Control channel monitoring in sub-band non-overlapping full duplex (SBFD)

Abstract

Example embodiments of this disclosure relate to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for control channel monitoring in subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD). In one method, a first device determines that a first transmission from the first device conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first SBFD time slot. A second transmission in a second time slot from or to the first device is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing. The first device determines that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission based on a condition being met. The condition is met based on at least one of the following: a time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or a time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the telecommunications field, and more particularly to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for monitoring control channels in subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD). Background Technology

[0002] In some communication systems, such as fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) systems, various duplex modes are supported. For example, Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) is supported for paired frequency bands, and Time Division Duplex (TDD) is supported for unpaired frequency bands. In TDD, time-domain resources are divided between the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL). Allocating limited duration for the uplink in TDD can lead to reduced coverage, increased latency, and reduced capacity. To address these issues, evolutions in duplex operation have been proposed. Among some mechanisms, Subband Non-overlapping Full-Duplex (SBFD) has been proposed, for example, simultaneously performing DL and UL transmissions on different Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) or subbands within unpaired broadband NR cells. Compared to existing UE operation in traditional TDD bands, the fact that the network has full-duplex capability (i.e., the ability to transmit and receive simultaneously) while the UE maintains half-duplex introduces new challenges in UL-DL conflict handling on the UE side. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to: determine that a first transmission from the first apparatus conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first apparatus in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; and, based on a condition being satisfied, determine to prioritize the control channel monitoring timing over the first transmission, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: a time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or a time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to: determine that a first transmission from a first apparatus to the second apparatus conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing of the first apparatus in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first apparatus in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; and determine that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission based on a condition being satisfied, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: a time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or a time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: determining at a first device that a first transmission from the first device conflicts with a control channel monitoring (MS) timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot is schedulable by the MS; and determining, based on a satisfied condition, that the MS prioritizes the first transmission, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: a time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or a time position of the MS prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: determining at a second device that a first transmission from a first device to the second device conflicts with a control channel monitoring (CSM) timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot of the first device, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot is schedulable by the CSM timing; and determining that the CSM timing takes precedence over the first transmission based on a condition being satisfied, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: a time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or a time position of the CSM timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes: means for determining that a first transmission from the first apparatus conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first apparatus in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; and means for determining, based on a condition being satisfied, that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: a time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or a time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes: means for determining that a first transmission from a first apparatus to a second apparatus conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing of the first apparatus in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first apparatus in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; and means for determining that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission based on a condition being satisfied, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: a time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or a time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform a method according to a third or fourth aspect.

[0010] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example communication environment in which example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown; Figure 2A An example diagram of frequency-time resource partitioning for FDD is shown; Figure 2B An example diagram of frequency-time resource allocation for TDD is shown; Figure 2C An example diagram for frequency-time resource partitioning for SBFD is shown; Figure 2D Examples of SBFD and non-SBFD time slots are shown; Figure 3A and Figure 3B The coverage of dynamically scheduled Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) for semi-statically configured UL transmissions is shown respectively; Figure 3C This demonstrates the coverage of dynamic UL transmission over semi-static DL reception; Figure 4 An example of control channel monitoring in SBFD is shown; Figure 5 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a first device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 6Example diagrams are shown of control channel monitoring timing in SBFD according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method for control channel monitoring in SBFD according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 9 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 10 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0014] 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.

[0015] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that specific feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, whether explicitly described or not, those skilled in the art can implement that feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0016] It should be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0017] As used herein, “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0018] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the execution step “in response to A” does not indicate that the step must be performed immediately after “A” occurs, and may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms. It should also be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including” as used herein specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of the hardware processor (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memory, which work together to enable the device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions; and (c) Multiple hardware circuits and / or multiple processors (such as multiple microprocessors or a portion thereof) that require software (e.g. firmware) to function, but the software may not exist if it is not required to function.

[0021] This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used in this application, the term circuit system also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) or portions thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuit system also covers, for example and if applicable to a particular claim element, baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices or other computing or network devices.

[0022] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that embody the future types of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the aforementioned systems.

[0023] As used herein, the term "network device" or "network access device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology employed, a network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node such as a femtonode or piconode, a satellite network device, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network device such as a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite or a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite, an aircraft network device, etc. In some example embodiments, the radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at the IAB host node. The IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves like a UE toward the parent node, and the DU portion of the IAB node that behaves like a base station toward the next-hop IAB node.

[0024] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. Terminal equipment may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal equipment," "communication equipment," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0025] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as communication between a terminal device and a network device, including resources in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, or any other resources used to implement communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Note that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0026] As briefly mentioned above, communication networks support various duplex modes such as FDD and TDD. In TDD, time-domain resources are partitioned between the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL). Allocating limited duration for the uplink in TDD can lead to reduced coverage, increased latency, and reduced capacity. To address these challenges, simultaneous DL and UL transmission on different PRBs or subbands within unpaired broadband NR cells has been proposed. As used herein, the set of PRBs assigned to a specific link direction is called a subband, and this new duplexing method is called “SBFD”. As used herein, the term “SBFD” can also be referred to as cross-division duplexing (xDD) or flexible division duplexing (FDU).

[0027] The following will refer to Figures 1 to 10 The principles and implementation of this disclosure are described in detail. Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 is shown that can implement exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In the communication environment 100, a plurality of communication devices, including a first device 110 and a second device 120, can communicate with each other. In some example embodiments, an additional device, such as a third device 130, may be present in the communication environment. The third device 130 can communicate with the second device 120.

[0028] The communication environment 100 can support various duplex modes, such as FDD and TDD. In some example embodiments, SBFD can be supported by the first device 110, the second device 120, and the third device 130.

[0029] In some example embodiments, if the first device 110 and the third device 130 are terminal devices, and the second device 120 is a network device serving these terminal devices, then the link from the second device 120 to the first device 110 (or the third device 130) is referred to as a downlink (DL), and the link from the first device 110 (or the third device 130) to the second device 120 is referred to as an uplink (UL). In the DL, the second device 120 is a transmission (TX) device (or transmitter), and the first device 110 (or the third device 130) is a reception (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, the first device 110 (or the third device 130) is a transmission (TX) device (or transmitter), and the second device 120 is a reception (RX) device (or receiver).

[0030] 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. The communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0031] In the following description, for illustrative purposes, some example embodiments are described in which the first device 110 operates as a terminal device and the second device 120 operates as a network node (also referred to as a network device). However, in some example embodiments, the operations described in connection with the terminal device may be implemented at the network node or other devices, and the operations described in connection with the network node may be implemented at the terminal device or other devices.

