Advance resource selection

Abstract

A communication device and a communication method are provided for advance indication of resource selection in sidelink (SL) communication with DRX configuration. The technology disclosed herein features a method for wireless communication in a first user equipment (UE). The method includes transmitting an advance indication to a second UE for an upcoming sidelink communication with the second UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to a communication method and apparatus for advance direction of resource selection in sidelink (SL) communications with DRX configured. [Background technology]

[0002] Sidelink (SL) communication is a type of communication that allows communication devices to directly connect and communicate with each other without relaying data through a base station. In SL communication, a communication device that transmits data to another communication device is called a transmitting (Tx) user equipment (UE). Similarly, a communication device that receives data from another communication device is called a receiving (Rx) UE. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that a communication device acting as a Tx UE in an SL communication can also act as an Rx UE in another SL communication.

[0003] For SL communication, discontinuous reception (DRX) using active / inactive times of the Rx UE was introduced in 3GPP Release 17 (R17) for power saving purposes.

[0004] During power saving, the inactivity time of the Rx UE imposes restrictions on the selection of resources by the Tx UE for SL communication. In the RAN1#106bis-e meeting, it was established as a working assumption that the physical (PHY) layer restrictions apply when the active time of the Rx UE is indicated to the PHY layer. Regarding the restriction of resource selection, three options were proposed: Option 1: The PHY layer selects and reports candidate resources only within the Rx UE's indicated active time. Option 2: The PHY layer selects and reports candidate resources for which at least a subset of the candidate resources is within the indicated active time of the Rx UE. Option 3: The PHY layer selects and reports an additional set of candidate resources within the indicated active time of the Rx UE.

[0005] At the RAN1#107-e meeting, agreement was reached on option 2 for implementing the resource selection restriction mentioned at the RAN1#106bis-e meeting: if the SL DRX active time of the Rx UE is provided by higher layers to the Tx UE for candidate resource selection (including resource (re)selection and re-evaluation / preemption checks), the PHY layer selects and reports candidate resources where at least a subset of the candidate resources is within the DRX active time of the Rx UE.

[0006] However, there is currently no detailed solution and procedure for how the Tx UE properly performs resource reporting considering the DRX active time of the Rx UE. In addition, there are some potential problems in resource selection and reporting considering the DRX active time of the Rx UE.

[0007] (1) The Tx UE has information on the DRX active time of the Rx UE, but the DRX active time of the Rx UE is below a threshold (e.g., 20% of the SA) for reporting to a higher layer.

[0008] (2) The Tx UE has information of the DRX active time of the Rx UE, but the candidate resource is busy or noisy during the DRX active time of the Rx UE.

[0009] (3) The Tx UE does not have information about the DRX active time of the Rx UE, or the information about the DRX active time of the Rx UE is old.

[0010] What is needed, therefore, is a communication method and apparatus that alleviates the aforementioned problems by using advance direction of resource selection as described in this disclosure. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0011] [Non-Patent Document 1] 3GPP TS 38.300 v15.6.0 [Non-Patent Document 2] 3GPP TS 38.211 V15.6.0 [Non-Patent Document 3] ITU-R M.2083 [Non-Patent Document 4] TR 38.913 [Non-Patent Document 5] TS 23.501 v16.1.0 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] One non-limiting and exemplary embodiment facilitates providing structures and methods for using advance indication of resource selection in SL communication with DRX configured. In this disclosure, the terms "advance indication" and "advanced indication" are used interchangeably and refer to an advance notification in which a Tx UE sends information regarding an upcoming SL communication to an Rx UE. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In one embodiment, the techniques disclosed herein provide a method for wireless communication in a first user equipment (UE), the method including: transmitting, to a second UE, a pre-indication for an upcoming sidelink communication with the second UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

[0014] It should be noted that the general or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, a device, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any selective combination thereof.

[0015] Further benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the specification and drawings, and these benefits and / or advantages may be obtained individually through the various embodiments and features of the specification and drawings, and it is not necessary for all of these features to be present in order to obtain one or more of such benefits and / or advantages. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] In the following, exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example architecture 100 for a 3GPP NR system. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram 200 showing the division of functions between NG-RAN and 5GC. [Diagram 3] 3 is a sequence diagram 300 of an RRC connection setup / reconfiguration procedure. [Figure 4]4 is a schematic diagram 400 illustrating usage scenarios for Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC), and Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC). [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example 5G system architecture 500 for a non-roaming scenario. [Figure 6] 6 illustrates an exemplary DRX configured SL communication 600 between a Tx UE and an Rx UE without prior indication of resource selection. [Figure 7] 7 shows a block diagram 700 of an exemplary communication device 710, which can be implemented as a Tx UE or an Rx UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure based on practical requirements. [Figure 8] 8 shows a flowchart illustrating a method 800 for wireless communication in a first UE, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 9 shows a flowchart illustrating a method 900 for wireless communication in a second UE, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 10 shows a flow chart illustrating an example embodiment 1000 according to the method 800 in the first UE shown in FIG. 10. In FIG. 10, step 1004 shows an embodiment of step 802 of FIG. [Figure 11] 11 shows a flow chart illustrating an example embodiment 1100 according to the method 900 in the second UE shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 11, step 1104 shows an embodiment of step 904 of FIG. [Figure 12]12 illustrates an exemplary DRX configured SL communication 1200 between a Tx UE and an Rx UE using an advance directive for resource selection according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment illustrates an SL communication link between a Tx UE and an Rx UE. In this embodiment, an advance directive 1206 indicates a time window 1208 preceding at least one resource that is outside the active time of the Rx UE. [Figure 13] 13 illustrates an example DRX configured SL communication 1300 between a Tx UE and an Rx UE using an advance indication of resource selection according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment illustrates an SL communication link between a Tx UE and an Rx UE. In this embodiment, an advance indication 1306 indicates a particular resource 1308 of one or more selected resources to start data transmission on in an upcoming sidelink communication.

[0017] Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the example embodiments or the application and uses of the example embodiments. Moreover, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background section or the following detailed description.

[0019] 5G NR System Architecture and Protocol Stack 3GPP is working on the next release of fifth-generation cellular technology (known simply as 5G), which includes the development of a new radio access technology (NR) that will operate in frequencies up to 100 GHz. The first version of the 5G standard will be completed at the end of 2017, which will allow smartphones compliant with the 5G NR standard to proceed to testing and commercial deployment.

[0020] In particular, the overall system architecture envisages an NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network) with gNBs, which terminate NG radio access user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocols towards the UEs. The gNBs are interconnected with each other by Xn interfaces. Furthermore, the gNBs are connected to the NGC (Next Generation Core) by a Next Generation (NG) interface, more specifically to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g. a specific core entity running the AMF) by an NG-C interface and to the UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g. a specific core entity running the UPF) by an NG-U interface. Figure 1 shows the architecture of an NG-RAN (see, for example, section 4 of Non-Patent Document 1).

