Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Implementations of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device. The method comprises that different data transmissions corresponding to different hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes can be communicated on a same data channel and scheduled by scheduling information. According to the method, when different data blocks arrive at the same time, the different data transmissions can be scheduled together and carried on the same data channel. Therefore, the method is used for reducing transmission delay and fully utilizing resources.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 565,377, filed March 14, 2024, entitled “Method, Apparatus, and System for Multiple Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications. In particular, it relates to a method, apparatus, and system for multiple mixed automatic repeat request (ATR) requests. Background Technology

[0003] In terabit multiple input and multiple output (T-MIMO) scenarios, both the base station (BS) and user equipment (UE) sides are equipped with a large number of antennas, thus improving communication system performance in the spatial dimension. In this scenario, a large number of applications with varying qualities of service (QoS) will emerge.

[0004] A single Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process is used to instruct a single scheduling of data channels carrying data with the same QoS. Currently, different data with different QoS will be transmitted on different data channels scheduled by different control channels. Therefore, when different data blocks with different QoS arrive simultaneously, they will be scheduled sequentially in their respective independent control channels and transmitted on different data channels. In T-MIMO scenarios, this will result in greater transmission latency and waste of resources.

[0005] Therefore, in T-MIMO scenarios, it is necessary to reduce transmission latency and make full use of resources. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a communication method and a communication device for reducing transmission latency and making full use of resources.

[0007] According to a first aspect, a communication method is described. The method can be applied to a first device, such as the first device itself, a module within the first device, a circuit or chip in the first device responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip (also called a baseband chip), or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip including a modem core). For example, the method is applied to the first device.

[0008] In the method, the first device sends scheduling information for scheduling a first data transmission and a second data transmission, wherein the first data transmission is allocated a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process; and the second data transmission is allocated a second HARQ process. The first device performs the first data transmission and the second data transmission on a data channel.

[0009] The above method allows for different data transmissions via different HARQ processes on the same data channel. When different data blocks arrive simultaneously, these different data transmissions can be scheduled together and carried over the same data channel. Compared to single-channel scheduling using only a single HARQ process, this method reduces transmission latency. Furthermore, in scenarios with abundant resources, such as T-MIMO, these resources can be fully utilized.

[0010] In one possible design, both the first data transmission and the second data transmission are transmitted on one of the uplink (UL), downlink (DL), and sidelink (SL).

[0011] In one possible design, the first data transmission and the second data transmission have different qualities of service (QoS).

[0012] In other words, the first data transmission and the second data transmission have different applications.

[0013] In some implementations, the first data transmission and the second data transmission have the same QoS.

[0014] In one possible design, the first device also sends first information to instruct the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

[0015] Therefore, the first information can support different data transmissions using multiple HARQ processes on the same data channel. Furthermore, it helps in determining the HARQ process corresponding to the data transmission.

[0016] In one possible design, the first information includes a bitmap, wherein a first bit in the bitmap is used to indicate the first HARQ process, and a second bit in the bitmap is used to indicate the second HARQ process.

[0017] Therefore, different HARQ processes will be indicated by a bitmap. This method is easy to implement and will save signaling overhead.

[0018] In one possible design, the first information includes two bit strings, wherein the first bit string is used to indicate the first HARQ process, and the second bit string is used to indicate the second HARQ process.

[0019] Therefore, different HARQ processes will be indicated by bit strings.

[0020] In one possible design, the first device further sends second information to indicate the first HARQ process, and the second HARQ process is determined based on the first HARQ process and a pre-configured mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

[0021] Therefore, by using second information that is only used to indicate one HARQ process, more signaling overhead will be saved, and other HARQ processes can be determined based on the indicated HARQ process and the pre-configured mapping relationship.

[0022] In one possible design, the first device also sends third information indicating a first redundant version associated with the first HARQ process and a second redundant version associated with the second HARQ process.

[0023] Therefore, the third information can support different redundant versions corresponding to multiple HARQ processes.

[0024] In one possible design, one or more of the first information, the second information, and the third information are carried on a control channel that schedules the data channel.

[0025] In one possible design, the first device further sends fourth information indicating a first mapping relationship, wherein the first mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated codewords used for the first data transmission, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated codewords used for the second data transmission.

[0026] Therefore, the fourth piece of information can indicate the mapping relationship between different HARQ processes and different associated codewords. Furthermore, one or more codewords associated with a HARQ process can be identified.

[0027] In one possible design, the first device further sends fifth information indicating a second mapping relationship, wherein the second mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers.

[0028] Therefore, the fifth piece of information can indicate the mapping relationship between different HARQ processes and different associated transport layers. Furthermore, one or more transport layers associated with a HARQ process can be identified.

[0029] In one possible design, the first device further transmits sixth information indicating a third mapping relationship, wherein the third relationship includes a mapping relationship between one or more codewords used for the first data transmission and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between one or more codewords used for the second data transmission and one or more associated transport layers.

[0030] Therefore, the sixth information can indicate the mapping relationship between different codewords used for different data transmissions and different associated transport layers.

[0031] In some implementations, the relationships between different HARQ processes, different associated codewords, and different transport layers can be determined based on any two of the fourth, fifth, and sixth information.

[0032] In one possible design, one or more of the first mapping relationship, the second mapping relationship, and the third mapping relationship are based on the priority of the first data transmission and the second data transmission.

[0033] In one possible design, the radio resource control (RRC) message includes at least one of the fourth, fifth, and sixth information.

[0034] According to the second aspect, a communication method is described. The method can be applied to a second device, such as a second device or a module within a second device, a circuit or chip in the second device responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip (also called a baseband chip), or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip including a modem core). For example, the method is applied to a second device.

[0035] In the method, the second device receives scheduling information for scheduling a first data transmission and a second data transmission, wherein the first data transmission is assigned a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process, and the second data transmission is assigned a second HARQ process. The second device performs the first data transmission and the second data transmission on a data channel.

[0036] The above method allows for different data transmissions via different HARQ processes on the same data channel. When different data blocks arrive simultaneously, these different data transmissions can be scheduled together and carried over the same data channel. Compared to single-channel scheduling using only a single HARQ process, this method reduces transmission latency. Furthermore, in scenarios with abundant resources, such as T-MIMO, these resources can be fully utilized.

[0037] In one possible design, both the first data transmission and the second data transmission are transmitted on one of the uplink (UL), downlink (DL), and sidelink (SL).

[0038] In one possible design, the first data transmission and the second data transmission have different qualities of service (QoS).

[0039] In other words, the first data transmission and the second data transmission have different applications.

[0040] In some implementations, the first data transmission and the second data transmission have the same QoS.

[0041] In one possible design, the second device also receives first information for instructing the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

[0042] Therefore, the first information can support different data transmissions using multiple HARQ processes on the same data channel. Furthermore, it helps in determining the HARQ process corresponding to the data transmission.

[0043] In one possible design, the first information includes a bitmap, wherein a first bit in the bitmap is used to indicate the first HARQ process, and a second bit in the bitmap is used to indicate the second HARQ process.

[0044] Therefore, different HARQ processes will be indicated by a bitmap. This method is easy to implement and will save signaling overhead.

[0045] In one possible design, the first information includes two bit strings, wherein the first bit string is used to indicate the first HARQ process, and the second bit string is used to indicate the second HARQ process.

[0046] Therefore, different HARQ processes will be indicated by bit strings.

[0047] In one possible design, the second device further receives second information indicating the first HARQ process. The second device determines the first HARQ process based on the second information, and determines the second HARQ process based on the first HARQ process and a pre-configured mapping relationship between the first and second HARQ processes.

[0048] Therefore, by using second information that is only used to indicate one HARQ process, more signaling overhead will be saved, and other HARQ processes can be determined based on the indicated HARQ process and the pre-configured mapping relationship.

[0049] In one possible design, the second device also receives third information indicating a first redundant version associated with the first HARQ process and a second redundant version associated with the second HARQ process.

[0050] Therefore, the third information can support different redundant versions corresponding to multiple HARQ processes.

[0051] In one possible design, one or more of the first information, the second information, and the third information are carried on a control channel that schedules the data channel.

[0052] In one possible design, the second device further receives fourth information indicating a first mapping relationship, wherein the first mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated codewords used for the first data transmission, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated codewords used for the second data transmission.

[0053] Therefore, the fourth piece of information can indicate the mapping relationship between different HARQ processes and different associated codewords. Furthermore, one or more codewords associated with a HARQ process can be easily determined.

[0054] In one possible design, the second device further receives fifth information indicating a second mapping relationship, wherein the second mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers.

[0055] Therefore, the fifth piece of information can indicate the mapping relationship between different HARQ processes and different associated transport layers. Furthermore, one or more transport layers associated with a HARQ process can be easily determined.

[0056] In one possible design, the second device further receives sixth information indicating a third mapping relationship, wherein the third relationship includes a mapping relationship between one or more codewords for the first data transmission and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between one or more codewords for the second data transmission and one or more associated transport layers.

