Method and apparatus for controlling resource mapping

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a method and device for controlling resource mapping. In an example embodiment, a method performed in a communication device is provided. According to the method, a REG index is used for controlling a plurality of REGs in a channel region. A REG bundling index is determined based on the REG index and a pattern of the REG bundling. The pattern of REG bundling indicates the number of REGs in the frequency domain and the number of OFDM symbols in the time domain. A CCE index is determined based on the determined REG bundling index and the number of CCEs in the control channel region. The CCE index is continuous with respect to the REG bundling in the frequency domain.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application with application number 201780093574.X and title “Method and device for controlling resource mapping” filed on August 3, 2017. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and in particular to methods and apparatus for controlling resource mapping. Background Art

[0003] In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system, the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is used to transmit downlink control information (DCI) for mobile users, such as user equipment (UE)-specific scheduling information for downlink resource allocation for mobile users, uplink grants, physical random access channel (PRACH) responses, uplink power control commands, and general scheduling allocations for signaling messages such as system information, paging information, etc.

[0004] At the beginning of each subframe in an LTE communication system, the PDCCH for mobile users occupies the first 1, 2, or 3 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the time domain (except in the case of a 1.4 MHz channel, where it is the first 2, 3, or 4 OFDM symbols). The number of OFDM symbols in any given subframe is indicated in the Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH), which is located in the first OFDM symbol of each subframe.

[0005] The smallest resource unit in the LTE communication system is called a resource element (RE). An RE is represented by an OFDM symbol in the time domain and a subcarrier in the frequency domain. A resource element group (REG) consists of REs. Each REG contains four consecutive REs (or four REs separated by a cell-specific reference signal (RS)) in the same OFDM symbol and resource block.

[0006] Control channel element (CCE) is the basic resource allocation unit of PDCCH in LTE communication system. In LTE communication system, it is agreed to map each CCE to 9 REGs, which are distributed over the first 1 or 2 or 3 OFDM symbols and system bandwidth by interleaving to achieve diversity and reduce interference. The number of CCEs in PDCCH is called CCE aggregation level, for example, in LTE communication system, it can be 1, 2, 4 or 8 consecutive CCEs. The total number of available CCEs is determined by PCFICH configuration and system bandwidth. It is expected in LTE communication system that the PDCCHs of multiple UEs in a subframe can use different aggregation levels depending on the corresponding DCI formats of the multiple UEs. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for controlling resource mapping.

[0008] In a first aspect, a method performed in a communications device is provided. According to the method, a REG index for a plurality of REGs in a control channel region is obtained. The REG cluster index is determined based on the REG index and a REG clustering pattern. The REG clustering pattern indicates the number of REGs in the frequency domain and the number of OFDM symbols in the time domain. A CCE index is determined based on the determined REG cluster index and the number of CCEs in the control channel region, where the CCE index is continuous in the frequency domain with respect to the REG cluster.

[0009] In a second aspect, a communications device is provided. The communications device includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communications device to perform actions. These actions include: obtaining a REG index for a plurality of REGs in a control channel region; determining a REG cluster index based on the REG index and a REG clustering pattern, the REG clustering pattern indicating the number of REGs in the frequency domain and the number of OFDM symbols in the time domain; and determining a CCE index based on the determined REG cluster index and the number of CCEs in the control channel region, the CCE index being contiguous in the frequency domain with respect to the REG cluster.

[0010] In a third aspect, a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon is provided. The instructions, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0011] In a fourth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which is tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product comprises instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0012] Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through a more detailed description of some embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram 100 of a communication environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0015] Figure 21. A flow chart illustrating a method 200 for controlling resource mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figures 3A-3C Schematic diagrams of control resource mapping from REG initial index to REG index according to embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown.

[0017] Figures 4A-4G Schematic diagrams showing control resource mapping from REG index to CCE index according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an apparatus 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 6 is a simplified block diagram of a communication device 600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure without placing any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the methods described below, the disclosure described herein may be implemented in various ways.

[0022] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0023] As used herein, the term "network device" or "base station" (BS) refers to a device that can provide or host a cell or coverage area in which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), low power node (such as femto node, pico node, etc.). For the purpose of discussion, some embodiments will be described below with reference to TRP as an example of a network device.