[0021] The user plane protocol stack in NR (see, for example, section 4.4.1 of 3GPP) includes the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, see section 6.4 of 3GPP), RLC (Radio Link Control, see section 6.3 of 3GPP), and MAC (Medium Access Control, see section 6.2 of 3GPP), which are terminated in the gNB on the network side. In addition, a new sublayer of the access stratum (AS), SDAP (Service Data Adaptation Protocol), is introduced on top of PDCP (see, for example, section 6.5 of 3GPP). A control plane protocol stack is also defined in NR (see, for example, section 4.4.2 of 3GPP). An overview of the functions of Layer 2 is given in section 6 of 3GPP. The functions of the PDCP sublayer, the RLC sublayer, and the MAC sublayer are respectively described in clauses 6.4, 6.3, and 6.2 of 3GPP TS 2011-010111. The functions of the RRC layer are described in clause 7 of 3GPP TS 2011-010111.

[0022] The Medium Access Control (MAC) layer handles, for example, multiplexing of logical channels, and scheduling and scheduling-related functions (including handling of various numerologies).

[0023] The physical layer (PHY) is responsible for, for example, coding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping of signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. Furthermore, the physical layer (PHY) handles mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer (PHY) provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used for the transmission of a particular transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For example, the physical channels are PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), and PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) for the uplink, and PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) for the downlink.

[0024] NR use cases / deployment scenarios include enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC), which have diverse requirements in terms of data rates, latency, and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20 Gbps downlink and 10 Gbps uplink) and user-perceived data rates that are on the order of three times higher than those offered by IMT-Advanced. In contrast, URLLC has more stringent requirements, including extremely low latency (user plane latency of 0.5 ms for uplink and downlink, respectively) and high reliability (1-10 Mbps within 1 ms). -5) is imposed. In addition, mMTC requires high connection density (1 km 2 Achieving maximum throughput of 1000,000 devices per second, wide coverage in harsh environments, and extremely long battery life (15 years) to reduce device costs may be desirable.

[0025] Thus, an OFDM numerology (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP) duration, number of symbols per scheduling interval) suitable for one use case may not work well for another use case. For example, low latency services may preferably require a shorter symbol duration (and therefore a larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also referred to as TTI) than mMTC services. Furthermore, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spreads may preferably require a longer cyclic prefix (CP) duration than scenarios with small delay spreads. To maintain a similar cyclic prefix (CP) overhead, the subcarrier spacing should be optimized depending on the delay spread. In NR, more than one value of subcarrier spacing may be supported. Thus, currently, subcarrier spacings of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, ... are considered. Symbol duration T u and the subcarrier spacing Δf is expressed by the formula Δf=1 / T u As in LTE systems, the term "resource element" can be used to denote the smallest resource unit consisting of one subcarrier for the length of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol.

[0026] In the new radio system 5G-NR, for each numerology and carrier, a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined in the uplink and downlink, respectively. Each element in the resource grid is called a resource element and is identified based on a frequency index in the frequency domain and a symbol position in the time domain (see Non-Patent Document 2).

[0027] Splitting 5G NR functions into NG-RAN and 5GC Figure 2 shows the division of functions between NG-RAN and 5GC. The logical nodes of NG-RAN are gNB or ng-eNB. The logical nodes of 5GC are AMF, UPF, and SMF.

[0028] The gNB and ng-eNB handle among other things the following key functions: - Radio Resource Management functions, such as Radio Bearer Control, Radio Admission Control, Connection Mobility Control, dynamic resource allocation (scheduling) to UEs in both uplink and downlink directions - IP header compression, encryption, and data integrity protection - Selection of AMF at UE attach time when routing to AMF cannot be determined from information provided by the UE - Routing user plane data to the UPF - Routing control plane information to AMF - Establishing and releasing connections - Scheduling and sending paging messages - Scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (from AMF or OAM) - Configuring measurements and measurement reporting for mobility and scheduling - Transport-level packet marking in the uplink - Session Management - Network slicing support - QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers - Support for UEs in RRC_INACTIVE state - NAS message delivery function - Wireless Access Network Sharing - Dual Connection - Tight interworking between NR and E-UTRA

[0029] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) handles the following main functions: - Termination of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signalling - NAS signaling security - Access Stratum (AS) security control - Core Network (CN) inter-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks - Idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions) - Registration Area Management - Support for intra-system and inter-system mobility - Access Authentication - Access authentication, including roaming rights checks - Mobility management controls (subscriptions and policies) - Network slicing support - Selection of Session Management Function (SMF)

[0030] In addition, the User Plane Function (UPF) handles the following main functions: - Anchor points for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (when applicable) - External PDU session points for interconnection with data networks - Packet routing and forwarding - User plane part of packet inspection and policy rule enforcement - Traffic usage reports - An uplink classifier to support routing of traffic flows to the data network. - Branching points to support multi-homed PDU sessions - User plane QoS processing (e.g. packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement) - Validation of uplink traffic (mapping of SDF to QoS flows) - Buffering of downlink packets and triggering of downlink data notifications

[0031] Finally, the Session Management Function (SMF) handles the following major functions: - Session Management - UE IP address allocation and management - UP function selection and control - Configuring traffic steering in the User Plane Function (UPF) to route traffic to the correct destination - Policy enforcement and QoS control parts - Downlink data notification

[0032] (RRC Connection Setup and Reconfiguration Procedures) Figure 3 shows some of the interactions between the UE, gNB, and AMF (5GC entities) in the NAS portion when the UE transitions from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED (see non-patent document 1).

[0033] RRC is a higher layer signaling (protocol) used for the configuration of the UE and the gNB. In particular, in this transition, the AMF creates UE context data (including e.g. PDU session context, security keys, UE radio capabilities, UE security capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the gNB via an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST. The gNB then activates AS security with the UE, which is performed by the gNB sending a SecurityModeCommand message to the UE and the UE responding with a SecurityModeComplete message to the gNB. The gNB then performs a reconfiguration to set up the signaling radio bearer 2 (SRB2) and data radio bearer (DRB), which is performed by the gNB sending an RRCReconfiguration message to the UE and the gNB receiving an RRCReconfigurationComplete from the UE in response. In case of a signaling only connection, these steps related to RRCReconfiguration are skipped since SRB2 and DRB are not set up. Finally, the gNB informs the AMF that the setup procedure is complete via an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE.

[0034] In the present disclosure, a fifth generation core (5GC) entity (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) is thus provided, comprising a control circuit that, during operation, establishes a next generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB, and a transmitter that, during operation, transmits an initial context setup message to the gNodeB via the NG connection to set up a signaling radio bearer between the gNodeB and a user equipment (UE). In particular, the gNodeB transmits radio resource control (RRC) signaling including a resource allocation configuration information element to the UE via the signaling radio bearer. The UE then performs uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the resource allocation configuration.

[0035] (IMT usage scenario after 2020) Figure 4 shows some of the use cases for 5G NR. The 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) New Radio (3GPP NR) considers three use cases envisaged to support various services and applications with early IMT-2020. The specifications for Phase 1 of Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) have been finalized. Current and upcoming work includes the standardization of Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) and Large-Scale Machine-Type Communications, in addition to further extending support for eMBB. Figure 4 shows some examples of usage scenarios envisaged for IMT-2000 and beyond (see, for example, Figure 2 in Non-Patent Document 3).