[0032] Communication in communication environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other currently known or future-developed technologies.

[0033] As discussed, it supports various duplex modes, such as FDD and TDD. Figure 2A Figure 210 illustrates an example of frequency-time resource allocation for FDD. As shown, resources for DL ​​and UL transmissions can be allocated by frequency. That is, DL and UL transmissions use resources in different frequency subbands.

[0034] Figure 2B Figure 230 illustrates an example of frequency-time resource allocation for TDD. As shown, resources for DL ​​and UL transmissions can be allocated by time. That is, DL and UL transmissions use resources corresponding to different time slots.

[0035] Figure 2C Example diagram 250 for frequency-time resource partitioning for SBFD is shown. As shown, in SBFD, simultaneous DL and UL transmissions on different PRBs or subbands are supported. Each subband used for DL ​​transmission does not overlap with the subband used for UL transmission.

[0036] In some example embodiments, multiple time slots supporting SBFD can be divided into two time slot types: SBFD time slot type and non-SBFD time slot type. As used herein, the term "SBFD time slot" refers to a time slot in which both non-overlapping DL and UL subbands coexist during the time slot period. The term "non-SBFD time slot" refers to a time slot in which the entire frequency band is dedicated to DL or UL during the time slot period. Non-SBFD time slots may also be referred to as conventional time slots or full DL / UL time slots. Figure 2DExample diagrams of multiple time slots are shown, including non-SBFD time slot 260, SBFD time slot 270-1, SBFD time slot 270-2, SBFD time slot 270-3 for DL, and non-SBFD time slot 280 for UL. SBFD time slots 270-1, 270-2, and 270-3 may be collectively referred to as "SBFD time slot 270". In some example embodiments, a transition period 285 may exist between SBFD time slot 270-3 and non-SBFD time slot 280.

[0037] Several SBFD operating modes have been studied in some mechanisms, including whether the SBFD-aware UE is aware of the time and frequency positions of the subband used for SBFD operation. However, the 110th meeting of the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) 1 agreed to prioritize operating modes where the SBFD-aware UE is aware of the time and frequency positions of the subband used for SBFD operation. This means that the SBFD-aware UE should be aware of the SBFD time slots in some way.

[0038] SBFD has several objectives. For SBFD operation on the network side within a TDD carrier, the timing position of the SBFD subband can be specified to be semi-statically indicated to the UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode. Indicating the timing position of the SBFD subband in the SIB is not excluded. The frequency domain position of the SBFD subband can also be specified to be semi-statically indicated to the UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode. Indicating the frequency domain position of the SBFD subband in the SIB is not excluded.

[0039] It can be specified that SBFD operations for random access in SBFD symbols can be supported for UEs in RRC_CONNECTED mode. If there is a reasonable justification, SBFD operations for random access for UEs in RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE mode can also be studied or specified.

[0040] Some mechanisms specify the SBFD-aware UE transmission, reception, and measurement behaviors and procedures in SBFD symbols and / or non-SBFD symbols. Transmission and reception behaviors are specified on SBFD subbands designated as DL and / or flexible symbols by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon. For example, UL transmission can be specified to occur only within the UL subband. Similarly, DL reception can be specified to occur only within the DL subband, except for CLI measurements performed by the UE outside the DL subband. When using flexible symbols, it may not be desirable to convert any traditional uplink symbols to downlink / SBFD symbols.

[0041] In some mechanisms, enhancements to frequency domain resource allocation in SBFD symbols are proposed, including frequency domain resource allocation of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) / Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (RS) across two DL subbands in an SBFD symbol; and handling of unaligned boundaries between SBFD subbands and Resource Block Groups (RBGs), CSI Report Subbands, CSI-RS Resources, and Precoded Resource Block Groups (PRGs).

[0042] Physical channel / signal and procedural enhancements are proposed for SBFD and non-SBFD symbols across different time slots, where each transmission / reception within a time slot involves only SBFD symbols or only non-SBFD symbols. These enhancements include: frequency domain resource allocation for transmissions or receptions in SBFD and non-SBFD symbols with different available frequency resources in different time slots; and CSI reporting of which instances in associated CSI-RS instances simultaneously appear in SBFD and non-SBFD symbols across different time slots.

[0043] In some mechanisms, it is proposed to configure the sounding reference signal (SRS), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) on SBFD and non-SBFD symbols, for example, by configuring resources, frequency hopping parameters, UL power control parameters, and / or beam / space relationships.

[0044] A conflict resolution mechanism has been proposed for DL ​​reception in the DL subband and UL transmission in the UL subband of the SBFD symbol.

[0045] In some mechanisms, the following assumptions are made: SBFD on the -gNB side, - Half-duplex operation on the UE side - Frequency range 1 (FR1) and frequency range 2-1 (FR2-1). -SBFD operation option 4, that is, the time and frequency positions of the sub-band used for SBFD operation are known to the SBFD-aware UE. - Coexistence between non-SBFD-aware UEs (including traditional UEs) and SBFD-aware UEs in cells where SBFD is operated on the gNB side. - SBFD scheme with a single configuration of DL and UL BWP pairs with aligned center frequencies. - A UL subband used for SBFD operation within the SBFD symbols (excluding conventional UL symbols / slots) of a TDD carrier. The mechanism for SBFD operation should also take into account the coexistence of adjacent channels between the two operators.

[0046] Enhancements to CLI processing are specified. For example, support is provided for gNB-to-gNB (multiple) co-channel CLI processing schemes. Another example is support for UE-to-UE (multiple) co-channel CLI processing schemes. This processing is not specifically optimized for dynamic / flexible TDD.

[0047] The base station (BS) radio frequency (RF) requirements for SBFD operations at the gNB are specified. The applicable Radio Resource Management (RRM) core requirements for the co-channel CLI processing mechanism are specified. Other RRM core requirements for SBFD operations may also be specified (if identified).

[0048] However, compared to existing UE operation in traditional TDD bands, the fact that the gNB has full-duplex capability (i.e., the gNB can transmit and receive simultaneously) while the UE maintains half-duplex operation introduces new challenges in UL-DL conflict handling on the UE side. The details of UL-DL conflict handling in the current NR specification will be further described below.

