Method, apparatus and system for reducing blind detection of PDCCH using candidate subsets

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to detecting a control channel for transmitting scheduling information in a wireless network. According to the method, the device, the equipment and the system, resources can be saved, unnecessary redundant signals are avoided, the number of blind detection times of the control channel is reduced, and / or power consumption is reduced. In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, an apparatus may receive configuration information including a plurality of control channel candidates (CCCs), where each subset of CCCs includes one or more CCCs, and where each subset of CCCs is located within a time-frequency resource region of a control resource set (CORESET). The apparatus may then receive indication information including a scheduling message, where the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of a subset of CCCs of the one or more CCC subsets. The scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between the device and other devices.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This disclosure claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 519,065, filed August 11, 2023, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to methods, apparatuses, devices, and systems for detecting or identifying control channels used for transmitting scheduling information in wireless networks, which can reduce blind detection. Background Technology

[0004] One type of control signaling message in a wireless network is the scheduling message. The scheduling message may include DL control information (DCI) for (dynamically) scheduling or granting downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) transmission time-frequency resources, as well as other transmission-related parameters in the DL control channel, such as the physical DL control channel (PDCCH). The PDCCH is a control channel; therefore, during blind detection, when it is desired to detect the PDCCH, multiple PDCCH candidates may be considered. More generally, PDCCH candidates can be considered control channel candidates (CCC). The PDCCH can be transmitted in a time-frequency resource area to carry the scheduling message. The time-frequency resource area used for the PDCCH can be predefined (e.g., using fixed rules or list-based rules), determined based on system information (SI), broadcast, cell group configured, or UE-specific configured (e.g., through radio resource control (RRC)).

[0005] The time-frequency resource area can also be called the (PDCCH) search space. The search space is an area within the downlink resource grid where one or more CCCs (i.e., PDCCH candidates) can be configured. Each PDCCH has a configured time-frequency location, and at each PDCCH timing (which the UE needs to monitor), at least one PDCCH can be used to execute control signaling. For the UE to decode a PDCCH (or more generally, a DCI), the UE must calculate the exact value of the PDCCH location (e.g., the index of one or more control channel elements (CCEs)). The UE does not know in advance which PDCCH carries a signaling message at a given PDCCH timing, and in most cases, the PDCCH carrying the signaling message can change dynamically. The UE may need to attempt to determine the PDCCH by detecting signals at one or more locations (i.e., configured time-frequency resources) of the PDCCH within a predefined area that includes one or more PDCCH candidates, based on trial and error (i.e., by trying different PDCCH candidates until successful detection). This decoding method can be called blind detection.

[0006] A PDCCH can be one of the PDCCH candidates defined in a time-frequency resource region. This set of PDCCH candidates is called the control resource set (CORESET). For a user equipment (UE) or a group of UEs, there is typically more than one PDCCH candidate in the CORESET. Due to UE mobility and the constantly changing radio channel environment, a UE or a group of UEs may be located in different geographical locations within the cell; therefore, each PDCCH candidate can be used to provide different encoded or redundant transmission versions to support the UE or group of UEs. Thus, a UE or group of UEs may need to monitor scheduling messages received from the network and detect incoming PDCCHs through blind detection. A UE-specific Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) or a group of RNTIs (e.g., semi-statically configured before communication) can be used to scramble the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the payload (e.g., DCI) of the incoming PDCCH.

[0007] In new radio (NR) networks, including 5G networks, a CORESET can consist of one, two, or three symbols and one or more resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain. For example, there can be 24, 48, or 96 RBs for the initial access procedure and up to 275 RBs for UE-specific transmissions.

[0008] Depending on the application scenario and function, PDCCH is divided into three categories: public PDCCH, group public PDCCH, and UE-specific PDCCH. Public PDCCH is used to transmit common messages (e.g., remaining minimum system information (RMSI) or other system information (OSI)) and scheduling data (e.g., 4-step random access channel (RACH) Msg2 / Msg4) before establishing an RRC connection with the UE. Group public PDCCH is used to schedule a group of UEs, for example, to schedule a group of UEs' slot format indicator (SFI). UE-specific PDCCH is used to schedule UE-specific data and power control information.

[0009] Since the PDCCH can carry scheduling and control messages, which are critical communication messages in DL and / or UL transmissions, the PDCCH must be reliable enough to guarantee reception at the receiving end (e.g., the UE side). Encoded or redundant transmission versions can include schemes called aggregation levels (ALs). For example, in an NR network, the aggregation level of a PDCCH candidate can be any of aggregation level 1 (AL1), AL2, AL4, AL8, and AL16. A PDCCH candidate with AL1 can use one Control Channel Element (CCE) (consisting of six physical resource blocks (PRBs)) as a time-frequency resource or a PDCCH channel resource. A PDCCH candidate with ALx (x≥1) can use x CCEs as time-frequency resources or PDCCH channel resources for transmitting DCI. ALx>1 can refer to an AL greater than or equal to aggregation level 1. “x” is an integer that can indicate the aggregation level or the number of CCEs allocated to the PDCCH. In other words, one CCE can be allocated as time-frequency resource for a PDCCH with AL1, two CCEs for a PDCCH with AL2, four CCEs for a PDCCH with AL4, eight CCEs for a PDCCH with AL8, and 16 CCEs for a PDCCH with AL16. A common PDCCH or group common PDCCH can be predefined, broadcast, cell group configured, or UE-specific configured to have, for example, AL4, AL8, or AL16, while a UE-specific PDCCH can be configured to have, for example, AL1, AL2, AL4, AL8, or AL16. A PDCCH with a higher aggregation level can use more resources to perform stronger channel coding, thus resulting in more reliable DCI transmission. For example, AL16 can use 16 times more resources than AL1, therefore a PDCCH with AL16 can have more robust channel coding, resulting in more reliable transmission than a PDCCH with AL1.

[0010] One or more PDCCH candidates can be configured for each AL. For example, if up to eight PDCCH candidates are configured for each AL, one or more UEs may need to monitor and blindly detect up to 40 PDCCH candidates for each DCI to be received. Blindly detecting the PDCCH to be received for each scheduling opportunity can consume significant time and resources. Furthermore, if the network does not know the channel conditions or the exact location of the UE, it may transmit unnecessary redundant signals in a conservative manner to ensure reliable transmission of critical control messages, which can lead to increased power consumption.

[0011] Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to reduce the need for blind inspection of PDCCH and save resources and power. Summary of the Invention

[0012] This disclosure provides methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for overcoming the aforementioned deficiencies, as well as specific methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for detecting or identifying control channels used for transmitting scheduling information in wireless networks.

[0013] In some aspects of this disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: receiving at a receiving device configuration information including one or more subsets of control channel candidates (CCCs), wherein each CCC subset includes one or more CCCs, and wherein each CCC subset is located within a time-frequency resource region of a control resource set (CORESET); and receiving at the receiving device indication information including a scheduling message, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of the CCC subsets in the one or more CCC subsets, and the scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between the receiving device and a transmitting device.

[0014] In some embodiments, receiving the indication information including the scheduling message includes: performing detection on at least one CCC in the subset of CCCs until the scheduling message is detected.

[0015] In some embodiments, the at least one CCC of the CCC subset is allocated based on one or more CCEs from a set of control channel elements (CCEs), wherein: the set of CCEs is defined within the resource area of ​​the CORESET; the CCEs in the set of CCEs are non-overlapping time-frequency resources; and each CCE has a CCE index.

[0016] In some embodiments, the at least one CCC includes one or more CCEs, wherein each CCE has an index value, and the number of CCEs in the CCC identifies the aggregation level (AL) of the CCC.

[0017] In some embodiments, each subset of CCCs in the one or more CCC subsets is associated with an aggregation rank (AL) group, wherein the AL group includes one or more distinct ALs.

[0018] In some embodiments, the one or more CCC subsets are predefined, broadcast, cell group configured, or UE-specific configured as default subsets to serve as initial CCC subsets for detection or for fallback scenarios, and when configured, the one or more CCC subsets are configured via higher-layer signaling or dynamic signaling.

[0019] In some embodiments, the CCC subset is an active subset, and any CCC in the CCC subset is used to carry the scheduling message.

[0020] In some embodiments, the CCC subset is predefined, configured by higher-layer signaling, or indicated by physical-layer signaling as an active subset.

[0021] In some embodiments, each of the one or more CCC subsets is associated with an identifier used to identify the CCC subset.

[0022] In some embodiments, each CCC is a candidate for the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0023] In some embodiments, the indication information is downlink control information (DCI).

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the receiving device receiving an indication to activate a second subset of CCCs in the one or more CCC subsets; and receiving second indication information including a second scheduling message at the receiving device, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of the second CCC subset, and the scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between the receiving device and the transmitting device.

[0025] In some embodiments, upon receiving a second CCC subset that is different from the CCC subset, the receiving device switches from attempting to detect channel candidates in the CCC subset to attempting to detect channel candidates in the second CCC subset after a time length from the receipt of the indication.

[0026] In some embodiments, the indication includes an identifier of the time length, which serves as a transition period from attempting to detect channel candidates in the CCC subset to attempting to detect channel candidates in the second CCC subset.

[0027] In some embodiments, any one of the CCC subsets in the one or more CCC subsets may be designated as the active subset.

[0028] In some embodiments, any one of the one or more CCC subsets may be designated as an inactive subset.

[0029] In some embodiments, the indication may be dynamic signaling, higher-level signaling, or a combination of both.

[0030] In some embodiments, the dynamic signaling is DCI, and the higher-layer signaling is at least one of radio resource control (RRC) or media access control-control element (MAC-CE).

[0031] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the receiving device receiving signaling information, wherein the signaling information includes information having search rules; and performing detection on at least one CCC in the CCC subset sequentially based on the search rules.

[0032] In some embodiments, the signaling information is dynamic signaling, higher-layer signaling, or a combination of both.

[0033] In some embodiments, the dynamic signaling is DCI, and the higher-layer signaling is at least one of RRC or MAC-CE.

[0034] In some embodiments, the information in the search rules is arranged in the following order: first the CCE index, then the identifier of the AL; or first the indication of the AL, then the CCE index.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a reference signal at the receiving device; measuring the reference signal at the receiving device; and sending an identifier of a third CCC subset to a remote device based on the measured reference signal, so that the remote device can communicate with the receiving device using the third CCC subset.

[0036] In some embodiments, measuring the reference signal includes measuring at least one of the following: Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), or Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR).

[0037] In some embodiments, the reference signal is a channel state indicator reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), or a sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0038] In some embodiments, the identifier of the CCC subset is sent via RRC signaling, MAC-CE signaling, or DCI signaling.

[0039] In some embodiments, the CCC includes 2 n There are n control channel elements, where n = 0 to N, and N is an integer.

[0040] In some aspects of this disclosure, an apparatus in a wireless network is provided, including a processor and a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform the methods described above.

[0041] In some aspects of this disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: transmitting configuration information including a plurality of CCCs at a transmitting device, wherein each subset of CCCs includes one or more CCCs, and wherein each subset of CCCs is located within a time-frequency resource region of a CORESET; and transmitting indication information including scheduling information at the transmitting device, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of a subset of the one or more CCCs, and the scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

[0042] In some embodiments, the at least one CCC of the CCC subset is allocated based on one or more CCEs from a set of control channel elements (CCEs), wherein: the set of CCEs is defined within the resource area of ​​the CORESET; the CCEs in the set of CCEs are non-overlapping time-frequency resources; and each CCE has a CCE index.

[0043] In some embodiments, the one or more CCC subsets are configured as default subsets to serve as initial CCC subsets for detection or for fallback scenarios, and when configured, the one or more CCC subsets are configured via higher-layer signaling or dynamic signaling.

[0044] In some embodiments, each subset of CCCs has an associated index.

[0045] In some embodiments, each subset of CCCs in the one or more CCC subsets is associated with an aggregation rank (AL) group, wherein the AL group includes one or more distinct ALs.

[0046] In some embodiments, the CCC subset is an active subset, and any CCC in the CCC subset is used to carry the scheduling message.

[0047] In some embodiments, the CCC subset is predefined as an active subset.

[0048] In some embodiments, the method further includes: transmitting at the transmitting device an index identifying a specific subset of CCCs used by the receiving device to perform detection.

[0049] In some embodiments, the index identifying the particular subset of control channel candidates is transmitted via RRC signaling, MAC-CE signaling, or DCI signaling.

[0050] In some embodiments, the method further includes: transmitting at the transmitting device an indication of the ordering of the CCCs in the subset of CCCs for which the receiving device performs detection.

[0051] In some embodiments, the ordering indication is sent via RRC signaling, MAC-CE signaling, or DCI signaling.

[0052] In some embodiments, the sorting indication is associated with at least one of the following: a CCE index; or an index corresponding to a CCC in the CCC subset.

[0053] In some embodiments, the method further includes: transmitting a reference signal at a transmitting device for measurement at a remote receiving device; and receiving an identifier of the CCC subset from the remote receiving device based on the reference signal measured by the remote receiving device, such that at least one CCC of the CCC subset can be used to transmit the signal on at least one CCC.

[0054] In some embodiments, the reference signal is a channel state indication reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), or a probe reference signal (SRS).

[0055] In some embodiments, the identifier of the CCC subset is received via RRC signaling, MAC-CE signaling, or DCI signaling.

[0056] In some embodiments, the CCC includes 2 n There are n control channel elements, where n = 0 to N, and N is an integer.

[0057] In some aspects of this disclosure, an apparatus in a wireless network is provided, including a processor and a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform the methods described above.

[0058] In some aspects of this disclosure, 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, cause the device to perform the methods described above.

[0059] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus in a wireless network is provided. The apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to: receive configuration information comprising one or more subsets of control channel candidates (CCCs), wherein each CCC subset comprises one or more CCCs, and wherein each CCC subset is located within a time-frequency resource region of a control resource set (CORESET); and receive indication information comprising a scheduling message, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of a subset of the one or more CCCs, and the scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between the receiving device and a transmitting device. The apparatus further includes a transmitting unit configured to: transmit configuration information comprising a plurality of CCCs, wherein each CCC subset comprises one or more CCCs, and wherein each CCC subset is located within a time-frequency resource region of a CORESET; and transmit indication information comprising scheduling information, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of a subset of the one or more CCCs, and the scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

[0060] In some aspects of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided for performing a method according to any of the methods mentioned in this disclosure.

[0061] In some aspects of this disclosure, a processor is provided that executes instructions to cause a device to perform any of the methods mentioned in this disclosure.

