Wireless communication node and wireless communication method

Abstract

To provide a method for setting identification information of a wireless communication node.SOLUTION: In a mesh network, a wireless communication node sets identification information of the wireless communication node and transmits and receives wireless signals based on the identification information. The wireless communication node sets identification information determined based on different rules depending on the function or type of the wireless communication node.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication node and a wireless communication method that are compatible with flexible networks and mesh networks. [Background technology]

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has developed specifications for the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G, also known as New Radio (NR) or Next Generation (NG)), and is also developing specifications for the next generation, known as Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G.

[0003] 6G is expected to support a variety of use cases, including higher performance requirements, ultra-extended coverage and ultra-long distance communications, ultra-large capacity, ultra-reliable communications, virtual cells (user-centric no cell), flexible networks, and mesh networks / sidelinks (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] Regarding initial access of wireless communication nodes (which may include terminals (User Equipment, UE), wireless base stations (gNB, etc., or other names may be used), and communication devices that constitute Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB)), it is inevitable to design them taking into account these 6G characteristics. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] "White Paper: Advances in 5G and 6G (Version 3.0)," [online], February 2021, NTT Docomo, Inc., [Retrieved May 20, 2021], Internet <URL:https: / / www.nttdocomo.co.jp / binary / pdf / corporate / technology / whitepaper_6g / DOCOMO_6G_White_PaperJP_20210203.pdf> Summary of the Invention

[0006] Flexible networks and mesh networks, for example, allow for flexible deployment of network functions in conjunction with diverse network topologies.

[0007] For this reason, a wireless communication node such as a terminal needs to quickly and reliably set valid identification information with various entities (which may be read as wireless communication nodes) that provide different functions.

[0008] Therefore, the following disclosure has been made in consideration of this situation, and aims to provide a wireless communication node and a wireless communication method that can quickly and reliably set valid identification information with a variety of entities that provide different functions.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication node (NW node 100, UE 200) that includes a control unit (control unit 170) that sets identification information of a wireless communication node, and a transceiver unit (wireless signal transceiver unit 110) that transmits and receives wireless signals based on the identification information, and the control unit sets the identification information that is determined based on different rules depending on the function or type of the wireless communication node.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication method that includes a step of setting identification information of a wireless communication node and a step of transmitting and receiving a wireless signal based on the identification information, wherein the setting step sets the identification information determined based on different rules depending on the function or type of the wireless communication node. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a wireless communication system 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the NW node 100 and the UE 200. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of assigning identifiers to wireless communication nodes in a mesh network. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network identifier according to the first operation example. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a NW identifier according to the second operation example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the NW node 100 and the UE 200. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate the same functions or configurations, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0013] (1) Overall configuration of the wireless communication system 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the wireless communication system 10 is a wireless communication system conforming to a scheme called Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G, which is a successor to 5G New Radio (NR).

[0014] 1, the wireless communication system 10 may be configured by a plurality of wireless communication nodes. Specifically, the wireless communication system 10 may be configured by a plurality of network nodes 100 (hereinafter referred to as NW nodes 100) and terminals 200 (user equipment 200, hereinafter referred to as UE 200, or mobile stations). Note that the wireless communication system 10 may include a core network (not shown) connected to an external network, etc., and part (or all) of the core network and / or the wireless access network configured by the wireless communication nodes may be simply referred to as a "network."

[0015] The NW node 100 and the UE 200 are a type of wireless communication node capable of performing wireless communication. Note that the NW node 100 and the UE 200 are both wireless communication nodes and do not need to be clearly distinguished. In other words, the NW node 100 and the UE 200 may function as a network node or a UE (or both) depending on the type of communication, the application being executed, the state of communication, the location, etc.

[0016] A wireless communication node may be called a NW node, a user device, or another name that means a device that performs wireless communication (mobile communication), such as a node, a network entity, a network device, or a communication device.

[0017] The functions of such a wireless communication node may be provided in a state where it is mounted on various mobile objects. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the wireless communication node may be mounted on an aircraft 40, a drone 50, a vehicle 60, etc.

