Method and device for data transmission

Abstract

Aspects of the present application provide methods and apparatus for data transmission, which may be used for cross-carrier scheduling and / or downlink, DL, and uplink, UL spectrum scheduling, to address issues caused by timing misalignment between two different carriers or between DL and UL spectrums. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment) may receive configuration information on a first resource in a first carrier for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier. The apparatus may determine the second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information according to the configuration information and an offset representing a timing difference between a timing reference point of the first carrier and a timing reference point of the second carrier. The apparatus may transmit or receive the information on the determined second resource in the second carrier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to wireless communication, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for data transmission. Background Technology

[0002] Several frame timing alignment methods already exist, which may be suitable for applications serving current wireless communication networks, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR). However, establishing a standardized frame timing alignment process for different frame structures, making it applicable to applications considered for future wireless communication networks such as Sixth Generation (6G), remains a significant challenge.

[0003] One challenge that future wireless communication networks may face is related to communication-sensing integration. In communication-sensing integration, the first bandwidth part (BWP) can be sensed using a first waveform type, such as a single-carrier orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM) waveform, while the second BWP can communicate using a second waveform type, such as a multi-carrier OFDM waveform. For example, in the first BWP, sensing can be performed using a single subcarrier, with the symbol length depending on the frequency of that single subcarrier, e.g., T = 1 / f. In the second BWP, the symbol length depends on the subcarrier spacing. Since the symbol length can be determined based on various factors within each BWP, existing frame timing alignment establishment methods may not be suitable for communication-sensing integration.

[0004] Another challenge that future wireless communication networks may face involves measuring the duration of time intervals, for example, during the handover between time-divisional duplex (TDD) downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) communication. In current wireless communication networks, the interval between operations can be represented by symbols, i.e., at a symbol-level granularity. In other words, in current wireless communication networks, the interval between operations can be one or more symbols. Alternatively, in future wireless communication networks (e.g., 6G), the interval between operations can be less than one symbol to reduce air interface overhead. Therefore, transmitters and receivers can communicate after a variable time interval.

[0005] Therefore, there may be many limitations when trying to ensure that the two types of signals always establish timing alignment according to their respective frames, subframes, time slots and / or symbols. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Various aspects of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for overcoming the aforementioned deficiencies, as well as specific methods and apparatus for data transmission that enable timing alignment between two different carriers and / or between downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) spectra. Timing alignment can be achieved based on a timing reference point that indicates the boundaries (e.g., start or end boundaries) of frames, subframes, symbols, or time slots. The specific methods and apparatus described in this invention address problems arising from misalignment of the boundaries of frames, subframes, symbols, or time slots in two different carriers or in the DL and UL spectra. The specific methods described in this invention enable apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE), base station (BS)) to configure a timing reference point individually for each carrier in cross-carrier scheduling and / or DL ​​and UL spectrum scheduling. These methods enable apparatus to achieve timing alignment in cross-carrier scheduling and / or DL ​​and UL spectrum scheduling. For example, even if the timing reference points of the DL spectrum and the UL spectrum are not aligned, the timing of the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback can still be correctly determined.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for data transmission by an apparatus is provided. The method includes: receiving configuration information on a first resource in a first carrier for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier; determining a second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information based on the configuration information and an offset, wherein the offset represents a timing difference between a timing reference point of the first carrier and a timing reference point of the second carrier; and transmitting or receiving the information on the determined second resource in the second carrier.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method is used for cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation, or for downlink (DL) spectrum and uplink (UL) spectrum scheduling.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the first carrier is different from the second carrier, the cross-carrier scheduling enables the device to determine the location for transmitting or receiving the information on the second carrier.

[0010] In some embodiments, when the first carrier is included in the DL spectrum and the second carrier is included in the UL spectrum, the DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling enables the device to determine the location for transmitting or receiving the information on the second carrier.

[0011] In some embodiments, the UL spectrum is decoupled from the DL spectrum in the following cases: the DL spectrum is located in a DL frequency-division duplex (FDD) band, and the UL spectrum is located in an unpaired UL FDD band, a paired UL FDD band, or a time-division duplex (TDD) band; or the DL spectrum is located in a first TDD band, and the UL spectrum is located in a UL FDD band, the first TDD band, or a second TDD band different from the first TDD band.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second resource in the second carrier is further determined based on at least one of the following: the identifier of the first resource, or the number of unit resources in the frame.

[0013] In some embodiments, the identifier of the first resource is an index of the time slot in the first carrier in which the configuration information is received.

[0014] In some embodiments, the number of unit resources in the frame is the number of time slots in the frame.

[0015] In some embodiments, receiving the configuration information includes receiving downlink control information (DCI) on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The DCI includes the configuration information.

[0016] In some embodiments, the configuration information is included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first resource is a time slot in the first carrier for receiving the DCI.

[0018] In some embodiments, sending or receiving the information includes data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or data transmission on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0019] In some embodiments, when the configuration information includes timing information for reporting feedback on data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), sending or receiving the information includes: sending uplink control information (UCI) on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). The UCI includes the feedback on the data transmission on the PDSCH.

[0020] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes resource offsets for scheduling the sending or receiving of the information.

[0021] In some embodiments, the resource offset indicates the number of time slots to be offset when transmitting or receiving the information on the second carrier.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least one of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier is configurable.

[0023] In some embodiments, when both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are configurable, the configuration of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the configuration of the timing reference point of the second carrier are performed independently of each other.

[0024] In some embodiments, the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined before compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device that transmits the configuration information, and neither the timing reference point of the first carrier nor the timing reference point of the second carrier includes the propagation delay.

[0025] In some embodiments, the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined after compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device that transmits the configuration information, and both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier include the propagation delay.

[0026] In some embodiments, the offset is a timing reference point offset, and the method further includes: determining the timing reference point offset based on the timing reference point of the first carrier, the timing reference point of the second carrier, and the time length of a unit resource in the second carrier.

[0027] In some embodiments, the unit resource in the second carrier is a time slot.

[0028] In some embodiments, when the time length of the first time slot in the second carrier is different from the time length of the second time slot in the second carrier, the unit resource in the second carrier is the time slot with the shortest time slot length in the second carrier.

[0029] In some embodiments, the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the first carrier is not aligned with the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the second carrier, and determining the offset includes adjusting the offset according to a floor function, an up function, or a rounding function.

[0030] In some embodiments, the offset is adjusted based on the time length of a first unit resource that precedes all other unit resources in the half-frame, the time length of a second unit resource that is different from the first unit resource in the half-frame, and the number of unit resources in the half-frame.

[0031] In some embodiments, sending or receiving the information includes data transmission on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the offset is adjusted according to the down-rounding function.

[0032] In some embodiments, sending or receiving the information includes sending UL information on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), wherein the offset is adjusted according to the round-up function.

[0033] In some embodiments, the second resource is a time slot in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information, and determining the second resource includes determining an index of the time slot in the second carrier.

[0034] According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for data transmission is provided, comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method consistent with the embodiments described above.

[0035] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for supporting data transmission by means of an apparatus is provided. The method includes: transmitting configuration information on a first resource in a first carrier for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier, wherein the configuration information and an offset are used to determine the second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information, the offset representing a timing difference between a timing reference point of the first carrier and a timing reference point of the second carrier.

[0036] In some embodiments, the method is used for cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation, or for downlink (DL) spectrum and uplink (UL) spectrum scheduling.

[0037] In some embodiments, when the method is used for cross-carrier scheduling, the method further includes: when the first carrier is different from the second carrier, determining the configuration information to be used for scheduling the transmission or reception of the information.

[0038] In some embodiments, when the method is used for scheduling the DL spectrum and UL spectrum, the method further includes: when the first carrier is included in the DL spectrum and the second carrier is included in the UL spectrum, determining the configuration information to be used for scheduling the transmission or reception of the information.

[0039] In some embodiments, the UL spectrum is decoupled from the DL spectrum in the following cases: the DL spectrum is located in a DL frequency-division duplex (FDD) band, and the UL spectrum is located in an unpaired UL FDD band, a paired UL FDD band, or a time-division duplex (TDD) band; or the DL spectrum is located in a first TDD band, and the UL spectrum is located in a UL FDD band, the first TDD band, or a second TDD band different from the first TDD band.

[0040] In some embodiments, at least one of the identifier of the first resource that sends the configuration information or the number of unit resources in the frame is further used to determine the second resource in the second carrier used to send or receive the information.

[0041] In some embodiments, the identifier of the first resource is an index of the time slot in the first carrier in which the configuration information is transmitted.

[0042] In some embodiments, the number of unit resources in the frame is the number of time slots in the frame.

[0043] In some embodiments, sending the configuration information includes sending downlink control information (DCI) on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The DCI includes the configuration information.

[0044] In some embodiments, the configuration information is included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first resource is a time slot in the first carrier for transmitting the DCI.

[0046] In some embodiments, sending or receiving the information includes data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or data transmission on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0047] In some embodiments, when the configuration information includes timing information for reporting feedback on data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), sending or receiving the information includes receiving uplink control information (UCI) on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). The UCI includes the feedback on the data transmission on the PDSCH.

[0048] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes resource offsets for scheduling the sending or receiving of the information.

[0049] In some embodiments, the resource offset indicates the number of time slots to be offset when transmitting or receiving the information on the second carrier.

[0050] In some embodiments, at least one of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier is configurable.

[0051] In some embodiments, when both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are configurable, the configuration of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the configuration of the timing reference point of the second carrier are performed independently of each other.

[0052] In some embodiments, the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined before compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device receiving the configuration information, and neither the timing reference point of the first carrier nor the timing reference point of the second carrier includes the propagation delay.

[0053] In some embodiments, the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined after compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device receiving the configuration information, and both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier include the propagation delay.

[0054] In some embodiments, the offset is a timing reference point offset, which is determined based on the timing reference point of the first carrier, the timing reference point of the second carrier, and the time length of a unit resource in the second carrier.

[0055] In some embodiments, the unit resource in the second carrier is a time slot.

[0056] In some embodiments, when the time length of the first time slot in the second carrier is different from the time length of the second time slot in the second carrier, the unit resource in the second carrier is the time slot with the shortest time slot length in the second carrier.

[0057] In some embodiments, the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the first carrier is not aligned with the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the second carrier. When the offset is determined, the timing reference point offset is adjusted according to a floor function, an up function, or a rounding function.

[0058] In some embodiments, the offset is adjusted based on the time length of a first unit resource that precedes all other unit resources in the half-frame, the time length of a second unit resource that is different from the first unit resource in the half-frame, and the number of unit resources in the half-frame.

[0059] In some embodiments, sending or receiving the information includes data transmission on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the offset is adjusted according to the down-rounding function.

[0060] In some embodiments, sending or receiving the information includes receiving UL information on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), wherein the offset is adjusted according to the round-up function.

[0061] In some embodiments, the second resource is a time slot in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information. When determining the second resource, the index of the time slot in the second carrier is determined.

[0062] According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for data transmission is provided, comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method consistent with the embodiments described above.

[0063] According to one aspect of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, enable the device to perform the method described above. Attached Figure Description

[0064] To provide a more comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages, the following description is given by way of example and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0065] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system that can implement the embodiments of the present invention.

[0066] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of a communication system that can implement the embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 3 It is a block diagram of a unit or module in a device that can implement the embodiments of the present invention.

[0068] Figure 4 It is a block diagram of a unit or module in a device that can implement the embodiments of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of multiple frames provided in various aspects of this application, wherein these frames may include signals to be transmitted by a base station (BS) and received by a user equipment (UE), and these signals are associated with a relatively defined timing reference point.

[0070] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of multiple frames provided in various aspects of this application, wherein these frames may include signals to be transmitted by the BS and received by the UE, and these signals are associated with an absolutely defined timing reference point.

[0071] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating potential problems that may arise when performing cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation.

[0072] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating potential problems that may arise when performing DL and UL spectrum scheduling.

[0073] Figure 9 An example of updating the frame structure based on a timing reference point is shown in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 10 This is a timing diagram provided by an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an example of determining the allocation of resources for sending or receiving information through cross-carrier scheduling, wherein frame boundaries are timed aligned between different carriers.

[0075] Figure 11 This is a timing diagram provided by an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an example of determining the allocation of resources for sending or receiving information through DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling, wherein frame boundaries are time-aligned between the DL spectrum and UL spectrum.

[0076] Figure 12 and Figure 13 This is a timing diagram provided in an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an example of determining the allocation of resources for sending or receiving information through cross-carrier scheduling, wherein frame boundaries are not time-aligned between different carriers.

[0077] Figure 14 A signal flow diagram for signaling interaction between a BS and a UE, provided by an embodiment of the present invention, is shown, illustrating an exemplary process for data transmission. Detailed Implementation

[0078] For illustrative purposes, specific exemplary embodiments are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] The embodiments described herein illustrate information sufficient to practice the claimed subject matter and explain methods for practicing such subject matter. Those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the claimed subject matter after reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will recognize that the application of these concepts is not specifically mentioned herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications are within the scope of this invention and the appended claims.

[0080] Furthermore, it is understood that any module, component, or device disclosing the executable instructions herein may include or otherwise access one or more non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media for storing information, such as computer / processor-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other data. A non-exhaustive list of examples of non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media includes magnetic tape cassettes, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video discs or digital versatile discs (DVDs), and Blu-ray discs. TMOptical discs or other optical storage devices; volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology; random-access memory (RAM); read-only memory (ROM); electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM); flash memory or other storage technologies. Any of these non-transitory computer / processor storage media may be part of a device, accessible by a device, or connectable to a device. Computer / processor-readable / executable instructions used to implement the applications or modules described herein may be stored in or otherwise preserved by such non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media.