[0024] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktop computers, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, image capture devices (such as digital cameras), gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, or internet devices that enable wireless or wired internet access and browsing. For the purposes of discussion, some embodiments will be described below with reference to UE as an example of a terminal device.

[0025] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "including" and its variations should be understood as open terms, meaning "including but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on." The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment." The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment." The terms "first," "second," etc. may refer to different or identical objects. Other definitions (explicit and implicit) may be included below.

[0026] The communications discussed in this disclosure may conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to New Radio Access (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). In addition, communications may be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include but are not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, and fifth generation (5G) communication protocols.

[0027] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network 100 includes a network device 110 and a plurality of terminal devices 120 and 130 served by network device 110. The service area of ​​network device 110 is referred to as a cell. It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not introduce any limitation. Network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices suitable for implementing the present disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that more terminal devices may be located in a cell and served by network device 110.

[0028] The network device 110 can transmit DCI for two terminal devices 120 and 130. The network device 110 can map the physical REG resources in the control channel region to CCE resources. For a specific control channel region, the control resources can be organized into multiple REGs, and the multiple REGs can also be indexed by multiple REG indices. The mapping between REGs and CCEs can be achieved, for example, by mapping multiple REG indices to multiple CCE indices. Based on the CCE resources and the CCE aggregation level, the network device 110 determines the specific CCE resources for the two DCI transmissions of the terminal devices 120 and 130 respectively.

[0029] In a conventional LTE communication system, 9 REGs are mapped to CCEs in the control channel area. It is expected that the 9 REGs can be interleaved first in order to obtain diversity gain and reduce interference. In the new radio access (NR) communication system, REG bundling is introduced, and the REGs in one REG bundle are continuous in the frequency domain and / or time domain. It is agreed to support REG bundling in CCE for NR-PDCCH. It has also been agreed in RAN1#87 that NR should support dynamic reuse of at least a portion of the resources in the control channel area for data transmission for the same or different UEs, at least in the frequency domain. In the LTE communication system, REG resources are mapped directly to CCE, that is, REGs are not mapped to REG bundles. Since the REG indexes are fully interleaved in the LTE system, a REG bundle structure cannot be formed. That is, the conventional REG to CCE mapping solution in the LTE system cannot support the REG bundling requirements in the NR system.

[0030] To address the above problems and one or more other potential problems, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution for mapping control resources is provided. In a given control channel region, it is assumed that there are multiple REGs indexed by multiple REG indices. In some embodiments, the multiple REG indices can be continuous in each OFDM symbol, which means that starting from index "0" in each OFDM symbol, the REGs in each OFDM symbol of the control channel region are indexed separately. Therefore, the REGs can be indexed for each OFDM symbol in the control region. In one embodiment, the REGs can be indexed by the REG initial index.

[0031] In addition, the REG initial index may be continuous in different OFDM symbols in the control channel region. In another embodiment, the REG index may be derived from the REG initial index. In order to support REG bundling, the REG indices of multiple REGs in the control channel region are mapped to the REG bundling index based on the REG index and the pattern of REG bundling. A REG bundle is a control channel resource unit that includes multiple REGs in the time domain and / or frequency domain. Specifically, the pattern of REG bundling may indicate the number of REGs in the frequency domain and the number of OFDM symbols in the time domain. Since the bandwidth of the NR communication system may be very large, it may be advantageous to support REG bundling when performing REG to CCE mapping, which may promote simplicity of decoding and simplify the complexity of REG to CCE mapping.

[0032] In another embodiment, the CCE index may be determined based on the REG cluster index and the total number of CCEs in the control channel region so that the determined CCE index is continuous in the frequency domain with respect to the REG cluster. Based on the CCE index and the CCE aggregation level, a CCE is determined for the DCI of the two terminal devices 120 and 130, and then the DCI of the terminal devices 120 and 130 is transmitted in the determined CCE resources in the PDCCH or NR-PDCCH.

[0033] The following will refer to Figure 2-6 The principles and implementations of the present disclosure are described in detail. Figure 2 FIG2 is a flow chart of a method 200 for controlling resource mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 200 may be performed by the network device 110 or the terminal devices 120 and / or 130.

