ssb beam identity

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to SSB beam identification. Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for synchronization signal block (SSB) beam identification. In an example method, a network device transmits, to a terminal device, an SSB including at least one physical broadcast channel (PBCH). At least one frequency location of the at least one PBCH is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB. After receiving the SSB, the terminal device determines the SSB index of the SSB based on the at least one frequency location of the at least one PBCH in the SSB.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to the field of communications, and more specifically to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for identifying Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) beams. Background Technology

[0002] A communication network can be viewed as a facility that enables communication between two or more communication devices or provides communication devices with access to a data network. Mobile or wireless communication networks are an example of communication networks.

[0003] Such communication networks operate according to standards such as those issued by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) or ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). Examples of such standards include the so-called 5G (fifth generation) standard or other standards issued by 3GPP. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In general, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for communication, particularly for SSB beam identification. In this solution, a mechanism is provided for terminal equipment (such as user equipment (UE)) to identify SSB beams. Utilizing this solution, for example in a sixth-generation (6G) environment, the SSB index of an SSB beam can be determined based on new network information, provided that the primary synchronization signal (PSS) / secondary synchronization signal (SSS) is decoupled from the PBCH / Master Information Block (MIB) / System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1) within the SSB.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive a synchronization signal block (SSB) including at least one demodulation reference signal (DMRS) from a network device; and determine an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of the at least one DMRS.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: send an SSB including at least one DMRS to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one DMRS is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving an SSB comprising at least one DMRS from a network device; and determining an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency location of the at least one DMRS.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: sending an SSB comprising at least one DMRS to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one DMRS is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for receiving an SSB including at least one DMRS from a network device; and components for determining an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency location of the at least one DMRS.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a component for transmitting an SSB including at least one DMRS to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one DMRS is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, including program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the methods of the third or fourth aspect above.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform at least the methods of the third or fourth aspect above.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: a receiving circuit configured to receive an SSB including at least one DMRS from a network device; and a determining circuit configured to determine an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency location of the at least one DMRS.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes: a transmitting circuit configured to transmit an SSB including at least one DMRS to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one DMRS is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive an SSB including at least one Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) from a network device; and determine an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: send an SSB including at least one PBCH to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving an SSB comprising at least one PBCH from a network device; and determining an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0018] In a fourteenth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: sending an SSB including at least one PBCH to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0019] In a fifteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for receiving an SSB comprising at least one PBCH from a network device; and components for determining an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0020] In a sixteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for transmitting to a terminal device an SSB comprising at least one PBCH, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0021] In a seventeenth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, including program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the methods of the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect above.

[0022] In the eighteenth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the methods of the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect above.

[0023] In a nineteenth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: a receiving circuit configured to receive an SSB including at least one PBCH from a network device; and a determining circuit configured to determine an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0024] In a twentieth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes: a transmitting circuit configured to transmit an SSB comprising at least one PBCH to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH is used to indicate an SSB index of the SSB.

[0025] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A An example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown; Figure 1B This illustrates the design of SSB in 5G; Figure 1C This shows the location of DMRS within the PBCH transmission in 5G; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an example process for SSB beam identification according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3 A flowchart is shown as another example process for SSB beam identification according to some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 4 The signaling flow of some embodiments according to this disclosure is shown; Figure 5 The signaling flow of another example embodiment according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 6 A flowchart is shown illustrating an example method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 A flowchart is shown illustrating an example method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8 A flowchart is shown for another example method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 9 A flowchart is shown for another example method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 10 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown; and Figure 11 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0029] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0030] References to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment needs to include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is claimed that, whether explicitly described or not, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art that such feature, structure, or characteristic would be affected by other embodiments.

[0031] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0032] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “possessing,” “containing,” and / or “covering” as used herein specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0033] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of the (multiple) hardware processors having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and (c) The hardware circuitry and / or processors, such as microprocessors or a portion thereof, require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when operation is not required.

[0034] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit" also covers only hardware circuitry or processors (or processors), or a portion of hardware circuitry or processors and their accompanying software and / or firmware implementations. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0035] As used herein, the terms “network,” “communication network,” or “data network” refer to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Wi-Fi, etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices / components in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generated communication protocol, including but not limited to fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), future sixth-generation (6G), the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development in communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that can implement this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the aforementioned systems only.

[0036] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communications network through which terminal devices receive services (e.g., location services). Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device can refer to core network equipment or access network equipment, such as a base station (BS) or access point (AP) or transmit and receive point (TRP), for example, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a New Radio (NR) NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Head (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), a WiFi device, a repeater, or a low-power node (such as a femtosecond, picosecond, etc.). In the following description, the terms "network device," "AP device," "AP," and "access point" are used interchangeably.

[0037] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), station (STA), or station equipment, or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms “station,” “station equipment,” “STA,” “terminal equipment,” “communication equipment,” “terminal,” “user equipment,” and “UE” are used interchangeably.

[0038] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of an example communication network 100 in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. Figure 1A As shown, the communication network 100 may include a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. The network device 120 includes at least one cell 130 for serving the terminal device 110.

[0039] It should be understood that the number of network devices, terminal devices, and cells is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. Communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices, terminal devices, and cells appropriate for implementing embodiments of this disclosure.

[0040] Communication in communication network 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11), and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other currently known or future-developed technologies.