[0049] UL-DL conflict handling is one of the main topics of discussion, but there is still no consensus on which conflict scenarios require further analysis or research. For unpaired TDD spectrum, existing NR specifications have provided a basic set of rules to define UE behavior in terms of UL or DL ​​priority. These rules are mostly defined in standards such as 3GPP technical specifications and generally distinguish between dynamically scheduled signals (e.g., UL or DL ​​transmissions triggered by Receive Downlink Control Information (DCI)) and semi-static or higher-layer configured signals (UL or DL ​​transmissions not triggered by DCI, such as Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), SRS, or periodically configured licensed Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)). Some of the most relevant conflict scenarios and their corresponding handling (based on current specifications) will be described below.

[0050] The dynamically scheduled DL reception is compared with the semi-statically configured UL transmission. In this case, the UE prioritizes the scheduled DL reception. However, the condition is that the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that schedules the DL reception must have been in operation for at least a minimum time before the configured UL reception. )Appear.

[0051] In some mechanisms, depending on the time slot configuration, for operation on a single carrier in an unpaired spectrum, if the higher layer configures the UE to transmit SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, or PRACH in a set of symbols within a time slot, and the UE detects a DCI format instructing the UE to receive CSI-RS or PDSCH in a subset of symbols within that set, then if the first symbol in that set is relative to the last symbol in which the UE detects the PDCCH reception of that DCI format... Within this group of symbols, the UE does not expect to cancel the transmission of PUCCH, PUSCH, or PRACH. In the 3GPP standard, this is defined as 12 + 1 Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols for a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS). This effectively means that any DL scheduling can only cover a configured UL transmission if the downlink control information (DCI) in the PDCCH is sent at least approximately one slot before the configured UL transmission.

[0052] Figure 3A Figure 310 illustrates an example of a dynamically scheduled PDSCH overlaying a semi-statically configured UL transmission. As shown, if k0 equals one time slot, PDCSH 315 is scheduled. If k0 equals two time slots, PDSCH 320 is scheduled. The configured UL transmission 325 cannot be executed.

[0053] Figure 3B Figure 330 shows another example of dynamically scheduled PDSCH overlaying a semi-statically configured UL transport. (Compared to...) Figure 3A Similarly, in Figure 3B If k0 equals 0 time slots, then PDCSH 335 is scheduled. If k0 equals 1 time slot, then PDSCH 340 is scheduled. Configured UL transmission 345 cannot be executed.

[0054] The semi-static DL reception is compared with the dynamically scheduled UL transmission. In this case, the UE prioritizes the dynamically scheduled UL transmission. This essentially means that, for example, in a time slot where a scheduled UL transmission exists, the UE does not monitor the PDCCH (which are time-overlapping, partially overlapping, or close enough that the UE's Tx-Rx handover time is not met).

[0055] Depending on the time slot configuration, for single-carrier operation in unpaired spectrum, if the higher layer configures the UE to receive PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, or DL ​​Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) in a set of symbols within a time slot, then the UE receives PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, or DL ​​PRS if the UE does not detect a DCI format indicating that the UE transmits PUSCH, PUCCH, PRACH, or SRS in at least one symbol in that set of symbols within that time slot; otherwise, the UE does not receive PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, or DL ​​PRS in that set of symbols within that time slot.

[0056] Figure 3CFigure 350 illustrates an example of dynamic UL transmission overseeing semi-static DL reception. As shown, if k2 equals 1, PUSCH 355 overlaps with PDCCH 360. Because PUSCH 355 overlaps with PDCCH 360, PDCCH 360 is not monitored.

[0057] The semi-static DL reception is compared with the semi-static UL transmission. This is defined as an error condition in the sense that the gNB needs to ensure that this situation never occurs on the UE side (note that even though this restriction is currently specified for the flexible symbol, a similar restriction is expected for the SBFD symbol).

[0058] In some mechanisms, depending on the time slot configuration, for a set of symbols that is indicated to the UE as a flexible time slot by tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon and tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationDedicated (if provided), the UE does not expect to receive both the dedicated higher-layer parameters that configure the UE to transmit in that set of symbols and the dedicated higher-layer parameters that configure the UE to receive in that set of symbols.

[0059] The dynamically scheduled DL reception is compared with the dynamically scheduled UL transmission. This is defined as an error condition because the gNB needs to ensure that this situation never occurs on the UE side. This is not explicitly written into the standard specification, although similar limitations exist related to the use of DCI format 2_0 with slot format indication (SFI).

[0060] In some mechanisms, based on the UE procedure used to determine the slot format, the UE does not expect to both detect that the SFI index field value in DCI format 2_0 indicates a group of symbols in a slot as downlink, and also detect a DCI format indicating that the UE transmits SRS, PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH, a Random Access Response (RAR) UL grant, a fallback RAR UL grant, or a successful RAR in one or more symbols in that group of symbols in that slot. Alternatively or additionally, the UE does not expect to both detect that the SFI index field value in DCI format 2_0 indicates that the group of symbols in that slot as uplink, and also detect a DCI format indicating that the UE receives PDSCH or CSI-RS in one or more symbols in that group of symbols in that slot.

[0061] For UE Tx-Rx handover in (traditional) TDD, last but equally important is the need to meet minimum requirements for UE handover between Tx and Rx (based on gNB configuration / implementation) when there is no actual overlap between DL and UL signals. As mentioned above, one of the main objectives of SBFD is to improve UL coverage and capacity. In other words, UEs with limited coverage are expected to transmit very frequently over time, for example using Dynamically Granted (DG) PUSCH, configured granted (higher-layer configured) periodic PUSCH transmissions, and / or PUSCH repetition techniques, so that the gNB can accumulate sufficient power by receiving different redundant versions of the same data in multiple time slots. PUCCHs containing UL control may also be transmitted frequently.

[0062] Based on current specifications, these UL transmissions will prevent the UE from monitoring the PDCCH in time slots where the dynamic UL signal overlaps with the PDCCH, and / or may prevent the UE from transmitting the PUSCH in time slots following UL repetition. This situation will occur in SBFD where both DL and UL are available, but UL transmissions will prevent the UE from monitoring the PDCCH in SBFD time slots because the UE is half-duplex, meaning it can only perform UL or DL ​​and not both simultaneously, especially when there is UL repetition in the SBFD time slot.

[0063] Figure 4 Figure 400 shows an example of PDCCH monitoring in SBFD. (See Figure 400.) Figure 4 As shown, although the UE can perform UL transmission, since there is no opportunity to perform PDCCH for UL scheduling in time slot n-k2, the UL transmission after the current UL transmission can only start from n+k2, and cannot start at time slot n.

