Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and a communication device. The method comprises the following steps: receiving first downlink control information (DCI), the first DCI is associated with second DCI, the first DCI indicates the second DCI configured on two or more transmission layers, the second DCI is associated with the first DCI, the first DCI indicates the second DCI configured on two or more transmission layers, and the second DCI indicates the second DCI configured on two or more transmission layers. And receiving the second DCI according to the first DCI. According to the method, the two-stage DCI can perform control signal transmission by using a plurality of transmission layers, thereby improving the performance and capacity of the control signal transmission.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Patent Cooperation Treaty Patent Application No. PCT / CN2023 / 124918 entitled “TWO STAGE DCI DESIGN FOR T-MIMO”, filed on October 17, 2023 with the Patent Cooperation Treaty Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. For example, the communication method and communication device can be used for downlink transmission, sidelink transmission, or uplink transmission. Background Technology

[0003] Control signal transmissions (e.g., downlink control signal transmissions, sidelink control signal transmissions, or uplink control signal transmissions) are used to schedule data transmissions for communication, such as downlink, uplink, or sidelink communication. Any errors or missed detections in control signals can lead to false detections or misinterpretations in data transmission in the downlink, uplink, or sidelink. Therefore, downlink control signal transmissions require more effort to ensure robust / reliable performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and a communication device. The technical solution enables control signals to be transmitted across multiple transmission layers, improving the robustness and reliability of the control signals.

[0005] According to a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a communication device (e.g., user equipment (UE)) or by a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the communication device. The method includes: receiving first downlink control information (DCI), the first DCI being associated with a second DCI, the first DCI indicating a second DCI configured on two or more transport layers; and receiving the second DCI according to the first DCI, for example, receiving the second DCI on two or more transport layers according to the first DCI.

[0006] According to the above technical solution, downlink control information transmission can employ multiple transmission layers (i.e., two or more transmission layers), that is, adding one or more transmission layers above a single transmission layer used for time-frequency resources of downlink control signal transmission. In other words, more resources can be utilized to send and / or receive downlink control signals. This can improve the performance (e.g., improve robustness and reliability) and capacity of downlink control signal transmission. The information used to receive the second DCI on multiple transmission layers can be carried in the first DCI, and the second DCI can be transmitted on multiple transmission layers. Therefore, the second DCI can be received and decoded according to the scheduling information in the first-stage DCI without performing blind decoding. Avoiding blind decoding can save power.

[0007] In one possible design, the first DCI is the first stage of the two-stage DCI, and the second DCI is the second stage of the two-stage DCI.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, downlink control signals from multiple transport layers can be transmitted in a two-stage DCI architecture. Specifically, the information used to receive the second-stage DCI on multiple transport layers is carried in the first-stage DCI of the two-stage DCI, thus making more efficient use of resources and reducing the latency caused by blind decoding of the second-stage DCI.

[0009] In one possible design, the method further includes: transmitting data on one or more transport layers according to a first DCI and a second DCI; or transmitting data on one or more transport layers according to a second DCI.

[0010] According to the above technical solution, the second DCI can be transmitted together with data / feedback on multiple transport layers, thereby making more efficient use of resources.

[0011] In one possible design, the transport layer used for data is different from the transport layer used for the second DCI; or the transport layer used for data is partially the same as the transport layer used for the second DCI.

[0012] In one possible design, the scrambling mask for one or more cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying the first DCI is determined based on a first radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), which is used for the two-stage DCI.

[0013] According to the above technical solution, a CRC with RNTI scrambling mechanism can be used to carry a PDCCH containing the first DCI, which is similar to how a CRC with RNTI scrambling mechanism in 5G NR can be used to carry a PDCCH containing a traditional single-stage DCI. Therefore, the above technical solution can be combined with existing methods without making significant changes to the protocol.

[0014] In one possible design, the first RNTI is different from the second RNTI, with the second RNTI used for single-stage DCI.

[0015] According to the above technical solution, the RNTI used for two-stage DCI is different from the RNTI used for single-stage DCI. Therefore, the communication device can use different RNTIs to distinguish different DCI formats, such as whether the DCI format is a traditional single-stage DCI format or a two-stage DCI format.

[0016] In one possible design, the control resource set (CORESET) used to carry the first DCI may be different from or the same as the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI; and / or the search space set used to carry the first DCI may be different from or the same as the search space set used to carry the single-stage DCI.

[0017] In one possible design, the first DCI includes one or more of the following: time-domain resources for the second DCI, time-domain resources for data, frequency-domain resources for the second DCI, frequency-domain resources for data, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the second DCI, MCS for data, number of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports for the second DCI, number of DMRS ports for data, transport layer for the second DCI, or transport layer for data.

[0018] In one possible design, the second DCI includes one or more of the following: the number of DMRS ports for data, the MCS for data, the hybrid automatic repeat request identifier for data, the redundant version of data, the time domain resources for data, the frequency domain resources for data, or the time offset between the time-frequency resources for the second DCI and the time-frequency resources for data.

[0019] In one possible design, the number of transmission layers used to transmit data is greater than the number of transmission layers used to transmit the second DCI.

[0020] In one possible design, the second DCI is directed to one or more communication devices.

[0021] In one possible design, receiving the second DCI includes: receiving the second DCI using a first beam; transmitting data includes: transmitting data using a second beam, the first beam being different from the second beam. For example, the first beam may have a wider beamwidth than the second beam.

[0022] According to the above technical solution, the second DCI transmission can use a wider beam to cover a larger area (and more UEs), thus requiring fewer antenna ports (i.e., virtual antenna ports); while data transmission can use a narrower beam pointing to one or more specific UEs, thus requiring more antenna ports (i.e., virtual antenna ports) overall in the system. More antenna ports may create more transmission layers, which can be used to increase system throughput and data transmission reliability, while the second DCI may not have this requirement.

[0023] According to a second aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be executed by a communication device (e.g., a base station, a UE), or by a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the communication device. The method includes: transmitting first downlink control information (DCI), the first DCI being associated with a second DCI, the first DCI indicating a second DCI configured on two or more transport layers; and transmitting the second DCI according to the first DCI. For example, the second DCI is transmitted on two or more transport layers according to the first DCI.

[0024] In one possible design, the first DCI is the first stage of the two-stage DCI, and the second DCI is the second stage of the two-stage DCI.

[0025] In one possible design, the method further includes: transmitting data on one or more transport layers according to a first DCI and a second DCI; or transmitting data on one or more transport layers according to a second DCI.

[0026] In one possible design, the transport layer used for data is different from the transport layer used for the second DCI; or the transport layer used for data is partially the same as the transport layer used for the second DCI.

[0027] In one possible design, the scrambling mask for one or more cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying the first DCI is determined based on a first radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), which is used for the two-stage DCI.

[0028] In one possible design, the first RNTI is different from the second RNTI, with the second RNTI used for single-stage DCI.

[0029] In one possible design, the control resource set (CORESET) used to carry the first DCI may be the same as or different from the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI; and / or the search space set used to carry the first DCI may be the same as or different from the search space set used to carry the single-stage DCI.

[0030] In one possible design, the first DCI includes one or more of the following: time-domain resources for the second DCI, time-domain resources for data, frequency-domain resources for the second DCI, frequency-domain resources for data, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the second DCI, MCS for data, number of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports for the second DCI, number of DMRS ports for data, transport layer for the second DCI, or transport layer for data.

[0031] In one possible design, the second DCI includes one or more of the following: the number of DMRS ports for data, the MCS for data, the hybrid automatic repeat request identifier for data, the redundant version of data, the time domain resources for data, the frequency domain resources for data, or the time offset between the time-frequency resources for the second DCI and the time-frequency resources for data.

[0032] In one possible design, the number of transmission layers used to transmit data is greater than the number of transmission layers used to transmit the second DCI.

[0033] In one possible design, transmitting the second DCI includes sending the second DCI to one or more communication devices.

[0034] In one possible design, one or more communication devices include a first communication device and a second communication device. Transmitting first downlink control information (DCI) includes: sending a first DCI to the first communication device, the first DCI instructing the first communication device to receive information of a second DCI; the method further includes: sending a third DCI to the second communication device, the third DCI instructing the second communication device to receive information of a fourth DCI, the third DCI being associated with the fourth DCI, the fourth DCI being transmitted on two or more transport layers.

[0035] In one possible design, the DMRS port of the second DCI used for the first communication device is indicated by the first DCI, and the DMRS port of the fourth DCI used for the second communication device is indicated by the third DCI.

[0036] In one possible design, transmitting the second DCI includes: transmitting the second DCI using a first beam; transmitting data includes: transmitting data using a second beam, where the first beam is different from the second beam. For example, the first beam has a wider beamwidth than the second beam.

[0037] According to a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method in any possible implementation of the above aspects. Specifically, the apparatus includes units for performing the method in any possible implementation of the above aspects.

[0038] According to the fourth aspect, another communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to memory and can be used to execute one or more instructions in the memory to implement methods in any possible implementation of the various aspects. The memory can be an on-chip storage unit within the processor or an off-chip storage unit coupled to the memory and located outside the processor. In one possible implementation, the device further includes memory. In one possible implementation, the device further includes a communication interface to which the processor is coupled.