[0041] 3GPP has developed Network Energy Efficiency (NES) solutions for 5G Advanced (5G-A) in Releases 18 and 19, but the MIB and PBCH (which bears the MIB) were not addressed due to the need to maintain backward compatibility with legacy equipment. However, in environments such as 6G, these backward compatibility constraints are eliminated, allowing for the conception of entirely new designs for SSB / PBCH / MIB.

[0042] In 5G NR, the synchronization signal / PBCH block (also known as the SS block or SSB) includes the primary synchronization signal (PSS), the secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the PBCH. Similar to LTE, NR defines two types of synchronization signals: PSS and SSS.

[0043] Cell search is the process by which a terminal device (such as a user equipment (UE)) obtains time-frequency synchronization with a cell and identifies the cell's Physical Cell Identifier (PCI). This process can occur during various scenarios, such as when the terminal device is powered on, during mobility in connected mode, during idle mode mobility (e.g., reselection), and during mobility between radio access technologies (RATs) to the NR system. To access a cell, the terminal device can utilize the NR synchronization signal and PBCH to obtain the necessary information. The cell's PCI can be determined using the following equation:

[0044] Terminal devices can determine the PCI group number by using SSS. And by using PSS to determine the physical layer identifier In addition, synchronization signals can be used by terminal equipment for multiple purposes, including measuring reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ), as well as beam management.

[0045] Figure 1B The design of SSB in 5G is shown. For example... Figure 1B As shown, the SSB may include the PBCH carrying the cell's MIB. It is worth noting that the PBCH may also transmit supplementary information, including the system frame number (SFN) and a portion of the SSB subcarrier offset. The PSS, SSS, and PBCH are always grouped together within consecutive Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. In the time domain, the SS / PBCH block consists of four OFDM symbols, numbered from 0 to 3 in ascending order within the SS / PBCH block, where the PSS, SSS, and PBCH with associated DMRS are mapped to the symbols given in Table 1 (Table 7.4.3.1-1 in Section 7.4.3 of TS 38.212).

[0046] In the frequency domain, an SS / PBCH block consists of 240 consecutive subcarriers (equivalent to 20 resource blocks (RBs), each RB containing 12 subcarriers), where the subcarriers are numbered from 0 to 239 in ascending order within the SS / PBCH block. Parameters and These represent the frequency index and time index within an SS / PBCH block, respectively. Terminal devices may assume that the complex value symbol is set to zero, corresponding to the resource element in Table 1 that is indicated as "set to 0". Parameters in Table 1 Depend on Given. Parameters It is a public resource block The subcarrier offset of subcarrier 0 relative to the smallest subcarrier in the SS / PBCH block, or the punctured SS / PBCH block (if applicable), where It is obtained from the high-level parameter offsetToPointA.

[0047] Table 1 below shows the resources within the SS / PBCH block for PSS, SSS, PBCH, and DMRS for PBCH according to 3GPP TS 38.212.

[0048] Table 1: Resources within the SS / PBCH block for PSS, SSS, PBCH, and DMRS for PBCH

[0049] An SSB burst (also known as an SSB burst set or SSB set) may include one or more SSBs transmitted within a 5ms period of SSB transmission. Within an SSB burst, a unique index is assigned to each SSB, which may correspond to the beam from which the SSB was transmitted. The SSB index can be used by the terminal device for various purposes. For example, during a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure or initial access procedure, the terminal device may use the selected SSB index to map to a valid RACH timing (RO). Similarly, the terminal device may indicate the corresponding SSB index when reporting RSRP measurements.

[0050] The SSB index is a sequential number that starts at 0 and increments by 1 for each SSB within a burst. This number can be reset to 0 at the beginning of the next SSB burst, which can occur in the next 5 ms after the completion of an SSB transmission cycle (e.g., 20 ms). The SSB index can be transmitted to the terminal device via two distinct components within the SSB. One part of the SSB index is carried by the DMRS of the PBCH, while the other part is carried by the PBCH payload.

[0051] According to the 3GPP specification, within a half-frame, candidate SS / PBCH blocks are indexed sequentially from 0 to L-1 (which represents the candidate SSB number). For L=4, the terminal device can determine the 2-bit LSB of the SS / PBCH block index for each half-frame via a one-to-one mapping with the index of the DMRS sequence transmitted in the PBCH. For L>4, this extends to 3 LSB bits. Specifically, for L=64, the terminal device can determine the 3-bit MSB of the SS / PBCH block index for each half-frame via the PBCH payload bits.

[0052] DMRS can help terminal devices accurately decode radio channels from different channels (such as PBCH). Figure 1C This shows the location of the DMRS within the PBCH transmission in 5G. (Example) Figure 1C As shown, the DMRS used for PBCH will be available in symbols 1, 2, and 3, and will be allocated once for each fourth resource element (RE) based on PCI mod 4, occupying 25% of the PBCH resources, as shown in Table 1 above. Specifically, in symbols 1 and 3, it occupies 60 REs (calculated as a total of 240 REs divided by 4). In symbol 2, it occupies 24 REs (calculated as a total of 96 REs (12 subcarriers multiplied by 8 physical resource blocks (PRBs) divided by 4)).

