding operations. SN FU can be a radio unit (RU), RIS, etc. For simplicity, CU (e.g., SN CU) and FU (e.g., SN FU) can respectively correspond to or refer to the first unit and the second unit.

[0042] As Figure 3 shown, the transmission links between BS102 and SN 302 and between SN 302 and UE 104 can be defined / described / provided as follows:

[0043] — C1: The control link from the BS to the SN CU (e.g., the C link or the first control link);

[0044] — C2: The control link from the SN CU to the BS (e.g., the C link or the second control link);

[0045] — F1: The forwarding link from the BS to the SN FU (e.g., the F link or the first forwarding link, which can be a backhaul link in this case);

[0046] — F2: The forwarding link from the SN FU to the BS (e.g., the F link or the second forwarding link, which can be a backhaul link in this case);

[0047] — F3: The forwarding link from the SN FU to the UE (e.g., the F link or the third forwarding link, which can be an access link in this case); and

[0048] — F4: The forwarding link from the UE to the SN FU (e.g., the F - link or the fourth forwarding link, which can be an access link in this case).

[0049] A control link (e.g., sometimes referred to as a communication link) may imply or indicate that a signal from one side will be detected and decoded by the other side, such that the information transmitted in the control link can be used to control the state of the forwarding links (e.g., the backhaul link and / or the access link). The forwarding link may imply that the SN FU does not know the signal from the BS102 or the UE 104. In this case, the SN FU can amplify and forward the signal without decoding it. For example, the F2 and F4 links can correspond to or be associated with the complete uplink (UL) forwarding link from the UE 104 to the BS102 (e.g., the backhaul link and the access link respectively), where F2 is the SN FU UL forwarding link. Additionally, the F1 and F3 links can correspond to or be associated with the complete downlink (DL) forwarding link from the BS102 to the UE 104 (e.g., the backhaul link and the access link respectively), where F3 is the SN FU DL forwarding link. The F1 and F2 links can correspond to or be referred to as the backhaul link (B link), and the F3 and F4 links can correspond to or be referred to as the access link (A link). The backhaul link and the access link can be part of the forwarding link, and the two combined can form a complete forwarding link.

[0050] Figure 4The framework diagram of an example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. When the SN is not in use, the SN can be switched to the off state to save power consumption and reduce interference to nearby devices (e.g., adjacent UEs / BSs / SNs). When the SN is used to improve coverage and increase system capacity, the SN can be switched to the on state again. To more smoothly turn on / off the SN, the present disclosure provides a method for performing on / off state control of the SN (e.g., SN-FU) in flexible time and other time units (e.g., symbols).

[0051] SN OFF in time / frequency / space / link resources can indicate / illustrate that the SN does not forward, transmit, and / or receive in the time / frequency / space / link resources, or the SN only forwards, transmits, and / or receives in other resources outside the above time / frequency / space / link resources.

[0052] SN ON in time / frequency / space / link resources can indicate / illustrate that the SN (only) forwards, transmits, and / or receives in the time / frequency / space / link resources, or the SN does not forward, transmit, and / or receive in other resources outside the above time / frequency / space / link resources.

[0053] Example implementation 1: The indicated time domain resource can overlap with flexible symbols

[0054] For SN-FU on / off (e.g., forwarding / not forwarding received from the base station (or UE) to the UE (or base station)), the following several options can be considered. These options can be implemented individually or in combination with each other.

[0055] Opt 1-1 (Option 1-1): For flexible symbols based on semi-static configuration (e.g., TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon and / or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated), the default behavior of SN-FU can be expected to be off or not forwarding on these symbols.

[0056] Opt 1-2 (Option 1-2): For flexible symbols based on semi-static configuration (e.g., TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon and / or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated) and dynamic UL-DL indication (e.g., SFI signaling, new dynamic UL-DL signaling, or scheduling signaling with explicit / implicit indication), the default behavior of SN-FU can be expected to be off or not forwarding on these symbols.

[0057] Opt 1-3 (Options 1-3): For the symbols in the indicated time domain resources, it can be expected that the SN-FU is turned on or forwarded on these symbols. In addition, one or more of the following points can be executed in Option 1-3.

[0058] ● The indicated time domain resources can be associated with the corresponding beams in the forwarding link beam indication.