[0064] Therefore, in SBFD networks, how to schedule UL transmissions without interruption is a concern if there is overlap between frequent UL transmissions and the PDCCH monitoring used to schedule subsequent UL / SBFD time slots. It should be noted that this problem also occurs for DL ​​when k0 > 0, where k0 is the duration from the PDCCH to the scheduled PDSCH.

[0065] To address at least some of the aforementioned or other potential problems, this disclosure proposes a control channel monitoring scheme in SBFD. A first device (e.g., a terminal device) determines that a first transmission from the first device conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first SBFD time slot. A second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot can be scheduled by the control channel monitoring timing. The first device determines to prioritize the control channel monitoring timing over the first transmission based on a condition being met. For example, the condition is met based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot. Thus, the first device can perform control channel monitoring in overlapping time slots. For example, if a UL transmission overlaps with a PDCCH monitoring timing, the terminal device can prioritize PDCCH monitoring.

[0066] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 500 is described by the angle of the first device 110 in the middle.

[0067] Assuming in Figure 5 In the description, SBFD mode is enabled or initiated for the first device 110. For example, the second device 120 may transmit SBFD configuration to the first device 110. The SBFD configuration may indicate SBFD time slots or symbols and / or non-SBFD time slots or symbols. As used herein, the device receiving the SBFD configuration may be referred to as an "SBFD sensing device". That is, the first device 110 is an SBFD sensing device.

[0068] In block 510, the first device 110 determines that a first transmission from the first device 110 conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first SBFD time slot. A second transmission from or to the first device 110 in a second time slot can be scheduled by the control channel monitoring timing. The second time slot can be after the first SBFD time slot.

[0069] In embodiments where the first device 110 is a terminal device, the first device 110 can determine that a first UL transmission conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing (e.g., a PDCCH monitoring timing) in a first SBFD time slot. A second UL transmission or a second DL transmission in a second time slot can be scheduled by the control channel monitoring timing in the first SBFD time slot. The second time slot can be a second SBFD time slot, a UL time slot, or a DL time slot. As used herein, a second transmission can be referred to as a "next candidate transmission / reception," and a second time slot used for the second transmission, or a symbol within a second time slot used for the second transmission, can be referred to as a "next candidate transmission / reception opportunity" or "next candidate time slot." In some example embodiments, the first SBFD time slot can be referred to as the current time slot.

[0070] In some example embodiments, if the control channel monitoring timing occurs on at least one SBFD symbol used for the first transmission, the first device 110 may determine that the first transmission from the first device conflicts with the control channel monitoring timing. Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, if the time distance between the control channel monitoring timing and at least one SBFD symbol used for the first transmission is less than a predetermined or configured threshold distance, the first device 110 may determine that the first transmission from the first device conflicts with the control channel monitoring timing.

[0071] At block 520, the first device 110 determines whether to prioritize control channel monitoring over the first transmission based on met conditions. For example, met conditions may be based on at least one of the following: the time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring opportunity prior to the first SBFD time slot. If the conditions are not met, the first device 110 may not monitor the control channel in the first SBFD time slot and may continue with the UL transmission.

[0072] In some example embodiments, if the first device 110 determines that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission, the method 500 may further include: monitoring the control channel monitoring timing; and discarding or delaying the first transmission. For example, if the first transmission has repetition, the first device 110 may discard the first transmission. Alternatively or additionally, if the first transmission does not have repetition, the first device 110 may delay the first transmission. It should be understood that a transition point may exist between control channel monitoring and subsequent transmissions or receptions.

[0073] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a first condition: the time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot is greater than or equal to a first threshold. The first threshold may be predetermined or configured by the second device 120. For example, the first threshold may be configured as a scheduling offset for the second transmission. This scheduling offset may be an offset between the control channel monitoring timing for scheduling the second transmission and the time slot or symbol used for transmitting or receiving the second transmission. As used herein, the scheduling offset for the second transmission may also be referred to as the preparation time for the second transmission. For example, the scheduling offset may be equal to k0 or K2.

[0074] If the second transmission is an uplink transmission, the first threshold can be configured to k2 or any other suitable value. That is, if the time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot is greater than or equal to k2, the first device 110 can prioritize control channel monitoring over the first transmission. If the second transmission is a downlink transmission, the first threshold can be configured to k0 (greater than 0) or any other suitable value. That is, if the time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot is greater than or equal to k0, the first device 110 can prioritize control channel monitoring over the first transmission.

[0075] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a second condition that the second transmission begins at a first time position in the second time slot, wherein the duration from the first SBFD time slot to the first time position is within a duration range. The duration range may be predetermined or configured by the second device 120. For example, if, in a time slot or symbol following the first SBFD time slot (referred to as time slot n), at time position T1 of duration T, in the case of cross-carrier scheduling, there is a candidate uplink transmission (such as a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission or a UL resource) or a candidate Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission in another carrier, the first device 110 may prioritize control channel monitoring over the first transmission. The duration T may be predetermined (e.g., hard-coded in a specification) or configured by the second device 120. For example, the duration T may be based on k2 or k0.

[0076] In some example embodiments, one end of the duration range is determined based on the scheduling offset of the second transmission, and the other end of the duration range is determined based on a predetermined or configured value. For example, the duration range can be from T1 to T2, i.e., [T1, T2]. T1 can be based on the scheduling offset of the second transmission. T2 can be equal to the sum of T1 and a predetermined or configured value ΔT.

[0077] Figure 6 Figure 600 shows an example of PDCCH monitoring timing in SBFD. Figure 6In the example, assume the predetermined or configured value ΔT is 2. One end of the duration range is determined based on k2, and the other end is determined based on the predetermined value ΔT of 2. That is, the duration range can be from k2 to k2+2. If the second transmission begins in time slot 622 at time position T1, then PDCCH monitoring timing 614 is located at time position T1-k2. The time distance between time slot 622 and PDCCH monitoring timing 614 (i.e., the first time slot) is within this duration range, therefore PDCCH monitoring timing 614 can take precedence over transmissions in the first time slot. For PDCCH monitoring timing 612, the time distance between time slot 622 and PDCCH monitoring timing 612 is k2+1, which is also within this duration range, therefore PDCCH monitoring timing 612 can also take precedence over transmissions in the time slot containing PDCCH monitoring timing 612. Therefore, within range 610, PDCCH monitoring timing 612 and PDCCH monitoring timing 614 can be prioritized. The first device 110 can monitor at least one of PDCCH monitoring timing 612 and PDCCH monitoring timing 614.

