Apparatus and method for ssb transmission

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) transmission. In one solution, a network device transmits one or more first SSBs to a terminal device using a first resource with a first polarization type; and transmits one or more second SSBs to the terminal device using a second resource with a second polarization type. The second polarization type is different from the first polarization type, and the first resource is different from the second resource.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to the field of communication technology, and more specifically to apparatus and methods for transmitting synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB). Background Technology

[0002] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) refer to networks or network segments that utilize radio frequency (RF) resources mounted on satellite or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). NTNs provide ubiquitous and resilient wireless services that extend beyond the coverage of terrestrial networks. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has been working on NTN standardization since the advent of 5G communication systems. It is anticipated that NTNs will be fully integrated with terrestrial networks (TNs) in the sixth generation (6G). Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally speaking, the embodiments of this disclosure provide devices and methods for SSB transmission.

[0004] In a first aspect, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: transmit one or more first SSBs to a terminal device using a first resource in a first polarization type; and transmit one or more second SSBs to the terminal device using a second resource in a second polarization type, the second polarization type being different from the first polarization type, and the first resource being different from the second resource.

[0005] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: select one or more SSBs from one or more first SSBs and one or more second SSBs based on a polarization type supported by the terminal device, the one or more first SSBs being transmitted by a network device using first resources in a first polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs being transmitted by the network device using second resources in a second polarization type; and detect the one or more SSBs selected by the network device.

[0006] In a third aspect, a communication method performed by a network device is provided. The method includes: sending one or more first SSBs to a terminal device using a first resource and a first polarization type; and sending one or more second SSBs to the terminal device using a second resource and a second polarization type, the second polarization type being different from the first polarization type, and the first resource being different from the second resource.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a communication method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: selecting one or more SSBs from one or more first SSBs and one or more second SSBs based on a polarization type supported by the terminal device, wherein the one or more first SSBs are transmitted by a network device using first resources in a first polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted by the network device using second resources in a second polarization type; and detecting the selected one or more SSBs from the network device.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0009] Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from a more detailed description of some exemplary embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 An example communication environment in which an example implementation of the present disclosure can be carried out is illustrated; Figure 2A and Figure 2B Schematic diagrams illustrating non-terrestrial network scenarios with different payload types according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the link budget is provided. Figures 4A to 4C A schematic diagram illustrating frequency reuse is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating beam switching is shown; Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the SSB component is shown below; Figures 7A to 7F A schematic diagram illustrating the SSB mode is shown below; Figure 8A and Figure 8B A schematic diagram illustrating the beam pattern is shown; Figure 9Example signaling flows transmitted by an SSB according to some embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated; Figures 10A to 10C A schematic diagram illustrating an example of SSB transmission in different polarization types within a half-frame according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 11A and Figure 11B A schematic diagram illustrating examples of SSB transmissions with different polarization types in different half-frames according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figures 12A to 12C Schematic diagrams illustrating examples of SSB transmissions at different frequencies and with different polarization types according to some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 13 Flowcharts illustrating communication methods implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 14 Flowcharts illustrating communication methods implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; and Figure 15 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0012] 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 help those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0013] 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.

[0014] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to: user equipment (UE); personal computers; desktop computers; mobile phones; cellular phones; smartphones; personal digital assistants (PDAs); portable computers; tablets; wearable devices; Internet of Things (IoT) devices; Ultra-reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) devices; Internet of Everything (IoE) devices; machine-type communication (MTC) devices; devices on vehicles for V2X communication, where X refers to pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks; devices for Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB); spacecraft or aerospace vehicles in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), including satellites and high-altitude platforms (HAPs) covering Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS); and different types of reality (such as Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR)). Extended Reality (XR) devices, including those for Virtual Reality (VR) and Virtual Reality (VR); unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often referred to as drones (aircraft without human pilots); devices on high-speed trains (HSTs); or image capture devices such as digital cameras and sensors; gaming devices; music storage and playback equipment; or internet devices enabling wireless or wired internet access and browsing. "Terminal devices" may also have "multicast / broadcast" capabilities to support public safety and mission-critical applications, V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast delivery, IPTV, smart TV, radio services, wireless software delivery, group communication, and IoT applications. "Terminal devices" may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), a situation known as multi-SIM. The term "terminal device" is used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0015] The term "network device" refers to a device that provides or hosts a cell or coverage area for terminal devices to communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), remote radio units (RRUs), radioheads (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), IAB nodes, low-power nodes (such as femtonodes and piconodes), reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), etc.

[0016] Terminal devices or network devices may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. Terminal devices or network devices typically include models that have been trained on specific functions based on a large amount of collected data and can be used to predict some information.

[0017] Terminal or network devices can operate within several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (e.g., 450MHz to 6000MHz), FR2 (e.g., 24.25GHz to 52.6GHz), bands greater than 100GHz, and terahertz (THz), Ku band (e.g., 12GHz to 18GHz), and Ka band (e.g., 26GHz to 40GHz). Terminal or network devices can also operate on licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. In Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) applications, terminal devices can be connected to more than one network device. Terminal or network devices can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, and cross-division duplex modes.

[0018] The embodiments of this disclosure can be executed in test equipment (e.g., signal generator, signal analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, test terminal equipment, test network equipment, channel simulator). In some embodiments, the terminal equipment can be connected to a first network equipment and a second network equipment. One of the first network equipment and the second network equipment can be a master node, and the other can be a slave node. The first network equipment and the second network equipment can use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In some embodiments, the first network equipment can be a first RAT device, and the second network equipment can be a second RAT device. In some embodiments, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to different RATs can be sent to the terminal equipment from at least one of the first network equipment or the second network equipment. In some embodiments, first information can be sent from the first network equipment to the terminal equipment, and second information can be sent from the second network equipment directly or via the first network equipment to the terminal equipment. In some embodiments, information configured by the second network equipment and related to the configuration of the terminal equipment can be sent from the second network equipment via the first network equipment. Information configured by the second network device and related to the reconfiguration of the terminal device can be sent directly from the second network device or via the first network device to the terminal device.

[0019] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “comprising” and its variations should be understood as open terms meaning “including, but not limited to.” The term “based on” should be understood as “at least partially based on.” The terms “one implementation” and “implementation” should be understood as “at least one implementation.” The term “another implementation” should be understood as “at least one other implementation.” The terms “first,” “second,” etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions are given below.

[0020] In some examples, values, processes, or devices are described as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “minimum,” “maximum,” etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made among many alternative functionalities used, and that such a choice is not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or otherwise preferred than other choices.

[0021] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as a resource in the time domain, a resource in the frequency domain, a resource in the spatial domain, a resource in the code domain, or any other resource used to implement communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in both the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an example communication environment 100 in which an example embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. In communication environment 100, multiple communication devices (including terminal device 110 and network device 120) can communicate with each other. Figure 1 In the example, terminal device 110 can be a UE, and network device 120 can be a base station serving the UE.

[0023] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices and their connections shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the example embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more additional devices may be deployed in communication environment 100.