[0057] Therefore, the sixth information can indicate the mapping relationship between different codewords used for different data transmissions and different associated transport layers.

[0058] In some implementations, the relationships between different HARQ processes, different associated codewords, and different transport layers can be determined based on any two of the fourth, fifth, and sixth information.

[0059] In one possible design, one or more of the first mapping relationship, the second mapping relationship, and the third mapping relationship are based on the priority of the first data transmission and the second data transmission.

[0060] In one possible design, the radio resource control (RRC) message includes at least one of the fourth, fifth, and sixth information.

[0061] According to a third aspect, a communication device is described. The communication device has the functions of the first aspect. For example, the communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for performing the operations in the first aspect. Specifically, the modules, units, or means can be implemented using software, can be implemented using hardware, or can be implemented using a combination of software and hardware.

[0062] According to a fourth aspect, a communication device is described. The communication device has the functions of the second aspect. For example, the communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for performing the operations in the second aspect. Specifically, the modules, units, or means can be implemented using software, can be implemented using hardware, or can be implemented using a combination of software and hardware.

[0063] According to a fifth aspect, another communication device is described. The communication device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of a computer program or instructions necessary for implementing the functions in the first aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed, enable the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect.

[0064] In some implementations, the communication device may further include interface circuitry, and the processor is configured to communicate with another device or component via the interface circuitry.

[0065] In some implementations, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0066] The communication device may be a base station, a module in a base station, or a chip in a base station responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC chip or SIP chip that includes a modem module.

[0067] According to a sixth aspect, another communication device is described. The communication device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of a computer program or instructions necessary for implementing the functions of the second aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed, enable the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect.

[0068] In some implementations, the communication device may further include interface circuitry, and the processor is configured to communicate with another device or component via the interface circuitry.

[0069] In some implementations, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0070] The communication device may be user equipment (UE), a module in the UE, or a chip in the UE responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC chip or SIP chip that includes a modem module.

[0071] According to a seventh aspect, a communication system is described. The system includes: a first means capable of implementing the method in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect; and a second means capable of implementing the method in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect.

[0072] According to an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is described. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-readable instructions, and when a computer reads and executes the computer-readable instructions, enables the computer to perform any of the possible designs in the first to second aspects.

[0073] According to a ninth aspect, this application provides a computer program product. When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the computer is enabled to perform any of the possible designs in the first to second aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0074] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of this application; Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown; Figure 3 Examples of devices 310, 320a, and 320b are shown; Figure 4 This shows a unit or module in the device or apparatus; Figure 5 This is an example of a channel model for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system; Figure 6 This demonstrates the multiplexing and transmission of data with different QoS in a single data channel.

[0075] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 700 according to an implementation of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart of another communication method 800 according to the implementation of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of another communication method 900 according to the implementation of this application; Figure 10 This illustrates data transmission schemes with different QoS managed by different HARQ processes; Figure 11 The mapping scheme between different CWs and associated HARQ processes is shown; Figure 12 The mapping scheme between different CWs and their associated transport layers is shown; Figure 13 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1300 according to some implementations of this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to some implementations of this application. Detailed Implementation

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

[0077] Wireless communication systems such as fourth-generation (4G) systems (e.g., long-term evolution (LTE) systems) and fifth-generation (5G) systems (e.g., new radio (NR) systems) have been deployed to provide various types of applications, such as messaging, voice, video, and other data.

[0078] The technical solutions in this application can be applied to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. The technical solutions in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication systems, new radio (NR) wireless communication systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area networks (WLANs), satellite communication systems, or other evolved communication systems, such as future wireless communication systems.

[0079] To facilitate understanding of the implementation of this application, Figures 1 to 4 The communication system shown is used as an example to describe in detail the communication system to which the implementation method of this application is applicable.

[0080] refer to Figure 1 As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. Communication system 100 (which may be a wireless system) includes a radio access network (RAN) 120. The RAN 120 may be a future-oriented RAN or a traditional RAN (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2nd generation, 2G). One or more electronic devices (EDs) 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g, 110h, 110i, 110j (collectively referred to as 110) may interconnect with each other or be connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, collectively referred to as 170) within the RAN 120. Core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. The communication system 100 may also include a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0081] refer to Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is illustrated. Typically, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit data and other content. The communication system 100 can provide content such as voice, data, video, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, ensemble, unicast, etc. Furthermore, the communication system 100 can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility). These services and / or applications can be mobile broadband (MBB) services, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services, or machine-type communication (MTC) services.

[0082] The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its constituent components.

[0083] Communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. Communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can form a heterogeneous network that can be considered as having multiple layers. Heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching.

[0084] Terrestrial communication systems and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered as subsystems of a communication system.

[0085] and Figure 1 The example shown is the same, in Figure 2In the example shown, communication system 100 may include ED 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d (collectively referred to as ED 110) and RAN 120a, 120b. Furthermore, communication system 100 may also include a non-terrestrial communication network 120c. Communication system 100 may also include one or more of a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RAN 120a, 120b include corresponding RAN nodes, such as base stations (BS) 170a and 170b, which may be collectively referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRP) 170a, 170b. In one implementation, the non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes RAN nodes, such as access nodes (or base stations) 172, which can be collectively referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172. As can be inferred from the similarity of the reference numerals, the non-terrestrial communication network 120c can be considered a radio access network that shares operational similarities with RANs 120a and 120b. In another implementation, the non-terrestrial communication network 120c may include at least one non-terrestrial network (NTN) device and at least one corresponding terrestrial network device, wherein the at least one NTN device operates as a transport layer device, and the at least one corresponding terrestrial network device operates as a RAN node, through which the RAN node communicates with the ED. Furthermore, an NTN gateway (i.e., referred to as a terrestrial network device) may exist on the ground, which also communicates with the NTN device as a transport layer device, and the RAN node communicates with the ED through the NTN device and the NTN gateway. In some implementations, the NTN gateway and RAN node can be located in the same device.

[0086] Alternatively or additionally, any ED 110 can be used to connect, access, or communicate with any T-TRP 170a, 170b, and NT-TRP 172, the Internet 150, the core network 130, the PSTN 140, other networks 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can communicate with T-TRP 170a via uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL) transmissions through terrestrial air interface 190a. In some examples, ED 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink (SL) air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d can communicate with NT-TRP 172 via non-terrestrial air interface 190c via uplink and / or downlink transmissions.

[0087] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any suitable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), space division multiple access (SDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), and single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) (also known as discrete fourier transform spread OFDMA, DFT-s-OFDMA). Air interfaces 190a and 190b can utilize other higher-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0088] The non-terrestrial air interface 190c enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP 172s via a wireless link or simply through a link. For some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection for multicast transmission between a group of ED 110s and one or more NT-TRP 172s.

[0089] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. RANs 120a and 120b, and / or the core network 130, can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technology as RANs 120a, RAN 120b, or both. The core network 130 can also serve as a gateway access between (i) RANs 120a and 120b, and / or EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Furthermore, some or all of EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or other than wireless communication), ED 110a, 110b, and 110c can also communicate with service providers or exchanges (not shown) via wired communication channels and with the Internet 150. PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a network of computers and / or subnets (internal networks) and incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110a, 110b, and 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating under various wireless access technologies and incorporating multiple transceivers required to support such wireless access technologies.

[0090] Furthermore, the communication system 100 may include a sensing agent (not shown) to manage sensing data from ED 110 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172. In one implementation, the sensing agent is located within T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172. In another implementation, the sensing agent is a separate node with an interface for communicating with core network 130 and / or RAN 120 (e.g., T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172).

[0091] refer to Figure 3 An example of the device is shown. Figure 3An example of a device 310 is shown that, according to one implementation, wirelessly communicates with at least one of two devices (e.g., device 320a and device 320b, referred to as device 320) in a communication system (e.g., communication system 100). Device 310 may be a UE (e.g., such as...). Figure 1 or Figure 2 The device 320a can be a terrestrial network device (e.g., ED 110 shown). Figure 1 or Figure 2 The T-TRP 170 shown), and device 320b can be a non-terrestrial network device (e.g., such as...). Figure 2 (NT-TRP 172 shown). However, this is not a necessary condition. For example, according to this disclosure, device 320a can be NT-TRP, device 320b can be T-TRP, and both devices 320a and 320b can be either T-TRP or NT-TRP. ED 110 is described below as an example of device 310, T-TRP 170 is described as an example of device 320a, and NT-TRP 172 is described as an example of device 320a. Although Figure 3 Only one device 310, one device 320a, and one device 320b are shown, but note that the number of devices 310 (e.g., ED 110) can be one or more, and the number of devices 320a and / or 320b can be one or more. For example, an ED 110 can be served by only one T-TRP 170 (or one NT-TRP 172), by more than one T-TRP 170, by more than one NT-TRP 172, or by one or more T-TRP 170s and one or more NT-TRP 172s.