[0078] In some example embodiments, the duration from the first SBFD slot to the first time position refers to the duration from the end symbol of the control channel monitoring timing to the first time position. For example, if at time position T1, after the last symbol of the PDCCH monitoring timing in the first SBFD slot n, there is a candidate uplink transmission or UL resource or candidate DL transmission in another carrier in the case of cross-carrier scheduling, then the first device 110 can prioritize control channel monitoring over the first transmission.

[0079] Return to reference Figure 5 In some example embodiments, the condition may include a third condition that the second time slot is in a predetermined or configured set of time slots. For example, the second time slot or the next candidate UL / DL may be the first time slot or SBFD time slot after the first transmission is completed. Another example is that the second time slot or the next candidate UL / DL may be the first N time slots or the first N SBFD time slots after the first transmission is completed, where N is a predetermined or configured integer greater than or equal to 1. Yet another example is that the second time slot or the next candidate UL / DL may be all UL / DL time slots or all SBFD time slots after the first transmission is completed. The second time slot or the next candidate UL / DL may also be a predetermined or configured subset of the next candidate UL / DL time slots or SBFD time slots. If the current first SBFD time slot is k2 time slots ahead of the next candidate UL time slot or SBFD time slot, the first device 110 may monitor the PDCCH in the PDCCH symbol of the current time slot. This subset may be all UL time slots or all SBFD time slots, etc. This subset may be hard-coded as a rule in the specification or configured by the second device 120.

[0080] In this way, if the timing of the control channel monitoring (e.g., a time slot or symbol) reaches or exceeds a predetermined or configured duration before the next candidate transmission or reception, the first device 110 can monitor the control channel without performing uplink transmission in the current SBFD time slot.

[0081] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a fourth condition: the temporal distance between the first SBFD time slot and the downlink time slot preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than a predetermined or configured second threshold. The first threshold may be the same as or different from the first threshold described above. That is, for the next candidate time slot, if the distance between the next time slot and the previous DL time slot preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the first device 110 may prioritize control channel monitoring over the first transmission. The previous DL time slot may have a PDCCH for scheduling the next time slot.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a fifth condition where the temporal distance between the first SBFD time slot and the preceding monitorable control channel time slot or symbol is greater than a predetermined or configured third threshold. The first device 110 will monitor the control channel in the monitorable control channel time slot or symbol. The third threshold may be the same as or different from the second threshold described above.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a sixth condition that the first transmission is a first type of uplink transmission. As an example, the first type of uplink transmission may include, but is not limited to: at least one repetition of a plurality of repetitions of uplink transmissions, dynamically scheduled PUSCH transmissions, configuration grant (CG) PUSCH transmissions, or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmissions for channel state information (CSI) reporting.

[0084] In some example embodiments, the second transmission includes at least one of the following: an uplink shared channel transmission to be scheduled, an uplink resource to be scheduled, a candidate downlink transmission to be scheduled in a different time slot than the control channel for scheduling candidate downlink transmissions, or a downlink shared channel transmission in a second carrier different from the first carrier used for the first transmission.

[0085] Several example conditions have been described for prioritizing control channel monitoring over transmissions in the SBFD time slot. It should be understood that these conditions, and other suitable conditions, can be applied individually or in combination. For example, if a first condition or a second condition is met, and a fourth condition or a fifth condition is met, the first device 110 can prioritize control channel monitoring over a first transmission. Any suitable combination of these conditions can be employed. The scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0086] The embodiments of this disclosure provide an efficient way to schedule the next candidate resource for UL / DL operation for the UE even during UL transmission / repetition, thereby enabling continuous UL / DL operation without interruption. These embodiments address the problem of transmission or reception stopping due to the PDCCH being unavailable before the candidate UL / DL repetition / transmission opportunity.

[0087] Further embodiments regarding prioritizing control channel monitoring timing over transmissions in SBFD time slots will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the first device 110 is configured with SBFD and that UL transmissions / repetitions are scheduled / configured in SBFD symbols / time slots.

[0088] The first device 110 can determine that there needs to be a next UL candidate transmission / reception opportunity with a corresponding PDCCH in the SBFD time slot (e.g., the current SBFD time slot), wherein the PDCCH symbol used for PDCCH monitoring overlaps with or is close to the UL transmission / repetition on the SBFD symbol, making it impossible to perform UL transmission and PDCCH reception simultaneously.

[0089] The next candidate UL transmission / reception opportunity can be located for a period of time after the current SBFD slot, which is used for UE processing, such as the scheduling offset of PUSCH transmission or PUSCH preparation time.

[0090] The first device 110 prioritizes PDCCH reception over UL transmission / repetition during SBFD time slots based on predefined rules or network configuration. For example, network configuration can be received from the second device 120.

[0091] In an example embodiment, for each next candidate UL time slot or SBFD time slot after which PDCCH monitoring is required on the current DL / SBFD time slot, for example, a current time slot having a duration (e.g., k2) prior to the time slot used for the next candidate UL, the first device 110 can monitor the PDCCH in the PDCCH symbol on the current time slot. For example, the next candidate UL can be used only for the first UL time slot or SBFD time slot after the UL transmission / repetition completion. For another example, the next candidate UL can also be used for the first N UL time slots or SBFD time slots after the UL transmission / repetition completion, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. For yet another example, the next candidate UL can also be used for all UL time slots or SBFD time slots after the UL transmission / repetition completion.

[0092] In another example embodiment, for a pre-configured subset of the next candidate UL timeslot or SBFD timeslot, if the current timeslot is k2 timeslots ahead of the next candidate UL timeslot or SBFD timeslot, the first device 110 can monitor the PDCCH in the PDCCH symbol of the current timeslot. Examples of the pre-configured subset could be all UL timeslots, or a pattern / subset of candidate UL timeslots following the current UL transmission (e.g., 2 out of all 4 UL / SBFD timeslots). Alternatively, this subset could be hard-coded as a rule in the specification.

[0093] In another example embodiment, for the next candidate UL time slot or SBFD time slot, if the distance between the next candidate UL time slot or SBFD time slot and the previous DL time slot preceding the current time slot is greater than a predefined threshold (e.g., k2), then the first device 110 can monitor the PDCCH in the PDCCH symbol of the current time slot. The previous DL time slot may have a PDCCH for scheduling the next UL time slot or SBFD time slot.