[0081] Various aspects of the present invention can provide methods and apparatus for data transmission, which can be used for cross-carrier scheduling and / or downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) spectrum scheduling in carrier aggregation. Specific methods and apparatus described in this invention can address problems arising from misalignment of frames, subframes, symbols, or time slots in two different carriers or DL ​​and UL spectra. According to some embodiments, an apparatus can receive configuration information on a first resource in a first carrier to transmit or receive information on a second resource in a second carrier. The configuration information may include at least one of resource offsets (e.g., time slot offsets) for scheduling data transmission on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or timing information for reporting PDSCH transmission feedback (e.g., timing information for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) feedback). The device can determine a second resource in the second carrier based on configuration information and an offset, where the offset represents the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier. When the second resource in the second carrier is determined, the device can transmit or receive information on the determined second resource in the second carrier. The following... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 A network and device context is provided, which may be located in the network and may implement various aspects of the invention.

[0082] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a non-limiting illustrative example providing a simplified schematic of a communication system. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. Radio access network 120 may be a next-generation (e.g., sixth-generation, 6G, or later) radio access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) radio access network. One or more communication electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 120j (generally referred to as 110) may interconnect with each other and may additionally or alternatively connect to one or more network nodes (170a and 170b, generally referred to as 170) in radio access network 120. Core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. Furthermore, communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0083] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 that can implement embodiments of the present invention is shown. Generally, system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit data and other content. The purpose of system 100 may be to provide content (voice, data, video, text) via broadcast, narrowcast, and user equipment-to-user equipment methods. System 100 can operate efficiently by sharing resources such as bandwidth.

[0084] In this example, the communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110c, radio access networks (RANs) 120a and 120b, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. Although Figure 2 A certain number of these components or elements are shown, but system 100 may include any suitable number of these components or elements.

[0085] EDs 110a to 110c are used to operate in system 100, to communicate, or both. For example, EDs 110a to 110c are used to transmit, receive, or both via a wireless communication channel. Each ED 110a to 110c represents any suitable end-user equipment for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as) devices such as: user equipment (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, mobile user unit, cellular telephone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop computer, computer, touchpad, wireless sensor, or consumer electronic device.

[0086] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 that can implement embodiments of the present invention is shown. Generally, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit data and other content. The purpose of the communication system 100 may be to provide content (voice, data, video, text) via broadcast, multicast, unicast, and user equipment-to-user equipment methods. The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as bandwidth.

[0087] In this example, the communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110d, radio access networks (RANs) 120a to 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. Although Figure 2 A certain number of these components or elements are shown, but the communication system 100 may include any suitable number of these components or elements.

[0088] EDs 110a to 110d are used to operate, communicate, or both in communication system 100. For example, EDs 110a to 110d are used to transmit, receive, or both via a wireless communication channel or a wired communication channel. Each ED 110a to 110d represents any suitable end-user equipment for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as) devices such as: user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular telephone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop computer, computer, tablet computer, wireless sensor, or consumer electronic device.

[0089] exist Figure 2 In this network, RAN 120a and 120b include base stations 170a and 170b, respectively. Each base station 170a and 170b is used to establish a wireless connection with one or more EDs (EDs) from ED 110a to 110c, enabling access to any other base stations 170a and 170b, core network 130, PSTN 140, Internet 150, and / or other networks 160. For example, base stations 170a and 170b may include (or may be) one or more of several known devices, such as a base transceiver station (BTS), Node-B (NodeB), evolved NodeB (eNodeB), home eNodeB, gNodeB, transmission and reception point (TRP), site controller, access point (AP), or wireless router.

[0090] In some examples, one or more of base stations 170a and 170b may be ground-based base stations connected to the ground. For example, ground-based base stations may be installed on buildings or towers. Alternatively, one or more of base stations 172 may be non-ground-based base stations or non-terrestrial TRPs (NT-TRPs) not connected to the ground. A flying base station is an example of a non-ground-based base station. A flying base station can be implemented using communication equipment carried or transported by flying equipment. Non-limiting examples of flying equipment include airborne platforms (e.g., small airships or spacecraft), balloons, quadcopters, and other aircraft. In some implementations, a flying base station may be carried or transported by an unmanned aerial system (UAS) or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (e.g., a drone or quadcopter). A flying base station may be a mobile or portable base station, which can be flexibly deployed in different locations to meet network requirements. A satellite base station is another example of a non-ground-based base station. A satellite base station can be implemented using communication equipment carried or transported by a satellite. A satellite base station may also be referred to as an orbital base station.

[0091] Alternatively or additionally, any ED 110a to 110d can be used to connect, access, or communicate with any other base station 170a and 170b, Internet 150, core network 130, PSTN 140, other network 160, or any combination thereof.

[0092] EDs 110a to 110d and base stations 170a, 170b, and 172 are examples of communication devices that can be used to implement some or all of the operations and / or embodiments described herein. Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, base station 170a is part of RAN 120a, which may include other base stations, one or more base station controllers (BSCs), one or more radio network controllers (RNCs), relay nodes, components, and / or devices. Base stations 170a and 170b can be individual components as shown, or multiple components distributed within a corresponding RAN, etc. Similarly, base station 170b is part of RAN 120b, which may include other base stations, components, and / or devices. Each base station 170a and 170b transmits and / or receives radio signals within a specific geographical area or region (sometimes referred to as a "cell" or "coverage area"). A cell may be further divided into cell sectors, and base stations 170a and 170b may, for example, use multiple transceivers to provide services to multiple sectors. In some embodiments, established picocells or femtocells supported by radio access technologies may exist. In some embodiments, multiple transceivers may be used for each cell using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, etc. The number of RANs 120a and 120b shown is merely exemplary. Any number of RANs can be envisioned when designing the communication system 100.

[0093] Base stations 170a, 170b, and 172 use radio frequency (RF), microwave, and infrared (IR) wireless communication links to communicate with one or more EDs (EDs) from ED 110a to ED 110c via one or more air interfaces 190a and 190c. Air interfaces 190a and 190c can use any suitable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more orthogonal or non-orthogonal channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190c, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA).

[0094] Base stations 170a, 170b, and 172 can implement Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) to establish air interfaces 190a and 190c using wideband CDMA (WCDMA). In this way, base stations 170a, 170b, and 172 can implement protocols such as High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) and Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA+ can optionally include High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), or a combination of both. Alternatively, base stations 170a, 170b, and 172 can establish air interfaces 190a and 190c using LTE, LTE-A, and / or LTE-B with Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA). It is conceivable that communication system 100 can use multi-channel access operation, including schemes like those described above. Other wireless technologies used to implement the air interface include IEEE 802.11, 802.15, 802.16, CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, IS-2000, IS-95, IS-856, GSM, EDGE, and GERAN. Of course, other multiple access schemes and wireless protocols can also be used.

[0095] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to EDs 110a through 110c. RANs 120a and 120b, and / or core network 130, can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technology as RANs 120a and / or RAN 120b. Core network 130 can also serve as a gateway access between (i) RANs 120a and 120b and / or EDs 110a through 110c, and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160).

[0096] EDs 110a to 110d use radio frequency (RF), microwave, and infrared (IR) wireless communication links to communicate with each other through one or more sidelink (SL) air interfaces 190b and 190d. SL air interfaces 190b and 190d can utilize any suitable wireless access technology and can be substantially similar to air interfaces 190a and 190c used by EDs 110a to 110c to communicate with one or more base stations 170a and 170b, or they can be quite different from air interfaces 190a and 190c. For example, the communication system 100 may implement one or more channel access methods in the SL air interface 190b, 190d, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). In some embodiments, the SL air interface 180 may be implemented at least partially on unlicensed spectrum.

[0097] Additionally, some or all of EDs 110a to 110d may include operations that communicate with different wireless networks via different wireless links using different wireless technologies and / or protocols. EDs may communicate with service providers or exchanges (not shown) via wired communication channels and with the Internet 150, rather than wirelessly (or also wirelessly). PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include computer networks and / or subnets (internal networks) and include protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). EDs 110a to 110d may be multimode devices capable of operating according to multiple wireless access technologies and include multiple transceivers required to support multiple wireless access technologies.

[0098] In some embodiments, the signal is transmitted from a terrestrial BS to a UE, or directly from a UE to a terrestrial BS; in both cases, the signal is not reflected by the RIS. However, the signal may be reflected by obstacles and reflectors such as buildings, walls, and furniture. In some embodiments, the signal is transmitted between a UE and a non-terrestrial BS (e.g., satellites, drones, and high-altitude platforms). In some embodiments, the signal is transmitted between a repeater and a UE, between a repeater and a BS, or between two repeaters. In some embodiments, the signal is transmitted between two UEs. In some embodiments, one or more RIS are used to reflect signals from a transmitter and a receiver, wherein either the transmitter or the receiver includes a UE, a terrestrial or non-terrestrial BS, and a repeater.

[0099] Figure 3 Another example of ED 110 and network equipment is shown, including base stations 170a, 170b (as shown in 170), and NT-TRP 172. ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility.

[0100] Each ED 110 represents any suitable end-user equipment used for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as) devices such as: user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine-type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics device, smartbook, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip), etc. Next-generation ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs, referred to below as T-TRP 170. Alternatively... Figure 3 As shown, NT-TRP is referred to as NT-TRP 172 below. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically started (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), shut down (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connectivity availability and connectivity necessity.

[0101] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be integrated, for example, integrated as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission through at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0102] ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by one or more processing units 210. Each memory 208 includes any suitable one or more volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, and processor cache, etc.

[0103] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., connected to...). Figure 1 or Figure 2 (Wired interface of Internet 150 in the network). Input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices on the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display, or touchscreen, including network interface communication.

[0104] ED 110 also includes a processor 210 for performing the following operations: operations related to preparing uplink transmissions to and / or T-TRP 170; operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from and from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; and operations related to processing sidelink transmissions to and from other ED 110s. Processing operations related to preparing uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. According to an embodiment, the downlink transmissions may be received by receiver 203 using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). An example of signaling may be a reference signal transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indication (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, processor 210 may use reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 to perform channel estimation.

[0105] Processor 210 may be part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203, but is not shown in the figure. Memory 208 may be part of processor 210, but is not shown in the figure.

[0106] The processing components in processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 can each be implemented by the same or different processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 can be implemented using special-purpose circuitry such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0107] In some implementations, T-TRP 170 can be referred to by other names, such as base station, base transceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP) or wireless router, relay station, ground node, ground network device, or ground base station, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), location node, etc. T-TRP 170 can be a macro BS, pico BS, relay node, donor node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned device or to a component within the aforementioned device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip). Although the accompanying drawings and descriptions of the examples and embodiments of the invention generally use the terms “AP,” “BS,” and “AP” or “BS,” it should be understood that such a device can be any of the types described above.

[0108] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules in T-TRP 170 may be located remotely from the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170 and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna via a communication link (not shown) sometimes referred to as a fronthaul (e.g., a common public radio interface (CPRI)). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term "T-TRP 170" may also refer to network-side modules that perform processing operations, such as determining the location of ED 110, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, which are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs that operate together to serve ED 110 through cooperative multicast or similar means.

[0109] T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 260 for performing operations related to: preparing downlink transmissions to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing backlink transmissions to NT-TRP 172, and processing transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 via backlink. Processing operations related to preparing downlink or backlink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing received transmissions in the uplink or backlink may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating and decoding received symbols. Processor 260 can also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB), generating system information, etc. In some embodiments, processor 260 also generates a beam direction indication, such as a BAI, which can be scheduled for transmission by scheduler 253. Processor 260 can perform other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110, determining the location for deploying NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, processor 260 can generate signaling to configure one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172, etc. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252. It should be noted that the term "signaling" as used herein may alternatively be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be transmitted in control channels such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in data packets, which are transmitted in data channels such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0110] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included within T-TRP 170 or may operate separately from T-TRP 170. Scheduler 253 may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backlink transmissions, including issuing scheduling grants and / or configuring schedule-free (“configuration grants”) resources. T-TRP 170 also includes memory 258 for storing information and data. Memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by T-TRP 170. For example, memory 258 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by processor 260.

[0111] Processor 260 may be part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254, but is not shown in the figures. Additionally, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253, but is not shown in the figures. Memory 258 may be part of processor 260, but is not shown in the figures.

[0112] The processing components in processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 can each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors that execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as FPGA, GPU, or ASIC.

[0113] Although the NT-TRP 172 is only illustrated as a drone, it can be implemented using any suitable non-terrestrial form. Furthermore, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 may have other names, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing operations related to: preparing downlink transmissions to be sent to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing backlink transmissions to be sent to T-TRP 170, and processing transmissions received from T-TRP 170 via backlink. Processing operations related to preparing downlink or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing receive transmissions in the uplink or backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating and decoding received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 may generate signaling to configure one or more parameters of ED 110, etc. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher-layer functions, such as those in the medium access control (MAC) layer or radio link control (RLC) layer. Since this is only an example, NT-TRP 172 typically implements higher-layer functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0114] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. A processor 276 may be part of the transmitter 272 and / or the receiver 274, but is not shown in the figure. The memory 278 may be part of the processor 276, but is not shown in the figure.

[0115] The processing components in processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can each be implemented by the same or different processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 can actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110 via cooperative multicast or similar methods.

[0116] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but for clarity these components are omitted.

[0117] One or more steps of the exemplary methods provided in this document can be derived from... Figure 3 The corresponding unit or module provided will be executed. Figure 3 The diagram illustrates units or modules within a device (e.g., in ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172). For example, signals may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals may be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps may be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules may be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units or modules may be a programmable integrated circuit such as an FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented using software executed by a processor, etc., these modules may be retrieved by the processor, in whole or in part, individually or collectively, for processing, in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0118] Further details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted herein.