[0053] According to Table 1 (Table 7.4.3.1-1 in Section 7.4.3 of TS 38.212), for each channel or signal, the OFDM symbol number can correspond to its corresponding subcarrier number. For example, the PSS is mapped to OFDM symbol number 0 and subcarrier numbers 56, 57, ..., 182; the SSS is mapped to OFDM symbol number 2 with the same subcarrier range as the PSS; and the DMRS used for the PBCH is mapped to OFDM symbol numbers 1 and 3, with subcarrier numbers ranging from 0+v to 44+v and from 192+v to 239+v, including patterns that change with the physical cell ID.

[0054] This indicates that as the PCI changes, the location of the PBCH DMRS shifts along the frequency domain. The variable in the DMRS resource map… "It can be calculated based on PCI modulo 4."

[0055] On the other hand, the PBCH payload size (including the 24-bit CRC) totals 56 bits. Table 2 below provides an overview of the number of bits occupied by the information / fields within the PBCH / MIB.

[0056] Table 2: Number of bits used for information / fields within PBCH / MIB

[0057] As shown in Table 2, the SSB index (0 or 3 bits) is not transmitted through the MIB; instead, the PBCH payload includes the 3 bits required for FR2. The index indicating a specific SSB within the SSB burst set is crucial for achieving frame synchronization. Candidate SSBs within the SS burst set ( The maximum number varies based on the carrier frequency. For example, for frequencies below 6 GHz ( =8), each of the eight PBCH scrambling sequences used for PBCH scrambling (section 7.3.3.1 of TS 38.211) implicitly indicates one of the eight SSB indices. In this case, the SSB index does not require explicit bits to indicate it. For frequencies above 6 GHz ( =64), each of the eight PBCH scrambling sequences used for PBCH scrambling (section 7.3.3.1 of TS 38.211) implicitly indicates the three least significant bits (LSB) of the SSB index. In order to represent all 64 SSB indices, an additional 3 bits (most significant bit, MSB) are required and are explicitly carried within the PBCH payload.

[0058] In the SSB design of 5G NR, such as Figure 1BAs shown, the SSB includes the PSS, SSS, and PBCH, all of which can be sent when the SSB is sent. In this case, once the terminal device has read the PBCH and its contained MIB, for example, to obtain scheduling information for SIB1, the terminal device does not need to read the MIB again. However, for mobility and synchronization purposes, the terminal device may need to periodically receive the SSB to measure the PSS or SSS. Typically, in such scenarios, the terminal device can ignore the MIB payload within the PBCH, or even the entire PBCH payload.

[0059] Several concepts have been proposed for 6G to separate / decouple the transmission of synchronization signals (PSS / SSS) from the transmission of PBCH / MIB, aiming to optimize energy consumption for network and terminal devices and reduce signaling overhead. For example, some solutions suggest operating PSS / SSS with a shorter cycle and PBCH / MIB with a longer cycle (scheduled as SIB1). These solutions allow the network to transmit PBCH / MIB at a lower transmission frequency than PSS / SSS, thus achieving an energy-saving mechanism: network devices (such as gNBs) can enter a micro-sleep mode during symbol #1 and symbol #3 of the SSB (i.e., 50% of the SSB duration), where PBCH is typically transmitted when PBCH and PSS / SSS have the same cycle. Additionally, SIB1 (repeated) transmissions can follow the PBCH / MIB transmission cycle.

[0060] However, as previously mentioned, the terminal device may need to determine the SSB beam index (also referred to elsewhere in this specification as the "SSB index") from the received SSB for various operational purposes. In some instances, the terminal device can determine the SSB index by the beam number that identifies the SSB beam. Typically, the terminal device uses this index to determine basic timing information for time synchronization, including the 3-bit MSB based on the SSB Index Information Element (IE) and the 1-bit half-frame index IE present in the PBCH payload to determine frame boundaries. Furthermore, the terminal device can select the RACH timing (RO) corresponding to the selected SSB beam, such as the strongest beam received by the terminal device. This selection is guided by the "RO to SSB beam mapping" specified in the standard. Therefore, when a network device receives a PRACH preamble in a particular RO, the network device can determine the appropriate SSB beam to use in response to the terminal device based on this defined mapping, where the beam can be identified based on the SSB index. Additionally, the terminal device can perform L3 / L1-RSRP measurements for each SSB beam and submit a measurement report to the network device, indicating both the RSRP value and the corresponding SSB beam.

[0061] Currently, when up to eight SSB beams are in use, the determination of SSB beams by the terminal equipment relies on the DMRS associated with the PBCH, and when more than eight SSB beams are in use, it relies on both the PBCH DMRS and the PBCH payload. However, in scenarios where the PBCH and its associated DMRS are removed from some SSB occurrences, a challenge arises regarding how the terminal equipment should identify the SSB beam indices in those SSB occurrences, given that current methods for SSB beam identification cannot be applied.

[0062] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a solution for identifying SSB beams by a terminal device (such as a UE) is provided. Using this solution, the SSB index of the SSB beam can be determined based on new network information when the PSS / SSS is decoupled from the PBCH / MIB / SIB1 within the SSB (e.g., in a 6G environment).