[0018] The aircraft 40 is a vehicle that flies through the air carrying people or objects, and may include a balloon, an airship, a glider, an airplane, a helicopter, etc. The altitude at which the aircraft 40 can fly is not particularly limited, but may be up to 10,000 m.

[0019] The drone 50 flies in the air like the aircraft 40, but may be particularly interpreted as an unmanned aircraft that flies under remote control or automatic control. However, the drone 50 does not necessarily have to be unmanned, remotely controlled, or automatically controlled. In addition, the drone 50 may generally fly at a lower altitude than the aircraft 40. The drone 50 may also be called an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), etc.

[0020] The vehicle 60 may be interpreted as a vehicle that runs on land by power, such as an automobile. The vehicle 60 may also include a vehicle that runs on a rail, such as a train. Note that the wireless communication node is not limited to being installed on land, but may also be installed on a ship at sea.

[0021] The wireless communication node may be mounted on a geostationary orbit (GEO), a low earth orbit (LEO), or a high-altitude platform station (HAPS). A HAPS may reside at a fixed location at an altitude of approximately 20 km and form a coverage area with a large cell radius (e.g., 50 km or more) on land.

[0022] In this way, the wireless communication system 10 can support coverage expansion to include non-terrestrial networks.

[0023] Furthermore, a wireless communication node may function as a wireless relay device interposed between other wireless communication nodes. The wireless relay device may be called a relay or a repeater, and may be a component of Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) that integrates wireless access to a terminal (User Equipment, UE) and wireless backhaul between wireless communication nodes such as radio base stations (e.g., gNBs).

[0024] The wireless communication system 10 may support the same frequency band as NR and may use the same bandwidth (BW) and subcarrier spacing (SCS). Furthermore, the wireless communication system 10 may support even higher frequency bands. Specifically, the wireless communication system 10 may support high frequency bands such as millimeter waves exceeding 10 GHz. Furthermore, a bandwidth of approximately several hundred MHz may be applied.

[0025] Furthermore, the wireless communication system 10 may support functions related to enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), similar to NR. Furthermore, similar to NR, Cyclic Prefix-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CP-OFDM) / Discrete Fourier Transform - Spread (DFT-S-OFDM) with a larger Sub-Carrier Spacing (SCS) may be applied.

[0026] Furthermore, in order to realize ultra-high speed and large capacity communication, FTN (Faster-than-Nyquist) signals may be used, which compress and transmit signals non-orthogonally using a sampling rate in the time domain that is greater than the frequency bandwidth.

[0027] The time domain may also be called a time direction, a time component, a time domain, a symbol period, a symbol time, etc. The symbol period may also be called a symbol length, a time direction, a time domain, etc. The frequency domain may also be called a frequency direction, a frequency component, a frequency domain, a resource block, a resource block group, a subcarrier, a BWP (Bandwidth part), a subchannel, a common frequency resource, etc.

[0028] In addition, similar to NR, the wireless communication system 10 may also support Massive MIMO (mMIMO), which generates more directional beams by controlling wireless signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements, Carrier Aggregation (CA), which uses multiple component carriers (CCs) as a bundle, and Dual Connectivity (DC), which simultaneously communicates between a UE and each of multiple wireless communication nodes.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, in the wireless communication system 10, each wireless communication node may be simultaneously connected to a plurality of wireless communication nodes to form a mesh network (mesh network) capable of forming a variety of connection paths (communication paths).

[0030] As described above, the functions (or roles) and types provided by each wireless communication node may be flexibly changed depending on the situation, etc., and flexible network function arrangement may be realized in combination with various network topologies. Such a network may be called a flexible network.

[0031] For example, the radio access technology (RAT) employed in the wireless communication system 10 may enable the enhancement of distributed networks in the spatial domain, that is, communication over as close a distance as possible and in a line-of-sight environment (paths with minimal loss), and the creation of as many communication paths as possible to increase the scope for path selection (increasing redundancy).