[0119] One or more steps of the exemplary methods provided in this document can be derived from... Figure 4 The corresponding unit or module provided will be executed. Figure 4The diagram illustrates units or modules within a device (e.g., in ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172). For example, signals may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals may be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps may be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules may be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units or modules may be a programmable integrated circuit such as an FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented using software executed by a processor, etc., these modules may be retrieved by the processor, in whole or in part, individually or collectively, for processing, in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0120] Further details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted herein.

[0121] In future wireless networks, new devices are likely to grow exponentially and possess a wide variety of functions. Furthermore, with increasingly diverse quality of service requirements, future wireless networks may see far more new applications and use cases than those present in 5G. These factors will bring highly challenging new key performance indicators (KPIs) to future wireless networks (e.g., 6G networks), thus leading to the introduction of sensing technologies and AI technologies, especially ML (deep learning), in the telecommunications field to improve system performance and efficiency.

[0122] AI / ML technology can be applied to communications, including AI / ML communication at the physical layer and at the media access control (MAC) layer. At the physical layer, AI / ML communication can be used to optimize component design and improve algorithm performance, such as in channel coding, channel modeling, channel estimation, channel decoding, modulation, demodulation, MIMO, waveform analysis, multiple access, PHY component parameter optimization and updating, beamforming and tracking, sensing, and localization. At the MAC layer, AI / ML communication can leverage AI / ML capabilities to learn, predict, and make decisions to solve complex optimization problems using better strategies and optimal solutions. For example, it can optimize MAC functions such as intelligent TRP management, intelligent beam management, intelligent channel resource allocation, intelligent power control, intelligent spectrum utilization, intelligent modulation and coding scheme (MCS), intelligent hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) strategies, intelligent transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) mode adaptation, and so on.

[0123] AI / ML architectures typically involve multiple nodes. These nodes can be organized in centralized or distributed modes, both of which can be deployed in access networks, core networks, edge computing systems, or third-party networks. Centralized training and computing architectures are limited by potentially high communication overhead and strict user data privacy requirements. Distributed training and computing architectures include several frameworks, such as distributed machine learning and federated learning. AI / ML architectures include intelligent controllers that can perform as a single agent or multiple agents based on joint or individual optimization. New protocols and signaling mechanisms are needed to personalize the corresponding interface links using customized parameters to meet specific requirements, while minimizing signaling overhead and maximizing overall system spectral efficiency through personalized AI technologies.

[0124] Furthermore, both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks can enable a range of new services and applications, such as Earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation, tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility. Terrestrial-based and non-terrestrial-based sensing can provide intelligent context-aware networks to enhance the user experience. For example, terrestrial-based and non-terrestrial-based sensing can offer opportunities for positioning and sensing applications based on a new set of functionalities and service capabilities. Applications such as THz imaging and spectroscopy have the potential to provide continuous, real-time physiological information for future digital health technologies through dynamic, non-invasive, and contactless measurements. Simultaneously, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) methods can not only enable advanced cross-reality (XR) applications but also enhance navigation for autonomous objects such as vehicles and drones. Moreover, in both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, measured channel data, as well as sensing and positioning data, can be obtained through high bandwidth, new spectrum, dense networks, and more light-of-sight (LOS) links. Based on this data, a radio environment map can be drawn using AI / ML methods, where channel information is linked to its corresponding location or environmental information to provide an enhanced physical layer design based on the map.

[0125] A sensing coordinator is a node in the network that assists in sensing operations. These nodes can be independent nodes dedicated solely to sensing operations, or they can be other nodes (e.g., TRP 170, ED110, or core network nodes) that perform sensing operations in parallel with communication transmissions. New protocols and signaling mechanisms are needed to enable the execution of corresponding interface links using customized parameters to meet specific requirements, while minimizing signaling overhead and maximizing overall system spectral efficiency.

[0126] AI / ML and perception methods require massive amounts of data. To apply AI / ML and perception to wireless communications, increasingly more data needs to be collected, stored, and exchanged. The characteristics of wireless data extend considerably across multiple dimensions, such as from sub-6 GHz, millimeter wave to terahertz carrier frequencies, from spatial, outdoor to indoor scenes, and from text, voice to video. These data collection, processing, and usage operations are performed within a unified framework or different frameworks.

[0127] Some embodiments in this document reference control information. Control information may sometimes be referred to as control signaling or signaling. In some cases, control information can be transmitted dynamically, for example, in physical layer control channels such as the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). An example of dynamically indicated control information is information sent in physical layer control signaling, such as uplink control information (UCI) sent in PUCCH or PUSCH, or downlink control information (DCI) sent in PDCCH. Dynamic indication can be an indication in a lower layer, such as physical layer / layer 1 signaling, rather than an indication in a higher layer (e.g., not an indication in RRC signaling or MAC CE). Semi-static indication can be an indication in semi-static signaling. Semi-static signaling as used herein can refer to non-dynamic signaling, such as higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) and / or MAC CE. The dynamic signaling used in this article can refer to dynamic signaling, such as physical layer control signaling sent in the physical layer, such as DCI sent in PDCCH or UCI sent in PUCCH or PUSCH.

[0128] In current networks, frame timing and synchronization can be established based on synchronization signals such as the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS). It is worth noting that known frame timing and synchronization strategies involve adding timestamps to frame boundaries, for example, (xx0:yy0:zz), where xx0, yy0, and zz in the timestamp can represent time formats such as hours, minutes, and seconds, respectively.

[0129] It is anticipated that various applications and use cases in future networks (e.g., 6G networks) may require the use of frames, time slots, and symbols with different periods to meet different requirements, functions, and quality of service (QoS) types. Therefore, using frames with different periods to meet different requirements, functions, and QoS types can pose challenges to frame timing alignment for various frame structures. An example might be a time-divisional duplex (TDD) configuration between adjacent carrier bands or between subbands (or portions) of a channel or carrier bandwidth where frame timing alignment is required.

[0130] Timing alignment or frame timing alignment can be implemented based on a timing reference point, which represents the boundary (e.g., start or end boundary) of a frame, subframe, symbol, or time slot. It should be noted that the timing alignment or frame timing alignment in this invention has a broader applicability and is not limited to cases where timing alignment or frame timing alignment is only implemented at frame boundaries. Furthermore, in this invention, relative timing with respect to a frame or frame boundary should be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, a frame boundary refers to the timing point of a frame (e.g., start or end boundary), or the timing point (e.g., start or end boundary) of a frame element (e.g., symbol, time slot, or subframe) within a frame. In this invention, as described above, expressions such as "(frame) timing alignment," "timing realignment," and "relative timing with respect to frame boundaries" are used in a broader sense.

[0131] According to some aspects of the invention, timing reference points can be used to align or realign the boundaries of frames from terminal-side devices (e.g., user equipment (UE)) with the boundaries of frames from network-side devices (e.g., base station (BS)) to enable transmission within the same cell / carrier or across adjacent carrier bands.

[0132] According to some aspects of the invention, a timing reference point can be used to align or realign the boundaries of frames of a first terminal-side device (e.g., user equipment (UE)) with the boundaries of frames of a second terminal-side device (e.g., other UE) so as to transmit within the same cell / carrier.

[0133] In some aspects of the invention, a network-side device (e.g., a BS) associated with a cell can send a timing alignment indication message that can configure or provide a timing reference point to a terminal-side device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)). The timing reference point can represent a boundary of a frame structure, which the terminal-side device (e.g., the UE) in a given cell can use when performing timing alignment or timing realignment. The timing alignment indication message can include a relative timing indication Δt relative to the boundary of the frame structure. The relative timing indication Δt can represent the timing reference point as a specific duration, Δt, that occurs after the boundary of a given frame.

[0134] The timing alignment indication message may also include the system frame number (SFN) of the given frame. The SFN can also be called the SFN index. The value of the SFN can be in the range of 0 to 1023 (inclusive). When the SFN is a value within this range, it can be represented using 10 bits. In a particular implementation, when the SFN is carried via the synchronization signal block (SSB), 6 of the 10 bits of the SFN can be carried via the Master Information Block (MIB), while the remaining 4 bits can be carried via the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) payload.

[0135] Optionally, the timing alignment indication message may also include other parameters, such as a minimum time offset. The minimum time offset can determine the shortest duration before the timing reference point. The terminal device (e.g., UE) can use the minimum time offset as an indication that the downlink (DL) signaling including the timing alignment indication message can provide the terminal device with sufficient time to detect the timing alignment indication message and thus obtain the timing reference point.

[0136] Various aspects of the present invention are described in the context of UE and BS. However, it should be noted that UE and BS in the present invention should not be construed as limiting. Rather, UE and BS are used in a broader sense, whereby UE refers to any applicable terminal-side device or terminal equipment including such a device operating according to the various aspects described in the present invention, and BS refers to any applicable network-side device or network equipment including such a device operating according to the various aspects described in the present invention.

[0137] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of multiple frames provided in various aspects of this application. When the timing reference point is defined in a relative manner, the multiple frames may include one or more signals to be transmitted by the base station (BS) and received by the user equipment (UE). Frame structure 510 may be a reference frame structure. Frame structure 510 may include reference frames 510-1, 510-2, ..., 510-N, 510-N+1. Figure 5 The diagram shows a reference frame 510-N with a frame boundary timestamp xx0:yy0:zz, indicating the time at which the start boundary of reference frame 510-N is located. In other words, a timestamp is placed at xx0:yy0:zz at the start boundary of frame 510-N, such as... Figure 5 As shown. For example, the timestamp format (xx0:yy0:zz) can represent (xx0) hours, (yy0) minutes, and (zz) seconds, respectively. Although Figure 5 While not explicitly described, in some embodiments, a timestamp can be placed at the start boundary of frame 510-N at xx0:yy0:zz:aa:bb:cc. For example, the timestamp format (xx0:yy0:zz:aa:bb:cc) can represent (xx0) hours, (yy0) minutes, (zz) seconds, (aa) milliseconds, (bb) microseconds, and (cc) nanoseconds, respectively. However, in some embodiments, the timestamp can be (xx0:yy0:zz:aa) or (xx0:yy0:zz:aa:bb), depending on the granularity of the timestamp. Frame structure 520 may include a first group of frames 520-1, 520-2, 520-3, 520-4...520-M. Frame structure 530 may include a second group of frames 530-1, 530-2, 530-3, 530-4, 530-5, 530-6...530-L. Timing reference point 550 can be received from the BS or different UEs, or obtained based on certain information received from the BS or different UEs, which can represent timing reference point 550.

[0138] Still referencing Figure 5 It can transmit or receive one or more signals from the first group of frames 520-1, 520-2, 520-3, 520-4...520-M at the first bandwidth part (BWP) 525, and can transmit or receive one or more signals from the second group of frames 530-1, 530-2, 530-3, 530-4, 530-5, 530-6...530-L at the second BWP 535. It can also transmit or receive signals from the first BWP 525 and the second BWP 535 on two sub-bands within a single carrier frequency band or on two sub-bands within adjacent carrier frequency bands.

[0139] A timing alignment indication message can be sent from the BS via DL signaling. DL signaling can be implemented as cell-specific signaling (e.g., group common signaling, paging signaling, broadcast signaling) or UE-specific signaling (e.g., paging signaling, unicast signaling, modified downlink control information (DCI) signaling, media access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling, or radio resource control (RRC) signaling).

[0140] The UE can monitor DL ​​signaling to detect timing alignment indication messages. As mentioned above, DL signaling can be implemented as cell-specific or UE-specific signaling. DL signaling can be associated with the configuration of timing reference points representing the boundaries of the frame structure. After receiving a timing alignment indication message, the UE can adjust its frame boundaries to be time-aligned with timing reference point 550, such as... Figure 5 As shown. Timing reference point 550 can be defined by a relative timing indication Δt relative to the timestamp xx0:yy0:zz. The relative timing indication Δt can be defined in milliseconds, microseconds, or nanoseconds and anchored to the start boundary of frame 510-N. As mentioned above, timestamps can be placed at the start boundary of frame 510-N at xx0:yy0:zz, xx0:yy0:zz:aa, xx0:yy0:zz:aa:bb, or xx0:yy0:zz:aa:bb:cc. Therefore, it can be understood that a timestamp with a value equivalent to xx0:yy0:zz + Δt or one of the above variables + Δt is placed at the new frame boundary at timing reference point 550.

[0141] UE can be in time offset T offset The system receives a timing alignment instruction message. Time offset T offset This can be a delay prior to configuring or acquiring a timing reference point (e.g., propagation delay). This delay can include the propagation delay between the BS and the UE. Time offset T offset This can be configured via RRC signaling. Time offset T offset It can also be included in the timed alignment instruction message.

[0142] Once timing reference point 550 is obtained, frames in the first BWP 525 and the second BWP 535 can be aligned with timing reference point 550. Specifically, for example, the start boundary of frame 520-M and the start boundary of frame 530-L are aligned with timing reference point 550, as follows: Figure 5 As shown.

[0143] After configuring timing reference point 550 for the first BWP 525 and the second BWP 535, the UE can begin sending or receiving information in frames 520-M of BWP 525, starting from timing reference point 550. Furthermore, after configuring timing reference point 550, the UE can begin sending or receiving information in frames 530-L of BWP 535, starting from timing reference point 550. In some embodiments, the second BWP 535 can be used by a different UE to begin sending or receiving information in frame 530-L.