[0059] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0060] (SN-FU) forwarding.

[0061] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be the access link beam indication and / or the backhaul link beam indication.

[0062] ● The forwarding link beam indication can include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or the corresponding time domain resources.

[0063] If Option 1-1 (or Option 1-2) and Option 1-3 are considered together to control the on / off state of the SN-FU, it can be found that if the time domain resources indicated in the forwarding link beam indication overlap / include flexible symbols based on the semi-static configuration and / or the dynamic UL-DL indication, the behavior of the SN-FU may be uncertain. If the behavior of the SN-FU is uncertain, this behavior may cause interference and performance loss.

[0064] One or more of the following options can solve the above problems. The options including the above Option 1-1 / 1-2 / 1-3 in the present disclosure can be implemented separately or in combination with each other.

[0065] Opt 1-4 (Option 1-4): Based on the semi-static configuration and / or the dynamic UL-DL indication, the indicated time domain resources cannot overlap / include flexible symbols. Figure 5 An example method for controlling the on / off state of the intelligent node (e.g., Option 1-4) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0066] In addition, one or more of the following points can be executed in Option 1-4.

[0067] ● The indicated time domain resources can be associated with the corresponding beams in the forwarding link beam indication.

[0068] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0069] (SN-FU) forwarding.

[0070] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be the access link beam indication and / or the backhaul link beam indication.

[0071] ● The forwarding link beam indication can include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or the corresponding time domain resources.

[0072] ● The time domain resources and / or beam index indicated in the beam indication can be valid.

[0073] In other words, based on the semi-static configuration and / or the dynamic UL-DL indication, the SN (SN-CU / FU) may not expect the indicated time domain resources to overlap with / include flexible symbols.

[0074] Accordingly, the base station cannot configure time domain resources that overlap with / include flexible symbols. Under the conditions of Option 1-4, both Option 1-1 (or Option 1-2) and Option 1-3 can solve the SN-FU on / off problem. In other words, under the conditions of Option 1-4, for the symbols in the indicated time domain resources, it can be expected that the SN-FU is on or forwarding on these symbols. For other symbols, it can be expected that the SN-FU is off or not forwarding.

[0075] Option 1-5 (Option 1-5): For the symbols in the indicated time domain resources, rather than the flexible symbols based on the semi-static configuration and / or the dynamic UL-DL indication, it can be expected that the SN-FU is on or forwarding on these symbols. Figure 6 An example method of controlling the on / off state of the intelligent node (e.g., Option 1-5) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0076] In addition, one or more of the following key points can be performed in Option 1-5.

[0077] ● The indicated time domain resources can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forwarding link beam indication.

[0078] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0079] (SN-FU) forwarding.

[0080] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be the access link beam indication and / or the backhaul link beam indication.

[0081] ● The forwarding link beam indication can include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or the corresponding time domain resources.

[0082] ● The time domain resources and / or beam index indicated in the beam indication can be valid.

[0083] ● It is expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward on other symbols (e.g., in the symbols in the indicated time-domain resources and flexible symbols, or in the symbols not in the indicated time-domain resources).

[0084] In Option 1-5, for flexible symbols based on semi-static configuration and / or dynamic UL-DL indication, regardless of whether the symbol is in the indicated time-domain resources, it is expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward on these symbols.

[0085] Option 1-6 (Option 1-6): For flexible symbols based on semi-static configuration and / or dynamic UL-DL indication that are not in the indicated time-domain resources, it is expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward on these symbols. In other words, in Option 1-6, for the symbols in the indicated time-domain resources, regardless of whether the symbol is a flexible symbol, it is expected that the SN-FU is turned on or forwards on these symbols. For other symbols, it is expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward in the indicated time-domain resources. Figure 7 An example method of controlling the on / off state of the intelligent node (e.g., Option 1-6) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0086] In addition, one or more of the following key points can be performed in Option 1-6.

[0087] ● The indicated time-domain resources can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forwarding link beam indication.

[0088] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0089] (SN-FU) to forward.

[0090] ● The forwarding link beam indication can be the access link beam indication and / or the backhaul link beam indication.

[0091] ● The forwarding link beam indication can include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or the corresponding time-domain resources.

[0092] ● The time-domain resources and / or beam index indicated in the beam indication can be valid.