[0092] The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, and machines. It can be widely used in various scenarios, including cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), MTC, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), digital twins, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility.

[0093] Each ED 110 represents any suitable end-user equipment used for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as, but not limited to, the following devices): user equipment (UE) / terminal equipment, wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), MTC equipment, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics, smartbook, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, wearable device (e.g., watch, glasses, head-mounted device, etc.), industrial equipment, or devices in or including the foregoing (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip), etc. Next-generation ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs and will be referred to as T-TRP 170 below. Also in Figure 3 As shown, the non-terrestrial (NT) device will be referred to as NT-TRP 172 below. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically turned on (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), turned off (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connectivity availability and connectivity necessity.

[0094] like Figure 3 As shown, device 310 can be Figure 1 or Figure 2ED 110 is shown in the figure. ED 110 includes at least one processor 210. Only one processor 210 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. ED 110 may also include a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas 204 may be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be integrated, for example, as transceivers. The transceivers are used to modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceivers are also used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals. ED 110 may include at least one memory 208. For simplicity, only transmitter 201, receiver 203, processor 210, memory 208 and antenna 204 are shown, but ED 110 may include one or more other components.

[0095] Memory 208 stores instructions. Memory 208 may also store data used, generated, or collected by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or implementations described herein and executed by one or more processing units (e.g., processor 210). Each memory 208 includes any suitable one or more volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory may be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, on-processor cache, etc.

[0096] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (such as those connected to...). Figure 1 (Wired interface of Internet 150 in the network). Input / output devices or interfaces support interaction with users or other devices in the network. Each input / output device or interface includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user, and / or for communication on the network interface. Suitable structures include, for example, speakers, microphones, keypads, keyboards, displays, touchscreens, etc.

[0097] Processor 210 performs (or controls ED 110 to perform) operations described herein as being performed by ED 110, as shown below and elsewhere in this invention. For example, processor 210 performs or controls ED 110 to perform the following operations: receive a transport block (TB), decode one of the received TBs using resources, release resources to decode another of the received TBs, and / or receive configuration information for configuring resources. Specifically, this operation may include: operations related to preparing for uplink transmissions to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; and operations related to processing sidelink transmissions to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing for uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. Processing operations related to downlink transmissions may include transmit / receive beamforming, modulation / demodulation, and encoding / decoding symbols. Depending on the implementation, downlink transmissions may be received by receiver 203 using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). Examples of signaling may be reference signals transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some implementations, processor 210 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from T-TRP 170. In some implementations, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and obtaining system information. In some implementations, processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0098] Although not shown, processor 210 may form part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203. Although not shown, memory 208 may form part of processor 210.

[0099] The processing components of processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 may each be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or hardware accelerator (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU) or artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator).

[0100] In some implementations, ED 110 may be a device (also referred to as a component), such as a communication module, modem, chip, or chipset, and it includes at least one processor 210 and an interface or at least one pin. In this scenario, the transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be replaced by an interface or at least one pin, wherein the interface or at least one pin is used to connect the device (e.g., a chip) and other devices (e.g., a chip, memory, or bus). Therefore, sending information to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 can be referred to as sending information to an interface or at least one pin, or as sending information to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 via an interface or at least one pin, and receiving information from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 can be referred to as receiving information from an interface or at least one pin, or as receiving information from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 via an interface or at least one pin. This information may include control signaling and / or data.

[0101] like Figure 3 As shown, device 320a can be as follows: Figure 1 or Figure 2The T-TRP 170 is shown. The T-TRP 170 includes at least one processor 260. Only one processor 260 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. The T-TRP 170 may also include at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas 256 may be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. The T-TRP 170 may also include at least one memory 258. The T-TRP 170 may also include a scheduler 253. For simplicity, only the transmitter 252, receiver 254, processor 260, memory 258, antenna 256, and scheduler 253 are shown, but the T-TRP may include one or more other components.

[0102] In some implementations, the T-TRP 170 can use other names, such as base station, base transceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP), wireless router, relay station, ground node, ground network device, ground base station, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), location node, etc. The T-TRP 170 can be a macro base station (BS), pico BS, relay node, or donor node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned device or a component of the aforementioned device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0103] In some implementations, the CU (or CU control plane (CP) and CU user plane (UP)), DU, or RU may use other names. For example, in an open RAN (ORAN) system, the CU may also be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU may also be called an open DU (O-DU), the CU-CP may also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), the CU-UP may also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-CP), and the RU may also be called an open RU (O-RU). Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, or RU can be implemented using software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0104] In some implementations, the components of T-TRP 170 can be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located remotely from the device housing the antenna 256 of T-TRP 170 and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna 256 via a communication link (not shown) sometimes referred to as a fronthaul (e.g., a common public radio interface, CPRI). Therefore, in some implementations, the term T-TRP 170 may also refer to network-side modules that perform processing operations such as determining the location of ED 110, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, and are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna 256 of T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some implementations, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together, for example, by using the cooperative multicast service ED 110.

[0105] The operations performed by processor 260 include those related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmissions to ED 110; processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110; preparing transmissions for backhaul transmissions to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172; and processing transmissions received via backhaul from T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172. Processing operations related to preparing transmissions for downlink or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating received symbols, and decoding received symbols. Processor 260 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB) and generating system information. In some implementations, processor 260 also generates a beam direction indication (e.g., BAI), which can be scheduled for transmission by scheduler 253. Processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110, determining the deployment location of NT-TRP 172, etc. In some implementations, processor 260 can generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252.

[0106] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to or integrated into processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included within T-TRP 170 or may operate separately from T-TRP. Scheduler 253 may schedule uplink, downlink, lateral link, and / or backlink transmissions, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring schedule-free (e.g., "configuration authorization") resources.

[0107] Memory 258 is used to store information and optionally data. Memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by T-TRP 170. For example, memory 258 may store software instructions or modules that implement some or all of the functions and / or implementations described herein and are executed by processor 260.

[0108] Although not shown, processor 260 may form part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254. Additionally, although not shown, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253. Although not shown, memory 258 may form part of processor 260.

[0109] The processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmed FPGA, hardware accelerator (e.g., GPU or AI accelerator), or ASIC.

[0110] When T-TRP 170 is a device (also referred to as a component, such as a communication module, modem, chip, or chipset in a device), it includes at least one processor, an interface, or at least one pin. In this scenario, transmitter 252 and receiver 254 can be replaced by an interface or at least one pin, wherein the interface or at least one pin is used to connect the device (e.g., a chip) and other devices (e.g., chips, memory, or buses). Therefore, sending information to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or ED110 can be referred to as sending information to an interface or at least one pin, and receiving information from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or ED 110 can be referred to as receiving information from an interface or at least one pin. This information may include control signaling and / or data.

[0111] Although the NT-TRP 172 is shown as an example of a drone only, it can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form, such as satellites and high-altitude platforms including international mobile telecommunications base stations and unmanned aerial vehicles. Additionally, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 may use other names, such as non-terrestrial node, non-terrestrial network device, or non-terrestrial base station.

[0112] The T-TRP 170 may also include at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas 256 may be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. The T-TRP 170 may also include at least one memory 258. The T-TRP 170 may also include a scheduler 253. For simplicity, only the transmitter 252, receiver 254, processor 260, memory 258, antenna 256, and scheduler 253 are shown, but the T-TRP may include one or more other components.

[0113] like Figure 3 As shown, device 320b can be as follows: Figure 2 The NT-TRP 172 is shown. The NT-TRP 172 includes at least one processor 276. Only one processor 276 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. The NT-TRP 172 may include a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 may also include at least one memory 278. The NT-TRP 172 may also include a scheduler. For simplicity, only the transmitter 272, receiver 274, processor 276, memory 278, and antenna 280 are shown, but the NT-TRP may include one or more other components.

[0114] NT-TRP 172 includes a processor 276 for performing operations related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmissions to ED 110; processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110; preparing transmissions for backhaul transmissions to T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172; and processing transmissions received via backhaul from T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172. Processing operations related to preparing transmissions for downlink or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating received symbols, and decoding received symbols. In some implementations, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some implementations, processor 276 can generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110. In some implementations, NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but not higher-layer functions, such as those at the medium access control (MAC) layer or radio link control (RLC) layer. Since this is merely an example, more generally, NT-TRP 172 can implement higher-layer functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0115] Memory 278 is used to store information and optionally data. Memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by NT-TRP 172. For example, memory 278 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or implementations described herein and executed by processor 276.

[0116] Although not shown, processor 276 may form part of transmitter 272 and / or receiver 274. Although not shown, memory 278 may form part of processor 276.

[0117] The processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmed FPGA, hardware accelerator (e.g., GPU or AI accelerator), or ASIC. In some implementations, NT-TRP 172 can actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together, for example, via cooperative multicast service ED 110.