[0062] In some aspects of this disclosure, an integrated circuit is provided for performing the methods described according to any of the methods mentioned in this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0063] To gain a more complete understanding of the embodiments and advantages of this disclosure, the following description, taken by way of example and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is provided:

[0064] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system that can be implemented according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of a communication system that can be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0066] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating units or modules in a device in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0067] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating units or modules in a device in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0068] Figure 5 An example arrangement of control channel candidates at different aggregation levels (AL) according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the time-frequency resources carrying the control channel candidates may overlap.

[0069] Figure 6 A first example representation of a configurable physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidate subset according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0070] Figure 7 A second example representation of a configurable subset of PDCCH candidates according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0071] Figure 8 A third example representation of a configurable subset of PDCCH candidates according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0072] Figure 9 An example representation of the PDCCH candidate usage priority in an ascending subset of ALs is shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0073] Figure 10 An example representation of the PDCCH candidate usage priority in an ascending subset of ALs is shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0074] Figure 11 A first example representation of priority search for PDCCH candidates according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0075] Figure 12 A second example representation of priority search for PDCCH candidates according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0076] Figure 13 A third example representation of priority search for PDCCH candidates according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0077] Figure 14 A fourth example representation of priority search for PDCCH candidates according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0078] Figure 15A An example mapping between channel measurements and groups of one or more ALs used for Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0079] Figure 15B An example mapping between a preamble group (or a subset of preambles) and a channel measurement range is shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0080] Figure 15C An example mapping between a preamble group (or a subset of preambles) and a group of one or more ALs used for PDCCH transmission is shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0081] Figure 16 This is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example method for detecting or identifying control channels used to transmit scheduling information in a wireless network, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0082] For illustrative purposes, specific exemplary embodiments will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] 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 upon 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 disclosure and the appended claims.

[0084] Furthermore, it should be understood that any module, component, or device disclosing 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 disc or digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray Disc™ and 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 memory technologies. Any of these non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media may be part of a device or may be accessed by or connected to that device. Computer / processor-readable / executable instructions used to implement the applications or modules described herein may be stored by such non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media or otherwise preserved.

[0085] This disclosure provides methods, apparatuses, devices, and systems for overcoming the aforementioned deficiencies, as well as specific methods, apparatuses, devices, and systems for detecting or identifying control channels (e.g., Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)), wherein the control channels can be used to transmit scheduling information in a wireless network. The methods, apparatuses, devices, and systems proposed in this disclosure can save resources, avoid unnecessary redundant signals, reduce the number of blind detections of control channels, and / or reduce power consumption. According to some embodiments of this disclosure, an apparatus (e.g., a User Equipment (UE)) can receive configuration information from a device (e.g., a base station) including one or more subsets of Control Channel Candidates (CCCs), wherein each CCC subset includes one or more CCCs, and wherein each CCC subset is located within a time-frequency resource region of a Control Resource Set (CORESET). The apparatus can then receive indication information including a scheduling message, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of one or more CCC subsets. The scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between a receiving device and a transmitting device. Some embodiments may involve the apparatus performing blind detection on at least one CCC in the CCC subset until a scheduling message is detected. Since the device has received configuration information including various subsets of CCCs, it may be able to reduce the number of blind detections performed if it detects a CCC in a subset of CCCs that is less than all possible CCCs. In some embodiments, the device may receive reception signaling information, wherein the signaling information includes search rules, and then the device performs detection on at least one CCC in the CCC subset sequentially based on the search rules. Although the above steps are described from the perspective of the device receiving from the equipment, it should be understood that the above steps can also be described from the perspective of the equipment sending to the device.

[0086] Throughout this application, PDCCH and PDCCH candidate are used. PDCCH is a control channel, and PDCCH candidate is a CCC. These terms are used interchangeably in this application, and it should be understood that, in general, any reference to PDCCH applies to control channels and vice versa. Similarly, in general, any reference to PDCCH candidate applies to CCC and vice versa.

[0087] This application can be applied to 6G or future generation communication systems. An exemplary 6G system is shown below.

[0088] Figure 1 An exemplary communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown.

[0089] refer to Figure 1A simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided as an illustrative example and not a limitation. 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 electric devices (EDs) 110a to 120j (collectively referred to as 110) may be interconnected with each other or connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, collectively referred to as 170) within 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.

[0090] In this application, the base station is an example of network node 170, and the user equipment (UE) is an example of ED 110.

[0091] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is illustrated. 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 such as voice, data, video, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, and unicast. The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its constituent components. The communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100 can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility). The communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, the result of integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can be viewed as a multi-layered heterogeneous network. Compared to traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

[0092] Terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered as subsystems of a communication system. In the example shown, communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110d (collectively referred to as ED 110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a and 120b, a non-terrestrial communication network 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RANs 120a and RAN 120b include corresponding base stations (BSs) 170a and 170b, which are generally referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a and 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 120c, which are generally referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172.

[0093] Alternatively or additionally, any ED 110 can be used to connect to, access, or communicate with any other T-TRP 170a, T-TRP 170b, and NT-TRP 172, the Internet 150, the core network 130, the PSTN 140, other networks 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can communicate with T-TRP 170a via interface 190a for uplink and / or downlink transmissions. In some examples, ED 110a, 110b, and 110d can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d can communicate with NT-TRP 172 via interface 190c for uplink and / or downlink transmissions.

[0094] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any suitable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, 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). Air interfaces 190a and 190b can utilize other higher-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0095] The 190c air interface enables communication between an ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP172s via a wireless link (or simply a link). For some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection for multicast transmission between a group of EDs and one or more NT-TRPs.

[0096] RAN 120a and RAN 120b communicate with core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to ED 110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c. RAN 120a and RAN 120b and / or core network 130 may 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 RAN 120a and / or RAN 120b. Core network 130 may also serve as a gateway access between (i) RAN 120a and RAN 120b and / or ED 110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of ED110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different wireless links using different wireless technologies and / or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or in addition to wireless communication), ED110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c may (or may also) communicate with service providers or exchanges (not shown) via wired communication channels and with the Internet 150. 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 may incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED110a, ED 110b, and ED 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating according to multiple wireless access technologies and may include multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0097] Figure 3Another example of an ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b, and / or 170c is shown. The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The 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 communications (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.

[0098] 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) equipment, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics, smartbook, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., communication modules, modems, or chips). Future generations of ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs, hereinafter referred to as T-TRP 170. Also in Figure 3 As shown, NT-TRP is referred to below as NT-TRP 172. 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.

[0099] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may, for example, be integrated as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna 204 or via a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received by 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.

[0100] 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 implementations 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, or on-processor cache.

[0101] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., Figure 1 (A wired interface connecting to the Internet 150). 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.

[0102] ED 110 also includes a processor 210 for performing various operations, including operations related to preparing for uplink transmissions to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, and operations related to processing sidelink transmissions to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing for 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. Depending on the implementation, the downlink transmission may be received by receiver 203 possibly using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmission (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). Examples of signaling may be reference signals transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some implementations, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications received from T-TRP 170, such as beam angle information (BAI). In some implementations, processor 210 can 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 implementations, processor 210 can perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or from T-TRP 170.

[0103] Although not shown in the figures, processor 210 may be part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203. Although not shown in the figures, memory 208 may be part of processor 210.

[0104] The processing components of processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 may be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 may be implemented using special-purpose circuits such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0105] In some implementations, T-TRP 170 may be referred to by other names, such as base station, basetransceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, Node B, evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation Node B (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP), or wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device, or ground base station, base band 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 a component within the aforementioned device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0106] In some implementations, the various parts of T-TRP 170 can be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 can be located remotely from the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170 and can be coupled to the device housing the antenna via a communication link sometimes referred to as the fronthaul (not shown), such as the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI). Therefore, in some implementations, the term T-TRP 170 can also refer to modules on the network side that perform processing operations such as determining the location of ED 110, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding; these modules are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170. These modules can also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some implementations, T-TRP 170 can actually be, for example, multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110 through cooperative multicast transmission.

[0107] 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. Alternatively, 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 including: preparing a transmission for downlink transmission to ED 110, processing an uplink transmission received from ED 110, preparing a transmission for backhaul transmission to NT-TRP 172, and processing a transmission received from NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing a transmission received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of 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 implementations, processor 260 also generates beam direction indications, such as BAI, which can be scheduled for transmission by scheduler 253. Processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110 and determining the deployment location of NT-TRP 172. In some implementations, processor 260 can generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252. It should be noted that, alternatively, the term "signaling" as used herein may be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be sent in control channels such as the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in messages sent in data channels such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0108] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included in or operate separately from T-TRP 170. Scheduler 253 may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backlink transmissions, including issuing scheduling grants and / or configuring unscheduled (“configured 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 implementations described herein and executed by processor 260.

[0109] Although not shown in the figures, processor 260 may be part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254. Similarly, although not shown in the figures, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253. Although not shown in the figures, memory 258 may be part of processor 260.

[0110] The processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as FPGA, GPU, or ASIC.

[0111] Although the NT-TRP 172 is shown as an example of a drone only, the NT-TRP 172 can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form. Furthermore, the NT-TRP 172 may be referred to by other names in some implementations, 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. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may 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 various operations, including operations related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmissions to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmissions to T-TRP 170, and processing transmissions received from T-TRP 170 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing a transmission received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. In some implementations, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some implementations, processor 276 may generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110. In some implementations, NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but not higher-layer functions such as medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layer functions. Since this is only an example, in general, NT-TRP 172 may implement higher-layer functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0112] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. Although not shown in the figures, a processor 276 may be part of the transmitter 272 and / or receiver 274. Although not shown in the figures, the memory 278 may be part of the processor 276.

[0113] The processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some implementations, NT-TRP 172 can actually be, for example, multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110 via cooperative multipoint transmission.

[0114] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0115] One or more steps of the implementation method provided in this article can be derived from... Figure 4 The corresponding unit or module provided will be executed. Figure 4 The diagram illustrates units or modules in devices such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172. For example, signals can be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals can be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals can be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps can be performed by artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) modules. The corresponding units or modules can 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 can be integrated circuits, such as programmable FPGAs, GPUs, or ASICs. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented using software executed by, for example, a processor, then these modules can be retrieved by the processor, wholly or partially, individually or together, as needed for processing, in the form of single or multiple instances, and these modules themselves can include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0116] 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.

[0117] An air interface typically includes numerous components and associated parameters that collectively specify how transmissions are sent and / or received over a wireless communication link between two or more communication devices. For example, an air interface may include one or more components that define one or more waveforms, one or more frame structures, one or more multiple access schemes, one or more protocols, one or more coding schemes, and / or one or more modulation schemes for transmitting information (e.g., data) over a wireless communication link. Wireless communication links may support links between a radio access network and user equipment (e.g., a "Uu" link), and / or wireless communication links may support links between devices, such as links between two user equipments (e.g., a "sidelink"), and / or wireless communication links may support links between a non-terrestrial (NT) communication network and a user equipment (UE). Below are some examples of the components described above:

[0118] • The waveform component can specify the shape and form of the signal being transmitted. Waveform options can include orthogonal multiple access (OFDM) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOA) waveforms. Non-limiting examples of such waveform options include Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Filtered OFDM (f-OFDM), Time-Domain Windowed OFDM, Filter Bank Multicarrier (FBMC), Universal Filtered Multicarrier (UFMC), Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM), Wavelet Packet Modulation (WPM), Faster Than Nyquist (FTN) waveforms, and Low Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) waveforms (WF).

[0119] • The frame structure component can specify the configuration of a frame or frame group. The frame structure component can indicate one or more of the following parameters: time, frequency, pilot signature, code, or other parameters for a frame or frame group. Further details about the frame structure will be discussed below.

[0120] • The multiple access scheme component can specify multiple access technology options, including technologies that define how communication devices share the common physical channel, such as: Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), Low Density Signature Multicarrier Code Division Multiple Access (LDS-MC-CDMA), Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA), Pattern Division Multiple Access (PDMA), Lattice Partition Multiple Access (LPMA), Resource Spread Multiple Access (RSMA), and Sparse Code Multiple Access (SCMA). In addition, multiple access technology options may include: scheduled access and unscheduled access, also known as unlicensed access; non-orthogonal multiple access and orthogonal multiple access, such as via dedicated channel resources (e.g., not shared among multiple communication devices); contention-based shared channel resources and non-contention-based shared channel resources; and cognitive radio-based access.

[0121] • The Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) protocol component can specify how transmissions and / or retransmissions are performed. Non-limiting examples of transmission and / or retransmission mechanism options include mechanisms for specifying the size of the scheduled data pipeline, signaling mechanisms for transmissions and / or retransmissions, and retransmission mechanisms.

[0122] • Encoding and modulation components specify how the information being transmitted is encoded / decoded and modulated / demodulated for transmission / reception purposes. Encoding can refer to methods of error detection and forward error correction. Non-limiting examples of encoding options include turbo trellis codes, turbo product codes, fountain codes, low-density parity-check codes, and polar codes. Modulation can simply refer to constellations (e.g., including modulation techniques and orders), or more specifically to various types of advanced modulation methods, such as layered modulation and low PAPR modulation.

[0123] In some implementations, the air interface may be a "one-size-fits-all" concept. For example, once the air interface is defined, the components within it cannot be changed or adjusted. In some implementations, only a limited number of parameters or modes of the air interface can be configured, such as cyclic prefix (CP) length or multiple input multiple output (MIMO) mode. In some implementations, the air interface design can provide a unified or flexible framework to support licensed and unlicensed access in frequency bands below 6 GHz and above 6 GHz (e.g., millimeter wave). For example, the flexibility of a configurable air interface provided by a scalable parameter set (numerology) and symbol duration can enable optimization of transmission parameters for different spectrum bands and different services / devices. Furthermore, a unified air interface can be self-contained in the frequency domain; a frequency-domain self-contained design can support more flexible radio access network (RAN) slicing through channel resource sharing in frequency and time between different services.

[0124] Frame structure

[0125] The frame structure is a feature of the physical layer of wireless communication, defining the time-domain signal transmission structure, such as timing references and timing alignment used to implement basic time-domain transmission units. Wireless communication between communication devices can take place on time-frequency resources controlled by the frame structure. Alternatively, the frame structure can sometimes be referred to as the wireless frame structure.

