Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a method and device for spectrum sharing between network technologies. The method comprises: receiving first indication information, the first indication information indicating one of a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising a first mode, a first configuration set associated with the first mode comprising part or all of a second configuration set associated with a second radio access technology; and performing communication based on the first indication information. The plurality of terminal devices associated with different technologies may better coexist.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to PCT patent application No. PCT / CN2023 / 114927, filed on August 25, 2023, entitled “DYNAMIC SPECTRUM SHARING BETWEEN 5G AND 6G WITH DEEPINTEGRATION”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of this application relate to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for spectrum sharing between network technologies. Background Technology

[0003] With the emergence of next-generation wireless communications, both new-generation and older-generation wireless communications may be adopted simultaneously, especially in the early stages of next-generation adoption. For example, network devices can simultaneously communicate with one or more terminal devices associated with fifth-generation (5G) technology (e.g., 5G user equipment (UE)) and one or more terminal devices associated with sixth-generation (6G) technology (e.g., 6G UE). In the early applications of next-generation technologies (e.g., 6G), one or more 5G UEs and one or more 5G networks are likely to be used alongside one or more 6G UEs and one or more 6G networks. Existing 5G technologies already occupy multiple spectrums.

[0004] Therefore, a pressing technical problem is how to enable multiple terminal devices associated with different technologies to coexist better. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of this application provide a method and apparatus for spectrum sharing among network technologies. This technical solution enables multiple terminal devices associated with different technologies to coexist better.

[0006] According to a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a first terminal device or a chip of the first terminal device. The first terminal device is associated with a first wireless access technology. The method includes: receiving first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates one of a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes including a first mode, and a first configuration set associated with the first mode including part or all of a second configuration set associated with a second wireless access technology; and performing communication based on the first indication information.

[0007] According to a second aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a network device or a chip of the network device. The method includes: sending first indication information to a first terminal device associated with a first wireless access technology, wherein the first indication information indicates one of a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes including a first mode, and a first configuration set associated with the first mode including part or all of a second configuration set associated with a second wireless access technology; and communicating with the first terminal device based on the first indication information.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, at least a portion of the configuration set can be shared between one or more terminal devices associated with a first wireless access technology and one or more terminal devices associated with a second wireless access technology. The network device can serve multiple terminal devices with the same configuration associated with different generations of technologies. Multiple terminal devices associated with different generations of technologies can coexist more effectively.

[0009] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first configuration set includes one or more of the following: physical resources, sequence generation, and processes.

[0010] According to the above technical solution, at least one of the resources in the time-frequency domain, the resources in the code domain, and the process can be shared by one or more terminal devices associated with the first radio access technology and one or more terminal devices associated with the second radio access technology. This can improve resource utilization.

[0011] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first mode is associated with a first frequency band, which is associated with the first wireless access technology and the second wireless access technology.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, the frequency band can be shared by one or more terminal devices associated with the first wireless access technology and one or more terminal devices associated with the second wireless access technology. When the first terminal device operates in the first mode, it can use all or part of the second wireless access technology. This can improve resource utilization.

[0013] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first indication information indicates a frequency band, and the mode indicated by the first indication information is associated with the frequency band.

[0014] According to the above technical solution, the mode can be indicated by the frequency band indication, and the additional specific mode indication can be omitted, which can reduce transmission consumption.

[0015] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the physical resources include one or more of the following: physical resources mapped to physical signals or channels, and candidate physical resources configured for physical signals or channels.

[0016] For example, the candidate physical resources configured for physical signals or channels can be a set of control resources.

[0017] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first physical resource associated with the first configuration set includes part or all of the second physical resource associated with the second configuration set.

[0018] According to the above technical solution, at least a portion of the same physical resources can be shared between one or more terminal devices associated with the first wireless access technology and one or more terminal devices associated with the second wireless access technology. This can improve the utilization rate of physical resources.

[0019] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first physical resource is a subset of the second physical resource, or the second physical resource is a subset of the first physical resource.

[0020] According to the above technical solution, when the first physical resource is a subset of the second physical resource, the first terminal device can obtain better performance for the larger first physical resource. When the second physical resource is a subset of the first physical resource, the first terminal device can save more energy for the smaller first physical resource.

[0021] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the configuration generated by the sequence indicates one or more codes for a physical signal or channel.

[0022] For example, the sequence generation configuration indicates one or more code division multiplexing (CDM) groups. Thus, at least a portion of the code resources can be shared between one or more terminal devices associated with a first radio access technology and one or more terminal devices associated with a second radio access technology. This improves code resource utilization.

[0023] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of modes includes a second mode, and a set of configurations associated with the second mode is dedicated to the first wireless access technology.

[0024] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of modes includes a third mode, and a third configuration set associated with the third mode includes a portion of the second configuration set.

[0025] According to the above technical solution, the first terminal device can support two or more modes. This allows the first terminal device to operate flexibly.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates one or more resource elements for data communication, the one or more resource elements being located in a control resource set.

[0027] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates one or more resource elements for data communication, the one or more resource elements being located in a control resource set.

[0028] According to the above technical solution, unoccupied resources in the control resource set can be used by the first terminal device, thereby improving resource utilization.

[0029] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the control resource set is associated with the second wireless access technology.

[0030] According to the above technical solution, unoccupied resources in the control resource set associated with the second wireless access technology can be used by the first terminal device. This can further improve resource utilization.

[0031] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates a set of configurations associated with the mode indicated by the first indication information.

[0032] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates a set of configurations associated with the mode indicated by the first indication information.

[0033] According to the above technical solution, the network device can indicate a configuration set to the first terminal device, and the resource configuration can be flexible.

[0034] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first indication information further indicates that the first terminal device switches from a fourth mode, the power consumption of which is lower than the power consumption of the mode indicated by the first indication information.

[0035] According to the above technical solution, the first instruction information can instruct the first terminal device to switch from power saving mode to the indicated mode.

[0036] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the second wireless access technology is a fifth-generation (5G) wireless access technology, and the first wireless access technology is a sixth-generation (6G) wireless access technology.

[0037] According to a third aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes functions or units for performing the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect.

[0038] According to a fourth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes functions or units for performing the method according to the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0039] According to a fifth aspect, a system is provided. The system includes: a terminal device according to a third aspect and a network device according to a fourth aspect.

[0040] According to a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes at least one processor coupled to at least one memory. The at least one memory is used to store a computer program or one or more instructions. The at least one processor is configured to: invoke the computer program or the one or more instructions from the at least one memory and execute the computer program or the one or more instructions, causing the communication device to perform a method of the first aspect or any of its possible implementations, or the communication device to perform a method of the second aspect or any of its possible implementations.

[0041] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be a network device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a terminal device.

[0042] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be a terminal device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a terminal device. For example, the communication device may be a network device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a network device.

[0043] According to a seventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor is connected to the communication interface. The processor is configured to execute one or more instructions, and the communication interface is configured to communicate with other network elements under the control of the processor. The processor is capable of performing the methods described according to the first aspect, any possible embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0044] According to an eighth aspect, a computer storage medium is provided. The computer storage medium stores program code for executing one or more instructions for the method according to the first aspect, any possible embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0045] According to a ninth aspect, this application provides a computer program product comprising one or more instructions, wherein when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer performs the method according to the first aspect, any possible embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0046] According to a tenth aspect, this application provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that cause a processor in a device to implement the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0047] According to the eleventh aspect, this application provides an apparatus for performing the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0048] According to the twelfth aspect, this application provides a processor for executing instructions to cause a device to perform the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0049] According to a thirteenth aspect, this application provides an integrated circuit for performing the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0050] According to the fourteenth aspect, this application provides a communication apparatus, comprising: a transceiver unit configured to perform a receiving step according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect; and a processing unit configured to perform a processing step according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect.

[0051] According to the fifteenth aspect, this application provides a communication apparatus including a transceiver unit for performing the transmission steps described in the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the application scenario provided in this application.

[0053] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown.

[0054] Figure 3 Another example of an ED and a base station is shown.

[0055] Figure 4 The unit or module in the device is shown.

[0056] Figure 5 A first embodiment of spectrum sharing between two technologies is shown.

[0057] Figure 6 A second embodiment of spectrum sharing between the two technologies is shown.

[0058] Figure 7 A third embodiment of spectrum sharing between the two technologies is shown.

[0059] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of the communication method is shown.

[0060] Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0061] Figure 10 A first example of 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources provided by embodiments of this application is shown.

[0062] Figure 11 A second example of 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources provided by embodiments of this application is shown.

[0063] Figure 12 A third example of 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources provided in embodiments of this application is shown.

[0064] Figure 13 A fourth example of 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources provided in embodiments of this application is shown.

[0065] Figure 14 A fifth example of 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources provided in embodiments of this application is shown.

[0066] Figure 15A schematic diagram of a periodic SRS resource provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0067] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of a 6G configuration in the airspace provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0068] Figure 17 A schematic diagram illustrating an indication of a first mode or a second mode provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0069] Figure 18 A schematic diagram of a 6G SS / PBCH block corresponding to a 5G-like mode is shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0070] Figure 19 A schematic diagram of a 6G SS / PBCH block corresponding to pure 6G mode provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0071] Figure 20 A first schematic diagram of CSI-RS corresponding to 5G enhanced mode provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0072] Figure 21 A second schematic diagram of CSI-RS corresponding to 5G enhanced mode provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0073] Figure 22 A schematic diagram of SRS corresponding to 5G enhanced mode provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0074] Figure 23 A schematic diagram of DMRS corresponding to 5G enhanced mode provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0075] Figure 24 and Figure 25 This is a schematic block diagram of a possible device provided by an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0076] The technical solution of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0077] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication system, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Fifth Generation (5G) wireless communication system, New Ratio (NR) wireless communication system, Sixth Generation (6G) wireless communication system, or other evolved communication systems.

[0078] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, let's first take... Figures 1 to 3 The following describes in detail the communication system to which the embodiments of this application are applicable, using the communication system shown as an example.

[0079] refer to Figure 1This simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided as an illustrative example, but 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 110j (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.

[0080] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is illustrated. Typically, 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 (e.g., 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, etc.). The communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can enable a heterogeneous network comprising multiple layers. 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.

[0081] 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 (generally 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 120b include corresponding base stations (BSs) 170a and 170b, which can generally be referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a and 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 120c, which can generally be referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172.

[0082] Alternatively or additionally, any ED 110 can be used to connect, access, or communicate with any other T-TRP 170a and 170b and NT-TRP 172, Internet 150, core network 130, PSTN 140, other network 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can perform uplink and / or downlink transmissions with T-TRP 170a via interface 190a. 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 perform uplink and / or downlink transmissions with NT-TRP 172 via interface 190c.

[0083] 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 high-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0084] The air interface 190c enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP 172s 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.

[0085] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. RANs 120a and 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 RANs 120a, RAN 120b, or both. Core network 130 may also act as a gateway access between (i) RANs 120a and 120b and / or EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c, and between (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of ED110a, 110b, and 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 other than wireless communication), ED 110a, 110b, and 110c 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 a network of computers and / or subnets (internal networks) and incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110a, 110b, and 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating according to multiple wireless access technologies and include multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0086] 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 communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.