[0039] In one possible design, the communication device can be a UE, a chip, circuit or processing system configured in the UE, or a device that includes the UE.

[0040] In one possible design, the communication device can be a base station, a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the base station, or a device that includes the base station.

[0041] According to a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to implement the methods in any possible implementation of the foregoing aspects.

[0042] According to a sixth aspect, a computer program product comprising one or more instructions is provided. When executed by a computer, the instructions cause a communication device to implement any possible implementation of the methods described in the foregoing aspects.

[0043] According to the seventh aspect, a computer program is provided. When executed by a computer, the computer program causes a communication device to implement the methods in any possible implementation of the foregoing aspects.

[0044] According to an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a first communication device and / or a second communication device, the first communication device being configured to perform the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the second communication device being configured to perform the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0045] According to the ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided for implementing the method in any possible implementation of the above aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of this application; Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown; Figure 3 Another example of ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b and / or 170c is shown; Figure 4 These are examples of units or modules within a device; Figure 5 This is an example of a channel model for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system; Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 600 according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is an example of how a scrambling mask is generated by a two-stage RNTI to scramble a first-stage DCI in this application; Figure 8 This is an example of a CORESET used to carry a first-stage DCI that differs from a CORESET used to carry a single-stage DCI. Figure 9 This is an example of the same CORESET used to carry the first-stage DCI as the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI in this application; Figure 10 This is an example of scenario #1 in this application; Figure 11 This is an example of scenario #2 in this application; Figure 12 This is an example of the beam used for the second-stage DCI and data in this application; Figure 13 This is an example of the second-stage DCI and PDSCH slot formats of this application; Figure 14 This is an example of the second-stage DCI and uplink signal slot format of this application; Figure 15 This is an example of the second-stage DCI transmission and downlink data transmission of this application; Figure 16 This is an example of the second-stage DCI transmission and uplink transmission of this application; Figure 17 This is a schematic interaction diagram of a communication method applicable to embodiments of this application; Figure 18 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 19 This is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The technical solution of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] The technical solutions in this application embodiment can be applied to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. The technical solutions in this application embodiment can also be applied to various communication systems, such as fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication systems, new ratio (NR) wireless communication systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area networks (WLANs), satellite communication systems, or other evolved communication systems, such as sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication systems.

[0049] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, Figures 1 to 4 The communication system shown is used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0050] refer to Figure 1As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. Radio access network 120 can 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 electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110j (generally referred to as 110) can be interconnected with each other or connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, generally referred to as 170) in radio access network 120. Core network 130 can be part of the communication system and can 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.

[0051] refer to 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 communication system 100 can be used to provide content such as voice, data, video, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, and unicast. The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its constituent components. The communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100 can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, 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 create a heterogeneous network that can be viewed as comprising multiple layers. Compared to traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching.

[0052] 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 are generally referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a and 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 120c, which are generally referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172.

[0053] Any ED 110 can be alternatively or additionally configured to interface, 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 communicate uplink and / or downlink 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 communicate uplink and / or downlink with NT-TRP 172 via interface 190c.

[0054] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any applicable 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.

[0055] The air interface 190c enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP172s via a wireless link (or simply link). In 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.

[0056] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice and data, to EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. RANs 120a and 120b and / or the core network 130 can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technologies as RANs 120a and / or RAN 120b. The core network 130 can also act as a gateway between (i) RANs 120a and 120b and / or EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or other than wireless communication), ED 110a, 110b, and 110c can communicate with a service provider or exchange (not shown) and the Internet 150 via a wired communication channel. 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 integrate 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 under various wireless access technologies and integrate multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0057] refer to Figure 3Examples of the ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b, and / or 170c are 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 wearable devices, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.

[0058] Each ED 110 represents any applicable end-user equipment used for wireless operation, which may include (or may 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, smart book, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., communication modules, modems, or chips). Future generations of ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs and will be referred to hereinafter as T-TRP 170. Figure 3 The diagram also shows NT-TRP, which will be referred to below as NT-TRP 172. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically 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 connectivity availability or connectivity necessity.

[0059] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may, for example, be integrated as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna 204 or via a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structures for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structures for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0060] 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 volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. 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.

[0061] 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, numeric keypad, keyboard, display, or touch screen, including network interface communication.

[0062] ED 110 also includes a processor 210 for performing operations including those related to: preparing a transmission for uplink transmission to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; and processing lateral link transmissions to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing the transmission for uplink transmission 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, receiver 203 may receive downlink transmissions (possibly using receive beamforming), and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). For example, the signaling may be a reference signal 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 indication (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0063] Although not shown, processor 210 may be part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203. Although not shown, memory 208 may be part of processor 210.

[0064] Processor 210 and the processing components of transmitter 201 and receiver 203 can all be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components in processor 210 and transmitter 201 and receiver 203 can be implemented using special-purpose circuitry such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0065] In some implementations, T-TRP 170 may be referred to by other names, such as: base station, basetransceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, Node B, evolved 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. T-TRP 170 can be a macro base station, pico base station, relay node, donor node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned equipment or a device within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0066] In some implementations, the CU (or CU control plane (CP) and CU user plane (UP)), DU, or RU may use other names. For example, in an open RAN (ORAN) system, the CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), the CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), the CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-CP), and the RU can also be called an open RU (O-RU). Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, or RU can be implemented using software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0067] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located at a remote location 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, such as 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 ED 110 location determination, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, and 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, for example, through cooperative multicast.

[0068] 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 a transmission for downlink transmission to ED 110; processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110; preparing a transmission for backhaul transmission to NT-TRP 172; and processing transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing 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 a beam direction indicator, such as a BAI, which scheduler 253 can schedule for transmission. Processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110, determining the deployment location of NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, processor 260 can generate signaling, such as for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252. It should be noted that the term "signaling" as used herein may 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 data packets transmitted in data channels such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0069] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included within T-TRP 170 or operate separately. This scheduler can schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring unscheduled (“configured 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 used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by processor 260.

[0070] Although not shown, processor 260 may be part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254. Furthermore, although not shown, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253. Although not shown, memory 258 may be part of processor 260.

[0071] The processor 260, scheduler 253, and processing components of transmitter 252 and receiver 254 can all be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute 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 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as FPGA, GPU, or ASIC.

[0072] The NT-TRP 172 is illustrated using only a drone as an example. The NT-TRP 172 can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form. Furthermore, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 may be referred to by other names, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing operations, 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 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 medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layer functions. Since this is only an example, more generally, NT-TRP 172 may implement higher-level functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0073] 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.

[0074] Processor 276, as well as the processing components of transmitter 272 and receiver 274, can all be implemented by the same or different processors, which execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 can actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, through cooperative multicast.

[0075] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0076] One or more steps of the methods provided in this embodiment can be derived from... Figure 4 The corresponding unit or module is executed.

[0077] refer to Figure 4 Examples of units or modules in devices such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172 are shown. For example, signals can be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals can be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals can be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps can be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules can be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or combinations thereof. For example, one or more units or modules can be integrated circuits such as FPGAs, GPUs, and ASICs. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented by, for example, a processor using software, then these modules can be retrieved by the processor, in whole or in part, individually or collectively, for processing, in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0078] Further details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0079] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following is a brief description of several terms used in this application.

[0080] 1) MIMO MIMO technology enables antenna arrays consisting of multiple antennas to perform signal transmission and reception to meet high transmission rate requirements. The aforementioned ED 110, T-TRP 170, and / or NT-TRP use MIMO for communication via radio resource blocks. MIMO utilizes multiple antennas at the transmitting and / or receiving devices to transmit radio resource blocks via parallel radio signals. MIMO can beamform the parallel radio signals for reliable multipath transmission of radio resource blocks. MIMO can also bond parallel radio signals carrying different data to increase the data rate of radio resource blocks.

[0081] In recent years, MIMO (Massive MIMO) wireless communication systems using T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 antennas with a large number of antennas have received widespread attention from academia and industry. In massive MIMO systems, T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 are typically configured with more than ten antenna elements (e.g., 128 or 256) and serve dozens of ED 110s. The large number of antenna elements in T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 significantly increases the spatial freedom of wireless communication, greatly improves transmission rate, spectral efficiency, and power efficiency, and largely eliminates inter-cell interference. The increased number of antennas allows each antenna element to be made smaller and less expensive. Utilizing the spatial freedom provided by the large number of antenna elements, each T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 in a cell can communicate with multiple ED 110s in the cell simultaneously 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 provide each user with better spatial directivity during uplink and downlink transmissions, thereby reducing the transmit power of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 and ED 110, and significantly 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 ED110 and the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be nearly orthogonal, and the effects of interference and noise between the cell and the user can be eliminated. These numerous advantages make massive MIMO a promising technology for widespread applications.

[0082] 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 receiver. Each of the Rx and Tx antennas may include multiple antennas. For example, the Rx antenna may have a ULA antenna array, in which multiple antennas are arranged in a straight line at uniform intervals. When a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted through the Tx antenna, the Rx antenna may receive signals reflected and returned from a target in front. The receiver may be an ED (i.e., ED 110), and the transmitter may be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172), or the receiver may be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172), and the transmitter may be an ED (i.e., ED 110).