[0024] In the following examples, for illustrative purposes, some example implementations are described in which terminal device 110 operates as a UE and network device 120 operates as a gNB. However, in some example implementations, the operations described in connection with the terminal device may be implemented at the network device or other devices.

[0025] The link from network device 120 to terminal device 110 is called a downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 110 to network device 120 is called an uplink (UL). In the DL, network device 120 is the transmitting (TX) device (or sender), and terminal device 110 is the receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, terminal device 110 is the TX device (or sender), and network device 120 is the RX device (or receiver). During communication, terminal device 110 can perform uplink transmissions with network device 120, such as PUSCH transmissions. The timing of uplink transmissions may require DMRS binding.

[0026] The communications in communication environment 100 may conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. The embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G) communication protocols, second-generation (2G) communication protocols, 2.5G communication protocols, 2.75G communication protocols, third-generation (3G) communication protocols, fourth-generation (4G) communication protocols, 4.5G communication protocols, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G communication protocols, 5G-Advanced Networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0027] In some implementations, the communication environment 100 can be implemented in an NTN. The NTN can have different payload types. Figure 2A and Figure 2B A schematic diagram illustrating NTN scenarios with different payload types is provided. Figure 2A The NTN is based on a transparent payload, and Figure 2B The NTN is based on regenerated payload.

[0028] In some example implementations, the satellite or UAS platform can implement transparent or regenerated (with on-board processing) payloads. The satellite or UAS platform can generate beams (e.g., typically several beams) over a given service area defined by its field of view 260. The coverage area 250 of the beams is typically elliptical. The field of view of the satellite or UAS platform depends on the on-board antenna pattern and minimum elevation angle.

[0029] like Figure 2AAs shown, in the transparent payload scenario, UE 210 can communicate with satellite 220 or the UAS platform via a serving link, and satellite 220 or the UAS platform can communicate with gateway 230 connected to data network 240 via a feeder link. In this case, satellite 220 or the UAS platform can perform RF filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, so the waveform signal repeated by the payload may remain unchanged. Based on the transparent payload, UE 210 can connect to data network 240. The round-trip time (RTT) in this case reflects the time it takes for data to be transmitted from UE 210 to gNB (located on the ground) via satellite 220 or the UAS platform.

[0030] like Figure 2B As shown, in the regenerated payload scenario, UE 210 can communicate with satellite 220-1 or the UAS platform via a serving link. Satellite 220-1 or the UAS platform can communicate with satellite 220-2 or the UAS platform via an inter-switch link (ISL), and satellite 220-2 or the UAS platform can communicate with gateway 230 connected to data network 240 via a feeder link. If the ISL is unavailable, satellite 220 or the UAS platform can communicate with gateway 230 connected to data network 240 via a feeder link. In this case, satellites 220-1 and 220-2 (or the UAS platform) can perform RF filtering, frequency conversion and amplification, demodulation / decoding, switching and / or routing, and encoding / modulation, which is essentially equivalent to all or part of the functions of a base station (e.g., gNB) on both the satellite and the UAS platform. Based on the regenerated payload, UE 210 can connect to data network 240. The RTT in this case reflects the time it takes for data to be transmitted from UE 210 to the gNB (located on the satellite or UAS platform).

[0031] The polarization type (also known as polarization mode) used by transmitters or receivers in a communication network can include circular polarization and non-circular polarization. Non-circular polarized signals can refer to polarized signals without a defined circular polarization direction. Linear polarization, a type of non-circular polarization, refers to the electromagnetic wave's vibration direction being along a straight line. For example, if the electromagnetic wave's vibration direction is parallel to the ground, this polarization type can be called horizontal polarization. If the electromagnetic wave's vibration direction is perpendicular to the ground, this polarization type can be called vertical polarization. If the electromagnetic wave's vibration direction forms an angle with the ground (e.g., ±45°), this polarization type can be called tilted polarization. Linear polarization is supported in terrestrial networks. Circular polarization refers to the electromagnetic wave's vibration direction forming a circle around its propagation direction. Circular polarization includes left-hand circular polarization and right-hand circular polarization. Circular polarization is supported in non-terrestrial networks.

[0032] If the polarization type used by the transmitter does not match the polarization type used by the receiver, it will result in loss. For example, a circularly polarized signal received by a linearly polarized antenna or a linearly polarized signal received by a circularly polarized antenna will have a signal loss of 3dB.

[0033] Each of the following polarization type pairs is orthogonal to each other in the polarization domain: ±45° polarization, horizontal and vertical polarization, LHCP and RHCP. Therefore, multiplexing or diversity can be achieved by utilizing orthogonal polarized signals. For example, a gNB in ​​a TN can use arbitrary linear polarization to transmit ±45° polarized signals to the UE to enhance coverage or reliability.

[0034] Example satellite parameters used for system-level simulator calibration are shown in Table 1 below.

[0035] Table 1

[0036]

[0037] For multi-beam requirements, under the assumption of a minimum 30° elevation angle, more than 1000 beams are needed to provide full satellite coverage. The DL link budget will be constrained by the number of active beams, as active beams will share limited power from the payload.

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating an example link budget in NTN is provided. Figure 3 As shown, the satellite can support cells with nadir point 301 and edge beam 302. For example, the link budget difference between nadir point 301 and edge 302 is approximately 5 dB. UEs served by the edge beam have a greater need for coverage enhancement. Therefore, the gNB may tend to schedule beams with both LHCP and RHCP to the cell edge to improve coverage or throughput.

[0039] Figures 4A to 4C A schematic diagram illustrating frequency reuse is provided. Figure 4A As shown, within the system's frequency bandwidth, all beams can use the same frequency. Figure 4B As shown, the system frequency bandwidth may include three frequencies. For example, beams #1, #2, and #3 may use the first frequency; beam #0 may use the second frequency; and beams #2, #4, and #6 may use the third frequency.

[0040] like Figure 4CAs shown, the system frequency bandwidth can include two frequencies and support two types of circular polarization (e.g., RHCP and LHCP). For example, beams #1 and #4 can use the first frequency and LHCP. Beam #0 can use the first frequency and RHCP. Beams #2 and #5 can use the second frequency and LHCP. Beams #3 and #6 can use the second frequency and RHCP. In this manner, the gNB can schedule beams with different frequencies or both LHCP and RHCP.

[0041] In satellite communication applications, achieving full coverage using a single beam is difficult. One solution is to use multiple beams. However, when using multiple beams, downlink power is allocated to each beam, leading to a deterioration of the downlink budget. To address this budget issue, beam hopping is proposed as a solution.

[0042] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating beam hopping (BH) is shown. In a BH system, a defined subset of beams can be illuminated at any given time. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, the defined beam subsets include clusters #1, #2, and #3. Each beam in a cluster has variable dwell time, power, and bandwidth allocation. This BH system allows for full coverage with a limited number of active beams in a time-division manner. For example, beam-hopping strategies can be applied in Digital Video Broadcasting - Second Generation Satellite Extensions (DVB-S2X). In some cases, pre-scheduled BH with regular and periodic lighting patterns can be provided. In other cases, service-driven (i.e., service-distributed driven) BH with non-periodic lighting patterns (beam-hopping time schedules) can be provided.