[0118] When NT-TRP 172 is a device within a device (e.g., a communication module, modem, chip, or chipset), it includes at least one processor and an interface or at least one pin. In this scenario, transmitter 272 and receiver 257 can be replaced by an interface or at least one pin, wherein the interface or at least one pin is used to connect the device (e.g., a chip) and other devices (e.g., a chip, memory, or bus). Therefore, sending information to T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 can be referred to as sending information to an interface or at least one pin, and receiving information from T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 can be referred to as receiving information from an interface or at least one pin. This information may include control signaling and / or data.

[0119] It should be noted that the term "transmit / receive point (TRP)" as used herein can refer to either T-TRP or NT-TRP. Alternatively, T-TRP can be referred to as a terrestrial network TRP ("TNTRP"), and NT-TRP can be referred to as a non-terrestrial network TRP ("NTNTRP"). T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172, and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components are omitted for clarity.

[0120] It should be noted that, for simplicity, the term "signaling" as used herein can be alternatively referred to as control signaling, control message, control information, or message. Signaling between a BS (e.g., network node 170) and a terminal or sensing device (e.g., ED 110), or between different terminals or sensing devices (e.g., between ED 110i and ED 110j), can be carried in physical layer signaling (also known as dynamic signaling), which is transmitted in the physical layer control channel. For the downlink, physical layer signaling can be referred to as downlink control information (DCI) transmitted in the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). For the uplink, physical layer signaling can be referred to as uplink control information (UCI) transmitted in the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). For sidelinks, signaling between different terminals or sensing devices (e.g., ED110i and ED110j) can be referred to as sidelink control information (SCI) transmitted in the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). Signaling can be carried in higher-layer (e.g., above the physical layer) signaling, which is transmitted in physical layer data channels. For example, for downlink signaling, it is transmitted in the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); for uplink signaling, it is transmitted in the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); and for sidelink signaling, it is transmitted in the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH). Higher-layer signaling can also be referred to as static signaling or semi-static signaling. Higher-layer signaling can be radio resource control (RRC) protocol signaling or media access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling. Signaling can be included in a combination of physical layer signaling and higher layer signaling.

[0121] It should be noted that in this invention, when "information" and "message" are different, they can be carried in a single message or in more than one separate message.

[0122] according to Figure 4 One or more steps of the method provided herein may be performed by corresponding units or modules. Figure 4 Units or modules in a device or apparatus (e.g., ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172) are shown. For example, signals may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals may be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps may be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules may be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units or modules may be circuits such as integrated circuits. Examples of integrated circuits include programmed FPGAs, GPUs, or ASICs. For example, one or more of these units or modules may be logical, such as logical functions executed by circuits, a portion of an integrated circuit, or software instructions executed by a processor. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented using software executed by a processor, etc., then these modules may be retrieved by the processor, wholly or partially, individually or collectively, for processing, in single or multiple instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0123] Additional details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted herein.

[0124] This invention relates to devices such as UEs, IoT devices, and automobiles. The envisioned network scenarios may include terrestrial TRPs (e.g., base stations) and / or non-terrestrial TRPs (e.g., drones, balloons, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), satellites), as well as any such devices that support wireless access technologies (e.g., 5G NR, future networks, or other technologies).

[0125] For illustrative purposes, specific exemplary implementations will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and the systems, EDs, and TRPs mentioned above.

[0126] The implementation methods described herein represent information sufficient to practice the claimed subject matter, and methods for practicing such subject matter are illustrated. Upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the claimed subject matter and will recognize that the application of these concepts is not specifically mentioned herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications are within the scope of this invention and the appended claims.

[0127] To facilitate understanding of the implementation of this application, the following is a brief description of several terms used in this application.

[0128] 1) MIMO MIMO is a core technology in existing 5G NR systems, using multiple antennas at both the transmitting and receiving ends to send and receive signals. MIMO technology can fully utilize spatial resources, multiplying the system's channel capacity without increasing spectrum resources or antenna transmission power. Therefore, MIMO still holds great potential as one of the core technologies for future systems.

[0129] MIMO technology enables antenna arrays consisting of multiple antennas to perform signal transmission and reception to meet high transmission rate requirements. The aforementioned ED 110, T-TRP 170, and / or NT-TRP use MIMO for communication over radio resource blocks. MIMO utilizes multiple antennas at the transmitting and / or receiving devices to transmit radio resource blocks via parallel radio signals. MIMO can beamform the parallel radio signals for reliable multipath transmission of radio resource blocks. MIMO can combine parallel radio signals carrying different data to increase the data rate of radio resource blocks.

[0130] In recent years, MIMO (Massive MIMO) wireless communication systems with the aforementioned T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172, equipped with a large number of antennas, have received widespread attention from academia and industry. In massive MIMO systems, the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 are typically configured with more than ten antenna elements (e.g., 128 or 256) and serve dozens of ED 110s. The large number of antenna elements in the T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 can significantly increase the spatial freedom of wireless communication, greatly improve transmission rate, spectral efficiency, and power efficiency, and largely eliminate inter-cell interference. The increased number of antennas allows each antenna element to be smaller and less expensive. Using the spatial freedom provided by the large number of antenna elements, each cell's T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 can simultaneously communicate with multiple ED 110s in the cell on the same time-frequency resources, thereby significantly improving spectral efficiency. The numerous antenna elements of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can also improve the spatial directivity of uplink and downlink transmissions for each user, thereby reducing the transmit power of the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 and ED110, and significantly improving power efficiency. When the number of antennas in the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 is sufficiently large, the random channels between each ED 110 and the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be nearly orthogonal, and interference between cells and users, as well as the effects of noise, can be eliminated. These advantages make massively multi-level MIMO a promising technology for widespread application.

[0131] A MIMO system may include a receiving device connected to a receive (Rx) antenna, a transmitting device connected to a transmit (Tx) antenna, and a signal processor connected to both the transmitting and receiving devices. Each of the Rx and Tx antennas may include multiple antennas. For example, an Rx antenna may have a ULA antenna array, in which multiple antennas are arranged in rows at equal intervals. When a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted through a Tx antenna, the Rx antenna may receive signals reflected from a forward target and returned. The receiving device may be an ED (i.e., ED 110), and the transmitting device may be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172), or the receiving device may be a T-TRP or NT-TRP (i.e., T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172), and the transmitting device may be an ED (i.e., ED 110).

[0132] refer to Figure 5As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified diagram of a communication scenario is provided. Specifically, Figure 5 This is an example of a channel model for a MIMO system. The transmitting unit is connected to four Tx antennas (x1 to x4), and the receiving unit is connected to four Rx antennas (y1 to y4). A transmission channel can be formed between each Tx antenna and each Rx antenna. For example, an RF signal transmitted via x1 can be received by y2 via channel h21. An RF signal transmitted via x3 can be received by y1 via channel h13.

[0133] In the following text, the base station is used as an example of T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172, and the UE is used as an example of ED 110. For downlink transmission, the receiving device may be referred to as ED 110, and for uplink transmission, the receiving device may be referred to as T-TRP170 or NT-TRP 172. For downlink transmission, the transmitting device may be referred to as T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172, and for uplink transmission, the transmitting device may be referred to as ED 110. However, this document does not impose any limitations.

[0134] 2) PDCCH / PUCCH / PSCCH In the downlink, control signaling can be transmitted in a control channel, which may be called a PDCCH. Specifically, a PDCCH is a physical downlink channel used to carry strings of bits (e.g., downlink control information (DCI) bits). For example, a PDCCH can consist of a string of encoded DCI bits plus cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits.

[0135] In the uplink, control signaling can be transmitted in a control channel known as PUCCH. Specifically, PUCCH is a physical downlink channel used to carry strings of bits (e.g., uplink control information (UCI) bits). For example, PUCCH can consist of a string of encoded UCI bits plus CRC bits.

[0136] In the sidelink, control signaling can be transmitted in a control channel, which may be called the PSCCH. Specifically, the PSCCH is a physical sidelink channel used to carry strings of bits (e.g., sidelink control information (SCI) bits). For example, the PSCCH may consist of a string of encoded SCI bits plus CRC bits.

[0137] In some implementations, the signal carried on the PDCCH can also be called the PDCCH. Specifically, sending / receiving the PDCCH refers to sending / receiving the signal carried on the PDCCH. Similarly, the signal carried on the PUCCH can also be called the PUCCH. Specifically, sending / receiving the PUCCH refers to sending / receiving the signal carried on the PUCCH. The signal carried on the PSCCH can also be called the PSCCH. Specifically, sending / receiving the PSCCH refers to sending / receiving the signal carried on the PSCCH.

[0138] 3) DCI DCI can be used to schedule data transmission or provide feedback on data transmission. For example, DCI may include information for scheduling data transmission (e.g., for downlink / uplink data transmission or sidelink (SL) data transmission) and / or power control (e.g., uplink power control, or sidelink power control, or downlink power control).