[0144] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of multiple frames provided in various aspects of this application. When the timing reference point is defined in an absolute manner, the multiple frames may include one or more signals to be transmitted by the base station (BS) and received by the user equipment (UE). Frame structure 610 may be a reference frame structure. The multiple frames in reference frame structure 610 may include reference frames 610-1, 610-2, ..., 610-N, 610-N+1. Figure 6 A reference frame 610-N with frame boundary timestamps xx0:yy0:zz, xx0:yy0:zz:aa:bb:cc, or other timestamps mentioned above is shown. These timestamps indicate the time at which the start boundary of reference frame 610-N occurs. Frame structure 620 may include a first group of frames 620-1, 620-2, 620-3, 620-4…620-M. Frame structure 630 may include a second group of frames 630-1, 630-2, 630-3, 630-4, 630-5, 630-6…630-L. Timing reference point 650 may be received from the BS or different UEs, or obtained based on certain information received from the BS or different UEs, which may represent timing reference point 650.

[0145] Still referencing Figure 6 It can transmit or receive one or more signals from the first group of frames 620-1, 620-2, 620-3, 620-4...620-M at the first bandwidth part (BWP) 625, and can transmit or receive one or more signals from the second group of frames 630-1, 630-2, 630-3, 630-4, 630-5, 630-6...630-L at the second BWP 635. It can also transmit or receive signals from the first BWP 625 and the second BWP 635 on two sub-bands within a single carrier frequency band or on two sub-bands within adjacent carrier frequency bands.

[0146] A timing alignment indication message can be sent from the BS via DL signaling. DL signaling can be implemented as cell-specific signaling (e.g., group common signaling, paging signaling, broadcast signaling) or UE-specific signaling (e.g., paging signaling, unicast signaling, modified downlink control information (DCI) signaling, media access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling, or radio resource control (RRC) signaling).

[0147] The UE can monitor DL ​​signaling to detect timing alignment indication messages. As mentioned above, DL signaling can be implemented as cell-specific signaling or UE-specific signaling. DL signaling can be associated with the configuration of a timing reference point indicating the boundaries of the frame structure. Upon receiving a timing alignment indication message, the UE can adjust its frame boundaries to be time-aligned with timing reference point 650. Timing reference point 650 can be defined by an absolute timing indication, such as a timestamp xx1:yy1:ww or xx1:yy1:ww:aa1 or xx1:yy1:ww:aa1:bb1 or xx1:yy1:ww:aa1:bb1:cc1. Figure 6 (Not shown in the image). For example, the timestamp format (xx1:yy1:ww) can represent (xx1) hours, (yy1) minutes, and (ww) seconds, respectively. For example, the timestamp format can represent other granularities such as (aa1) milliseconds, (bb1) microseconds, and (cc1) nanoseconds, respectively. In other words, the new frame boundary at timing reference point 650 can be understood as being timestamped, with a value equivalent to xx1:yy1:ww or other variations consistent with the aforementioned granularities.

[0148] UE can be in time offset T offset The system receives a timing alignment instruction message. Time offset T offset It can be combined with the above text Figure 5 The time offset T described offset Similar delays.

[0149] Once timing reference point 650 is obtained, frames in the first BWP 625 and the second BWP 635 can be aligned with timing reference point 650. Specifically, for example, the start boundary of frame 620-M and the start boundary of frame 630-L are aligned with timing reference point 650, as follows: Figure 6 As shown.

[0150] After configuring timing reference point 650, the UE can begin sending or receiving information in frame 620-M of the first BWP 625, with the transmission or reception starting from timing reference point 650. Additionally, after configuring timing reference point 650, the UE can begin sending or receiving information in frame 630-L of the second BWP 635, with the transmission or reception starting from timing reference point 650. In some embodiments, the second BWP 635 can be used by different UEs to begin sending or receiving information in frame 630-L.

[0151] Various aspects of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for data transmission that can be used for cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation. Various aspects of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for data transmission that can be used for downlink (DL) spectrum and uplink (UL) spectrum scheduling. The methods and apparatus described in the present invention can address potential problems that may arise when performing cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation or in DL and UL spectrum scheduling.

[0152] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating potential problems that may arise when performing cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation. (Reference) Figure 7 The frame structure of the first carrier 710 can be defined according to the first timing reference point 715 and includes multiple frames, such as frames 710-M and 710-M+1. The frame structure of the second carrier 720 can be defined according to the second timing reference point 725 and includes multiple frames, such as frames 720-N and 720-N+1.

[0153] Data transmission can be scheduled over a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 710-M in the first carrier 710 via the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) 711. PDCCH 711 can indicate scheduling information for reception on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). PDCCH 711 can instruct the device to allocate resources for PDSCH reception 721 across different carriers (e.g., the second carrier 720). This scheduling can be referred to as cross-carrier scheduling because information from the first carrier is scheduled to be used on the resources of the second carrier. Figure 7 In the first carrier 710, PDCCH 711 is scheduled for resources of PDSCH reception 721 on a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 720-N in the second carrier 720.

[0154] The frame structure in the first carrier 710 can be determined based on the first timing reference point 715, while the frame structure in the second carrier 720 can be determined based on the second timing reference point 725. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the two frame structures may not be timing aligned, meaning they may be misaligned. This misalignment can pose challenges when scheduling resources for PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission across carriers. For example, a resource offset (e.g., a slot offset) indicating the resource location of PDSCH reception 721 may be included in downlink control information (DCI). However, due to the timing misalignment between the frame structures in the first carrier 710 and the second carrier 720, this resource offset may not accurately indicate the resource location of PDSCH reception 721 in the second carrier 720. It should be noted that the above example uses a slot offset to illustrate resource offset, but resource offsets can be defined using offsets for different types of resources, such as frame offsets, subframe offsets, or symbol offsets. Because the boundaries of frames, subframes, symbols, or slots in the first and second carriers 710 and 720 are not timing aligned, cross-carrier scheduling may require time offsets to compensate for the timing misalignment between the frame structures of the first carrier 710 and the second carrier 720 to achieve timing alignment. For example, the offset representing the timing difference between timing reference point 715 and timing reference point 725 can be used to achieve timing alignment.

[0155] Existing DL and UL spectrum scheduling (e.g., flexible spectrum scheduling) may also have similar issues. It should be noted that DL and UL spectrum scheduling or flexible spectrum scheduling may support data transmission using decoupled DL and UL spectra. In some cases, such as when the DL spectrum is located in a DL frequency-division duplex (FDD) band, and the UL spectrum is located in an unpaired UL FDD band, a paired UL FDD band, or a time-division duplex (TDD) band, the DL and UL spectra may be decoupled. In other cases, such as when the DL spectrum is located in a first TDD band, and the UL spectrum is located in a UL FDD band, a first TDD band, or a second TDD band different from the first TDD band, the DL and UL spectra may be decoupled.

[0156] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates potential problems that may arise when performing DL and UL spectrum scheduling. (Reference) Figure 8The frame structure of the DL spectrum 810 can be defined according to the DL timing reference point 815 and includes multiple frames, such as frames 810-M, 810-M+1, and 810-M+2. The frame structure of the UL spectrum 820 can be defined according to the UL timing reference point 825 and includes multiple frames, such as frames 820-N, 820-N+1, and 820-N+2.

[0157] Data transmission can be performed on a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 810-M in the DL spectrum 810 via the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) 811, or scheduled to be performed on a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 810-M in the DL spectrum 810 via the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) 811. PDCCH 811 can schedule resources for transmission on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) 821. PDCCH 811 can indicate resources for PUSCH transmission 821 in the UL spectrum 820. Specifically, PDCCH 811 in the DL spectrum 810 schedules resources for PUSCH 821 transmission on a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 820-N in the UL spectrum 820.

[0158] Other data transmissions may be performed or scheduled on a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 810-M+1 in the DL spectrum 810 via different PDCCH 812. PDCCH 812 may be scheduled to use resources for PDSCH 813 transmissions on a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 820-M+1 in the DL spectrum 810. PDCCH 812 may also schedule resources for PUCCH 822 transmissions on a portion (e.g., one or more symbols) of frame 820-N+2 in the UL spectrum 820, which includes feedback (e.g., HARQ ACK feedback) of PDSCH transmission 813. PDCCH 822 transmissions may be scheduled concurrently with PDSCH 813 transmissions.

[0159] Still referencing Figure 8 Given that the frame structure of the DL spectrum 810 can be determined based on the DL timing reference point 815, while the frame structure of the UL spectrum 820 can be determined based on different timing reference points (i.e., the UL timing reference point 825), therefore Figure 8The two frame structures shown may not be timing aligned. This misalignment can pose challenges when performing DL and UL spectrum scheduling for PUSCH or PUCCH transmissions. For example, a resource offset (e.g., slot offset) indicating the resource location of PUSCH transmission 821 may be included in the DCI; however, due to the timing misalignment between the frame structures of DL spectrum 810 and UL spectrum 820, this resource offset may not accurately indicate the resource location of PUSCH transmission 821 in UL spectrum 820. Similarly, due to the timing misalignment between the frame structures of DL spectrum 810 and UL spectrum 820, timing information for PUCCH transmission 822 (which may include feedback from PDSCH transmission 813 (e.g., HARQ ACK feedback)) may not accurately indicate the desired resource portion in UL spectrum 820. Because the boundaries of frames, subframes, symbols, or time slots in the DL and UL spectra 810 and 820 are not timing aligned, flexible DL and UL spectrum scheduling may require time offsets to compensate for the timing misalignment between the frame structure of the first carrier 810 and the frame structure of the second carrier 820 to achieve timing alignment. For example, an offset representing the timing difference between timing reference point 815 and timing reference point 825 can be used to achieve timing alignment.

[0160] The methods and apparatus described in this invention can solve the potential problems that may arise when performing cross-carrier scheduling or DL ​​and UL spectrum scheduling in carrier aggregation. According to some aspects of the invention, an apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) can receive configuration information on a first resource in a first carrier for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier. The configuration information may include resource offsets (e.g., slot offsets) for data transmission on PDSCH or PUSCH transmission, or timing information for reporting feedback on PDSCH transmissions (e.g., timing information for HARQ ACK feedback). The apparatus can determine the second resource in the second carrier based on the configuration information and the offset, where the offset represents the timing difference between a timing reference point of the first carrier and a timing reference point of the second carrier. For example, a slot index for (scheduled) data transmission on PDSCH or PUSCH can be determined. Similarly, a slot index for feedback on data transmission on PDSCH (e.g., a slot index for HARQ ACK feedback) can be determined. When the second resource in the second carrier is determined, the apparatus can transmit or receive information on the determined second resource in the second carrier.

[0161] The methods described above and elsewhere in this invention can be used for cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation or for at least one of DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling. In some embodiments of the above methods for cross-carrier scheduling, cross-carrier scheduling enables a device (e.g., a UE) to determine the location for transmitting or receiving information on a second carrier. In such embodiments, the first carrier may be a scheduled carrier, and the second carrier may be a scheduled carrier; the first carrier may be different from the second carrier. In some embodiments of the above methods for DL ​​spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling, DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling enables a device (e.g., a UE) to determine the location for transmitting or receiving information on a second carrier. In such embodiments, the first carrier may include the DL spectrum, and the second carrier may include the UL spectrum. The UL spectrum can be decoupled from the DL spectrum in the following situations: (i) the DL spectrum is located in a DL frequency-division duplex (FDD) band, and the UL spectrum is located in an unpaired UL FDD band, a paired UL FDD band, or a time-division duplex (TDD) band; or (ii) the DL spectrum is located in a first TDD band, and the UL spectrum is located in a UL FDD band, a first TDD band, or a second TDD band different from the first TDD band. The method and apparatus for data transmission described in this invention can solve the problems described above and achieve timing alignment.

[0162] According to some embodiments, a timing reference point can refer to timing information used to determine the timing points of frames, subframes, symbols, or time slots in a carrier or cell. The timing reference point can be used to timestamp frame boundaries, which can refer to the start or end boundaries of a frame, subframe, symbol, or time slot. In other words, the timing reference point can indicate the frame boundaries of other frame structures; therefore, the timing reference point can be time-aligned with the start or end boundaries of a frame, subframe, symbol, or time slot.

[0163] When updating the frame structure, a timing reference point can be used or referenced. That is, the frame structure can be updated based on the timing reference point. For example, a set of frames in the updated frame structure can be started from a timing reference point (e.g., a timing reference point indicating the timing boundary of the updated frame structure), and the system frame number (SFN), slot index, and / or symbol index can be changed based on the timing reference point. The timing reference point can support timing alignment on the UE side. The timing reference point can also support adjustments for future data transmissions between the UE and BS in the network.

[0164] As described above, a timing reference point can be represented by relative timing relative to a timing point (e.g., a start or end boundary) of a frame, subframe, symbol, or time slot. For example, a timing reference point can be represented by relative timing relative to the boundary of the current frame (e.g., the start boundary of the current frame). A timing reference point can also be represented by a time offset relative to different reference time slots. The time offset relative to different reference time slots has a granularity of several nanoseconds, microseconds, or milliseconds. Alternatively, a timing reference point can be represented by absolute timing based on some standard timing reference such as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), Global Positioning System (GPS), where the origin of the time field (i.e., the starting point of GPS time) is January 6, 1980, 00:00:00, etc. In the absolute timing version, the timing reference point can be explicitly stated.

[0165] In frame structures used for wireless networks (e.g., LTE, 5G NR, and 6G), each frame can consist of 10 subframes, each with a duration of 1ms. Therefore, the frame length can be set to 10ms. One or more downlink (DL), uplink (UL), and sidelink (SL) transmissions can be organized into such frames. The system frame number (SFN) is used to identify the frames in the frame structure. The SFN value can be in the range of 0 to 1023 (inclusive). The SFN value can start from 0 and increment, resetting to 0 when it reaches its maximum value (1023).

[0166] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of multiple frames 900 provided in an embodiment of the present invention, used to explain an example of updating the frame structure according to a timing reference point. The first frame structure 910 may include frames 910-0, 910-1...910-M, 910-M+1. The UE can (initially) use frames 910-0, 910-1...910-M, 910-M+1 in frame structure 910 to communicate with the BS in the wireless network. The second frame structure 920 may be a different frame structure, including frames 920-X, 920-X+1... Figure 9 It also indicates the timing reference point 950.