[0032] To realize such a flexible network or mesh network, techniques such as distributed antenna deployment in which a large number of antenna devices are deployed in a distributed manner, placement of reflectors (RIS: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface) for the purpose of improving wireless performance, and cooperative transmission and reception technology between terminals (wireless communication nodes) may be applied.

[0033] (2) Functional block configuration of wireless communication system Next, a functional block configuration of the wireless communication system 10 will be described. Specifically, a functional block configuration of the NW node 100 will be described. FIG.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the NW node 100 includes a radio signal transmitting / receiving unit 110, an amplifier unit 120, a modulation / demodulation unit 130, a control signal / reference signal processing unit 140, an encoding / decoding unit 150, a data transmitting / receiving unit 160, and a control unit 170.

[0035] It should be noted that Fig. 2 shows only main functional blocks related to the description of the embodiment, and that the NW node 100 (UE 200) has other functional blocks (e.g., a power supply unit, etc.). Fig. 3 shows the functional block configuration of the NW node 100, and for the hardware configuration, please refer to Fig. 6.

[0036] The radio signal transmitting / receiving unit 110 transmits and receives radio signals conforming to the 6G RAT. In this embodiment, the radio signal transmitting / receiving unit 110 may constitute a transmitting / receiving unit that transmits and receives radio signals. The radio signal transmitting / receiving unit 110 may transmit radio signals based on identification information of the radio communication node (its own node).

[0037] Specifically, the radio signal transmitting and receiving unit 110 may transmit and receive radio signals using an identifier (which may be called an ID or the like) that can uniquely identify a radio communication node.

[0038] The identification information may be set to multiple different identifiers depending on the functions, roles, or types provided by the wireless communication node, and multiple different identifiers may be assigned to one physical (or logical) wireless communication node.

[0039] The radio signal transmitting / receiving unit 110 may support Massive MIMO, which generates a more directional beam by controlling radio (RF) signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements, Carrier Aggregation (CA), which aggregates and uses multiple component carriers (CCs), and Dual Connectivity (DC), which enables simultaneous communication between two NW nodes 100 (or UEs 200).

[0040] The amplifier unit 120 is configured by a PA (Power Amplifier) / LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), etc. The amplifier unit 120 amplifies the signal output from the modulation / demodulation unit 130 to a predetermined power level. The amplifier unit 120 also amplifies the RF signal output from the radio signal transmission / reception unit 110.

[0041] The modem unit 130 performs data modulation / demodulation, transmission power setting, resource block allocation, and the like for each specific communication destination (UE 200).

[0042] The control signal and reference signal processor 140 performs processing related to various control signals transmitted and received by the NW node 100. Specifically, the control signal and reference signal processor 140 receives various control signals, such as control signals of a radio resource control layer (RRC), transmitted via a control channel from the UE 200. The control signal and reference signal processor 140 can receive broadcast signals, such as system information (SIB: System Information Block), from the network.

[0043] Furthermore, control signal and reference signal processor 140 transmits various control signals to UE 200 via a control channel.

[0044] The control signal may include Downlink Control Information (DCI) and Uplink Control Information (UCI).

[0045] DCI may be interpreted as control information transmitted in the downlink (DL) that includes at least one of scheduling information, data modulation and channel coding rate information required for each UE 200 (or NW node 100) to demodulate data.

[0046] The UCI may be interpreted as control information transmitted on the uplink (UL) including at least one of an ACK / NACK of a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), a scheduling request (SR) from the UE 200 (or the NW node 100), and channel state information (CSI).

[0047] Furthermore, the control signal / reference signal processor 140 can perform processing using reference signals (RS) such as a Demodulation Reference Signal and a Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS).

[0048] DMRS is a reference signal (pilot signal) known between the base station and the terminal for estimating the fading channel used for data demodulation. PTRS is a terminal-specific reference signal for estimating phase noise, which is an issue in high frequency bands.

[0049] In addition to the DMRS and PTRS, the reference signals may include a Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), and a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) for position information.

[0050] The channels include a control channel and a data channel, such as a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical random access channel (PRACH), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH).

[0051] The data channel includes a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), etc. The signal may include a channel and a reference signal.