[0043] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of SSB components is shown. The SSB includes the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary SS (SSS), and some physical broadcast channels (PBCH). In the time domain, the SSB can occupy 4 OFDM symbols, such as symbol 0, symbol 1, symbol 2, and symbol 3. In the frequency domain, the SSB can occupy 240 subcarriers, for example, subcarriers 0 to 239. Figure 6 As shown, PSS occupies symbol 0 and subcarriers 56 to 182, and SSS occupies symbol 2 and subcarriers 56 to 182.

[0044] Different subcarrier spacings (SCS) correspond to different bandwidths. For example, if the SCS is 15kHz, the corresponding bandwidth is 3.6MHz. If the SCS is 120kHz, the corresponding bandwidth is 28.8MHz. If the SCS is 240kHz, the corresponding bandwidth is 57.6MHz.

[0045] Typically, commercial communications satellite frequency bands may include the frequency range of 12 GHz to 18 GHz (also known as the Ku band) and the frequency range of 26 GHz to 40 GHz (also known as the Ka band).

[0046] According to the 3GPP specifications, the frequency ranges are defined in Table 2. It can be seen that frequency range 1 (FR1) and frequency range 2 (FR2) do not cover the Ku band, while FR2-1 covers the Ka band.

[0047] Table 2

[0048] NTNs can be designed to operate in the operating bands defined in Table 3. The satellite operating bands are arranged in descending order starting from n256. For example, for operating band n256, the uplink operating band includes a frequency range of 1980MHz to 2010MHz, and the downlink operating band includes a frequency range of 2170MHz to 2200MHz.

[0049] Table 3

[0050] For each operating frequency band, there are several applicable synchronization signal (SS) grid entries, as shown in Table 4. As shown in the figure, the SSB block mode can be determined based on the operating frequency band and the SS block SCS. For the SCS in operating frequency band n256 and 15kHz, the Class A (Case A) SS block mode is applicable. For the SCS in operating frequency band n255 and 15kHz, the Class A SS block mode is applicable. For the CS in operating frequency band n255 and 30kHz, the Class B (Case B) SS block mode is applicable.

[0051] Table 4

[0052] Figures 7A to 7F A schematic diagram illustrating the example SS block pattern is provided.

[0053] like Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, with an SCS of 15kHz, the corresponding SSB mode is Class A. For example, a frame consists of 10 time slots, meaning a half-frame consists of 5 time slots. Each time slot occupies 1ms and includes 14 symbols with indices from 0 to 13. Since an SSB occupies 4 symbols, only the first symbol of that SSB needs to be defined.

[0054] For example, for class A, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has an index. Where n represents the factor, which can also be called the repetition factor or the expansion factor. For operations without shared spectrum channel access, if the subcarrier frequency is less than or equal to 3 GHz, then n = 0 or 1, as shown below. Figure 7A As shown. If the subcarrier frequency within FR1 is greater than 3GHz, then n = 0, 1, 2, 3, as... Figure 7B As shown. For operations with shared spectrum channel access, n=0, 1, 2, 3, 4.

[0055] like Figure 7C and Figure 7D As shown, with an SCS of 30kHz, the corresponding SSB mode is Class B. For example, a half-frame consists of 10 time slots. Each time slot occupies 1ms and includes 28 symbols with indices from 0 to 27. Since the SSB occupies 4 symbols, only the first symbol of the SSB needs to be defined.

[0056] For example, for class B, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has an index. Where n represents the repetition factor. For subcarrier frequencies less than or equal to 3 GHz, n = 0, such as... Figure 7C As shown. For subcarrier frequencies greater than 3GHz within FR1, n=0, 1, as... Figure 7D As shown.

[0057] It should be noted that Class A and Class B apply to FR1. The entire NTN FR1 band is below 3 GHz.

[0058] like Figure 7E As shown, with an SCS of 120kHz, the corresponding SSB mode is Class D (Case D). For Class D, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has an index. , where n represents the repetition factor. For the subcarrier frequencies within FR2, n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18.

[0059] like Figure 7F As shown, with an SCS of 240kHz, the corresponding SSB mode is Class E (Case E). For Class E, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has an index. , where n represents the repetition factor. For the subcarrier frequencies within FR2-1, n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8.

[0060] It should be noted that Class D and Class E are applicable to NTNs above 10 GHz (Ku band and Ka band).

[0061] One solution proposes two beamforming options: using the same beamforming in BWP#0 and BWP#x (Option 1), and using a hierarchical beamforming for BWP#0 (Option 2). Such beamforming should be supported by NR-NTN specifications. BWP#0 is associated with the SSB bandwidth. BWP#X is associated with the data channel used for subsequent communication. Figure 8A As shown, BWP#0 has the same class as BWP#X and supports narrow beams. (As...) Figure 8B As shown, BWP#0 has a different class than BWP#X. BWP#0 supports wide beams, while BWP#X supports narrow beams.

[0062] For the same beam pattern, the scan period may affect UE access. For hierarchical beam patterns, BWP#0 may have poor coverage. The goal is to enable UE access as quickly as possible.

[0063] Several aspects may need to be addressed to support NTN above 10 GHz. These aspects may include, for example: physical random access channel (PRACH) configuration; UE-driven timing advance related to transmission timing errors and their associated requirements; timing issues, such as medium access control (MAC)-control element (CE) application timing in the case of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) antennas used for NR on NTN; reference subcarrier spacing for FR2-NTN; and potential specification impacts.

[0064] For operations in FR2-NTN, for the cell search process, at least Class D can be used to allow FDD operations in the frequency band defined by FR2-NTN without any updates to the SSB mode.

[0065] In one solution, NTN is considered a top priority for automobiles. For example, current handheld antennas are limiting NTN data rates. Also, VSAT antennas (60cm aperture) are too large for automotive applications.

[0066] In view of the above, it is desirable to consider how to leverage specific polarization types (e.g., LHCP and / or RHCP) and backward compatibility with existing UEs to enhance SSB coverage of NTN systems and improve their detection speed.

[0067] The example embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for SSB transmission. In this solution, a network device may use a first resource to transmit one or more first SSBs to a terminal device in a first polarization type. The network device may also use a second resource to transmit one or more second SSBs to the terminal device in a second polarization type. The second polarization type is different from the first polarization type, and the first resource is different from the second resource. The terminal device may detect the first SSB, the second SSB, or both based on the polarization type supported by the terminal device.

[0068] This approach allows SSB transmission with different polarization types. For networks with UEs possessing different polarization capabilities, the SSB detection rate can be improved. It should be noted that the embodiments described in this disclosure are applicable to both NTN and TN networks.

[0069] Example embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] Now for reference Figure 9 This illustrates a signaling flow 900 of an exemplary communication process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1 Discuss signaling flow 900.