[0063] Figure 2 A flowchart of an example process 200 for SSB beam identification according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Describe process 200. Process 200 may involve, for example, Figure 1A The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. It should also be understood that, although already... Figure 1A The process 200 for the link is described in the communication network 100, but the same process can also be applied to other communication scenarios in which different network devices are jointly deployed to provide corresponding services.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, at 212, network device 120 can send a synchronization signal block (SSB) 214, including at least one DMRS, to terminal device 110. In SSB 214, at least one frequency position of at least one DMRS is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0065] In some embodiments, at least one frequency location may include a frequency offset value (also referred to as a frequency shift value) from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on modulo operations related to the frequency offset value, the PCI of the network device's cell, and the maximum number of SSB beams. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0066] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. The Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) represents the cell of a network device. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs (i.e., the maximum number of SSB beams), and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0067] In such an embodiment, the frequency position can be predetermined for reference. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency position can be determined based on the frequency position of the PSS in the SSB or the frequency position of the SSS in the SSB. For example, the frequency position of the PSS / SSS can be the first subcarrier of the PSS / SSS, the center subcarrier of the PSS / SSS, or the last subcarrier of the PSS / SSS.

[0068] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a contiguous resource element (RE) in the frequency domain. In these embodiments, contiguous REs may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configurations or information.

[0069] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0070] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time location of at least one DMRS.

[0071] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB.

[0072] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0073] Then, when terminal device 110 receives SSB 214 at 216, at 220, terminal device 110 can determine the SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency location of at least one DMRS. In some embodiments, the determined SSB index can be applied to various operations, such as time synchronization, selection of valid RACH timing (RO), etc.

[0074] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating another example process 300 for SSB beam identification according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Describe process 300. Process 300 may involve, for example, Figure 1A The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. It should also be understood that, although already... Figure 1A The process 300 for the link is described in the communication network 100, but the same process can also be applied to other communication scenarios in which different network devices are jointly deployed to provide corresponding services.

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown, at 312, network device 120 can send an SSB 214 including at least one PBCH to terminal device 110. In these embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0076] In some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include at least one start subcarrier number associated with the start of an SSB. Note that the term "start of an SSB" here can be understood to refer to the first subcarrier of the PSS / SSS, or the first subcarrier whose first symbol is set to zero. In such embodiments, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on a modulo operation related to the start subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0077] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs (i.e., the maximum number of SSB beams), and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0078] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0079] Then, when terminal device 110 receives SSB 314 at 316, at 320, terminal device 110 can determine the SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH. In some embodiments, the determined SSB index can be applied to various operations, such as time synchronization, selection of valid RACH timing (RO), etc.

[0080] This disclosure discloses network signaling and terminal device behavior (between the serving cell and the terminal device) that allows the terminal device to determine the SSB index based on the PBCH DMRS frequency position or the PBCH frequency position. This solution is applicable to scenarios where the PSS and SSS are decoupled from PBCH / MIB / SIB1 transmissions (such as in a 6G radio interface). Furthermore, the PSS and SSS can be changed in terms of time position, frequency position, and bandwidth, but the SSB index can still be determined based on the PBCH DMRS frequency position or the PBCH frequency position. The terminal device can utilize the determined SSB index in various operations as needed.

[0081] Specifically, this disclosure provides two options. In the first option, SSB beam index information can be implicitly transmitted via the (PBCH) DMRS frequency location. In each SSB occurrence, the SSB can be at least combined with the PBCH DMRS that implicitly indicates the SSB index. Even if the PBCH itself is not transmitted, the PBCH DMRS is still transmitted along with the PSS / SSS. The terminal device can then determine the SSB index of a particular SSB occurrence based on the information derived from the DMRS.

[0082] For example, by applying modulo operations, the PBCH DMRS frequency position can be changed with the SSB index. The DMRS position defined in Table 1 (Table 7.4.3.1-1 in Section 7.4.3 of TS 38.212) can be modified based on the following equation: in, Indicates the frequency offset value. The PCI of the cell in the network device. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0083] In some embodiments, the terminal device may first determine, for example, the frequency positions of the PSS and SSS that will begin in subcarrier 56. Then, the terminal device may determine the position of the first DMRS, for example, in subcarrier 0, subcarrier 1, subcarrier 2, subcarrier 4, etc. In some embodiments, it is assumed that... If SSB_index=8, then the DMRS associated with SSB_index=0 can start at subcarrier number 0; the DMRS associated with SSB_index=1 can start at subcarrier number 8; the DMRS associated with SSB_index=2 can start at subcarrier number 16, and so on.

[0084] In such embodiments, the time / frequency location of the DMRS can be further optimized as an alternative or supplement to the embodiments described above. Regarding the frequency domain allocation of the DMRS, in some embodiments, in a 5G environment, the DMRS used for the PBCH can be interleaved with the PBCH, particularly with each fourth RE of the PBCH. However, in some other embodiments, the DMRS can be transmitted in consecutive REs in the frequency domain, wherein the REs utilized indicate the SSB index based on a specified mapping configuration or information.

[0085] Additionally, if the primary purpose of DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0086] Regarding the time-domain allocation of DMRS, in some embodiments, to minimize network transmission time, DMRS may be transmitted only in symbols 0 and 2 of the SSB, with symbols 0 and 2 aligned with PSS and SSS transmissions. Alternatively, in some embodiments, DMRS may be transmitted only in symbol 2 of the SSB, with symbol 2 aligned with SSS transmissions. Alternatively, in some embodiments, DMRS may be transmitted only in one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3).

[0087] In some embodiments, DMRS can be transmitted even in the absence of a conventional PBCH.