[0087] Each ED 110 represents any end-user equipment suitable for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as): user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine-type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics device, smartbook, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned devices (e.g., communication modules, modems, or chips), etc. Next-generation ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs and will be referred to as T-TRP 170 below. Figure 3 As also shown, NT-TRP will be referred to as NT-TRP 172 below. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically turned on (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), turned off (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of the availability and necessity of the connection.

[0088] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. For example, the transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be integrated as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0089] ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or acquired by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, and executed by one or more processing units 210. Each memory 208 includes any suitable one or more volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, processor cache, etc.

[0090] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., connected to...). Figure 1 (Wired interface of Internet 150 in the network). Input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices in 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.

[0091] ED 110 also includes a processor 210 for performing 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. According to an embodiment, 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 embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0092] Although not shown, processor 210 may form part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203. Although not shown, memory 208 may form part of processor 210.

[0093] Each of the processor 210 and the processing components of the transmitter 201 and receiver 203 can be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processor 210 and the processing components of the transmitter 201 and receiver 203 can be implemented using special-purpose circuitry, such as a programmable field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0094] The T-TRP 170 may be known by other names in some embodiments, such as base station, basetransceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP) or wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device or ground base station, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), radio unit (RU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The T-TRP 170 can be a macro BS, micro BS, relay node, host node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned device or a component of the aforementioned device (such as a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0095] In some embodiments, the CU (or CU control plane (CP) and CU user plane (UP)), DU, or RU may be known by other names. For example, in an open RAN (ORAN) system, the CU may also be called an open CU (open CU, O-CU), the DU may also be called an open DU (open DU, O-DU), the CU-CP may also be called an open CU-CP (open CU-CP, O-CU-CP), the CU-UP may also be called an open CU-UP (open CU-UP, O-CU-CP), and the RU may also be called an open RU (open RU, O-RU). Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, or RU may be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0096] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located remotely from the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170 and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna via a communication link (not shown) sometimes referred to as a fronthaul (e.g., a common public radio interface (CPRI)). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term T-TRP 170 may also refer to 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 may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110 through cooperative multicast and other means.

[0097] T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 260 for performing operations including operations related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmission to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmission to NT-TRP 172, and processing transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing transmissions 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 transmissions 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 embodiments, processor 260 also generates beam direction indications, such as BAI, that 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, determining the location for deploying NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, processor 260 can generate signaling, such as one or more parameters for configuring ED 110 and / or one or more parameters for NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252. It should be noted that the term "signaling" used herein can also be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be transmitted in control channels, such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in messages transmitted in data channels (e.g., the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)).

[0098] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included within or operate separately from T-TRP 170, and may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring schedule-free (“configuration authorization”) resources. T-TRP 170 also includes memory 258 for storing information and data. Memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or acquired by T-TRP 170. For example, memory 258 may store software instructions or modules executed by processor 260 for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein.

[0099] Although not shown, processor 260 may form part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254. Furthermore, although not shown, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253. Although not shown, memory 258 may form part of processor 260.

[0100] The processor 260, scheduler 253, and processing components of transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processor 260, scheduler 253, and processing components of transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry, such as FPGA, GPU, or ASIC.

[0101] 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 known by other names in some embodiments, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing operations including: preparing transmissions for downlink transmission to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmission 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 transmissions received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 may generate signaling, such as for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher-level functions such as those at the medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layers. Since this is only an example, more generally, NT-TRP 172 may implement higher-level functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0102] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. Although not shown, a processor 276 may form part of the transmitter 272 and / or receiver 274. Although not shown, the memory 278 may form part of the processor 276.

[0103] The processor 276 and the processing components of the transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processor 276 and the processing components of the transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry, such as a programmable FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 may actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to provide services such as cooperative multicast transmission ED 110.

[0104] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but for clarity these components are omitted.

[0105] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the process of transmitting a reference signal and measuring the channel based on the reference signal is briefly described below.

[0106] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology supports antenna arrays with multiple antennas for signal transmission and reception to meet high transmission rate requirements. The ED 110, T-TRP 170, and / or NT-TRP mentioned above use MIMO for communication via radio resource blocks. MIMO utilizes multiple antennas on the transmitter and / or receiver to transmit radio resource blocks via parallel radio signals. MIMO can beamform the parallel radio signals to achieve reliable multipath transmission of radio resource blocks. MIMO can also bond parallel radio signals transmitting different data to increase the data rate of radio resource blocks.

[0107] In recent years, MIMO (Massive MIMO) wireless communication systems with a large number of antennas, such as the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 mentioned above, have garnered widespread attention from academia and industry. In MIMO systems, the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 typically have more than 10 antenna elements (e.g., 128 or 256) and serve dozens of ED 110s (e.g., 40). The large number of antenna elements in the T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 significantly increases the spatial freedom of wireless communication, greatly improving transmission rates, spectral efficiency, and power efficiency, and largely eliminating inter-cell interference. The increased number of antennas allows for smaller and lower-cost antenna elements per unit. Utilizing the spatial freedom provided by the large number of antenna elements, each cell's T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 can simultaneously communicate with multiple ED 110s within the cell on the same time-frequency resources, thereby significantly improving spectral efficiency. The numerous antenna elements of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 also allow each user to have better spatial directivity for uplink and downlink transmissions, thereby reducing the transmission power of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 and ED 110 and improving power efficiency. When the number of antennas in the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 is sufficiently large, the random channels between each ED 110 and the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be nearly orthogonal, and interference between cells and users, as well as the effects of noise, can be eliminated. The various advantages described above make massively multi-channel MIMO systems a promising application prospect.

[0108] A MIMO system may include a receiver connected to a receive (Rx) antenna, a transmitter connected to a transmit (Tx) antenna, and a signal processor connected to both the transmitter and the receiver. Each of the Rx and Tx antennas may include multiple antennas. For example, an Rx antenna may have a ULA antenna array, in which multiple antennas are arranged in rows at even intervals. When a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted through a Tx antenna, the Rx antenna can receive signals reflected and returned from a forward target.

[0109] One or more steps of the methods in the embodiments provided herein can be based on Figure 4 The corresponding unit or module is executed. Figure 4The diagram illustrates units or modules within a device, such as in ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172. For example, signals may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals may be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps may be performed by artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) modules. The corresponding units or modules may be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of the units or modules may be integrated circuits, such as a programmable FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented, for example, using software executed by a processor, then these modules may be retrieved by the processor, wholly or partially, individually or collectively, for processing, in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0110] Additional 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.

[0111] 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 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 defining the transmission of information (e.g., data) over a wireless communication link. A wireless communication link 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 equipment (e.g., a "sidelink"), and / or wireless communication links may support links between a non-terrestrial (NT) communication network and user equipment (UE). Some examples of the aforementioned components are given below: Waveform components can specify the shape and form of the transmitted signal. 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-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.

[0112] 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: frame time, frequency, pilot signature, code, or other parameters. Further details about the frame structure will be discussed below.

[0113] Multiple access scheme components 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, for example, through dedicated channel resources (e.g., not shared between multiple communication devices); contention-based shared channel resources and non-contention-based shared channel resources; and cognitive radio-based access.

[0114] The Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) protocol component can specify how transmission and / or retransmission 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 transmission and / or retransmission, and retransmission mechanisms.

[0115] The coding and modulation components specify how the transmitted information is encoded / decoded and modulated / demodulated for transmission / reception. Encoding can refer to methods of error detection and forward error correction. Non-limiting examples of coding options include turbo lattice codes, turbo product codes, fountain codes, low-density parity-check codes, and polar codes. Modulation can simply refer to constellations (including, for example, modulation techniques and orders), or more specifically to various types of advanced modulation methods, such as layered modulation and low PAPR modulation.

[0116] In some embodiments, the air interface can be a "one-size-fits-all" concept. For example, once the air interface is defined, the components within it cannot be changed or adapted. In some implementations, only a limited set 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 embodiments, the air interface design can provide a uniform or flexible framework to support frequencies below 6 GHz and frequencies above 6 GHz (e.g., millimeter wave) for both licensed and unlicensed access. For example, the flexibility of a configurable air interface provided by a scalable set of parameters and symbol duration can support transmission parameter optimization for different spectrum bands and different services / devices. As another example, a uniform air interface can be self-contained in the frequency domain, and a frequency-domain self-contained design can support more flexible radio access network (RAN) slicing by sharing channel resources between different services in both frequency and time.

[0117] A frame structure is a feature of the physical layer of wireless communication that defines the structure of time-domain signal transmission. For example, it allows for timing references and timing adjustments of basic time-domain transmission units. Wireless communication between devices can occur on time-frequency resources controlled by the frame structure. A frame structure is sometimes referred to as a wireless frame structure.

[0118] Depending on the frame structure and / or the frame configuration within the frame structure, frequency division duplex (FDD) and / or time division duplex (TDD) and / or full duplex (FD) communication may be performed. FDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., uplink and downlink) occurring on different frequency bands. TDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., uplink and downlink) occurring within 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.

[0119] An example of a frame structure is the frame structure in Long-Term Evolution (LTE), which has the following specifications: each frame is 10 ms long; each frame has 10 subframes, each 1 ms long; each subframe includes two time slots, each 0.5 ms long; each time slot is used to transmit 7 OFDM symbols (assuming normal CP); each OFDM symbol has a symbol duration and a specific bandwidth (or partial bandwidth or bandwidth partition) related to the number of subcarriers and subcarrier spacing; the frame structure is based on OFDM waveform parameters such as subcarrier spacing and CP length (where CP has a fixed length or finite length option); the handover interval between the uplink and downlink in TDD needs to be an integer multiple of the OFDM symbol duration.

[0120] Another example of a frame structure is the frame structure in New Radio (NR), which has the following specifications: it supports multiple subcarrier intervals, each corresponding to a corresponding parameter set; the frame structure depends on the parameter set, but in any case, the frame length is set to 10 ms, each frame consists of 10 subframes, each subframe being 1 ms long; time slots are defined as 14 OFDM symbols; the time slot length depends on the parameter set. For example, the NR frame structure with a normal CP 15 kHz subcarrier interval (“Parameter Set 1”) and the NR frame structure with a normal CP 30 kHz subcarrier interval (“Parameter Set 2”) are different. For the 15 kHz subcarrier interval, the time slot length is 1 ms; for the 30 kHz subcarrier interval, the time slot length is 0.5 ms. The NR frame structure may offer greater flexibility than the LTE frame structure.

[0121] Another example of a frame structure is the exemplary flexible frame structure, such as for 6G networks or later. In a flexible frame structure, a symbol block can be defined as a 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., a CP portion) and information portions (e.g., data portions). An OFDM symbol is an example of a symbol block. A symbol block can also be referred to as a symbol. Embodiments of flexible frame structures include various configurable parameters, such as frame length, subframe length, symbol block length, etc. A non-exhaustive list of possible configurable parameters in some embodiments of flexible frame structures includes: (1) Frame: The frame length is not limited to 10 ms; the frame length can be configurable and vary over time. In some embodiments, each frame includes one or more downlink synchronization channels and / or one or more downlink broadcast channels, each of which can transmit in different directions through 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 which case the frame length for autonomous vehicle applications can be set to 5 ms. As another example, smart meters on a house may not require fast initial access, in which case the frame length for smart meter applications can be set to 20 ms.

[0122] (2) Subframe duration: Depending on the implementation, subframes can be defined in a flexible frame structure or not. For example, a frame can be defined to include time slots but not subframes. In a frame where subframes are defined, for example, for temporal alignment, the duration of the subframes can be configurable. For example, the length of a subframe can be configured to 0.1 ms, 0.2 ms, 0.5 ms, 1 ms, 2 ms, or 5 ms, etc. In some embodiments, if subframes are not needed in a particular scenario, the subframe length can be defined to be the same as the frame length, or it can be left undefined.