[0071] Network device 120 may use a first resource to send (910) one or more first SSBs to terminal device 110 in a first polarization type. For example, network device 120 may use the first resource to broadcast the one or more first SSBs in a first polarization type. Network device 120 may also use a second resource to send (920) one or more second SSBs to terminal device 110 in a second polarization type. For example, network device 120 may use the second resource to broadcast the one or more second SSBs in a second polarization type. As will be described below, the first resource and the second resource may be different from each other in the time domain, or in the frequency domain, or in both the time domain and the frequency domain.

[0072] The first and second polarization types can include any suitable polarization type. In the example, one of the first and second polarization types can be LHCP, and the other can be RHCP.

[0073] In some implementations, terminal device 110 may select (930) one or more SSBs from the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs based on the polarization type supported by terminal device 110. Terminal device 110 may then detect (940) the selected one or more SSBs from network device 120.

[0074] In some implementations, if terminal device 110 supports a first polarization type and a second polarization type, terminal device 110 can select both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs. For example, a UE that supports both LHCP and RHCP can detect both SSBs transmitted in LHCP and SSBs transmitted in RHCP.

[0075] In some implementations, if the terminal device 110 supports neither the first polarization type nor the second polarization type, the terminal device 110 may select both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs. For example, if the UE supports linear polarization but not circular polarization, the UE may detect both the SSB transmitted in LHCP and the SSB transmitted in RHCP.

[0076] In some implementations, if the terminal device supports a first polarization type, the terminal device 110 may select the one or more first SSBs; if the terminal device 110 supports a second polarization type, the terminal device 110 may select the one or more second SSBs. In other words, the terminal device 110 can detect SSBs transmitted with a supported polarization type that it itself supports, and ignore SSBs transmitted with an unsupported polarization type. For example, if the UE supports LHCP but not RHCP, the UE can detect SSBs transmitted with LHCP but cannot detect SSBs transmitted with RHCP.

[0077] In some implementations, if both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are detected, the terminal device 110 may combine the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs. In this way, the SSB detection rate can be improved by merging SSBs.

[0078] Some implementation schemes regarding the first and second resources will now be described in detail. In some implementation schemes, the first and second resources may be different in the time domain.

[0079] In some implementations, the first resource and the second resource may comprise different portions of a half-frame. For example, network device 120 may transmit the one or more first SSBs in a first polarization type within a first portion of the half-frame, and transmit the one or more second SSBs in a second polarization type within a second portion of the half-frame. The second portion differs from the first portion. In this way, network device 120 may transmit SSBs in different polarization types within a half-frame.

[0080] In some implementations, the first portion may be based on a first polarization type and at least one of the following: (a) the SCS of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs, or (b) the operating frequency band for communication between the terminal device 110 and the network device 120. The second portion may be based on a second polarization type and at least one of the following: (a) the SCS, or (b) the operating frequency band.

[0081] In some implementations, the SSB mode may be based on at least one of the SCS or the operating frequency band, and the SSB mode may be defined by a set of symbol indices, symbol periods, and a factor (e.g., a spreading factor) applied to the symbol periods. The first symbol of the first SSB in one or more first SSBs may be based on the SSB mode and a first value of the factor corresponding to a first polarization type. The first symbol of the second SSB in one or more second SSBs may be based on the SSB mode and a second value of the factor corresponding to a second polarization type. In this way, a spreading factor (e.g., n) is introduced to allow different circular polarization SSBs to be transmitted within a half-frame.

[0082] The spread factor n can be obtained based on the polarization type. Therefore, the half-frame duration and additional slot-level timing information can be obtained based on the spread factor n.

[0083] In some implementations, the SCS may have a value of 15 kHz, and the operating frequency band may be within a first frequency band. The first value may include at least one of 0 or 1, and the second value may include at least one of 2 or 3.

[0084] In the example, the SSB pattern of type A can be used. For example, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has a symbol index. For operations in the NTN band, n = 0, 1, 2, 3. For transmitting SSBs with the first polarization type, n = 0. For transmitting SSBs with the second polarization type, n = 2, 3.

[0085] Figure 10AAn example of an enhanced Class A SSB mode is shown with an SCS of 15 kHz. A first portion 1001 of the half-frame is used for the first polarization type, and a second portion 1102 of the half-frame is used for the second polarization type. For example, a first SSB under the first polarization type can be transmitted when n=0 and n=1, and a second SSB under the second polarization type can be transmitted when n=2 and n=3. For example, for n=0, there are 14 symbols with symbol indices 0 to 13. One of the one or more first SSBs occupies symbols 2 to 5, and another of the one or more first SSBs occupies symbols 8 to 11. In this way, Class A SSB mode repetition within the polarization domain of the half-frame can be achieved.

[0086] Taking LHCP and RHCP as examples, there is no impact on traditional UEs because SSBs are designed for timing at a half-frame granularity and double the chance of decoding SSBs. For new UEs with linear polarization capability, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs within a half-frame duration. For new UEs with both LHCP and RHCP polarization capabilities, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs within a half-frame duration with additional slot-level timing information from the polarization mode. For new UEs with either LHCP or RHCP polarization capability, SSBs can be detected using additional slot-level timing information from the polarization type.

[0087] In some implementations, the SCS may have a value of 30 kHz and the operating frequency band may be within a second frequency band. The first value may include 0, and the second value may include 1.

[0088] In the example, the SSB pattern of class B can be used. For example, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has a symbol index. For SSBs transmitted using the first polarization type, n=0. For SSBs transmitted using the second polarization type, n=1.

[0089] Figure 10BAn example of an enhanced Class B SSB pattern is shown with an SCS of 30 kHz. A first portion 1003 of the half-frame is used for the first polarization type, and a second portion 1004 of the half-frame is used for the second polarization type. For example, a first SSB under the first polarization type can be transmitted when n=0, and a second SSB under the second polarization type can be transmitted when n=1. For example, for n=0, there are 28 symbols with symbol indices 0 to 27. One of these one or more first SSBs occupies symbols 4 to 7, and the other SSBs occupy symbols 8 to 11, 16 to 19, and 20 to 23, respectively. Furthermore, for n=1, there are 28 symbols with symbol indices 28 to 55. One of these one or more first SSBs occupies symbols 32 to 35, and the other SSBs occupy symbols 36 to 39, 44 to 47, and 48 to 51, respectively. In this way, Class B SSB pattern repetition within the polarization domain of the half-frame can be achieved.

[0090] Taking LHCP and RHCP as examples, there is no impact on traditional UEs because SSBs are designed for timing at a half-frame granularity and double the chance of decoding SSBs. For new UEs with linear polarization capability, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs within a half-frame duration. For new UEs with both LHCP and RHCP polarization capabilities, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs within a half-frame duration with additional slot-level timing information from the polarization type. For new UEs with either LHCP or RHCP polarization capability, SSBs with additional slot-level timing information can be detected based on the polarization type.

[0091] In some implementations, the SCS may have a value of 240 kHz, and the operating frequency band may be within a third frequency band. The first value may include at least one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, or 8, and the second value may include at least one of 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, or 18.