[0083] refer to Figure 5 As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified diagram of a communication scenario is provided. Specifically, Figure 5 This is an example of a channel model for a MIMO system. The transmitting unit is connected to four Tx antennas, x1 to x4, and the receiving unit is connected to four Rx antennas, y1 to y4. A transmission channel can be formed between each Tx antenna and each Rx antenna. For example, an RF signal transmitted through x1 can be received by y2 through channel h21. An RF signal transmitted through x3 can be received by y1 through channel h13.

[0084] In the following text, the base station is used as an example of T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172, and the UE is used as an example of ED 110. However, this document does not impose any limitations on this.

[0085] 2) Control resource set (CORESET) Configure time-frequency resources for downlink control channel transmission. In this implementation, the CORESET can be shared by multiple UEs for PDCCH transmission; that is, the time-frequency resources in the CORESET can be used for PDCCH transmission of multiple UEs. For example, in a single scheduling operation, the time-frequency resources in the CORESET may be used for PDCCH transmission of one UE, or the time-frequency resources in the CORESET may be used for PDCCH transmission of multiple UEs.

[0086] 3) Search space (SS) set Within a CORESET, the SS set is provided by the UE for receiving one or more of its PDCCHs. The SS set includes multiple sets of potential resource elements (REs) that the base station can use to send PDCCHs to a particular UE. This set of potential REs can also be referred to as PDCCH candidates.

[0087] For example, a CORESET can be shared by multiple UEs for PDCCH transmission. For each UE, one or more PDCCH candidates can be configured. This set of PDCCH candidates together constitutes a UE's SS set, and the base station can send PDCCH from any PDCCH candidate in the SS set. The UE performs blind decoding to detect and decode its PDCCH.

[0088] 4) Single-stage DCI (also known as single-stage DCI) and two-stage DCI (also known as two-stage DCI) For single-stage DCI, the DCI is carried on a physical channel, such as PDCCH. The UE receives the signal carried on the physical channel and decodes the DCI to obtain information including scheduling information. Then, the UE receives or sends data according to the scheduling information in the DCI. Compared with two-stage DCI, single-stage DCI does not include two parts of the DCI; that is, single-stage DCI is a single DCI.

[0089] For a two-stage DCI, the two-stage DCI consists of two parts, namely the first-stage DCI (or 1... st -stage DCI) and the associated second-stage DCI (or 2 nd The first-stage DCI indicates the information used to receive the second-stage DCI. The first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI can be transmitted on different physical channels and / or on different time-frequency resources. For example, this two-stage DCI structure can be used in scenarios requiring higher control information payload and greater power efficiency. Specifically, the information used to receive the second-stage DCI is carried in the first-stage DCI within the two-stage DCI, thus eliminating the need for blind decoding to receive and decode the second-stage DCI based on the scheduling information in the first-stage DCI. This reduces latency caused by blind decoding of the second-stage DCI. Furthermore, avoiding blind decoding saves UE power. Finally, using a two-stage DCI allows for more additional resources to be used to carry control information, which significantly increases the system control signal capacity and overall system data capacity.

[0090] It should be mentioned that some terms used in this article, such as PDCCH, PDSCH, physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), CORESET, and SS set, are carried over from earlier generations of wireless standards, such as 3GPP 4G / 5G (for illustrative purposes only). The application of these terms can be generalized to more general signaling and design. For example, the application of PDCCH and PUCCH can be generalized to any control signaling between the base station and the UE (e.g., downlink, uplink, or Uu interface link (Uulink)) or between the UE and another UE (i.e., sidelink). As another example, the application of PDSCH / PUSCH can be generalized to data signals transmitted between the base station and the UE (e.g., downlink, uplink, or Uu interface link) or between the UE and another UE (i.e., sidelink). As yet another example, the application of CORESET can be generalized to time-frequency resources for transmitting / receiving control signals across one or more time / frequency / spatial dimensions.

[0091] The 400 MHz system bandwidth in the 10-13 GHz range is considered the most promising mid-band for achieving wide-area coverage and capacity enhancement in 6G systems. Using 400 MHz bandwidth in the 10-13 GHz band allows for the deployment of approximately 1000 transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) antenna arrays at the base station side and approximately 30 Tx / Rx antenna arrays at the UE side, significantly larger than the scale of 5G antenna arrays. MIMO, a technology applied in the 10-13 GHz band, can improve the peak rate of single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) through approximately 20 transmission layers and enhance network peak throughput through approximately 300 multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) layers, achieving terabit-level system throughput; therefore, this MIMO can also be called terabit MIMO (T-MIMO). On both the base station and UE sides, this VMI (Very Large Scale Antenna) generates a rich set of multiple transmission layers, which can be referred to as multiple spatial layers or multiple layers. These multiple transmission layers not only improve data transmission performance but can also be used to enhance the transmission of control signals between the base station and the UE in the downlink and uplink directions. Where applicable, these multiple transmission layers can also be used in other links, such as sidelinks between UEs.

[0092] Control signal transmission (e.g., downlink control signal transmission, or sidelink control signal transmission) plays one or more of the following roles: scheduling data transmission, providing feedback on data transmission results, and providing feedback on channel measurement results. On the one hand, any errors or missed detections in control signals can lead to false detections or misinterpretations in data transmission in the downlink, uplink, or sidelink. Errors in feedback can also lead to erroneous behavior at the transmitting end (e.g., base station or UE), thus affecting the receiving end (e.g., UE) and system performance. Therefore, the error rate tolerable for control signal transmission is very low, far lower than that tolerable for data transmission. For data channels, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process is used to support retransmissions and the mixing and merging of original and retransmitted data, thereby offsetting channel impairments and improving system robustness. However, there is no such mechanism to improve the performance of control channels. Another challenge in control signal (or control channel) transmission is that the receiving end cannot know the exact time and location of the control signal transmission; therefore, the receiving end can only rely on searching and blind decoding of the control signal, which increases the complexity of detection and decoding. Therefore, more time-frequency resources need to be allocated to control signal transmission to ensure its robust and reliable performance. On the other hand, the capacity of the control signal is related to the overall system capacity; a larger control signal capacity allows for more schedulable data transmission and more feedback information to be transmitted, thereby increasing the overall system capacity. In short, the reliability, robustness, and capacity of the control signal directly affect the performance of the entire system.

[0093] In existing technologies, control signals in the physical (PHY) layer are transmitted on a single transport layer (or a single spatial layer or a single layer) within a time-frequency resource (or time-frequency resource set or time-frequency resource block) in both downlink and uplink. Time-frequency resources are typically shared by multiple UEs to balance performance and overhead. This can limit the capacity and reliability of control signal transmission. For example, in downlink, a CORESET is defined (or configured) and can be shared by multiple UEs for UE PDCCH transmission. The size of the CORESET and the number of UEs configured on it can directly affect the performance and capacity limitations of downlink control signals because the same time-frequency resources can be shared among UEs. Trade-offs need to be made between performance, overhead, and capacity. Allocating more time-frequency resources to a UE can improve its control signal performance. Conversely, fewer or no time-frequency resources can be allocated to other UEs (since these UEs share the same CORESET), or the number of UEs well-supported on the same CORESET can be reduced. Configuring more CORESETs or increasing the size of the CORESET can improve both downlink control signal performance and capacity. However, the increased overhead of downlink control signals may lead to a reduction in resources available for data transmission over the configured time-frequency resources. This could adversely affect overall system performance.

[0094] In one possible implementation, multiple transport layers can be used for control signal transmission (e.g., downlink control signal transmission, or sidelink control signal transmission). When multiple transport layers are used to transmit control signals (e.g., DCI), one or more transport layers are added on top of a single transport layer that provides time-frequency resources for control signal transmission. In other words, more time-frequency resources can be utilized to send and / or receive control signals. This can significantly improve the performance and capacity of control signal transmission compared to single-layer control signal transmission.

[0095] Specifically, in some scenarios (e.g., T-MIMO scenarios), the use of more antennas on both the base station and UE sides allows for the acquisition of more transport layers with high channel quality, opening up a new dimension (spatial dimension) for improving system performance. Control signal transmission can also benefit from the availability of multiple transport layers. If multiple transport layers are used for downlink control signal transmission between the base station and UE (e.g., PDCCH transmission) or for control signal transmission between two UEs on the sidelink (SL), more time-frequency resources will be provided for control signals compared to a single transport layer. This can not only improve the reliability / robustness of control signal transmission (e.g., by allocating more time-frequency resources and using lower coding rates) but also increase the capacity of control signals (more time-frequency resources can accommodate more UEs to transmit their control signals, which have larger payloads).

[0096] As described above, multiple transport layers can be used for control signal transmission. This application provides a solution on how to utilize multiple transport layers for control signal transmission. In some embodiments, two-stage DCI can utilize multiple transport layers for control signal transmission. Specifically, the first-stage DCI carries partial information for receiving the second-stage DCI (and partial information for receiving data / feedback), and the second-stage DCI can carry another portion of information for receiving data / feedback (e.g., this portion of information and the other portion of information can be different, identical, or partially identical), thereby reusing the current downlink control signaling mechanism from 5G NR to support the first-stage DCI in the two-stage DCI, and offloading some control information payload to the second-stage DCI in the two-stage DCI. For example, the second-stage DCI can carry at least some information for receiving data / feedback. The second-stage DCI can be transmitted along with the data / feedback across multiple transport layers.