[0126] Depending on the frame structure and / or the frame configuration within the frame structure, it is possible to implement frequency division duplex (FDD) communication and / or time division duplex (TDD) communication and / or full duplex (FD) communication. FDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., uplink and downlink) occurring in different frequency bands. TDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., uplink and downlink) occurring for different durations. FD communication refers to transmission and reception occurring on the same time-frequency resources; that is, the device can simultaneously transmit and receive on the same frequency resources in time.

[0127] An example of a frame structure is the one specified in Long-Term Evolution (LTE): each frame lasts for 10 ms; each frame has 10 subframes, each lasting for 1 ms; each subframe includes two time slots, each lasting for 0.5 ms; each time slot is used to transmit 7 OFDM symbols (assuming a conventional CP); each OFDM symbol has a symbol duration and a specific bandwidth (or partial bandwidth or bandwidth partition) associated with the number of subcarriers and subcarrier spacing; the frame structure is based on OFDM waveform parameters such as subcarrier spacing and CP length (where the CP has a fixed length or finite length option); the handover gap between uplink and downlink in TDD must be an integer multiple of the OFDM symbol duration.

[0128] Another example of a frame structure is the one in New Radio (NR) with the following specifications: support for multiple subcarrier intervals, each corresponding to a specific parameter set; the frame structure depends on the parameter set, but in any case, the frame length is set to 10 ms, consisting of 10 subframes, each 1 ms long; and time slots are defined as 14 OFDM symbols, with the slot length depending on the parameter set. For example, the NR frame structure for a standard CP 15 kHz subcarrier interval (“Parameter Set 1”) differs from the NR frame structure for a standard CP 30 kHz subcarrier interval (“Parameter Set 2”). For the 15 kHz subcarrier interval, the slot length is 1 ms; for the 30 kHz subcarrier interval, the slot length is 0.5 ms. NR frame structures can offer greater flexibility than LTE frame structures.

[0129] Another example of a frame structure is the example flexible frame structure, such as that used in 6G networks or later. In a flexible frame structure, a symbol block can be defined as the minimum duration that can be scheduled within the flexible frame structure. A symbol block can be a transmission unit with optional redundant portions (e.g., CP portions) and information portions (e.g., data portions). An OFDM symbol is an example of a symbol block. Alternatively, a symbol block can be referred to as a symbol. Implementations of flexible frame structures include various configurable parameters, such as frame length, subframe length, symbol block length, etc. In some implementations of flexible frame structures, a non-exhaustive list of possible configurable parameters includes the following:

[0130] (1) Frame: The frame length is not limited to 10 ms; it can be configurable and vary over time. In some implementations, each frame includes one or more downlink synchronization channels and / or one or more downlink broadcast channels, each of which can be transmitted in different directions using different beamforming. The frame length can have more than one possible value and can be configured based on the application scenario. For example, autonomous vehicles may require relatively fast initial access; in this case, the frame length could be set to 5 ms for autonomous vehicle applications. As another example, home smart meters may not require fast initial access; in this case, the frame length could be set to 20 ms for smart meter applications.

[0131] (2) Subframe Duration: Subframes may or may not be defined within a flexible frame structure, depending on the implementation. For example, a frame may be defined to include time slots but not subframes. In frames where subframes are defined, such as for temporal alignment, the duration of the subframes can be configurable. For example, the subframe length can be configured to 0.1 ms, 0.2 ms, 0.5 ms, 1 ms, 2 ms, or 5 ms, etc. In some implementations, if subframes are not needed in a specific scenario, the subframe length can be defined to be the same as the frame length or left undefined.

[0132] (3) Time Slot Configuration: Time slots may or may not be defined in a flexible frame structure, depending on the implementation. In frames where time slots are defined, the definition of the time slots (e.g., in terms of duration and / or the number of symbol blocks) can be configurable. In one implementation, the time slot configuration is common to all UEs or a group of UEs. In this case, the time slot configuration information can be sent to the UEs on a broadcast channel or one or more common control channels. In other implementations, the time slot configuration can be UE-specific, in which case the time slot configuration information can be sent on a UE-specific control channel. In some implementations, time slot configuration signaling can be sent together with frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. In other implementations, time slot configuration can be sent independently of frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. Typically, time slot configuration can be system-common, base station-common, UE group-common, or UE-specific.

[0133] (4) Subcarrier spacing (SCS): SCS is a parameter in a scalable parameter set, allowing the SCS to range from 15 kHz to 480 kHz. The SCS may vary with the frequency of the spectrum and / or the maximum UE speed to minimize the effects of Doppler shift and phase noise. In some examples, there may be separate transmit and receive frames, and the SCS of symbols in the receive frame structure can be configured independently of the SCS of symbols in the transmit frame structure. The SCS in the receive frame may differ from the SCS in the transmit frame. In some examples, the SCS of each transmit frame may be half the SCS of each receive frame. If the SCS differs between the receive and transmit frames, this difference does not necessarily have to be scaled by a factor of 2, for example, by using the inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) instead of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to achieve more flexible symbol durations. Other examples of frame structures can be used with different SCS.

[0134] (5) Flexible transmission duration of the basic transmission unit: The basic transmission unit can be a symbol block (or alternatively a symbol), typically comprising a redundant portion (called CP) and an information portion (e.g., data). However, in some implementations, the CP can be omitted from the symbol block. The CP length can be flexible and configurable. The CP length can be fixed within a frame or can vary flexibly within a frame, and the CP length may change with frame changes, with frame group changes, with subframe changes, with time slot changes, or dynamically with scheduling changes. The information portion (e.g., data) can be flexible and configurable. Another possible parameter associated with the definable symbol block is the ratio of the CP duration to the information (e.g., data) duration. In some implementations, the symbol block length can be adjusted based on channel conditions (e.g., multipath delay, Doppler) and / or delay requirements and / or available duration. For example, the symbol block length can be adjusted to accommodate the available duration within a frame.

[0135] (6) Flexible handover gap: A frame may include a downlink portion for downlink transmission from the base station and an uplink portion for uplink transmission from the UE. A gap may exist between each uplink and downlink portion, which is called a handover gap. The handover gap length (duration) can be configurable. The handover gap duration can be fixed within the frame or can be flexibly varied within the frame, and the handover gap duration may change with frame changes, with frame group changes, with subframe changes, with time slot changes, or dynamically with scheduling changes.

[0136] Cell / Carrier / Bandwidth Part (BWP) / Occupied Bandwidth

[0137] Base stations and other equipment can provide cell coverage. Wireless communication with the equipment can take place on one or more carrier frequencies. A carrier frequency is called a carrier. Alternatively, a carrier can be called a component carrier (CC). A carrier can be characterized by its bandwidth and reference frequency (e.g., the center frequency, minimum frequency, or maximum frequency of the carrier). Carriers can be in licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Wireless communication with the equipment can also, or alternatively, take place on one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs). For example, a carrier can have one or more BWPs. Generally, wireless communication with the equipment can take place on a spectrum. A spectrum can include one or more carriers and / or one or more BWPs.

[0138] A cell may include one or more downlink resources and optionally one or more uplink resources, or a cell may include one or more uplink resources and optionally one or more downlink resources, or a cell may include both one or more downlink resources and one or more uplink resources. For example, a cell may include only one downlink carrier / BWP, or only one uplink carrier / BWP, or multiple downlink carriers / BWP, or multiple uplink carriers / BWP, or one downlink carrier / BWP and one uplink carrier / BWP, or one downlink carrier / BWP and multiple uplink carriers / BWP, or multiple downlink carriers / BWP and one uplink carrier / BWP, or multiple downlink carriers / BWP and multiple uplink carriers / BWP. In some implementations, the cell may alternatively or additionally include one or more sidelink resources, including sidelink transmit and receive resources.

[0139] BWP is a set of continuous or non-continuous frequency subcarriers on a carrier, or a set of continuous or non-continuous frequency subcarriers on multiple carriers, or a set of non-continuous or continuous frequency subcarriers, wherein the set of non-continuous or continuous frequency subcarriers may involve one or more carriers.

[0140] In some implementations, a carrier may have one or more BWPs. For example, a carrier may have a bandwidth of 20 MHz and consist of one BWP, or a carrier may have a bandwidth of 80 MHz and consist of two adjacent consecutive BWPs. In other implementations, a BWP may have one or more carriers. For example, a BWP may have a bandwidth of 40 MHz and consist of two adjacent consecutive carriers, each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz. In some implementations, a BWP may include discontinuous spectrum resources consisting of multiple discontinuous carriers, where the first carrier of the discontinuous multiple carriers may be in the mmW band, the second carrier may be in a low-frequency band (e.g., the 2 GHz band), the third carrier (if present) may be in the THz band, and the fourth carrier (if present) may be in the visible light band. Resources within a carrier belonging to a BWP may be contiguous or discontinuous. In some implementations, a BWP has discontinuous spectrum resources on a single carrier.

[0141] Wireless communication can be performed on occupied bandwidth. Occupied bandwidth can be defined as the width of the frequency band such that the average transmitted power below the lower frequency limit and above the upper frequency limit is equal to a specified percentage β / 2 of the total average transmitted power, for example, β / 2 is 0.5%.

[0142] The carrier, BWP, or occupied bandwidth can be dynamically indicated by network equipment (e.g., base stations) in physical layer control signaling such as DCI, or semi-statically indicated, for example, in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or in the medium access control (MAC) layer, or predefined based on the application scenario; or determined by the UE as a function of other parameters known to the UE, or fixed, for example, by standards. It should be noted that DCI can refer to downlink (DL) control information.

[0143] In this disclosure, the terms "apparatus" and "equipment" are used merely to distinguish entities. A non-limiting example of an apparatus is a user equipment (UE) or any other terminal device or component therein. A non-limiting example of an equipment is a base station or any other network-side device or component therein.

[0144] Traditional networks (e.g., NR networks) can have a common search space (CSS) including AL4, AL8, and AL16, where each AL can have up to eight configurable PDCCH candidates. Therefore, for these three ALs configured with CSS, there can be a total of up to 24 PDCCH candidates. Such networks can also have a UE-specific search space (USS) including AL1, AL2, AL4, AL8, and AL16, where each AL can have up to eight configurable PDCCH candidates. Therefore, for these five ALs configured with USS, there can be a total of up to 40 PDCCH candidates. Among multiple PDCCH candidates configured with CSS or USS, only one PDCCH candidate can be used per DCI transmission.

[0145] As described above, the search space refers to the area in the downlink resource grid that can carry PDCCH. The CSS and USS are the search spaces for PDCCH candidates based on cell-based configuration (e.g., a group of UEs in a cell) and UE-specific configuration, respectively. The USS is a dedicated area in the downlink resource grid for each specific UE. The USS carries UE-specific control information and is monitored by at least one UE in the cell. The CSS is the search space in which each UE in the cell may need to search for signaling messages, such as signaling messages applied to each UE before establishing a dedicated channel for a specific UE. The CSS carries common control information and is monitored by all UEs in the cell. The search space is defined by using a CORESET as a unit area defining multiple PDCCH candidates, the duration of PDCCH detection (e.g., how many slots or frames), the number of PDCCHs per slot, and which symbols(s) in the slot are used for PDCCH transmission, etc.

[0146] For example, for a UE configuration with 96 physical resource blocks for frequency resources, 2 symbols for time resources, and an aggregation configuration including AL1(4) / AL2(4) / AL4(4) / AL8(4) / AL16(2) (where ALx(y) represents the aggregation level x with y PDCCH candidates), there are a total of 18 PDCCH candidates. From the UE's receiving perspective, the UE must perform blind checks on the 18 PDCCH candidates for (dynamic) scheduling (i.e., DCI signaling) timing or PDCCH monitoring timing, but only one PDCCH can be used to carry out the actual transmission of scheduling (i.e., DCI signaling), such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0147] Figure 5Example arrangements of control channel candidates under different ALs are shown, where the time-frequency resources carrying the control channel candidates may overlap. Specifically, Figure 5 An example of a PDCCH candidate with five aggregation levels is shown, where each PDCCH candidate can be carried in a time-frequency resource represented by one or more Control Channel Elements (CCEs) (each CCE can be identified by a predefined or configured CCE index), and at least one PDCCH candidate can be used as a (DL) control channel to carry DCI or scheduling information during scheduling. However, it should be noted that... Figure 5 The example shown can also be applied to other types of control channels. As mentioned above, in Figure 5 In this context, ALx(y) represents the aggregation level "x" with "y" control channel candidates (e.g., PDCCH candidates) configured.

[0148] refer to Figure 5 PDCCH area 500 (i.e., the time-frequency resources used for transmission) is represented by multiple CCEs (e.g., CCE 505). CCEs can be used to transmit scheduling information from a device (e.g., a base station) to an apparatus (e.g., a UE). The scheduling information can be DCI or other types of scheduling information. An apparatus (e.g., a UE) receiving a control channel can search for control channel time-frequency resources represented by one or more CCEs, and one or more CCEs can be used to transmit scheduling information through the control channel.

[0149] refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 The numbers 0, 2, 4, ..., 30 at the top represent Control Channel Element (CCE) indices. CCEs can be constructed by dividing CORESET time-frequency resources or CORESET resource regions into non-overlapping resource units, and each CCE can be identified by an index (specified, predefined, or configured). For example... Figure 5 As shown, there are CCEs with CCE indices from 0 to 31 in PDCCH area 500. The CCE index indicates the CCE number, which is used to represent a resource unit in which a control channel (e.g., PDCCH) can be allocated for transmission. Figure 5 Multiple PDCCH candidates and multiple (indexed) CCEs are shown. One or more of these (indexed) CCEs can be allocated as channel time-frequency resources to each of the multiple PDCCH candidates, and the number of CCEs allocated to each PDCCH channel candidate can indicate the corresponding aggregation level (AL). Therefore, the time-frequency resources allocated to different PDCCH candidates (on one or more CCEs) may have (partial) overlap.

[0150] like Figure 5As shown, there are a total of 18 PDCCH candidates with different polymerization levels. Specifically, there are 4 PDCCH candidates with AL1, 4 PDCCH candidates with AL2, 4 PDCCH candidates with AL4, 4 PDCCH candidates with AL8, and 2 PDCCH candidates with AL16.

[0151] The various aggregation levels, such as AL1 and AL2, represent different ways to allocate a subset of the 32 CCEs to the PDCCH candidates as transmission resources.