[0093] Option 1-7: If, based on semi-static configuration and / or dynamic UL-DL indication, the indicated time-domain resources overlap / include flexible symbols, for these overlapping flexible symbols, at least one of the following options can be considered.

[0094] Option 1-7-1: It is expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward, the same as Option 1-5. This shows / indicates that the priority of the default behavior of the SN-FU is higher than the priority of the turn-on indication via the forwarding link beam indication.

[0095] Option 1-7-2: It can be expected that SN-FU opens or forwards, which is the same as Option 1-6. This indicates that the priority of the default behavior of SN-FU is lower than the priority of the open indication indicated via the forwarding link beam.

[0096] Option 1-7-3: If the forwarding link beam indication is one or more of the following types, it can be expected that SN-FU opens or forwards.

[0097] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication with a priority flag (flag present or flag = 1).

[0098] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication with a priority flag. In addition, the time domain resources and / or beam index in the beam indication can be valid.

[0099] ● Aperiodic beam indication.

[0100] ● Aperiodic beam indication. In addition, the time domain resources and / or beam index in the beam indication can be valid.

[0101] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication (without a priority flag or flag = 0).

[0102] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication. In addition, the time domain resources and / or beam index in the beam indication can be valid.

[0103] or beam index can be valid.

[0104] The indicated time domain resources can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forwarding link beam indication. The definition / operation of the forwarding link beam indication can refer to the key points in the above options and will not be elaborated here. The periodic / semi-persistent / aperiodic beam indication can be an indication sent by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) to indicate the beam index and / or time resource for the forwarding link (e.g., access link). In addition, the periodic beam indication can be carried by RRC signaling, the semi-persistent indication can be carried by RRC signaling and / or MAC CE, and the aperiodic beam indication can be carried by RRC signaling, DCI signaling, and / or MAC CE. If the forwarding link beam indication is of other types, it can be expected that SN-FU closes or does not forward.

[0105] In Option 1-7-3, the priority of some types of beam indications used to indicate opening can be higher than the priority of the default behavior of SN-FU, while the priority of other types can be lower than the priority of the default behavior of SN-FU.

[0106] Implementation Example 2:

[0107] In a time division duplex (TDD) configuration, a time unit (e.g., symbol, time slot, or subframe) can be configured semi-statically or dynamically with DL, UL, and / or flexible directions. The time unit can be referred to as a DL time unit, a UL time unit, or a flexible time unit. A half-duplex device can transmit or receive unidirectionally within this time unit. Even for a flexible time unit, if the base station (or UE) performs transmission during the flexible time unit, the BS (or UE) cannot perform a receive operation simultaneously, and vice versa.

[0108] In a full-duplex mode or an FDM operation mode, some or all of the frequency domain resources in the corresponding carrier / band on the time unit can be configured as subbands (SBs). An SB can be defined as a set of consecutive or non-consecutive frequency resources (e.g., resource blocks or resource elements), and thus can be equivalent to concepts such as a resource block set, a resource block group, a channel, a subchannel, a carrier, a carrier group, a passband, a frequency resource, a frequency range, an operating band, a cell, and / or a bandwidth part, etc.

[0109] For example, in the full-duplex mode, some or all of the frequency domain resources in the carrier on the above DL / flexible time unit can be reconfigured as UL SBs (and / or full-duplex SBs, flexible SBs, protection SBs), or some or all of the frequency domain resources in the carrier on the above UL / flexible time unit can be reconfigured as DL SBs (and / or full-duplex SBs, flexible SBs, protection SBs) to support full-duplex operation. These time units with SBs can also be referred to as SB time units (e.g., SB symbols, SB time slots). In an SB time unit, there can be one or more SBs in a carrier.

[0110] For the sake of distinction, a time unit without an SB configured can be referred to as a non-SB time unit or a normal time unit (e.g., a flexible symbol can be a non-SB flexible symbol (e.g., a normal flexible symbol) or an SB flexible symbol). In the present disclosure, for the convenience of description, "symbol" can be used as an example of "time unit".

[0111] Hereinafter, several options are provided / considered to solve the problem of how to determine the on / off behavior of the SN-FU.