[0123] (3) Time Slot Configuration: Depending on the implementation, time slots may be defined in a flexible frame structure or not. In a frame where time slots are defined, the definition of the time slots (e.g., in terms of duration and / or the number of symbol blocks) may be configurable. In one embodiment, the time slot configuration is shared by all UEs or a group of UEs. In this case, the time slot configuration information may be sent to the UEs in a broadcast channel or one or more common control channels. In other embodiments, the time slot configuration may be UE-specific, in which case the time slot configuration information may be transmitted in a UE-specific control channel. In some embodiments, time slot configuration signaling may be sent together with frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. In other embodiments, time slot configuration may be transmitted independently of frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. Typically, time slot configuration may be system-wide, base station-wide, UE group-wide, or UE-specific.

[0124] (4) Subcarrier spacing (SCS): SCS is a parameter in a scalable set of parameters that can support SCS ranging from 15 kHz to 480 kHz. SCS can vary with the spectral frequency and / or maximum UE velocity to minimize the effects of Doppler shift and phase noise. In some examples, separate transmit and receive frames can exist, and the symbol SCS in the receive frame structure can be configured independently of the symbol SCS in the transmit frame structure. The SCS in the receive frame can differ from the SCS in the transmit frame. In some examples, the SCS of each transmit frame can be half the SCS of each receive frame. If the SCS differs between the receive and transmit frames, the difference does not necessarily need to be scaled by a factor of 2, for example, if the inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) is used instead of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to achieve more flexible symbol durations. Other examples of frame structures can be used with different SCS.

[0125] (5) Flexible transmission duration of the basic transmission unit: The basic transmission unit can be a symbol block (also called a symbol), which typically includes a redundant portion (called CP) and an information (e.g., data) portion, although in some embodiments, 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 flexible within a frame, and the CP length can change with frame changes, or with frame group changes, or with subframe changes, or with time slot changes, or dynamically with scheduling changes. The information (e.g., data) portion 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 embodiments, the symbol block length can be adjusted according to channel conditions (e.g., multipath delay, Doppler) and / or delay requirements and / or available duration. As another example, the symbol block length can be adjusted to suit the available duration in a frame.

[0126] (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. There may be a gap between each uplink portion and the 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 flexible within the frame. The handover gap duration can change with the frame, or with the frame group, or with the subframe, or with the time slot, or dynamically with the scheduling.

[0127] Base stations and other equipment can provide coverage over a cell. Wireless communication with the device can take place on one or more carrier frequencies. A carrier frequency is called a carrier. A carrier can also be called a component carrier (CC). A carrier can be characterized by its bandwidth and reference frequency (e.g., the center frequency, lowest frequency, or highest frequency of the carrier). Carriers can be on licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Alternatively, wireless communication with the device can take place on one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs). For example, a carrier can have one or more BWPs. More generally, wireless communication with the device can be conducted on a spectrum. A spectrum can include one or more carriers and / or one or more BWPs.

[0128] A cell may include one or more downlink resources and optional one or more uplink resources, or a cell may include one or more uplink resources and optional 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 embodiments, alternatively or additionally, a cell may include one or more sidelink resources, which include sidelink transmit and receive resources.

[0129] A BWP is a set of continuous or discontinuous frequency subcarriers on a carrier, or a set of continuous or discontinuous frequency subcarriers on multiple carriers, or a set of discontinuous or continuous frequency subcarriers, and may have one or more carriers.

[0130] In some embodiments, 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 embodiments, 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 embodiments, a BWP may include discontinuous spectrum resources consisting of discontinuous multiple carriers, wherein the first carrier in 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. The resources belonging to a BWP within a carrier may be continuous or discontinuous. In some embodiments, a BWP has discontinuous spectrum resources on a carrier.

[0131] Wireless communication can be performed on a defined bandwidth. The defined bandwidth can be defined as the width of the frequency band such that, below the lower frequency limit and above the upper frequency limit, the average transmitted power is equal to a specified percentage of the total average transmitted power. / 2, for example The value of / 2 is 0.5%.

[0132] The carrier, BWP, or occupied bandwidth can be dynamically signaled by network devices (e.g., in physical layer control signaling) (e.g., DCI), or semi-statically signaled (e.g., 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 by, for example, standards.

[0133] In current networks, frame timing and synchronization are established based on synchronization signals, such as the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS). It should be noted that known frame timing and synchronization strategies involve adding timestamps to frame boundaries, for example (xx0:yy0:zz), where xx0, yy0, and zz in the timestamp can represent time formats such as hours, minutes, and seconds, respectively.

[0134] It is anticipated that different applications and use cases in future networks may involve using frames, time slots, and symbols with different periods to meet different requirements, functions, and quality of service (QoS) types. Therefore, using frames with different periods to meet these applications may pose challenges to frame timing alignment between different frame structures. For example, consider frame timing alignment for TDD configurations between adjacent carrier bands or sub-bands (or portions of bandwidth) of a channel / carrier bandwidth.

[0135] This invention generally relates to mobile wireless communications, and in certain embodiments, to frame timing alignment / realignment, wherein frame timing alignment / realignment may include timing alignment / realignment with respect to the boundaries of symbols, time slots, or subframes within a frame; or frames (therefore, frame timing alignment / realignment here is more general and not limited to the case where timing alignment / realignment comes only from frame boundaries). Furthermore, in this application, timing relative to a frame or frame boundary should be interpreted in a more general sense, i.e., a frame boundary means the timing point of a frame element within a frame, such as the timing point of a symbol, time slot, or subframe (the start or end) within a frame or the timing point of a frame. In the following, the phrases "(frame) timing alignment or timing realignment" and "timing relative to a frame boundary" are used in the more general sense described above.

[0136] In summary, aspects of this application relate to network devices, such as base station 170 (hereinafter referred to as TRP 170), that transmit signaling carrying a timing realignment indication message. The timing realignment indication message includes information supporting the receiving UE 110 in determining a timing reference point. Based on the timing reference point, frame transmissions of UE 110 can be aligned. In some aspects of this application, the aligned frames reside in different subbands of a carrier frequency band. In other aspects of this application, aligned frames exist in adjacent carrier frequency bands.

[0137] On the TRP 170 side, aspects of this application relate to using one or more types of signaling to indicate timing realignment (or / and timing correction) messages. Two exemplary types of signaling are provided herein to illustrate these schemes. The first exemplary type of signaling may be referred to as cell-specific signaling, examples of which include group common signaling and broadcast signaling. The second exemplary type of signaling may be referred to as UE-specific signaling. One or a combination of these two types of signaling can be used to transmit timing realignment indication messages. Timing realignment indication messages may be shown as a configuration to notify one or more UEs 110 of a timing reference point. In the following, reference to the term "UE 110" can be understood as a reference to a broad category of wireless communication devices within the cell (i.e., network receiving nodes, such as wireless devices, sensors, gateways, routers, etc.), i.e., served by TRP 170. A timing reference point is a timing reference moment that can be represented by relative timing based on timing points in a frame (e.g., symbols, slots, or subframes in a frame, or the start or end boundary of a frame). For simplicity, the term "frame boundary" will be used below to denote the boundary of a possible symbol, time slot, or subframe within a frame; or a frame. Therefore, a timing reference point can be represented using relative timing based on the current frame boundary (e.g., the start of the current frame). Alternatively, a timing reference point can be represented using absolute timing based on a specific standard timing reference, such as GNSS (e.g., GPS), Coordinated Universal Time ("UTC"), etc. In the absolute timing version of the timing reference point, the timing reference point can be explicitly stated.

[0138] A timing reference point can be shown to support timing adjustments at UE 110. Timing adjustments can be implemented to improve clock accuracy at UE 110. Alternatively or additionally, a timing reference point can be shown to support adjustments in future transmissions from UE 110. These adjustments can be shown as realigning transmitted frames at the timing reference point. It should be noted that realigning transmitted frames at the timing reference point can include timing realigning from a symbol, time slot, or subframe (start boundary) within a frame; or for frames at the timing reference point for one or more UEs and one or more BSs (in a cell or a group of cells), applicable to the following applications.

[0139] On the UE 110 side, UE 110 can monitor timing realignment indication messages. In response to receiving a timing realignment indication message, UE 110 can obtain a timing reference point and take steps to realign the frame at the timing reference point. For example, these steps may include starting the transmission of subsequent frames at the timing reference point.

[0140] Alternatively, before monitoring the timing realignment indication message, UE 110 can send a timing realignment request (i.e., a timing realignment request message) to TRP 170, causing TRP 170 to send a timing realignment indication message. In response to receiving the timing realignment request message, TRP 170 can send a timing realignment indication message to UE 110 including information about the timing reference point, thereby enabling UE 110 to perform timing realignment (or / and timing adjustments including clock timing error correction), wherein the timing realignment is based on the start boundary of a symbol, time slot, or subframe within a frame; or on frames for a UE and one or more base stations in a cell (or a group of cells).

[0141] According to various aspects of this application, the TRP 170 associated with a given cell can transmit a timing realignment indication message. The timing realignment indication message may include sufficient information to support the message's receiver in acquiring a timing reference point. The timing reference point may be used by one or more UEs 110 in the given cell when performing timing realignment (or / and timing adjustments including clock timing error correction).

[0142] According to various aspects of this application, the timing reference point can be represented relative to a frame boundary within a timing realignment indication message (wherein, as previously described and will be applied throughout the application, a frame boundary can be the boundary of a symbol, slot, or subframe within a frame; or a frame). The timing realignment indication message can include a relative timing indication Δt. It can be shown that the relative timing indication Δt indicates that the timing reference point occurs after a specific duration (i.e., Δt) following the frame boundary of a given frame. Since frame boundaries are important for supporting UE 110 in determining the timing reference point, it is important for UE 110 to know which given frame has the frame boundary of interest. Accordingly, the timing realignment indication message may also include the system frame number (SFN) of the given frame.

[0143] In 5G NR, the SFN is a value ranging from 0 to 1023 (inclusive). Accordingly, 10 bits can be used to represent the SFN. When the SFN is carried by the SSB, 6 of the 10 bits used for the SFN can be carried in the master information block (MIB), and the remaining 4 bits can be carried in the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) payload.

[0144] Optionally, the timing realignment indication message may also include other parameters. For example, other parameters may include a minimum time offset. The minimum time offset may be established based on the duration of time preceding the timing reference point. UE 110 may rely on the minimum time offset as an indication that DL signaling (including the timing realignment indication message) will give UE 110 sufficient time to detect the timing realignment indication message to obtain information about the timing reference point.

[0145] The embodiments of this application can be applied to any communication scenario where a network device (e.g., T-TRP or NT-TRP) communicates with one or more terminal devices (e.g., ED). With the emergence of next-generation wireless communications, next-generation and older-generation wireless communications may be adopted simultaneously, especially in the early stages of next-generation adoption. For example, a network device can simultaneously communicate with one or more terminal devices associated with 5G technology (e.g., 5G UE) and one or more terminal devices associated with 6G technology (e.g., 6G UE). To facilitate understanding of this application, the following embodiments illustrate a network device communicating with a first terminal device (e.g., 6G UE), and the network device can also communicate with a second terminal device (e.g., 5G UE).