[0036] URLLC use cases have stringent requirements on capabilities such as throughput, latency and availability, and are envisioned as one of the enablers of future vertical applications such as wireless control of industrial manufacturing and production processes, remote medical surgery, power distribution automation in smart grids, and transportation safety. URLLC's ultra-high reliability is supported by identifying technologies to meet the requirements set by NR URLLC in Release 15. Key requirements for NR URLLC include a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms for each of the UL (uplink) and DL (downlink). The general URLLC requirement for a single transmission of a packet is a BLER (block error rate) of 1E-5 for a packet size of 32 bytes with a user plane latency of 1 ms.

[0037] From a physical layer perspective, there are several possible ways to improve reliability. Currently, there are measures to improve reliability, such as the definition of a separate CQI table for URLLC, more compact DCI formats, and PDCCH repetition. However, as NR becomes more stable and developed (a key requirement for NR URLLC), the scope for achieving ultra-high reliability may increase. Specific use cases for NR URLLC in Release 15 include augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-safety, and mission-critical applications.

[0038] Furthermore, technology enhancements targeted by NR URLLC target latency improvement and reliability improvement. Technology enhancements for latency improvement include configurable numerology, non-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, grant-free (configured grant) uplink, slot-level repetition of data channel, and preemption for downlink. Preemption means that a transmission for which resources are already allocated is aborted and the already allocated resources are used for another transmission with smaller latency / higher priority requirement requested later. Thus, an already granted transmission is preempted by a later transmission. Preemption applies regardless of service type. For example, a transmission of service type A (URLLC) can be preempted by a transmission of service type B (eMBB, etc.). Technology enhancements related to reliability improvement include dedicated CQI / MCS tables for a target BLER of 1E-5.

[0039] The mMTC (Massive Machine Type Communication) use case is characterized by a very large number of connected devices transmitting relatively small amounts of data that are generally not sensitive to latency. The devices are required to be low cost and have extremely long battery life. From an NR perspective, utilizing very narrow bandwidth portions is one possible solution to achieve power saving from the UE perspective to enable long battery life.

[0040] As mentioned above, it is expected that the scope of reliability in NR will expand. One key requirement for all cases, especially for URLLC and mMTC, is high or ultra-high reliability. Several mechanisms can be considered to improve reliability from a radio perspective and from a network perspective. In general, there are several key areas that can help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, data channel / control channel repetition, diversity related to frequency domain, time domain, and / or spatial domain. These areas are generally applicable to reliability, regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0041] For NR URLLC, further use cases with more stringent requirements have been identified, such as factory automation, transportation, and power distribution. The more stringent requirements include higher reliability (up to 10 times faster) depending on the use case. -6 These include: high-speed, low latency, high-speed (high-speed), higher availability, packet sizes up to 256 bytes, time synchronization on the order of a few microseconds (1 μs to a few μs depending on the frequency range), and low latency on the order of 0.5-1 ms, with a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms in particular.

[0042] Furthermore, for NR URLLC, several technical enhancements have been identified from the physical layer perspective. In particular, enhancements related to the PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) include compact DCI, PDCCH repetition, and increased PDCCH monitoring. Also, enhancements related to the UCI (Uplink Control Information) include HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) enhancements and CSI feedback enhancements. Also, PUSCH enhancements related to minislot level hopping and retransmission / repetition enhancements have been recognized. The term "minislot" refers to a TTI (Transmission Time Interval) that contains fewer symbols than a slot (a slot contains 14 symbols).

[0043] (QoS control) The 5G QoS (Quality of Service) model is based on QoS flows and supports both QoS flows that require guaranteed flow bitrates (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require guaranteed flow bitrates (non-GBR QoS flows). At the NAS level, QoS flows are therefore the finest granularity of QoS differentiation in a PDU session. Within a PDU session, QoS flows are identified by a QoS Flow Identifier (QFI) that is conveyed in the encapsulation header over the NG-U interface.

[0044] The 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions for each UE. The NG-RAN establishes at least one Data Radio Bearer (DRB) for each UE together with the PDU session, and may then configure additional DRBs for the QoS flows of that PDU session (NG-RAN decides when to do so), e.g. as described above with reference to Figure 3. The NG-RAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS flows, and AS-level mapping rules in the UE and NG-RAN associate UL and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0045] Figure 5 shows the non-roaming reference architecture of 5G NR (see section 4.23 of non-patent document 5). Application Functions (AFs) (e.g., external application servers handling 5G services exemplarily described in Figure 4) interact with the 3GPP core network to provide services. For example, they support application influence on traffic routing, access Network Exposure Functions (NEFs), and interact with a policy framework (see Policy Control Function (PCF)) for policy control (e.g., QoS control). Based on the operator's deployment, application functions (AFs) that are considered trusted by the operator can be allowed to interact directly with the relevant network functions (Network Functions). Application functions (AFs) that are not allowed by the operator to directly access network functions interact with the relevant network functions using an external exposure framework via the NEF.

[0046] Figure 5 shows further functional units of the 5G architecture: Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and Data Network (DN) (e.g. operator services, Internet access, or third-party services). All or part of the core network functions and application services may be deployed and run on a cloud computing environment.

[0047] Thus, in the present disclosure, an application server (e.g., an AF in a 5G architecture) is provided having a transmitter and a control circuit, wherein the transmitter, during operation, sends a request including QoS requirements for at least one of a URLLC service, an eMMB service, and an mMTC service to at least one of the 5GC functions (e.g., NEF, AMF, SMF, PCF, UPF, etc.) to establish a PDU session including a radio bearer between a gNodeB and a UE in accordance with the QoS requirements, and the control circuit, during operation, performs the service using the established PDU session.

[0048] <Embodiment> The objective of the present disclosure is to present an exemplary embodiment of a communication method and communication device utilizing advance directive of resource selection in SL communication with DRX configured. Instead of restricting the Tx UE to select (or prioritize) only resources in the active time of the Rx UE, the present disclosure allows the Tx UE to send an advance directive to the Rx UE, so that the Rx UE can extend its DRX active time for the next SL communication by enabling an extension timer, triggering early wake-up, changing the DRX active / inactive pattern, and / or otherwise. Thus, the present disclosure advantageously provides a solution and procedure for the Tx UE to properly perform resource reporting taking into account the DRX active time of the Rx UE, improving resource utilization efficiency in SL communication, and addressing the above-mentioned resource selection limitations and potential problems with resource selection and reporting taking into account the DRX active time of the Rx UE.

[0049] For ease of understanding, FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary DRX configured SL communication 600 between a Tx UE and an Rx UE without using advance indication of resource selection. In FIG. 6, a block diagram 602 illustrates resources used by a Tx UE in the SL communication 600, and a block diagram 604 illustrates resources used by an Rx UE in the SL communication 600. The resources include time-frequency resources. For simplicity, the resources are illustrated as time resource units, e.g., slots in FIG. 6. It is understood that the time resource units may be in other forms, as described in this disclosure.