[0097] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of description, the following description uses downstream transmission as an example.

[0098] In the embodiments of this application, the transport layer can be referred to as a spatial layer for carrying information (control information or data) for transmission, or as a layer for the same purpose. Information carried on the transport layer can be mapped to time-frequency resources using corresponding antenna ports before transmission. Multiple transport layers may enable multiple independent information streams (one stream per layer) to be wirelessly transmitted simultaneously from a transmitter (e.g., a base station, or a UE) to a receiver (e.g., a UE), thereby improving throughput or reliability. However, this is not a limitation herein. The term "transport layer" is used for ease of description only and does not limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. For example, a transport layer can be shown in the form of a beam, therefore this embodiment can be applied to beams.

[0099] In the embodiments of this application, time-frequency resources may be referred to as any of the following: resources, time-frequency domain resources, time-frequency resource areas, time-frequency resource sets, or time-frequency resource blocks.

[0100] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, communication includes transmitting (or sending) and / or receiving.

[0101] In this application embodiment, "and / or" describes the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally represents an "OR" relationship between related objects. "At least one" means one or more. "At least one of A and B" is similar to "A and / or B" in describing the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, at least one of A and B can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0102] refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 600 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication method 600 can be executed by a communication device (e.g., a base station or a UE), or by a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the communication device. The following embodiments are described using the example of the communication method 600 being executed by a UE.

[0103] In S610, the UE receives a first DCI, which is associated with a second DCI. The first DCI indicates the second DCI configured on two or more transport layers.

[0104] Accordingly, for example, the base station sends the first DCI.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first DCI indicates the second DCI configured on two or more transport layers, or it may be expressed as: the first DCI indicates information of the second DCI configured (or transmitted) on two or more transport layers (this information may be called scheduling information), or the first DCI indicates information for receiving the second DCI configured (or transmitted) on two or more transport layers (this information may be called scheduling information).

[0106] In this application, two or more transport layers may be referred to as multiple transport layers (multiple transport layers) or several transport layers. Similarly, one or more transport layers may be referred to as at least one transport layer.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first DCI is the first stage DCI in a two-stage DCI, and the second DCI is the second stage DCI in a two-stage DCI.

[0108] In S620, the UE receives the second DCI based on the first DCI.

[0109] Accordingly, for example, the base station sends a second DCI.

[0110] For example, in S620, the UE receives the second DCI on two or more transport layers. As another example, in S620, the UE receives the second DCI according to one or more of the two or more transport layers.

[0111] In some embodiments, method 600 further includes S630. In S630, the UE transmits data on one or more transport layers according to the first DCI and the second DCI, or the UE transmits data on one or more transport layers according to the second DCI. The transport layers used by the data and the transport layers used by the second DCI may partially overlap, completely overlap, or not overlap at all. For example, the second DCI and the data (or a portion of the data) may be received on the same transport layer.

[0112] Data can be scheduled by a second DCI, or data can be scheduled by a two-stage DCI that includes a first DCI and a second DCI.

[0113] In one possible implementation, the data is scheduled by a second DCI; in other words, the second DCI indicates the information used to transmit the data. Therefore, the UE transmits data at one or more transport layers according to the second DCI.

[0114] In another possible implementation, data is scheduled by a two-stage DCI. In other words, the two-stage DCI (i.e., both the first and second DCIs) jointly indicate the information used to transmit data. Therefore, the UE transmits data at one or more transport layers according to the two-stage DCI. For example, the first DCI may carry information #1 for receiving data, and the second DCI may carry information #2 for receiving data. Information #1 and information #2 may be different or the same; the UE transmits data according to information #1 and information #2.

[0115] The above implementation is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting this application in any way. For example, data is scheduled by a first DCI; in other words, the first DCI indicates information for transmitting data. Therefore, the UE transmits data at one or more transport layers according to the first DCI.

[0116] The data can be downlink data, uplink data, or sidelink data.

[0117] In one possible implementation, the data is downlink data, for example, data carried by a PDSCH. In this implementation, in S630, the UE receives data on one or more transport layers according to a first DCI and a second DCI, or the UE receives data on one or more transport layers according to a second DCI. Accordingly, the base station transmits data on one or more transport layers.

[0118] In another possible implementation, the data is uplink data, for example, data carried by a PUSCH. In this implementation, in S630, the UE transmits data on one or more transport layers according to a first DCI and a second DCI, or the UE transmits data on one or more transport layers according to a second DCI. Accordingly, the base station receives data on one or more transport layers.

[0119] In some embodiments, method 600 further includes: the UE transmitting uplink control information (UCI) (e.g., feedback) on one or more transport layers based on the first DCI and the second DCI, or the UE transmitting UCI on one or more transport layers based on the second DCI. Accordingly, the base station receives the UCI on one or more transport layers. The UCI may be carried by PUCCH or PUSCH.

[0120] UCI transmissions can be scheduled / instructed by a second DCI, or UCI transmissions can be scheduled / instructed by a two-stage DCI that includes a first DCI and a second DCI. For example, only PUCCH / PUSCH carrying UCI or carrying UCI along with data can be scheduled / instructed by a second-stage DCI or a two-stage DCI. This can be referred to in the relevant descriptions of the data above, and will not be repeated here.

[0121] The following sections describe the relevant schemes for the first DCI and the second DCI. Using the first DCI as the first stage of a two-stage DCI and the second DCI as the second stage of a two-stage DCI as examples, the schemes of this application are detailed below. The first and second stage DCIs are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting this application in any way.

[0122] / / The first stage of two-stage DCI Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) with RNTI scrambling can be used to carry PDCCH with first-stage DCI, similar to how CRC with RNTI scrambling in 5G NR can be used to carry PDCCH with traditional single-stage DCI. For ease of description, traditional single-stage DCI in 5G NR will be referred to as single-stage DCI.

[0123] In some embodiments, the RNTI used for two-stage DCI is different from the RNTI used for single-stage DCI. For example, the RNTI used to scramble the first stage DCI in a two-stage DCI is different from the RNTI used to scramble the single-stage DCI. For example, the RNTI used to scramble the single-stage DCI can be one or more of the following: system information RNTI (SI-RNTI), paging RNTI (P-RNTI), random access RNTI (RA-RNTI), and temporary cell RNTI (TC-RNTI). According to this embodiment, the UE can distinguish different DCI formats based on different RNTIs. For example, the UE can distinguish whether the DCI is a single-stage DCI format or a two-stage DCI format, or whether the DCI has an associated second-stage DCI.

[0124] For example, the RNTI used for two-stage DCI can be called "2C-RNTI", which is also known as two-stage C-RNTI, etc. For ease of description, the RNTI used for two-stage DCI will be referred to as two-stage RNTI.

[0125] A scrambling mask or sequence can be generated from a two-stage RNTI to scramble the first-stage DCI, for example, the CRC portion of the first-stage DCI.

[0126] refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is an example in this application of generating a scrambling mask using a two-stage RNTI to scramble the first-stage DCI. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the scrambling mask generated by the two-stage RNTI is applied to a portion of the CRC bits generated from the encoded DCI bits.

[0127] One or more RNTIs can exist for two-stage DCI; in other words, one or more two-stage RNTIs can exist. Furthermore, different data transmissions can use different two-stage DCI formats, which can be distinguished by using different two-stage RNTIs with scrambling CRC bits.

[0128] Phase 1 DCI can be transmitted using time-frequency resources in CORESET, similar to the single-phase DCI used in 5G NR.

[0129] In some embodiments, the CORESET used to carry the first-stage DCI may be different from or the same as the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the core set used to carry the first-stage DCI is different from the core set used to carry the single-stage DCI. That is, the core set used to carry the first-stage DCI and the core set used to carry the single-stage DCI may not overlap in terms of time-frequency resources.

[0131] refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is an example of a CORESET used to carry the first-stage DCI, which differs from a CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI. For example... Figure 8 As shown, CORESET#1 is used to carry PDCCH#1 for single-stage DCI, and CORESET#2 is used to carry PDCCH#2 for the first stage of two-stage DCI. Figure 8 As shown, CORESET#1 and CORESET#2 are different and do not overlap in time-frequency resources.

[0132] In another possible implementation, the CORESET used to carry the first-stage DCI is the same as the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI. That is, the CORESET used to carry the first-stage DCI and the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI may overlap in terms of time-frequency resources.

[0133] refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 This application provides an example of a core set used to carry a first-stage DCI that is identical to a core set used to carry a single-stage DCI. Figure 9 As shown, CORESET#1 is used to carry PDCCH#1 for single-stage DCI, and CORESET#1 is also used to carry PDCCH#2 for the first stage of two-stage DCI. In this case, the difference between PDCCH#1 and PDCCH#2 can be determined by using different RNTIs as scrambling masks for the generated CRC bits.

[0134] In some embodiments, the SS set used to carry the first-stage DCI may be different from or the same as the SS set used to carry the single-stage DCI.

[0135] In one possible implementation, the SS set used to carry the first-stage DCI is different from the SS set used to carry the single-stage DCI. That is, the SS set used to carry the first-stage DCI and the SS set used to carry the single-stage DCI may not overlap in terms of time-frequency resources.