[0112] Option 2-1 (Option 2-1): If at least one of the following for the fourth time / frequency domain resource, based on a semi-static configuration (e.g., TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon and / or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated) and / or a dynamic configuration (e.g., SFI signaling, new dynamic signaling, or scheduling signaling with explicit / implicit indication), the default behavior of the SN-FU can be expected to be off or not forwarding in the fourth time / frequency domain resource (" / " means "and / or").

[0113] ● These symbols can be normal flexible symbols (or non-SB flexible symbols, or flexible symbols without SB configured), SB flexible symbols.

[0114] ● The symbol can be a flexible symbol (SB flexible symbol or normal flexible symbol).

[0115] ● Time-domain / frequency-domain resources on flexible symbols other than SB's resources.

[0116] For example, the fourth time / frequency domain resource can be: the symbol can be a normal flexible symbol, and the frequency resource can have no restrictions (e.g., the frequency resource can be a carrier). As Figure 8 shown, it can be expected that SN-FU is turned off or not forwarded in the above fourth time / frequency domain resource. Figure 8 An example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node (e.g., option 2-1) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0117] Again, the fourth time / frequency domain resource can be: time / frequency domain resources on flexible symbols other than SB's resources, the symbol can be a flexible symbol (SB flexible symbol or normal flexible symbol), and / or the frequency resource can be a resource other than SB. It can be expected that SN-FU is turned off or not forwarded in the above fourth time / frequency domain resource, as Figure 9 shown. Figure 9 An example method for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node (e.g., option 2-1) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0118] In other words, SN-FU can forward, transmit, and / or receive (e.g., turn on SN-FU) only in time / frequency domain resources other than the fourth time / frequency domain resource (i.e., the first time / frequency domain resource). The first time / frequency domain resource can also be configured based on semi-static configuration (e.g., TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon and / or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated) and / or dynamic configuration (e.g., SFI signaling, new dynamic signaling, or scheduling signaling with explicit / implicit indication). The first time / frequency domain resource can be at least one of the following: DL symbol, UL symbol, or SB flexible symbol; or time / frequency domain resources of SB on flexible symbols.

[0119] For example, SN-FU can receive on the backhaul link or transmit on the access link only in DL symbols, SB symbols (e.g., flexible symbols with SB, UL symbols with SB), and / or time / frequency domain resources of SB on flexible / UL symbols. Here, SB can refer to DL SB.

[0120] For another example, SN-FU can receive on the access link or transmit on the backhaul link only in the UL symbol, SB symbol (e.g., flexible symbol with SB, DL symbol with SB), and / or the time domain / frequency domain resources of SB on the flexible / DL symbol. Here, SB can refer to UL SB.

[0121] If the carrier is indicated by the base station to be off or inactive or not forwarded, and / or if the base station does not indicate the TDD configuration of the carrier to the SN (SN-CU) (e.g., the SN does not receive the TDD configuration of the carrier from the base station or OAM), and the TDD configuration includes semi-static configuration (e.g., TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon, and / or TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated), and / or dynamic configuration (e.g., SFI, new dynamic signaling, or scheduling signaling with explicit / implicit indication), then it can be expected that SN-FU is off or not forwarded in the carrier. The carrier can also refer to sub-band, passband, cell, frequency band, frequency resource, etc., similar to the definition of sub-band. In other words, it can be expected that SN-FU is on or forwarded in the carrier only when the carrier is indicated by the base station to be on or active or forwarded, and / or only when the base station indicates the TDD configuration of the carrier (SN-CU) to the SN.

[0122] Option 2-2 (Option 2-2): It can be expected that SN-FU is on or forwarded on the indicated second time / frequency domain resource. The indicated second time / frequency domain resource can be at least one of the following.

[0123] ● The indicated second time domain resource can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0124] ● The indicated second frequency domain resource can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0125] ● The forward link beam indication can be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0126] (SN-FU) to forward.

[0127] ● The forward link beam indication can be the access link beam indication and / or the backhaul link beam indication.

[0128] ● The forward link beam indication can include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or the corresponding second time domain / frequency domain resource.

[0129] ● The second time domain / frequency domain resource and / or beam index indicated in the beam indication can be valid.

[0130] In other words, the SN-FU can transmit or receive only in the indicated second time / frequency domain resource. In other words, it can be expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward on resources outside the indicated second time / frequency domain resource. The resource outside the indicated second time / frequency domain resource is the fifth time / frequency domain resource.