[0167] In some embodiments, the UE may receive an identifier of timing reference point 950 or information representing timing reference point 950. Timing reference point 950 may indicate the start or end boundary of a frame structure to be used for scheduling future data transmission. Figure 9As shown, timing reference point 950 is not aligned with the start and end boundaries of frame 910-M. Therefore, timing adjustment of the UE-side clock can be achieved. Timing adjustment can be performed based on timing reference point 950.

[0168] Once the timing adjustment is complete, the timing reference point 950 can be aligned with the frame boundary of the second frame structure 920, such as... Figure 9 As shown. Specifically, for example, the starting boundary of the starting frame 920-X in the second frame structure 920 can be aligned with the timing reference point 950.

[0169] In some embodiments, the SFN of the starting frame 920-X, whose starting boundary is aligned with timing reference point 950, can be indicated or configured by the BS. For example, the BS can configure the SFN of the starting frame of the second frame structure 920, and the UE receives information from the BS representing the SFN of the starting frame of the second frame structure 920. Figure 9 In the example shown, the BS can configure the SFN value of frame 920-X, and the UE can receive information from the BS indicating the SFN of frame 920-X. The SFN values ​​of frames following frame 920-X increment in a conventional manner. For example, when the SFN of frame 920-X is X and the value X is received from the BS, the SFN values ​​of each frame following frame 920-X are X+1, X+2...X+N...1023, 0, 1, 2... etc.

[0170] In some embodiments, the SFN of the starting frame 920-X, whose starting boundary is aligned with timing reference point 950, can be determined according to a predetermined rule. The predetermined rule may indicate that the SFN of the starting frame 920-X should be updated based on timing reference point 950. See below for reference... Figure 9 Some non-restrictive examples describing predefined rules.

[0171] An example of a predetermined rule could be that the starting frame is a frame whose SFN value is 0 (hereinafter or elsewhere in this invention may be referred to as "SFN0" or "SFN 0") in the second frame structure 920 updated according to timing reference point 950. That is, the SFN of frame 920-X is 0.

[0172] Another example of the predetermined rule can be represented as follows: the SFN of the starting frame 920-X of the second frame structure 920 is determined based on frame 910-M of the first frame structure 910. Frame 910-M is the frame in the first frame structure 910 that includes timing reference point 950, such as... Figure 9 The first frame structure 910's starting boundary and different timing reference points (as described). Figure 9Alignment (not shown in the image). The SFN of the starting frame 920-X can be the same as the SFN of frame 910-M. For example, assuming timing reference point 950 is transmitted in frame 910-M and the SFN of frame 910-M is M, then the SFN of frame 920-X can be M. Alternatively, the SFN of the starting frame 920-X can be determined based on a function with the SFN of frame 910-M as input. For example, assuming timing reference point 950 is transmitted in frame 910-M and the SFN of frame 910-M is M, then the SFN of frame 920-X can be the output of a predetermined function with “M” as input. If the function is function (M) = M+1, then the SFN of frame 920-X is M+1.

[0173] As mentioned above, data transmission between the UE and BS can be achieved through cross-carrier scheduling. To implement cross-carrier scheduling, the UE can be used to send or receive information on multiple carriers, for example, as referenced below. Figure 10 As stated above.

[0174] In cross-carrier scheduling where multiple carriers can be used for UE-side data transmission or reception, one or more timing reference points can be configured for one or more of the multiple carriers. In some embodiments, a timing reference point can be configured separately for each of the multiple carriers. A timing reference point configured for one of the multiple carriers may not be timing aligned with different timing reference points configured for other carriers. For example, in... Figure 10 In the example, the three timing reference points 1015, 1025, and 1035 configured for the first, second, and third carriers 1010, 1020, and 1030, respectively, are not timing aligned with each other. Therefore, when scheduling data transmission or reception through cross-carrier scheduling, an offset can be used to compensate for the timing misalignment between carriers.

[0175] According to some embodiments, as described above, the UE can receive configuration information for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier on a first resource in a first carrier. Transmitting or receiving information may include data reception on the PDSCH or data transmission on the PUSCH.

[0176] The UE can receive configuration information on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) via downlink control information (DCI). The configuration information can be included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI. The DCI (e.g., in the time-domain resource allocation field) can indicate resource offsets (e.g., K0, K2) that can be used to schedule the transmission or reception of information. For example, the time-domain resource allocation field in the DCI can indicate the time slot offset (e.g., K0) for PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission, whereby the UE is scheduled to receive PDSCH or transmit PUSCH via the DCI.

[0177] After receiving configuration information for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier on a first resource in a first carrier, the UE can determine the second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving information based on the configuration information. Resources (K) are allocated for transmitting or receiving information (e.g., PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission) on a scheduled carrier (e.g., the second carrier). s (For example, the second resource) can be determined according to equation (1) shown below:

[0178] K s = (n+K0+offset) TimingRPs )mod slots_in_a_frame (1)

[0179] in:

[0180] K s It is to allocate resources (e.g., second resources) for transmitting or receiving information on a scheduled carrier (e.g., a second carrier);

[0181] n is an identifier (e.g., a time slot index) of a resource (e.g., a first resource) in which configuration information (e.g., information included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI) is received in a scheduled carrier (e.g., a first carrier).

[0182] K0 is the resource offset (e.g., time slot offset) indicated in the configuration information (e.g., information included in the time domain resource allocation field of DCI) for scheduling the transmission or reception of information.

[0183] offset TimingRPs It represents the offset of the timing difference between the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier (e.g., the first carrier) and the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier (e.g., the second carrier);

[0184] slots_in_a_frame is the number of unit resources (e.g., the number of time slots) in a frame.

[0185] In some embodiments, K0 may represent the time slot offset between a PDCCH transmission and the corresponding PDSCH transmission.

[0186] When the resource (K) is determined according to equation (1) s (For example, the second resource) It is assumed that frame boundaries (e.g., the boundary of a symbol, time slot, or subframe or frame) are time-aligned in the scheduling carrier and the scheduled carrier (e.g., the first carrier and the second carrier). For example, the start boundary (e.g., the symbol boundary) of the resource in the scheduling carrier (e.g., the first carrier) is time-aligned with the start boundary of the resource in the scheduled carrier (e.g., the second carrier), for example, in Figure 10 In this process, the starting boundary of resource 5 of the first carrier 1010 is time-aligned with the starting boundary of resource 7 of the second carrier 1020 and the starting boundary of resource 2 of the third carrier 1030.

[0187] In some embodiments, the offset between timing reference points can be determined based on the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier and the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier. For example, offset TimingRPs It can be determined according to equation (2) shown below:

[0188]

[0189] in:

[0190] TimingRefPoint CC_scheduling It is the timing reference point for scheduling carriers (e.g., the first carrier);

[0191] TimingRefPoint CC_scheduled It is the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier (e.g., the second carrier);

[0192] slot_duration is the duration of a unit resource (e.g., a time slot) that applies to both the scheduled carrier and the scheduled carrier.

[0193] In some embodiments, TimingRefPoiont in equation (2) CC_scheduling and TimingRefPoint CC_scheduledIt can be defined by an absolute timing indication. In some embodiments, slot_duration in equation (2) can be represented by “X” microseconds (μs). However, it should be understood that, depending on the implementation, slot_duration can be represented by other time units. It should also be understood that while slot_duration can be the duration of a time slot as described above, it can also be the duration of other types of resources such as frames, subframes, or symbols, depending on the implementation. In other words, depending on the implementation, a unit resource can be a frame, subframe, time slot, or symbol.

[0194] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of multiple resources 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present invention, used to explain an exemplary method for determining and allocating resources for transmitting or receiving information in a scheduled carrier through cross-carrier scheduling. Figure 10 In the example shown, it is assumed that the first, second, and third timing reference points 1015, 1025, and 1035 are not timing aligned with each other, but the frame boundaries (e.g., the boundaries of symbols, time slots, subframes, or frames) are timing aligned in the first, second, and third component carriers (CCs) 1010, 1020, and 1030. For example, as described above, the starting boundary of resource 5 of the first carrier 1010 is timing aligned with the starting boundary of resource 7 of the second carrier 1020 and the starting boundary of resource 2 of the third carrier 1030.

[0195] refer to Figure 10 In each of the first, second, and third carriers 1010, 1020, and 1030, there are multiple resources (e.g., time slots) 0, 1, 2, 3…9, 10, etc. Although resources 0, 1, 2, 3…9, 10, etc. may be referred to as time slots hereinafter and elsewhere in this invention (e.g., Figures 10 to 13 However, it should be noted that each of these resources can be a different type of resource, such as a frame, subframe, or symbol.

[0196] exist Figure 10 In this configuration, the first component carrier 1010 can schedule resources to be used in the second component carrier 1020 across carriers. The Data Interchange Component (DCI), including configuration information for data transmission or reception, can be received on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) 1012 in time slot 0 of the first component carrier 1010, i.e., n=0. The DCI in time slot 0 of the first component carrier 1010 can provide scheduling information for transmitting or receiving information in the second component carrier 1020. Specifically, the DCI in time slot 0 of the first component carrier 1010 can indicate that the time slot offset K0 is 2, i.e., K0=2.

[0197] offset TimingRPs It can be determined according to equation (2). Given that the first timing reference point 1015 of the first component carrier 1010 and the second timing reference point 1025 of the second component carrier 1020 are separated by two time slots, and the second timing reference point 1025 precedes the first timing reference point 1015, therefore the offset... TimingRPs According to equation (2), the value can be determined to be 2. Assuming the value of the first timing reference point 1015 is 0 μs, the value of the second timing reference point 1025 is -2 μs, and the time slot duration is 1 μs, that is... Although the first timing reference point 1015 and the second timing reference point 1025 used above for calculating the offset use the timing value of the first time slot of the first carrier 1010 as a reference point, it is understood that this is only for ease of explanation. In some embodiments, the values ​​of the first timing reference point 1015 and the second timing reference point 1025 can be absolute timing values, such as GPS, etc.

[0198] Accordingly, assuming there are 10 time slots in the frame (i.e., slots_in_a_frame = 10), then according to equation (1), the index of the time slot allocated for PDSCH reception 1022 in the second component carrier 1020 (i.e., the scheduled component carrier 1020) is 4, where, as mentioned above, n = 0, K0 = 2, offset TimingRPs =2, that is, K s = (0+2+2)mod10 = 4.

[0199] Figure 10 An example of cross-carrier scheduling between the second component carrier 1020 and the third component carrier 1030 is also provided. In this cross-carrier scheduling example, the second component carrier 1020 can be the scheduling carrier, while the third component carrier 1030 can be the scheduled carrier. Therefore, the second component carrier 1020 can schedule resources to be used in the third component carrier 1030 across carriers. The DCI, which includes configuration information for data transmission or data reception, can be received in PDCCH 1024 in time slot 7 of the second component carrier 1020, i.e., n=7. The DCI in time slot 7 of the second component carrier 1020 can provide scheduling information for transmitting or receiving information in the third component carrier 1030. Specifically, the DCI in time slot 7 of the second component carrier 1020 can indicate that the time slot offset K0 is 2, K0=2.

[0200] offset TimingRPs It can be determined according to equation (2). Given that the second timing reference point 1025 and the third timing reference point 1035 are separated by 5 time slots, and the third timing reference point 1035 is after the second timing reference point 1025, therefore the offset...TimingRPs According to equation (2), it can be determined to be –5. Assuming the value of the second timing reference point 1025 is –2μs (where 0μs was previously indicated as the start time of the first timing reference point 1010), the value of the third timing reference point 1035 is 3μs, and the time slot duration is 1μs, that is...

[0201] Accordingly, assuming again that there are 10 time slots in the frame (i.e., slots_in_a_frame = 10), then according to equation (1), the index of the time slot allocated for PDSCH reception 1032 in the third component carrier 1030 (i.e., the scheduled component carrier 1030) is 4, where, as mentioned above, n = 7, K0 = 2, offset TimingRPs =–5, i.e., K s = (7+2-5)mod10 = 4.

[0202] Although Figure 10 An example of determining the allocation of resources for PDSCH reception through cross-carrier scheduling is shown, but it should be understood that the same principle can also be applied to determining the allocation of resources for PUSCH transmission.

[0203] Although Figure 10 The example provides a frame with 10 slots, a slot duration of 1 μs, and several other specific values. However, it should be understood that these are just specific examples, and the number of slots, slot duration, and other values ​​per frame may vary depending on the specific implementation.

[0204] Therefore, as described above and elsewhere in this invention, in cross-carrier scheduling, the index of the time slot allocated for PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission can be based on the timing reference point of the scheduling carrier. CC_scheduling Timing Reference Point of the Scheduled Carrier CC_scheduled ) and / or scheduled carriers (e.g., Figure 10 The second carrier 1020 in the first example and Figure 10 In the second example, the time length (i.e., slot_duration) of the time slot under the parameter set (numerology) of the scheduled PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission in the third component carrier 1030 is determined.

[0205] It should be noted that in at least some wireless networks (e.g., 5G NR), the slot duration may vary depending on the parameter set. (See the above and...) Figure 10In the example described, it is assumed that the slot duration is the same in each component carrier. When the slot durations in the carriers participating in cross-carrier scheduling (e.g., the first, second, and third component carriers 1010, 1020, and 1030) are different, it represents the offset of the timing difference between the timing reference point of the scheduling carrier and the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier. TimingRPs The determination can be made according to equation (3) or equation (4) shown below:

[0206]

[0207] in:

[0208] TimingRefPoint CC_scheduling It is the timing reference point for scheduling carriers;

[0209] TimingRefPoint CC_scheduled It is the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier;

[0210] reference_slot_duration is a pre-defined or configurable reference slot duration.