[0034] In block 210, REG indices for a plurality of REGs in the control channel region are obtained. For example, in an NR communication system, the control channel region is a control resource set (CORESET). The time and frequency configuration of the CORESET (such as duration, frequency domain resources, and / or starting OFDM symbol of the CORESET) may be indicated by higher signaling, such as radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), and / or system broadcast information. Unlike the PDCCH configuration of the LTE system, in the CORESET of the NR communication system, it is agreed that the REG includes 12 consecutive REs in an OFDM symbol, which is equal to the frequency duration of a physical resource block (PRB). The time resources and frequency resources of the control channel region may be determined according to higher layer signaling, which means that the REG configuration of the control channel region may be obtained.

[0035] In another embodiment, REG initial indices for a plurality of REGs in a control channel region are obtained. The REG initial indices are continuous in different OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The REG index can be determined based on the REG initial indices. As previously described, the REG index is continuous in each OFDM symbol, starting from index "0" for each OFDM symbol. An example of conversion from REG initial indices to REG indexes can be found in Figures 3A-3C Found in Figures 3A-3C , the number of OFDM symbols is 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In the frequency domain, there are 12 REGs in each OFDM symbol in the control channel region, which is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the REG index as described above can be obtained by performing a modulo operation on the REG initial index with respect to the width of the control channel region to achieve conversion from the REG initial index to the REG index. It should be noted that the width of the control channel region is represented by the number of REGs in the control channel region in the frequency domain. Figures 3A-3C In FIG, the width of the control channel region is 12, which is described only for illustration purposes and does not impose any limitation on the present disclosure.

[0036] It should be mentioned that in Figures 3A-3C In the description of the conversion from the REG initial index to the REG index and all specific values ​​are described for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. With the teachings and suggestions of this disclosure, those skilled in the art can conceive of modifications, changes and / or variations of the example implementations that fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0037] In one embodiment, for each OFDM symbol in the control channel region, the REG indexes of the multiple REGs are compiled in the order of the REG frequencies. More specifically, for each OFDM symbol in the control channel region, the multiple REGs are indexed, for example, starting from index "0". Figures 4A-4G , where there are 1, 2 or 3 OFDM symbols in the control channel region. For each of the 2 OFDM symbols, there are 12 REGs in the frequency domain. Figures 4A-4G The basic unit of the block in the control channel region is shown as one REG in the control channel region. Each index of the REG from "0" to "11" is called a REG index. It can be understood that in each OFDM symbol, the 12 REGs are indexed from "0" to "11". In other words, the REG indexes in each OFDM symbol are continuous starting from index "0". More details will be given below. Figures 4A-4G discussed in .

[0038] Reference again Figure 2In block 220, the REG cluster index is determined based on the REG index and the pattern of the REG cluster. The pattern of the REG cluster (also referred to as the size of the REG cluster) indicates the number of REGs in the frequency domain and the number of OFDM symbols of the REG cluster in the time domain. For example, in some embodiments, for a CORESET case of one symbol, the duration of the REG cluster is 1 OFDM symbol and the number of REGs in the frequency domain is at least 2, and may be up to 6, for example. In another example embodiment, for a CORESET case of two or three symbols, the duration of the REG cluster is 2 or 3 OFDM symbols. It should be noted that the pattern or size of the REG cluster may be indicated by, for example, higher layer signaling.

[0039] In one embodiment, the determination of the REG cluster index may be performed by taking the following steps. The REG index may be divided by the width of the REG cluster, which indicates the number of REGs in the REG cluster in the frequency domain. The REG index obtained by dividing by the width of the REG cluster may then be rounded down to the REG cluster index. Through these operations, adjacent REGs in the frequency domain and / or time domain are grouped into one REG cluster, such that the REGs in one REG cluster are continuous in the frequency domain and / or time domain, which is consistent in the NR communication system. An example mapping from REG index to REG cluster index will be described in Figures 4A-4G is given in the following description.

[0040] In box 230, a CCE index is determined based on the determined REG bundle index and the number of CCEs in the control channel region. The CCE index is continuous in the frequency domain with respect to the REG bundle. In this case, if one or more CCEs corresponding to one or more continuous CCE indices are allocated for DCI transmission of the terminal device 120 or 130, the remaining CCE indices may also be continuous in the frequency domain, which means that the remaining physical CCE resources corresponding to the CCE indices in the control channel region are continuous in the frequency domain. For example, since resource allocation for data transmission in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) may be based on a pair of PRBs, the remaining physical CCE resources in the control channel region may be reallocated to the PDSCH for service data transmission. Therefore, with respect to the REG and CCE mapping method in the present disclosure, it is advantageous for those skilled in the art to reuse at least a portion of the remaining unused CCE resources in the present disclosure for service data transmission, for example, in the PDSCH.