[0050] In a SL communication 600 with DRX configured, the Tx UE selects one or more resources within the ResourceSelectionWindow 606 for the next sidelink communication. However, the selected one or more resources include two resources 608, 610 that are outside the active time 616, 612 of the Rx UE. Without prior instruction, data transmitted by the Tx UE in the two resources 608, 610 will not be received by the Rx UE. This will result in data loss and other potential problems in the SL communication 600 with DRX configured, as discussed above.

[0051] The embodiments of the present disclosure illustrated in FIGS. 7-13 utilizing advance indication of resource selection in SL communication with DRX configured prevent the above-mentioned data loss in advance and improve SL communication 600 with DRX configured.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows a block diagram 700 of an example communication device 710, which can be implemented as a Tx UE or an Rx UE according to the embodiments of the present disclosure based on practical requirements.

[0053] The communications device 710 may include devices such as a controller 712 coupled to a wireless communication device such as a transceiver 714 connected to an antenna 716 to perform the communications functions described in this disclosure. For example, the communications device 710 may include a controller 712 that generates control and / or data signals used by the transceiver 714 to perform the communications functions of the communications device 710. The communications device 710 may also include a memory 718 coupled to the controller 712 for storing instructions and / or data for generation of the control and / or data signals by the controller 712. The communications device 710 may also include input / output (I / O) circuitry 720 coupled to the controller 712 for receiving input of data and / or instructions for storage in the memory 718 and / or for generation of the control and / or data signals, and for providing output of data in the form of audio, video, text, or other media.

[0054] In the communication device 710, the transceiver operates in conjunction with circuitry 720 which, in operation, performs steps in accordance with the method embodiments illustrated in FIGS.

[0055] FIG. 8 shows a flow chart illustrating a method 800 for wireless communication in a first UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] In this embodiment, the method 800 includes step 802 performed by a first UE. - transmitting to the second UE an advance instruction for an upcoming sidelink communication with the second UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource that is located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

[0057] In the method 800, the first UE is a Tx UE. The second UE is an Rx UE. As mentioned above, in this disclosure, the terms "advance indication" and "advanced indication" are used interchangeably and refer to an advance notification by a Tx UE to an Rx UE regarding an upcoming SL communication.

[0058] In some embodiments, the advance indication is sent in response to the Tx UE receiving higher layer signaling. The higher layer signaling can be via the MAC layer, the RRC layer, etc. In other words, the advance indication is triggered by higher layer enablement / configuration.

[0059] In some embodiments, the step 802 of transmitting the advance indication includes transmitting sidelink control information (SCI) to the Rx UE via a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) and / or a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), i.e., in some examples, the advance indication is conveyed by either a first stage SCI or a second stage SCI during the active time of the Rx UE transmitted by a PSCCH or a PSCCH+PSSCH.

[0060] The SCI can be 1-bit SCI information, 2-bit SCI information, or n-bit (n>2) SCI information. In some embodiments, the SCI is 1-bit SCI information. The 1-bit SCI information indicates whether there is a time window preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the Rx UE. An example of a time window preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the Rx UE is shown in FIG. 12 as AdvDuration 1208. For example, in the 1-bit SCI information, "1" indicates that an advance period is used, and "0" indicates that an advance period is not used and there is no need to extend the DRX active time of the Rx UE for the next SL communication. Or vice versa.

[0061] In some embodiments, the SCI information is 2-bit SCI information or n-bit SCI information. The 2-bit SCI information or n-bit SCI information indicates a count, periodicity, duration, carrier, and / or bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the Rx UE. The time window preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the Rx UE is shown as an advance period (AdvDuration) 1208 in FIG. 12. For example, in the 2-bit SCI information, "00" indicates that the advance period is not used and there is no need to extend the DRX active time of the Rx UE for the next SL communication, "01" indicates that the advance period is used only once, "10" indicates that the advance period is used periodically only X (e.g., 2) times, and "11" indicates that the advance period is used periodically only Y (e.g., 5) times. In this manner, the advance instruction advantageously provides the Rx UE with advance notice that in the next X or Y SL communications, each SL communication will require the Rx UE's DRX active time to be extended based on the advance period.

[0062] In another example, for 2-bit SCI information, “10” indicates that the pre-period is used periodically with period P, and “11” indicates that the pre-period is used periodically with period Q.

[0063] In yet another example, for 2-bit SCI information, "01" indicates that pre-period A is used once, "10" indicates that pre-period B is used once, and "11" indicates that pre-period C is used once.

[0064] In the above example, the count X / Y, periodicity P / Q, and duration A / B / C can be set / specified (in advance) to be known to the Tx UE and Rx UE based on actual requirements.

[0065] It should be understood that the 1-bit and 2-bit SCI information is not limited to the above examples, and may be changed based on actual requirements.

[0066] Similarly, when n-bit (n>2) SCI information is used, the SCI information may indicate various combinations of count, periodicity, duration, carrier, and / or bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows (i.e., the advance period shown in FIG. 12) preceding at least one resource that is outside the active time of the Rx UE.

[0067] One embodiment of the above-mentioned advance indication of one or more time windows preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the Rx UE is shown in FIG. 12. In FIG. 12, a SL communication link 1200 between a Tx UE and an Rx UE is shown. In this embodiment, a block diagram 1202 illustrates resources used by the Tx UE and a block diagram 1204 illustrates resources used by the Rx UE. The resources include time-frequency resources. For the sake of simplicity, the resources are shown as time resource units, e.g., slots in FIG. 12. It is understood that the time resource units may be in other forms as described in this disclosure.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 12, the Rx UE has a DRX active time 1212, 1216, and a DRX inactive time 1214. FIG. 12 illustrates some of the resources used by the Rx UE, and it is understood that the illustrated DRX active time 1212, 1216, and DRX inactive time 1214 are part of the DRX active / inactive time of the Rx UE. In this disclosure, the terms "DRX active time" and "active time" of the Rx UE are used interchangeably. Similarly, the terms "DRX inactive time", "inactive time", and "non-active time" of the Rx UE are used interchangeably.

[0069] In Figure 12, a Tx UE selects one or more resources within a ResourceSelectionWindow 1210 for an upcoming sidelink communication. The selected one or more resources include two resources 1220, 1222 that are located outside the active times 1216, 1212 of the Rx UE.

[0070] As an embodiment of step 802 shown in Fig. 8, the Tx UE in Fig. 12 sends an advance instruction 1206 to the Rx UE at time t=n for an upcoming sidelink communication with the Rx UE via the sidelink communication link 1200. The upcoming sidelink communication is associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource 1220, 1222 that is located outside the active time 1216, 1212 of the Rx UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

[0071] The advance indication 1206 may be 1-bit, 2-bit, or n-bit SCI information indicating whether there is one or more time windows preceding at least one resource 1220, 1222 located outside the active time 1216, 1212 of the Rx UE. As mentioned above, an example of the time window is shown as advance duration (AdvDuration) 1208 in FIG. 12. In some embodiments, the time window has a duration of 16 time resource slots preceding at least one resource 1220, 1222 located outside the active time 1216, 1212 of the Rx UE, i.e., preceding the first time resource slot 1220 of the ResourceSelectionWindow 1210 of the Tx UE. The duration of the time window is not limited to 16 time resource slots, and may include another number of time resource slots preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the Rx UE based on practical requirements.