[0094] In another example embodiment, for the next DL transmission scheduled across other carriers using DL (or UL) cross-carrier methods, the UE should prioritize PDCCH monitoring if the network is configured. In this case, when the two carriers have different TDD modes and the DL slot in the other carrier overlaps with the SBFD slot in this carrier, the UE should prioritize PDCCH monitoring while discarding or postponing the UL transmission on the first SBFD slot, if the network is configured or enabled.

[0095] The first device 110 can perform the above operations via network configuration (e.g., enabling / disabling). A transition point may exist between PDCCH monitoring and the subsequent UL transmission / repetition. This method can also be used when the first device 110 needs to be scheduled to perform a DL transmission with k0>0 after the current UL transmission.

[0096] Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, at time slot n, the first device 110 determines whether there is an overlap between the PDCCH monitoring timing in the time slot and the UL transmission. If there is an overlap, the first device 110 monitors the PDCCH in the time slot.

[0097] If an overlap exists, the first device 110 determines whether the time position T1 at the duration T in the time slot (or symbol) after time slot n (or after the last symbol of the PDCCH monitoring timing in time slot n) exists: a candidate PUSCH transmission or UL resource to be scheduled, and / or a candidate PDSCH transmission in another carrier (if supported) in the case of cross-carrier scheduling.

[0098] It should be noted that “candidate PUSCH transport or UL resource” includes resources that may be used for UL transport but have not yet been scheduled in either the UL or DL ​​direction, while PDCCH monitoring is for PDCCHs used to schedule transports on candidate PUSCH transports or candidate UL resources.

[0099] In one variant, the first device 110 determines whether, in the case of cross-carrier scheduling, there are candidate PUSCH transmissions or UL resources and / or candidate PDSCH transmissions (if supported) at time positions T1 and T2 (where T2 = T1 + ΔT). ΔT can be configured by the network or hard-coded in the specification. Then, based on this determination, the UE should prioritize control channel monitoring when conditions are met.

[0100] If any of the above conditions are met, the first device 110 monitors the PDCCH and does not receive UL transmissions in the current time slot. Additionally, the following further restrictions may be specified.

[0101] In some example embodiments, a limitation may be that the first device 110 does not perform UL transmission, but only monitors PDCCH in the current time slot if the candidate PUSCH (or PDSCH) transmission belongs to a pre-configured subset of time slots in the time slot (e.g., only UL time slots or a subset / mode of candidate SBFD / UL time slots).

[0102] Another limitation could be that the first device 110 would not perform UL transmission but would instead monitor the PDCCH in the current time slot only if the first device 110 did not detect the PDCCH in the last N time slots or symbols, or if the DL time slot was before the current time slot (as described in Candidate 3 above).

[0103] Another limitation could be that the first device 110 only refrains from UL transmission and monitors PDCCH in the current time slot if the UL transmission belongs to a specific type (e.g., hard-coded in the specification), for example, limited to UL transmissions that are transmitted with a specific number of repetitions, or limited to UL PUSCH transmissions that are configured to be authorized. Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, this method of PDCCH monitoring in overlapping time slots is applied only to PDCCH within SBFD time slots / symbols.

[0104] In this way, embodiments of this disclosure provide an efficient method for scheduling the next candidate resource UE for UL / DL operation even during UL transmission / repetition, enabling continuous UL / DL operation without interruption. These embodiments address the problem that transmission or reception will be halted due to the PDCCH becoming unavailable before the candidate UL / DL repetition / transmission opportunity.

[0105] Figure 7A flowchart of a method 700 for PDCCH monitoring in an SBFD according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 700 is described from the perspective of the first device 110. In the following description, it is assumed that the first device 110 can be implemented as a terminal device.

[0106] At block 710, the first device 110 may be configured with SBFD and scheduled or configured with UL transmissions / repetitions in SBFD symbols / slots. UL transmissions may have repetitions (e.g., r repetitions, where r is an integer greater than or equal to 1) or no repetitions. For UL transmissions with repetitions, the following operations may occur in any of the repetitive slots, and may occur in one or more repetitive slots. For UL transmissions without repetitions, this may be used for dynamically scheduled PUSCH transmissions, CG PUSCH transmissions, or PUCCH transmissions for CSI reporting.

[0107] At block 720, the first device 110 determines that there needs to be a next PUSCH candidate transmission / reception opportunity for the corresponding PDCCH in the SBFD time slot, wherein the UL transmission / repetition is located on or near the SBFD symbol, making it impossible to perform UL transmission and PDCCH reception simultaneously.

[0108] For all candidate UL time slots or SBFD time slots located at timeslot positions 1 to k2+1 after the end of the currently ongoing UL transmission, the first device 110 can determine whether the ongoing UL transmission conflicts with PDCCH monitoring. Here, k2 can be referred to as the scheduling offset or PUSCH preparation time.

[0109] It should be noted that there may be more than one UL transmission conflicting with PDCCH monitoring in the SBFD time slot, therefore the first device 110 can be determined in the following time slots: - The first (or initial) time slot in the SBFD time slot that conflicts with PDCCH monitoring; - The first N time slots in the SBFD time slot that conflict with PDCCH monitoring, where N can be a predefined or network-configured integer; - The Nth time slot in the SBFD time slot that conflicts with PDCCH monitoring, where N can be a predefined or network-configured integer; - The Nth to Mth time slots in the SBFD time slots that conflict with PDCCH monitoring, where N and M can be predefined or network-configured integers; - The slot pattern in the SBFD slot that conflicts with PDCCH monitoring, where the pattern can be predefined or network configured.

[0110] It should be noted that SBFD time slots can be consecutive or non-consecutive. It is also important to note that after the current UL transmission ends, there may be one or more UL candidate transmission opportunities, requiring the first device 110 to monitor the PDCCH during the SBFD time slots used for the currently ongoing UL transmission. These UL transmission opportunities can be the preceding one, N, or all UL / SBFD time slots after the current UL transmission. Alternatively, these UL transmission opportunities can be a subset of the UL / SBFD time slots after the current UL transmission. Alternatively, these UL transmission opportunities can be used for the current serving cell or other serving cells on the current carrier or another carrier.

[0111] If the current UL transmission conflicts with the PDCCH change, then at box 730, the first device 110 prioritizes PDCCH reception over UL transmission / repetition during the SBFD time slot based on predefined rules or network configuration.