[0211] It should be noted that in equation (3) and other equations of this invention, `ceiling()` represents the floor function, and in equation (4) and other equations of this invention, `floor()` represents the floor function. The floor function maps a real number x to the smallest integer greater than or equal to x, and is expressed as: Or ceil(x). The floor function takes a real number x as input and outputs the largest integer less than or equal to x, represented as: Or floor(x). Therefore, when the time slots in the carriers used for cross-carrier scheduling (e.g., the first, second, and third component carriers 1010, 1020, and 1030) have different time lengths, it represents the offset (i.e., the timing difference) between the timing reference point of the scheduling carrier and the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier. TimingRPs It can be determined based on the floor function or the floor function.

[0212] As described above, the UE can receive configuration information for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier on a first resource in a first carrier. In some embodiments, transmitting or receiving information may include transmitting uplink control information (UCI) on the PUCCH. The UCI may include feedback from PDSCH transmissions. Feedback from PDSCH transmissions may include hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK) feedback.

[0213] The UE can receive configuration information on the PDCCH via the DCI. The configuration information can be included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI. The DCI (e.g., in the time-domain resource allocation field) can indicate a resource offset (e.g., slot offset K0) for PDSCH transmission. The DCI in the time-domain resource allocation field or in different fields can indicate timing information for reporting feedback on PDSCH transmissions. In some embodiments, the DCI can indicate a slot for reporting HARQ ACK / NACK feedback for the corresponding PDSCH transmission. The timing information for reporting feedback on PDSCH transmissions can include a resource offset that can be used to schedule feedback reporting (e.g., HARQ ACK / NACK reporting). The resource offset that can be used to schedule feedback reporting can represent the timing difference between the feedback reporting and the corresponding PDSCH transmission.

[0214] As described above, the timing reference point configured for one of multiple carriers may not be timing aligned with other timing reference points configured for the other carriers. For example, the timing reference point of the first carrier performing PDSCH transmission may not be timing aligned with the timing reference point of the second carrier reporting feedback during PDSCH transmission. Feedback from PDSCH transmission can be included in the UCI, which can be transmitted on the PUCCH.

[0215] When the timing reference point of the first carrier performing PDSCH transmission is not timing aligned with the timing reference point of the second carrier performing feedback reporting for PDSCH transmission, an offset can be added to compensate for the timing misalignment between carriers when scheduling data transmission or reception via cross-carrier scheduling. In some embodiments, an offset can be considered when PDSCH transmission is scheduled to take place on the first carrier while feedback (e.g., HARQ ACK / NACK) of PDSCH transmission is scheduled to be transmitted on the PUCCH on the second carrier. PDSCH transmission can be scheduled via signaling (e.g., DCI signaling) on ​​the second carrier. In some embodiments, an offset can be considered when PDSCH transmission and feedback reporting of PDSCH transmission are scheduled via DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling. Feedback reporting can be a PUCCH transmission. In some embodiments, the timing reference point configured for the DL spectrum may not be timing aligned with the timing reference point configured for the UL spectrum, for example, as follows and Figure 11 As stated above.

[0216] According to some embodiments, the UE can receive configuration information via DCI. The configuration information can provide information related to scheduling PDSCH transmissions and reporting feedback for PDSCH transmissions. For example, the configuration information may include timing information for PDSCH transmissions and resource offsets (e.g., time slot offsets) for reporting feedback on PDSCH transmissions, such as when the UE is scheduled to receive PDSCH in time slot n. It may also include a resource offset (K1) for the timing of reporting feedback on PDSCH transmissions (e.g., the timing of sending uplink control information (UCI) including feedback on PDSCH transmissions). The resource offset (K1) for the timing of reporting feedback on PDSCH transmissions (e.g., HARQ ACK / NACK) can represent the timing difference between the PDSCH transmission and the timing of reporting feedback on PDSCH transmissions.

[0217] After the UE receives configuration information on a first resource in the DL spectrum (e.g., the first carrier) for reporting feedback on a second resource in the UL spectrum (e.g., the second carrier), it can determine the second resource in the UL spectrum for reporting feedback on PDSCH transmission based on the configuration information. The resource (K) for allocating feedback on reporting PDSCH transmission in the UL spectrum (e.g., the second carrier) is then allocated. HARQ (For example, the second resource) can be determined according to equation (5) shown below:

[0218] K HARQ = (n+K1+offset) TimingRPs_HARQ )mod slots_in_a_frame (5)

[0219] in:

[0220] K HARQ It is the allocation of resources (e.g., second resources) for reporting feedback of PDSCH transmissions in the UL spectrum (e.g., second carrier);

[0221] n is an identifier (e.g., slot index) of the resource (e.g., first resource) used for (scheduled) PDSCH transmission in the DL spectrum (e.g., first carrier);

[0222] K1 is the resource offset (e.g., time slot offset) for the timing of feedback reporting for PDSCH transmission (e.g., the timing of sending uplink control information (UCI) that includes feedback of PDSCH transmission) indicated in the configuration information (e.g., information included in the time domain resource allocation field of DCI).

[0223] offset TimingRPs_HARQ It represents the offset of the timing difference between the timing reference point of the carrier carrying PDSCH (e.g., DL spectrum, first carrier) and the timing reference point of the carrier reported in feedback (e.g., UL spectrum, second carrier);

[0224] slots_in_a_frame is the number of unit resources (e.g., the number of time slots) in a frame.

[0225] In some embodiments, K1 may represent the time slot offset between the PDSCH transmission and the corresponding HARQ ACK / NACK transmission (i.e., the HARQ ACK / NACK of the PDSCH transmission).

[0226] When resource K is determined according to equation (5) HARQ At this time, it is assumed that frame boundaries (e.g., the boundaries of symbols, time slots, or subframes or frames) are time-aligned between the DL spectrum and the UL spectrum (e.g., the first carrier and the second carrier). For example, the start boundaries (e.g., symbol boundaries) of resources in the DL spectrum (e.g., the first carrier) are time-aligned with the start boundaries of resources in the UL spectrum (e.g., the second carrier), for example, in Figure 11 In this process, the starting boundary of resource 2 of DL spectrum 1110 is time-aligned with the starting boundary of resource 4 of UL spectrum 1120.

[0227] In some embodiments, offset TimingRPs_HARQ It can be determined according to equation (6) shown below:

[0228]

[0229] in:

[0230] TimingRefPoint DL It is the timing reference point for the DL spectrum (e.g., the first carrier) used for PDSCH transmission;

[0231] TimingRefPoint UL It is the timing reference point of the UL spectrum (e.g., the second carrier) used for reporting feedback (e.g., HARQ ACK / NACK) of PDSCH transmission;

[0232] slot_duration is the duration of a unit resource (e.g., a time slot) in the UL spectrum used for reporting feedback (e.g., HARQ ACK / NACK) of PDSCH transmissions.

[0233] In some embodiments, TimingRefPoint in equation (6) DL and TimingRefPoint UL It can be defined by an absolute timing indication. In some embodiments, slot_duration in equation (6) can be represented by “X” microseconds (μs). However, it should be understood that, depending on the implementation, slot_duration can be represented by other time units. It should also be understood that while slot_duration can be the duration of a time slot as described above, it can also be the duration of other types of resources such as frames, subframes, or symbols, depending on the implementation. In other words, depending on the implementation, a unit resource can be a frame, subframe, time slot, or symbol.

[0234] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of multiple resources 1100 provided in an embodiment of the present invention, used to explain an exemplary method for determining the allocation of resources for transmitting or receiving information through DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling. Figure 11 In the example shown, it is assumed that the first and second timing reference points 1115 and 1125 are not timing aligned with each other, but the frame boundaries (e.g., the boundaries of symbols, slots, subframes, or frames) are timing aligned in the DL spectrum 1110 and the UL spectrum 1120. For example, as described above, the starting boundary of resource 2 in the DL spectrum 1110 is timing aligned with the starting boundary of resource 4 in the UL spectrum 1120.

[0235] refer to Figure 11 In each of the DL spectrum 1110 and UL spectrum 1120, there are multiple resources (e.g., time slots) 0, 1, 2, 3...9, 10, etc. As mentioned above, each of these resources can be a time slot or a resource of a different type, such as a frame, subframe, or symbol.

[0236] exist Figure 11In this context, signaling in DL spectrum 1110 can schedule transmissions in UL spectrum 1120. UE ( Figure 11 (Not shown) can receive configuration information via DCI. The configuration information may include timing information for PDSCH transmission 1112, for example, the UE is scheduled to receive PDSCH 1112 in time slot 2 (i.e., n=2) in DL spectrum 1110. The configuration information may also include a resource offset (e.g., time slot offset) (i.e., K1) of 4 for feedback reporting of PDSCH transmission 1112 in UL spectrum 1120, i.e., K1=4.

[0237] offset TimingRPs_HARQ It can be determined according to equation (6). Given that the first timing reference point 1115 and the second timing reference point 1125 are separated by two time slots, and the first timing reference point 1115 is after the second timing reference point 1125, therefore the offset... TimingRPs_HARQ According to equation (6), the value can be determined to be 2. Assuming the value of the first timing reference point 1115 is 0 μs, the value of the second timing reference point 1125 is -2 μs, and the time slot duration is 1 μs, that is...

[0238] Accordingly, assuming there are 10 time slots in a frame (i.e., slots_in_a_frame = 10), then according to equation (5), the index of the time slot allocated in the UL spectrum 1120 for feedback reporting (e.g., HARQ ACK / NACK) of PDSCH transmission 1112 is 8, where, as mentioned above, n = 2, K1 = 4, offset TimingRPs =2, that is, K s = (2+4+2)mod 10 = 8. In other words, the PUCCH transmission 1122, which includes feedback from the PDSCH transmission 1112, can be performed on resource 8 (e.g., time slot 8) in the UL spectrum 1120.

[0239] Therefore, as described above and elsewhere in this invention, in DL and UL spectrum scheduling, the index of the time slot allocated for transmitting feedback (e.g., HACK ACK / NACK) of PDSCH transmissions can be based on the timing reference point of the DL spectrum. DL ), UL spectrum timing reference point UL The time length (i.e., slot_duration) of the slot under the parameter set of PUCCH transmission in the UL spectrum and / or UL spectrum is determined.

[0240] In addition, although Figure 11The example provides a frame with 10 slots, a slot duration of 1 μs, and several other specific values. However, it should be understood that these are just specific examples, and the number of slots, slot duration, and other values ​​per frame may vary depending on the specific implementation.

[0241] It should be noted that in at least some wireless networks (e.g., 5G NR), the slot duration may vary depending on the parameter set. (See the above and...) Figure 11 In the example described, it is assumed that the slot duration is the same in each component carrier. When the slot durations in DL spectrum 1110 and UL spectrum 1120 are different, it represents the offset of the timing difference between the timing reference point of the DL spectrum and the timing reference point of the UL spectrum. TimingRPs_HARQ The determination can be made according to equation (7) or equation (8) shown below:

[0242]

[0243]

[0244] in:

[0245] TimingRefPoint DL It is the timing reference point for the DL spectrum;

[0246] TimingRefPoint UL It is the timing reference point for the UL spectrum;

[0247] reference_slot_duration is a pre-defined or configurable reference slot duration.

[0248] When the time slots in the DL spectrum and the UL spectrum have different durations, it represents the offset of the timing difference between the timing reference point of the DL spectrum and the timing reference point of the UL spectrum. TimungRPs_HARQ It can be determined based on the floor function or the floor function.

[0249] In some embodiments, when determining the timing (e.g., time slot) for aperiodic channel state information (CSI) reporting or aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, the timing (e.g., time slot index) can be determined based on two points: (i) the timing reference point of the transmission carrier for CSI reporting or SRS transmission and (ii) the timing reference point of the carrier that triggers CSI reporting or SRS transmission (e.g., the carrier that transmits the DCI that triggers CSI reporting or SRS transmission).

[0250] In some embodiments, the offset of the timing reference point representing the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier (e.g., the scheduled carrier in cross-carrier scheduling, the DL spectrum in DL spectrum scheduling, and the DL spectrum in UL spectrum scheduling) and the timing reference point of the second carrier (e.g., the scheduled carrier in cross-carrier scheduling, the UL spectrum in DL spectrum scheduling, and the UL spectrum in UL spectrum scheduling) can be determined before the propagation delay between the compensation device (e.g., UE) and the device transmitting configuration information (e.g., BS). Both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier may be free from propagation delay.

[0251] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the offset of the timing reference point representing the timing difference between the first carrier (e.g., the scheduled carrier in cross-carrier scheduling, the DL spectrum, and the DL spectrum in UL spectrum scheduling) and the timing reference point of the second carrier (e.g., the scheduled carrier in cross-carrier scheduling, the DL spectrum, and the UL spectrum in UL spectrum scheduling) can be determined after the propagation delay between the compensation device (e.g., UE) and the device transmitting the configuration information (e.g., BS). Both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier can include the propagation delay.

[0252] Since the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier may or may not include the propagation delay, the propagation delay can be ignored when determining the offset representing the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier, for example, as shown in equations (2) and (6).