[0072] In some embodiments, the ResourceSelectionWindow 1210 of the Tx UE has a predefined length (depicted as LengthOfRSW). Based on the transmission time t=n of the advance directive, the duration of the time window (AdvDuration 1208), and the length of the ResourceSelectionWindow 1210 of the Tx UE (LengthOfRSW), the present disclosure enables the Rx UE to operate in response to receiving the advance directive to extend its DRX active time 1216 (e.g., to an extended DRX active time 1218 spanning from resource time slot 1220 to resource time slot 1224) to accommodate an upcoming SL communication associated with one or more selected resources. One embodiment of a corresponding method in the Rx UE is shown in FIG. 9 and described in the corresponding paragraph.

[0073] In some embodiments, other time resource slots (e.g., the first or last slot of the Rx UE's DRX active / inactive time, etc.) may be used in addition to the transmission time t=n of the advance instruction as a reference timing for one or more time windows preceding at least one resource 1220, 1222 located outside the Rx UE's active time 1216, 1212.

[0074] In addition to or instead of the one or more time windows mentioned above, the advance instruction may indicate a particular resource(s) from which to start the data transmission in the next sidelink communication among one or more selected resources, one embodiment of which is illustrated in FIG.

[0075] Similar to Figure 12, a SL communication link 1300 between a Tx UE and an Rx UE is shown in Figure 13. In this embodiment, a block diagram 1302 illustrates resources used by a Tx UE, and a block diagram 1304 illustrates resources used by an Rx UE. The resources include time-frequency resources. For simplicity, the resources are illustrated as time resource units, e.g., slots in Figure 13. It is understood that the time resource units may be in other forms as described in this disclosure.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 13, the Rx UE has a DRX active time 1318, 1314 and a DRX inactive time 1316. FIG. 13 illustrates some of the resources used by the Rx UE, and it is understood that the illustrated DRX active time 1318, 1314 and DRX inactive time 1316 are part of the DRX active / inactive time of the Rx UE. In this disclosure, the terms "DRX active time" and "active time" of the Rx UE are used interchangeably. Similarly, the terms "DRX inactive time", "inactive time", and "non-active time" of the Rx UE are used interchangeably.

[0077] In Figure 13, the Tx UE selects one or more resources within a ResourceSelectionWindow 1312 for an upcoming sidelink communication. The selected one or more resources include at least one resource 1308, 1322 that is outside the active time 1318, 1314 of the Rx UE.

[0078] As another embodiment of step 802 shown in Fig. 8, the Tx UE in Fig. 13 sends an advance instruction 1306 to the Rx UE at time t=n for an upcoming sidelink communication with the Rx UE via the sidelink communication link 1300. The upcoming sidelink communication is associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource 1308, 1322 that is located outside the active time 1318, 1314 of the Rx UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

[0079] The advance instruction 1306 may be 1-bit, 2-bit, or n-bit SCI information indicating a particular resource(s) 1308 to start data transmission on in the next sidelink communication among one or more selected resources. Thus, the advance instruction 1306 in the embodiment of Figure 13 may or may not also indicate one or more time windows 1208 as described above with respect to Figure 12.

[0080] In embodiments where the advance directive 1306 also indicates one or more time windows 1208 as described above with respect to FIG. 12, such time windows are indicated as AdvDuration 1310 in FIG.

[0081] In embodiments in which the advance directive 1306 does not indicate one or more time windows 1208 as described above with respect to FIG. 12, the advance directive 1306 may not include information regarding AdvDuration 1310.

[0082] While the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 illustrates an overlapping time resource slot 1322 between AdvDuration 1310 and at least one resource 1308, 1322 that is outside of an Rx UE's active time 1318, 1314 in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in another embodiment, AdvDuration 1310 may not overlap with at least one resource 1308, 1322 that is outside of an Rx UE's active time 1318, 1314 in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

[0083] In the embodiment of Figure 13, since the specific resource(s) 1308 for starting data transmission in the next sidelink communication is indicated in the advance instruction by the Tx UE, the present disclosure enables the Rx UE to operate in response to receiving the advance instruction to extend its DRX active time 1318 (e.g., to an extended DRX active time 1320 that wakes up earlier in the specific resource(s) 1308) to accommodate the next SL communication associated with the one or more selected resources. One embodiment of a corresponding method in the Rx UE is shown in Figure 10 and described in the corresponding paragraph.

[0084] In an alternative embodiment, the transmission of the advance instruction is in response to the Tx UE satisfying one or more triggering conditions, including a Channel Busy Ratio (CBR) condition, a Channel Occupation Ratio (CR) condition, a consecutive transmission failure condition, an instruction from the base station, and / or a transmission of high priority data.

[0085] For example, a CBR or CR condition may include a condition in which the CBR or CR exceeds a predetermined threshold during measurement for a predetermined duration.

[0086] For example, a consecutive transmission failure condition may include a condition in which a predetermined number of consecutive transmission failures occur within a predetermined time period.

[0087] For example, the instructions from the base station may include instructions that the Tx UE receives from the gNB, which may be in the form of PHY signaling, such as when the MAC layer indicates the active time of the Rx UE so that the PHY layer of the Tx UE can select candidate resources for the next SL communication.

[0088] For example, the condition for transmitting high priority data may be a condition when a Tx UE is about to transmit high priority data (eg, ≦3) to an Rx UE.

[0089] One or more of the above trigger conditions may be considered individually or in combination, comprising a list of trigger levels. In addition, the CBR conditions may be further classified into CBR Level 1, CBR Level 2, etc.

[0090] In response to different trigger levels, the Tx UE may transmit respective unique advance instructions, including different durations, start / end slots, counts, periodicities, etc. In other words, one or more trigger conditions are associated with corresponding counts, periodicities, durations, carriers, and / or bandwidth portions (BWPs) of one or more time windows preceding the first resource of one or more selected resources.

[0091] The list of trigger levels may also be a progressive list using a Boolean algorithm. For example, a CBR condition may correspond to pre-indicated action No. 1. A continuous transmission failure condition may correspond to pre-indicated action No. 2. A combination of a CBR condition and a continuous transmission failure condition may correspond to pre-indicated action No. 3. A condition for transmission of high priority data may correspond to pre-indicated action No. 3. It is understood that pre-indicated actions No. 1-3 are associated with corresponding counts, periodicities, durations, carriers, and / or bandwidth portions (BWPs) of one or more time windows preceding a first one of the one or more selected resources.

[0092] In some alternative embodiments, the step of transmitting 802 the advance indication may include transmitting sidelink control information (SCI) along with the MAC CE to the Rx UE. For example, the SCI may be used as a one-bit activation when the MAC CE conveys the duration or time resource slots during which the Rx UE needs to wake up during its inactive time.

[0093] In some alternative embodiments, the step of transmitting 802 the advance indication may include transmitting one or more new or reused SCI bits (e.g., a reserved field) to the Rx UE to indicate the wake-up period (e.g., AdditionalActiveDuration).

[0094] In some alternative embodiments, transmitting 802 the advance instruction may include transmitting a one-bit advance instruction by indicating a particular sequence in the PSFCH at a particular time and frequency resource.