[0041] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the mapping from REG cluster index to CCE index may also be performed by an interleaver, such as the existing tail bit convolutional coding (TBCC) interleaver in the LTE system. However, in the interleaver implementation for REG cluster to CCE mapping, the CCE index is discontinuous in the frequency domain, which may prohibit the reuse of control channel resources for service data transmission. In addition, the input and output mapping matrices of the existing interleaver in the LTE system are fixed, which is inflexible for different lengths of REG cluster index; and therefore some cache may be wasted in some implementations. For those skilled in the art, it is desirable to implement different mapping methods from REG cluster index to CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous in the frequency domain with respect to the REG cluster. More illustrative examples will be provided in the following description.

[0042] In one embodiment, the determination of the CCE index may be achieved by performing a modulo operation on the REG cluster index with respect to the number of CCEs in the control channel region. The number of CCEs in the control channel region may be determined based on the number of multiple REGs in the control channel region and the number of REGs in the CCE. The CCE index may also be obtained based on the result of the above modulo operation. For example, the total number of REGs in the control channel region (such as CORESET in an NR system) may be determined based on high-layer signaling. For another example, the number of REGs in a CCE may be 6. Thus, the number of CCEs in the control channel region may be where N represents the total number of REGs in the control channel region, and The operator represents a round-down operation.

[0043] In another embodiment, the width of the REG cluster may be determined based on the number of REGs in the REG cluster and the number of OFDM symbols in the REG cluster in the time domain. In other words, the width of the REG cluster may indicate the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG cluster.

[0044] In another embodiment, multiple parameters related to the REG cluster and the control channel region can be determined based on higher layer signaling. Examples of such parameters include, but are not limited to, the number of multiple REGs in the control channel region; the number of REGs in a REG cluster; the number of REGs in a REG cluster in the frequency domain; the number of OFDM symbols in a REG cluster in the time domain; and / or the number of REGs in a CCE.

[0045] At least a portion of the aforementioned multiple parameters can be directly obtained from higher-layer signaling. Based on the relationships between the parameters, other parameters can be derived from at least a portion of the parameters. Those skilled in the art can devise specific implementations within the scope of this disclosure based on the teachings and suggestions in this disclosure.

[0046] In another embodiment, the communication device may be a network device 110. The above method further includes transmitting DCI of multiple terminal devices 120 and / or 130 in the control channel region based on the CCE index and CCE aggregation level of the multiple terminal devices 120 and 130. It should be mentioned that in the NR communication system, the CCE aggregation level may be 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32. More specifically, for the terminal device 120 or 130, the network device 110 may determine the CCE resource based on the CCE index and aggregation level of the terminal device. The network device 110 may then transmit the DCI of the terminal device on the determined CCE resource (which is referred to as PDCCH or NR-PDCCH).

[0047] In other embodiments in which the method 200 is performed by the terminal device 120 or 130, the method 200 may further include receiving DCI of the terminal device in the control channel region based on a CCE index (not shown). The terminal device 120 or 130 may further perform a mapping from a REG index to a REG cluster index and a mapping from a REG cluster index to a CCE index, by which the terminal device 120 or 130 may learn a logical mapping relationship between physical control channel resources (such as REG, REG cluster, and CCE) and logical indices such as (REG initial index, REG index, REG cluster index, and CCE index). Based on the mapping relationship between the physical control channel resources and the logical CCE index, the terminal device 120 or 130 may search for its DCI in the control channel region by using the potential CCE aggregation level and radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) of the terminal device 120 or 130. The search process may be a blind search, a semi-blind search, or a non-blind search, depending on the specific system implementation.