[0131] In addition, it can be expected that the SN-FU is turned on or forwards only on the indicated second time / frequency domain resource in the carrier. For other carriers, if the second time domain / frequency domain resources in these carriers are not indicated, it can be expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward. A carrier also refers to a sub-band, a passband, a cell, a frequency band, a frequency resource, etc., similar to the definition of a sub-band.

[0132] Option 2-3 (Option 2-3): The indicated second time / frequency domain resource cannot overlap with / cover the fourth time / frequency domain resource, or the second time / frequency resource can belong to the first time / frequency resource. The definition of the fourth time / frequency domain resource can be given in Option 2-1. Figure 10 An example method of controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node (e.g., Option 2-3) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0133] For example, the indicated second time domain resource cannot overlap with / cover a normal flexible symbol (or a non-SB flexible symbol without SB configured) or a flexible symbol (SB flexible symbol or normal flexible symbol). In a flexible symbol, the indicated second frequency domain resource cannot overlap with / include resources other than SB. The definition of a flexible (normal) symbol can refer to the above description in the present disclosure.

[0134] In addition, one or more of the following points can be executed / considered in Option 2-3.

[0135] ● The indicated second time domain resource can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0136] ● The indicated second frequency domain resource can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0137] ● The forward link beam indication can be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0138] (SN-FU) to forward.

[0139] ● The forward link beam indication can be an access link beam indication and / or a backhaul link beam indication.

[0140] ● The forward link beam indication can include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or the corresponding second time / frequency domain resource.

[0141] ● The second time / frequency domain resource and / or beam index indicated in the beam indication may be valid.

[0142] In other words, the SN (SN-CU / FU) may expect the indicated second time domain resource to overlap with / cover the normal flexible symbol or flexible symbols. The SN (SN-CU / FU) may not expect the indicated second frequency domain resource to overlap with / cover resources other than the SBs in the flexible symbol.

[0143] Accordingly, the base station cannot configure / indicate a second time domain resource that overlaps with / covers the normal flexible symbol or flexible symbols. The base station cannot configure / indicate a second frequency domain resource that overlaps with / covers resources other than the SBs in the flexible symbol.

[0144] In other words, under the restrictions of Option 2-3, for the indicated second time / frequency domain resources, it can be expected that the SN-FU turns on or forwards on these resources. For other time / frequency domain resources, it can be expected that the SN-FU turns off or does not forward.

[0145] Option 2-4 (Option 2-4): For resources that are in the indicated second time / frequency domain resources but not in the fourth time / frequency domain resources, it can be expected that the SN-FU turns on or forwards on these resources. The definition of the fourth time / frequency domain resources can be given in Option 2-1. Figure 11 An example method of controlling the on / off state of the intelligent node (e.g., Option 2-4) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0146] In addition, one or more of the following key points may be executed / considered in Option 2-4.

[0147] ● The indicated second time domain resource may be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0148] ● The indicated second frequency domain resource may be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0149] ● The forward link beam indication may be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0150] (SN-FU) to forward.

[0151] ● The forward link beam indication may be the access link beam indication and / or the backhaul link beam indication.

[0152] ● The forward link beam indication may include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or corresponding second time / frequency domain resources.

[0153] ● The second time / frequency domain resources and / or beam index indicated in the beam indication may be valid.

[0154] ● It may be expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward in other resources (e.g., resources in the indicated second time / frequency domain resources and fourth time / frequency domain resources).

[0155] ● In resources that are not in the indicated second time / frequency domain resources.

[0156] In Option 2-4, for resources in the fourth time / frequency domain resources, regardless of whether these resources are in the indicated second time domain resources, it may be expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward on these resources.

[0157] Option 2-5 (Option 2-5): For resources in the fourth time / frequency domain resources but not in the indicated second time / frequency domain resources, it may be expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward on these resources.

[0158] In other words, in Option 2-5, for resources in the indicated second time / frequency domain resources, regardless of whether these resources are in the fourth time / frequency domain resources, it may be expected that the SN-FU is turned on or forwards on these resources. For other resources, it may be expected that the FU is turned off or does not forward. Figure 12 An example method of controlling the on / off state of the intelligent node (e.g., Option 2-4) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0159] In addition, one or more of the following key points may be executed / considered in Option 2-5.