[0136] In another possible implementation, the SS set used to carry the first-stage DCI is the same as the SS set used to carry the single-stage DCI. That is, the SS set used to carry the first-stage DCI and the SS set used to carry the single-stage DCI may overlap in terms of time-frequency resources.

[0137] This can be found in the relevant description of CORESET.

[0138] The first-stage DCI can indicate partial scheduling information; for example, the first-stage DCI may include partial scheduling information.

[0139] Specifically, in two-phase DCI, the first-phase DCI can carry scheduling information for the second-phase DCI, or it can carry both scheduling information for the second-phase DCI and scheduling information for data / feedback transmission. The data / feedback can be a portion scheduled for the two-phase DCI, while the remainder is scheduled by the second-phase DCI. This data / feedback can be carried by PDSCH or PUCCH / PUSCH.

[0140] In some embodiments, the scheduling information indicated by the first-stage DCI in S610 may include one or more of the following: time-domain resources for the second-stage DCI, time-domain resources for data, frequency-domain resources for the second-stage DCI, frequency-domain resources for data, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the second-stage DCI, MCS for data, demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port for the second-stage DCI, transport layer for the second-stage DCI, or transport layer for data. Data can be scheduled by the second-stage DCI, data can be scheduled by a two-stage DCI including both the first-stage and second-stage DCI, or data can be scheduled by the first-stage DCI. This can be referred to the relevant description of the data above, which will not be repeated here.

[0141] This information will be explained in detail below.

[0142] 1) Time-domain resources for the second-stage DCI and data The time dimension can be represented using time-domain units, which may include, but are not limited to, symbols, OFDM symbols, time slots, or transmission time intervals (TTI). Time-domain resources used for the second DCI include one or more time-domain units.

[0143] The time-domain resources used to carry the second-stage DCI and data can be specified individually, together, or some together and some individually. The following description combines two scenarios.

[0144] Scenario #1: Two-stage DCI is used to schedule downlink data transmission. In this scenario, the data is downlink data, meaning it is carried by the PDSCH.

[0145] refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is an example of scenario #1 in this application. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the second-stage DCI and data (i.e., carried by PDSCH) can be transmitted on the same time-frequency resource block but at different transport layers. Figure 10 As shown, the second-stage DCI area contains two transport layers (i.e., layer #0 and layer #1), while the PDSCH area contains three transport layers (i.e., layer #0, layer #1, and layer #2). Specifically, layers #0 and #1 in the second-stage DCI area are used for transmitting the second-stage DCI, while layers #0, #1, and #2 in the PDSCH area are used for transmitting data. The data can be scheduled by the second-stage DCI, or by a two-stage DCI that includes both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI, or it can be scheduled by the first-stage DCI.

[0146] In this scenario, some information can be indicated together, such as time and frequency resources, meaning that this part of the information can be indicated at once (i.e., this part of the information can be used for downlink data transmission and second-stage DCI transmission), but other information can be indicated separately, such as the transport layer.

[0147] If the second-stage DCI and data share the same frequency resources and are transmitted together, some information can be indicated together, such as the frequency domain resources and overall duration of the second-stage DCI transmission and data transmission. Additionally, the time domain resources used to carry the second-stage DCI can also be indicated, such as the number of symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols) and symbol positions (e.g., symbol index, start symbol, etc.). Figure 10 For example, the second-stage DCI can be transmitted on the first few OFDM symbols of the total time-frequency resources carrying both the second-stage DCI and data. Therefore, the time-domain resources used to carry the second-stage DCI can be represented as the number of the first few OFDM symbols. The OFDM symbols carrying the second-stage DCI can be followed by consecutive OFDM symbols carrying data. Figure 10The interval (also known as time offset) between the second-stage DCI area and the PDSCH area is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of this document. In some scenarios, an interval does exist between the second-stage DCI area and the PDSCH area because the base station may need to switch from a wider beam (and fewer transmission layers) used for the second-stage DCI to a narrower beam (and more transmission layers) used for the PDSCH. In this case, the interval between the second-stage DCI and the PDSCH can be indicated by the first-stage DCI and / or the second-stage DCI.

[0148] Scenario #2: Two-stage DCI is used to schedule uplink transmissions. For example, two-stage DCI is used to schedule PUSCH transmissions / PUCCH transmissions.

[0149] If two-stage DCI is used to schedule PUSCH / PUCCH transmissions, the resource information (e.g., time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, or transport layer) for the second-stage DCI and PUCCH / PUSCH can be indicated together. For example, if the second-stage DCI and PUCCH / PUSCH are transmitted via TDD and the same frequency resources are allocated to them, the frequency-domain resources can be indicated together. As another example, if the second-stage DCI and PUCCH / PUSCH are transmitted via FDD, or if the second-stage DCI and PUCCH / PUSCH are transmitted via TDD but on different frequency resources, the resource information can be indicated separately.

[0150] refer to Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is an example of scenario #2 in this application. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the second-stage DCI and uplink signals (i.e., carried by PUCCH / PUSCH) can be transmitted via TDD, meaning the frequency domain resources used for the second-stage DCI and PUSCH / PUCCH are the same. In this scenario, the interval (also known as time offset) between the second-stage DCI and PUCCH / PUSCH may be larger compared to scenario #1. Furthermore, in this scenario, since there is no data caching issue as in scenario #1, where the first-stage DCI and data (i.e., carried by PDSCH) are transmitted continuously together and need to be cached by the UE, the resource information (e.g., time domain resources, frequency domain resources, or transport layer) used for PUCCH / PUSCH can be carried by the second-stage DCI instead of the first-stage DCI, thereby reducing the payload of the first-stage DCI.

[0151] 2) Frequency domain resources for the second-stage DCI and data Frequency dimensions can be represented using frequency domain units, which can include, but are not limited to, subcarriers, subbands, resource blocks (RBs), or resource block groups (RBGs). Frequency domain resources comprise one or more frequency domain units.

[0152] Frequency domain resources used for the second-stage DCI and data can refer to time domain resources used for the second-stage DCI and data.

[0153] 3) MCS for Phase 22 DCI The MCS used for the second-stage DCI is used to demodulate the second-stage DCI.

[0154] 4) MCS for data The MCS used for data demodulation is used to demodulate the data. Information about the MCS used for data can be indicated by the first-stage DCI, or by the second-stage DCI.

[0155] 5) DMRS port information used for the second-stage DCI "DMRS port for second-stage DCI" can also be expressed as "DMRS port for second-stage DCI I demodulation".

[0156] Information for the DMRS ports used in the second-stage DCI may include one or more of the following: one or more DMRS port numbers, one or more DMRS modes, one or more DMRS sequences, or one or more generation parameters (e.g., scrambling ID) of one or more DMRS sequences. Specifically, one or more bit fields (or bit strings) may be used in the first-stage DCI to carry information for the DMRS ports used in the second-stage DCI. Alternatively, for example, the first-stage DCI may also indicate information for one or more DMRS ports used for data. Or, the first-stage DCI may indicate partial information for one or more DMRS ports used for data, and the second-stage DCI may indicate other information for one or more DMRS ports used for data; therefore, the UE can demodulate data based on both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI.

[0157] Since Phase 2 DCI may need to be transmitted to one or more UEs, a wider beam pointing in a specific direction can be used for Phase 2 DCI compared to a narrower beam used for data for a specific UE.

[0158] refer to Figure 12 , Figure 12 This is an example of the beam used for the second-stage DCI and data in this application. For example... Figure 12As shown, a wider beam is used to cover the second-stage DCI of multiple UEs (e.g., UE#1, UE#2, and UE#3), while a narrower beam is used for data scheduled to UE#1 (i.e., carried by the PDSCH). The beam direction and width can be determined based on parameters and can be implemented by the base station. For example, parameters may include one or more of the following: previous PDCCH / PDSCH / PUCCH / PUSCH transmissions, angle of arrival (AoA) (e.g., estimated AoA), angle of departure (AoD) (e.g., estimated AoD), reflector clusters, or other information (e.g., sensing, etc.). Schemes related to beam direction and width can refer to, but are not limited to, existing technologies.

[0159] The beams implemented by the base station may be transparent to the UE and therefore may not be indicated in the first-stage DCI. Each beam may represent a transport layer, and using a beam implies using a specific transport layer. For demodulation of control signals (e.g., second-stage DCI) or data signaling transmitted on a specific transport layer, a DMRS port is used, and the UE can be indicated to that DMRS port for demodulation. From the UE's perspective, the UE can use one or more indicated DMRS ports to demodulate its control signals (e.g., second-stage DCI) or data without explicitly knowing the beam and transport layer information of the transmitted control signals or data.

[0160] Additionally, if no signaling transmission provides information about the DMRS port, or if the signaling indicating the DMRS port is lost or not detected / decoded, the UE can use a default beam, which can be predefined or configured by the base station. Furthermore, for example, the UE can use the DMRS port corresponding to the default beam to demodulate its control signals (e.g., second-stage DCI) or data. Specifically, multiple default beams can exist, with different beams corresponding to different DMRS ports, allowing the UE to determine the DMRS port based on the default beam.

[0161] To reduce overhead, higher-layer signals can pre-configure a set of DMRS ports and / or DMRS patterns, and then only the configured DMRS ports and patterns in that set need to be indicated. For example, a set of 16 DMRS ports can be pre-configured, so only 4 bits are needed to indicate one or more of the 16 DMRS ports.