[0088] Figure 4 Signaling flow 400 of an example embodiment according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Figure 4 In this context, the SSB index can be implicitly sent to the terminal device based on the (PBCH) DMRS frequency location. For discussion purposes, references will be made to... Figure 1A Description of signaling flow 400. Signaling flow 400 may involve, for example: Figure 1A The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. It should also be understood that, although already... Figure 1A The signaling flow 400 of the link is described in the communication network 100, but the signaling flow can also be applied to other communication scenarios, in which different network devices are jointly deployed to provide corresponding services.

[0089] like Figure 4 As shown, at 410, terminal device 110 can operate in various modes, including Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode, RRC inactive mode, or RRC connected mode. At 420, network device 120 can transmit SS / PBCH blocks (SSBs) including PSS / SSS and DMRS including SSB index indications.

[0090] After receiving an SSB from network device 120, at 430, terminal device 110 can determine the SSB index based on the frequency resource location of the DMRS. In some embodiments, the SSB index can also be determined based on the time resource location of the DMRS.

[0091] Then, at 440, terminal device 110 can apply the determined SSB index in some required operations (e.g., time synchronization, effective RACH timing selection (RO), etc.).

[0092] Alternatively, in a second option of this disclosure, the SSB beam index information can be implicitly signaled via the PBCH frequency position. In each SSB occurrence, the SSB can be combined with at least a PBCH that may not include a MIB payload. In this case, the PBCH frequency position can implicitly indicate the SSB index. Subsequently, the terminal device can determine the SSB index of a particular SSB occurrence based on information derived from the PBCH frequency position (e.g., the starting frequency position of the PBCH).

[0093] For example, by applying modulo operations, the PBCH frequency position can be changed with the SSB index. The PBCH position defined in Table 1 (Table 7.4.3.1-1 in Section 7.4.3 of TS 38.212) can be modified based on the following equation: in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0094] In some embodiments, it is assumed that the maximum number of SSBs ( If SSB_index=8, then the PBCH associated with SSB_index=0 can start at subcarrier number 0; the PBCH associated with SSB_index=1 can start at subcarrier number 8; the PBCH associated with SSB_index=2 can start at subcarrier number 16, and so on.

[0095] Figure 5 Signaling flow 500 of another example embodiment according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Figure 5 In this context, the SSB index can implicitly send signal notifications to terminal devices based on the PBCH frequency location. For discussion purposes, references will be made to... Figure 1A Description of signaling flow 500. Signaling flow 500 may involve, for example: Figure 1A The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. It should also be understood that, although already... Figure 1AThe signaling flow 500 of the link is described in the communication network 100, but the signaling flow can also be applied to other communication scenarios, in which different network devices are jointly deployed to provide corresponding services.

[0096] like Figure 5 As shown, at 510, terminal device 110 can operate in various modes, including Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode, RRC inactive mode, or RRC connected mode. At 520, network device 120 can transmit SS / PBCH blocks (SSBs) including PSS / SSS and PBCHs including SSB index indications.

[0097] After receiving an SSB from network device 120, at 530, terminal device 110 can determine the SSB index based on the frequency resource location of the PBCH. In some embodiments, the SSB index can also be determined based on the time resource location of the PBCH.

[0098] Then, at 540, terminal device 110 can apply the determined SSB index in some required operations (e.g., time synchronization, effective RACH timing selection (RO), etc.).

[0099] Note that the first and second options of this disclosure can be used in combination to indicate all SSB indexes, especially in When it is greater than 8.

[0100] In summary, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for identifying SSB beams in terminal devices such as UEs. Using this solution, the SSB index of the SSB beam can be determined based on new network information, even when the PSS / SSS is decoupled from the PBCH / MIB / SIB1 within the SSB (e.g., in a 6G environment). Furthermore, since the PBCH frequency position is adjusted using an offset based on the SSB index, the PSS / SSS frequency position does not need to be changed, thus simplifying PSS / SSS detection.

[0101] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method 600 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, references will be made to... Figure 1A Method 600 is described from the perspective of the terminal device 110.

[0102] At block 610, terminal device 110 can receive an SSB including at least one DMRS from network device 120. Then, at block 620, terminal device 110 can determine the SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency location of the at least one DMRS.

[0103] In some embodiments, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such embodiments, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on a modulo operation relating the frequency offset value, the PCI of the cell of network device 120, and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0104] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. This indicates the PCI of the cell containing network device 120. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0105] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency position can be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency position can be determined based on the frequency position of the PSS in the SSB or the frequency position of the SSS in the SSB.

[0106] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may reside in a continuous resource element (RE). In such embodiments, continuous REs may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configurations or information.

[0107] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0108] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time location of at least one DMRS.

[0109] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB.

[0110] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0111] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB. In such embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include the start subcarrier number of at least one PBCH relative to the start of the SSB. In such embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can be determined based on a modulo operation related to the start subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB can be determined based on the following equation:

[0112] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0113] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0114] Figure 7 A flowchart of an example method 700 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For purposes of discussion, references will be made to... Figure 1A The network device is described from the perspective of 120, which is the method of 700.

[0115] At box 710, network device 120 may send an SSB including at least one DMRS to terminal device 110, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one DMRS is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0116] In some embodiments, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such embodiments, the frequency offset value may indicate the SSB index of the SSB based on a modulo operation related to the frequency offset value, the PCI of the network device's cell, and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0117] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. This indicates the PCI of the cell containing network device 120. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0118] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency position can be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency position can be determined based on the frequency position of the PSS in the SSB or the frequency position of the SSS in the SSB.