[0048] Now refer to Figures 3A-3C More examples of mapping from REG initial index to REG index are discussed. Figures 3A-3C Schematic diagrams showing control resource mapping from REG initial index to REG index according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown respectively. Figure 3A As shown, it is assumed that in a control channel region such as CORESET in an NR system, there is one OFDM symbol in the time domain (denoted by "t"), and there are 12 REGs in the control channel region in frequency (denoted by "f"). Since the REG index is required to be continuous for each OFDM symbol, the REG index is the same as the REG initial index of the REG in the single-symbol control channel region.

[0049] like Figure 3BAs shown, it is assumed that in a control channel region such as CORESET in an NR system, there are two OFDM symbols in the time domain, and there are 12 REGs in the frequency domain in each OFDM symbol in the control channel region. The total number of REGs in the control channel region is 24. The REG initial index is continuous in different OFDM symbols in the control channel region. Since the REG index is required to be continuous for each OFDM symbol, the mapping from the REG initial index to the REG index can be achieved by using a modulo operation. The modulo operation can be used Indicates that n represents the initial index of REG, mod represents the modulo operation, and The operator represents a round-down operation.

[0050] like Figure 3C As shown, it is assumed that in a control channel region such as CORESET in an NR system, there are 3 OFDM symbols in the time domain, and there are 12 REGs in the frequency domain in each OFDM symbol in the control channel region. The total number of REGs in the control channel region is 36. As described above, the REG initial index is continuous in the three different OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The mapping from the REG initial index to the REG index can also be implemented by using the above-mentioned modulo operation so that the REG index is continuous for each OFDM symbol in the control channel region.

[0051] Figures 4A-4G Schematic diagrams of control resource mapping from REG index to CCE index according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are respectively shown. Those skilled in the art will understand that in the following Figures 4A-4G All numerical values ​​in the description are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0052] like Figure 4A As shown, there is 1 OFDM symbol in the control channel region. In this case, the width of the control channel region is 12, which can be represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain of the control channel region. Regarding the pattern of REG clusters, there is 1 OFDM symbol in the time domain, which is equal to the number of OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The width of the REG cluster is 2, which is represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG cluster. For determination of the REG cluster index, the REG index can be first divided by the width of the REG cluster, and then the REG index obtained by dividing by the width of the REG cluster can be further rounded down to obtain an integer REG index. Details of these operations can be referred to according to Figure 2 Therefore, determining the REG cluster index based on the REG index can be expressed as Where m represents the REG index, s represents the width of the REG cluster, and The operator represents a round-down operation. In this case, s is equal to 2. Through such an operation, every 2 REGs are grouped in one REG bundle; and therefore, the REGs in one REG bundle are continuous in the frequency domain. With respect to the control channel region, it is assumed that there are 6 REGs in one CCE; and therefore, there are 2 CCEs in the control channel region. As described above, determining the CCE index based on the REG bundle index can be performed via a modulo operation. The modulo operation can be expressed as k mod2, where k represents the REG bundle index. By utilizing this modulo operation, the REG bundle index is mapped to the CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous with respect to the REG bundle in the frequency domain. Therefore, in Figure 4A In the case of To represent, where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation.

[0053] like Figure 4B As shown, there is 1 OFDM symbol in the control channel region. In this case, the width of the control channel region is 12, which can be represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain of the control channel region. Regarding the REG clustering pattern, there is 1 OFDM symbol in the time domain, which is equal to the number of OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The width of the REG cluster is 3, which is represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG cluster. Therefore, determining the REG cluster index based on the REG index can be expressed as where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation. Through these operations, every 3 consecutive REGs are grouped in one REG bundle; and therefore, the REGs in one REG bundle are continuous in the frequency domain. With respect to the control channel region, it is assumed that there are 6 REGs in one CCE; and therefore, there are 2 CCEs in the control channel region. As described above, the CCE index determined according to the REG bundle can be expressed as k mod 2, where k represents the REG bundle index. By utilizing this CCE mapping operation, the REG bundle index is mapped to the CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous with respect to the REG bundle in the frequency domain. Therefore, in Figure 4B In the case of , where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation.