[0152] For a set of 32 CCEs, using AL1, in this configuration, PDCCH candidates 511, 512, 513, and 514, consisting of a single CCE, are allocated within each group of 8 CCEs out of the total 32 CCEs. In other words, each PDCCH candidate among PDCCH candidates 511, 512, 513, and 514 uses a single (indexed) CCE as its time-frequency resource. Figure 5 In the PDCCH candidate 511 with AL1, it may include CCE with index 7; PDCCH candidate 512 with AL1, it may include CCE with index 15; PDCCH candidate 513 with AL1, it may include CCE with index 23; and PDCCH candidate 514 with AL1, it may include CCE with index 31.

[0153] For the same set of 32 CCEs, using AL2, in this configuration, PDCCH candidates 521, 522, 523, and 524, consisting of two CCEs, are allocated in each group of 8 CCEs out of the total 32 CCEs. In other words, each PDCCH candidate in PDCCH candidates 521, 522, 523, and 524 uses two (indexed) CCEs as its time-frequency resource. Figure 5 In the PDCCH candidate 521 with AL2, CCEs with indices 6 and 7 may be included; PDCCH candidate 522 with AL2 may include CCEs with indices 14 and 15; PDCCH candidate 523 with AL2 may include CCEs with indices 22 and 23; and PDCCH candidate 524 with AL2 may include CCEs with indices 30 and 31.

[0154] For the same set of 32 CCEs, using AL4, in this configuration, PDCCH candidates 531, 532, 533, and 534, consisting of four CCEs, are allocated in each group of eight CCEs out of the total 32 CCEs. In other words, each PDCCH candidate among PDCCH candidates 531, 532, 533, and 534 uses four (indexed) CCEs as its time-frequency resource. Figure 5In the PDCCH candidate 531 with AL4, CCEs with indices 4 to 7 may be included; PDCCH candidate 532 with AL4 may include CCEs with indices 12 to 15; PDCCH candidate 533 with AL4 may include CCEs with indices 20 to 23; and PDCCH candidate 534 with AL4 may include CCEs with indices 28 to 31.

[0155] For the same set of 32 CCEs, using AL8, in this configuration, PDCCH candidates 541, 542, 543, and 544, consisting of all eight CCEs, are allocated within each group of eight CCEs out of the total 32 CCEs. In other words, each PDCCH candidate among PDCCH candidates 541, 542, 543, and 544 uses eight (indexed) CCEs as its time-frequency resource. Figure 5 In the PDCCH candidate 541 with AL8, CCEs with indices 1 to 7 may be included; PDCCH candidate 542 with AL8 may include CCEs with indices 8 to 15; PDCCH candidate 543 with AL8 may include CCEs with indices 20 to 23; and PDCCH candidate 544 with AL8 may include CCEs with indices 24 to 31.

[0156] For the same set of 32 CCEs, using AL16, in this configuration, PDCCH candidates 551 and 552, consisting of 16 CCEs each, are allocated from two groups of 8 CCEs out of the total 32 CCEs. In other words, each PDCCH candidate in PDCCH candidates 551 and 552 uses the allocated 16 (indexed) CCEs as its time-frequency resource. Figure 5 In the PDCCH candidate 551 with AL4, CCEs with indices 0 to 15 may be included, and PDCCH candidate 552 with AL16 may include CCEs with indices 16 to 31.

[0157] Among multiple PDCCH candidates, at least one PDCCH can be used for the transmission of scheduling information for the device. Figure 5 In this context, the DCI 535 used for scheduling data transmission between the device and the equipment can be carried on the PDCCH candidate 533 that occupies CCEs with indices 20 to 24. In other words, the equipment (e.g., a base station) can send the DCI 535 to the device (e.g., a UE) via the PDCCH 533 that includes CCEs with indices 20 to 24.

[0158] If the device is notified that the DCI is being transmitted on a PDCCH candidate using at least AL4, the device may be able to monitor PDCCH candidates 531, 532, 533, 534, 541, 542, 543, 544, 551, and 552 (e.g., perform blind detection) instead of monitoring all possible PDCCH candidates, thus saving resources and potentially finding the DCI more promptly due to the reduced amount of monitoring involved. The timing of finding the DCI will vary depending on how the UE performs the blind detection. For example, if the UE... Figure 5 Blindly detecting all AL4 PDCCH candidates from left to right, for example, in the order of 531, 532, 533, 534, will result in a DCI being found in the third detection attempt, and the UE can avoid detecting PDCCH candidates 534, 541, 542, 543, 544, 551, and 552. However, when using a different blind detection order for PDCCH candidates, for example, starting from AL16, more blind detection attempts may be performed before a DCI is found in AL4 533. However, in either case, not all PDCCH candidates need to be blindly detected; only a sufficient number need to be detected to find a DCI in AL4, AL8, and A16.

[0159] Current networks (e.g., NR networks) may use blind detection on all configured PDCCH candidates for each DCI reception or each PDCCH monitoring opportunity to be performed, but this is not necessary in all cases. The power consumption and other resource consumption in current blind detection methods for PDCCH may be too high, which is unacceptable in energy-efficient wireless networks such as 6G networks.

[0160] Adaptation schemes and PDCCH candidate subsets for reducing blind detection of PDCCH

[0161] As described above, the PDCCH channel can be configured with multiple aggregation levels (e.g., from AL1, AL2 up to AL16) to support UE mobility and various radio channel conditions. The UE can be mobile and, at any given point, can be located at different locations within the BS (or network). Furthermore, the UE may experience different radio environments and channel conditions, such as, for example, Reference Received Power (RSRP), Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR), etc. AL1 should only be used when channel conditions are good (e.g., the UE is close to the BS and channel conditions are good), because AL1 may be less reliable than higher AL levels under poor conditions. AL16 can be used when channel conditions are poor (e.g., the UE is far from the BS or located near the cell boundary of the BS and / or channel quality is poor).

[0162] One or more channel measurements reported from one or more DL reference signals (RS) received by the UE can more accurately determine the appropriate aggregation level for reliably carrying scheduling information or DCI on the PDCCH. Channel measurement metrics can include one or more of, for example, RSRP, Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), SINR, etc. RSRP is the average power received from a single reference signal, typically ranging from –44 dBm (good) to –140 dBm (bad). RSRQ indicates the quality of the received signal, typically ranging from –19.5 dB (bad) to –3 dB (good). SINR is the signal-to-noise ratio of a given signal. Channel measurements can be performed on DL and / or UL reference signals (e.g., synchronization block (SSB), channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), or probe reference signal (SRS)).

[0163] For example, DL (Deep Channel Response) metrics can indicate channel conditions / quality and / or the distance between the US and the BS. Channel conditions and quality can be used to limit the number of PDCCH candidates suitable for reliable DCI transmission. For example, a typical range for (average) RSRP can be, for instance, –40 dBm to –140 dBm. An RSRP of –40 dBm indicates excellent channel conditions, under which a PDCCH with AL1 may be able to reliably transmit DCI to the UE, while an RSRP of –140 dBm indicates poor channel conditions, under which a PDCCH with AL16 may be required to reliably transmit DCI to the UE. RSRQ (Received Signal Quality) indicates the quality of the received signal, typically ranging from, for example, –20 dB to 0 dB. An RSRQ of 0 dB indicates excellent channel conditions, under which a PDCCH with AL1 may be able to reliably transmit DCI to the UE, while an RSRQ of –20 dB indicates poor channel conditions, under which a PDCCH with AL16 may be required to reliably transmit DCI to the UE. Therefore, a set of classified channel conditions based on one or more measurement metrics can be associated with different AL groups, which can be used in the PDCCH to transmit DL control information (DCI) with the required reliability, wherein each group may include one or more ALs.

[0164] For CORESET and search space configuration, multiple PDCCH candidates can include at least AL16 to prepare for worst-case channel conditions. The search space configuration provides detailed parameter settings for PDCCH transmission, such as the frequency of use of the configured CORESET (as a resource unit), the number of time slots and frames monitoring such PDCCH channels, and the number of PDCCH events within a time slot. However, using only one aggregation level option, AL16, in the PDCCH is inefficient. While AL16 is suitable for all channel conditions, it requires more resources and is too conservative to be used in all situations. Therefore, multiple ALs are typically used to balance or trade off resource utilization efficiency and transmission reliability. Lower ALs can be used when channel conditions are good and / or the UE is close to the BS, while higher ALs can be used when channel conditions are poor and / or the UE is close to the cell boundary of the BS. Timely channel measurement conditions and / or the UE's position relative to the BS (or the distance between the UE and the BS) can be important information, allowing one or more appropriate ALs for one or more PDCCHs to be used efficiently while reliably transmitting DCI over the PDCCH. Different ALs used to carry DCI in one or more PDCCHs can be measured or calibrated by testing under different channel conditions (e.g., field testing, laboratory testing) or simulation.

[0165] To reduce the amount of blind detection used by the UE for the actual PDCCH among possible PDCCH candidates, the number of PDCCH candidates to be monitored at each PDCCH monitoring time should be reduced. However, PDCCH candidates use ALs that match the UE's channel conditions. Therefore, a subset of PDCCH candidates is proposed based on one or more configured CORESETs and / or search spaces (SS) (e.g., UE-specific search space (USS), common search space (CSS)).

[0166] The proposed schemes, based on one or more configured CORESETs and / or one or more search spaces, include the following:

[0167] • Predefine and / or configure one or more ALs for one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates, wherein the ALs can be applied to one or more PDCCH candidates.

[0168] • One or more ALs in a subset of the above PDCCH candidates can be used, for example, a group of any one or more ALs in the following groups can be used for a subset of PDCCH candidates.

[0169] ○(AL1), (AL2), (AL4), (AL8), (AL16)

[0170] ○(AL1, AL2), (AL2, AL4), (AL4, AL8), (AL8, AL16)

[0171] ○(AL1, AL2, AL4), (AL2, AL4, AL8), (AL4, AL8, AL16)

[0172] ○(AL1, AL2, AL4, AL8), (AL2, AL4, AL8, AL16)

[0173] ○(AL1, AL2, AL4, AL8, AL16)

[0174] It should be noted that in future wireless networks, other ALs such as AL32 and AL64 may also be applicable and included in the AL group for applications such as sensing operations and remote data transmission.

[0175] The aforementioned AL groups can be predefined, pre-configured, or configured. Each AL group can be mapped to channel conditions or quality, where channel conditions and quality can be measured based on reference signals such as SSB, CSI-RS, Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), SRS, etc. In some embodiments, the BS can configure measurement metrics (e.g., RSPR, RSPQ, SiNR, Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), etc.), and the UE can perform these measurements and send the results to the BS as a CSI report.

[0176] Each PDCCH candidate subset has an AL group, which can be predefined (e.g., indicated in the communication standard), broadcast, cell group configured, or UE-specific configured via RRC. PDCCH candidate subsets can be indexed; for example, a subset of PDCCH candidates having a group comprising one or more ALs can be indexed as set_pdcch(i), i=0,…, I–1, (where I is the total number of PDCCH candidate subsets), where each subset of PDCCH is defined as having a group comprising one or more ALs from a defined AL group, such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0177] In some embodiments, for a configured CORESET and search space configuration, a set of indexed CCEs can be determined, and multiple PDCCH candidates can be determined based on this set of indexed CCEs. For example, a PDCCH candidate among the multiple PDCCH candidates may include (or be assigned) one or more CCEs as time-frequency resources corresponding to one (AL1) or more CCEs (ALx, x>1), which are part of the total time-frequency resources in the configured CORESET. One or more CCEs may be considered as PDCCH channels. Considering the multiple PDCCH candidates, one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates can be configured (or constructed), wherein each subset set_pdcch(i) (i is an integer index value) includes one or more PDCCH candidates among the multiple PDCCH candidates. At least one PDCCH candidate may be included in this subset, and / or at least one aggregation level (i.e., at least one CCE as a channel time-frequency resource) may be associated with one or more PDCCH candidates in this subset. At least one subset of PDCCH candidates in one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates may be configured or indicated for active operation and / or default operation. One or more subsets of such PDCCH candidates can be referred to as the active subset and / or the default subset, respectively. At the start of communication, during a timeout period before any active subset of PDCCH candidates is indicated or after an active subset of PDCCH candidates has been running, one or more PDCCH candidates from any subset of PDCCH candidates set to default operation can be used. At least one subset of PDCCH candidates from one or more PDCCH candidate subsets can be configured (or set) to active operation by activation signaling or indication, wherein the activation signaling or indication can be higher-layer signaling such as Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or Layer 1 (L1) signaling such as Downlink Control Information (DCI). In a subset of PDCCH candidates set to active operation, at least one PDCCH candidate can be used to carry scheduling information (e.g., DCI); therefore, the UE can monitor and detect the PDCCH candidates in that subset. At least one subset of PDCCH candidates from one or more PDCCH candidate subsets can be configured (or set) to inactive or silent operation via deactivation signaling or indication, wherein the deactivation signaling or indication can be higher-layer signaling such as RRC and / or L1 signaling such as DCI. In a subset of PDCCH candidates set to inactive or silent operation, no PDCCH candidates can be used to carry scheduling information (e.g., DCI); therefore, the UE may not monitor or detect the PDCCH candidates in that subset. It should be noted that in this disclosure, "a subset of PDCCH candidates" can be interchangeably referred to as "a subset of PDCCH candidates".

[0178] During a certain time period, a subset of PDCCH candidates, set_pdcch(i), can be used as the active subset. During another time period, subset set_pdcch(i) may not be inactive (or may be indicated as inactive), while another subset of PDCCH candidates, set_pdcch(j) (where j is an integer index value), can be indicated as the active subset, where i <> j. To facilitate switching between active and inactive subsets of PDCCH candidates, a time gap or buffer period may be provided between switching from using set_pdcch(i) to set_pdcch(j). Parameters associated with subsets of PDCCH candidates (e.g., active / activated, inactive / deactivated, default, gap, etc.) can be configured semi-statically (e.g., via RRC signaling or MAC control element (MAC CE)) or dynamically indicated (e.g., via DCI). The operation of switching between two subsets of PDCCH candidates may involve the UE and / or network measuring the reference signal (RS) and / or measurement reports from the UE, such as the UE reporting information related to RSRP, RSRQ, CQI, SiNR, beam direction, carrier frequency band, etc.

[0179] Priority ordering of PDCCH candidates in subsets

[0180] A subset of PDCCH candidates can be further defined or configured with a priority ordering. This priority ordering can be used by the scheduler to schedule transmissions and by the receiving UE to monitor and detect when a subset is activated (or becomes an active subset). Therefore, the UE can attempt to detect PDCCHs within the active subset of PDCCH candidates based on the priority ordering. This scheme can further enhance blind PDCCH detection.