[0162] In some embodiments, the DMRS ports used for second-stage DCI can be different from those used for data / feedback. For example, the number of DMRS ports used for second-stage DCI may differ from the number of DMRS ports used for data carried by PDSCH. On one hand, second-stage DCI transmission can use a wider beam to cover a relatively larger area (and more UEs), thus requiring fewer antenna ports (i.e., virtual antenna ports); while PDSCH transmission can use a narrower beam pointing to one or more specific UEs, thus requiring more antenna ports (i.e., virtual antenna ports) overall in the system. Furthermore, more antenna ports may create more transport layers, which can be used to increase system throughput and data transmission reliability, whereas control signals may not have this requirement, thus requiring more DMRS ports. On the other hand, second-stage DCI can be transmitted using a different set of OFDM symbols than those used for data transmission, allowing for separate beam sets for second-stage DCI and data. That is, second-stage DCI transmission and data transmission are multiplexed using time division multiplexing (TDM).

[0163] In some embodiments, the DMRS ports used for demodulating different second-stage DCIs can be orthogonal. Specifically, MU-MIMO and / or SU-MIMO can be supported for second-stage DCI transmission, that is, one or more second-stage DCIs from a single UE can be transmitted simultaneously on multiple transport layers, and / or one or more second-stage DCIs from multiple UEs can be transmitted simultaneously on different transport layers. To support SU-MIMO / MU-MIMO, orthogonal DMRS ports can be specified for demodulating different second-stage DCIs.

[0164] 6) Transport layer for the second stage of DCI For example, the transport layer information used for the second-stage DCI includes one or more of the following: one or more indices of the transport layer, the transport layer number.

[0165] Additionally, for example, the first-stage DCI may include transport layer information for scheduled data / feedback transmissions.

[0166] The aforementioned scheduling information may be carried by the first-stage DCI, or some scheduling information may be carried by the first-stage DCI while other scheduling information is carried by higher-layer signaling (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signaling).

[0167] The above describes the scheme related to the first stage DCI in the two-stage DCI of this application. The following describes the scheme related to the second stage DCI.

[0168] / / The second stage of DCI in a two-stage DCI The second stage of a two-stage DCI is typically allocated more dedicated time-frequency resources and can carry more scheduling information.

[0169] refer to Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is an example of the second-stage DCI and PDSCH time slot formats of this application. Figure 13 As shown, both the second-stage DCI region and the PDSCH region include one or more DMRS symbols for demodulation and several symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols) for carrying the payload (e.g., the second-stage DCI and data carried by the PDSCH). The interval (also known as the time offset) T between the second-stage DCI region and the PDSCH region is for illustrative purposes only; there may be no interval between the second-stage DCI region and the PDSCH region.

[0170] refer to Figure 14 , Figure 14 This is an example of the second-stage DCI and uplink signal timeslot format of this application. The uplink signal can be carried by PUCCH / PUSCH. (And...) Figure 13 Similar to the PDSCH region shown, the difference is that the interval T between the second-stage DCI region and the PUCCH / PUSCH region may be larger than the interval between the second-stage DCI region and the PDSCH region.

[0171] In some embodiments, the second-stage DCI may indicate (e.g., include) one or more of the following: the DMRS port for data, the MCS for data, the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) identifier (ID) for data, the redundancy version (RV) of data, the time-domain resources for data, the frequency-domain resources for data, the time offset between the time-frequency resources for the second-stage DCI and the time-frequency resources for data, or the transport layer for data. Data can be scheduled by the second-stage DCI, or by a two-stage DCI including both the first-stage and second-stage DCI, or by the first-stage DCI. This can be referred to in the relevant description of the data above, which will not be repeated here.

[0172] This information will be explained in detail below.

[0173] 1) DMRS port used for data "DMRS port for data" can also be expressed as "DMRS port for data demodulation".

[0174] Information for the DMRS ports used for data can include one or more of the following: DMRS port number, one or more DMRS patterns, one or more DMRS sequences, or one or more generation parameters (e.g., scrambling ID) of one or more DMRS sequences. Specifically, one or more bit fields (or bit strings) can be used in the second-stage DCI to carry information for the DMRS ports used for data. For example, compared to the first-stage DCI, the second-stage DCI can carry more DMRS ports and DMRS patterns, which is particularly beneficial for T-MIMO, where a large number of antennas can be used for data / feedback transmission.

[0175] 2) MCS used for data The MCS used for data demodulation is used to demodulate the data.

[0176] For example, the MCS information could be a single average MCS for all indicated transport layers. Alternatively, the MCS information could include multiple MCSs for each indicated transport layer.

[0177] 3) HARQ ID / RV The HARQ ID / RV information is used to indicate the HARQ ID / RV of each HARQ process carrying data (i.e., data carried by PDSCH or PUSCH). Since multiple transport layers are available for data transmission (e.g., PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions), a HARQ entity can manage the same HARQ process across two or more transport layers. For example, for a given HARQ process, its original transmission and retransmissions with different RVs can be scheduled on different transport layers indicating whether they are used for PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions, thus reducing latency and spatial diversity.

[0178] 4) Time-domain resources and frequency-domain resources for data For example, if the first-stage DCI does not indicate time-frequency resources for transmitting data, the second-stage DCI can indicate time-frequency resources.

[0179] Additionally, for example, the second-stage DCI can indicate resources (e.g., time-frequency resources and / or transport layer) used for uplink signals (e.g., data / feedback). Specifically, since the second-stage DCI is transmitted in the downlink and the uplink signal is transmitted in the uplink, the resources used for the second-stage DCI and the uplink signal may differ in one or more dimensions of time / frequency / space. Therefore, the second-stage DCI can indicate information about the resources used for uplink data / feedback. This resource information is also carried in the second-stage DCI rather than the first-stage DCI, thereby reducing the payload of the first-stage DCI.

[0180] 6) Time offset between time-frequency resources used for the second-stage DCI and time-frequency resources used for data. In one possible implementation, the time offset is the interval between the second-stage DCI and the uplink signal (e.g., data / feedback), for example, the time offset is the interval between the start time domain unit of the second-stage DCI and the start time domain unit of the uplink signal. Figure 14 For example, the second-stage DCI can indicate the time offset T between the start of the second-stage DCI area and the start of the PUCCH / PUSCH area. Specifically, T is the interval between the start symbol of the second-stage DCI (e.g., the symbol of the DMRS used for the second-stage DCI) and the start symbol of the PUCCH / PUSCH.

[0181] As mentioned above, the second-stage DCI can indicate information used for data / feedback transmission, or both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI can indicate information used for data / feedback transmission.

[0182] For example, in scenario #1 above, if the second-stage DCI indicates information used for downlink data transmission, the UE can receive data according to the indication of the second-stage DCI. If both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI indicate information used for downlink data transmission, the UE can receive data according to the indications of both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI. For example, in scenario #2 above, if the second-stage DCI indicates information for uplink transmission (e.g., data / feedback transmission), the UE can send data / feedback according to the indication of the second-stage DCI. If both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI indicate information for uplink transmission, the UE can send data / feedback according to the indications of both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI.

[0183] / / MU-MIMO support for Phase 2 DCI and data / feedback transmission Since multiple transport layers can be used for second-stage DCI transmission and data / feedback transmission, multiple UEs can be supported to perform second-stage DCI transmission, data / feedback transmission, or both in a MU-MIMO manner. The data / feedback transmission can be scheduled by second-stage DCI, by a two-stage DCI system including both first-stage and second-stage DCI, or by first-stage DCI.

[0184] The following description combines two scenarios.

[0185] Scenario #1: Two-stage DCI is used to schedule downlink data transmission. In this scenario, the data is downlink data, meaning it is carried by the PDSCH.

[0186] For second-stage DCI transmission, different second-stage DCIs for different UEs can be indicated by one or more first-stage DCIs for each UE. Different second-stage DCIs can be transmitted in the downlink at different transport layers (i.e., using different beams) in a MU-MIMO manner. Taking UE#1 and UE#2 as examples, second-stage DCI transmission for UE#1 and UE#2 can be supported in a MU-MIMO manner. Specifically, the base station sends a first-stage DCI#1 and a second-stage DCI#1 of a two-stage DCI (e.g., referred to as two-stage DCI#1) to UE#1, and the base station also sends a first-stage DCI#2 and a second-stage DCI#2 of another two-stage DCI (e.g., referred to as two-stage DCI#2) to UE#2. Accordingly, UE#1 receives the first-stage DCI#1 and the second-stage DCI#1, and UE#2 receives the first-stage DCI#2 and the second-stage DCI#2. For example, the two-stage DCI#1 and two-stage DCI#2 can be different, meaning the base station sends two-stage DCI#1 and two-stage DCI#2 to UE#1 and UE#2 respectively. Alternatively, the two-stage DCI#1 and two-stage DCI#2 can be the same, in which case the base station can send two-stage DCI#1 (i.e., two-stage DCI#2) to UE#1 and UE#2 respectively. For example, the base station can broadcast two-stage DCI#1, and UE#1 and UE#2 can receive two-stage DCI#1.

[0187] refer to Figure 15 , Figure 15 This is an example of the second-stage DCI transmission and downlink data transmission of this application.