[0054] like Figure 4CAs shown, there is 1 OFDM symbol in the control channel region. In this case, the width of the control channel region is 12, which can be represented by the number of REGs in the control channel region in the frequency domain. Regarding the REG clustering pattern, there is 1 OFDM symbol in the time domain, which is equal to the number of OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The width of the REG cluster is 6, which is represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG cluster. Therefore, determining the REG cluster index based on the REG index can be expressed as where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation. Through these operations, every 6 consecutive REGs are grouped in one REG bundle; and therefore, the REGs in one REG bundle are continuous in the frequency domain. With respect to the control channel region, there are 2 CCEs in the control channel region. Similarly, determining the CCE index from the REG bundle can be expressed as k mod 2, where k represents the REG bundle index. By utilizing this CCE mapping operation, the REG bundle index is mapped to the CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous in the frequency domain with respect to the REG bundle. Therefore, in Figure 4C In the case of , where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation.

[0055] like Figure 4D As shown, there are 2 OFDM symbols in the control channel region. In this case, the width of the control channel region is 12, which can be represented by the number of REGs in the control channel region in the frequency domain. In this case, the total number of REGs in the control channel region is 24. Regarding the REG bundling pattern, there are 2 OFDM symbols in the time domain, which is equal to the number of OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The width of the REG bundling is 1, which is represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG bundling. Therefore, determining the REG cluster index based on the REG index can be expressed as m, where m represents the REG index. It can be found that the REG cluster index is the same as the REG index. The REGs in one REG cluster are continuous in the frequency domain. Regarding the control channel region, there are 4 CCEs in the control channel region. As discussed, determining the CCE index based on the REG bundling can be expressed as k mod 4, where k represents the REG cluster index. By utilizing this CCE mapping operation, the REG cluster index is mapped to the CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous with respect to the REG cluster in the frequency domain. Figure 4D In this case, the CCE index can be represented by m mod 4, where m represents the REG index.

[0056] like Figure 4EAs shown, there are 2 OFDM symbols in the control channel region. In this case, the width of the control channel region is 12, which can be represented by the number of REGs in the control channel region in the frequency domain. In this case, the total number of REGs in the control channel region is 24. Regarding the pattern of REG clustering, there are 2 OFDM symbols in the time domain, which is equal to the number of OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The width of the REG cluster is 3, which is represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG cluster. Therefore, determining the REG cluster index according to the REG index can be expressed as where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation. Regarding the control channel region, there are 4 CCEs in the control channel region. As discussed, determining the CCE index from the REG cluster can be expressed as k mod 4, where k represents the REG cluster index. By utilizing this CCE mapping operation, the REG cluster index is mapped to the CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous with respect to the REG cluster in the frequency domain. Therefore, in Figure 4E In the case of , where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation.

[0057] like Figure 4F As shown, there are 3 OFDM symbols in the control channel region. In this case, the width of the control channel region is 12, which can be represented by the number of REGs in the control channel region in the frequency domain. In this case, the total number of REGs in the control channel region is 36. Regarding the pattern of REG bundling, there are 3 OFDM symbols in the time domain, which is equal to the number of OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The width of the REG bundle is 1, which is represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG bundle. Therefore, determining the REG bundle index based on the REG index can be expressed as m, where m represents the REG index. It can be found that the REG bundle index is the same as the REG index, respectively. Regarding the control channel region, there are 6 CCEs in the control channel region. As discussed, determining the CCE index from the REG bundle can be expressed as k mod 6, where k represents the REG bundle index. By utilizing this CCE mapping operation, the REG bundle index is mapped to the CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous with respect to the REG bundle in the frequency domain. Therefore, in Figure 4F In this case, the CCE index can be represented by m mod 6, where m represents the REG index.

[0058] like Figure 4GAs shown, there are 3 OFDM symbols in the control channel region. In this case, the width of the control channel region is 12, which is represented by the number of REGs in the control channel region in the frequency domain. In this case, the total number of REGs in the control channel region is 36. Regarding the pattern of REG clustering, there are 3 OFDM symbols in the time domain, which is equal to the number of OFDM symbols in the control channel region. The width of the REG cluster is 2, which is represented by the number of REGs in the frequency domain in the REG cluster. Therefore, determining the REG cluster index based on the REG index can be expressed as where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation. Regarding the control channel region, there are 6 CCEs in the control channel region. As discussed, determining the CCE index from the REG cluster can be expressed as k mod 6, where k represents the REG cluster index. By utilizing this CCE mapping operation, the REG cluster index is mapped to the CCE index so that the CCE index is continuous with respect to the REG cluster in the frequency domain. Therefore, in Figure 4G In the case of , where m represents the REG index, and The operator represents a round-down operation.