[0146] In the initial deployment of next-generation technologies (such as 6G), one or more 5G UEs and one or more 5G networks will likely be used in conjunction with one or more 6G UEs and one or more 6G networks. Existing 5G technologies already occupy multiple spectrums. To improve spectrum coverage for next-generation technologies, it is important to design spectrum sharing between multiple generations of technologies.

[0147] Spectrum sharing means that multiple wireless access technologies can share the same spectrum. That is, there are multiple types of UEs (e.g., 5G UEs and 6G UEs) that can use the spectrum to transmit channels or signals. For example, one or more carriers can be allocated to one or more 5G UEs for transmitting channels and signals, and can be designated as one or more 5G carriers. One or more carriers can be allocated to one or more 6G UEs for transmitting channels or signals, and can be designated as one or more 6G carriers. One or more 5G carriers and one or more 6G carriers may partially or completely overlap. For ease of understanding of the embodiments of this application, Figures 5 to 7 Three scenarios of spectrum sharing between 5G technology (one or more UEs) and 6G technology (one or more UEs) are shown.

[0148] Figure 5 A first embodiment of spectrum sharing between two technologies (e.g., 5G technology (one or more 5G UEs) and 6G technology (one or more 6G UEs)) is illustrated. Figure 5As shown, 6G carriers and 5G carriers can completely overlap. In other words, 5G and 6G carriers can be located on the same frequency. One or more 6G UEs can reuse all 5G carriers.

[0149] Figure 6 A second embodiment of spectrum sharing between two technologies (e.g., 5G technology (one or more 5G UEs) and 6G technology (one or more 6G UEs)) is illustrated. Figure 6 As shown, 6G carriers and 5G carriers can partially overlap. In other words, one or more 6G UEs can reuse a portion of a 5G carrier.

[0150] Figure 7 A third embodiment of spectrum sharing between two technologies (e.g., 5G technology (one or more 5G UEs) and 6G technology (one or more 6G UEs)) is illustrated. Figure 7 As shown, a 6G carrier can overlap with two 5G carriers (e.g., 5G carrier 1 and 5G carrier 2). In other words, one or more 6G UEs can reuse some or all of multiple 5G carriers.

[0151] In some embodiments, spectrum sharing can be implemented statically or dynamically. Shared spectrum may include multiple carriers, with the carriers in the shared spectrum being used with technologies specific to the static approach. Dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) refers to multiple radio access technologies sharing the same spectrum, but the amount of spectrum allocated to each radio access technology (5G or 6G) may not be fixed.

[0152] In 4G-5G DSS, frequency division multiplexing (FDM) and time division multiplexing (TDM) are supported, which can reduce conflicts between one or more 4G UEs and one or more 5G UEs. However, one or more 4G UEs and one or more 5G UEs each consume a significant amount of resources to transmit channels and signals.

[0153] Therefore, this application provides a communication method in which UEs associated with different generations of technologies can use at least a portion of the same configuration to transmit one or more channels or one or more signals, thereby enabling multiple terminal devices associated with different generations of technologies to coexist better.

[0154] To facilitate understanding of the various types of signals, channels, and information presented in the embodiments of this application, illustrative diagrams are used. Figure 8 This is used to illustrate the simple signaling interaction between network devices and terminal devices.

[0155] refer to Figure 8 The term "downlink" refers to the direction from network devices (170, 172) to terminal device (110), and the term "uplink" refers to the direction from terminal device (110) to network devices (170, 172). When terminal device (110) is powered on, it detects SS / PBCH blocks from network devices (170, 172), whereby the SS / PBCH blocks can be used for downlink synchronization. Additionally, the SS / PBCH blocks include a master information block (MIB), whereby the MIB can be used (but is not limited to) to indicate control resource set 0 (CORESET0). CORESET0 includes resources for PDCCH in the time-frequency domain, and the PDCCH can carry downlink control information (DCI), whereby the DCI indicates the location of PDSCH. That is, terminal device (110) can receive a PDCCH including the DCI indicating PDSCH based on the SS / PBCH blocks, and receive a PDSCH based on the received PDCCH. PDSCH includes system information block type 1 (SIB1), and SIB1 can be used for subsequent interactions, such as the radio access channel procedure.

[0156] Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication method can be applied to the communication system described above.

[0157] In S910, the network device sends first instruction information to the first terminal device. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first instruction information from the network device.

[0158] In S920, the first terminal device communicates with the network device based on the first instruction information.

[0159] The first indication information may indicate one of multiple modes, including the first mode. The first configuration set associated with the first mode includes part or all of the second configuration set associated with the second radio access technology. That is, at least a portion of the configuration set can be shared between one or more terminal devices associated with the first radio access technology and one or more terminal devices associated with the second radio access technology. The network device can serve multiple terminal devices with the same configuration but associated with different technologies. The multiple terminal devices associated with different technologies can coexist better.

[0160] A mode may include a set of configurations that a device can use to communicate or operate. In a mode, a device (e.g., a terminal device) can use one or more wireless access technologies associated with that mode to communicate or operate. In other words, in a mode, a device can use one or more sets of configurations associated with that mode to communicate or operate.

[0161] The first terminal device may be associated with a first wireless access technology. In some embodiments, the first wireless access technology and the second wireless access technology are two generations of wireless access technologies. For example, the first wireless access technology corresponds to 6G technology, and the second wireless access technology corresponds to 5G technology. In the following embodiments, a 6G UE may be an example of the first terminal device, and a 5G UE may be an example of the second terminal device. The network device may simultaneously serve one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs.

[0162] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application use 5G and 6G technologies as examples. The first terminal device can be associated with other technologies. The first part can be shared among terminal devices associated with three or more technologies. This application does not impose any limitations in this regard.

[0163] It should be noted that "first mode" is a name used only for distinction and does not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. Similarly, "second mode" and "first terminal device" in the following description are also names used only for distinction and do not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application, and will not be repeated below.

[0164] The first configuration set can be used for one or more of the physical signals and physical channels. Uplink physical channels can include one or more of the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and physical random access channel (PRACH). Uplink physical signals can include one or more of the demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) and sounding reference signal (SRS). Downlink physical channels can include one or more of the physical downlink shared channel, physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). Downlink physical signals may include one or more of the following: demodulation reference signal (DM-RS), positioning reference signal (PRS), channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS), primary synchronization signal (PSS), and secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

[0165] The configuration set may include one or more of the following: physical resource configuration, sequence generation configuration, and process configuration. The first configuration set includes part or all of the second configuration set in the time-frequency domain and / or code domain. These embodiments will be described below.

[0166] In some embodiments, the first physical resource associated with the first configuration set includes part or all of the second physical resource associated with the second configuration set. The first and second physical resources can be time-frequency resources occupied by one or more signals or channels. For example, at least a portion of one or more signals or channels (e.g., SSS, PSS, PRACH, DMRS, CSI-RS, SRS, PUCCH, etc.) serving one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can be mapped to the same physical resource, which can improve resource utilization. Alternatively, the first and second physical resources can be candidate physical resources of a resource set configured for one or more signals or channels. For example, a control resource set (CORESET) can be predefined or indicated to both the 5G PDCCH and the 6G PDCCH, and the 6G UE can use unused physical resources in the CORESET (i.e., unused physical resources of the 5G PDCCH) for 6G PDCCH reception. For example, two or more SRS combs (e.g., SRS comb #1 and SRS comb #2) can be predefined or assigned to both 5G SRS and 6G SRS. A 5G UE can use one SRS comb (e.g., SRS comb #1), while a 6G UE can use an unused SRS comb (e.g., SRS comb #2). More refined rate matching patterns can improve spectrum utilization.

[0167] The first configuration set in the embodiments of this application can be a type of 6G configuration. Physical resources associated with any type of 6G configuration will be referred to below as 6G physical resources. The second configuration set in the embodiments of this application can be a type of 5G configuration. Physical resources associated with any type of 5G configuration will be referred to below as 5G physical resources.

[0168] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, possible configurations combining 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources are given below.

[0169] like Figure 10 As shown, 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources can completely overlap in the time-frequency domain. 6G physical resources include all 5G physical resources. Physical resources can be shared with one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs. In other words, physical resources can simultaneously serve one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs, thereby improving resource utilization.

[0170] like Figure 11As shown, 5G physical resources can be nested within 6G physical resources. In other words, 5G physical resources can be a subset of 6G physical resources. Since the size of 6G physical resources is larger than that of 5G physical resources, 6G UEs can achieve better performance compared to 5G UEs.

[0171] like Figure 12 As shown, 6G physical resources can be nested within 5G physical resources. In other words, 6G physical resources can be a subset of 5G physical resources. Since the size of 6G physical resources is smaller than that of 5G physical resources, 6G UEs can save more energy than 5G UEs.

[0172] In some embodiments, 6G physical resources may not overlap with 5G physical resources.

[0173] like Figure 13 As shown, 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources are frequency-division multiplexed (FDM). 6G physical resources may have a higher frequency domain than 5G physical resources. Although not shown, 6G physical resources may have a lower frequency domain than 5G physical resources. This application does not impose any limitations in this regard.

[0174] like Figure 14 As shown, 6G physical resources can be time-division multiplexed (TDM) with 5G physical resources. 5G physical resources may be later than 6G physical resources in the time domain. Although not shown, 6G physical resources may be later than 5G physical resources in the time domain. This application does not impose any limitations in this regard.

[0175] It should be noted that the aforementioned physical resources can be replaced with candidate physical resources, such as CORESET. One or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can share CORESET, and rate matching of the physical resources of CORESET can be performed to reduce interference between one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs.

[0176] It should be noted that when 5G physical resources are a subset of 6G physical resources, 6G physical resources can include a shared portion (i.e., the portion of physical resources that overlap with 5G physical resources) and a dedicated portion. The dedicated portion can be used exclusively for 6G technology.

[0177] It should be noted that when 6G physical resources are a subset of 5G physical resources, the 5G physical resources can be shared by one or more 6G UEs. For example, 5G physical resources may include subset #1 and subset #2, where subset #1 can be associated with 6G UE #1 and subset #2 can be associated with 6G UE #2.

[0178] The above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only, and this application does not limit the size or location of physical resources. For example, when 5G physical resources and 6G physical resources are periodic physical resources, 5G physical resources may overlap with 6G physical resources in all or part of the 5G or 6G cycle.

[0179] For example, Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a periodic SRS resource is shown. The periodicity of the first SRS resource can be represented by... P SRS1 This indicates that the timing offset of the first SRS resource can be used... T offset1 This indicates that the periodicity of the second SRS resource can be used... P SRS2 This indicates that the timing offset of the second SRS resource can be used... T offset2 Indicated. The SRS counter of the first SRS resource can be used. n SRS1 This indicates that the SRS counter for the second SRS resource can be used. n SRS2 This indicates that 5G SRS resources can be part of 6G SRS resources. 6G SRS resources can include shared portions (i.e., 5G SRS resources) and dedicated portions. This situation can be referred to as an embodiment of a nested structure.

[0180] Although not shown, the nested structure of 6G physical resources, which is a subset of 5G physical resources, can be configured through periodicity and timing offsets, which are omitted here for brevity.

[0181] In some embodiments, one or more antenna ports associated with 6G physical resources include some or all of one or more antenna ports associated with 5G physical resources. A set of time-frequency resources may be associated with antenna ports. For example, 6G physical resources may be part of 5G physical resources, and antenna ports associated with 6G physical resources may be part of antenna ports associated with 5G physical resources. Conversely, 5G physical resources may be part of 6G physical resources, and antenna ports associated with 5G physical resources may be part of antenna ports associated with 6G physical resources.