[0052] Note that the names of the reference signals and channels are names that conform to NR, but they may be called by other names with the same meaning, and the names of the layers described below may also be called by other names with the same meaning.

[0053] The control signal may also include a synchronization signal used to establish synchronization between wireless communication nodes. The control signal / reference signal processor 140 can transmit and receive the synchronization signal. In this embodiment, the control signal / reference signal processor 140 may constitute a transmitter / receiver that transmits and receives the synchronization signal.

[0054] The establishment of synchronization may mean a state in which communication with a connected (communicating) wireless communication node can be performed via a specific control channel or data channel. In other words, it may be interpreted as a state in which control data or user data can be transmitted or received in a specific time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0055] In the wireless communication system 10, synchronization signals of different configurations (or types), i.e., multiple types of synchronization signals, may be used depending on the function, role, operating state, location, and use environment of the wireless communication node, etc. Alternatively, the synchronization signal may be the same regardless of the function, etc. of the wireless communication node.

[0056] Furthermore, the control signal and reference signal processing unit 140 may receive, from a wireless communication node equivalent to a radio base station (gNB), information necessary for establishing synchronization with the wireless communication node or other wireless communication nodes. The information may include, for example, a time and / or frequency domain to which the synchronization signal is assigned, a signal sequence (such as the number of bits), a modulation method, and an encoding rule.

[0057] The encoding / decoding unit 150 performs data division / concatenation and channel coding / decoding for each specific communication destination (UE 200).

[0058] Specifically, the encoding / decoding unit 150 divides the data output from the data transmitting / receiving unit 160 into pieces of a predetermined size, performs channel coding on the divided data, decodes the data output from the modem unit 130, and concatenates the decoded data.

[0059] The data transmitter / receiver 160 transmits and receives Protocol Data Units (PDUs) and Service Data Units (SDUs). Specifically, the data transmitter / receiver 160 assembles and disassembles PDUs / SDUs at multiple layers (such as a Medium Access Control layer (MAC), a Radio Link Control layer (RLC), and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer (PDCP)).

[0060] The control unit 170 controls each functional block constituting the NW node 100. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 170 executes settings related to identification information of the NW node 100 (and other wireless communication nodes) when connecting to a flexible network and / or a mesh network.

[0061] Specifically, the control unit 170 can set identification information of the NW node 100 (which may include other wireless communication nodes). The identification information may be any information that can uniquely identify the NW node 100 within the wireless communication system 10, and may be identification information (which may be appropriately read as an identifier or ID, etc.) that is determined for all wireless communication nodes (which may include the UE 200) according to the same rule (regulation).

[0062] Alternatively, different rules may be applied depending on the role, function, type, etc. of the wireless communication node, and different identification information may be determined in accordance with the rules. Furthermore, a wireless communication node may be assigned multiple pieces of identification information depending on the role, function, type, etc. In this way, the control unit 170 may set identification information that is determined based on different rules depending on the function, type, etc. of the wireless communication node.

[0063] In addition, the control unit 170 may determine (assign) the identification information according to a predetermined rule, or may set the identification information based on an instruction received from another wireless communication node (or a network) when communication is established.

[0064] The time of establishing communication may be interpreted as, for example, a predetermined time before, during, or after the NW node 100 establishes a wireless link (which may also be called a communication link) with another wireless communication node. Alternatively, it may be interpreted as the time of initial access when attempting to connect to another wireless communication node.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 170 may set the identification information based on a synchronization signal or a broadcast signal received by the control signal / reference signal processing unit 140. As described above, the synchronization signal is not particularly limited as long as it is a signal used to establish synchronization between wireless communication nodes, but may be, for example, a signal such as an NR synchronization signal block (SS (Synchronization Signal) / PBCH (Physical Broadcast CHannel) Block). As described above, the broadcast signal may be a signal that is broadcast (or multicast) to multiple wireless communication nodes, such as system information (SIB) (however, unicast may also be used).

[0066] The above-mentioned function relating to synchronization of the NW node 100 may also be provided in the UE 200.