[0181] At least one PDCCH candidate in a subset of PDCCH candidates can be configured for initial use (i.e., use with the highest priority), and the UE monitoring PDCCH timing can attempt to detect at least one PDCCH candidate first, and then detect other PDCCH candidates as needed. This can provide an efficient way to reduce the number of blind detections of PDCCH candidates. In some embodiments, to facilitate prioritizing PDCCH candidates in a subset, the PDCCH candidates in the subset can be indexed, and the PDCCH candidates can be sorted starting from the PDCCH candidate with the highest priority index. Therefore, a subset of PDCCH candidates and / or the PDCCH candidates in that subset can indicate or configure at least one of activation, deactivation, and / or handover for the PDCCH subset based on their respective indexes. The signaling for priority sorting configuration or indication can be performed using one or more of RRC, MAC-CE, or DCI.

[0182] There are multiple possible embodiments to achieve the proposed goal or solution, which have been outlined above, and some of these embodiments will be described in detail in the examples below.

[0183] PDCCH candidate subset

[0184] In this example, multiple PDCCH candidates can be used to provide one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates for a given CORESET and search space configuration, wherein each subset of PDCCH candidates in the one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates can include one or more PDCCH candidates from the multiple PDCCH candidates. Different subsets of PDCCH candidates in the one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates may have one or more overlapping PDCCH candidates, or they may have one or more non-overlapping PDCCH candidates. The one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates may be predefined (e.g., indicated in the communication standard), broadcast, cell group configured or UE-specific configured (e.g., via RRC, MAC-CE), or dynamically indicated (e.g., via DCI).

[0185] For example, one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates can be indexed by setting a subset indexed as set_pdcch(i), i=0,…, I–1 (i.e., I subsets of predefined or configured PDCCH candidates), where set_pdcch(i) can include or be assigned one or more CCUs corresponding to one or more ALs as channel resources. The subset set_pdcch(i) of the PDCCH candidates in one or more subsets of the PDCCH candidates can be activated, deactivated, or switched between active and inactive operation.

[0186] In such Figure 6 In Example 1 600 shown, PDCCH candidates are divided or grouped into eight PDCCH candidate subsets 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670 and 680. These eight PDCCH candidate subsets are indexed as PDCCH subset 0 610 (for simplicity, PDCCH candidate subset x is simply referred to as PDCCH subset x), PDCCH subset 1 620, ..., and PDCCH subset 7 680. The PDCCH candidates in two PDCCH subsets may overlap or not overlap (i.e., one or more PDCCH candidates may be common to both subsets), and at least one PDCCH subset may not use all available ALs, thereby potentially reducing the number of detections required to determine the PDCCH.

[0187] In such Figure 7 In Example 2 700 shown, PDCCH candidates are divided or grouped into four PDCCH candidate subsets, which are indexed as PDCCH subset 0 710, PDCCH subset 1 720, PDCCH subset 2 730 and PDCCH subset 3 740. The PDCCH candidates in two PDCCH subsets may overlap or not overlap (i.e., one or more PDCCH candidates may be common to both subsets). Based on one or more CORESET resources and / or search space configurations, at least one PDCCH subset may not use all available PDCCH candidates, thereby potentially reducing the number of detections required to determine the PDCCH.

[0188] In such Figure 8 In Example 3 800 shown, PDCCH candidates are divided or grouped into one or more subsets of PDCCH candidates, where different subsets may include different numbers of PDCCH candidates. In some cases, a subset may include all available PDCCH candidates. Figure 8The candidate groups shown in the two arrangements 800 and 870 correspond in the first arrangement 800 to PDCCH candidates divided or grouped into six PDCCH candidate subsets, which are indexed as PDCCH subset 0 810, PDCCH subset 1 820, PDCCH subset 2 830, PDCCH subset 3 840, PDCCH subset 4 850 and PDCCH subset 5 860, wherein the PDCCH candidates in two PDCCH subsets may overlap or not overlap (i.e., one or more PDCCH candidates may be common to the two subsets). In the second arrangement 870, the candidate group corresponds to PDCCH candidates divided or grouped into two PDCCH candidate subsets, which are indexed as PDCCH subset 0 880 and PDCCH subset 1 890.

[0189] Priority ranking of PDCCH candidates in subset

[0190] In some examples, for a subset of defined or configured PDCCH candidates, the PDCCH candidates in each subset can be predefined, pre-configured before operation, broadcast configured, cell group configured, or UE-specific configured to have a priority order. Once the PDCCH subset is activated, the PDCCH candidates will be used to carry DCI in this order. Priority ordering is the rule for using the PDCCH candidates in the subset, making it clearer to the UE which PDCCH candidates can be detected first, and allowing the UE to perform detection on the PDCCH candidates in the subset sequentially. This rule can be a search rule used to define how to search for PDCCH candidates.

[0191] For each subset of PDCCH, the use of PDCCH candidates is prioritized according to the PDCCH candidate index, where each PCCH candidate / index is directly associated with / mapped to one and / or more CCE indexes with AL.

[0192] A PDCCH candidate in a PDCCH subset can be configured as the first PDCCH candidate in the PDCCH subset used for transport scheduling or DCI control messages, such as PDCCH index 0.

[0193] Given PDCCH candidates and / or their indices, the usage priority and order of PDCCH candidates within a PDCCH subset can be determined. The UE can use this priority order when detecting PDCCH candidates within the PDCCH subset. In some cases, the priority order within a PDCCH subset can be predefined or configured based on the AL of the candidate PDCCH. For example, for PDCCH subset 1, the search / usage priority of PDCCH candidates can be as follows: candidates with AL2, candidates with AL1, and then candidates with AL4.

[0194] In one example, the priority ordering of a PDCCH subset can be based on one or more associated ALs arranged in descending order, from larger AL values ​​to smaller AL values: for example, for PDCCH subset 1, the search / use priorities could be AL4, AL2, AL1, etc. Figure 9 As shown. Figure 9 It shows that AL4 is the first priority 910, AL2 is the second priority 920, and AL1 is the third priority 930.

[0195] In another example, the priority ordering within a PDCCH subset can be based on one or more associated ALs arranged in ascending order, from smaller AL values ​​to larger AL values: for example, for PDCCH subset 1, the search / use priorities could be AL1, AL2, AL4, etc. Figure 10 As shown. Figure 10 The diagram shows that AL1 is the first priority (1010), AL2 is the second priority (1020), and AL4 is the third priority (1030).

[0196] exist Figure 11 The example shown illustrates the priority ordering of PDCCH candidates, where the AL (Alternating Alternate) index of the candidate PDCCH is used first, followed by the CCE (Constant Ceiling) index. That is, priority is assigned from higher ALs to lower ALs with lower CCE indexes, then from higher ALs to lower ALs with higher CCE indexes, and so on. It should be noted that... Figure 11 The scenario shown in scenario a) could be a single set of PDCCH candidates with such priority ordering.

[0197] exist Figure 11In scenario a) 1110, since there is a single PDCCH candidate set, the order is as follows: 1) AL16, CCE0, 2) AL8, CCE0, 3) AL4, CCE4, 4) AL2, CCE6, 5) AL1, CCE7, 6) AL8, CCE8, 7) AL4, CCE12, 8) AL2, CCE14, 9) AL1, CCE15, 10) AL16, CCE16, 11) AL8, CCE16, 12) AL4, CCE20, 13) AL2, CCE22, 14) AL1, CCE23, 15) AL8, CCE24, 16) AL4, CCE28, 17) AL2, CCE30, and 18) AL1, CCE31.

[0198] exist Figure 11 In scenario b) 1120, since there are five subsets of PDCCH candidates, and PDCCH subset 1 1130 is of interest, the order is as follows: 1) AL4, CCE12, 2) AL2, CCE14, 3) AL1, CCE15, 4) AL4, CCE20, 5) AL2, CCE22, 6) AL1, CCE23.

[0199] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the order of the CCE indexes can be reversed, i.e., from one or more higher CCE indexes to one or more lower CCE indexes, each CCE index having an AL order.

[0200] exist Figure 12 The example shown illustrates the priority ordering of PDCCH candidates, in which one or more CCE indexes of a subset of candidate PDCCHs are used first, followed by the AL of the candidate PDCCHs. That is, one or more CCE indexes are used in order from lower CCE indexes to higher CCE indexes with higher AL, then one or more CCE indexes are used in order from lower CCE indexes to higher CCE indexes with lower AL, and so on. It should be noted that... Figure 12 The scenario shown in c) can be a single set of PDCCH candidates with such priority order.

[0201] exist Figure 12In scenario c) 1210, since there is a single PDCCH candidate set, the order is as follows: 1) AL16, CCE0, 2) AL16, CCE16, 3) AL8, CCE0, 4) AL8, CCE8, 5) AL8, CCE16, 6) AL8, CCE24, 7) AL4, CCE4, 8) AL4, CCE12, 9) AL4, CCE20, 10) AL4, CCE28, 11) AL2, CCE6, 12) AL2, CCE14, 13) AL2, CCE22, 14) AL2, CCE30, 15) AL1, CCE7, 16) AL1, CCE15, 17) AL1, CCE23, 18) AL1, CCE31.

[0202] exist Figure 12 In scenario d) 1220, since there are two subsets of PDCCH candidates, and the PDCCH subset 0 1230 is of interest, the order is as follows: 1) AL16, CCE0, 2) AL8, CCE0, 3) AL8, CCE8, 4) AL4, CCE4, 5) AL4, CCE12, 6) AL2, CCE6, 7) AL2, CCE14, 8) AL1, CCE7, 9) AL1, CCE5.

[0203] Alternatively, the order of one or more CCE indexes can be reversed, i.e., from one or more higher CCE indexes to one or more lower CCE indexes, each CCE index having an AL order.

[0204] In some cases, the priority ordering of different subsets of PDCCH candidates can be predefined or configured using, for example, a subset index. In this case, a subset of PDCCH candidates to be used first can be determined, and these candidates can follow... Figure 11 or Figure 12 The priority of use is described in the text.

[0205] exist Figure 13 The diagram illustrates the priority ordering of PDCCH candidates, where the AL index is used first, followed by the CCE index. That is, the priority ordering proceeds from lower AL indexes to higher AL indexes with lower CCE indexes, then from lower AL indexes to higher AL indexes with higher CCE indexes, and so on. It should be noted that... Figure 13 Scenario e) could be a single set of PDCCH candidates with such priority ordering.

[0206] exist Figure 12In scenario e) 1310, since there is a single PDCCH candidate set, the order is as follows: 1) AL1, CCE7, 2) AL2, CCE6, 3) AL4, CCE4, 4) AL8, CCE0, 5) AL16, CCE0, 6) AL1, CCE15, 7) AL2, CCE14, 8) AL4, CCE12, 9) AL8, CCE8, 10) AL1, CCE23, 11) AL2, CCE22, 12) AL4, CCE20, 13) AL8, CCE16, 14) AL16, CCE16, 15) AL1, CCE31, 16) AL2, CCE30, 17) AL4, CCE28, 18) AL8, CCE24.

[0207] exist Figure 13 In scenario f) 1320, since there are two subsets of PDCCH candidates, and PDCCH subset 1 1330 is of interest, the order is as follows: 1) AL1, CCE15, 2) AL2, CCE14, 3) AL4, CCE12, 4) AL1, CCE23, 5) AL2, CCE22, 6) AL4, CCE20.

[0208] Alternatively, the order of CCE indexes can be reversed, i.e., from one or more higher CCE indexes to one or more lower indexes, with each CCE index having an AL order.

[0209] exist Figure 14 The diagram illustrates the priority ordering of PDCCH candidates, where one or more CCE indexes are used first, followed by AL indexes. That is, the priority ordering progresses from one or more lower CCE indexes to one or more higher CCE indexes with lower AL, then from one or more lower CCE indexes to one or more higher CCE indexes with higher AL, and so on. It should be noted that... Figure 14 The scenario shown in the figure (g) can be a single set of PDCCH candidates with such priority order.

[0210] exist Figure 14In scenario g) 1410, since there is a single PDCCH candidate set, the order is as follows: 1) AL1, CCE7, 2) AL1, CCE15, 3) AL1, CCE23, 4) AL1, CCE31, 5) AL2, CCE6, 6) AL2, CCE14, 7) AL2, CCE22, 8) AL2, CCE30, 9) AL4, CCE4, 10) AL4, CCE12, 11) AL4, CCE20, 12) AL4, CCE28, 13) AL8, CCE0, 14) AL8, CCE8, 15) AL8, CCE16, 16) AL8, CCE24, 17) AL16, CCE0, 18) AL16, CCE16.

[0211] exist Figure 14 In scenario h) 1420, since there are two subsets of PDCCH candidates, and subset 0 of PDCCH 1430 is of interest, the order is as follows: 1) AL1, CCE7, 2) AL1, CCE15, 3) AL2, CCE6, 4) AL2, CCE14, 5) AL4, CCE4, 6) AL4, CCE12, 7) AL8, CCE0, 8) AL8, CCE8, 9) AL16, CCE0.

[0212] Alternatively, the order of one or more CCE indexes can be reversed, i.e., from one or more higher CCE indexes to one or more lower indexes, each CCE index having an AL order.

[0213] In some cases, the priority ordering of different subsets of PDCCH candidates can be predefined or configured using, for example, a subset index. In this case, a subset of PDCCH candidates to be used first can be determined, and these candidates can follow... Figure 13 or Figure 14 The usage priority described in the document.

[0214] UE CSI reporting or instruction

[0215] To potentially reduce the amount of blind detection performed by the UE to determine the PDCCH, a subset of all available PDCCH channels can be formed as a subset of PDCCH candidates associated with the AL, where the subset of PDCCH candidates can be mapped to channel conditions and quality. A subset of multiple PDCCH candidates can be designated as active for use at a given point in time or time period. Switching between different subsets of PDCCH candidates can be triggered by channel conditions and quality measured against the DL and / or UL reference signals, indicated by one or more of, for example, RRC, MAC-CE, or DCI. Within the subset of PDCCH candidates, a PDCCH candidate usage order can be (pre-defined) or (pre-configured) to further reduce blind detection. The key issue here is channel conditions and quality, which must be used to determine one or more appropriate ALs and other transmission parameters, such as, for example, one or more of the following: transmission power, MCS, parameter set options, transceiver type, antenna and beamforming configuration, transmission duplex (e.g., TDD, FDD, half-duplex, full-duplex, etc.), and the signal waveform used for transmission.