[0182] For example, Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the 6G configuration in the airspace is shown. 32 antenna ports can be associated with 6G physical resources, and 16 of these 32 antenna ports can be shared between one or more 6G UEs and one or more 5G UEs. The remaining 16 antenna ports can be dedicated to one or more 6G UEs.

[0183] Although not shown, the antenna ports associated with 6G physical resources can be a subset of the antenna ports associated with 5G physical resources. For example, 16 antenna ports can be associated with 5G physical resources, and 8 of the 16 antenna ports can be shared between one or more 6G UEs and one or more 5G UEs.

[0184] The above examples regarding the types of 6G physical resources are for illustrative purposes.

[0185] For ease of description, sequences generated based on the 6G configuration set will be referred to as 6G sequences below. Sequences generated based on the 5G configuration set will be referred to as 5G sequences below. The configuration for sequence generation can indicate one or more codes for physical signals or channels.

[0186] 5G sequences can be code-division multiplexed with 6G sequences. For example, when 6G physical resources and 5G physical resources completely overlap in the time-frequency domain (e.g., ... Figure 10 When (as shown), the 6G sequence mapped in the 6G physical resources can be CDMed with the 5G sequence mapped in the 5G physical resources.

[0187] In some embodiments, a CDM group can be indicated or predefined to one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs, wherein any two codes in the CDM group are multiplexed. 6G UEs can use unused codes in the CDM group (i.e., codes unused by one or more 5G UEs).

[0188] The configuration for sequence generation may include one or more of the following parameters: sequence length, root sequence (or base sequence), and sequence type. In some embodiments, 5G sequences and 6G sequences may differ in one or more of the above parameters.

[0189] For ease of description, the transmission process determined based on the 6G configuration set will be referred to as the 6G transmission process below. The transmission process determined based on the 5G configuration set can be described as the 5G transmission process.

[0190] In some embodiments, the 6G transmission process can differ from the 5G transmission process. For example, different steps can be configured for the 6G and 5G transmission processes. As another example, different scrambling methods can be configured for the 6G and 5G transmission processes. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0191] One or more parameters in the configuration set are related to the type of signal or channel. For example, the configuration of CSI-RS may include one or more of the following: a first parameter #1 (e.g., a frequency domain allocation parameter) that can be used to determine the frequency resources of the first CSI-RS; a second parameter #1 (e.g., an nrofports parameter) that can be used to determine the number of antenna ports associated with the first CSI-RS resources; a third parameter #1 (e.g., a first OFDM symbol in the time domain parameter) that can indicate the first OFDM symbol in the PRB used for the first CSI-RS; a fourth parameter #1 (e.g., a cdm type parameter) that can indicate the code division multiplexed (CDM) type; a fifth parameter #1 (e.g., a density parameter) that can indicate the density of the first CSI-RS resources measured in the RE, port, or PRB; a sixth parameter #1 (e.g., a frequency band parameter) that can indicate the wideband or partial frequency band of the first CSI-RS; and a seventh parameter #1 (e.g., a CSI resource periodicity and offset parameter) that can indicate the periodicity and corresponding offset of periodic or semi-static CSI resources, etc. For example, the configuration for SRS may include one or more of the following: a first parameter (e.g., nrofSRS-Ports) indicating the number of SRS ports; a second parameter (e.g., transmissionComb) indicating the comb value (2, 4, or 8) and comb offset; a third parameter (e.g., resourceMapping) determining the start position in the time domain (e.g., the startPosition field in resourceMapping), the number of consecutive OFDM symbols (e.g., the nrofSymbols field in resourceMapping), and the repetition factor (e.g., the repetitionFactor field in resourceMapping); a fourth parameter (e.g., freqDomainPosition) indicating the frequency domain location of the SRS; a fifth parameter (e.g., periodicityAndOffset) indicating the periodicity and slot offset of the SRS resource; a sixth parameter (e.g., freqHopping) indicating the range of frequency hopping; and a seventh parameter (e.g., resourceType) indicating whether the resource is periodic, semi-static, or aperiodic, etc. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0192] The above embodiments describe possible 6G configuration sets and 5G configuration sets in the frequency domain, time domain, code domain, spatial domain, and transmission procedure, respectively. The first configuration set associated with the first mode can be any of the above-mentioned 6G configuration sets, including part or all of the 5G configuration sets in the frequency domain, time domain, code domain, spatial domain, or transmission procedure.

[0193] The first mode can be called a 5G-like mode or a 5G-enhanced mode, which is conducive to the deep integration and synergy of 5G and 6G. For example, the physical resources associated with the first mode can overlap entirely or partially with 5G physical resources, such as... Figures 10 to 12 As shown. The sequence associated with the first mode mapped in the overlapping physical resources can be the same as the 5G sequence, such as SSS, PSS, SRS, CSI-RS, PRACH, etc. Alternatively, the sequence associated with the first mode mapped in the overlapping physical resources can be CDM with the 5G sequence (e.g., PRACH, DMRS, PUCCH, PRACH, etc.). Detailed embodiments will be given later in this application.

[0194] In some embodiments, the multiple modes may further include a second mode, and the configuration set associated with the second mode may be dedicated to a first radio access technology (e.g., 6G technology). The design of the dedicated configuration set may not take into account the impact of the coexistence of 6G and 5G technologies. The second mode may be referred to as a pure 6G mode. For example, a pure 6G mode and a quasi-5G mode may differ in one or more of the following aspects: waveform, coding scheme, access scheme, multi-antenna transmission scheme, scheduling scheme, physical channel structure, physical channel resource mapping, reference signal sequence generation scheme, reference signal physical resource mapping, etc. For example, pure 6G physical resources do not overlap with 5G physical resources. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0195] For example, Figure 17 A schematic diagram indicating either a first mode or a second mode is shown. The indication information can specify either a first mode or a second mode, and the first terminal device can operate in the indicated mode. For example, a network device can establish an RRC connection with a 6G UE in a DSS carrier, and can flexibly indicate the first mode and the second mode based on coexistence requirements. When coexistence is required, the network device can indicate the first mode (e.g., a 5G-like mode or a 5G enhanced mode) for better coexistence. For example, one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can share part or all of the signal, meaning that part or all of the signal can serve both one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs, which can reduce overhead. When coexistence is not required, the network device can indicate the second mode for better performance. The first mode and the second mode can be dynamically switched in the DSS for better coexistence efficiency.

[0196] Although not shown, the first terminal device may support three or more modes. For example, the first terminal device may operate in a 5G-like mode, a 5G enhanced mode, or a pure 6G mode. When the first terminal device (e.g., a 6G UE) operates in a 5G-like mode, the 6G UE can use physical resources that include all 5G physical resources, such as... Figure 10The diagram shows 6G physical resources. When a 6G UE can operate in 5G enhanced mode, it can use 6G physical resources that include 5G physical resources, or it can use 6G physical resources that can be part of 5G physical resources, such as... Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown. When a 6G UE can operate in pure 6G mode, it can use 6G physical resources that do not overlap with 5G physical resources. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0197] It should be noted that the mode can also be referred to as the air interface type. For example, a 5G-like mode can be called a 5G-like air interface, a 5G enhanced mode can be called a 5G enhanced air interface, and a pure 6G mode can be called a pure 6G air interface. A 5G-like air interface can be similar to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). rd The 5G air interface is defined in the 3GPP (Generation Partnership Project) specification series 38. This application does not restrict the name.

[0198] In some embodiments, a default mode (e.g., a 5G-like mode, a 5G-enhanced mode, or a pure 6G mode) can be predefined. That is, the first terminal device can use a configuration set associated with the default mode before receiving the indication information. When the first terminal device receives the indication information, it can change (or switch) the configuration set accordingly. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0199] The 6G configuration set can be used for one or more physical signals and physical channels. One type of physical signal or physical channel can correspond to two or more modes. For ease of understanding of the embodiments of this application, 5G-like, 5G-enhanced, and pure 6G configurations will be described in detail as examples.

[0200] When the configuration set includes configurations for both SSS and PSS, different modes can be associated with different configurations for both SSS and PSS.

[0201] For example, in 5G-like mode, the configuration of 5G-like SSS and PSS physical resources can be the same as the 5G configuration. Optionally, the configuration for generating 5G-like SSS and PSS sequences can be the same as the 5G configuration. For example, the PSS sequence can be a pure BPSK M sequence based on the frequency domain, and the SSS sequence can be a golden sequence. That is, network devices can generate SSS and PSS sequences and map them to physical resources. One or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can obtain SSS and PSS from physical resources. Network devices can send only the set of SSS and PSS to serve both one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs, which can improve resource utilization.

[0202] For example, in 5G enhanced mode, the configuration of 5G enhanced SSS and PSS physical resources can indicate a nested structure with 5G SSS and PSS physical resources. Optionally, the configuration of 5G enhanced SSS and PSS sequences can indicate a nested structure with 5G SSS and PSS sequences. For example, 5G SSS and PSS sequences and physical resources can be nested within 5G enhanced SSS and PSS sequences and physical resources. The length of the 5G SSS and PSS sequences is shorter than the length of the 5G enhanced SSS and PSS sequences. Due to the longer sequences, 5G enhanced PSS and SSS can achieve better synchronization performance. As another example, 5G enhanced SSS and PSS sequences and physical resources can be nested within 5G SSS and PSS sequences and physical resources. The size of the 5G SSS and PSS sequences is larger than the size of the 5G enhanced SSS and PSS sequences. Due to fewer physical resources, 6G UEs receiving 5G enhanced PSS and SSS can save power.

[0203] For example, in pure 6G mode, the configuration of pure 6G SSS and PSS physical resources may differ from that of 5G. Optionally, the configuration of pure 6G SSS and PSS sequences may differ from that of 5G. For example, pure 6G SSS and PSS physical resources may not overlap with 5G SSS and PSS physical resources, such as FDM between pure 6G SSS and PSS. The generation methods of pure 6G SSS and PSS sequences and 5G SSS and PSS sequences may differ. The configuration used for pure 6G SSS and PSS can be dedicated to 6G technology, which enables one or more 6G UEs to have better performance.

[0204] In some embodiments, the PBCH is transmitted along with the SSS and PSS, and the PBCH, SSS, and PSS may be referred to as the SS / PBCH block. For 5G-like or 5G enhanced modes, as described above, some or all of the 5G SSS and PSS can be shared by the 6G UE. In some implementations, some or all of the 5G PBCH can be shared by the 6G UE. For example, some information in the 5G MIB (included in the 5G PBCH) can be shared by the 6G UE. This information may include the system frame number in the MIB and one or more of the CORESET0 configuration.

[0205] For example, Figure 18A schematic diagram corresponding to a 5G-like mode 6G SS / PBCH block is shown. The 6G SS / PBCH block includes a 5G SS / PBCH block, and at least a portion of the SSS, PSS, and 5G PBCH is shared between one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs. Optionally, a dedicated 6G PBCH (or a dedicated 6G MIB) can be transmitted along with the shared SSS and PSS. For example, a dedicated 6GPBCH can be included in the 6G SS / PBCH. The dedicated 6G PBCH can be used to transmit 6G-specific information. This application does not limit the size and content of the dedicated 6GPBCH. For example, the payload size of the dedicated 6G PBCH can be smaller than the payload size of the 5G PBCH because some information in the 5G MIB can serve both one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs.