[0067] (3) Operation of the wireless communication system Next, a description will be given of the operation of the wireless communication system 10. Specifically, a description will be given of an example of operation relating to setting of identification information to wireless communication nodes in the wireless communication system 10.

[0068] (3.1) Operation overview Below, we will explain an example of the operation related to setting (assigning) identification information (hereinafter referred to as NW identifier or simply identifier) ​​when one terminal (UE200) connects to multiple wireless communication nodes (hereinafter referred to as nodes as appropriate) with different functions in a flexible network or mesh network, etc.

[0069] Specifically, the following operation example will be described.

[0070] (Example 1): Setting identifiers based on predetermined rules The identifier may be set based on one of the following rules:

[0071] (Option 1): All nodes (e.g., wireless base stations, terminals (mobile stations), etc.) have identifiers determined by the same rules. (Option 2): Nodes have identifiers determined by different rules depending on their roles and types. 3 shows an example of assigning identifiers to wireless communication nodes in a mesh network. As shown in FIG. 3, each node may be assigned multiple different identifiers (IDa, IDb, etc.) depending on its role or type. For example, IDa may be assigned to Node 2 based on the fact that it is a specific type of node, and IDb may be assigned to Node 2 based on the fact that it is a node that plays a specific role. In this way, multiple identifiers may be assigned to one physical (or logical) node.

[0072] (Example 2): How to set the identifier The identifier may be set based on one of the following methods:

[0073] (Option 1): Set identifiers according to predefined rules (Option 2): The network sets the identifier when establishing communication. (Example 3): Notification method of identifier The identifier may be communicated based on one of the following methods:

[0074] (Option 1): Notify using a synchronization signal (Option 2): Notify using an alarm signal (Option 3): Notification during the process of establishing a connection with the network during initial access (Option 4): Notification by a combination of time and / or frequency resources of the signal used for notification (Option 5): Notified by a higher-level node, etc. (Option 6): Notified by higher layers

[0075] (3.2) Example 1 A network (NW) identifier is set based on a predetermined rule, and multiple identifiers may be assumed as types of NW identifiers depending on the role of the node.

[0076] Fig. 4 shows an example of a NW identifier according to the operation example 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the following three types of NW identifiers may be assumed depending on the role of the node.

[0077] (Node-specific identifier): A unique identifier set for each node When an identifier is set for a node, if it is an identifier for a terminal (mobile station), the identifier may be used to identify the node (at the time of initial access of the terminal).

[0078] In the case of an identifier of a radio base station, the identifier may be used for ANR (Automatic Neighbor Relation) or SON (Self Organizing Network) of the network.

[0079] (Identifier set for node): Identifier set and assigned to each node It is set according to the installation status and / or connection status of each node and may be used for node identification, wireless link establishment, control, scheduling and data routing, etc.

[0080] (Identifier for each connection between nodes): Identifier set for each connection between nodes The connections between nodes may be set according to the destination cell, the connection type, the order of connections, and the like.

[0081] The connection destination cell may include a primary cell (PCell), a secondary cell (SCell), and a primary-secondary cell (PSCell). The connection type may include, for example, NR Uu, PC5 (V2V: Vehicle to Vehicle), etc.

[0082] A wireless communication node (which may include a terminal) may have any of the identifiers described above, or may hold and be set with a plurality of identifiers.

[0083] The identifier may be set based on one of the following rules.

[0084] (Option 1): Identifiers determined by the same rules are set for all nodes (e.g., wireless base stations, terminals (mobile stations), etc.) For example, the number of identifiers that can be set (X items, Y digits) may be defined, and an identifier may be set within the defined range for each node, regardless of its role, type, or the like.

[0085] In addition, a part of the identifier or a specific group of numbers or letters (e.g., the first number or letter, the first X digits of numbers or letters) may indicate node-specific or specific information (e.g., node role, type, location, synchronization source information (satellite positioning system (GNSS synchronization), gNB (equivalent node) synchronization, or no synchronization source, etc.)).

[0086] (Option 2): Identifiers determined by different rules may be set depending on the role, type, etc. of the node.