[0160] ● The indicated second time domain resources may be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0161] ● The indicated second frequency domain resources may be associated with the corresponding beam in the forward link beam indication.

[0162] ● The forward link beam indication may be indicated by the base station to the SN (SN-CU) for the SN

[0163] (SN-FU) forwarding.

[0164] ● The forward link beam indication may be an access link beam indication and / or a backhaul link beam indication.

[0165] ● The forward link beam indication may include beam information (e.g., beam index) and / or corresponding second time / frequency domain resources.

[0166] ● The second time / frequency domain resource and / or beam index indicated in the beam indication can be valid.

[0167] Option 2-6 (Option 2-6): If the indicated second time / frequency domain resource overlaps with / includes the fourth time / frequency domain resource, for these overlapping resources (the third time / frequency domain resource), at least one of the following options can be considered.

[0168] Option 2-6-1 (Option 2-6-1): It can be expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward, which is the same as Option 2-4. This indicates that the priority of the default behavior of the SN-FU can be higher than the priority of the turn-on indication via the forwarding link beam indication.

[0169] Option 2-6-2 (Option 2-6-2): It can be expected that the SN-FU is turned on or forwards, which is the same as Option 2-5. This indicates that the priority of the default behavior of the SN-FU can be lower than the priority of the turn-on indication via the forwarding link beam indication.

[0170] Option 2-6-3 (Option 2-6-3): If the forwarding link beam indication is one or more of the following types, it can be expected that the SN-FU is turned on or forwards.

[0171] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication with a priority flag (flag present or flag = 1).

[0172] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication with a priority flag. In addition, the time domain resource and / or beam index in the beam indication can be valid.

[0173] ● Aperiodic beam indication.

[0174] ● Aperiodic beam indication. In addition, the time domain resource and / or beam index in the beam indication can be valid.

[0175] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication (without a priority flag or flag = 0).

[0176] ● Periodic and / or semi-persistent beam indication. In addition, the time domain resource and / or beam index in the beam indication can be valid.

[0177] The indicated second time / frequency domain resource can be associated with the corresponding beam in the forwarding link beam indication. The definition / operation (periodic / semi-persistent / aperiodic) of the forwarding link beam indication can refer to the above embodiments / options and will not be elaborated here. If the forwarding link beam indication is of other types, it can be expected that the SN-FU is turned off or does not forward.

[0178] It should be understood that one or more features from the above-described embodiments do not exclude a particular embodiment, but can be combined in any way (e.g., in any priority and / or order, simultaneously, or otherwise).

[0179] Figure 13 A flowchart of a method 1300 for controlling the on / off state of an intelligent node is shown. The method 1300 can be implemented using any one or more components and devices described in detail herein in connection with Figure 1 and Figure 2 In general, in some embodiments, the method 1300 can be performed by a network node. According to an embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations can be performed in the method 1300. At least one aspect of the operations relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0180] A network node (e.g., an intelligent node (SN)) can receive at least one of the following from a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS) or a gNB): a first message indicating a first time domain and / or frequency domain (T / F) resource, a second message indicating a plurality of second T / F resources. The network node can determine: (i) to turn on the forwarding entity of the network node in at least one of: the first T / F resource, one or more of the plurality of second T / F resources, one or more of the plurality of third T / F resources; and / or (ii) to turn off the forwarding entity in at least one of: the fourth T / F resource, one or more of the plurality of third T / F resources, one or more of the plurality of fifth T / F resources. The third T / F resources can be determined based on the first T / F resource, the second T / F resource, and / or the fourth T / F resource. The fourth T / F resource can be determined based on the first T / F resource or indicated via the first message. The fifth T / F resources can be determined based on the second T / F resource.

[0181] In some embodiments, the step of turning on the forwarding entity may further include causing the forwarding entity to forward, transmit, and / or receive only in a first T / F resource, only in one or more second T / F resources, and / or only in one or more third T / F resources. The first T / F resource may include at least one of the following: a. DL time unit; b. UL time unit; c. flexible time unit; d. time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; e. DL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; f. UL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; g. flexible time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; h. time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; i. DL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; j. UL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; k. flexible time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; l. frequency band; m. frequency band in the DL time unit; n. frequency band in the UL time unit; o. frequency band in the flexible time unit; p. T / F resource outside the frequency band; q. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the DL time unit; r. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the UL time unit; s. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the flexible time unit. The second T / F resource may be configured for the forwarding entity to forward, transmit, and / or receive. The second T / F resource may be associated with the beam indicated in the second message. The second T / F resource and / or the beam may be valid.