[0139] 4) PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH Downlink data is scheduled by the DCI carried in the PDCCH and transmitted in a data channel that can be called the PDSCH. Similarly, uplink data is transmitted in a data channel that can be called the PUSCH. Sidelink data is transmitted in a data channel that can be called the PSSCH.

[0140] 5) HARQ In wireless communication, for data channels, the HARQ process is implemented to support the retransmission of the same data as well as a hybrid combination of original transmission and retransmission, in order to combat channel impairments and improve the robustness of system performance.

[0141] 6) QoS Quality of Service (QoS) is a description or metric of the overall performance requirements of a service. QoS guarantees a certain level of performance for data streams and provides different priorities for different users and data streams for different applications. For example, it can guarantee the required bit rate, latency, latency variation, packet loss, or bit error rate.

[0142] Different data may have the same QoS but come from different applications. Or different applications may respond to data with different QoS. For example, data with different QoS may include one or more of the following: data with different required bit rates, data with different delays, data with different delay variations, data with different packet loss rates, or data with different bit error rates.

[0143] The 400 MHz system bandwidth in the 10–13 GHz range is envisioned as a promising mid-band for wide-area coverage and capacity enhancement in future network systems. In the 10–13 GHz, 400 MHz configuration, an array of approximately 1000 transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) antennas can be deployed at the base station (BS) side, and an array of approximately 30 Tx / Rx antennas can be deployed at the user equipment (UE) side, far exceeding the scale of existing 5G antenna arrays. MIMO will become a key technology in the 10–13 GHz range. It improves the peak rate of single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) through approximately 20 layers of transmission and improves the network peak throughput through approximately 300 layers of multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) layer transmission, achieving terabit-level system throughput; therefore, it can also be called terabit MIMO (T-MIMO).

[0144] Both the base station and UE sides utilize ultra-large MIMO antennas, resulting in a rich array of multiple transport layers, which can be referred to as multiple spatial layers or multiple layers. These multiple transport layers not only improve data transmission performance but can also be used to enhance control signal transmission in both the downlink and uplink directions between the base station and the UE. Where applicable, these multiple transport layers can also be used for other links, such as the sidelink between two UEs.

[0145] Specifically, in some scenarios (e.g., T-MIMO), the increased use of antennas on both the BS and NE sides creates more spatial layers with good channel quality, opening up new dimensions (spaces) for performance improvement. T-MIMO, with its numerous transmit and receive antennas, offers abundant spatial layers. Therefore, fully utilizing these abundant spatial resources will significantly improve system performance, such as reliability and throughput. For example, future wireless communications will see a large number of applications with varying QoS. Some applications / services may have stricter latency requirements, while others may have higher reliability requirements. This will place greater demands on transmitting data from different QoS levels simultaneously to fully utilize MIMO channel capacity and meet diverse QoS requirements.

[0146] The purpose of providing the above information is to disclose information that the applicant believes may be relevant to this invention. It is not necessarily an admission, nor should any of the foregoing information be construed as prior art relative to this invention.

[0147] In traditional cellular systems such as 5G NR, the UE can receive, detect, and measure reference signals such as synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) blocks and non-zero-power channel state information reference signal (NZP-CSI-RS). These reference signals are based on pseudo random noise (PRN) binary sequences (e.g., Gold sequences), and these sequences can be initialized using either a common scrambling identifier or a UE-specific scrambling identifier. For example, the primary synchronization signal (PSS) sequence and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS) sequence are initialized using the physical cell identity (PCI) value, which is the common scrambling identifier. The NZP-CSI-RS sequence is initialized using UE-specific scrambling identifiers, which are configured to the UE by the network.

[0148] 5G NR Rel-17 introduces support for non-terrestrial networks by introducing several enhancements to the following: timing advance timing relationships, reference timing for channel state information (CSI) resources, transmission timing of DCI for scheduling PUSCH, transmission timing of random access responses carried by PUSCH, and transmission timing of hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledge (HARQ-ACK) on PUCCH.

[0149] In 5G NR Rel-17, non-terrestrial network (NTN) support was introduced, enabling UEs to support DL / UL communication with satellites in a so-called "bend" scenario. In this scenario, the ground station sends signals to satellites in space, and the satellites reflect the signals back to the UE on the ground. Dedicated signaling related to NTN was introduced to assist UEs in NTN operations. Higher-layer signaling such as RRC introduced signaling satellite ephemeris, satellite position, satellite signal polarization, timing advance offset, satellite system information block (SIB), and satellite epochs to support NTN operations. Other introduced features include expanding the HARQ process to 32 steps to accommodate scenarios with large propagation delays and disabling HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0150] In 5G NR, for transmissions in PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH, each is used and instructed by a single HARQ process within a single scheduler (e.g., via PDCCH / PSCCH). This can only support data with the same QoS.

[0151] In 5G NR, data with different QoS levels can be scheduled using different control channels (e.g., PDCCH / PSCCH) and transmitted on different data channels (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH), while a single HARQ process is used for data carried on the same data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH). In future wireless communications, for example, if T-MIMO is used or abundant spatial layers are available, it may be necessary to transmit data with different QoS levels on the same data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH) scheduled by the same control channel (e.g., PDCCH / PSCCH). Alternatively, it may be necessary to transmit data with different applications on the same data channel scheduled by the same control channel. For example, it may be necessary to transmit data with different QoS levels (or different applications) on the same PDSCH or PUSCH scheduled by the same PDCCH. Similarly, it may be necessary to transmit data with different QoS levels (or different applications) on the same PSSCH scheduled by the same PSCCH. Typically, even without using T-MIMO, it may be necessary to schedule data with different QoS (or different applications) in the same control channel and transmit this data in the same data channel, thus requiring different HARQ processes to handle the retransmission of this data separately.

[0152] In many applications and deployment scenarios, data with different QoS (or different applications) needs to be scheduled and transmitted on the same data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH). Therefore, multiple HARQ processes are required to manage the retransmission of different data with different QoS (or different data for different applications). For example, when a piece of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) data and a piece of ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) data arrive simultaneously at the media access control (MAC) layer for transmission, according to existing technologies, they need to be sequentially scheduled on separate control channels (e.g., PDCCH / PSCCH) and transmitted on different data channels (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH). This can lead to increased latency and may also fail to fully utilize available resources (e.g., the large number of spatial layers available in T-MIMO scenarios).

[0153] Typically, supporting multiple HARQ processes is a challenge when data with different QoS (or different applications) is transmitted in the same data channel.

[0154] Therefore, the present invention provides a method. In this method, multiple HARQ processes are supported for data transmission within the same data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH) to accommodate the needs of transmitting / retransmitting data with different QoS (or different applications). Corresponding configurations and instructions for supporting multiple HARQ processes are also provided.

[0155] Specific exemplary implementations of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0156] In the implementation of this application, the transport layer can be referred to as a space layer for carrying transmitted information (control information or data), or as a layer for the same purpose. The information carried on the transport layer can be mapped to time-frequency resources using corresponding antenna ports before transmission. Multiple transport layers allow multiple independent information streams (one stream per layer) to be transmitted simultaneously in the air from a transmitter (e.g., a base station or UE) to a receiver (e.g., a UE), thereby improving throughput or reliability. However, this document does not impose limitations. The transport layer is named for descriptive purposes only and does not limit the scope of protection of the implementation of this application. For example, the transport layer can be shown in the form of a beam, and therefore the implementation can be applied to beams.

[0157] In the implementation of this application, the resources may cover at least one of the time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain.

[0158] In the implementation of this application, time-frequency resources can be referred to as any of the following: time-frequency domain resources, time-frequency resource sets, or time-frequency resource blocks.

[0159] In the implementation of this application, "and / or" describes the association between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. The character " / " generally indicates an "OR" relationship between related objects. "At least one" means one or more. "At least one of A and B" is similar to "A and / or B" in describing the association between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, at least one of A and B can represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists.

[0160] Figure 6 This illustrates the multiplexing and transmission of data with different QoS levels within a single data channel. For example, the data channel could be PDSCH, PUSCH, or PSSCH. Figure 6 As shown, for example, data streams with different QoS can be multiplexed and fed into an encoder. The encoder can apply channel coding to the data with different QoS separately, generating different codewords (CWs), such as CW#0, CW#1, etc. Here, CW usually refers to the bit stream after channel coding and the addition of CRC bits, but they can take a more general format. Modulation operations can then be applied to different CWs. For data from different QoS, different modulation and coding schemes (MCS) can be applied to the coding and modulation operations. Then, the modulated symbols from each CW can be mapped to different spatial transport layers for transmission. It should be noted that the multiplexing operation is optional. Here, the multiplexing operation is only for illustrative purposes, and whether this operation is needed depends on the implementation. For example, data from different QoS can be sent from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer in different transport blocks (TBs), and each TB can be used as input to the channel encoder separately. Essentially, data from different QoS are encoded and modulated separately to form different CWs. It should be noted that the mapping from different CWs (modulated symbols) to different transmission layers may not be one-to-one. For example, modulated symbols from the same CW may be mapped to one or more transmission layers.