[0253] References above Figure 10 and Figure 11 In the described example, it is assumed that frame boundaries (e.g., the boundaries of symbols, slots, or subframes or frames) are time-aligned across different carriers. However, there may be cases where frame boundaries are not time-aligned across different carriers. For example, as... Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, the starting boundary of resource 0 of the first carrier (e.g., first carriers 1210 and 1310) may not be timing aligned with the starting boundary of any resource (e.g., resource 2) of the second carrier (e.g., second carriers 1220 and 1320). In such cases, there may be partial resource offsets (e.g., offsets in time length equal to a portion of the symbol length or a portion of the time slot length) between the two different carriers or between the DL spectrum and the UL spectrum. To align the two different carriers or the DL and UL spectra, the offset representing the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier can be adjusted. Examples of adjusting offsets for cross-carrier scheduling are provided below and elsewhere in the invention. However, it should be noted that the offset representing the timing difference between the timing reference points of different carriers can be adjusted in a similar manner for DL ​​and UL spectrum scheduling (e.g., HARQ feedback reporting), aperiodic CSI reporting, and aperiodic SRS transmission.

[0254] As described above, the UE can receive configuration information for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier on a first resource in a first carrier via DCI signaling. The DCI signaling (e.g., in the time-domain resource allocation field) can indicate resource offsets (e.g., K0, K2, as described above) available for scheduling the transmission or reception of information; for example, the UE is scheduled to receive PDSCH or transmit PUSCH via DCI. After receiving the configuration information, the UE can determine the second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving information based on the configuration information. Resources (K0, K2, as described above) are allocated for transmitting or receiving information (e.g., PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission) on the scheduled carrier (e.g., the second carrier). s (For example, the second resource) can be determined according to equation (1) shown above.

[0255] However, given that frame boundaries (e.g., the boundaries of symbols, time slots, or subframes or frames) are not timing aligned in the scheduling carrier and the scheduled carrier (e.g., the first and second carriers), the offset (e.g., the timing difference between the timing reference points of the scheduling carrier and the scheduled carrier) represents the time difference between them. TimingRPs The offset can be adjusted before applying it to equation (1). The offset can be adjusted according to one of the equations (9) to (11) shown below:

[0256]

[0257]

[0258] in:

[0259] TimingRefPoint Cc_scheduling It is the timing reference point for scheduling carriers;

[0260] TimingRefPoint CC_scheduled It is the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier;

[0261] slot_duration is the duration of a unit of resource (e.g., a time slot).

[0262] It should be noted that floor() in equation (9) represents the floor function, ceiling() in equation (10) represents the floor function, and round() in equation (11) represents the rounding function, which rounds a number to the nearest integer value.

[0263] In some embodiments where the slot_duration is the same across all carriers, slot_duration is the duration of a unit resource (e.g., a time slot). In some embodiments where the slot_duration differs across all carriers, slot_duration is a reference duration of a unit resource (e.g., a time slot), which may be predetermined or configurable. For example, slot_duration may be a reference time slot duration that can be configured as the duration of the shortest time slot (i.e., the shortest time slot length).

[0264] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of multiple resources 1200 provided in an embodiment of the present invention, used to explain an exemplary method for determining and allocating resources for sending or receiving information through cross-carrier scheduling. Figure 12 In the example shown, it is assumed that frame boundaries (e.g., the boundaries of symbols, time slots, or subframes or frames) are not timing aligned in the first and second carriers 1210 and 1220. For example, the start boundary of resource 0 of the first carrier 1210 is not timing aligned with the start boundary of any resource (e.g., resource 2) of the second carrier 1220. The first timing reference point 1215 of the first carrier 1210 and the second timing reference point 1225 of the second carrier 1220 are not timing aligned with each other.

[0265] refer to Figure 12 In each of the first and second carriers 1210 and 1220, there are multiple resources (e.g., time slots) 0, 1, 2, 3...9, 10, etc. As mentioned above, each of these resources can be a time slot or a resource of a different type, such as a frame, subframe, or symbol.

[0266] exist Figure 12In this configuration, the first component carrier 1210 can schedule the second component carrier 1220 across carriers. A Data Interchange Component (DCI) including configuration information for data transmission or reception can be received on PDCCH 1212 in time slot 0 of the first component carrier 1210, i.e., n=0. The DCI can indicate the resource offset (e.g., time slot offset) for PDSCH reception 1222 in the second component carrier 1220. Specifically, the DCI in time slot 0 of the first component carrier 1210 can indicate that the time slot offset K0 is 0, i.e., K0=0.

[0267] offset TimingRPs It can be determined according to equation (9). According to equation (9), offset TimingRPs The offset can be determined using a floor function. Therefore, given that the first timing reference point 1215 and the second timing reference point 1225 are approximately 2.5 time slots apart, the offset... TimingRPs According to equation (9), the value can be determined to be 2. Assuming the value of the first timing reference point 1215 is 0 μs, the value of the second timing reference point 1225 is -2.5 μs, and the time slot duration is 1 μs, that is...

[0268] Accordingly, assuming there are 10 time slots in the frame (i.e., slots_in_a_frame = 10), then according to equation (1), the index of the time slot allocated for PDSCH reception 1222 in the second component carrier 1220 (i.e., the scheduled component carrier 1220) is 2, where, as mentioned above, n = 0, K0 = 0, offset TimingRPs =2, that is, K s = (0+0+2)mod 10 = 2. In other words, data transmission on PDSCH1222 can be received by a device (e.g., UE) in time slot 2 of carrier 1220 or scheduled to be received by a device (e.g., UE) in time slot 2 of carrier 1220.

[0269] It should be noted that, generally speaking, it is desirable for PDCCH and PDSCH to be scheduled within the same time slot. The floor function used in equation (9) can enable fast transmission of PDSCH, and therefore may be particularly beneficial for latency-sensitive services.

[0270] In addition, although Figure 12 The example provides a frame with 10 slots, a slot duration of 1 μs, and several other specific values. However, it should be understood that these are just specific examples, and the number of slots, slot duration, and other values ​​per frame may vary depending on the specific implementation.

[0271] Figure 13This is a schematic diagram of multiple resources 1300 provided in an embodiment of the present invention, used to explain another exemplary method for determining the allocation of resources for sending or receiving information through cross-carrier scheduling. Figure 13 In the example shown, it is assumed that frame boundaries (e.g., the boundaries of symbols, time slots, or subframes or frames) are not timing aligned in the first and second carriers 1310 and 1320. For example, the start boundary of resource 0 of the first carrier 1310 is not timing aligned with the start boundary of any resource (e.g., resource 2) of the second carrier 1320. The first timing reference point 1315 of the first carrier 1310 and the second timing reference point 1325 of the second carrier 1320 are not timing aligned with each other.

[0272] refer to Figure 13 In each of the first and second carriers 1310 and 1320, there are multiple resources (e.g., time slots) 0, 1, 2, 3...9, 10, etc. As mentioned above, each of these resources can be a time slot or a resource of a different type, such as a frame, subframe, or symbol.

[0273] exist Figure 13 In this configuration, the first component carrier 1310 can schedule the second component carrier 1320 across carriers. A Data Interchange Component (DCI) including configuration information for data transmission or reception can be received on PDCCH 1312 in slot 0 of the first component carrier 1310, i.e., n=0. The DCI can indicate a resource offset (e.g., slot offset) for PUSCH transmission 1322 in the second component carrier 1320 (e.g., transmitting uplink (UL) information on PUSCH 1322). Specifically, the DCI in slot 0 of the first component carrier 1310 can indicate that slot offset K2 is 0, K2=0. In some embodiments, K2 can represent the slot offset between a PDCCH transmission (e.g., PDCCH transmission 1312) and the corresponding PUSCH transmission (e.g., PUSCH transmission 1322).

[0274] offset TimingRPs It can be determined according to equation (10). According to equation (10), offset TimingRPs The offset can be determined using the rounding function. Therefore, given that the first timing reference point 1315 and the second timing reference point 1325 are approximately 2.5 time slots apart, the offset... TimingRPs According to equation (10), the value can be determined to be 3. Assuming the value of the first timing reference point 1315 is 0 μs, the value of the second timing reference point 1325 is -2.5 μs, and the time slot duration is 1 μs, that is...

[0275] Accordingly, assuming there are 10 time slots in a frame (i.e., slots_in_a_frame = 10), then according to equation (1), the index of the time slot allocated for PUSCH transmission 1322 in the second component carrier 1320 (i.e., the scheduled component carrier 1320) is 3, where, as mentioned above, n = 0, K2 = 0, offset TimingRPs =3, that is, K s = (0+0+3)mod 10 = 3. In other words, uplink (UL) information can be transmitted by a device (e.g., UE) on PUSCH 1322 in time slot 3 of the second carrier 1320, or scheduled to be transmitted by a device (e.g., UE) on PUSCH 1322 in time slot 3 of the second carrier 1320.

[0276] In addition, although Figure 13 The examples provide a frame with 10 slots, a slot duration of 1 μs, and several other specific values. However, it should be understood that these are specific examples, and the number of slots, slot duration, and other values ​​per frame may vary depending on the specific implementation.

[0277] According to some embodiments, this represents the offset (e.g., the timing difference) between timing reference points of different carriers. TimingRPs This can be adjusted in different ways. The following will illustrate this with examples of frame structures used in some wireless networks (e.g., 5G NR). Assuming a subframe duration of 1 ms, for a subcarrier interval, the first time slot within a half-subframe, preceding all other time slots, has a longer time slot length than the other time slots within that half-subframe. However, it should be understood that this is only a specific example, and the number of time slots per frame, the duration of each time slot, and other values ​​may vary depending on the implementation.

[0278] As described above, the UE can receive configuration information for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier via DCI signaling on a first resource in a first carrier. The DCI (e.g., in the time-domain resource allocation field) can indicate resource offsets (e.g., K0, K2) available for scheduling the transmission or reception of information; for example, the UE is scheduled to receive PDSCH or transmit PUSCH via DCI signaling. After receiving the configuration information, the UE can determine the second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving information based on the configuration information. Resources (K0, K2) are allocated for transmitting or receiving information (e.g., PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission) on the scheduled carrier (e.g., the second carrier). s (For example, the second resource) can be determined according to equation (1) shown above.

[0279] When K is determined according to equation (1) sAt this time, it represents the offset of the timing difference between the timing reference points of the scheduling carrier and the scheduled carrier (e.g., offset). TimingRPs The following can be adjusted according to the set of equations (12) shown below:

[0280] If mod((TimingRefPoint_CC_scheduling-TimingRefPoint_CC_scheduled),0.5ms)==0)

[0281]

[0282] in:

[0283] TimingRefPoint CC_scheduling It is the timing reference point for scheduling carriers;

[0284] TimingRefPoint CC_scheduled It is the timing reference point of the scheduled carrier;

[0285] It is the duration of the first time slot within a half-frame that precedes all other time slots (i.e., 0.5ms);

[0286] It is the time length of the time slots within a half-frame, excluding the first time slot.

[0287] It is the number of time slots within a half-frame.

[0288] It should be noted that floor() in the set of equations (12) represents the floor function, and mod() in the set of equations (12) represents the modulo operation, which returns the remainder or signed remainder when a number is divided by another number.

[0289] Therefore, in some embodiments, according to the set of equations (12), the offset of the timing difference between timing reference points of different carriers is represented (e.g., offset). TimingRPs ) can be determined based on the time length of the first unit resource that precedes all other unit resources in the half-frame (e.g., The duration of the second unit resource that differs from the first unit resource in a half-frame. and the number of unit resources in a half-frame (e.g., Adjustments can be made. Unit resources can be time slots, symbols, or other types of resources.

[0290] Figure 14A signal flow diagram for signaling interaction between a base station (BS) and a UE, provided by an embodiment of the present invention, is shown, illustrating an exemplary process 1400 for signal transmission.

[0291] Exemplary process 1400 includes steps 1410, 1420, 1430, 1440, and 1450. Some of these steps may be optional. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the order of one or more steps 1410, 1420, 1430, 1440, and 1450 may be changed. In some embodiments, reference is made to... Figure 14 The exemplary process 1400 described can be used for cross-carrier scheduling or DL ​​spectrum and DL spectrum scheduling in carrier aggregation.

[0292] In step 1410, BS1401 can determine configuration information to be used for scheduling the transmission or reception of information on a second resource in the second carrier. The configuration information is to be transmitted on a first resource in the first carrier.

[0293] In some embodiments, the configuration information may include resource offsets for scheduling the transmission or reception of information. In some embodiments, the resource offset may indicate the number of time slots to be offset in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving information. Although time slots are indicated, they may be resources of different sizes, such as frames, subframes, or symbols.

[0294] In some embodiments, BS1401 can determine configuration information for cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation. Cross-carrier scheduling enables UE 1402 to determine the location on the second carrier (to be) transmitted or received when the first carrier is different from the second carrier.

[0295] In some embodiments, BS1401 can determine configuration information for DL ​​spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling. When the first carrier is included in the DL spectrum and the second carrier is included in the UL spectrum, DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling enables UE 1402 to determine the location on the second carrier where information (to be) transmitted or received. In some embodiments, when the DL spectrum is located in a DL frequency-division duplex (FDD) band and the UL spectrum is located in an unpaired UL FDD band, a paired UL FDD band, or a time-division duplex (TDD) band, the UL spectrum may be decoupled from the DL spectrum. In some embodiments, when the DL spectrum is located in a first TDD band and the UL spectrum is located in a UL FDD band, a first TDD band, or a second TDD band different from the first TDD band, the UL spectrum may be decoupled from the DL spectrum.

[0296] In some embodiments, step 1410 may be optional.

[0297] In step 1420, BS1401 may send configuration information to UE 1402 on a first resource in a first carrier for sending or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier.

[0298] In some embodiments, sending configuration information from BS1401 to UE1402 may include sending a DCI containing the configuration information on the PDCCH. In some embodiments, the configuration information may be included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI.

[0299] In some embodiments, the first resource may be a time slot for transmitting DCI from BS1401 to UE1402 in a first carrier. In some embodiments, the time slot may consist of multiple symbols.