[0119] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configuration or information.

[0120] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0121] In some embodiments, at least one time location of at least one DMRS can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0122] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB.

[0123] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0124] Alternatively, in some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB. In such embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include the start subcarrier number of at least one PBCH relative to the start of the SSB. In such embodiments, the start subcarrier number may indicate the SSB index of the SSB based on a modulo operation associated with the start subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation: in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0125] In some embodiments, at least one time position of at least one PBCH in an SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0126] Figure 8 A flowchart of an example method 800 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, references will be made to... Figure 1A The method is described from the perspective of the terminal device 110.

[0127] At block 810, terminal device 110 can receive an SSB including at least one PBCH from network device 120. Then, at block 820, terminal device 110 can determine the SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0128] In some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include at least one start subcarrier number associated with the start of an SSB. In such embodiments, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on a modulo operation related to the start subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0129] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0130] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0131] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB may also be determined based on at least one frequency location of at least one DMRS.

[0132] In such an embodiment, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such an embodiment, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on a modulo operation relating the frequency offset value, the PCI of the cell of network device 120, and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0133] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. This indicates the PCI of the cell containing network device 120. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0134] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be determined based on either the frequency location of the PSS within the SSB or the frequency location of the SSS within the SSB.

[0135] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configuration or information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0137] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time location of at least one DMRS.

[0138] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission in the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission in the SSB.

[0139] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be sent in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0140] Figure 9 A flowchart of an example method 900 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For purposes of discussion, references will be made to... Figure 1A The network device is described from the perspective of 120, which is the method of 900.

[0141] At box 910, network device 120 may send an SSB including at least one PBCH to terminal device 110, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0142] In some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include an initial subcarrier number of at least one PBCH relative to the start of an SSB. In such embodiments, the initial subcarrier number may indicate the SSB index of the SSB based on a modulo operation related to the initial subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0143] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0144] In some embodiments, at least one time position of at least one PBCH in an SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0145] Alternatively, in some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one DMRS in the SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0146] In such an embodiment, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such an embodiment, the frequency offset value may indicate the SSB index of the SSB based on a modulo operation with respect to: the frequency offset value, the PCI of the cell of network device 120, and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0147] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. This indicates the PCI of the cell containing network device 120. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0148] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be determined based on either the frequency location of the PSS within the SSB or the frequency location of the SSS within the SSB.

[0149] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configuration or information.

[0150] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0151] In some embodiments, at least one time location of at least one DMRS can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0152] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB.

[0153] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0154] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing any method 600 (e.g., terminal device 110) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or software module.

[0155] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: a component for receiving an SSB comprising at least one DMRS from a network device; and a component for determining an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency location of the at least one DMRS.

[0156] In some embodiments, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such embodiments, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on a modulo operation relating the frequency offset value, the PCI of the network device's cell, and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0157] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. The PCI of the cell in the network device. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0158] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be determined based on either the frequency location of the PSS within the SSB or the frequency location of the SSS within the SSB.

[0159] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE can be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configuration or information.

[0160] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0161] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time location of at least one DMRS.

[0162] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission in the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission in the SSB.

[0163] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0164] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB. In such embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include the start subcarrier number of at least one PBCH relative to the start of the SSB. In such embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can be determined based on a modulo operation on the start subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB can be determined based on the following equation:

[0165] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0166] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0167] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for performing additional steps of some embodiments of method 600. In some embodiments, the components may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with at least one processor to cause performance of the apparatus.

[0168] In some embodiments, the means capable of performing any method 700 (e.g., network device 120) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 700. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or software module.

[0169] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for transmitting an SSB including at least one DMRS to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one DMRS is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0170] In some embodiments, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such embodiments, the frequency offset value may be used to determine the SSB index of the SSB based on modulo operations on: the frequency offset value, the PCI of the network device's cell, and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0171] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. The PCI of the cell in the network device. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0172] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be determined based on either the frequency location of the PSS within the SSB or the frequency location of the SSS within the SSB.

[0173] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configuration or information.

[0174] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0175] In some embodiments, at least one time location of at least one DMRS can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0176] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB.

[0177] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0178] Alternatively, in some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB. In such embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include the start subcarrier number of at least one PBCH relative to the start of the SSB. In such embodiments, the start subcarrier number may indicate the SSB index of the SSB based on a modulo operation related to the start subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0179] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0180] In some embodiments, at least one time position of at least one PBCH in an SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0181] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for performing additional steps of some embodiments of method 700. In some embodiments, the components may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with at least one processor to cause performance of the apparatus.

[0182] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing any method 800 (e.g., terminal device 110) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 800. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or software module.

[0183] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: a component for receiving an SSB comprising at least one PBCH from a network device; and a component for determining an SSB index of the SSB based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0184] In some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include an initial subcarrier number of at least one PBCH relative to the start of an SSB. In such embodiments, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on a modulo operation on the following: the initial subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0185] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0186] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0187] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB may also be determined based on at least one frequency location of at least one DMRS.