[0188] like Figure 15As shown, a wider beam #1 is used to carry a second-stage DCI on one transport layer (e.g., layer #0) to cover UE #1 and UE #2, while a wider beam #2 is used to carry a second-stage DCI on another transport layer (e.g., layer #1) to cover UE #3 and UE #4. Specifically, the base station transmits one or more second-stage DCIs on layer #0 using the wider beam #1, which covers UE #1 and UE #2. The base station also transmits one or more additional second-stage DCIs on layer #1 using the wider beam #2, which covers UE #3 and UE #4. Additionally, the base station can transmit beam information. For example, the base station transmits beam #1 information to UE #1 and UE #2, for example, DMRS port #0 is used for beam #1, and the base station transmits beam #2 information to UE #3 and UE #4, for example, DMRS port #1 is used for beam #2. Beam #1 information can be indicated by one or more Phase 1 DCIs for each of UE #1 and UE #2, and beam #2 information can be indicated by one or more Phase 1 DCIs for each of UE #3 and UE #4.

[0189] Additionally, orthogonal DMRS ports can be indicated in the corresponding first-stage DCI for demodulating the second-stage DCI on each corresponding transmission layer carried by the corresponding wider beam. For example... Figure 15 As shown, for example, DMRS port #1 can be indicated by the first-stage DCI of UE #1 for demodulating the second-stage DCI transmitted by UE #1 on layer #0, while DMRS port #3 can be indicated by the first-stage DCI of UE #3 for demodulating the second-stage DCI transmitted by UE #3 on layer #1. DMRS port #1 and DMRS port #3 can be orthogonal.

[0190] For downlink data transmission (e.g., PDSCH transmission), the beam used for downlink data transmission can be narrower than the beam used for Phase 2 DCI transmission; that is, a narrower beam can be used to carry downlink data (or one or more PDSCHs) to each UE. For example... Figure 15 As shown, the narrower beam #1 is used for PDSCH #1 of UE#1 on one transport layer (e.g., layer #0), and the narrower beam #2 is used for PDSCH #2 of UE#2 on another transport layer (e.g., layer #1). Specifically, the base station transmits one downlink data carried by PDSCH #1 through the narrower beam #1, and UE#1 receives this downlink data. The base station also transmits another downlink data carried by PDSCH #2 using the narrower beam #2, and UE#2 receives this other downlink data.

[0191] Additionally, orthogonal DMRS ports can be indicated in the corresponding second-stage DCI for demodulating downlink data on each corresponding transport layer carried by the corresponding narrower beam. For example... Figure 15As shown, for example, DMRS port #00 can be indicated by the second-stage DCI of UE#1 for demodulating data transmitted by UE#1 on layer #0 (i.e., carried by PDSCH #1), while DMRS port #01 can be indicated by the second-stage DCI of UE#2 for demodulating data transmitted by UE#2 on layer #1 (i.e., carried by PDSCH #2). DMRS ports #00 and #01 can be orthogonal. DMRS ports #00 and #01 are different from DMRS port #1 used for demodulation in the second-stage DCI.

[0192] Scenario #2: Two-stage DCI is used to schedule uplink transmissions. For example, two-stage DCI is used to schedule PUSCH transmissions / PUCCH transmissions.

[0193] refer to Figure 16 , Figure 16 This is an example of the second-stage DCI transmission and uplink transmission of this application.

[0194] For Phase 2 DCI transmission, different Phase 2 DCIs for different UEs can be indicated by their respective Phase 1 DCIs, and transmitted on different transport layers (i.e., using different beams) in a MU-MIMO manner. This can be referred to in the relevant description in Scenario 1.

[0195] For uplink transmission (e.g., PUCCH / PUSCH transmission), the beam used for uplink transmission can be narrower than the beam used for the second-stage DCI transmission; that is, a narrower beam can be used to carry uplink signals (or one or more PUCCH / PUSCHs) from each UE to the base station. Figure 16 As shown, narrower beam #1 is used for the PUCCH / PUSCH of UE#1 on one transport layer, and narrower beam #2 is used for the PUCCH / PUSCH of UE#2 on another transport layer. Specifically, UE#1 transmits an uplink signal carried by a PUCCH / PUSCH using narrower beam #1, and the base station receives the uplink signal. UE#2 also transmits another uplink signal carried by another PUCCH / PUSCH using narrower beam #2, and the base station receives the other uplink signal. UE#1 and UE#2 can also transmit uplink signals to different base stations or different TRPs.

[0196] Additionally, orthogonal DMRS ports can be indicated in the corresponding second-stage DCI for demodulating uplink signals on each corresponding transport layer carried by the corresponding narrower beam. This can be referred to in the relevant description in Scenario 1.

[0197] / / UE procedure for receiving two-stage DCI The solutions of the embodiments of this application have been described above. The above embodiments can be used individually or in combination. Below are examples of combinations of the above embodiments.

[0198] refer to Figure 17 , Figure 17 This is a schematic interaction diagram of a communication method applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0199] In S1710, the UE receives the first-stage DCI.

[0200] Specifically, the UE detects and decodes the PDCCH carrying the first-stage DCI based on the configured CORESET and SS set.

[0201] In some embodiments, the method further includes 1720.

[0202] In S1720, the UE determines the information used to receive the second-stage DCI based on the first-stage DCI.

[0203] Additionally, in S1720, the UE can also determine the information used for transmitting data / feedback based on the first-phase DCI. Data / feedback can be carried by PDSCH / PUCCH / PUSCH.

[0204] Specifically, the UE decodes the first-stage DCI received in S1710 and determines (or obtains) the scheduling / instructions for the second-stage DCI transmission, or determines (or obtains) the scheduling / instructions for both the second-stage DCI transmission and the data / feedback transmission. For example, the UE may determine (or obtain) information about the DMRS port used for second-stage DCI demodulation.

[0205] In S1730, the UE receives the second-stage DCI.

[0206] Specifically, the UE decodes the second-stage DCI based on the information determined in S1720. For example, the UE decodes the second-stage DCI based on the DMRS port used for second-stage DCI demodulation.

[0207] In some embodiments, the method further includes 1740.

[0208] In S1740, the UE determines the information for data / feedback transmission based on the second-stage DCI or both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI.

[0209] Specifically, the UE decodes the second-stage DCI received in S1730 to determine (or obtain) the scheduling / instructions for data / feedback transmission. For example, the UE may determine (or obtain) information about the DMRS port used for data / feedback demodulation.

[0210] In some embodiments, the method further includes 1750.

[0211] In S1750, the UE transmits data / feedback according to the instructions of the second-stage DCI or according to both the instructions of the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI.

[0212] Specifically, if the data is downlink data, then in S1750, the UE receives the data according to the instruction of the second-stage DCI or according to both the instruction of the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI; if the data / feedback is an uplink signal, then in S1750, the UE sends the data / feedback according to the instruction of the second-stage DCI or according to both the instruction of the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI.

[0213] For example, the second-stage DCI of S1730 indicates information for data / feedback transmission, and then the UE transmits data / feedback according to the instructions of the second-stage DCI.

[0214] For example, in S1710, the first-stage DCI indicates part of the information used for data / feedback transmission, and in S1730, the second-stage DCI indicates the remaining information used for data / feedback transmission. Then, the UE transmits data / feedback according to the indications of both the first-stage DCI and the second-stage DCI.

[0215] In some of the above embodiments, for example Figures 7 to 2 1. Taking layers #0 and #1 as examples, this application embodiment does not limit the number of transmission layers configured for control signal transmission (e.g., second-stage DCI transmission) and data / feedback transmission, and this application embodiment does not limit the number of transmission layers carrying control signals (e.g., second-stage DCI transmission) and data / feedback.

[0216] In some of the above embodiments, downlink transmission is used as an example for illustration. The above embodiments can be used for sidelink transmission. For example, in S610, the UE receives first sidelink control information (SCI), which is associated with a second SCI. The second SCI is transmitted on two or more transport layers, and the first SCI indicates information for receiving the second SCI. In S620, the UE receives the second SCI on two or more transport layers based on the first SCI. Correspondingly, other UEs transmit the first SCI and the second SCI. The first SCI may refer to a first DCI, and the second SCI may refer to a second DCI.

[0217] The above text combined Figures 6 to 17 A method according to embodiments of this application is described in detail below. Figures 18 to 19The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application is 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, further details are omitted here.

[0218] refer to Figure 18 The diagram illustrates a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1800 includes a transceiver unit 1810 and a processing unit 1820. The transceiver unit 1810 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 1820 is used to perform data processing. The transceiver unit 1810 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0219] In some embodiments, the communication device 1800 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 1820 may read the instructions and / or data from the storage unit to enable the communication device to implement the method embodiments described above.

[0220] The communication device 1800 can be used to perform the actions performed by the UE in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device 1800 can be the UE or a component that can be configured in the UE. The transceiver unit 1810 is used to perform the UE-side transmission-related (e.g., receive / transmit related) operations in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 1820 is used to perform the UE-side processing-related operations in the above method embodiments.

[0221] The communication device 1800 can implement the embodiments of this application. Figures 6 to 17 The steps or processes executed by the UE in the communication device 1800. Figures 6 to 17 The unit is responsible for implementing the method of the UE. Additionally, each unit in the communication device 1800 and the other operations and / or functions described above are used to implement... Figures 6 to 17 The corresponding process in the text.