[0059] Now refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an apparatus 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the apparatus 500 may be implemented in the network device 110 or the terminal devices 120 and 130 .

[0060] As shown in the figure, apparatus 500 includes an acquisition unit 510 and a first determination unit 520 and a second determination unit 530. Acquisition unit 510 is configured to acquire REG indices for a plurality of REGs in a control channel region. First determination unit 520 is configured to determine a REG cluster index based on the REG index and a REG clustering pattern, where the REG clustering pattern indicates the number of REGs in the frequency domain and the number of OFDM symbols in the time domain. Second determination unit 530 is configured to determine a CCE index based on the determined REG cluster index and the number of CCEs in the control channel region, such that the CCE index is continuous in the frequency domain with respect to the REG cluster.

[0061] In one embodiment, the acquisition unit 510 can be configured to acquire REG initial indices for multiple REGs in the control channel region, which REG initial indices are continuous in different OFDM symbols in the control channel region; and determine the REG index based on the REG initial indices, which REG index is continuous for each OFDM symbol in the control channel region.

[0062] In one embodiment, the acquisition unit 510 may be configured to compile REG indices of a plurality of REGs in order of frequencies of the REGs for each OFDM symbol in the control channel region.

[0063] In one embodiment, the first determination unit 520 can be configured to divide the REG index by the width of the REG cluster, where the width of the REG cluster indicates the number of REGs in the REG cluster in the frequency domain; and round down the REG index obtained by dividing by the width of the REG cluster to the REG cluster index.

[0064] In one embodiment, the first determination unit 530 can be configured to determine a modulo result of the REG cluster index relative to the number of CCEs in the control channel area, where the number of CCEs is determined based on the number of multiple REGs in the control channel area and the number of REGs in the CCE; and obtain the CCE index based on the modulo result.

[0065] In one embodiment, the apparatus 500 may further include a third determining unit configured to determine the width of the REG cluster based on the number of REGs in the REG cluster and the number of OFDM symbols in the REG cluster in the time domain.

[0066] In one embodiment, the device 500 may also include a fourth determination unit, which may be configured to determine at least one of the following from high-layer signaling: the number of multiple REGs in the control channel area; the number of REGs in the REG bundle; the number of REGs in the REG bundle in the frequency domain; the number of OFDM symbols in the REG bundle in the time domain; and the number of REGs in the CCE.

[0067] In one embodiment, the apparatus 500 may be implemented at the network device 110. The apparatus 500 may further include a transmission unit, which may be configured to transmit DCI of the plurality of terminal devices 120 and / or 130 in the control channel region based on the CCE index.

[0068] In one embodiment, the apparatus 500 may be implemented at the terminal device 120 or 130. The apparatus 500 may further include a transmission unit, which may be configured to receive DCI of the terminal device 120 or 130 in the control channel region based on a CCE index and a CCE aggregation level.

[0069] In one embodiment, the control channel region may be a CORESET in an NR communication system.

[0070] It should also be noted that the apparatus 500 may be implemented by any suitable technology currently known or developed in the future. Figure 2A single device shown may instead be implemented separately in multiple devices, and multiple separate devices may be implemented in a single device. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in these respects.

[0071] Note that the apparatus 500 may be configured to implement reference Figure 2 Therefore, the features discussed with respect to method 200 may also apply to the corresponding components of device 500, and the features discussed with respect to method 200 may also apply to the corresponding components of device 500. It should also be noted that the components of device 500 can be embodied in hardware, software, firmware, and / or any combination thereof. For example, the components of device 500 may each be implemented by a circuit, a processor, or any other appropriate device. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above examples are for illustration only and not limitation.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 may include at least one processor. As an example, the at least one processor suitable for use with the embodiments of the present disclosure may include general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors known or developed in the future. The apparatus 500 may also include at least one memory. The at least one memory may include, for example, a semiconductor memory device such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and a flash memory device. The at least one memory may be used to store a program of computer-executable instructions. The program may be written in any high-level and / or low-level compatible or interpretable programming language. According to an embodiment, the computer-executable instructions may be configured to cause the apparatus 500 to perform, together with the at least one processor, at least according to the method 200 described above.