[0216] Channel conditions and quality can be measured using metrics based on DL and / or UL reference signals (such as SSB, CSI-RS, SRS, etc.). These metrics include RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, etc. For example, one or more channel measurements of one or more DL RSs, such as SSB or CSI-RS, received by the UE can be used to determine one or more accurate aggregation levels for the PDCCH to reliably carry scheduling information or DCI. RSRP is the average power received from a single reference signal, typically ranging from -44 dBm (good) to -140 dBm (bad). RSRQ indicates the quality of the received signal, typically ranging from -19.5 dB (bad) to -3 dB (good). SINR is the signal-to-noise ratio of a given signal.

[0217] UE measurements can be reported to the BS as requests, including, for example, original CSI reports, indications of channel conditions and quality, indications of CCC subsets (e.g., index identifiers of CCC subsets), and / or indications of one or more ALs. The BS can use the measurements reported to the BS to determine the priority order of PDCCH candidates that match the ordering used by the UE when determining the PDCCH. Therefore, the UE can inform the BS of the channel conditions and quality that can be used to determine the appropriate PDCCH for reliably carrying the DCI to the UE (or a group of UEs) in at least four different ways (i.e., original CSI reports, indications of channel conditions and quality, indications of CCC subsets (e.g., index identifiers of CCC subsets), and / or indications of one or more ALs). Furthermore, notification messages from the UE used to inform the network about one or more measurements (e.g., specific metrics described in the next paragraph) used to determine one or more PDCCH candidates may include or be piggybacked on at least one of the following UL control channels or data channels: 1) Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), typically used for, for example, feedback, measurement reporting, etc.; 2) Scheduling request (SR), occurring, for example, when UL transmission is required; 3) Buffer status report (BSR), where the UE reports its buffer traffic size to the network based on a scheduling request for transmission; 4) UL data channel (with authorized or configured authorized resources), where the notification message may be piggybacked with data transmission; 5) Random access channel (RACH) procedure, where the notification message may be indicated by a preamble, carried by Message 3 in a 4-step RACH, or carried by Message A in a 2-step RACH. Notification messages can be transmitted in RRC connected or RRC disconnected states (e.g., inactive or idle states) using at least one or more of the above five schemes. The control or data channels identified above can be configured semi-statically via higher-layer signaling such as RRC, or dynamically indicated via Layer-1 (L1) signals such as DCI.

[0218] The list-based configuration of the above content may include a set of categorized measurement channel conditions based on one or more measurement metrics, wherein a categorized channel condition (or channel condition range) corresponds to a group of one or more ALs, and a measurement metric may include at least one of RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR. Measurement metrics may also include at least one of SSB RSRP, SSB RSRQ, or SSB SINR.

[0219] Figure 15AAn exemplary mapping is shown between a channel measurement or an index value associated with a channel measurement and a group of one or more ALs used for PDCCH transmission or an index value associated with a group of one or more ALs.

[0220] exist Figure 15A In the example shown, RSRP values ​​are categorized into K groups, where each category k of RSRP is configured with a range of values: RSRP k0 To RSRP k1 k = 0, 1, …, K–1, and the measured RSRP can belong to one of the K classified groups. More generally, K can be an integer greater than or equal to 1. Indicator Table 1510 describes an example of how each RSRP value can be indexed (e.g., each RSRP range is associated with one of the classification indices 0 to K–1, as shown in Indicator Table 1510). Aggregation levels AL1, AL2, AL4, AL8, and AL16 are classified into five AL groups, where a group can include at least one AL. In other words, {AL x} can represent that the AL group to which {AL x} belongs includes at least ALx, where “x” represents the aggregation level, such as 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16. For example, {AL 1} belonging to AL group 0 can include AL1 and optionally AL2 and / or other ALs; {AL2} belonging to AL group 1 can include AL2 and optionally AL3 and / or other ALs; …; {AL 16} belonging to AL group 4 can include AL16 and optionally AL8 and / or other ALs. AL Table 1520 describes examples of how each AL group can be indexed (e.g., each AL group is associated with an AL group index, as shown in AL Table 1520). Elements in one table (e.g., an index table) can be mapped to elements in another table (e.g., an AL table) according to one of the following relationships: one-to-one mapping, many-to-one mapping, one-to-many mapping, and many-to-many mapping. The index table and the AL table can be index table 1510 and AL table 1520, respectively. Mapping relationships can be represented by element indexes; for example, a category index 0 or 1 can be mapped to an AL group index 0 (in this case, it is a many-to-one mapping). It should be noted that in this disclosure, the terms "mapping," "mapping," or "mapping relationship" can be used interchangeably with "association," "association," "association relationship," or other similar expressions. For example, a mapping between the first element in the index table and the second element in the AL table can also be understood as an association between the first element in the index table and the second element in the AL table. In another example, a one-to-one mapping can also be understood as a one-to-one association.

[0221] Each classification table or grouping table can be predefined or preconfigured. The mapping between an element with a classification index in the index table and an element with an AL group index in the AL group table can be predefined, preconfigured, and / or configured via broadcast (e.g., system information, SSB, etc.), cell common signaling, or UE-specific signaling (e.g., RRC). Using these two tables and the associated mapping, the UE can recommend or request a group of one or more ALs configured for one or more PDCCH candidates in the search space based on DL channel measurements. A PDCCH can be selected from one or more PDCCH candidates and used to transmit DCI.

[0222] Mapping relationships can be represented using element indices; for example, category index 0 or 1 can be mapped to AL group index 0 (in this case, it is a many-to-one mapping). Furthermore, the mappings here can have one of the following various relationships: one-to-one mapping, many-to-one mapping, one-to-many mapping, and many-to-many mapping.

[0223] Therefore, in some embodiments, the UE can determine measurements associated with channel conditions or quality, as well as... Figure 15A Tables such as Table 1510 are used to obtain a classification index from 1 to k (where k = 0, 1, ..., K–1, K > 1). The classification index can be mapped to at least one AL group index in Table 1520, which corresponds to an AL group {AL x}. In some embodiments, the AL group index can be implicitly or explicitly passed to the BS, as described below. The BS can determine the AL group {AL x} using mapping tables such as Table 1510 and Table 1520. The BS can then communicate with the UE using the PDCCH associated with the ALs included in the AL group {AL x} until a new AL group is indicated. The UE only needs to search for PDCCH candidates in the AL group {AL x} to receive subsequent signals from the BS.

[0224] For example, if RSRP is measured by the UE as RSRP 11 According to Figure 15A In the example table 1510, the category index is 1. Assuming category index 1 maps to AL group 1, then AL group is {AL 2}, which can include, for example, AL2 and AL4. This can be passed to the BS, which will use the PDCCH from AL2 or AL4 to send subsequent signals. The UE only needs to search for the PDCCH candidates from AL2 and AL4.

[0225] Use such as Figure 15AOne advantage of the mapping scheme shown is that the UE can communicate with the base station regarding DL channel conditions or quality, thereby reducing the number of PDCCH candidates configured for a group of UEs, such as those with AL4, AL8, or AL16. This can reduce the amount of blind detection required by the UE. For example, through Figure 15A The predefined tables and mappings shown allow the UE to indicate to the base station the channel condition or quality level corresponding to one or a finite number of ALs available for association with the PDCCH candidates. Therefore, the UE may only need to attempt to detect one or more PDCCH candidates with one or more ALs, where the one or more ALs are implicitly or explicitly indicated via UE preamble transmission and / or CSI reporting based on DL measurements of one or more RSs. CSI reporting may include measurement metrics, such as SSB RSRP (reference signal received power), SSB RSRQ (reference signal received quality), and SSB SINR (signal to interference-plus-noise ratio).

[0226] The UE can indicate the mapping (e.g., based on the actual channel conditions or quality measured from the DL reference signal (e.g., SSB or CSI-RS)). Figure 15A The UE can use a classification index (of the mapping in the table) or, alternatively, directly send a CSI report including one or more actual indicator values ​​(i.e., actual measurements of the DL reference signal) without referring to the mapping table. The UE can use a PUSCH with piggybacking information or a random access channel with message 3 (in the 4-step RACH process) or MsgA (in the 2-step RACH process) to indicate the measured channel conditions and / or quality. The UE notifying the base station of channel conditions or quality can implicitly reach a consensus with the base station on which AL should be used for PDCCH transmission. This reduces the amount of blind detection performed by the UE.

[0227] One or more applicable AL instructions

[0228] The UE can send an indication to the BS of one or more aggregation levels applicable to PDCCH candidates, and expect the BS to use one or more ALs indicated in the PDCCH to carry the DCI. This approach reduces the blind detection performed by the UE to find the PDCCH carrying the DCI. There are several ways to indicate ALs or AL association information to the BS, including those described below:

[0229] One or more direct indications of AL: based on one or more measurement and classification indicators (e.g., Figure 15AThe classification indicators shown can be used to send one or more direct instructions to the BS that apply the AL. Figure 15A The mappings in the table can have one of the following relationships: one-to-one, many-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many. This mapping relationship can be represented by an index; for example, the UE can send an AL group index to the BS.

[0230] exist Figure 15A In the example shown, RSRP values ​​are categorized into K groups, where each category k of RSRP is configured with a range of values: RSRP k0 To RSRP k1 Let k = 0, 1, ..., K–1, and the measured RSRP can belong to one of K classification groups. More generally, K can be an integer greater than 1. Indicator Table 1510 describes an example of how each RSRP value can be indexed (e.g., each RSRP range is associated with one of the classification indices 0 to K–1, as shown in Indicator Table 1510). Aggregation levels AL1, AL2, AL4, AL8, and AL16 are classified into five AL groups, where a group can include at least one AL. In other words, {AL x} can indicate that the AL group to which {ALx} belongs includes at least ALx, where “x” indicates the aggregation level, such as 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16. For example, {AL 1} belonging to AL group 0 can include AL1 and optionally AL2 and / or other ALs; {AL 2} belonging to AL group 1 can include AL2 and optionally AL3 and / or other ALs; ...; {AL 16} belonging to AL group 4 can include AL16 and optionally AL8 and / or other ALs. AL Table 620 describes examples of how each AL group can be indexed (e.g., each AL group is associated with an AL group index, as shown in AL Table 620). An element in a table (e.g., an index table) can be mapped to at least one element in another table (e.g., an AL table) according to one of the following relationships: one-to-one mapping, many-to-one mapping, one-to-many mapping, and many-to-many mapping. The index table and the AL table can be index table 1510 and AL table 1520, respectively. Mapping relationships can be represented by element indexes; for example, a category index 0 or 1 can be mapped to an AL group index 0 (in this case, it is a many-to-one mapping). It should be noted that in this disclosure, mapping or mapping relationship can be used interchangeably with association, association relationship, or other similar expressions. For example, a mapping between the first element in the index table and the second element in the AL table can also be understood as an association between the first element in the index table and the second element in the AL table. In another example, a one-to-one mapping can also be understood as a one-to-one association.

[0231] Each classification table or grouping table can be predefined or preconfigured. The mapping between an element with a classification index in the index table and an element with an AL group index in the AL group table can be predefined, preconfigured, and / or configured via broadcast (e.g., system information, SSB, etc.), cell common signaling, or UE-specific signaling (e.g., RRC). Using these two tables and the associated mapping, the UE can recommend or request a group of one or more ALs configured for one or more PDCCH candidates in the search space based on DL channel measurements. A PDCCH can be selected from one or more PDCCH candidates and used to transmit DCI.

[0232] During initial network access, the UE may perform a random access procedure. The first UL transmission from the UE to the base station may include a preamble transmission, wherein the preamble included in this transmission is selected from a set of preambles configured by the base station for the random access procedure. To more quickly notify or provide feedback to the base station on DL channel conditions or quality, a subset of the preamble set (or preamble group) can be used to indicate a certain level of channel conditions or quality, and multiple subsets of the preamble set can be used to indicate different levels of channel conditions or quality.

[0233] It should be noted that a network can have multiple base stations, and each base station can have its own set of preambles, which can be different from the preambles of neighboring base stations. The preambles in the preamble set must be orthogonal in terms of sequence correlation or cross-correlation properties to avoid or reduce mutual interference.

[0234] For example, the set of preambles configured for a random access procedure in a base station can be divided (grouped) into two or more subsets, each subset including one or more preambles. Each subset of the one or more preambles can be associated with or mapped to a classification index of a measurement metric (e.g., RSRP). The mapping can be one-to-one, many-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many. This mapping relationship can be represented by element indices; for example, preamble group index 0 can be mapped to classification index 0 or 1 in the measurement metric (in which case it is a one-to-many mapping). Figure 15B An exemplary mapping is shown, where the number of preamble subsets is M>1 and the number of index categories is K>1, where the positive integers M and K can be the same or different. M can be an integer greater than 1.

[0235] Figure 15B An exemplary mapping between a preamble group (or a subset of preambles) and the channel measurement range is shown (M and K can be the same or different). Figure 15BIn this table, the set of preambles that can be configured for a random access procedure is divided into M groups, as shown in Preamble Group Table 1530. More generally, M can be an integer greater than 1. Each preamble group can be indexed as shown in Preamble Group Table 1530 (e.g., each preamble group can be associated with one of the preamble group indices 0 to M–1, as shown in Preamble Group Table 1530). Each preamble group can be all or a subset of preambles that can be used to establish a connection between a device (e.g., a UE) and a equipment (e.g., a base station). For example, a preamble group with preamble group index 0 can correspond to {preamble subset 0}, where {preamble subset 0} can include all or a subset of preambles that can be used to establish a connection between a device and a device. A preamble group with preamble group index 1 can correspond to {preamble subset 1}, where {preamble subset 1} can include all or a subset of preambles that can be used to establish a connection between a device and a device. A preamble group with preamble group index m can correspond to {preamble subset m}, where {preamble subset m} can include all or a subset of preambles that can be used to establish a connection between a device and a device, where m is an integer between 0 and M–1.

[0236] Elements in the preamble group table 1530 can be mapped to elements in the classified channel measurement index table (e.g., index table 1510) according to one of the following relationships: one-to-one mapping, many-to-one mapping, one-to-many mapping, and many-to-many mapping. Figure 15B The indicators shown in Table 1510 and Figure 15A This is the same as the indicator table 1510 described above. It should be noted that other channel measurement indicator tables that are different from indicator table 1510 can be mapped to preamble group table 1530 in a similar manner.