[0300] In step 1430, UE 1402 may determine an offset representing the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier. In some embodiments where this offset is a timing reference point offset, UE 1402 may determine the timing reference point offset based on the timing reference point of the first carrier, the timing reference point of the second carrier, and the time length of a unit resource in the second carrier. In some embodiments, a unit resource in the second carrier may be a time slot. In some embodiments, when the time length of a first time slot in the second carrier differs from the time length of a second time slot in the second carrier, the unit resource in the second carrier is the time slot with the shortest time slot length in the second carrier. Although a time slot is indicated, it may be a resource of different sizes, such as a frame, subframe, or symbol.

[0301] In some embodiments where the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the first carrier is not aligned with the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the second carrier, the UE 1402 may adjust the timing reference point offset according to a round-down function, a round-up function, or a rounding function when determining the offset. In some embodiments, when scheduling data transmission on the PDSCH (e.g., step 1450 is a PDSCH transmission), the UE 1402 may adjust the timing reference point offset according to a round-down function. In some embodiments, when the UE 1402 is preparing (e.g., scheduling) to transmit UL information on the PUSCH (e.g., step 1450 is a PUSCH transmission), the UE 1402 may adjust the timing reference point offset according to a round-up function.

[0302] The offset can be adjusted based on the duration of the first unit resource that precedes all other unit resources in the half-frame, the duration of the second unit resource that is different from the first unit resource in the half-frame, and the number of unit resources in the half-frame.

[0303] In some embodiments where sending or receiving information includes data transmission on the PDSCH, the offset is adjusted according to a floor function.

[0304] In some embodiments, step 1430 may be optional.

[0305] In step 1440, UE 1402 can determine a second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving information based on configuration information and an offset, wherein the offset indicates the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier. In some embodiments where the second resource is a time slot in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving information, UE 1402 can determine the index of the time slot in the second carrier. Although a time slot is indicated, it can be a resource of different sizes, such as a frame, subframe, or symbol.

[0306] In some embodiments, the second resource in the second carrier can also be determined based on at least one of an identifier of the first resource and the number of unit resources in the frame. In some embodiments, the identifier of the first resource may be an index of a timeslot in the first carrier that receives configuration information. In some embodiments, the number of unit resources in the frame may be the number of timeslots in the frame.

[0307] In some embodiments, at least one of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier is configurable. In some embodiments, when both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are configurable, the configuration of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the configuration of the timing reference point of the second carrier are performed independently of each other.

[0308] In some embodiments, the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined before compensating for the propagation delay between UE 1402 and BS 1401, and neither the timing reference point of the first carrier nor the timing reference point of the second carrier includes the propagation delay. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined after compensating for the propagation delay between UE 1402 and BS 1401, and both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier include the propagation delay.

[0309] In step 1450, UE 1402 may send or receive information on a determined second resource in the second carrier.

[0310] In some embodiments where the DCI, which includes configuration information, is received on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the transmission or reception of information may include data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or data transmission on the PUSCH.

[0311] In some embodiments where DCI, which includes configuration information, is received on the PDCCH, when the configuration information includes timing information for reporting feedback on data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), the transmit or receive information may include sending a UCI from UE 1402 to BS1401 on the PUCCH. The UCI may include feedback on data transmission on the PDSCH.

[0312] The above embodiments are described in the context of communication between the UE and the BS. However, in general, devices that communicate wirelessly with each other on time-frequency resources are not necessarily one or more UEs communicating with the BS. For example, two or more UEs can communicate wirelessly with each other on the sidelink using device-to-device (D2D) communication. Similarly, two network devices (e.g., a terrestrial base station and a non-terrestrial base station (e.g., a drone)) can communicate wirelessly with each other on the backhaul link. The embodiments are not limited to uplink and / or downlink communication. For example, in the above embodiments, the BS can be replaced by other devices, such as nodes or UEs in the network. Uplink / downlink communication can be sidelink communication.

[0313] Examples of devices (e.g., UE, BS) for performing the various methods described herein are also disclosed.

[0314] For example, the device may include a memory for storing processor-executable instructions and a processor for executing the processor-executable instructions. When the processor executes the processor-executable instructions, it may cause the processor to perform the operations described herein. Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 14 Method steps for one or more devices as described above. For example, the processor may enable the device to communicate over an air interface in an operating mode by implementing operations consistent with the operating mode, the operations including configuring the device in the operating mode to perform necessary measurements and generate content from these measurements, preparing uplink transmissions and processing downlink transmissions (e.g., encoding, decoding, etc.), and configuring and / or instructing transmission / reception on one or more RF chains and one or more antennas.

[0315] It is important to note that the expression "at least one of A or B" used in this document is interchangeable with the expression "A and / or B". This expression refers to a list in which A or B or A and B can be selected. Similarly, the expression "at least one of A, B, or C" used in this document is interchangeable with "A and / or B and / or C" or "A, B, and / or C". This expression refers to a list in which the following can be selected: A or B or C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, or all of A, B, and C. The same principle applies to longer lists with the same format.

[0316] It should be understood that one or more steps of the exemplary methods provided herein can be performed by corresponding units or modules. For example, a signal can be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. A signal can be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. A signal can be processed by a processing unit or processing module. The corresponding units / modules can be hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units / modules can be integrated circuits such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). It is understood that if these modules are software, they can be retrieved by a processor, in whole or in part, individually or collectively, for processing as needed, or in one or more instances as needed, and these modules themselves can include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0317] While combinations of features are shown in the illustrated embodiments, not all features need to be combined to achieve the advantages of the various embodiments of the invention. In other words, a system or method designed according to one embodiment of the invention does not necessarily include any of the features shown in the drawings or in all portions schematically illustrated in the drawings. Furthermore, selected features of one exemplary embodiment may be combined with selected features of other exemplary embodiments.

[0318] Although the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this specification is not intended to be limiting. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this specification. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data using a device, characterized in that, include: Receive configuration information for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier on a first resource in a first carrier; Based on the configuration information and the offset, the second resource in the second carrier used for transmitting or receiving the information is determined, wherein the offset represents the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier; The information is transmitted or received on the determined second resource in the second carrier.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method is used for: Cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation; or Downlink (DL) spectrum and uplink (UL) spectrum scheduling.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the first carrier and the second carrier are different, the cross-carrier scheduling enables the device to determine the location for transmitting or receiving the information on the second carrier.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the first carrier is included in the DL spectrum and the second carrier is included in the UL spectrum, the DL spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling enables the device to determine the location for transmitting or receiving the information on the second carrier.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The UL spectrum is decoupled from the DL spectrum in the following cases: When the DL spectrum is located in the DL frequency-division duplex (FDD) band, and the UL spectrum is located in the unpaired UL FDD band, the paired UL FDD band, or the time-division duplex (TDD) band; or When the DL spectrum is located in the first TDD band, and the UL spectrum is located in the UL FDD band, the first TDD band, or a second TDD band different from the first TDD band.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The second resource in the second carrier is also determined according to at least one of the following: The identifier of the first resource; or The number of unit resources in a frame.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The identifier of the first resource is the index of the time slot in the first carrier where the configuration information is received.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The number of unit resources in the frame is the number of time slots in the frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Receiving the configuration information includes receiving downlink control information (DCI) on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein the DCI includes the configuration information.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The configuration information is included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The first resource is the time slot in the first carrier for receiving the DCI.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The sending or receiving of the information includes: Data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); or Data transmission on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, When the configuration information includes timing information for reporting feedback on data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), sending or receiving the information includes: Uplink control information (UCI) is transmitted on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), wherein the UCI includes the feedback of the data transmission on the PDSCH.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The configuration information includes resource offsets used to schedule the sending or receiving of the information.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The resource offset indicates the number of time slots to be offset when transmitting or receiving the information in the second carrier.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, At least one of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier is configurable.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, When both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are configurable, the configuration of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the configuration of the timing reference point of the second carrier are performed independently of each other.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined before compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device that transmits the configuration information, and neither the timing reference point of the first carrier nor the timing reference point of the second carrier includes the propagation delay.

19. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined after compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device that transmits the configuration information, and both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier include the propagation delay.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that, The offset is a timing reference point offset, and the method further includes: The timing reference point offset is determined based on the timing reference point of the first carrier, the timing reference point of the second carrier, and the time length of a unit resource in the second carrier.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The unit resource in the second carrier is a time slot.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, When the time length of the first time slot in the second carrier is different from the time length of the second time slot in the second carrier, the unit resource in the second carrier is the time slot with the shortest time slot length in the second carrier.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that, The unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the first carrier is not aligned with the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the second carrier. Determining the offset includes: The offset is adjusted according to the floor function, floor function, or rounding function.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The offset is adjusted based on the duration of the first unit resource that precedes all other unit resources in the half-frame, the duration of the second unit resource that is different from the first unit resource in the half-frame, and the number of unit resources in the half-frame.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that, The sending or receiving of the information includes data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the offset is adjusted according to the down-rounding function.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, characterized in that, The sending or receiving of the information includes sending UL information on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and the offset is adjusted according to the round-up function.

27. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that, The second resource is a time slot in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information, and determining the second resource includes determining the index of the time slot in the second carrier.

28. A data transmission device, characterized in that, include: processor; A computer-readable medium, wherein the computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. A method for supporting data transmission using an apparatus, characterized in that, include: Configuration information for transmitting or receiving information on a second resource in a second carrier is transmitted on a first resource in a first carrier, wherein... The configuration information and offset are used to determine the second resource in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information, and the offset represents the timing difference between the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that, The method is used for: Cross-carrier scheduling in carrier aggregation; or Downlink (DL) spectrum and uplink (UL) spectrum scheduling.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that, When the method is used for the cross-carrier scheduling, the method further includes: When the first carrier is different from the second carrier, the configuration information to be used for scheduling the transmission or reception of the information is determined.

32. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that, When the method is used for DL ​​spectrum and UL spectrum scheduling, the method further includes: When the first carrier is included in the DL spectrum and the second carrier is included in the UL spectrum, the configuration information to be used for scheduling the transmission or reception of the information is determined.

33. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that, The UL spectrum is decoupled from the DL spectrum in the following cases: The DL spectrum is located in the DL frequency-division duplex (FDD) band, while the UL spectrum is located in the unpaired UL FDD band, the paired UL FDD band, or the time-division duplex (TDD) band; or The DL spectrum is located in the first TDD band, while the UL spectrum is located in the UL FDD band, the first TDD band, or a second TDD band different from the first TDD band.

34. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 33, characterized in that, The identifier of the first resource that sends the configuration information or at least one of the number of unit resources in the frame is also used to determine the second resource in the second carrier used to send or receive the information.

35. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The identifier of the first resource is the index of the time slot in the first carrier where the configuration information is transmitted.

36. The method according to claim 34 or 35, characterized in that, The number of unit resources in the frame is the number of time slots in the frame.

37. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 36, characterized in that, Sending the configuration information includes sending downlink control information (DCI) on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and the DCI includes the configuration information.

38. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that, The configuration information is included in the time-domain resource allocation field of the DCI.

39. The method according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that, The first resource is the time slot in the first carrier for transmitting the DCI.

40. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that, The sending or receiving of the information includes: Data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); or Data transmission on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

41. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that, When the configuration information includes timing information for reporting feedback on data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), sending or receiving the information includes: Uplink control information (UCI) is received on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), wherein the UCI includes the feedback of the data transmission on the PDSCH.

42. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 41, characterized in that, The configuration information includes resource offsets used to schedule the sending or receiving of the information.

43. The method according to claim 42, characterized in that, The resource offset indicates the number of time slots to be offset when transmitting or receiving the information in the second carrier.

44. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 43, characterized in that, At least one of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier is configurable.

45. The method according to claim 44, characterized in that, When both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are configurable, the configuration of the timing reference point of the first carrier and the configuration of the timing reference point of the second carrier are performed independently of each other.

46. ​​The method according to claim 44 or 45, characterized in that, The timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined before compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device receiving the configuration information, and neither the timing reference point of the first carrier nor the timing reference point of the second carrier includes the propagation delay.

47. The method according to claim 46, characterized in that, The timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier are determined after compensating for the propagation delay between the device and the device receiving the configuration information, and both the timing reference point of the first carrier and the timing reference point of the second carrier include the propagation delay.

48. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 47, characterized in that, The offset is a timing reference point offset, which is determined based on the timing reference point of the first carrier, the timing reference point of the second carrier, and the time length of a unit resource in the second carrier.

49. The method according to claim 48, characterized in that, The unit resource in the second carrier is a time slot.

50. The method according to claim 49, characterized in that, When the time length of the first time slot in the second carrier is different from the time length of the second time slot in the second carrier, the unit resource in the second carrier is the time slot with the shortest time slot length in the second carrier.

51. The method according to any one of claims 48 to 50, characterized in that, If the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the first carrier is not aligned with the unit resource boundary of the resource structure in the second carrier, when the offset is determined, the timing reference point offset is adjusted according to a floor function, an up function, or a rounding function.

52. The method according to claim 51, characterized in that, The offset is adjusted based on the duration of the first unit resource that precedes all other unit resources in the half-frame, the duration of the second unit resource that is different from the first unit resource in the half-frame, and the number of unit resources in the half-frame.

53. The method according to claim 51 or 52, characterized in that, The sending or receiving of the information includes data transmission on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the offset is adjusted according to the down-rounding function.

54. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 53, characterized in that, The sending or receiving of the information includes receiving UL information on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and the offset is adjusted according to the round-up function.

55. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 54, characterized in that, The second resource is a time slot in the second carrier for transmitting or receiving the information. When the second resource is determined, the index of the time slot in the second carrier is determined.

56. An apparatus for supporting data transmission, characterized in that, include: processor; A computer-readable medium, wherein the computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 29 to 55.

57. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed by a processor of the device, cause the device to perform any one of claims 1 to 27 and 29 to 55.

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