[0206] For example, Figure 19 A schematic diagram of a 6G SS / PBCH block corresponding to pure 6G mode is shown. A pure 6G SS / PBCH block can differ from a 5G SS / PBCH block. For example, the PSS and SSS can reside in the same symbol, and the PBCH can follow the PSS and SSS. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0207] Although not shown, the 5G-enhanced SS / PBCH block may include 5G-enhanced SSS and PSS, which may include 5G SSS and PSS as well as 6G-specific SSS and PSS, such as... Figure 11 As shown. In other words, 5G-enhanced SSS and PSS can be longer than 5G SSS and PSS, thus allowing 6G UEs to achieve better performance than 5G UEs. Alternatively, 5G-enhanced PSS and SSS are subsets of 5G SSS and PSS, therefore 6G UEs can save more energy than 5G UEs.

[0208] When the configuration set includes CSI-RS configurations, different modes can be associated with different CSI-RS configurations.

[0209] For example, in 5G-like mode, the configuration of 5G-like CSI-RS physical resources can be the same as the 5G configuration. Optionally, the configuration for generating 5G-like CSI-RS sequences can be the same as the 5G configuration. That is, network devices can generate CSI-RS sequences and map them to physical resources. One or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can obtain CSI-RS from the physical resources. Network devices can serve both one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs by sending only a set of CSI-RS, which can improve resource utilization.

[0210] For 5G enhanced mode, the configuration of 5G enhanced CSI-RS physical resources can indicate the nested structure with 5G CSI-RS physical resources.

[0211] For example, Figure 20 A first schematic diagram corresponding to the 5G enhanced mode of CSI-RS is shown. 5G CSI-RS physical resources can be nested within 5G enhanced CSI-RS physical resources. The 5G CSI-RS physical resources can correspond to 32 antenna ports, and the 6G CSI-RS physical resources can correspond to 32 antenna ports plus another 32 antenna ports. That is, a 6G UE can support 64-port CSI-RS. The 5G enhanced CSI-RS physical resources may be sparser than the 5G CSI-RS physical resources. Therefore, a 6G UE receiving 5G enhanced CSI-RS can have better performance with more physical resources. As another implementation, the 5G enhanced CSI-RS physical resources can be a subset of the 5G CSI-RS physical resources. Due to fewer physical resources, a 6G UE receiving 5G enhanced CSI-RS can save power.

[0212] For example, Figure 21 A second schematic diagram corresponding to the 5G enhanced mode of CSI-RS is shown. One or more 6G UEs can share 5G CSI-RS physical resources. For example, the 5G CSI-RS physical resources include subset #1 and subset #2, where subset #1 is shared between the 5G UE and 6G UE #1, and subset #2 is shared between the 5G UE and 6G UE #2. The ability of more than one 6G UE to use a set of candidate 5G CSI-RS resources can improve sharing efficiency.

[0213] Optionally, the 5G enhanced CSI-RS sequence can be CDMed with the 5G CSI-RS sequence.

[0214] For example, in pure 6G mode, the configuration of pure 6G CSI-RS physical resources may differ from that of 5G. Optionally, the configuration of pure 6G CSI-RS sequences may also differ from that of 5G. For instance, pure 6G CSI-RS physical resources may not overlap with 5G CSI-RS physical resources. The generation methods for pure 6G CSI-RS sequences and 5G CSI-RS sequences may differ. The configuration used for pure 6G CSI-RS can be dedicated to 6G technology, which enables one or more 6G UEs to achieve better performance.

[0215] When the configuration set includes configurations for SRS, different patterns can be associated with different configurations for SRS.

[0216] For example, in 5G-like mode, the configuration of 5G-like SRS physical resources can be the same as the 5G configuration. Optionally, the configuration for generating 5G-like SRS sequences can be the same as the 5G configuration. That is, one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can generate SRS sequences and map them to the same physical resources. Network devices can obtain SRS for one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs from the same physical resources. One or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can share the same physical resources for SRS, which can improve resource utilization.

[0217] For example, in 5G enhanced mode, the configuration of 5G enhanced SRS physical resources can indicate a nested structure with 5G SRS physical resources. In one implementation, 5G SRS physical resources can be nested within 5G enhanced SRS physical resources. Therefore, a 6G UE receiving 5G enhanced SRS can have better performance with more physical resources. In another implementation, 5G enhanced SRS physical resources can be a subset of 5G SRS physical resources. Optionally, 5G enhanced SRS physical resources can be non-uniform in the frequency domain. Due to fewer physical resources, a 6G UE receiving 5G enhanced SRS can save power.

[0218] For example, Figure 22 A schematic diagram corresponding to SRS in 5G enhanced mode is shown. One or more 6G UEs can share 5G SRS physical resources. For example, the 5G SRS physical resources include subset #1 and subset #2, where subset #1 is shared between the 5G UE and 6G UE #1, and subset #2 is shared between the 5G UE and 6G UE #2. The ability for more than one 6G UE to use the set of 5G SRS physical resources can improve sharing efficiency.

[0219] Optionally, the 5G enhanced SRS sequence can be CDMed with the 5G SRS sequence.

[0220] For example, in pure 6G mode, the configuration of pure 6G SRS physical resources may differ from that of 5G. Optionally, the configuration of pure 6G SRS sequences can also differ from that of 5G. For instance, pure 6G SRS physical resources may not overlap with 5G SRS physical resources. The generation methods for pure 6G SRS sequences and 5G SRS sequences can differ. The configuration used for pure 6G SRS can be dedicated to 6G technology, which enables one or more 6G UEs to achieve better performance.

[0221] When the configuration set includes a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, different modes can be associated with different DMRS configurations. A DMRS can be an uplink DMRS associated with the PUSCH, or a downlink DMRS associated with the PDSCH.

[0222] For 5G-like mode, the configuration of 5G-like DMRS physical resources can be the same as the 5G configuration. Optionally, the configuration for generating 5G-like DMRS sequences can also be the same as the 5G configuration. For example, 5G-like DMRS can support both Type 1 and Type 2 configurations. Type 1 configuration can allocate DMRS to every other resource element in a symbol and supports 6 DMRS ports. Type 2 can locate DMRS to every third pair of resource elements. That is, network devices can generate PDSCH DMRS sequences and map them to physical resources. One or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can obtain PDSCH DMRS from physical resources. Network devices can send only a set of PDSCH DMRS to serve both one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs, thus improving resource utilization.

[0223] For 5G enhanced mode, the number of DMRS ports associated with 5G enhanced DMRS physical resources can be more than the number of 5G DMRS ports. For example, physical resources associated with 5G DMRS ports can be used for multiple 6G DMRS ports.

[0224] For example, Figure 23 A schematic diagram of DMRS corresponding to the 5G enhanced mode is shown. (For example...) Figure 22 As shown, the physical resources associated with 5G DMRS ports 1002 / 1003 can include subsets #1 and #2, where subset #1 can be associated with 6G DMRS ports 1002 / 1003, and subset #2 can be associated with 6G DMRS ports 1006 / 1008. For the 5G configuration, 4 REs in the RB are used for the 5G DMRS ports. For the 5G enhanced configuration, 2 REs in the RB can be used for the 6G DMRS ports. Therefore, with the same physical resources, the 5G enhanced configuration can support more DMRS ports (e.g., 8 ports) compared to the 5G configuration (e.g., 6 ports).

[0225] Optionally, for 5G-like or 5G-enhanced modes, the DMRS configuration can also support Type 3 and Type 4 configurations. Type 3 configuration allocates non-uniform resource elements to a DMRS with an average density d1, while Type 4 configuration allocates non-uniform resource elements to a DMRS with an average density d2. The average density d1 is not equal to the average density d2; for example, d1 = 1 / 12, d2 = 1 / 10. Candidate DMRS types can include {Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4}, where Type 1 and Type 2 configurations can be shared between one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs, and Type 3 and Type 4 configurations can be dedicated to one or more 6G UEs.

[0226] For pure 6G mode, the configuration of pure 6G DMRS physical resources may differ from that of 5G. Optionally, the configuration of pure 6G DMRS sequences may also differ from that of 5G. For example, pure 6G DMRS physical resources may not overlap with 5G DMRS physical resources. The generation methods for pure 6G DMRS sequences and 5G DMRS sequences may differ. For example, candidate pure 6G DMRS types may include {Type 3, Type 4}. The configuration for pure 6G DMRS can be dedicated to 6G technology, which enables one or more 6G UEs to achieve better performance.

[0227] When the configuration set includes configurations for single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), different modes can be associated with different configurations for SU-MIMO.

[0228] For example, in 5G-like mode, the maximum number of layers supported by a 6G UE can be equal to 8. In 5G enhanced mode, the maximum number of layers supported by a 6G UE can be greater than 8; for example, a 6G UE can support 3 TBs, where each TB can support 4 layers of transmission. In pure 6G mode, a 6G UE can support 2 TBs, where each TB can support more than 4 layers of transmission. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0229] When the configuration set includes configurations for multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology, different modes can be associated with different configurations for MU-MIMO.

[0230] For example, in 5G-like mode, the maximum total number of MU-MIMO UEs can be equal to N (N = 24 or 48). In 5G enhanced mode or pure 6G mode, the maximum total number of MU-MIMO UEs may be greater than N (e.g., 96 or 72). This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0231] When MU-MIMO technology is applied to one or more 6G UEs and one or more 5G UEs, the 6G UEs and 5G UEs can form an MU-MIMO group. UEs within an MU-MIMO group can be configured with multiple CDM groups, where one or more parameters for determining time-frequency resources and one or more parameters for generating DMRS sequences can be associated with CDM groups. For example, DMRS obtained from configurations within the same CDM group can be code-division multiplexed. DMRS obtained from configurations in different CDM groups can be frequency-division multiplexed. In other words, DMRS obtained from configurations within the same CDM group can share the same time-frequency resources. Time-frequency resources associated with configurations in different CDM groups cannot overlap. One or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can use the same CDM group for DMRS. Alternatively, one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can use different CDM groups for DMRS.

[0232] When the configuration set includes configurations for the control resource set (CORESET), different modes can be associated with different configurations for the CORESET.

[0233] Optionally, CORESET indicates physical resources for control information or one or more control channels (e.g., PDCCH). CORESET can be CORESET0, which can be used to transmit PDCCH for system information block 1 (SIB1) scheduling.

[0234] For 5G-like or 5G-enhanced modes, the configuration for a 6G core set (either a 5G-like or 5G-enhanced core set) can include some or all of the configuration for the 5G core set (e.g., frequency / time resource allocation). That is, at least a portion of the physical resources of the 5G core set can be shared by the 6G UE. The 6G UE can use unused physical resources in the 5G core set for PDCCH reception, such as PDCCH for SIB1 transmission. For example, the network device can dynamically indicate unused physical resources (e.g., one or more rate-matched CCE indices) to the 6G UE.

[0235] In this embodiment, unused physical resources in the 5G CORESET will not be wasted due to their use by the 6G UE, and a more refined rate matching mode can improve spectrum utilization efficiency.

[0236] Optionally, for class 5G CORESET0 or 5G enhanced CORESET0, the parameter set associated with class 5G CORESET0 or 5G enhanced CORESET0 can be the same as that of 5G CORESET0. The parameter set can indicate one or more of the CCE structure, CCE interleaving method, candidate aggregation level, and PDCCH candidate. For example, the parameter set can include one or more of the following: interleaving, resource element group (REG) bundle size, interleaver size, shift, cyclic prefix, and precoding. The parameter set can be indicated to the 6G UE or predefined in the 6G UE, and this application does not limit this.