[0092] In the example, the SSB pattern of class E can be used. For example, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has a symbol index. For carrier frequencies within FR2-1, for SSBs transmitted with the first polarization type, n=0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8; for SSBs transmitted with the second polarization type, n=10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18.

[0093] Figure 10CAn example SSB mode for enhanced Class E is shown with SCS equal to 240 kHz and subcarrier FR2-1. The first portion 1005 of the half-frame is used for the first polarization type, and the second portion 1006 of the half-frame is used for the second polarization type. For example, the first SSB under the first polarization type can be transmitted when n=0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and... n= The second SSB under the second polarization type is transmitted at times 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, and 18. For example, for n=0, there are 56 symbols with symbol indices 0 to 55. One of the one or more first SSBs occupies symbols 8 to 11, and the other SSBs occupy symbols 12 to 15, 16 to 19, 20 to 23, 32 to 35, 36 to 39, 40 to 43, and 44 to 47, respectively. In this way, the repetition of the Class E SSB mode in the polarization domain within half a frame can be achieved.

[0094] Taking LHCP and RHCP as examples, there is no impact on traditional UEs because SSBs are designed with timing at a half-frame granularity and double the chance of achieving that timing. For new UEs with linear polarization capability, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs within a half-frame duration. For new UEs with both LHCP and RHCP polarization capabilities, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs within a half-frame duration with additional slot-level timing information from the polarization type. For new UEs with either LHCP or RHCP polarization capability, SSBs with additional slot-level timing information can be detected based on the polarization type.

[0095] In some implementations, the first resource and the second resource can be different half-frames within a frame. For example, network device 120 may transmit the one or more first SSBs in a first polarization type within the first half-frame of a frame, and transmit the one or more second SSBs in a second polarization type within the second half-frame of the frame. The first half-frame is different from the second half-frame.

[0096] Figure 11A and Figure 11B A schematic diagram illustrating examples of SSB transmissions with different polarization types in different half-frames according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is provided.

[0097] like Figure 11AAs shown, frame 1110 includes half-frame 1111 and half-frame 1112. For any SSB mode, a first polarization type is used in half-frame 1111, and a second polarization type is used in half-frame 1112. That is, one or more SSBs under the first polarization type can be transmitted in half-frame 1111, and one or more SSBs under the second polarization type can be transmitted in half-frame 1112. In this way, SSBs can be transmitted with different polarization types between half-frames and the detection rate of all SSB modes can be improved.

[0098] In some implementations, the first symbol of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs may be based on at least one of the following: the SCS of the SSB, or the operating frequency band used for communication between the terminal device and the network device. For example, any suitable SSB mode may be used.

[0099] In some implementations, the first symbol of the SSB may be based on an SSB mode for a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz. For example, a Class D SSB mode may be used.

[0100] Figure 11B An example SSB mode of enhanced Class D is shown with SCS equal to 120 kHz and subcarrier FR2. The first polarization type is used in half-frame 1115, and the second polarization type is used in half-frame 1116. That is, one or more SSBs under the first polarization type can be transmitted in half-frame 1115, and one or more SSBs under the second polarization type can be transmitted in half-frame 1116.

[0101] For example, for n=0, in half-frame 1115, there are 28 symbols with symbol indices 0 to 27. One of the one or more first SSBs occupies symbols 4 to 7, and the other SSBs occupy symbols 8 to 11, 16 to 19, and 20 to 23, respectively. Similarly, for n=0, in half-frame 1116, there are 28 symbols with symbol indices 0 to 27. One of the one or more second SSBs occupies symbols 4 to 7, and the other SSBs occupy symbols 8 to 11, 16 to 19, and 20 to 23, respectively. In this way, Class D SSB modes can be transmitted with different polarization types between half-frames, and the detection rate of Class D SSB modes can be improved.

[0102] In the scenario described above, there is no impact on traditional UEs because traditional UEs are not supported in the NTN band above 10 GHz. For new UEs with linear polarization capability, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining the inter-half frame PSS, SSS, and all / partial PBCH. For new UEs with both LHCP and RHCP polarization capabilities, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining the inter-half frame PSS, SSS, and all / partial PBCH. For new UEs with either LHCP or RHCP polarization capability, SSBs can be detected, and the half-frame timing can be obtained by polarization type before decoding the PBCH. That is, for UEs with first polarization capability, first polarization SSBs can be detected only in half-frame 1, without the need for additional PBCH decoding for half-frame timing.

[0103] In some implementations, the first resource and the second resource may include different frequencies. For example, network device 120 may transmit the one or more first SSBs on a first frequency with a first polarization type, and transmit the one or more second SSBs on a second frequency different from the first frequency with a second polarization type. In this way, SSBs can be transmitted via different frequencies with different polarization types.

[0104] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs may be transmitted with at least partial overlap in the time domain. In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs may be transmitted simultaneously. In this way, SSBs can be transmitted at the same time or at different times via different frequencies with different polarization types.

[0105] Figures 12A to 12C Schematic diagrams illustrating examples of SSB transmissions at different frequencies and with different polarization types according to some embodiments of this disclosure are provided.

[0106] like Figure 12A As shown, frame 1210 includes half-frame 1211. A first frequency 1213 is used for the first polarization type. That is, one or more first SSBs of the first polarization type can be transmitted at the first frequency in half-frame 1211. A second frequency 1214 is used for the second polarization type. That is, one or more second SSBs of the second polarization type can be transmitted at the second frequency in half-frame 1211.

[0107] In this scenario, for a traditional UE, an SSB can be detected at one of these frequencies. For a new UE with linear polarization capability, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs from different frequencies. For a new UE with both LHCP and RHCP polarization capabilities, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs from different frequencies and polarization types. For a new UE with either LHCP or RHCP polarization capability, one SSB can be detected based on either the polarization type or the frequency band.

[0108] In some implementations, the SSBs under different polarization types can be further different in the time domain. For example, one or more first SSBs can be transmitted in the first half-frame of a frame, and one or more second SSBs can be transmitted in the second half-frame of the same frame. The second half-frame is different from the first half-frame.

[0109] like Figure 12B As shown, frame 1220 includes half-frame 1221 and half-frame 1222. A first frequency 1223 is used for a first polarization type, and one or more first SSBs of the first polarization type can be transmitted on the first frequency 1223 in half-frame 1221. A second frequency 1224 is used for a second polarization type, and one or more second SSBs of the second polarization type can be transmitted on the second frequency 1224 in half-frame 1222.

[0110] In this scenario, for a traditional UE, an SSB can be detected in one of these frequencies. For a new UE with linear polarization capability, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs from different frequencies and half-frames. For a new UE with both LHCP and RHCP polarization capabilities, the SSB detection rate can be improved by combining SSBs from different frequencies, half-frames, and polarization types; half-frame timing can be obtained before decoding the PBCH. For a new UE with either LHCP or RHCP polarization capability, one SSB can be detected in one frequency band and one half-frame according to one of the polarization types; half-frame timing can be obtained before decoding the PBCH.

[0111] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs may be transmitted within a first portion of a half-frame, and the one or more second SSBs may be transmitted within a second portion of the half-frame. The second portion differs from the first portion.