[0188] In such an embodiment, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such an embodiment, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on a modulo operation on the following: the frequency offset value, the PCI of the network device's cell, and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of an SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0189] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. The PCI of the cell in the network device. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0190] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be determined based on either the frequency location of the PSS within the SSB or the frequency location of the SSS within the SSB.

[0191] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configuration or information.

[0192] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0193] In some embodiments, the SSB index of the SSB can also be determined based on at least one time location of at least one DMRS.

[0194] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB.

[0195] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0196] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for performing additional steps of some embodiments of method 800. In some embodiments, the components may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with at least one processor to cause performance of the apparatus.

[0197] In some embodiments, the means capable of performing any method 900 (e.g., network device 120) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 900. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or software module.

[0198] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for transmitting an SSB comprising at least one PBCH to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0199] In some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH may include an initial subcarrier number of at least one PBCH relative to the start of an SSB. In such embodiments, the initial subcarrier number may indicate the SSB index of the SSB based on a modulo operation related to the initial subcarrier number and the maximum number of SSBs. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0200] in, Indicates the starting subcarrier number. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0201] In some embodiments, at least one time position of at least one PBCH in an SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0202] Alternatively, in some embodiments, at least one frequency position of at least one DMRS in the SSB can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0203] In such an embodiment, at least one frequency location may be associated with a frequency offset value from at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location. In such an embodiment, the frequency offset value may indicate the SSB index of the SSB based on a modulo operation relating the frequency offset value, the maximum number of PCIs and SSBs of the network device's cell. For example, the SSB index of the SSB may be determined based on the following equation:

[0204] in, Indicates the frequency offset value. The PCI of the cell in the network device. This indicates the maximum number of SSBs, and This represents the SSB index of the SSB.

[0205] In such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be predetermined. Alternatively, in such an embodiment, the reference frequency location may be determined based on either the frequency location of the PSS within the SSB or the frequency location of the SSS within the SSB.

[0206] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE may be used to indicate an SSB index based on, for example, specified mapping configuration or information.

[0207] In some embodiments, the number of REs used for at least one DMRS may be less than a predetermined value. For example, if the primary purpose of the DMRS is to transmit specific information, such as SSB indexes (and potentially MIB / PBCH periodicity), the number of REs allocated to the DMRS can be reduced compared to conventional use (60 REs + 24 REs).

[0208] In some embodiments, at least one time location of at least one DMRS can also be used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0209] In some embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in at least one symbol of the SSB (such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, or symbol 3). In such embodiments, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission (i.e., symbol 0), or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB (i.e., symbol 2). Alternatively, at least one DMRS may be in a first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission, or in a third symbol of the SSB that coincides with the SSS transmission within the SSB.

[0210] In some embodiments, the SSB may not include any PBCH, which means that DMRS can be transmitted in the absence of a traditional PBCH.

[0211] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for performing additional steps of some embodiments of method 900. In some embodiments, the components may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with at least one processor to cause performance of the apparatus.

[0212] Figure 10 A simplified block diagram of a device 1000 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0213] Device 1000 can be provided to implement communication equipment, such as Figure 1A The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. As shown, device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010, one or more memories 1020 coupled to processor 1010, and one or more communication modules 1040 coupled to processor 1010.

[0214] The communication module 1040 is used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 1040 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0215] As a non-limiting example, processor 1010 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 1000 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-subordinate to a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0216] Memory 1020 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 1024, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 1022 and other volatile memories that are not maintained during power outages.

[0217] Computer program 1030 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 1010. Program 1030 may be stored in ROM 1024. Processor 1010 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 1030 into RAM 1022.

[0218] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by program 1030, enabling device 1000 to execute as described in the reference. Figures 6 to 9 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0219] In some embodiments, program 1030 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 1000 (such as in memory 1020) or in other storage devices accessible by device 1000. Device 1000 may load program 1030 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 1022 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage device, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0220] Figure 11 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium 1100 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0221] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware, or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0222] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in a program module, that execute on a device targeting a real or virtual processor, to perform the functions described above. Figures 6 to 9 Methods 600 to 900 are described. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0223] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0224] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0225] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. As used herein, the term “non-transient” is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation of the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0226] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or requiring that all the operations shown be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as a description of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0227] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

[0228] This disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following example implementations. Example 1. A terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; and At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Receive from network devices a synchronization signal block (SSB) including at least one Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH); and The SSB index of the SSB is determined based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0229] Example 2. According to the terminal device of Example 1, at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH is associated with an initial subcarrier number of at least one PBCH related to the start of SSB.

[0230] Example 3. Based on the terminal device of Example 2, where the SSB index of the SSB is determined based on a modulo operation for the following: The initial subcarrier number; and The maximum number of SSBs.

[0231] Example 4. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the SSB index of the SSB is also determined based on at least one time position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0232] Example 5. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the SSB index of the SSB is also determined based on at least one frequency position of at least one demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

[0233] Example 6. The terminal device according to Example 5, wherein at least one frequency location is associated with a frequency offset value of at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location.

[0234] Example 7. According to the terminal device of Example 6, the SSB index of the SSB is determined based on a modulo operation on the following: Frequency offset value; The Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the network device's cell; and The maximum number of SSBs.

[0235] Example 8. A terminal device according to Example 6 or 7, wherein the reference frequency location is predetermined.