[0095] In the above alternative embodiments, one or more new or reused SCI bits and / or specific sequences in the PSFCH may be utilized to indicate periodic wake-up periods or specific resource slots. The count of indications may be (pre)configured or specified.

[0096] In the above alternative embodiment, the DRX pattern of the Rx UE can be modified for periodic (more static) transmissions using MAC CE or RRC signaling. Such periodic transmissions can be provided with a counter.

[0097] In some alternative embodiments, when in coverage (mode 1), the step of sending an advance instruction 802 may include the gNB sending an advance instruction to the Tx UE and / or the Rx UE (if the gNB schedules the Tx UE for SL transmission) to extend / shorten the DRX active time of the Rx UE.

[0098] In some alternative embodiments, when in coverage (mode 1), new or reused PUCCH / PUSCH information bits may be utilized to request the gNB to indicate downlink signaling of the Rx UE for 1-bit enablement, wake-up period, specific resource slots, change of DRX pattern of the Rx UE, etc.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the step 802 of sending an advance instruction may be performed by the Tx UE before or after resource selection for the next SL communication.

[0100] FIG. 9 shows a flow chart illustrating a corresponding method 900 for wireless communication at an Rx UE in response to receiving an advance instruction sent by the Tx UE in step 802, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] In this embodiment, the method 900 includes step 902 and step 904 performed by an Rx UE. Step 902: Receiving an advance instruction from the first UE for an upcoming sidelink communication with the first UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration. Step 904: In response to receiving the advance instruction, extend an active time of the second UE according to the one or more selected resources.

[0102] In steps 902 and 904, the first UE is a Tx UE. The second UE is an Rx UE.

[0103] Corresponding to step 802 performed by the Tx UE, the step 902 of receiving an advance indication at the Rx UE includes receiving sidelink control information (SCI) from the Tx UE via a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and / or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH). The SCI includes 1 bit of SCI information, 2 bits of SCI information, or n bits of SCI information as described with respect to FIG.

[0104] Corresponding to step 802 performed by the Tx UE, when the SCI received by the Rx UE in step 902 is 1-bit SCI information, the 1-bit SCI information indicates whether there is a preceding time window for at least one resource that is located outside the active time of the Rx UE.

[0105] Corresponding to step 802 performed by the Tx UE, when the SCI received by the Rx UE in step 902 is 2-bit or n-bit SCI information, the 2-bit or n-bit SCI information indicates a count, periodicity, duration, carrier, and / or bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the Rx UE. Examples of time windows are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 12 and described above.

[0106] In addition to or instead of the one or more time windows mentioned above, the advance instruction received by the Rx UE in step 902 may indicate a particular resource(s) from which to start data transmission in the next sidelink communication among the one or more selected resources, which particular resource(s) are shown in the embodiment of Fig. 13 and described above.

[0107] Extending an active time of the Rx UE according to one or more selected resources in response to receiving the advance directive in Step 902, Step 904, includes one or more of the following substeps.

[0108] Sub-step 904A: Trigger a DRX active timer for a predefined validity period.

[0109] Sub-step 904B: Trigger a DRX active timer until expiration of the one or more selected resources.

[0110] Sub-step 904C: Trigger a DRX active timer until the expiration of the particular resource.

[0111] Sub-step 904D: Setting earlier wake-up for one or more selected resources or specific resources.

[0112] Sub-step 904E: Change the DRX active timer to always-on mode and reset the Rx UE to default DRX until the one or more selected resources or the specific resource expires.

[0113] Sub-step 904F: Trigger a periodic DRX active timer for periodic transmissions from the Tx UE.

[0114] Sub-step 904G: Configure periodic early wake-up for periodic transmissions from the Tx UE.

[0115] 12 embodiment, the step of extending the active time of the Rx UE 904 may also be realized by a sub-step 904H of extending the active time of the Rx UE 1216 to an extended active time 1218 by enabling a timer for at least a period from t=n+AdvDuration to t=n+AdvDuration+LengthOfRSW. That is, the extended active time 1218 spans from time resource slot 1220 to time resource slot 1224. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that this period may or may not start from the time resource slot in which the Rx UE receives the advance instruction 1206.

[0116] 10 shows a flow chart illustrating an example embodiment 1000 according to the method 800 in a Tx UE shown in FIG 8. In FIG 10, step 1004 shows one embodiment of step 802 of FIG 8.

[0117] The embodiment 1000 includes steps 1002, 1004 and 1006. Step 1002 is to enable an advance indication in the Tx UE. Such enablement can be achieved by higher layer signaling as described above or by one or more trigger conditions as described with respect to FIG.

[0118] In step 1004, the Tx UE sends a 1-bit or 2-bit advance indication to the Rx UE via the PSCCH or PSCCH+PSSCH. The 1-bit or 2-bit advance indication is as described with reference to FIG.

[0119] In step 1006, the Tx UE selects one or more resources for the next SL communication and uses the one or more resources within the indicated duration. As described with respect to FIG. 8, the one or more resources include at least one resource that is located outside the active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

[0120] 11 shows a flow chart illustrating an example embodiment 1100 according to the corresponding method 900 in an Rx UE shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 11, step 1104 shows an embodiment of step 904 of FIG.

[0121] The embodiment 1100 includes steps 1102 and 1104. In step 1102, an advance instruction is received at the Rx UE. The advance instruction is as described with respect to FIG.

[0122] In step 1104, the Rx UE maintains the awake state by a timer to extend the active time of the Rx UE. The extension of the active time of the Rx UE is as described with reference to FIG.

[0123] In this disclosure, the active time of an Rx UE includes resources used exclusively in New Radio (NR) sidelink communications, and the inactive time of an Rx UE includes resources shared with Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communications or resources used exclusively for LTE communications.

[0124] In this disclosure, the active time of the Rx UE may alternatively include resources used exclusively in Long Term Evolution (LTE) sidelink communications, and the inactive time of the second UE may include resources shared with New Radio (NR) communications or resources used exclusively for NR communications.

[0125] As such, example embodiments according to the present disclosure may be compatible with both NR and LTE communications.

[0126] In this disclosure, the exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure can be applied to unicast SL communication, groupcast SL communication, or broadcast SL communication. In groupcast SL communication or broadcast SL communication, there may be one or more Rx UEs communicating with a Tx UE. The method 900 described above can be applied to the one or more Rx UEs.

[0127] It can therefore be seen that example embodiments according to the present disclosure provide a communications apparatus and method for advance direction of resource selection in SL communication with DRX configured as described above in this specification to overcome potential drawbacks of the Tx UE's selection / reporting restriction on candidate resources such that the Tx UE can advantageously perform normal resource selection without restricting the candidate resources to only the active time of the Rx UE.

[0128] The present disclosure can be implemented by software, by hardware, or by software cooperating with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of each embodiment above can be implemented in part or in whole by an LSI such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in each embodiment can be controlled in part or in whole by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI can be formed as an integrated circuit chip separately, or a single chip can be formed to include some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI can include a data input / output unit coupled to it. Depending on the degree of integration, the LSI can also be called an integrated circuit (IC), a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra LSI. However, the technology for implementing the integrated circuit is not limited to the LSI, and can be implemented by using a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a dedicated processor. Furthermore, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of the circuit cells arranged inside the LSI can also be used. The present disclosure can be implemented as digital processing or analog processing. If, as a result of advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, LSI is replaced by a future integrated circuit technology, the future integrated circuit technology can be used to integrate the functional blocks. Biotechnology can also be applied.