[0182] In some embodiments, the step of turning off the forwarding entity may further include causing the forwarding entity not to forward, transmit, and / or receive in a fourth T / F resource, one or more third T / F resources, and / or one or more fifth T / F resources. The fourth T / F resource may include resources other than the first T / F resource, or at least one of the following: a. DL time unit; b. UL time unit; c. flexible time unit; d. time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; e. DL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; f. UL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; g. flexible time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; h. time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; i. DL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; j. UL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; k. flexible time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; l. frequency band; m. frequency band in the DL time unit; n. frequency band in the UL time unit; o. frequency band in the flexible time unit; p. T / F resource outside the frequency band; q. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the DL time unit; r. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the UL time unit; s. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the flexible time unit.

[0183] In some embodiments, the fifth T / F resource may include resources other than the second T / F resource. The second T / F resource may not overlap with the fourth T / F resource, or may not include the fourth T / F resource, or the second T / F resource may belong to the first T / F resource. The third T / F resource may include resources that overlap between the fourth T / F resource and the second T / F resource, or resources that are in the second T / F resource but not in the first T / F resource, or resources that are in the first T / F resource but not in the second T / F resource.

[0184] In some embodiments, a network node may receive a second message from a wireless communication node, the second message including an indication for a forwarding entity to transmit and / or receive. If the indication satisfies at least one of the following, the network node may determine to turn on a forwarding unit in the third T / F resource: (a) the indication is periodic; (b) the indication is semi-persistent; (c) the indication is aperiodic; (d) the indication carries a priority flag; (e) the time-domain resource and / or beam index in the indication is valid. In response to the indication in the second message not satisfying any of conditions (a) to (e), the network node may determine to turn off the forwarding unit. The time unit may be a symbol, a time slot, a subframe, or a frame. The frequency band may include at least one of the following: a sub-band, a set of resource blocks, a resource block group, a channel, a sub-channel, a carrier, a carrier group, a passband, a frequency resource, a frequency range, an operating frequency band, a cell, a bandwidth part, a spectrum band. The frequency band may be a frequency band with a DL or UL direction, an active or inactive frequency band, or a frequency band that indicates or does not indicate a TDD configuration to the network node. The first message and / or the second message may include at least one of the following: one or more system information, one or more RRC signaling, one or more MAC CE, one or more DCI signaling, a combination of the above.

[0185] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are given by way of example rather than limitation. Similarly, the various figures may depict example architectures or configurations provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of the present solution. However, these persons will understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above exemplary embodiments.

[0186] It should also be understood that any reference in this document to elements using terms such as "first", "second", etc. generally does not limit the number or order of those elements. Instead, these terms are used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must be located before the second element in some manner.

[0187] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any of a variety of different technologies can be used to represent information and signals. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols referred to in the above description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0188] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design code containing instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have generally been described above in terms of their functionality. Implementing this functionality as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. A person skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0189] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) including a general - purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application - specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field - programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, modules, and circuits can further include an antenna and / or a transceiver to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general - purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0190] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Accordingly, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, and communication media includes any medium that can transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. The storage media can be any available medium accessible by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, and any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0191] As used herein, the term “module” refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements to perform the relevant functions described herein. Additionally, for purposes of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions in accordance with embodiments of the present solution.