[0237] For pure 6G mode, the configuration for pure 6G CORESET0 can differ from the 5G configuration. For example, pure 6G CORESET0 can be non-overlapping with 5G CORESET0. The configuration for pure 6G CORESET0 can be dedicated to 6G technology, which allows one or more 6G UEs to have better performance.

[0238] When the configuration set includes configurations for the PDCCH structure, different modes can be associated with different configurations for the PDCCH structure.

[0239] For 5G-like or 5G-enhanced modes, the 6G PDCCH structure (5G-like or 5G-enhanced PDCCH structure) can be identical to the 5G PDCCH structure. For example, a PDCCH can include multiple control channel elements (CCEs), the number of which is the aggregation level of the PDCCH. One CCE can correspond to six resource element groups (REGs). One REG contains one PRB (i.e., 12 consecutive resource elements) in the frequency domain and one OFDM symbol in the time domain.

[0240] For pure 6G mode, the configuration of the PDCCH structure used for pure 6G can differ from the 5G configuration. For example, a PDCCH can include multiple CCEs, and a CCE can correspond to one or more REGs, where the number of one or more REGs can be other than 6.

[0241] When the configuration set includes configurations for PUCCH, different modes can be associated with different configurations for PUCCH.

[0242] For 5G-like or 5G-enhanced modes, the configuration for 6G PUCCH (5G-like or 5G-enhanced PUCCH) can include some or all of the configuration for 5G PUCCH (e.g., frequency-time resources). For example, at least a portion of the physical resources for 5G PUCCH can be shared by 6G UEs. One or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs can map 5G PUCCH and 6G PUCCH to the same physical resources, which can improve resource utilization.

[0243] The 5G PUCCH and 6G PUCCH mapped to the same physical resources can be CDMs. For example, the configuration for PUCCH can include PUCCH format 0 and PUCCH format 1, where PUCCH format 0 and PUCCH format 1 are shared between the 5G PUCCH and 6G PUCCH. The network device can instruct the 6G UE to use unused (i.e., not used by the 5G UE) code domain resources of PUCCH format 0 or format 1.

[0244] Optionally, the configuration for PUCCH may also include PUCCH format 2 and PUCCH format 3, which can be dedicated to one or more 6G UEs. That is, the candidate PUCCH formats may include {format 1, format 2, format 3, format 4}, wherein the configurations of format 1 and format 2 can be shared between one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs, and the configurations of format 3 and format 4 can be dedicated to one or more 6G UEs.

[0245] For pure 6G mode, the configuration used for pure 6G PUCCH can differ from the 5G configuration. For example, pure 6G PUCCH physical resources can be non-overlapping with 5G PUCCH physical resources. For example, candidate pure 6G PUCCH configurations can include {Format 3, Format 4}. The configuration used for pure 6G PUCCH can be dedicated to 6G technology, which enables one or more 6G UEs to have better performance.

[0246] When the configuration set includes configurations for PRACH, different modes can be associated with different configurations for PRACH.

[0247] For 5G-like or 5G-enhanced modes, the configuration for 6G PRACH (5G-like or 5G-enhanced PRACH) may include some or all of the configuration for 5G PRACH (e.g., frequency / time / code resource allocation).

[0248] In the first implementation, the 5G PRACH time-frequency resources can be a subset of the 6G PRACH time-frequency resources, and the 5G PRACH preamble can be a subset of the 6G PRACH preamble. For example, the length of the 5G PRACH preamble can be equal to K, and the length of the 6G PRACH preamble can be equal to K+L, where K and M are positive integers. Therefore, for longer preambles, the 6G UE can have better performance.

[0249] In the second implementation, the 6G PRACH time-frequency resources can be a subset of the 5G PRACH time-frequency resources, and the 6G PRACH preamble can be a subset of the 5G PRACH preamble. Therefore, the 6G UE can save more power consumption for the short preamble.

[0250] In the third implementation, the 5G PRACH time-frequency resources can be the same as the 6G PRACH time-frequency resources, and the 5G PRACH preamble can be CDMed with the 6G PRACH preamble. For example, the 5G preamble and the 6G preamble can be generated based on different logical root sequences.

[0251] In the fourth implementation, the 5G PRACH time-frequency resources and 6G PRACH time-frequency resources can be the same, and the 5G PRACH procedure and the 6G PRACH procedure can use different scrambling methods. For example, the scrambling method can be used to determine the RNTI for the scrambling message. The scrambling message can be message 3 with a 4-step RACH. Alternatively, the scrambling message can be message A with a 2-step RACH. Msg 3 can be scrambled using a temporary cell (TC) - radionetwork temporary identifier (RNTI). The first value of the TC-RNTI associated with the 6G configuration and the second value of the TC-RNTI associated with the 5G configuration can be different. Alternatively, Msg A can be scrambled using a radio access (RA) - RNTI. The first value of the RA-RNTI associated with the 6G configuration and the second value of the RA-RNTI associated with the 5G configuration can be different.

[0252] For pure 6G mode, the configuration used for pure 6G PRACH can differ from the 5G configuration. For example, pure 6G PRACH resources can be non-overlapping with 5G PRACH resources. The configuration used for pure 6G CORESET0 can be dedicated to 6G technology, which enables one or more 6G UEs to have better performance.

[0253] The above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only. These embodiments can be implemented together or individually. For example, some signals or channels may support three modes, while others may not. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0254] Network devices can indicate modes in a variety of ways.

[0255] In some embodiments, the first indication information can explicitly indicate a mode. For example, when the first indication information indicates one of three modes, the size of the first indication information can be 2 bits. A value "00" can indicate a 5G-like mode, a value "01" can indicate a 5G enhanced mode, and a value "10" can indicate a pure 6G mode. For example, when the first indication information indicates one of two modes, the size of the first indication information can be 1 bit. A value "0" can indicate a 5G-like mode, and a value "1" can indicate a pure 6G mode. The terminal device can activate the indicated mode based on the first indication information. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0256] In some embodiments, a mode can be associated with a frequency band. Therefore, a network device can indicate a mode by indicating a frequency band. For example, a first mode (a 5G-like mode or a 5G-enhanced mode) can be associated with a frequency band that is associated with a first radio access technology and a second radio access technology (e.g., 5G and 6G). A second mode can be associated with a frequency band dedicated to the first radio access technology. The association can be predefined. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, Table 1 provides examples of the associations between modes and frequency bands.

[0257] Table 1

[0258] For example, when the 6G dedicated frequency band does not overlap with the 5G frequency band, the network device can instruct the 6G UE to use the 6G dedicated BWP, and the 6G UE can also determine to activate the pure 6G mode.

[0259] In some embodiments, during initial access, the 6G UE can detect which mode is indicated. For example, the 6G UE can detect an SS / PBCH block and determine whether the detected SS / PBCH block is a 5G-like SS / PBCH block, a 5G-enhanced SS / PBCH block, or a pure 6G SS / PBCH block. Therefore, the 6G UE can activate the mode corresponding to the detected SS / PBCH block.

[0260] Network devices can send initial indication information in a variety of ways. For example, a network device can dynamically indicate or not indicate a mode.

[0261] In some embodiments, the network device may indicate the mode in a semi-static manner. The first indication information may be a semi-static indication. For example, the mode is associated with a frequency band (e.g., BWP), and the mode may be a BWP profile. The mode can be switched via BWP switching. Alternatively, the network device may indicate the mode via RRC signaling or MAC-CE signaling. The first indication information may be in an RRC message or MAC-CE.

[0262] In some embodiments, the network device may dynamically indicate the mode. The first indication information may be a dynamic indication. For example, the network device may send a DCI, wherein the DCI includes the first indication information. The DCI may include a one-bit or two-bit indicator for indicating a mode among two or more modes. The DCI may be UE-specific, group-common, or broadcast DCI. This application does not limit this.

[0263] The first indication information can instruct the first terminal device to switch from one mode to another. When the previous mode is a power-saving mode (e.g., sleep state, idle state, or inactive state), the first indication information can be included in a wake-up signal, DCI, or paging message.

[0264] In some embodiments, the mode can be set using a corresponding timer. When the timer expires, the first terminal device can deactivate the corresponding mode. Optionally, the first terminal device can switch to the default mode.

[0265] For one or more 6G UEs, the network device may instruct one or more 6G UEs to use unoccupied resources of the control resource set for PDSCH transmission. That is, the network device and the first terminal device may perform the following steps 930.

[0266] Optionally, in S930, the network device sends second indication information to the first terminal device. Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the second indication information from the network device.

[0267] The second instruction information indicates one or more first resource units, which are located in a first CORESET and are used for PDSCH. Unused control resources can be used for data transmission, which can improve resource utilization.

[0268] The first core set can be a 5G core set and / or a 6G core set (a 5G-like core set, a 5G enhanced core set, or a pure 6G core set).

[0269] This application does not limit the granularity of the first resource unit. For example, the first resource unit can be any one of a resource block (RB), a control channel element (CCE), and a resource element (RE).

[0270] As described above, a 6G UE can be configured using a configuration set associated with a 5G-like mode, a 5G enhanced mode, or a pure 6G mode. The configuration set may include one or more of the following: RRC configuration, MAC layer configuration, physical layer configuration, and predefined configuration. This is related to the type of signal or channel and the type of mode indicated. When some or all of the configuration set is given by RRC configuration, MAC layer configuration, or physical layer configuration, the network device and the first terminal device may perform step 940 before step 920.

[0271] Optionally, in S940, the network device sends third indication information to the first terminal device. Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the third indication information from the network device.

[0272] The third instruction information can be used to determine the set of configurations associated with the instruction pattern.

[0273] In some embodiments, candidate configuration sets associated with two or more modes can be predefined. Therefore, the first terminal device can determine which configuration set to use based on the indicated mode. Optionally, when multiple candidate configuration sets are associated with a mode, the network device can also indicate a specific configuration set via third indication information. For ease of understanding, consider a configuration for DMRS as an example. For a 5G-like mode or 5G enhanced mode, candidate DMRS types may include {Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4}, and for a pure 6G mode, candidate DMRS types may include {Type 3, Type 4}. When indicating a 5G-like mode or 5G enhanced mode, the network device can use 2 bits to indicate a specific configuration set. When indicating a pure 6G mode, the network device can use 1 bit to indicate a specific configuration set. This application does not impose limitations on this.

[0274] In some embodiments, one or more candidate set configurations may be predefined, and when the set of configurations associated with the indicated mode is not predefined, additional configurations may be provided by third indication information. For example, a class 5G configuration may be predefined, and the third indication information may indicate a 5G enhanced configuration or a pure 6G configuration corresponding to the indicated mode. Optionally, in these embodiments, the third indication information may indicate one or more offsets between the predefined configuration and the 5G enhanced configuration or pure 6G configuration corresponding to the indicated mode. For ease of understanding, consider a configuration for a CORESET as an example. A 5G enhanced CORESET may be a subset of a 5G CORESET, a class 5G CORESET is the same as a 5G CORESET and is predefined, and the third indication information may indicate one or more offsets between the 5G enhanced CORESET and the class 5G CORESET. One or more offsets may consume fewer communication resources.