[0129] The present disclosure may be implemented by any kind of apparatus, device or system having a communication capability (referred to as a communication apparatus).

[0130] A communication device may include a transceiver and processing / control circuitry. The transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter and / or function as a receiver and a transmitter. The transceiver as a transmitter and a receiver may include a radio frequency (RF) module including an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, etc., and one or more antennas.

[0131] Some non-limiting examples of such communications devices include phones (e.g., cell phones, smartphones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, notebooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (e.g., digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smart watches, tracking devices), game consoles, e-book readers, telehealth / telemedicine equipment, vehicles providing communications capabilities (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), and various combinations thereof.

[0132] A communication apparatus is not limited to portable or mobile, but can also include any type of apparatus, device, or system that is non-portable or stationary, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lights, smart meters, control panels), vending machines, and any other "things" in the network of the "Internet of Things" (IoT). Communication includes exchanging data, for example, through cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, satellite systems, and the like, and various combinations thereof.

[0133] A communications device may include devices such as a controller or a sensor coupled to the communications device to perform the communications functions described in this disclosure. For example, a communications device may include a controller or a sensor that generates control or data signals used by the communications device to perform the communications functions of the communications device.

[0134] The communications apparatus may further include infrastructure facilities, such as base stations, access points, and any other apparatus, devices, or systems that communicate with or control apparatuses such as the apparatuses in the non-limiting examples above.

[0135] In this disclosure, the downlink control signal (information) related to this disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted via a PDCCH of a physical layer, or may be a signal (information) transmitted via a MAC control element (CE) or RRC of a higher layer. The downlink control signal may be a predefined signal (information).

[0136] The uplink control signal (information) related to the present disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted via a PUCCH of the physical layer, or may be a signal (information) transmitted via a MAC CE or RRC of a higher layer. Furthermore, the uplink control signal may be a predefined signal (information). The uplink control signal may be replaced by uplink control information (UCI), 1st stage sidelink control information (SCI), or 2nd stage SCI.

[0137] In the present disclosure, the base station may be, for example, a Transmission Reception Point (TRP), a cluster head, an access point, a Remote Radio Head (RRH), an eNodeB (eNB), a gNodeB (gNB), a base station (BS), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base unit, or a gateway. Furthermore, in sidelink communication, a terminal may be employed instead of the base station. The base station may be a relay device that relays communication between an upper node and a terminal. The base station may be a roadside unit.

[0138] The present disclosure can be applied to any of the uplink, downlink, and sidelink.

[0139] The present disclosure may be applied to uplink channels, such as, for example, PUSCH, PUCCH, and PRACH, downlink channels, such as PDSCH, PDCCH, and PBCH, and sidelink channels, such as the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0140] The PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH are examples of a downlink control channel, a downlink data channel, an uplink data channel, and an uplink control channel, respectively. The PSCCH and PSSCH are examples of a sidelink control channel and a sidelink data channel, respectively. The PBCH and PSBCH are examples of a broadcast channel, and the PRACH is an example of a random access channel.

[0141] The present disclosure can be applied to both data channels and control channels. The channels in the present disclosure can be replaced with data channels including PDSCH, PUSCH, and PSSCH, and / or control channels including PDCCH, PUCCH, PBCH, PSCCH, and PSBCH.

[0142] In this disclosure, a reference signal is a signal known to both a base station and a mobile station, and each reference signal may be referred to as a Reference Signal (RS) or sometimes a pilot signal. A reference signal may be any of a DMRS, a Channel State Information - Reference Signal (CSI-RS), a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), a Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), a Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS), and a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS).

[0143] In the present disclosure, the time resource unit is not limited to one or a combination of a slot and a symbol, and may be a time resource unit such as a frame, a superframe, a subframe, a slot, a time slot subslot, a minislot, or a time resource unit such as a symbol, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (SC-FDMA) symbol, or another time resource unit. The number of symbols included in one slot is not limited to the number exemplified in the above embodiment, and may be another number of symbols.

[0144] The present disclosure may be applied to both licensed and unlicensed bands.

[0145] The present disclosure can be applied to any of communication between a base station and a terminal (Uu link communication), communication between terminals (sidelink communication), and communication between a vehicle and some entity (V2X: Vehicle to Everything). The channels in the present disclosure can be replaced with PSCCH, PSSCH, Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH), PSBCH, PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PBCH.

[0146] Furthermore, the present disclosure can be applied to any of terrestrial networks and networks other than terrestrial networks (NTN: Non-Terrestrial Network) that use satellites or High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS). Furthermore, the present disclosure may be applied to networks with large cell sizes and terrestrial networks with large delays compared to the symbol length or slot length, such as ultra-wideband transmission networks.

[0147] An antenna port refers to a logical antenna (antenna group) formed by one or more physical antennas. In other words, an antenna port does not necessarily refer to one physical antenna, but may refer to an array antenna formed by multiple antennas. For example, the number of physical antennas forming an antenna port is not defined, and instead, the smallest unit by which a terminal can transmit a reference signal is defined as an antenna port. In addition, an antenna port may be defined as the smallest unit for multiplication of a precoding vector weighting.

[0148] Although exemplary embodiments have been shown in the above detailed description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that a vast number of variations exist. Furthermore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, operation, or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. Rather, the above detailed description provides those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiments, and it should be understood that various modifications can be made to the functionality and arrangement of the communication device in station mode (STA) or access point mode (AP) described in the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

[0149] 1. A method for wireless communication in a first user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting an advance instruction to a second UE for an upcoming sidelink communication with the second UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration.

[0150] 2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the advance instruction occurs in response to the first UE receiving higher layer signaling.

[0151] 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sending of the advance instruction comprises a step of sending sidelink control information (SCI) to the second UE via a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and / or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), the SCI including 1-bit SCI information, 2-bit SCI information, or n-bit SCI information.

[0152] 4. The method of claim 3, wherein when the SCI is 1-bit SCI information, the 1-bit SCI information indicates whether there is a preceding time window for at least one resource that is located outside the active time of the second UE.

[0153] 5. The method of claim 3, wherein, when the SCI information is 2-bit SCI information, the 2-bit SCI information indicates a count, a periodicity, a duration, a carrier, and / or a bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the second UE.

[0154] 6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the advance instruction indicates a particular resource from among one or more selected resources for starting data transmission in an upcoming sidelink communication.

[0155] 7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the active time of the second UE includes resources used exclusively in New Radio (NR) sidelink communications, and the inactive time of the second UE includes resources shared with Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications or resources used exclusively for LTE communications.

[0156] 8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the active time of the second UE includes resources used exclusively in Long Term Evolution (LTE) sidelink communications, and the inactive time of the second UE includes resources shared with New Radio (NR) communications or resources used exclusively for NR communications.