[0112] like Figure 12CAs shown, a first frequency 1233 is used for the first polarization type, and the one or more first SSBs of the first polarization type can be transmitted on the first frequency 1233 in the first portion 1235 of half frame 1231. Furthermore, a second frequency 1234 is used for the second polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs of the second polarization type can be transmitted on the second frequency 1234 in the second portion 1236 of half frame 1211.

[0113] In these implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted within different sections, and any suitable SSB pattern can be used. For example, the above reference can be used. Figures 10A to 10C The example SSB pattern described.

[0114] In this scenario, for a traditional UE, an SSB can be detected at one of these frequencies. For a new UE with linear polarization capability, it can be detected by combining signals from different frequencies. n The SSB detection rate can be improved by combining sets of SSBs. For new UEs with both LHCP and RHCP polarization capabilities, this can be achieved by combining SSBs from different frequencies. n The SSB detection rate can be improved by using a set of SSBs and polarization types; sub-half-frame timing can be obtained after decoding the PBCH. For new UEs with LHCP or RHCP polarization capabilities, one frequency band and n One SSB is detected in one of the sets according to one of the polarization types; the sub-half-frame timing can be obtained after decoding the PBCH.

[0115] Last but not least, embodiments of this disclosure can enhance SSB coverage and improve detection speed of NTN systems by utilizing specific polarization signals and backward compatibility with conventional UEs. Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure can enhance SSB coverage and improve detection speed of NTN systems on carriers above 10 GHz (e.g., Class D and Class E SSB modes), and support multi-SSB transmission by new types of UEs in large channel bandwidths.

[0116] Example methods, devices, and specific implementations Figure 13 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 1300 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 1300 is described from the perspective of network device 120.

[0117] At box 1310, network device 120 uses the first resource to send one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) to the terminal device in a first polarization type.

[0118] At box 1320, network device 120 uses a second resource to send one or more second SSBs to the terminal device in a second polarization type, the second polarization type being different from the first polarization type, and the first resource being different from the second resource.

[0119] In some example implementations, the network device may transmit the one or more first SSBs in a first polarization type within a first portion of a half-frame; and transmit the one or more second SSBs in a second polarization type within a second portion of the half-frame, the second portion being different from the first portion.

[0120] In some example implementations, the first part is based on: a first polarization type and at least one of the following: the subcarrier spacing of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs, or an operating frequency band for communication between the terminal device and the network device; and the second part is based on: a second polarization type, and at least one of the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0121] In some example implementations, the SSB mode is based on at least one of subcarrier spacing or operating frequency band, and the SSB mode is defined by a set of symbol indices, symbol periods, and factors applied to the symbol periods. The first symbol of the first SSB in one or more first SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a first value of a factor corresponding to a first polarization type, and the first symbol of the second SSB in one or more second SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a second value of a factor corresponding to a second polarization type.

[0122] In some example implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 15 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a first frequency band, the first value including at least one of 0 or 1, and the second value including at least one of 2 or 3.

[0123] In some example implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 30 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a second frequency band, the first value including 0 and the second value including 1.

[0124] In some example implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 240 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a third frequency band. The first value includes at least one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8, and the second value includes at least one of 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 or 18.

[0125] In some example implementations, the network device may transmit the one or more first SSBs in a first polarization type within a first half-frame of a frame; and transmit the one or more second SSBs in a second polarization type within a second half-frame of the frame, the first half-frame being different from the second half-frame.

[0126] In some example implementations, the first symbol of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs is based on at least one of the following: the subcarrier spacing of the SSB, or the operating frequency band used for communication between the terminal device and the network device.

[0127] In some example implementations, the first symbol of the SSB is based on the SSB pattern used for a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz.

[0128] In some example implementations, the network device may transmit the one or more first SSBs on a first frequency with a first polarization type; and transmit the one or more second SSBs on a second frequency different from the first frequency with a second polarization type.

[0129] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted in the time domain with at least partial overlap.

[0130] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are sent simultaneously.

[0131] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs are transmitted in the first half-frame of the frame, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted in the second half-frame of the frame, which is different from the first half-frame.

[0132] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs are transmitted in a first part of a half-frame, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted in a second part of the half-frame, which is different from the first part.

[0133] Figure 14 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 1400 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 1400 is described from the perspective of terminal device 110.

[0134] At block 1410, terminal device 110 selects one or more SSBs from one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) and one or more second SSBs based on the polarization type supported by the terminal device, wherein the one or more first SSBs are transmitted by the network device using first resources in a first polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted by the network device using second resources in a second polarization type.

[0135] At box 1420, terminal device 110 detects one or more SSBs selected from the network device.

[0136] In some example implementations, depending on whether the terminal device supports a first polarization type and a second polarization type, the terminal device may select both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs.

[0137] In some example implementations, if it is determined that the terminal device does not support either the first polarization type or the second polarization type, the terminal device may select both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs.

[0138] In some example implementations, the terminal device may select one or more first SSBs based on whether it supports a first polarization type, or the terminal device may select one or more second SSBs based on whether it supports a second polarization type.

[0139] In some example implementations, the terminal device may combine the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs.

[0140] In some example implementations, the terminal device may detect the one or more first SSBs in a first portion of a half-frame; and / or detect the one or more second SSBs in a second portion of the half-frame, which is different from the first portion.

[0141] In some example implementations, the first part is based on: a first polarization type and at least one of the following: the subcarrier spacing of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs, or an operating frequency band for communication between the terminal device and the network device; and the second part is based on: a second polarization type, and at least one of the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0142] In some example implementations, the SSB mode is based on at least one of subcarrier spacing or operating frequency band, and the SSB mode is defined by a set of symbol indices, symbol periods, and factors applied to the symbol periods. The first symbol of the first SSB in one or more first SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a first value of a factor corresponding to a first polarization type, and the first symbol of the second SSB in one or more second SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a second value of a factor corresponding to a second polarization type.

[0143] In some example implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 15 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a first frequency band, the first value including at least one of 0 or 1, and the second value including at least one of 2 or 3.

[0144] In some example implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 30 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a second frequency band, the first value including 0 and the second value including 1.

[0145] In some example implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 240 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a third frequency band. The first value includes at least one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8, and the second value includes at least one of 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 or 18.

[0146] In some example implementations, the terminal device may detect the one or more first SSBs in the first half-frame of a frame; and / or detect the one or more second SSBs in the second half-frame of the frame, which is different from the second half-frame.

[0147] In some example implementations, the first symbol of the SSB in the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs is based on: the subcarrier spacing of the SSB, or the operating frequency band used for communication between the terminal device and the network device.

[0148] In some example implementations, the first symbol of the SSB is based on the SSB pattern used for a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz.

[0149] In some example implementations, the terminal device may detect the one or more first SSBs at a first frequency; and / or detect the one or more second SSBs at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

[0150] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are received in the time domain with at least partial overlap.

[0151] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are received simultaneously.