[0192] In addition, a memory or other storage and communication components can be employed in embodiments of the present solution. It should be understood that, for clarity, the above description has described embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains can be used without departing from the present solution. For example, functions illustrated as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Accordingly, the reference to a particular functional unit is only a reference to a suitable device for providing the described function and does not indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0193] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: A network node receives at least one of the following from a wireless communication node: a first message indicating a first time domain and / or frequency domain T / F resource, a second message indicating a plurality of second T / F resources; The network node determines: (i) Turn on the forwarding entity of the network node in at least one of the following: the first T / F resource, one or more of the plurality of second T / F resources, one or more of a plurality of third T / F resources; and / or (ii) Turn off the forwarding entity in at least one of the following: a fourth T / F resource, one or more of the plurality of third T / F resources, one or more of a plurality of fifth T / F resources; Wherein, the third T / F resource is determined based on the first T / F resource, the second T / F resource, and / or the fourth T / F resource; Wherein, the fourth T / F resource is determined based on the first T / F resource or is indicated by the first message; Wherein, the fifth T / F resource is determined based on the second T / F resource.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of turning on the forwarding entity further includes causing the forwarding entity to forward, transmit, and / or receive only in the first T / F resource, only in the one or more second T / F resources, and / or only in the one or more third T / F resources.

3. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein The first T / F resource includes at least one of the following: a. DL time unit; b. UL time unit; c. Flexible time unit; d. Time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; e. DL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; f. UL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; g. Flexible time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; h. Time unit without a frequency band in the frequency domain; i. DL time unit without a frequency band in the frequency domain; j. UL time unit without a frequency band in the frequency domain; k. Flexible time unit without a frequency band in the frequency domain; l. Frequency band; m. Frequency band in the DL time unit; n. Frequency band in the UL time unit; o. Frequency band in the flexible time unit; p. T / F resource outside the frequency band; q. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the DL time unit; r. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the UL time unit; s. T / F resource outside the frequency band in the flexible time unit.

4. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein The second transceiver resource is configured for the forwarding entity to forward, transmit, and / or receive.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein, The second T / F resource is associated with the beam indicated in the second message.

6. The wireless communication method according to claim 5, wherein, The second T / F resource and / or the beam is effective.

7. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of turning off the forwarding entity further includes causing the forwarding entity not to forward, transmit, and / or receive in the fourth T / F resource, the one or more third T / F resources, and / or the one or more fifth T / F resources.

8. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 or 7, wherein, The fourth T / F resource includes resources other than the first T / F resource or at least one of the following: a. DL time unit; b. UL time unit; c. Flexible time unit; d. Time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; e. DL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; f. A UL time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; g. A flexible time unit having a frequency band in the frequency domain; h. A time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; i. A DL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; j. A UL time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; k. A flexible time unit having no frequency band in the frequency domain; l. A frequency band; m. A frequency band in a DL time unit; n. A frequency band in a UL time unit; o. A frequency band in a flexible time unit; p. T / F resources outside the frequency band; q. T / F resources outside the frequency band in a DL time unit; r. T / F resources outside the frequency band in a UL time unit; s. T / F resources outside the frequency band in a flexible time unit.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The fifth T / F resource includes resources other than the second T / F resource.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The second T / F resource does not overlap with the fourth T / F resource, or does not include the fourth T / F resource, or the second T / F resource belongs to the first T / F resource.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The third T / F resource includes resources overlapping between the fourth T / F resource and the second T / F resource, or resources in the second T / F resource but not in the first T / F resource, or resources in the first T / F resource but not in the second T / F resource.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: The network node receives the second message from the wireless communication node, the second message including an indication for the forwarding entity to transmit and / or receive; If the indication satisfies at least one of the following, the network node determines to turn on the forwarding unit in the third T / F resource: (a) The indication is periodic; (b) The indication is semi-persistent; (c) The indication is aperiodic; (d) The indication has a priority flag; (e) The time-domain resources and / or beam indices in the indication are valid.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, further comprising that in response to the indication in the second message not satisfying any one of conditions (a) to (e), the network node determines to turn off the forwarding unit.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 3 or 8, wherein, The time unit is a symbol, a time slot, a subframe or a frame.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 3 or 8, wherein, The frequency band includes at least one of the following: a sub-band, a set of resource blocks, a resource block group, a channel, a sub-channel, a carrier, a carrier group, a passband, a frequency resource, a frequency range, an operating frequency band, a cell, a bandwidth part, a spectrum band.

16. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 3 or 8, wherein, The frequency band is a frequency band having a DL or UL direction, an active or inactive frequency band, or a frequency band indicating or not indicating a TDD configuration to the network node.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The first message and / or the second message includes at least one of the following: one or more system information, one or more RRC signaling, one or more MAC CE, one or more DCI signaling, the above combinations.

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