[0275] The above embodiments provide various indication methods. In some embodiments, the processing of the configuration set may differ for one or more 5G UEs and one or more 6G UEs. This is related to the type of signal or channel and the type of indication mode. For ease of understanding, consider the configuration for SRS as an example. 5G SRS may be a subset of 5G enhanced SRS, and both 5G enhanced SRS and 5G SRS may be periodic signals (e.g., Figure 15 (As shown). Because the position of SRS in the frequency domain is determined based on a counter, the counter used in 5G technology to count SRS transmissions... n SRS The counters can be calculated using different methods for 6G technology. For example, the counters for the shared portion can be identical to those for the 5G SRS resources. The 6G SRS counters are determined based on the periodicity and timing offset of the 6G SRS resources, i.e., counting SRS transmissions, and the counters for the shared portion are replaced by the counters for the 5G SRS resources (as shown in the first approach). Alternatively, the counters for the shared portion can be determined based on the periodicity and timing offset of the 5G SRS resources, i.e., identical to those for the 5G SRS resources. The counters for the dedicated portion can be determined based on the counters for the shared portion; for example, the counters for the shared portion and the dedicated portion can be different (as shown in the second approach). This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0276] In embodiments of this application, at least a portion of the configuration set can be shared between one or more terminal devices associated with a first wireless access technology and one or more terminal devices associated with a second wireless access technology. The network device can serve multiple terminal devices with the same configuration associated with different generations of technologies. Multiple terminal devices associated with different generations of technologies can coexist more effectively.

[0277] The above text combined Figures 9 to 23 The methods provided by the embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Figure 24 and Figure 25 The apparatus provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail. The description of the apparatus embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, any content not described in detail can be referred to the above method embodiments. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0278] refer to Figure 24 The diagram illustrates a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 10 includes a transceiver unit 11 and a processing unit 12. The transceiver unit 11 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 11 is used to perform data processing. The transceiver unit 11 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0279] In some embodiments, the communication device 10 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 12 may read the instructions and / or data from the storage unit to enable the communication device to implement the method embodiments described above.

[0280] The communication device 10 can be used to perform the actions performed by the first terminal device in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device 10 can be the first terminal device or a component that can be configured in the first terminal device. The transceiver unit 11 is used to perform communication-related (e.g., receive / transmit related) operations on the first terminal device side in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 12 is used to perform processing-related operations on the first terminal device side in the above method embodiments.

[0281] Communication device 10 can implement the embodiments provided in this application. Figures 9 to 23 The steps or processes performed by the first terminal device. The communication device 10 may include steps or processes for performing... Figures 9 to 23 The unit in the communication device 10 is the one that executes the method by the first terminal device. Furthermore, the units in the communication device 10 and the other operations and / or functions described above are respectively used to implement... Figures 9 to 23 The corresponding process in the text.

[0282] Alternatively, the communication device 10 can be used to perform the actions performed by the network device in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device 10 can be a network device or a component that can be configured in a network device. The transceiver unit 11 is used to perform communication-related (e.g., receive / transmit related) operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 12 is used to perform processing-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments.

[0283] Communication device 10 can implement the embodiments provided in this application. Figures 9 to 23The steps or processes performed by network devices. Communication device 10 may include methods for performing... Figures 9 to 23 The unit in the communication device 10 is the one that executes the method by the network device. Furthermore, the units in the communication device 10 and the other operations and / or functions described above are respectively used to implement... Figures 9 to 23 The corresponding process in the text.

[0284] The specific process by which the unit performs the corresponding steps described above is described in detail in the above method embodiments. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0285] refer to Figure 25 The diagram illustrates a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 20 includes a processor 21. The processor 21 is coupled to a memory 22. The memory 22 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 21 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions and / or data stored in the memory 22 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0286] In some embodiments, the communication device 20 includes one or more processors 21.

[0287] In one example, such as Figure 25 As shown, the communication device 20 may also include a memory 22.

[0288] In some embodiments, the communication device 20 may include one or more memories 22.

[0289] In one example, memory 22 may be integrated with processor 21 or may be set up separately from processor 21.

[0290] In one example, such as Figure 25 As shown, the communication device 20 may further include a transceiver 23, wherein the transceiver 23 is used to receive and / or transmit signals. For example, the processor 21 may be used to control the transceiver 23 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0291] In some embodiments, the communication device 20 may be a first terminal device or a component (e.g., a chip, circuit, or processing system) that can be configured in the first terminal device; or, the communication device 20 may be a network device or a component (e.g., a chip, circuit, or processing system) that can be configured in the network device.

[0292] In one embodiment, the communication device 20 is used to perform the operations performed by the first terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0293] For example, processor 21 can be used to perform processing-related operations performed by the first terminal device in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 23 can be used to perform communication-related (e.g., receive / send-related) operations performed by the first terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0294] In another embodiment, the communication device 20 is used to perform the operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0295] For example, processor 21 can be used to perform processing-related operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 23 can be used to perform communication-related (e.g., receive / send-related) operations performed by the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0296] Embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions for implementing the methods described in the method embodiments, either executed by a first terminal device or by a network device.

[0297] For example, when a computer program is executed by a computer, it can enable the computer to implement the method executed by the first terminal device or the method executed by the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0298] Embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product including instructions. When executed by a computer, the instructions enable the computer to implement the method executed by the first terminal device or the method executed by the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0299] Embodiments of this application also provide a communication system. The communication system includes the first terminal device and network device described in the above embodiments.

[0300] For explanations and benefits regarding any communication devices provided above, please refer to the corresponding method embodiments provided above. Further details will not be repeated here.

[0301] The processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU). The processor can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or it can be any common processor.

[0302] The memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, RAM can include a variety of forms, such as the following: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0303] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0304] It should also be noted that the memory described in this specification is intended to include, but is not limited to, these memories and any other suitable types of memory.

[0305] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the units and methods, can be implemented in electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of protection of this application.

[0306] It should be noted that the term "receive / receiving" as used herein can refer to receiving or otherwise acquiring from an element / component within the same device or from another device separate from the device. Similarly, the term "transmit / transmitting" can refer to outputting or sending to / for an element / component within the same device or to / for another device separate from the device. For example, any method / process described herein can be performed by a chipset, in which case any transmitting or receiving step can occur between elements of the chipset.

[0307] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the above-described apparatus and units can be referred to the corresponding process in the above method embodiments. Further details will not be repeated here.

[0308] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the described apparatus embodiments are merely exemplary. For example, dividing into units is merely a logical functional division and may be other divisions in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be merged or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not performed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be implemented through some interface. Indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units can be implemented in electronic, mechanical or other forms.

[0309] The units described as individual components may be physically separate or not; the components shown as units may be physical units or not, may be located in the same location, or may be distributed among multiple network units. The solution provided in this application can be implemented by selecting some or all of the units based on actual needs.

[0310] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of this application can be integrated into one unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0311] All or part of the above embodiments can be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When an embodiment is implemented using software, all or part of the embodiment can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of them produce the processes or functions provided by the embodiments of this application. A computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. For example, a computer can be a personal computer, a server, a network device, etc. Computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from a computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, radio, and microwave, etc.) means. A computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access, or a data storage device that integrates one or more available media, such as a server or data center. Available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, or magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), semiconductor media (e.g., SSDs), etc. For example, the available media may include, but are not limited to, various media that can store program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, disks, or optical discs.

[0312] The above description is merely one specific implementation of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims and the specification.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first terminal device associated with a first wireless access technology, including: Receive first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates one of a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes including the first mode, and a first configuration set associated with the first mode includes part or all of a second configuration set associated with a second radio access technology; Communication is based on the first indication information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first configuration set includes one or more of the following: physical resources, sequence generation, and process.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first mode is associated with a first frequency band, and the first frequency band is associated with the first wireless access technology and the second wireless access technology.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first indication information indicates a frequency band, and the mode indicated by the first indication information is associated with the frequency band.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The physical resources include one or more of the following: physical resources mapped to physical signals or channels, and candidate physical resources configured for physical signals or channels.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first physical resource associated with the first configuration set includes part or all of the second physical resource associated with the second configuration set.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first physical resource is a subset of the second physical resource, or the second physical resource is a subset of the first physical resource.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that, The configuration generated by the sequence indicates one or more codes for physical signals or channels.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The plurality of modes includes a second mode, and the set of configurations associated with the second mode is dedicated to the first wireless access technology.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The plurality of modes includes a third mode, and the third configuration set associated with the third mode includes a portion of the second configuration set.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates one or more resource elements for data communication, the one or more resource elements being located in a control resource set.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The control resource set is associated with the second wireless access technology.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates a set of configurations associated with the mode indicated by the first indication information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The first indication information also indicates that the first terminal device switches from a fourth mode, the power consumption of which is lower than the power consumption of the mode indicated by the first indication information.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The second wireless access technology is the fifth-generation 5G wireless access technology, and the first wireless access technology is the sixth-generation 6G wireless access technology.

16. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to network devices, including: Send first indication information to a first terminal device associated with a first wireless access technology, wherein the first indication information indicates one of a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes including the first mode, and a first configuration set associated with the first mode including part or all of a second configuration set associated with a second wireless access technology; Based on the first instruction information, communication is conducted with the first terminal device.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first configuration set includes one or more of the following: physical resources, sequence generation, and process.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The first mode is associated with a first frequency band, and the first frequency band is associated with the first wireless access technology and the second wireless access technology.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The first indication information indicates a frequency band, and the mode indicated by the first indication information is associated with the frequency band.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that, The physical resources include one or more of the following: physical resources mapped to physical signals or channels, and candidate physical resources configured for physical signals or channels.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that, The first physical resource associated with the first configuration set includes part or all of the second physical resource associated with the second configuration set.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The first physical resource is a subset of the second physical resource, or the second physical resource is a subset of the first physical resource.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 22, characterized in that, The configuration generated by the sequence indicates one or more codes for physical signals or channels.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 23, characterized in that, The plurality of modes includes a second mode, and the set of configurations associated with the second mode is dedicated to the first wireless access technology.

25. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 24, characterized in that, The plurality of modes includes a third mode, and the third configuration set associated with the third mode includes a portion of the second configuration set.

26. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 25, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second indication message, wherein the second indication message indicates one or more resource elements for data communication, the one or more resource elements being located in a control resource set.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that, The control resource set is associated with the second wireless access technology.

28. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 27, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a third indication message, wherein the third indication message indicates a configuration set associated with the mode indicated by the first indication message.

29. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 28, characterized in that, The first indication information also indicates that the first terminal device switches from a fourth mode, the power consumption of which is lower than the power consumption of the mode indicated by the first indication information.

30. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 29, characterized in that, The second wireless access technology is the fifth-generation 5G wireless access technology, and the first wireless access technology is the sixth-generation 6G wireless access technology.

31. An apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing one or more instructions executable on the processor, which, when executed, cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

32. An apparatus, characterized in that, The apparatus includes functions or units that perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

33. A communication system, characterized in that, The device includes a first terminal device and a network device, wherein the first terminal device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and the network device performs the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

34. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It includes one or more instructions, wherein when the one or more instructions are executed on a computer, the computer performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, characterized in that, Storage instructions that cause a processor in the device to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

36. A device, characterized in that, Used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

37. A processor, characterized in that, Used to execute instructions to cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

38. An integrated circuit, characterized in that, Used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

39. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Transceiver unit, configured to perform the receiving step according to any one of claims 1 to 15; A processing unit for performing the processing steps according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

40. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a transceiver unit for performing the transmission step according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

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