[0112] When the first device 110 prioritizes PDCCH reception in a conflicting SBFD time slot, UL transmissions in that SBFD time slot can be discarded. For example, if other duplicates of the UL transmission exist, the UL transmission can be discarded. In some example embodiments, only UL transmissions on symbols used for PDCCH monitoring (and transition periods, if any) can be discarded.

[0113] Alternatively, in some example embodiments, for example, if the UL transmission is not repeated, the UL transmission in the overlapping SBFD time slot can be postponed.

[0114] If the current UL transmission does not conflict with the PDCCH change, then at block 740, the first device 110 performs the UL transmission in the SBFD time slot with the UL transmission.

[0115] It should be understood that flowchart 700 can also be used in cases where the first device 110 needs to be scheduled for a DL transmission with k0>0 after the current UL transmission. In such a case, there may be one or more SBFD slots for the UE to perform PDCCH monitoring for one or more DL transmission opportunities after the current UL transmission.

[0116] In this way, embodiments of this disclosure provide an efficient method for scheduling the next candidate resource UE for UL / DL operation even during UL transmission / repetition, enabling continuous UL / DL operation without interruption. These embodiments address the problem that transmission or reception will be halted due to the PDCCH becoming unavailable before the candidate UL / DL repetition / transmission opportunity.

[0117] According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, a second device 120, such as network device 120, can determine the timing of control channel monitoring over the first transmission in a similar manner based on conditions. Therefore, the second device 120 can know or predict UE behavior in subsequent time slots.

[0118] Figure 8 A flowchart of an example method 800 implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 800 is described by the angle of the second device 120 in the middle.

[0119] In block 810, the second device 120 determines that a first transmission from the first device 110 to the second device 120 conflicts with a control channel monitoring (PDCCH) timing of the first device in a first SBFD time slot. A second transmission from or to the first device 110 in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing. In embodiments where the second device 120 is a network device and the first device 110 is a terminal device, the second device 120 may determine that a first UL transmission conflicts with a downlink control channel monitoring (LDCCH) timing, such as a PDCCH monitoring timing in a first SBFD time slot. A second UL or DL ​​transmission in a second time slot may be scheduled by the PDCCH monitoring timing.

[0120] At block 820, the second device 120 determines the timing of control channel monitoring over the first transmission based on satisfying conditions. The satisfying conditions are based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0121] In some example embodiments, method 800 further includes transmitting to the first device 110 an indication for determining the priority between the timing of control channel monitoring and the first transmission.

[0122] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a first condition that the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot is greater than or equal to a predetermined or configured first threshold.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a second condition that the second transmission begins at a first time position in the second time slot, wherein the duration from the first SBFD time slot to the first time position is within a predetermined or configured duration range.

[0124] In some example embodiments, one end of the duration range is determined based on the scheduling offset of the second transmission, and the other end of the duration range is determined based on a predetermined or configured value.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the duration from the first SBFD time slot to the first time position includes the duration from the end symbol of the control channel monitoring timing to the first time position.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a third condition that the second time slot is in a predetermined or configured set of time slots.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a fourth condition, namely, that the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the downlink time slot preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than a predetermined or configured second threshold.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a fifth condition where the time-domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the monitorable control channel time slot or symbol preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than a predetermined or configured third threshold, wherein the first device is to monitor the control channel in the monitorable control channel time slot or symbol.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the condition may include a sixth condition that the first transmission is a first type of uplink transmission. As an example, the first type of uplink transmission may include, but is not limited to: at least one repetition of a plurality of repetitions of uplink transmissions, dynamically scheduled PUSCH transmissions, CG PUSCH transmissions, or PUCCH transmissions used for CSI reporting.

[0130] It should be understood that these conditions, along with other appropriate conditions, can be applied individually or in combination. Regarding... Figures 5 to 7 Some of the example embodiments described, which prioritize control channel monitoring over the first transmission, can also be applied to the second device 120 in a similar manner. The scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0131] By prioritizing control channel monitoring over transmissions in SBFD time slots, the network can know or predict whether the UE is monitoring the PDCCH in overlapping SBFD time slots or is capable of doing so. Therefore, the network can schedule transmissions or anticipate transmissions occurring in scheduled future time slots.

[0132] It should be understood that methods 500, 700, and 800 can be used in combination. Using these methods, even during UL transmission / reception, the next candidate resource for UL / DL operation can be efficiently scheduled for the UE. This allows for uninterrupted execution of continuous UL / DL operations, thus resolving the problem of transmission or reception halting due to PDCCH unavailability before a candidate UL / DL reception / transmission opportunity.

[0133] In some example embodiments, a first means capable of performing any of the methods in method 500 (e.g. Figure 1The first device 110 may include components for performing the corresponding operations of method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, these components may be implemented in a circuit or software module. The first device may be implemented as... Figure 1 The first device 110 is included therein.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the first device includes: means for determining that a first transmission from the first device conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; and means for determining, based on a condition being satisfied, that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 500 or the first device 110. In some example embodiments, the components include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to perform.

[0136] In some example embodiments, a second means capable of performing any of the methods in method 800 (e.g. Figure 1 The second device 120 may include components for performing the corresponding operations of method 800. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, these components may be implemented in a circuit or software module. The second device may be implemented as... Figure 1 The second device 120 is included therein.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the second device includes: means for determining that a first transmission from the first device to the second device conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing of the first device in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in the second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; and means for determining that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission based on a condition being satisfied, wherein the condition is satisfied based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

[0138] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 800 or the second device 120. In some example embodiments, these components include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to perform corresponding operations.

[0139] Figure 9 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 900 can be provided to implement a communication device, for example, such as... Figure 1 The first device 110 or the second device 120 shown. As shown, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910, one or more memories 920 coupled to the processors 910, and one or more communication modules 940 coupled to the processors 910.

[0140] Communication module 940 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 940 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, communication module 940 may include at least one antenna.

[0141] As a non-limiting example, processor 910 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 900 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock that synchronizes with the main processor.

[0142] Memory 920 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 924, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), optical disc, laser disc, and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 922 and other volatile memories that cannot retain content during power loss.

[0143] Computer program 930 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 910. The instructions of program 930 may include instructions for performing operations / actions of some example embodiments of this disclosure. Program 930 may be stored in memory (e.g., ROM 924). Processor 910 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 930 into RAM 922.

[0144] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by program 930, enabling device 900 to perform as described in the reference. Figures 5 to 8 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0145] In some example embodiments, program 930 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 900 (such as memory 920) or other storage device accessible by device 900. Device 900 may load program 930 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 922 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0146] Figure 10 An example of a computer-readable medium 1000 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc. Program 930 is stored on the computer-readable medium 1000.