[0152] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs are received in the first half-frame of the frame, and the one or more second SSBs are received in the second half-frame of the frame, which is different from the first half-frame.

[0153] In some example implementations, the one or more first SSBs are received in a first portion of a half-frame, and the one or more second SSBs are received in a second portion of the half-frame, which is different from the first portion.

[0154] Figure 15 This is a simplified block diagram of device 1500 suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Device 1500 can be considered as follows: Figure 1 Another example implementation of any of the devices shown. Thus, device 1500 may be implemented at or be at least a part of terminal device 110 or network device 120.

[0155] As shown in the figure, device 1500 includes a processor 1510, a memory 1520 coupled to the processor 1510, a suitable transceiver 1540 coupled to the processor 1510, and a communication interface coupled to the transceiver 1540. The memory 1520 stores at least a portion of a program 1530. Depending on the requirements, the transceiver 1540 can be used for bidirectional or unidirectional communication. The transceiver 1540 may include at least one of a transmitter 1542 and a receiver 1544. The transmitter 1542 and receiver 1544 may be functional modules or physical entities. The transceiver 1540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication; however, in practice, the access node mentioned in this application may have several antennas. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, the S1 / NG interface for communication between the Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and eNBs / gNBs, the Un interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and relay nodes (RNs), or the Uu interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and terminal equipment.

[0156] Assume that program 1530 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 1510, enable device 1500 to operate according to embodiments of this disclosure, as referenced herein. Figures 1 to 14 The embodiments discussed herein may be implemented by computer software executable by processor 1510 of device 1500, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Processor 1510 may be configured to implement various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, a combination of processor 1510 and memory 1520 may form a processing unit 1550 suitable for implementing various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0157] Memory 1520 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, as non-limiting examples, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 1520 is shown in device 1500, several physically different memory modules may exist in device 1500. Processor 1510 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of the following: as non-limiting examples, general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. Device 1500 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-dependent on a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0158] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network device including circuitry is provided. The circuitry is configured to: transmit one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) to a terminal device using a first resource and a first polarization type; and transmit one or more second SSBs to the terminal device using a second resource and a second polarization type, the second polarization type being different from the first polarization type, and the first resource being different from the second resource. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry can be configured to perform any of the methods implemented by the network device as discussed above.

[0159] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device including circuitry is provided. The circuitry is configured to: select one or more SSBs from one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) and one or more second SSBs based on a polarization type supported by the terminal device, wherein the one or more first SSBs are transmitted by a network device using first resources in a first polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted by the network device using second resources in a second polarization type; and detect the selected one or more SSBs from the network device. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry can be configured to perform any of the methods implemented by the terminal device as discussed above.

[0160] As used herein, the term "circuit" can refer to hardware circuitry and / or a combination of hardware and software circuitry. For example, a circuit can be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware. As another example, a circuit can be any part of a hardware processor with software, including digital signal processors, software, and memory, which work together to enable a device (such as a terminal device or network device) to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit can be hardware circuitry and / or a processor (such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof) that requires software / firmware to operate, but which may be absent when operation is not required. As used herein, the term "circuit" also encompasses a specific implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor alone, or a portion thereof, and its accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0161] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network apparatus is provided. The network apparatus includes: components for transmitting one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) to a terminal device using a first resource and a first polarization type; and components for transmitting one or more second SSBs to the terminal device using a second resource and a second polarization type, the second polarization type being different from the first polarization type, and the first resource being different from the second resource. In some embodiments, the first component may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1300. In some example embodiments, the first component may also include components for performing other operations of some example embodiments of method 1300. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0162] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: components for selecting one or more SSBs from one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) and one or more second SSBs based on a polarization type supported by the terminal device, wherein the one or more first SSBs are transmitted by a network device using first resources in a first polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted by the network device using second resources in a second polarization type; and components for detecting the selected one or more SSBs from the network device. In some embodiments, a second device may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 1400. In some example embodiments, the second device may also include components for performing other operations of some example embodiments of method 1400. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented as circuits or software modules.

[0163] In summary, the implementation scheme disclosed herein provides the following aspects.

[0164] In one aspect, a network device is proposed, the network device comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: transmit one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) to a terminal device using a first resource in a first polarization type; and transmit one or more second SSBs to the terminal device using a second resource in a second polarization type, the second polarization type being different from the first polarization type, and the first resource being different from the second resource.

[0165] In some implementations, the network device is configured to: transmit the one or more first SSBs in a first polarization type within a first portion of a half-frame; and transmit the one or more second SSBs in a second polarization type within a second portion of the half-frame, the second portion being different from the first portion.

[0166] In some implementations, the first part is based on: a first polarization type and at least one of the following: the subcarrier spacing of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs, or an operating frequency band for communication between the terminal device and the network device; and the second part is based on: a second polarization type, and at least one of the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0167] In some implementations, the SSB mode is based on at least one of subcarrier spacing or operating frequency band, and the SSB mode is defined by a set of symbol indices, symbol periods, and factors applied to the symbol periods. The first symbol of the first SSB in one or more first SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a first value of a factor corresponding to a first polarization type, and the first symbol of the second SSB in one or more second SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a second value of a factor corresponding to a second polarization type.

[0168] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 15 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a first frequency band, the first value including at least one of 0 or 1, and the second value including at least one of 2 or 3.

[0169] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 30 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a second frequency band, the first value including 0 and the second value including 1.

[0170] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 240 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a third frequency band. The first value includes at least one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8, and the second value includes at least one of 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 or 18.

[0171] In some implementations, the network device is configured to: transmit the one or more first SSBs in a first polarization type within a first half-frame of a frame; and transmit the one or more second SSBs in a second polarization type within a second half-frame of the frame, the first half-frame being different from the second half-frame.

[0172] In some implementations, the first symbol of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs is based on at least one of the following: the subcarrier spacing of the SSB, or the operating frequency band used for communication between the terminal device and the network device.

[0173] In some implementations, the first symbol of the SSB is based on the SSB pattern used for a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz.

[0174] In some implementations, the network device is configured to: transmit the one or more first SSBs on a first frequency with a first polarization type; and transmit the one or more second SSBs on a second frequency different from the first frequency with a second polarization type.

[0175] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted in the time domain with at least partial overlap.

[0176] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are sent simultaneously.

[0177] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs are transmitted in the first half-frame of the frame, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted in the second half-frame of the frame, which is different from the first half-frame.

[0178] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs are transmitted in a first portion of a half-frame, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted in a second portion of the half-frame, which is different from the first portion.

[0179] In one aspect, a terminal device is proposed, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: select one or more SSBs from one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) and one or more second SSBs based on a polarization type supported by the terminal device, the one or more first SSBs being transmitted by a network device using first resources in a first polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs being transmitted by the network device using second resources in a second polarization type; and detect the one or more SSBs selected by the network device.

[0180] In some implementations, the terminal device selects either the first SSB or the second SSB based on the determination that the terminal device supports a first polarization type and a second polarization type.

[0181] In some implementations, the terminal device selects both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs based on the determination that the terminal device does not support either the first polarization type or the second polarization type.