[0087] For example, the number of identifiers (X, Y digits) that can be set for each wireless base station and terminal may be defined, and each node may be set with an identifier within the defined range.

[0088] Methods for determining the identifiers that can be set for each node role and type include setting different numbers of digits for the identifiers, and notifying them explicitly or implicitly.

[0089] Furthermore, the usage of each identifier may be clearly defined separately. For example, each node may be assigned a single or multiple identifiers depending on its role, type, etc. Multiple identifiers may be assigned for each node function, or a different identifier may be assigned for each connected node.

[0090] (3.3) Example 2 The identifier may be set based on one of the following methods:

[0091] (Option 1): The node may set an identifier according to a predetermined rule, or the identifier may be pre-defined.

[0092] For example, a wireless base station and a terminal are assigned individual identifiers, which may be used to identify wireless communication nodes, establish and control wireless links, route scheduling data, and so on.

[0093] (Option 2): May be set from the network or from other nodes, such as when establishing communication.

[0094] In the case of a node equivalent to a terminal (mobile station), the identifier may be set by the destination node (for example, a wireless base station or terminal) during the process of establishing a wireless link with the destination node, or after the wireless link has been established.

[0095] In the case of a node equivalent to a radio base station (gNB), an identifier may be set for a CU (Central Unit), core network, etc. based on information such as the state and location of the gNB.

[0096] The set identifier may be changed under specific conditions or triggers such as a change in the destination node or movement of the node. The node may request a change in the identifier, or may be notified of the change by the destination node.

[0097] The method for setting the identifier may differ depending on the role, type, connection destination, etc. of the node. For example, if the node is a gNB (equivalent node), option 1 may be applied, and if the node is a terminal (equivalent node), option 2 may be applied.

[0098] Alternatively, even for nodes of the same type (that is, one identifier), option 1 and option 2 may be combined.

[0099] Fig. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a NW identifier according to Operation Example 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the NW identifier as a whole is a 10-digit value, of which the first five digits may be a predefined unique value and the last five digits may be a value set by the network or another node.

[0100] The same identifier may also be set for multiple nodes (group identifier). For example, an individual identifier and / or a group identifier may be set for a node. For multiple nodes with the same group identifier, an identifier that further identifies the node may be set.

[0101] (3.4) Example 3 The node's own identifier may be notified by any of the following methods.

[0102] (Option 1): Notify using a synchronization signal (Option 2): Notify using an alarm signal (Option 3): Notification during the process of establishing a connection with the network during initial access (Option 4): Notification by a combination of time and / or frequency resources of the signal used for notification For example, different time and / or frequency resources may be used for each element of the identifier that contains less information (such as node type).

[0103] (Option 5): Notified by a higher-level node, etc. For example, if all nodes can connect directly or indirectly to a gNB (or a node corresponding to the gNB), the gNB may notify the identifier.

[0104] (Option 6): Notified by higher layers For example, the notification may be made using the IP (Internet Protocol) layer, etc. The entire identifier or a part of the identifier (for example, the last five digits) may be notified.

[0105] If the identifier is duplicated, new (additional) information may be requested and notified to identify the node. Different options described above may be applied to each partial value of the identifier. Also, different options may be applied depending on the node's role, type, connection destination, etc.

[0106] (4) Actions and Effects According to the above-described embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained: Specifically, the NW node 100 can set identification information that is determined based on different rules depending on the function or type of the wireless communication node.

[0107] Therefore, even when flexible network function arrangements are expected in conjunction with various network topologies, such as in flexible networks and mesh networks, the NW node 100 can quickly and reliably set valid identification information for various entities that provide different functions.

[0108] In this embodiment, the NW node 100 may set the identification information based on an instruction received from another wireless communication node (or network) when communication is established. Therefore, appropriate identification information according to the state of the network or wireless communication node to be connected can be quickly set at the start of communication.

[0109] In this embodiment, the NW node 100 may set the identification information based on a synchronization signal or a broadcast signal received from another wireless communication node, thereby enabling the NW node 100 to timely set appropriate identification information according to the state of the connected network or wireless communication node.