[0236] Example 9. The terminal device according to Example 6 or 7, wherein the reference frequency location is determined based on the following: The frequency position of the master synchronization signal (PSS) in the SSB; or Frequency position of the auxiliary synchronization signal (SSS) in the SSB.

[0237] Example 10. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 5 to 9, wherein at least one DMRS is located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE is used to indicate the SSB index.

[0238] Example 11. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 5 to 10, wherein the number of REs for at least one DMRS is less than a predetermined value.

[0239] Example 12. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 5 to 11, wherein the SSB index of the SSB is also determined based on at least one time location of at least one DMRS.

[0240] Example 13. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 5 to 12, wherein at least one DMRS is in at least one symbol of the SSB.

[0241] Example 14. The terminal device according to Example 13, wherein at least one DMRS is in at least one of the following: The first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission; and The third symbol of the SSB that overlaps with the SSS transmission.

[0242] Example 15. A terminal device according to any of Examples 5 to 14, wherein the SSB does not include the PBCH.

[0243] Example 16. A network device comprising: At least one processor; and At least one memory, storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: A synchronization signal block (SSB) including at least one physical broadcast channel (PBCH) is sent to the terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0244] Example 17. A network device according to Example 16, wherein at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH is associated with an initial subcarrier number associated with the initiation of at least one PBCH with respect to the initiation of an SSB.

[0245] Example 18. A network device according to Example 17, wherein the starting subcarrier number indicates the SSB index based on a modulo operation for the following: The initial subcarrier number; and The maximum number of SSBs.

[0246] Example 19. A network device according to any one of Examples 16 to 18, wherein at least one time position of at least one PBCH in the SSB is also used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0247] Example 20. A network device according to any one of Examples 16 to 18, wherein at least one frequency position of at least one demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in the SSB is also used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0248] Example 21. A network device according to Example 20, wherein at least one frequency location is associated with a frequency offset value of at least one DMRS from a reference frequency location.

[0249] Example 22. A network device according to Example 21, where the frequency offset value indicates the SSB index based on a modulo operation for the following: Frequency offset value; The Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the network device's cell; and The maximum number of SSBs.

[0250] Example 23. A network device based on Example 21 or 22, wherein the reference frequency location is predetermined.

[0251] Example 24. A network device according to Example 21 or 22, wherein the reference frequency location is determined based on the following: The frequency position of the master synchronization signal (PSS) in the SSB; or Frequency position of the auxiliary synchronization signal (SSS) in the SSB.

[0252] Example 25. A network device according to any one of Examples 20 to 24, wherein at least one DMRS is located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE is used to indicate the SSB index.

[0253] Example 26. A network device according to any one of Examples 20 to 25, wherein the number of REs for at least one DMRS is less than a predetermined value.

[0254] Example 27. A network device according to any one of Examples 20 to 26, wherein at least one time location of at least one DMRS is also used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0255] Example 28. A network device according to any one of Examples 20 to 27, wherein at least one DMRS is in at least one symbol of the SSB.

[0256] Example 29. A network device according to Example 28, wherein at least one DMRS is in at least one of the following: The first symbol of the SSB that coincides with the PSS transmission; and The third symbol of the SSB that overlaps with the SSS transmission.

[0257] Example 30. A network device according to any of Examples 20 to 39, wherein the SSB does not include the PBCH.

[0258] Example 31. A method comprising: Receive from network devices a synchronization signal block (SSB) including at least one Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH); and The SSB index of the SSB is determined based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

[0259] Example 32. A method comprising: A synchronization signal block (SSB) including at least one physical broadcast channel (PBCH) is sent to the terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0260] Example 33. An apparatus comprising: Components for receiving synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) including at least one physical broadcast channel (PBCH) from network devices; and A component for determining the SSB index of an SSB based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in an SSB.

[0261] Example 34. An apparatus comprising: A component for transmitting a synchronization signal block (SSB) including at least one physical broadcast channel (PBCH) to a terminal device, wherein at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH is used to indicate the SSB index of the SSB.

[0262] Example 35. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to Example 31 or Example 32.

Claims

1. A terminal device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Receive from network devices a synchronization signal block (SSB) including at least one Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH); and The SSB index of the SSB is determined based on at least one frequency position of at least one PBCH in the SSB.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one frequency position of the at least one PBCH is associated with the starting subcarrier number of the at least one PBCH in relation to the start of the SSB.

3. The terminal device of claim 2, wherein the SSB index of the SSB is determined based on a modulo operation for the following: The initial subcarrier number; and The maximum number of SSBs.

4. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the SSB index of the SSB is further determined based on at least one time position of the at least one PBCH in the SSB.

5. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the SSB index of the SSB is further determined based on at least one frequency position of at least one demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

6. The terminal device of claim 5, wherein the at least one frequency position is associated with a frequency offset value of the at least one DMRS from a reference frequency position.

7. The terminal device of claim 6, wherein the SSB index of the SSB is determined based on a modulo operation for the following: The frequency offset value; The Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the cell in the network device; and The maximum number of SSBs.

8. The terminal device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the reference frequency position is predetermined.

9. The terminal device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the reference frequency position is determined based on the following: The frequency position of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) in the SSB; or The frequency position of the auxiliary synchronization signal (SSS) in the SSB.

10. The terminal device of claim 5, wherein the at least one DMRS is located in a continuous resource element (RE), wherein the continuous RE is used to indicate the SSB index.

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