[0222] Alternatively, the communication device 1800 can be used to perform the actions performed by the base station in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device 1800 can be a base station or a component that can be configured in the base station. The transceiver unit 1810 is used to perform the base station-side transmission-related (e.g., receive / transmit related) operations in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 1820 is used to perform the base station-side processing-related operations in the above method embodiments.

[0223] The communication device 1800 can implement the embodiments of this application. Figures 6 to 17 The steps or processes performed by the base station in the communication device 1800. Figures 6 to 17 The base station in the communication device 1800 is a unit that executes the method. Furthermore, each unit in the communication device 1800 and the other operations and / or functions described above are used to implement... Figures 6 to 17 The corresponding process in the text.

[0224] The specific process by which each unit performs the corresponding steps described above has been explained in detail in the above method embodiments. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0225] refer to Figure 19 The diagram illustrates a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1900 includes a processor 1910. The processor 1910 is coupled to a memory 1920. The memory 1920 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 1910 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions and / or data stored in the memory 1920 to perform the methods described in the above-described method embodiments.

[0226] In some embodiments, the communication device 1900 includes one or more processors 1910.

[0227] In the example, such as Figure 19 As shown, the communication device 1900 may also include a memory 1920.

[0228] In some embodiments, the communication device 1900 may include one or more memories 1920.

[0229] In the example, memory 1920 can be integrated with processor 1910 or set up separately from processor 1910.

[0230] In the example, such as Figure 19 As shown, the communication device 1900 may further include a transceiver 1930, wherein the transceiver 1930 is used to receive and / or transmit signals. For example, the processor 1910 may be used to control the transceiver 1930 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0231] In some embodiments, the communication device 1900 may be a UE or a component (e.g., a chip, circuit, or processing system) that can be configured in a UE; the communication device 1900 may also be a base station or a component (e.g., a chip, circuit, or processing system) that can be configured in a base station.

[0232] In one embodiment, the communication device 1900 is used to perform the operations performed by the UE in the above method embodiment.

[0233] For example, processor 1910 can be used to perform processing-related operations performed by the UE in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 1930 can be used to perform transmission-related (e.g., receive / transmit related) operations performed by the UE in the above method embodiments.

[0234] In another embodiment, the communication device 1900 is used to perform the operations performed by the base station in the above method embodiment.

[0235] For example, processor 1910 can be used to perform processing-related operations performed by the base station in the above method embodiments, and transceiver 1930 can be used to perform transmission-related (e.g., receive / transmit related) operations performed by the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0236] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the UE or the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0237] For example, when a computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the method executed by the UE or the method executed by the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0238] This application also provides a computer program product including instructions. When the instructions are executed by a computer, the computer implements the method executed by the UE or the method executed by the base station in the above method embodiments.

[0239] This application also provides a communication system. The communication system includes the UE and base station described in the above embodiments.

[0240] The explanation and beneficial effects of any of the communication devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above. Further details are omitted here.

[0241] The processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU). The processor can also be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or another programmable logic device, discrete gate, transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or the processor can be any conventional processor.

[0242] 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 and not limitation, RAM can include a variety of forms, such as: 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).

[0243] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, another programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0244] 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.

[0245] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various examples, units, and methods described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this specification 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 to be outside the scope of protection of this application.

[0246] 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.

[0247] 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 examples. 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 combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted or not performed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or described can be implemented through some interface. Indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units can be implemented in electronic, mechanical or other forms.

[0248] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to implement the solution provided in this application, depending on actual needs.

[0249] 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.

[0250] 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 generate a process or function according to the embodiments of this application. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or another programmable device. For example, the 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 one computer-readable storage medium to another. 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. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer, or it can be a data storage device integrating one or more available media, such as a server or data center. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), a semiconductor medium (e.g., SSD), etc. For example, the available media can include, but are not limited to, any media that can store program code, such as USB flash drives, external hard drives, ROM, RAM, disks, or optical discs.

[0251] The above description is merely some specific implementations of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any variations or substitutions that are readily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application are 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, include: Receive first downlink control information (DCI), which is associated with a second DCI, and the first DCI indicates the second DCI configured on two or more transport layers; The second DCI is received according to the first DCI.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication method is for a two-stage DCI, where the first DCI is the first stage of the two-stage DCI and the second DCI is the second stage of the two-stage DCI.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Data is transmitted at one or more transport layers according to the first DCI and the second DCI; or Data is transmitted at one or more transport layers according to the second DCI.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The transport layer used for the data is different from the transport layer used for the second DCI; or The transport layer used for the data is the same as the transport layer portion used for the second DCI.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The scrambling mask for one or more cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying the first DCI is determined based on the first radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), which is used for the two-stage DCI.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first RNTI is different from the second RNTI, which is used for single-stage DCI.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The control resource set (CORESET) used to carry the first stage DCI in the two-stage DCI is different from the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI; and / or The search space set used to carry the first stage DCI in the two-stage DCI is different from the search space set used to carry the single-stage DCI.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first DCI includes one or more of the following information: The time-domain resources used for the second DCI, the time-domain resources used for data, the frequency-domain resources used for the second DCI, the frequency-domain resources used for data, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used for the second DCI, the MCS used for data, the number of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports used for the second DCI, the number of DMRS ports used for data, the transport layer used for the second DCI, or the transport layer used for data.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The second DCI includes one or more of the following: the number of DMRS ports for data, the MCS for data, the hybrid automatic repeat request identifier for data, the redundant version of data, the time domain resources for data, the frequency domain resources for said data, the time offset between the time-frequency resources for the second DCI and the time-frequency resources for data, or the transport layer for data.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The number of transmission layers used to transmit the data is greater than the number of transmission layers used to transmit the second DCI.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The second DCI is for one or more communication devices.

12. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, Receiving the second DCI includes: receiving the second DCI using a first beam; The transmitted data includes transmitting the data using a second beam, wherein the first beam is different from the second beam.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Transmit first downlink control information (DCI), which is associated with a second DCI, and the first DCI indicates the second DCI configured on two or more transport layers; The second DCI is transmitted according to the first DCI.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first DCI is the first stage DCI in the two-stage DCI, and the second DCI is the second stage DCI in the two-stage DCI.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Data is transmitted at one or more transport layers according to the first DCI and the second DCI; or Data is transmitted at one or more transport layers according to the second DCI.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The transport layer used for the data is different from the transport layer used for the second DCI; or The transport layer used for the data is the same as the transport layer portion used for the second DCI.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The scrambling mask for one or more cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carrying the first DCI is determined based on the first radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), which is used for the two-stage DCI.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first RNTI is different from the second RNTI, which is used for single-stage DCI.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that, The control resource set (CORESET) used to carry the first stage DCI in the two-stage DCI is different from the CORESET used to carry the single-stage DCI; and / or The search space set used to carry the first stage DCI in the two-stage DCI is different from the search space set used to carry the single-stage DCI.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that, The first DCI includes one or more of the following information: The time-domain resources used for the second DCI, the time-domain resources used for data, the frequency-domain resources used for the second DCI, the frequency-domain resources used for data, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used for the second DCI, the MCS used for data, the number of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports used for the second DCI, the number of DMRS ports used for data, the transport layer used for the second DCI, or the transport layer used for data.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that, The second DCI includes one or more of the following: the number of DMRS ports for data, the MCS for data, the hybrid automatic repeat request identifier for data, the redundant version of data, the time domain resources for data, the frequency domain resources for said data, the time offset between the time-frequency resources for the second DCI and the time-frequency resources for data, or the transport layer for data.

22. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The number of transmission layers used to transmit the data is greater than the number of transmission layers used to transmit the second DCI.

23. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that, Transmitting the second DCI includes: The second DCI is sent to one or more communication devices.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The one or more communication devices include a first communication device and a second communication device, and the transmission of the first downlink control information (DCI) includes: The first DCI is sent to the first communication device, and the first DCI instructs the first communication device to receive the information of the second DCI. The method further includes: A third DCI is sent to the second communication device, the third DCI instructing the second communication device to receive information of a fourth DCI, the third DCI being associated with the fourth DCI, the fourth DCI being transmitted on two or more transport layers.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The DMRS port of the second DCI used for the first communication device is indicated by the first DCI, and the DMRS port of the fourth DCI used for the second communication device is indicated by the third DCI.

26. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The transmission of the second DCI includes: transmitting the second DCI using a first beam; The transmitted data includes transmitting the data using a second beam, wherein the first beam is different from the second beam.

27. An apparatus, characterized in that, The apparatus includes a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute one or more instructions stored in a memory, causing the apparatus to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or 13 to 26.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, characterized in that, The device includes the memory.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27 or 28, characterized in that, The device includes a communication interface for inputting and / or outputting information.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 27 to 29, characterized in that, The device is a communication device, a chip, or a circuit.

31. An apparatus, characterized in that, The apparatus includes functions or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or for performing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 26.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It includes one or more instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 26.

33. A computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a computer, it causes the communication device to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 26.

34. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes one or more instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 26.

35. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and the second communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 13 to 26.

36. An apparatus, characterized in that, Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or 13 to 26.

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