[0110] (5) Other embodiments Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments and that various modifications and improvements are possible.

[0111] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the term wireless communication node (NW node) is used, but as described above, it may be replaced with other similar terms such as network device.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the terms downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) are used, but other terms may be used. For example, they may be replaced with or associated with terms such as forward link, reverse link, access link, and backhaul. Alternatively, terms such as first link, second link, first direction, and second direction may simply be used.

[0113] Also, in the above description, "configure," "activate," "update," "indicate," "enable," "specify," and "select" may be interchangeable. Similarly, "link," "associate," "correspond," and "map" may be interchangeable, and "allocate," "assign," "monitor," and "map" may also be interchangeable.

[0114] Furthermore, specific, dedicated, UE-specific, and UE-dedicated may be interchangeable. Similarly, common, shared, group-common, UE-common, and UE-shared may be interchangeable.

[0115] The block diagram (FIG. 2) used in the description of the above-described embodiment shows functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. The method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are connected directly or indirectly (for example, by wire, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may be realized by combining the single device or multiple devices with software.

[0116] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, election, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how each is implemented.

[0117] Furthermore, the above-described NW node 100 and UE 200 (the device) may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device. As shown in Fig. 6, the device may be configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0118] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the apparatus may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0119] Each functional block of the device (see FIG. 2) is realized by any hardware element of the computer device or a combination of the hardware elements.

[0120] In addition, each function of the device is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication via communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0121] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system, and may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, a register, and the like.

[0122] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. Furthermore, the various processes described above may be executed by one processor 1001, or may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0123] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by, for example, at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store a program (program code), a software module, etc., that can execute a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0124] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a Compact Disc ROM (CD-ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray disc), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned recording medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0125] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module.

[0126] The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize, for example, at least one of Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD).

[0127] The input device 1005 is an input device (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (for example, a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (for example, a touch panel).

[0128] Furthermore, each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected to a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0129] Furthermore, the device may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0130] Furthermore, the notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure, and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0131] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to at least one of a system using Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, a 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), Future Radio Access (FRA), New Radio (NR), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable system, and a next-generation system extended based on these. Furthermore, a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A and 5G) may also be applied.

[0132] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0133] In the present disclosure, a specific operation described as being performed by a base station may also be performed by its upper node in some cases. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with a terminal may be performed by at least one of the base station and another network node other than the base station (for example, an MME or an S-GW, etc., but are not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates a case where there is one other network node other than the base station, a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW) may also be used.

[0134] Information, signals (information, etc.) may be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer), or may be input / output via multiple network nodes.

[0135] The input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be sent to another device.

[0136] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0137] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Furthermore, notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to being done explicitly, but may be done implicitly (e.g., by not notifying the predetermined information).

[0138] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0139] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0140] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0141] Note that terms explained in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0142] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0143] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, may be expressed using relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or may be expressed using other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0144] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0145] In this disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0146] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells (also called sectors). When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (Remote Radio Head: RRH)).

[0147] The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage area.

[0148] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0149] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0150] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile object, or the mobile object itself. The mobile object may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile object (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an Internet of Things (IoT) device such as a sensor.

[0151] Furthermore, a base station in the present disclosure may be interpreted as a mobile station (user terminal, the same applies hereinafter). For example, the aspects / embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a mobile station is replaced with communication between multiple mobile stations (which may be called, for example, Device-to-Device (D2D) or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)). In this case, the mobile station may be configured to have the functions of a base station. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to communication between terminals (for example, "side"). For example, terms such as an uplink channel and a downlink channel may be interpreted as a side channel (or side link).

[0152] Similarly, a mobile station in the present disclosure may be interpreted as a base station. In this case, the base station may be configured to have the functions of a mobile station. A radio frame may be composed of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of the one or more frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further be composed of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0153] Numerology may be a communication parameter applied to at least one of transmission and reception of a signal or channel, such as subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering operations performed by a transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing operations performed by a transceiver in the time domain.

[0154] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbol, etc.) A slot may be a numerology-based time unit.