[0237] Use such as Figure 15A and Figure 15B One advantage of the mapping scheme shown is that the UE can communicate with the base station regarding DL channel conditions or quality, thereby reducing the number of PDCCH candidates configured for a group of UEs, such as those with AL4, AL8, or AL16. This can reduce the amount of blind detection used by the UE. For example, through Figure 15A and Figure 15BAs shown in the predefined tables and mappings, the UE can indicate a channel condition or quality level to the base station, which may correspond to one or a limited number of ALs available for association with PDCCH candidates. Therefore, the UE may only need to attempt to detect one or more PDCCH candidates with one or more ALs, where one or more ALs are implicitly or explicitly indicated by channel state information (CSI) reported by the UE preamble, for example, through a 4-step RACH or 2-step RACH process and / or by DL measurements based on one or more RSs. The CSI report may include measurement metrics, at least including measurements such as SSB RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), SSB RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality), and SSB SINR (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio). The CSI report may alternatively or additionally include measurement information such as RSRP, RSRQ, and / or SINR.

[0238] Additionally, during initial network access, a PDCCH candidate with AL1 or AL2 can be used instead of the higher minimum AL. According to current initial access schemes, the network must transmit a PDCCH with AL4, AL8, or AL16, which may not be necessary in the method proposed in this disclosure if channel conditions are sufficiently good or the UE is very close to the BS. In this case, it is proposed to also transmit the PDCCH and one or more UE measurement indications to the BS using AL1 and AL2 (resources) during the UE's initial network access. Here, "this case" refers to this disclosure. This allows for the use of fewer time-frequency resources to transmit the PDCCH, while reducing the amount of blind detection required to determine the PDCCH (e.g., the UE instructs the BS to use AL1, and the BS can determine to use AL1).

[0239] One or more implicit indications applicable to AL

[0240] The UE can use packet preambles, UL data transmissions, or a combination thereof to indicate channel conditions or quality to the base station, and based on, for example... Figure 15A and / or Figure 15B The mapping shown implicitly establishes consensus between the UE and the base station on which ALs are used for PDCCH transmission.

[0241] For example, in Figure 15B In this process, a preamble is selected from a subset of preambles and associated with the classification index of the measurement metric (e.g., RSRP). The subset of preambles can be one of {preamble subset 0}, {preamble subset 1}, ..., {preamble subset m} included in preamble group table 1530. Each preamble subset in preamble group table 1530 can be associated with... Figure 15A and Figure 15BAt least one element in the channel measurement index table 1510 shown is associated with this. For illustrative purposes, it is assumed here that the subset of preambles to which the selected preamble belongs is associated with a classification index of the channel measurement index table 1510. The classification index of the measurement index further corresponds to... Figure 15A The AL group table in the table contains at least one element with an AL group index. For illustrative purposes, it is assumed here that the categorical index associated with the subset of preambles to which the selected preamble belongs is... Figure 15A It is associated with an AL group index in AL group table 1520. Therefore, based on Figure 15B In the configuration, the UE can transmit a preamble from a preamble group corresponding to a classification index in an indicator (e.g., an RSRP level) based on its channel measurements; this could mean indicating... Figure 15A The AL group index (i.e., one or more ALs in the elements) can be used by the base station to transmit the PDCCH. Specifically, in an example with a specific value, the preamble can be selected from the {preamble subset m} in the preamble group table 1530. The preamble group index m can be associated with the classification index k, which corresponds to RSRP. k0 To RSRP k1 The RSRP range. The classification index k of Channel Measurement Indicators Table 1510 can be associated with AL group index 1, which in turn is associated with AL group {AL 2}. Accordingly, the preamble selected from {preamble subset m} can implicitly indicate that AL group {AL 2} can be used to transmit scheduling information (e.g., DCI) via PDCCH. It should be noted that the selected preamble can be sent from the device (e.g., UE) to the equipment (e.g., base station) via Message 1 (in a 4-step RACH process) or Message A (in a 2-step RACH process).

[0242] For example, the UE can use UL data transmission sent to the base station to indicate Figure 15A The classification indexes shown are for measurement metrics (e.g., RSRP), where the selection of the classification index is based on the actual channel conditions or quality measured according to the DL reference signal (e.g., SSB). For example, UL data transmission may include the transmission of information indicating the quality of the DL reference signal (DL RS). The quality of the DL RS may be based on, for example, SSB RSRP, SSB RSRQ, and / or SSB SINR. The UE can identify a classification index from classification indices 0 to K–1 in metric table 1510 that corresponds to the measured quality of the DL RS. The UE can send the classification index or information indicating the classification index to the base station using Message 3 (during a 4-step RACH process) or Message A (during a 2-step RACH process).

[0243] Alternatively, the UE can use UL data transmission to directly report CSI reporting data with actual indicator values ​​(i.e., actual measurements of the DL reference signal), without referencing, for example, Figure 15A or Figure 15B The mapping is shown below. In some embodiments, the UE may send any information or CSI report indicating the quality of the DL RS, which may include at least one of RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, SSB RSRP, SSB RSRQ, or SSB SINR. In this alternative, the UL data channel used for UL data transmission (for indicating or sending CSI reports) during initial access may be, for example, MsgA for a 2-step RACH or Message 3 for a 4-step RACH. MsgA may also be referred to as Message A. After the UL transmission, the base station may identify a classification index in classification indices 0 to K–1 in index table 1510 that corresponds to the received information indicating the quality of the DL RS. Details may be provided in the embodiments below. It should be noted that in this scenario, it is not necessary to indicate channel conditions or quality using a preamble, which means that conventional preamble transmission is performed during initial network access.

[0244] As described above, the UE can use packet preambles or UL data transmissions to indicate channel conditions or quality to the base station, in order to, for example, Figure 15A and / or Figure 15B An implicit consensus can be reached between the UE and the base station regarding which ALs are used for PDCCH transmission. Another option is to combine these two indication schemes, using both packet preambles and UL data transmissions to inform the base station of channel conditions or quality. This can reduce the amount of blind detection used by the UE.

[0245] One or more explicit indications applicable to AL

[0246] During initial network access, the UE can send an indication to the BS of one or more aggregation levels that may be applicable to the PDCCH candidate, and expect the BS to use one or more indicated ALs in the PDCCH to carry the DCI. This scheme can reduce the blind detection used by the UE to find the PDCCH carrying the DCI. There are several ways to indicate ALs or AL association information to the BS, including those described below. Indicating ALs or AL association information to the BS can refer to explicitly indicating one or more applicable ALs, which are discussed below. Figure 15C This will be described. Figure 15C An exemplary mapping is shown between a preamble group (or a subset of preambles) or an index value associated with a preamble group and a group of one or more ALs used for PDCCH transmission or an index value associated with a group of one or more ALs.

[0247] Regarding preamble indications for one or more ALs: The set of preambles configured in a base station for random access timing can be divided (grouped) into two or more subsets, each subset comprising one or more preambles. The subsets of one or more preambles can be associated with or mapped to a classification index of a measurement metric (e.g., RSRP) as shown in Figure 15b. For direct indications of one or more ALs, the subsets of one or more preambles can be associated with or mapped to a group of one or more ALs and used to populate a table as shown in Figure 15c, where the mappings can be one-to-one, many-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many. This mapping relationship can be represented using an index; for example, an index of a subset of preambles can be mapped to an AL group index.

[0248] For example, the UE can select a preamble from a subset of preambles based on measurements from the SSB (e.g., channel conditions and quality) and then send that preamble to the BS. The BS can determine one or more ALs indicated by the preamble based on a mapping (e.g., the mapping shown in Figure 15c), which also indicates the channel conditions and quality observed by the UE. Therefore, the BS can use a PDCCH with one or more indicated ALs as the PDCCH for carrying DCI to the UE. The UE expects one or more PDCCHs to use one or more ALs indicated by the UE to the BS. In this way, the UE can reduce the amount of blind detection used because it is not necessary to consider PDCCH candidates with other ALs (i.e., ALs not explicitly indicated by the preamble). For example, if the channel is ideal based on the UE's channel measurement of the SSB, the UE can use a preamble from preamble subset 0 to indicate to the BS that AL1 can be used. When the BS receives the preamble, the BS knows that the preamble comes from preamble subset 0 based on the configuration in Figure 15c. Therefore, the BS can determine to use AL1 to send the PDCCH (this is indicated by the UE using the preamble, and the UE expects to detect the PDCCH (allocation) with AL1).

[0249] In other words, in the example using specific values ​​from preamble group table 1510 and AL group table 1520 shown in Figure 15c, the UE can select the preamble to use from the preamble group {preamble subset 0}. Preamble group table 1530 and AL group table 1520 in Figure 15c can be the same as the tables described above and in Figures 15a and 15c. The preamble group {preamble subset 0} can correspond to classification index 0, which corresponds to RSRP. 00 To RSRP 01The RSRP range includes the RSRP measured for DL ​​RS. The selected preamble can be sent from the UE to the base station via Message 1 (during a 4-step RACH process) or Message A (during a 2-step RACH process). The base station can identify AL group index 1 based on the received preamble, preamble group table 1530, AL group table 1520, and / or the mapping between preamble group table 1530 and AL group table 1520. The base station can then send scheduling information (e.g., DCI) to the UE using one of the candidate PDCCHs with {AL 1} (i.e., an AL group that includes at least AL1) corresponding to AL group index 1. For illustrative purposes, it is assumed here that {AL 1} only includes AL1. The UE can monitor only PDCCH candidates with AL1.

[0250] AL UL Data Indication: Instead of using a preamble to indicate one or more expected ALs as described above, the AL group index can be sent via the UL data channel during initial access to the base station, for example, using MsgA in a 2-step RACH or Message 3 in a 4-step RACH. MsgA can refer to Message A, more details of which are provided below. This scheme reduces the amount of blind detection used by the UE to determine the PDCCH carrying the DCI.

[0251] One or more applicable ALs can be sent via the UL data channel or random access messages (e.g., MsgA in a 2-step RACH or Message 3 in a 4-step RACH).

[0252] The mappings between the components of the tables in Figures 15a, 15b, or 15c can be predefined, preconfigured, or semi-statically configured via, for example, RRC or MAC-CE (Medium Access Control-Control Element). More generally, the indication information used to determine the information indicating AL groups (e.g., the mappings between elements in Tables 1510 and 1520) can be predetermined or received via system information or RRC signaling. The mappings can be indexed, where the mapping index can be dynamically indicated.

[0253] Detect or identify control channel

[0254] Figure 16This diagram illustrates an example method for detecting or identifying control channels for transmitting scheduling information in a wireless network, including device 1601 such as a base station (in a downlink scenario) and device 1602 such as a user equipment (in a downlink scenario), according to an embodiment of this disclosure. More generally, a device can be considered a transmitting device, e.g., a device transmitting configuration information, and a device can be a receiving device, e.g., a device receiving configuration information.

[0255] Example process 1600 includes steps 1610, 1620, and 1630. Some of these steps may be optional. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the order of one or more steps 1610, 1620, and 1630 may differ from that of steps 1610, 1620, and 1630. Figure 16 The order is different.

[0256] In step 1610, device 1601 sends configuration information including one or more subsets of control channel candidates (CCCs), and device 1602 receives the configuration information, wherein each CCC subset includes one or more CCCs, and each CCC subset is located within a time-frequency resource area of ​​a control resource set (CORESET). The configuration information in step 1610 can be sent on available CCCs and / or CCC subsets via semi-static signaling (e.g., system information, paging, or higher-layer signaling / RRC signaling).

[0257] As stated above, PDCCH is a control channel, and a PDCCH candidate is a CCC. These terms are used interchangeably in this document, and it should be understood that, in general, any reference to PDCCH applies to control channels and vice versa. Similarly, in general, any reference to PDCCH candidates applies to CCCs and vice versa.

[0258] To further clarify the terminology used above, it should be understood that a CORESET can have multiple CCCs, where each CCC includes multiple control channel elements (CCEs). The number of CCEs in a CCC can also define the aggregation level of the CCCs. A subset of CCCs can include one or more CCCs. Multiple distinct subsets of CCCs can exist so that a given subset can be indicated to the device, enabling the device to perform blind detection on the CCCs within the subset.

[0259] In step 1620, device 1601 sends indication information (e.g., DCI) including a scheduling message, which device 1602 receives. The indication information is carried by at least one CCC from one or more subsets of CCCs, and the scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between device 1601 and device 1602. To receive the indication information, device 1602 may perform blind detection on the CCCs to attempt to find one or more CCCs with indication information specific to device 1602 (described in further detail in step 1630). Aspects of this disclosure include methods for reducing the number of blind detections on multiple CCCs. In some embodiments, a CCC may include or be assigned one or more CCEs as channel resources, each CCE having an index value. Additionally, the number of CCEs in a CCC may identify the aggregation level (AL) of the CCCs.

[0260] In step 1630, device 1602 performs detection on indication information on at least one CCC of a subset of CCCs to identify a scheduling message. In some embodiments, at least one CCC of the CCC subset is allocated based on one or more CCEs from a set of Control Channel Elements (CCEs). A set of CCEs may be defined within a resource area of ​​a CORESET. The CCEs in the set of CCEs are non-overlapping time-frequency resources. Furthermore, each CCE has a CCE index, and the corresponding CCE can be identified. In some embodiments, each CCC subset in one or more CCC subsets is associated with an identifier used to identify the CCC subset. In some embodiments, each CCC is a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) candidate.

[0261] In some embodiments, the scheduling message that is part of the indication information in step 1620 is downlink control information (DCI) in the PDCCH. When the DCI is received, since the cyclic redundancy code (CRC) of the DCI is scrambled using the UE cell-based identifier (e.g., C-RNTI (Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier)), the UE can use the UE identifier to descramble the CRC to verify the CRC, thereby enabling the UE to determine whether the PDCCH candidate is a PDCCH carrying the expected DCI for the UE.

[0262] In some embodiments, additional configuration information or indication information in the form of an identifier of at least one subset of one or more CCC subsets may be predefined, broadcast, cell group configured, or UE-specific configured as a default subset to serve as the initial CCC subset for detection or for fallback scenarios. When configuring the identifier of at least one subset of one or more CCC subsets, the identifier of the at least one subset is configured via higher-layer signaling or dynamic signaling. When at least one subset of one or more CCC subsets is configured by device 1601, the configuration information may be sent from device 1601 to apparatus 1602, for example, as part of the configuration information in optional step 1610.

[0263] In some embodiments, one or more CCC subsets are active subsets, and any one CCC in the one or more CCC subsets is used to carry scheduling messages.