[0073] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can be embodied in an apparatus, method or computer program product. Generally, various embodiments can be implemented with hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented with hardware, while other aspects can be implemented with firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts or using some other graphical representations, it will be understood that, as non-limiting examples, these boxes, devices, systems, techniques or methods described herein can be implemented with hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0074] Figure 5The various blocks shown may be viewed as method steps, and / or operations resulting from the operation of computer program code, and / or a plurality of coupled logic circuit elements configured to perform the associated functions. At least some aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit chips and modules, and the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in devices implemented as integrated circuits, FPGAs, or ASICs that are configurable to operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0075] Figure 6 FIG2 is a simplified block diagram of a communication device 600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the communication device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to the processors 610, and one or more transmitters and / or receivers (TX / RX) 640 coupled to the processors 610.

[0076] Processor 610 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and, as non-limiting examples, may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 600 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, that are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0077] The memory 620 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, by way of non-limiting examples, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based storage devices, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory.

[0078] Memory 620 stores at least a portion of program 630. TX / RX 640 is used for bidirectional communication. TX / RX 640 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although in practice, terminal devices 120 or 130 or network devices 110 mentioned in this disclosure may have multiple antennas. A communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communicating with other network elements.

[0079] Assume that the program 630 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 610, enable the device 600 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, as referred to herein. Figure 2 That is, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 610 of the device 600, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0080] Although this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of any disclosure or claimed content, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features specific to a particular disclosed embodiment. Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features in the claimed combination may be removed from the combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may involve a variant of a sub-combination or a sub-combination.

[0081] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a continuous order, or that all illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the above-described embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0082] Various modifications and adaptations of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the foregoing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure. Moreover, other embodiments of the present disclosure set forth herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings.

[0083] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receiving first information for configuring a control resource set CORESET; as well as Monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in the CORESET, wherein the CORESET includes n control channel elements (CCEs), wherein: Each of the n CCEs includes 6 resource element groups REG, Each of the n CCEs corresponds to two or more resource element group (REG) bundles, wherein the number of REGs in each of the two or more REG bundles is 2 or 3, wherein each of the REGs includes 12 consecutive REs in one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. For 0≦REG cluster index≦n-1, the value of the index of each CCE in the n CCEs is equal to the value of the index of the REG cluster corresponding to each CCE in the n CCEs; and In each of the following ranges, the index of each of the n CCEs is numbered consecutively with integers in ascending order in the frequency domain: 0≦index of REG bundle≦n-1, n≦index of REG bundle≦2n-1, ..., and number of REGs per CORESET / REG bundle size-1-n≦index of REG bundle≦number of REGs per CORESET / REG bundle size-1.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the continuous duration of the CORESET is one of 1, 2 and 3 in terms of the number of OFDM symbols.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the number of OFDM symbols in the REG bundle is equal to the number of the OFDM symbols of the consecutive time duration of the CORESET. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first information indicates the continuous duration of the CORESET. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first information indicates a frequency domain configuration of the CORESET.

6. A method performed by a base station, the method comprising: Sending first information for configuring a control resource set CORESET; as well as A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is transmitted in the CORESET, wherein the CORESET includes n control channel elements (CCEs), wherein: Each of the n CCEs includes 6 resource element groups REG, Each of the n CCEs corresponds to two or more resource element group (REG) bundles, wherein the number of REGs in each of the two or more REG bundles is 2 or 3, and each of the REGs includes 12 consecutive REs in one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol; For 0≦REG cluster index≦n-1, the value of the index of each CCE in the n CCEs is equal to the value of the index of the REG cluster corresponding to each CCE in the n CCEs, and In each of the following ranges, the index of each of the n CCEs is numbered consecutively with integers in ascending order in the frequency domain: 0≦index of REG bundle≦n-1, n≦index of REG bundle≦2n-1, ..., and number of REGs per CORESET / REG bundle size-1-n≦index of REG bundle≦number of REGs per CORESET / REG bundle size-1.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the continuous duration of the CORESET is one of 1, 2 and 3 in terms of the number of OFDM symbols.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the number of OFDM symbols of the REG bundle is equal to the number of the OFDM symbols of the continuous duration of the CORESET.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first information indicates the continuous duration of the CORESET.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first information indicates a frequency domain configuration of the CORESET.

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