[0182] In some implementations, the terminal device is configured to: select one or more first SSBs based on determining that the terminal device supports a first polarization type, or select one or more second SSBs based on determining that the terminal device supports a second polarization type.

[0183] In some implementations, the terminal device is also configured to combine the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs.

[0184] In some implementations, the terminal device is configured to: detect the one or more first SSBs within a first portion of a half-frame; and / or detect the one or more second SSBs within a second portion of the half-frame, the second portion being different from the first portion.

[0185] In some implementations, the first part is based on: a first polarization type and at least one of the following: the subcarrier spacing of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs, or an operating frequency band for communication between the terminal device and the network device; and the second part is based on: a second polarization type, and at least one of the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0186] In some implementations, the SSB mode is based on at least one of subcarrier spacing or operating frequency band, and the SSB mode is defined by a set of symbol indices, symbol periods, and factors applied to the symbol periods. The first symbol of the first SSB in one or more first SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a first value of a factor corresponding to a first polarization type, and the first symbol of the second SSB in one or more second SSBs is based on the SSB mode and a second value of a factor corresponding to a second polarization type.

[0187] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 15 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a first frequency band, the first value including at least one of 0 or 1, and the second value including at least one of 2 or 3.

[0188] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 30 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a second frequency band, the first value including 0 and the second value including 1.

[0189] In some implementations, the subcarrier spacing has a value of 240 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a third frequency band. The first value includes at least one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8, and the second value includes at least one of 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 or 18.

[0190] In some implementations, the terminal device is configured to: detect the one or more first SSBs within a first half-frame of a frame; and / or detect the one or more second SSBs within a second half-frame of the frame, the first half-frame being different from the second half-frame.

[0191] In some implementations, the first symbol of the SSB in the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs is based on: the subcarrier spacing of the SSB, or the operating frequency band used for communication between the terminal device and the network device.

[0192] In some implementations, the first symbol of the SSB is based on the SSB pattern used for a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz.

[0193] In some implementations, the terminal device is configured to: detect the one or more first SSBs at a first frequency; and / or detect the one or more second SSBs at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

[0194] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are received in the time domain with at least partial overlap.

[0195] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are received simultaneously.

[0196] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs are received in the first half-frame of the frame, and the one or more second SSBs are received in the second half-frame of the frame, which is different from the first half-frame.

[0197] In some implementations, the one or more first SSBs are received in a first portion of a half-frame, and the one or more second SSBs are received in a second portion of the half-frame, which is different from the first portion.

[0198] In one aspect, a network device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform the methods implemented by the network device as discussed above.

[0199] In one aspect, a terminal device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform the methods implemented by the terminal device as discussed above.

[0200] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods implemented by the network device discussed above.

[0201] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods implemented by the terminal device discussed above.

[0202] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods implemented by the network device discussed above.

[0203] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods discussed above and implemented by the terminal device.

[0204] Generally, various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other illustrations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0205] 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 program modules) that execute on a target real or virtual processor in a device to perform the functions described above. Figures 1 to 15The described process or method. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of a program module can be combined in various implementation schemes or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions used 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.

[0206] 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.

[0207] The aforementioned program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. Machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-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 fibers, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0208] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or to perform all the illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. While several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. 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.

[0209] Although this disclosure has been described using 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 examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A network device, the network device comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the network device to: One or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) are sent to the terminal device using the first resource in the first polarization type. as well as One or more second SSBs are sent to the terminal device using a second resource with a second polarization type, the second polarization type being different from the first polarization type, and the first resource being different from the second resource.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device: The one or more first SSBs are transmitted in the first polarization type within the first portion of a half-frame; and The one or more second SSBs are transmitted in the second polarization type within the second portion of the half-frame, the second portion being different from the first portion.

3. The network device according to claim 2, wherein The first part is based on: The first polarization type, and At least one of the following: The subcarrier spacing of the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs, or The operating frequency band for communication between the terminal device and the network device; and The second part is based on: The second polarization type, and The subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band, at least one of them.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein the SSB mode is based on at least one of the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band, and the SSB mode is defined by a set of symbol indices, symbol periods, and a factor applied to the symbol periods. The first symbol of the first SSB in the one or more first SSBs is based on the SSB mode and the first value of the factor corresponding to the first polarization type, and The first symbol of the second SSB in the one or more second SSBs is based on the SSB mode and the second value of the factor corresponding to the second polarization type.

5. The network device of claim 4, wherein the subcarrier spacing has a value of 15 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a first frequency band. The first value includes at least one of 0 or 1, and The second value includes at least one of 2 or 3.

6. The network device of claim 4, wherein the subcarrier spacing has a value of 30 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a second frequency band. The first value includes 0, and The second value includes 1.

7. The network device of claim 4, wherein the subcarrier spacing has a value of 240 kHz and the operating frequency band is within a third frequency band. The first value includes at least one of 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, or 8, and The second value includes at least one of 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 or 18.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device: Transmit the one or more first SSBs in the first half-frame of the frame using the first polarization type; and The one or more second SSBs are transmitted in the second polarization type within the second half-frame of the frame, the first half-frame being different from the second half-frame.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the first symbol of the SSB in the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs is based on at least one of the following: The subcarrier spacing of the SSB, or The operating frequency band used for communication between the terminal device and the network device.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the first symbol of the SSB is based on an SSB mode for a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz.

11. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device: Transmit the one or more first SSBs at the first frequency and with the first polarization type; and The one or more second SSBs are transmitted at a second frequency, different from the first frequency, with the second polarization type.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted in the time domain with at least partial overlap.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted simultaneously.

14. The network device of claim 11, wherein the one or more first SSBs are transmitted within a first half-frame of the frame, and The one or more second SSBs are transmitted within the second half-frame of the frame, the second half-frame being different from the first half-frame.

15. The network device of claim 11, wherein the one or more first SSBs are transmitted within a first portion of a half-frame, and The one or more second SSBs are transmitted within the second portion of the half-frame, the second portion being different from the first portion.

16. A terminal device, the terminal device comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the terminal device to: One or more SSBs are selected from one or more first synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) and one or more second SSBs based on the polarization type supported by the terminal device, wherein the one or more first SSBs are transmitted by the network device using first resources in a first polarization type, and the one or more second SSBs are transmitted by the network device using second resources in a second polarization type. as well as Detect one or more SSBs selected from the network device.

17. The terminal device according to claim 16, wherein the terminal device: Based on the determination that the terminal device supports the first polarization type and the second polarization type, both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are selected.

18. The terminal device according to claim 16, wherein the terminal device: Based on the determination that the terminal device does not support either the first polarization type or the second polarization type, both the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs are selected.

19. The terminal device according to claim 16, wherein the terminal device: Based on the determination that the terminal device supports the first polarization type, select one or more first SSBs, or Based on the determination that the terminal device supports the second polarization type, one or more second SSBs are selected.

20. The terminal device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the terminal device further comprises: Combine the one or more first SSBs and the one or more second SSBs.

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