[0264] In some embodiments, one or more subsets of CCCs are predefined as active subsets.

[0265] In some embodiments, when the first CCC subset is activated, the second CCC subset can also be activated. Therefore, the device can use the activated second CCC subset to attempt to decode the scheduling information.

[0266] In some embodiments, the apparatus may receive an indication to activate a second subset of a plurality of CCCs. The apparatus may then perform detection on configuration information or indication information on at least one CCC of the second subset of the plurality of CCCs to identify a scheduling message. When the indication is received at apparatus 1602, it may be sent from device 1601 to apparatus 1602, for example, as part of configuration information in optional step 1610.

[0267] In some embodiments, upon receiving a second subset of multiple CCCs that is different from a subset of multiple CCCs, the receiving device switches from attempting to detect channel candidates in the subset of multiple CCCs to attempting to detect channel candidates in the second subset of multiple CCCs after a time length from receiving the indication.

[0268] In some embodiments, the indication includes an identifier of the time length, which is a transition period for switching from channel candidates in a subset of the multiple CCCs to channel candidates in a second subset of the multiple CCCs.

[0269] In some embodiments, any subset of one or more subsets of a plurality of CCCs may be designated as the active subset. In some embodiments, any subset of one or more subsets of a plurality of CCCs may be designated as the inactive subset.

[0270] In some embodiments, the indication may be dynamic signaling, higher-level signaling, or a combination of both.

[0271] In some embodiments, dynamic signaling is downlink control information, and higher-layer signaling is at least one of radio resource control signaling or media access control-control element (MAC-CE).

[0272] In some embodiments, control channel candidates may be prioritized in an attempt to reduce the number of blind detections to be performed.

[0273] In some embodiments, device 1602 may receive second configuration information or second indication information, which includes information having search rules. The device may then perform detection of at least one CCC of a subset of CCCs to identify that scheduling messages are executed sequentially on multiple CCCs based on the search rules. The second configuration information or second indication information may, for example, be sent from device 1601 to device 1602 as part of the configuration information or indication information in optional step 1610.

[0274] In some embodiments, the second configuration is dynamic signaling, higher-layer signaling, or a combination of both. In some embodiments, dynamic signaling is DCI. In some embodiments, higher-layer signaling is at least one of RRC or MAC-CE.

[0275] In some embodiments, the information in the search rules is arranged in the following order: first the CCE index, then the aggregation level (AL) identifier; or first the AL indicator, then the CCE index.

[0276] Although various types of configuration information may be sent from device 1601 to device 1602 as described above, it should be understood that these various configuration information may be transmitted at different times, and not necessarily all at once, if and when the configuration information is used. The illustration of configuration information transmission in step 1610 is generally used to illustrate providing some information to the device for detection in step 1630, and therefore this information should be provided before the multiple CCCs in step 1620.

[0277] Figure 16 The two devices are described in a general manner so that they can communicate in different scenarios such as downlink, uplink, and sidelink. In the downlink scenario, device 1601 can be a base station, and device 1602 can be a UE. In the uplink scenario, device 1601 can be a UE, and device 1602 can be a base station. In the sidelink scenario, device 1601 can be a first UE, and device 1602 can be a second UE.

[0278] Examples of apparatus and / or devices (e.g., ED or UE and BS or network devices) for performing the various methods described herein are also disclosed.

[0279] 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 method steps of one or more means and / or devices described herein, for example, in conjunction with FIG15. For example, the processor may cause the means and / or devices to communicate over the air interface in an operating mode by implementing operations matching that operating mode, such as performing necessary measurements and generating content configured for that operating mode based on those measurements, preparing uplink transmissions and processing downlink transmissions, such as encoding, decoding, etc., and configuring and / or instructing transmission / reception on one or more RF chains and one or more antennas.

[0280] This disclosure includes various examples, not only method examples, but also apparatus examples and other examples related to non-transitory computer-readable storage media. Examples may individually or in combination contain the features disclosed herein.

[0281] Although this disclosure references illustrative examples, it is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative examples, as well as other examples of this disclosure, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this specification.

[0282] Features disclosed herein in the context of any particular example may be implemented alternatively or in other examples. Method examples may be implemented alternatively or in other ways, such as in apparatus, systems, and / or computer program products. Furthermore, although the examples are described primarily in the context of methods and apparatuses, other implementations are contemplated, for example, as instructions stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. These media may store programs or instructions to perform any of the various methods consistent with this disclosure.

[0283] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent cases including "A exists alone," "A and B exist simultaneously," and "B exists alone," where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" can represent a, b, c, "a and b," "a and c," "b and c," or "a, b, and c," where a, b, and c can be singular or plural.

[0284] In this disclosure, when used in conjunction with the term "comprising" in the claims and / or specification, the word "a" may mean "one," but it also has the same meaning as "one or more," "at least one," and "one or more," unless otherwise expressly stated. Similarly, the word "another" may mean at least a second or more, unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0285] In this disclosure, when used before the same term (e.g., ED or operational step), the words “first,” “second,” etc., do not imply an order or sequence of the terms. For example, without specific indication, “first ED” and “second ED” refer to two different EDs; similarly, without specific indication, “first step” and “second step” refer to two different operational steps, but this does not mean that the first step must occur before the second step. The actual order depends on the logic of the two steps.

[0286] The terms “coupling” or “connection” as used herein can have several different meanings depending on the context in which they are used. For example, as used herein, the terms “coupling” or “connection” can mean that two elements or devices are directly connected to each other or connected to each other via mechanical elements through one or more intermediate elements or devices, depending on the specific context.

[0287] The terms “receive,” “detect,” and “decode” used in this document can have several different meanings depending on the context in which they are used. For example, without specific context, the term “receive” can mean that information (e.g., DCI or MAC-CE, RRC signaling, or TB) has been successfully received by the receiving node, indicating that the receiving side correctly detected and decoded the information. In this scenario, “receive” can encompass both “detect” and “decode,” or it can mean the same thing; for example, “receive paging” means that the paging was correctly decoded and successfully retrieved, and correspondingly, “received paging not received” means that the receiving side did not detect and / or decode the paging. “Not received paging” means that the receiving side attempted to detect and / or decode the paging but failed to retrieve it. The term “receive” can sometimes mean that a signal has arrived at the receiving side, but this does not necessarily mean that the information in the signal has been correctly detected and decoded. In this case, the receiving side needs to detect and decode the signal to obtain the information carried in it. In this scenario, “receive,” “detect,” and “decode” can represent different processes by which the receiving side obtains information. In some scenarios, if the apparatus implementing the methods described herein is an integrated circuit, the term "receive" may refer to "input" or "acquisition", and the term "transmit" may refer to "output".

[0288] It should be understood that one or more steps in the methods of the embodiments 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 should be understood that if these modules are software, they can be retrieved by a processor, in whole or in part, individually or together, as needed, or as single or multiple instances as needed, and these modules themselves can include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0289] While combinations of features are shown in the illustrated embodiments, it is not necessary to combine all features to achieve the advantages of the various embodiments of this disclosure. In other words, a system or method designed according to embodiments of this disclosure 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.

[0290] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this specification is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of this disclosure, 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 characterized by, Comprising: receiving, at a receiving device, configuration information comprising one or more control channel candidate (CCC) subsets, wherein each CCC subset comprises one or more CCCs, and wherein each CCC subset is located within a time-frequency resource region of a control resource set (CORESET); receiving, at the receiving device, indication information comprising a scheduling message, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of a CCC subset of the one or more CCC subsets, and the scheduling message comprises scheduling resources for communication between the receiving device and a transmitting device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, receiving the indication information comprising the scheduling message comprises performing detection on the at least one CCC of the CCC subset until the scheduling message is detected.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the at least one CCC of the CCC subset is allocated according to one or more control channel elements (CCEs) of a set of CCEs, wherein: the set of CCEs is defined within the resource region of the CORESET; CCEs of the set of CCEs are non-overlapping time-frequency resources; and each CCE has a CCE index.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, the at least one CCC comprises one or more CCEs, wherein each CCE has an index value, and a number of CCEs in the CCC identifies an aggregation level (AL) of the CCC.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, each CCC subset of the one or more CCC subsets is associated with an aggregation level (AL) group, wherein the AL group comprises one or more different ALs.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, the one or more CCC subsets are predefined, broadcast, cell group configured, or UE-specifically configured as default subsets for initial CCC subsets for detection or for fallback scenarios, and when configured, the one or more CCC subsets are configured by higher layer signaling or dynamic signaling.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, the CCC subset is an active subset, and any CCC of the CCC subset is used to carry the scheduling message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, the CCC subset is predefined as, configured by higher layer signaling as, or indicated by physical layer signaling as an active subset.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, each CCC subset of the one or more CCC subsets is associated with an identifier for identifying the CCC subset.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, each CCC is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidate.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, the indication information is downlink control information (DCI).

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, Further comprising: the receiving device receives an indication to activate a second CCC subset of the one or more CCC subsets; and receiving, at the receiving device, second indication information comprising a second scheduling message, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one CCC of the second CCC subset, and the scheduling message comprises scheduling resources for communication between the receiving device and the transmitting device. upon receiving the second CCC subset different from the CCC subset, the receiving device switches from attempting to detect a CCC of the CCC subset to attempting to detect a CCC of the second CCC subset after a length of time from receiving the indication.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, ​ 14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The indication includes an identification or a value of the length of time as a transition period from attempting to detect a CCC in the CCC subset to attempting to detect a CCC in the second CCC subset.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, Any of the one or more CCC subsets can be indicated as an active subset.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein, Any of the one or more CCC subsets can be indicated as an inactive subset.

17. The method according to any one of claims 15 and 16, characterized in that, The indication can be dynamic signaling, higher layer signaling, or a combination of both.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The dynamic signaling is downlink control information (DCI), and the higher layer signaling is at least one of radio resource control signaling (RRC) or medium access control-control element (MAC-CE).

19. The method of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein, Further comprising: The receiving device receives signaling information, wherein the signaling information includes information having a search rule; And Performing detection on the at least one CCC in the CCC subset in order based on the search rule.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The signaling information is dynamic signaling, higher layer signaling, or a combination of both.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The dynamic signaling is downlink control information (DCI), and the higher layer signaling is at least one of radio resource control signaling (RRC) or medium access control-control element (MAC-CE).

22. The method of any one of claims 19-21, wherein, The information in the search rule is arranged in the following order: First is the CCE index, and second is the identification of the aggregation level (AL); or First is the indication of the AL, and second is the CCE index.

23. The method of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein, Further comprising: Receiving a reference signal at the receiving device; Measuring the reference signal at the receiving device; Based on the measured reference signal, sending an identification of a third CCC subset to a remote device so that the remote device can use the third CCC subset to communicate with the receiving device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, The measuring the reference signal includes measuring at least one of reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein, The reference signal is a channel state indication reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), or a sounding reference signal (SRS).

26. The method of any one of claims 23-25, wherein, The identification of the third CCC subset is sent through radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling, or downlink control information (DCI) signaling.

27. The method of any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein, The CCC includes 2 n control channel elements, where n = 0 to N, N being an integer.

28. An apparatus in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising: Comprising: A processor; And A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. A method, comprising: Comprising: Sending, at a sending device, configuration information including a plurality of control channel candidates (CCCs), wherein each CCC subset includes one or more CCCs, and wherein each CCC subset is located within a time-frequency resource region of a control resource set (CORESET); and transmitting, at a transmitting device, indication information including scheduling information, wherein the indication information is carried by at least one control channel candidate (CCC) of a CCC subset of the one or more CCC subsets, and the scheduling message includes scheduling resources for communication between the transmitting device and a receiving device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein, the at least one CCC of the CCC subset is allocated according to one or more control channel elements (CCEs) of a set of CCEs, wherein: the set of CCEs is defined within the resource region of the CORESET; CCEs of the set of CCEs are non-overlapping time-frequency resources; and each CCE has a CCE index.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, the one or more CCC subsets are configured as default subsets to be used as initial CCC subsets for detection or for fallback scenarios, and when configured, the one or more CCC subsets are configured by higher layer signaling or dynamic signaling.

32. The method of any one of claims 29-31, wherein, each CCC subset has an associated index.

33. The method of any one of claims 29-32, wherein, the CCC subset is an active subset, and any CCC of the CCC subset is used to carry the scheduling message.

34. The method of any one of claims 29-33, wherein, the CCC subset is predefined as an active subset.

35. The method of any one of claims 29-34, wherein, each CCC subset of the one or more CCC subsets is associated with an aggregation level (AL) group, wherein the AL group includes one or more different ALs.

36. The method of any one of claims 29-35, wherein, Further comprising: transmitting, at a transmitting device, an index identifying a particular CCC subset that the receiving device uses to perform detection.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein, the index identifying the particular control channel candidate subset is transmitted by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling, or downlink control information (DCI) signaling.

38. The method of any one of claims 29-37, wherein, Further comprising: transmitting, at a transmitting device, an indication of an ordering of CCCs in the CCC subset that the receiving device uses to perform detection.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein, the indication of the ordering is transmitted by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling, or downlink control information (DCI) signaling.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein, the indication of the ordering is associated with at least one of: a CCE index; or an index corresponding to a CCC in the CCC subset.

41. The method of any one of claims 29-40, wherein, Further comprising: transmitting, at a transmitting device, a reference signal for measurement at a remote receiving device; receiving, from the remote receiving device, an identification of the CCC subset based on the reference signal measured by the remote receiving device, such that at least one CCC of the CCC subset can be used to transmit the signal on the at least one CCC.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein, the reference signal is a channel state indication reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), a sounding reference signal (SRS).

43. The method of claim 41 or 42, wherein, the identification of the CCC subset is received by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling, or downlink control information (DCI) signaling.

44. The method of any one of claims 29-43, wherein, The CCC includes 2 n control channel elements, where n = 0 to N, N being an integer.

45. An apparatus in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising: comprising: a processor; and a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 29-44. ​ 46. ​​A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-27 and 29-44.

47. An apparatus comprising: An apparatus for performing the method of any one of claims 1-27 or the method of any one of claims 29-44.

48. A processor, comprising: An apparatus for executing instructions to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-27 or the method of any one of claims 29-4.

49. An integrated circuit, comprising: An apparatus for performing the method of any one of claims 1-27 or the method of any one of claims 29-44. An apparatus for performing the method of any one of claims 1-27 or the method of any one of claims 29-44.

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