[0161] When data from different QoS (or from different applications) is multiplexed and transmitted on the same data channel (e.g., PDSCH), transport layer mapping can follow different priorities. For example, data with higher QoS requirements (higher reliability and lower latency) can be mapped to a transport layer with better channel quality, while data with lower QoS requirements can be mapped to a transport layer with lower channel quality.

[0162] Data with different QoS requirements may have different requirements for latency and reliability. Therefore, different HARQ processes may be needed to perform HARQ processing on data with different QoS (or different applications) to meet different requirements, such as retransmission latency and HARQ-ACK reliability.

[0163] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 700 according to an implementation of this application. The communication method 700 can be implemented by two communication devices (e.g., Figure 7 The communication can be performed by the first and second devices shown, or by a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the two communication devices. As an example, the first device may be a base station, and the second device may be a UE. As another example, both the first and second devices may be UEs. This document does not impose limitations. The following implementation will be described using a communication method 700 performed by the first and second devices as an example.

[0164] At step 710, the first device sends, and correspondingly, the second device receives scheduling information for scheduling the first data transmission and the second data transmission, wherein the first data transmission is assigned to a first HARQ process and the second data transmission is assigned to a second HARQ process.

[0165] In some implementations, the first data transmission and the second data transmission can have different applications.

[0166] In some implementations, the first data transmission and the second data transmission can have the same or different quality of service (QoS).

[0167] First data with a first QoS and second data with a second QoS represent data with different QoS generated from different applications or services. For example, data with different QoS may include one or more of the following: data with different required bit rates, data with different delays, data with different delay variations, data with different packet loss rates, or data with different bit error rates. The first data and second data may have the same QoS but originate from different applications. It should be noted that the implementation of this application does not limit the number of data streams with different QoS.

[0168] In some implementations of this application, step 710 can be performed by... Figure 7 The first and second devices shown are used for execution. In some implementations of this application, step 710 can be executed by a chip, circuit, or processing system configured in the first or second device. Therefore, for example, the sending action in step 710 can also be described as an output action, and the receiving action in step 710 can also be described as an input action.

[0169] In downlink or uplink scenarios, the first device can be a base station, and the second device can be a UE. Scheduling information can be carried in the control channel (e.g., PDCCH) on the Uu link.

[0170] In a sidelink scenario, the first device and the second device can be different UEs. Scheduling information can be carried in the control channel (e.g., PSCCH) on the sidelink.

[0171] At step 720, the first device and the second device perform a first data transmission and a second data transmission on the data channel.

[0172] In some implementations of this application, both the first data transmission and the second data transmission are transmitted on one of the uplink (UL), downlink (DL), and sidelink (SL).

[0173] It should be noted that first and second data transmissions with the same or different QoS are carried together in the same data channel. The same data channel can be one of PUSCH, PDSCH, or PSSCH.

[0174] As an example, in the downlink scenario, the first device can be a base station, and the second device can be a UE. The base station can obtain raw data from higher layers and generate first data and second data based on the raw data. In the uplink scenario, the first device can be a base station, and the second device can be a UE. The first data and second data can be generated by the UE.

[0175] For example, in a downlink scenario, the first device sends data, and correspondingly, the second device receives the first data transmission and the second data transmission with the same or different QoS on the PDSCH.

[0176] For example, in an uplink scenario, the second device sends data, and correspondingly, the first device receives the first data transmission and the second data transmission, which have the same but different QoS on the PUSCH.

[0177] As another example, in a sidelink scenario, both the first device and the second device are UEs. The first data and the second data can be generated by either the first device or the second device.

[0178] For example, in a sidelink scenario, the first device can be a first UE, and the second device can be a second UE. The first UE and the second UE communicate by carrying PSSCHs of first data and second data with the same or different QoS.

[0179] This application does not limit the number of data transfers and HARQ processes. The first and second data transfers are merely examples. The corresponding first and second HARQ processes are also merely examples.

[0180] To support data transmission on a single data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH) employing multiple HARQ processes, it is necessary to specify the corresponding HARQ processes and their respective attributes. Several methods exist for achieving this; some examples are provided below. (The last sentence appears to be incomplete and possibly refers to a combination of methods.) Figure 8 and Figure 9 To describe the details.

[0181] Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart of another communication method 800 according to the implementation of this application. Figure 8 It is a communication method in downlink scenarios.

[0182] At step 810, the base station generates first data and second data.

[0183] For example, a base station can receive raw data from higher layers (or applications) and generate first and second data based on the raw data.

[0184] The first and second data are generated for different QoS or different applications. For example, the first data is generated in TB#1, and the second data is generated in TB#2.

[0185] At step 820, the base station sends, and correspondingly, the UE receives scheduling information for scheduling the first data transmission and the second data transmission.

[0186] For a detailed description of step 820, please refer to step 710, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] At step 830, the base station transmits, and correspondingly, the UE receives first information for indicating the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

[0188] In some implementations of this application, the first information is used to indicate different HARQ process IDs corresponding to the first data transmission and the second data transmission, respectively.

[0189] Therefore, at step 840, the UE determines the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process. This step may be optional if information about the HARQ process has already been explicitly sent in step 830.

[0190] In some implementations, the first information can be carried as control information in the control channel. For example, the control information can be DCI, and the control channel can be PDCCH.

[0191] In some implementations of this application, the first information includes a bitmap, wherein a first bit in the bitmap is used to indicate a first HARQ process, and a second bit in the bitmap is used to indicate a second HARQ process.

[0192] Therefore, the UE determines the first HARQ process based on the first bit in the bitmap, and determines the second HARQ process based on the second bit in the bitmap.

[0193] A bitmap can be used to indicate which HARQ processes are used in a data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH). For example, if a total of 16 HARQ processes are supported, a 16-bit bitmap field can be carried in the control information (e.g., DCI or SCI). For example, with each bit corresponding to one HARQ process, a bit value of "1" for a specific bit indicates that a HARQ process has been allocated for data transmission, while a bit value of "0" for a specific bit indicates that no HARQ process has been used. More specifically, the bitmap field "0001100000000000" can indicate that HARQ process #3 and HARQ process #4 (assuming the HARQ process index starts from #0 and the least significant bit of the bit field is on the left side of the bit field) are respectively allocated for data transmission in the current data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH).

[0194] In some implementations of this application, the first information includes two bit strings, wherein the first bit string is used to indicate a first HARQ process and the second bit string is used to indicate a second HARQ process.

[0195] The first information may include two or more bit strings used to indicate two or more HARQ processes. The first HARQ process and the second HARQ process are examples in the implementation of this application. This application does not limit the number of bit strings.

[0196] Alternatively, two or more separate bit strings can be used to indicate two or more separate HARQ processes. For example, if a total of 16 HARQ processes are supported, 4-bit bit strings can be used, with each value in the 4-bit bit string indicating the HARQ process employed. More specifically, two 4-bit bit strings, “0010” and “0011”, can indicate that HARQ process #2 and HARQ process #3 are respectively allocated for two data stream transmissions to schedule data transmission in the data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH).

[0197] Therefore, the second device determines the first HARQ process based on the first bit string, and determines the second HARQ process based on the second bit string or based on some pre-configured relationship as described below.

[0198] It can indirectly indicate the different HARQ processes used.

[0199] As an alternative to step 820, the base station transmits, and the UE receives, in turn, second information indicating the first HARQ process, wherein the second HARQ process is determined based on the first HARQ process and a pre-configured mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

[0200] For example, if the first HARQ process in a series of HARQ processes is indicated by the HARQ process ID "n", then the HARQ process IDs of the other assigned HARQ processes can be n+1, n+2, ..., so that the other HARQ processes do not need to be explicitly indicated in the DCI. That is, the first HARQ process ID can be included in the second information, and the second HARQ process can be determined based on the first HARQ process ID and a pre-configured mapping relationship. In other words, one of the series of HARQ processes is considered a reference HARQ process. Therefore, the other HARQ processes can be determined based on the reference HARQ process and the pre-configured mapping relationship or HARQ ID numbering relationship between the reference HARQ process and the other HARQ processes.

[0201] At step 850, the base station transmits data, and correspondingly, the UE receives the first data transmission and the second data transmission on the PDSCH.

[0202] For a detailed explanation of step 850, please refer to step 720; it will not be repeated here.

[0203] At step 860, the UE can decode the first data transmission and the second data transmission.

[0204] At step 870, the UE transmits, and correspondingly, the base station receives a first HARQ feedback and a second HARQ feedback, wherein the first HARQ feedback corresponds to a first HARQ process, and the second HARQ feedback corresponds to a second HARQ process.

[0205] In some implementations of this application, different HARQ feedbacks can be carried in a control channel (e.g., PUCCH) or a data channel (e.g., PUSCH).

[0206] In some implementations of this application, different HARQ feedbacks can be carried in different control channels (e.g., PUCCH) or different data channels (e.g., PUSCH).