[0155] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. A minislot may also be called a subslot. A minislot may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0156] The radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol all represent time units for transmitting signals, and may be referred to by other names corresponding to the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol.

[0157] For example, one subframe may be called a transmission time interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be called a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be called a TTI. That is, at least one of the subframe and the TTI may be a subframe (1 ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0158] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, a base station performs scheduling to allocate radio resources (such as frequency bandwidth and transmission power that can be used by each user terminal) to each user terminal in TTI units. However, the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0159] The TTI may be a transmission time unit for a channel-encoded data packet (transport block), a code block, a code word, etc., or may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) to which a transport block, a code block, a code word, etc. is actually mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0160] When one slot or one minislot is called a TTI, one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more minislots) may be the minimum time unit for scheduling. Also, the number of slots (minislots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0161] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms may be called a regular TTI (TTI in LTE Rel. 8-12), normal TTI, long TTI, regular subframe, normal subframe, long subframe, slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a regular TTI may be called a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, minislot, subslot, slot, etc.

[0162] In addition, a long TTI (e.g., a normal TTI, a subframe, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a time length of more than 1 ms, and a short TTI (e.g., a shortened TTI, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a TTI length shorter than the TTI length of a long TTI and equal to or greater than 1 ms.

[0163] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and frequency domain, and may include one or more consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be the same regardless of numerology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may also be determined based on numerology.

[0164] The time domain of an RB may include one or more symbols and may be one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI in length. Each TTI, subframe, etc. may be composed of one or more resource blocks.

[0165] Note that one or more RBs may also be called a physical resource block (PRB), a sub-carrier group (SCG), a resource element group (REG), a PRB pair, an RB pair, or the like.

[0166] Furthermore, a resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource region of one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0167] A Bandwidth Part (BWP) (which may also be referred to as a fractional bandwidth) may represent a subset of contiguous common resource blocks (RBs) for a given numerology on a given carrier, where the common RBs may be identified by their index relative to a common reference point of the carrier. PRBs may be defined in a given BWP and numbered within that BWP.

[0168] The BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be configured for a UE within one carrier.

[0169] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE may not expect to transmit or receive a given signal / channel outside the active BWP. Note that the terms "cell," "carrier," etc. in this disclosure may be read as "BWP."

[0170] The above-described structures of the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol are merely examples. For example, the number of subframes included in a radio frame, the number of slots per subframe or radio frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, the number of symbols in a TTI, the symbol length, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, and other configurations can be changed in various ways.

[0171] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0172] The reference signal may also be abbreviated as Reference Signal (RS), and may also be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0173] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0174] The "means" in the configuration of each of the above devices may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0175] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed therein or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0176] When used in this disclosure, the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when used in this disclosure, the term "or" is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0177] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0178] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0179] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0180] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0181] 10. Wireless communication systems 40 aircraft 50 Drones 60 vehicles 100 NW nodes 110 Radio signal transmitter / receiver 120 Amplifier section 130 Modulation and demodulation unit 140 Control signal / reference signal processing unit 150 Encoding / Decoding Unit 160 Data transmission / reception unit 170 Control Unit 200 UE 1001 processor 1002 memory 1003 Storage 1004 Communication equipment 1005 Input Device 1006 Output Device 1007 Bus

Claims

1. a control unit that sets identification information of a wireless communication node; a transceiver that transmits and receives radio signals based on the identification information; Equipped with the identification information includes first identification information that is set depending on a type of the wireless communication node; Wireless communication node.

2. the identification information includes second identification information that is set depending on a role of the wireless communication node; The wireless communication node according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit sets the identification information based on an instruction received from another wireless communication node when communication is established. The wireless communication node according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit sets the identification information based on a synchronization signal or a notification signal received by the transmission / reception unit. The wireless communication node according to claim 1 .

5. A wireless communication method performed by a wireless communication node, setting identification information of the wireless communication node; transmitting and receiving a wireless signal based on the identification information; Including, the identification information includes first identification information that is set depending on a type of the wireless communication node; Wireless communication method.

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