[0147] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, 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, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0148] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions that execute in a device on a target physical or virtual processor, such as those included in a program module, to perform any of the methods described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside in both local and remote storage media.

[0149] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The 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.

[0150] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0151] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0152] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all shown operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the discussion above, 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. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated otherwise, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0153] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to: It is determined that a first transmission from the first device conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; as well as The timing of control channel monitoring is determined to take precedence over the first transmission based on conditions, wherein the conditions are met based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

2. The first apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition includes a first condition that the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot is greater than or equal to a predetermined or configured first threshold.

3. The first apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the condition includes a second condition that the second transmission begins at a first time position in the second time slot, wherein the duration from the first SBFD time slot to the first time position is within a predetermined or configured duration range.

4. The first apparatus of claim 3, wherein one end of the duration range is determined based on the scheduling offset of the second transmission, and the other end of the duration range is determined based on a predetermined or configured value.

5. The first apparatus according to any one of claims 3-4, wherein the duration from the first SBFD time slot to the first time position includes the duration from the end symbol of the control channel monitoring timing to the first time position.

6. The first apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the condition includes a third condition that the second time slot is in a predetermined or configured set of time slots.

7. The first apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the condition includes a fourth condition in which the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the downlink time slot preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than a predetermined or configured second threshold.

8. The first apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the condition includes a fifth condition: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the monitorable control channel time slot or symbol preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than a predetermined or configured third threshold, wherein the first apparatus monitors the control channel in the monitorable control channel time slot or symbol.

9. The first apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the condition includes a sixth condition that the first transmission is a first type of uplink transmission, wherein the first type of uplink transmission includes at least one of the following: At least one repetition of multiple repetitions in the uplink transmission. Dynamically scheduled Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission. Configure authorized (CG) PUSCH transport, or Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission used for channel state information (CSI) reporting.

10. The first apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the second transmission comprises at least one of the following: Uplink shared channel transmission to be scheduled Uplink resources to be scheduled The candidate downlink transmission to be scheduled in a different time slot than the control channel used for scheduling candidate downlink transmissions, or Downlink shared channel transmission in a second carrier that is different from the first carrier for the first transmission.

11. The first device according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the first device is further caused to: The timing conflict between the first transmission from the first device and the control channel monitoring is determined based on at least one of the following: The control channel monitoring timing occurs on at least one SBFD symbol used for the first transmission, or The time distance between the control channel monitoring timing and the at least one SBFD symbol used for the first transmission is less than a predetermined or configured threshold distance.

12. The first device according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the first device is further caused to: The second device receives an instruction for determining the timing of the control channel monitoring and the priority of the first transmission.

13. The first device according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the first device is further caused to: Monitoring the timing of the control channel monitoring; and Discard or postpone the first transmission.

14. The first device according to claim 13, wherein the first device is further caused to: If it is determined that the first transmission is a duplicate, discard the first transmission; and / or If it is determined that the first transmission does not have a duplicate, the first transmission is postponed.

15. A second device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to: It is determined that a first transmission from the first device to the second device in the first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot conflicts with the control channel monitoring timing of the first device, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in the second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; as well as The timing of the control channel monitoring is determined to be prior to the first transmission based on the satisfaction of a condition, wherein the satisfaction of the condition is based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

16. The second apparatus of claim 15, wherein the condition includes a first condition: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot is greater than or equal to a predetermined or configured first threshold.

17. The second apparatus of claim 15 or 16, wherein the condition includes a second condition that the second transmission begins at a first time position in the second time slot, wherein the duration from the first SBFD time slot to the first time position is within a predetermined or configured duration range.

18. The second apparatus of claim 17, wherein one end of the duration range is determined based on the scheduling offset of the second transmission, and the other end of the duration range is determined based on a predetermined or configured value.

19. The second apparatus according to any one of claims 17-18, wherein the duration from the first SBFD time slot to the first time position includes the duration from the end symbol of the control channel monitoring timing to the first time position.

20. The second apparatus according to any one of claims 15-19, wherein the condition includes a third condition that the second time slot is in a predetermined or configured set of time slots.

21. The second apparatus according to any one of claims 15-20, wherein the condition includes a fourth condition in which the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the downlink time slot preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than a predetermined or configured second threshold.

22. The second apparatus according to any one of claims 15-21, wherein the condition includes a fifth condition: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the monitorable control channel time slot or symbol preceding the first SBFD time slot is greater than a predetermined or configured third threshold, wherein the first apparatus monitors the control channel in the monitorable control channel time slot or symbol.

23. The second apparatus according to any one of claims 15-22, wherein the condition includes a sixth condition that the first transmission is a first type of uplink transmission, wherein the first type of uplink transmission includes at least one of the following: At least one repetition of multiple repetitions in the uplink transmission. Dynamically scheduled Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission. Configure authorized (CG) PUSCH transport, or Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission used for channel state information (CSI) reporting.

24. The second device according to any one of claims 15-23, wherein the first device is further caused to: Instructions for determining the timing of control channel monitoring and the priority of the first transmission are transmitted to the first device.

25. A method comprising: At the first device, it is determined that a first transmission from the first device conflicts with a control channel monitoring timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; as well as The timing of control channel monitoring is determined to take precedence over the first transmission based on conditions, wherein the conditions are met based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

26. A method comprising: At the second device, it is determined that a first transmission from the first device to the second device conflicts with the control channel monitoring timing of the first device in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing. as well as The timing of the control channel monitoring is determined to be prior to the first transmission based on the satisfaction of a condition, wherein the satisfaction of the condition is based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

27. A first device, comprising: Components for determining a conflict between a first transmission from the first device and a control channel monitoring timing in a first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in a second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; as well as The component is used to determine, based on satisfying conditions, that the control channel monitoring timing takes precedence over the first transmission, wherein the conditions are satisfied based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

28. A second device, comprising: Components for determining a conflict between a first transmission from the first device to the second device and a control channel monitoring timing in the first subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD) time slot of the first device, wherein a second transmission from or to the first device in the second time slot is schedulable by the control channel monitoring timing; as well as A component for determining the timing of control channel monitoring over the first transmission based on a condition that is met, wherein the condition is met based on at least one of the following: the time domain distance between the first SBFD time slot and the second time slot, or the time position of the control channel monitoring timing prior to the first SBFD time slot.

29. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method of claim 25 or the method of claim 26.

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