[0207] The following Figure 9 This is merely an example of different data using different HARQ processes, scheduled in one data channel and transmitted in one control channel. Different HARQ feedbacks will be sent back in different channels.

[0208] Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of another communication method 900 according to the implementation of this application. Figure 9 It is a communication method in uplink scenarios.

[0209] At step 910, the base station sends, and correspondingly, the UE receives scheduling information for scheduling the first data transmission and the second data transmission.

[0210] For a detailed description of step 910, please refer to step 710, which will not be repeated here.

[0211] At step 920, the base station transmits, and correspondingly, the UE receives first information for indicating the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

[0212] For a detailed description of step 920, please refer to step 830; it will not be repeated here.

[0213] Therefore, at step 930, the UE determines the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

[0214] For a detailed description of step 930, please refer to step 840; it will not be repeated here.

[0215] At step 940, the UE generates first data and second data.

[0216] The first and second data are generated for different QoS or different applications. For example, the first data is generated in TB#1, and the second data is generated in TB#2.

[0217] Figure 9The execution order of steps 910 to 940 shown is merely an example, and this application does not limit it. For example, the execution order of steps 910, 920, 930 and 940 could also be steps 940, 910, 920 and 930.

[0218] At step 950, the UE transmits, and correspondingly, the base station receives the first data transmission and the second data transmission on the PUSCH.

[0219] For a detailed explanation of step 950, please refer to step 720; it will not be repeated here.

[0220] At step 960, the base station can decode the first data transmission and the second data transmission.

[0221] Optionally, at step 970, the base station transmits, and correspondingly, the UE receives a first HARQ feedback and a second HARQ feedback, wherein the first HARQ feedback corresponds to a first HARQ process, and the second HARQ feedback corresponds to a second HARQ process.

[0222] If this step is performed, the specific explanation of step 970 can be found in step 870, and will not be repeated here.

[0223] If this step is not performed, the base station can schedule additional data retransmissions or new data transmissions.

[0224] In a side-link scenario, the first device can be a first UE, and the second device can be a second UE. Multiple HARQ processes corresponding to different data transmissions are executed between the first UE and the second UE. Therefore, steps 810, 850, and 860 can be executed on both the first UE and the second UE side, depending on which UE is transmitting and which UE is receiving. However, in a side-link scenario, the first and second data transmissions are carried in the PSSCH. Furthermore, the first UE and the second UE can receive the first information from the base station. Alternatively, the first information can be pre-configured in both the first UE and the second UE. Alternatively, the first UE and the second UE can negotiate the first information with each other.

[0225] Figure 10 This illustrates data transmission schemes with different QoS levels managed by different HARQ processes. For example... Figure 10 As shown, for example, two HARQ processes are assigned to different data with different QoS. For different HARQ processes, their HARQ-ACK feedback timings can be different, and their control channels carrying the HARQ-ACK feedback (e.g., PUCCH / PSCCH) can be different (e.g., resources and format). It should be noted that... Figure 10The different HARQ-ACK responses shown are merely examples; this implementation does not restrict whether the feedback in the HARQ process is a HARQ acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) or a HARQ negative acknowledgment (HARQ-NACK). In this example, data with QoS#0 is assigned to HARQ process #0, and its HARQ-ACK response latency is longer (e.g., it is an eMBB service). In contrast, data with QoS#1 is assigned to HARQ process #1, and its HARQ-ACK response latency is shorter (e.g., it is a URLLC service).

[0226] Multiplexing data from different QoS levels into the same data channel (e.g., PDSCH / PUSCH / PSSCH) may not always occur. Figure 10 As shown, for example, the multiplexing of data from different QoS levels only occurs in some transmission instances (or transmission opportunities), while in other instances, only data with the same QoS may be scheduled and transmitted. It should be mentioned that for some air interfaces, such as for Uu uplinks (UL), there may be no HARQ-ACK feedback for UL PUSCH transmissions; if a PUSCH transmission fails, the network will directly schedule a retransmission. However, if data from different QoS levels are transmitted together on the same data channel (e.g., PUSCH / PSSCH), multiple HARQ processes still need to be supported.

[0227] In addition to the HARQ process number indicator, each HARQ process should also be indicated with an associated redundant version (RV).

[0228] The first device sends, and correspondingly the second device receives, third information indicating a first redundant version associated with the first HARQ process and a second redundant version associated with the second HARQ process.

[0229] For example, control information (e.g., DCI (carried by PDCCH) or SCI (carried by PSCCH)) may include the following parameter examples to indicate the HARQ process ID and associated RV: HARQ process number (or ID) #0 and a redundant version of HARQ process #0; HARQ process number (or ID) #1 and a redundant version of HARQ process #1.

[0230] In some implementations, the third information may be included by control information in the control channel. For example, the control information may be DCI or SCI, and the control channel may be PDCCH or PSCCH.

[0231] Furthermore, the first device sends, and correspondingly the second device receives, fourth information indicating the first mapping relationship, wherein the first mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between a first HARQ process and one or more associated codewords for the first data transmission, and a mapping relationship between a second HARQ process and one or more codewords for the second data transmission.

[0232] It should be noted that there is no limit to the number of characters here.

[0233] It is also necessary to configure / indicate the mapping of CW to different HARQ processes. Figure 11 The mapping scheme between different CWs and their associated HARQ processes is shown. For example, if... Figure 11 A total of four Control Warp Wings (CWs) are shown in the diagram. One or more CWs can be configured for HARQ process #0, and the remaining CWs can be configured for HARQ process #1. For example... Figure 11 As shown, there are a total of 4 CWs. CW#0 and CW#1 are configured for HARQ process #0, while CW#2 and CW#3 are configured for HARQ process #1.

[0234] In some implementations, the fourth information can be transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

[0235] In addition, the first device sends, and correspondingly the second device receives, fifth information indicating a second mapping relationship, wherein the second mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers.

[0236] In some implementations, the fifth information can be transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

[0237] Furthermore, the first device sends, and correspondingly the second device receives, sixth information indicating a third mapping relationship, wherein the third mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between one or more codewords for the first data transmission and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between one or more codewords for the second data transmission and one or more associated transport layers.

[0238] It should be noted that there is no limit to the number of transport layers here.

[0239] In some implementations of this application, one or more of the first mapping relationship, the second mapping relationship, and the third mapping relationship are based on the priority of the first data transmission and the second data transmission.

[0240] As mentioned earlier, the mapping from CW to the transport layer can also be configured / indicated, and priorities can be used to map different CWs to different transport layers to better support different data with different QoS levels. Typically, the relationships between the following attributes can be configured / indicated between the CW layer HARQ processes. Figure 12 The mapping scheme between different CWs and their associated transport layers is illustrated. For example, as... Figure 12 As shown, HARQ process #0 can manage the HARQs corresponding to CW#0 and #1, which are mapped to layers #0 and #1, respectively. HARQ process #1 can manage the HARQs corresponding to CW#2 and CW#3, where CW#2 is mapped to layers #2 and #3, and CW#3 is mapped to layer #4.

[0241] In some implementations, the sixth information can be transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

[0242] In some implementations, the RRC configuration may include at least one of the fourth, fifth, and sixth information.

[0243] For example, if the UE receives any two of the fourth, fifth, and sixth messages, it determines the mapping relationship between different HARQ processes, codewords, and transport layers.

[0244] In the RRC configuration, the relationships between different HARQ processes, CWs, and transport layers can be configured. For example, for each HARQ process with a {HARQ proc ID}, it manages multiple CWs with a {CW_index}, and for each CW {CW_index}, it maps the transport layer {layer_index} used for transport.

[0245] The description of multiple HARQ processes used in a single PDSCH / PUSCH can also be extended to sidelink transmissions, where multiple HARQ processes can be used to support data transmissions scheduled by the PSCCH in a single PSSCH transmission on the sidelink.

[0246] In addition, control channel (e.g., PUCCH / PSCCH) resources for each HARQ process can be configured / indicated.

[0247] The communication method proposed in the implementation of this application has been described in detail above. The communication device provided by this application will be described below.

[0248] Figure 13This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1300 according to some implementations of this application. The device may be a communication equipment, or a device implemented in a communication equipment that can perform the corresponding functions of any of the implementations of this application. For example, the device implemented in the communication equipment may be an integrated circuit, which in some contexts may use other common names, such as chip, modem, modem chip, baseband chip, or baseband processor. In some implementations, one or more integrated circuits may be packaged as a system-on-a-chip, system-in-package, or multi-chip module. The device may include one or more integrated circuits, or one or more integrated circuits and other discrete components. The communication equipment may be a signal transmitter, a signal receiver, or a device implemented in any of these communication equipment.

[0249] The communication device 1300 includes a communication module 1302. The communication module 1302 is used to implement sending and / or receiving operations. The communication module 1302 may also be referred to as a transceiver module, transceiver, or transceiver device, etc., and is used to implement receiving (which may be referred to as input) and / or sending (which may be referred to as output) operations.

[0250] The communication device 1300 may further include a processing module 1301. The processing module 1301 may be a processor, processing circuit, processing board, processing unit, or processing device, etc. The processing module 1301 is used to implement processing and / or operations other than sending and / or receiving actions within the communication device.

[0251] For example, if communication device 1300 corresponds to Figure 7 In the first device, the communication module 1302 is used to send scheduling information for scheduling a first data transmission and a second data transmission, wherein the first data transmission is allocated a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process, and the second data transmission is allocated a second HARQ process. The communication module 1302 is also used to perform the first data transmission and the second data transmission on the data channel.

[0252] For example, if communication device 1300 corresponds to Figure 7 In the second device, the communication module 1302 is used to receive scheduling information for scheduling the first data transmission and the second data transmission, wherein the first data transmission is assigned a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process, and the second data transmission is assigned a second HARQ process. The communication module 1302 is also used to perform the first data transmission and the second data transmission on the data channel.

[0253] In short, the operation and / or functions of the communication device 1300 are designed to implement the corresponding steps of the above-described method implementation.

[0254] Figure 14 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to some implementations of this application. The communication device 1400 includes at least one communication interface 1403, and the at least one communication interface 1403 is used for inputting and / or outputting information or data. Optionally, the device 140 may further include at least one processor 1401. The at least one processor 1401 is coupled to at least one memory 1402. The at least one memory 1402 is used to store one or more instructions and / or executable computer code. The at least one processor 1401 is used to invoke the one or more instructions and / or executable computer code, causing the communication device 1400 to implement the methods provided in the implementations of this application. Optionally, the device 1400 may further include at least one memory 1402.

[0255] In one implementation, the communication device 1400 can be any of the communication devices in the method implementation. For example, the communication device 1400 can be a first device (e.g., a base station) or a second device (e.g., a UE). In this implementation, the processor 1401 can be a baseband device, and the communication interface 1403 can be a radio frequency device.

[0256] In another implementation, the communication device 1400 can be implemented in communication equipment such as a transmitter sensing node and a receiver sensing node. In this case, the device can be an integrated circuit, which in some contexts can be referred to by other common names, such as chip, modem, modem chip, baseband chip, or baseband processor. In some implementations, one or more integrated circuits can be packaged as a system-on-a-chip, system-in-package, or multi-chip module. The device may include one or more integrated circuits, or one or more integrated circuits and other discrete components. In this implementation, the processor 1401 can be a logic module or circuit that is part of the integrated circuit. The communication interface 1403 can be a transceiver, interface circuitry, input / output interface, bus, module, pin, or other type of interface.

[0257] This application also provides a communication system. This communication system may include the first device and the second device introduced in the above implementation. For example, such as... Figure 8 or Figure 9 As shown, the communication system may include a base station and a UE.

[0258] This application also provides a computer storage medium that can store one or more instructions for performing any of the above methods.

[0259] This application also provides a computer program product that can store one or more instructions for performing any of the methods described above.

[0260] In the implementation of this application, "and / or" describes the association between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. The character " / " generally indicates an "OR" relationship between related objects. "At least one" means one or more. "At least one of A and B" is similar to "A and / or B" in describing the association between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, at least one of A and B can represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists.

[0261] Furthermore, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms of “a” and “the” used in the implementation of this application and in the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms.

[0262] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in conjunction with the examples described in the implementations disclosed herein, the units and algorithm steps can be implemented using electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether a function is executed using hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but should not consider the implementations to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0263] Those skilled in the art should understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the corresponding processes in the above-described method implementation can be referred to in the detailed operation of the above-described systems, devices and units, and the details will not be described further herein.

[0264] Among the several implementations provided in this application, the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the described apparatus implementations are merely examples. For instance, unit partitioning is a logical functional partitioning, and other partitioning methods can be used in actual implementations. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not performed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connections shown or discussed can be implemented using various communication interfaces. Indirect coupling or communication connections between devices or units can be implemented electronically, mechanically, or otherwise.

[0265] Furthermore, the functional units in the implementation of this application can be integrated into a processing unit, each of which can exist physically independently, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0266] When these functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The technical solution of this application can be implemented as a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions that instruct a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or some of the steps of the method described in the implementation of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, removable hard disk, ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, or optical disk, etc.

[0267] Units described as individual components may or may not be physically separate; components shown as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in the same location or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all units can be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the intended purpose of the implementation. Furthermore, the functional units in the implementation of this application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each of these units may exist physically independently, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0268] The above description is merely a specific implementation of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any variations or substitutions that would be readily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send scheduling information for scheduling the first and second data transmissions; Wherein, the first data transmission is assigned to a first Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process, and the second data transmission is assigned to a second HARQ process; The first data transmission and the second data transmission are performed on the data channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first data transmission and the second data transmission are transmitted in one of the uplink UL, downlink DL and sidelink SL.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first data transmission and the second data transmission have different Quality of Service (QoS).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send first information to instruct the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first information includes a bitmap, wherein a first bit in the bitmap is used to indicate the first HARQ process, and a second bit in the bitmap is used to indicate the second HARQ process.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first information includes two bit strings, wherein the first bit string is used to indicate the first HARQ process, and the second bit string is used to indicate the second HARQ process.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send second information to indicate the first HARQ process; wherein the second HARQ process is determined based on the first HARQ process and a pre-configured mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send third information indicating a first redundant version associated with the first HARQ process and a second redundant version associated with the second HARQ process.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that, One or more of the first information, the second information, and the third information are carried on the control channel that schedules the data channel.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send fourth information indicating a first mapping relationship, wherein the first mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated codewords for the first data transmission, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated codewords for the second data transmission.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send fifth information indicating a second mapping relationship, wherein the second mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: A sixth message indicating a third mapping relationship is sent, wherein the third relationship includes a mapping relationship between one or more codewords used for the first data transmission and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between one or more codewords used for the second data transmission and one or more associated transport layers.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The Radio Resource Control (RRC) message includes at least one of the fourth, fifth, and sixth information.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive scheduling information for scheduling the first and second data transmissions; Wherein, the first data transmission is assigned to a first Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process, and the second data transmission is assigned to a second HARQ process; The first data transmission and the second data transmission are performed on the data channel.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Both the first data transmission and the second data transmission are transmitted in one of the uplink UL, downlink DL and sidelink SL.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The first data transmission and the second data transmission have different Quality of Service (QoS).

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first information for instructing the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first information includes a bitmap, and the method further includes: The first HARQ process is determined based on the first bit in the bitmap, and the second HARQ process is determined based on the second bit in the bitmap.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first information includes two bit strings, and the method further includes: The first HARQ process is determined based on the first bit string, and the second HARQ process is determined based on the second bit string.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information used to instruct the first HARQ process; The first HARQ process is determined based on the second information; The second HARQ process is determined based on the first HARQ process and the pre-configured mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and the second HARQ process.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third information indicating a first redundant version associated with the first HARQ process and a second redundant version associated with the second HARQ process.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, characterized in that, One or more of the first information, the second information, and the third information are carried on the control channel that schedules the data channel.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information indicating a first mapping relationship, wherein the first mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated codewords for the first data transmission, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated codewords for the second data transmission.

24. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fifth information indicating a second mapping relationship, wherein the second mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between the first HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between the second HARQ process and one or more associated transport layers.

25. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive sixth information indicating a third mapping relationship, wherein the third mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between one or more codewords for the first data transmission and one or more associated transport layers, and a mapping relationship between one or more codewords for the second data transmission and one or more associated transport layers.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, characterized in that, The radio resource control (RRC) configuration includes at least one of the fourth, fifth, and sixth information.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, Used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or 14 to 26.

28. The communication device according to claim 27, characterized in that, include: The sending unit is used to send scheduling information for scheduling the first data transmission and the second data transmission; The first data transmission is assigned to a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process; the second data transmission is assigned to a second HARQ process. A communication unit is used to perform the first data transmission and the second data transmission on a data channel.

29. The communication device according to claim 27, characterized in that, include: The receiving unit is used to receive scheduling information for scheduling the transmission of the first data and the second data. The first data transmission is assigned to a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process; the second data transmission is assigned to a second HARQ process. A communication unit is used to perform the first data transmission and the second data transmission on a data channel.

30. The communication device according to claim 27, characterized in that, include: One or more processors are configured to perform the processing steps according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or any one of claims 14 to 26; An interface circuit for performing a transmitting or receiving step according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or any one of claims 14 to 26.

31. The communication device according to claim 30, characterized in that, The interface circuit includes one or more transceivers.

32. An apparatus, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; A memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or 14 to 26.

33. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes: a first communication device for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13; and a second communication device for performing the method according to any one of claims 14 to 26.

34. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It stores instructions that, when executed by the device, cause the device to perform the method according to any one of 1 to 13 or any one of 14 to 26.

35. A computer program product, characterized in that, A storage instruction, which, when executed, causes the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or any one of claims 14 to 26.

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