[0157] 9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the advance instruction is performed in response to the first UE satisfying one or more trigger conditions, the one or more trigger conditions including a channel busy ratio (CBR) condition, a channel occupancy ratio (CR) condition, a consecutive transmission failure condition, an instruction from a base station, and / or a transmission of high priority data.

[0158] 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more trigger conditions are associated with a corresponding count, periodicity, duration, carrier, and / or bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding an initial resource of the one or more selected resources.

[0159] 11. A method for wireless communication in a second user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving, from the first UE, a pre-indication for an upcoming sidelink communication with the first UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource that is located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration; and extending, in response to receiving the pre-indication, an active time of the second UE according to the one or more selected resources.

[0160] 12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the advance instruction comprises receiving sidelink control information (SCI) from the first UE via a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and / or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), the SCI comprising 1-bit SCI information, 2-bit SCI information, or n-bit SCI information.

[0161] 13. The method of claim 12, when the step of receiving an advance indication includes a step of receiving one bit of SCI information, the one bit of SCI information indicating whether a preceding time window exists for at least one resource that is located outside the active time of the second UE.

[0162] 14. The method of claim 12, when the step of receiving an advance instruction includes a step of receiving two bits of SCI information, the two bits of SCI information indicating a count, a periodicity, a duration, a carrier, and / or a bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding at least one resource located outside the active time of the second UE.

[0163] 15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the step of receiving a prior instruction indicates a particular resource from among one or more selected resources for starting data transmission in an upcoming sidelink communication.

[0164] 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein extending the active time of the second UE according to the one or more selected resources comprises: triggering a DRX active timer for a predefined validity period; triggering a DRX active timer until the validity period of the one or more selected resources expires; triggering a DRX active timer until the validity period of the specific resource expires; setting an earlier wake-up for the one or more selected resources or the specific resource; changing the DRX active timer to always-on mode and resetting the second UE to its default DRX until the validity period of the one or more selected resources or the specific resource expires; triggering a periodic DRX active timer for periodic transmissions from the first UE; and / or setting a periodic early wake-up for periodic transmissions from the first UE.

[0165] 17. The method of any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the active time of the second UE includes resources used exclusively in New Radio (NR) sidelink communications, and the inactive time of the second UE includes one or more selected resources shared with Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications or one or more selected resources used exclusively for LTE communications.

[0166] 18. The method of any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the active time of the second UE includes resources used exclusively in Long Term Evolution (LTE) sidelink communications, and the inactive time of the second UE includes resources shared with New Radio (NR) communications or resources used exclusively for NR communications.

[0167] 19. A communications device having a sidelink discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration, comprising: a transceiver; and a circuit, the transceiver operating in conjunction with the circuit, the circuit performing, during operation, one or more steps in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 10.

[0168] 20. A communications device having a sidelink discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration, comprising: a transceiver; and a circuit, the transceiver operating in conjunction with the circuit, the circuit performing, during operation, one or more steps in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 18.

Claims

1. 1. A method for wireless communication in a first user equipment (UE), comprising: sending to a second UE a pre-indication for an upcoming sidelink communication with the second UE over a sidelink communication link; Including, the next sidelink communication is associated with one or more selected resources, including at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration. method.

2. the sending of the advance indication occurs in response to the first UE receiving higher layer signaling. The method of claim 1.

3. said transmitting said advance directive; transmitting sidelink control information (SCI) to the second UE via a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and / or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH); Including, The SCI comprises 1 bit of SCI information, 2 bits of SCI information, or n bits of SCI information; The method according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. When the SCI is 1-bit SCI information, the 1-bit SCI information indicates whether there is a time window preceding the at least one resource that is located outside the active time of the second UE. The method according to claim 3.

5. When the SCI information is 2-bit SCI information, the 2-bit SCI information indicates a count, a periodicity, a duration, a carrier, and / or a bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding the at least one resource located outside the active time of the second UE. The method according to claim 3.

6. the advance instruction indicating a particular resource among one or more selected resources for starting data transmission in the upcoming sidelink communication.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The active time of the second UE includes resources used exclusively in new radio (NR) sidelink communication, and the inactive time of the second UE includes resources shared with long term evolution (LTE) communication or resources used only for LTE communication.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the transmitting of the advance instruction is in response to the first UE satisfying one or more triggering conditions, the one or more triggering conditions including a channel busy ratio (CBR) condition, a channel occupancy ratio (CR) condition, a consecutive transmission failure condition, an instruction from a base station, and / or a transmission of high priority data. The method of claim 1.

9. the one or more trigger conditions are associated with a corresponding count, periodicity, duration, carrier, and / or bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding a first resource of the one or more selected resources; The method according to claim 8.

10. 1. A method for wireless communication in a second user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving, from a first UE, an advance indication for an upcoming sidelink communication with the first UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource that is located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration; in response to the receiving of the advance indication, extending an active time of the second UE according to the one or more selected resources; A method comprising:

11. said receiving said advance directive; receiving sidelink control information (SCI) from the first UE via a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and / or a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH); Including, The SCI comprises 1 bit of SCI information, 2 bits of SCI information, or n bits of SCI information; The method of claim 10.

12. When the step of receiving the advance indication includes a step of receiving one bit of SCI information, the one bit of SCI information indicates whether there is a time window preceding the at least one resource that is located outside an active time of the second UE. The method of claim 11.

13. When the step of receiving the advance indication includes a step of receiving two bits of SCI information, the two bits of SCI information indicate a count, a periodicity, a duration, a carrier, and / or a bandwidth portion (BWP) of one or more time windows preceding the at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE. The method of claim 11.

14. and receiving the advance instruction indicates a particular resource among the one or more selected resources for starting data transmission in the upcoming sidelink communication.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. Extending an active time of the second UE according to the one or more selected resources, triggering a DRX active timer for a predefined validity period; triggering a DRX active timer until a validity period of the one or more selected resources expires; triggering a DRX active timer until the validity period of the specific resource expires; configuring an earlier wake-up for the one or more selected resources or the particular resource; changing a DRX active timer to always-on mode and resetting the second UE to its default DRX until expiration of the one or more selected resources or the specific resource; triggering a periodic DRX active timer for periodic transmissions from the first UE; and / or configuring periodic early wake-up for periodic transmissions from the first UE; 15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

16. The active time of the second UE includes resources used exclusively in New Radio (NR) sidelink communications, and the inactive time of the second UE includes one or more selected resources shared with Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications or one or more selected resources used exclusively for LTE communications.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

17. 1. A communication device having a sidelink discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration, the communication device being a first user equipment (UE), the communication device comprising:

1. A transceiver that, during operation, transmits to a second UE an advance instruction for an upcoming sidelink communication with the second UE over a sidelink communication link, the transceiver comprising: the next sidelink communication is associated with one or more selected resources, including at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration. A transceiver; a circuit for controlling said transceiver during operation; A communication device comprising:

18. 1. A communication device having a sidelink discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration, the communication device being a second user equipment (UE), the communication device comprising: and a transceiver configured to, during operation, receive from a first UE a pre-indication for an upcoming sidelink communication with the first UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource that is located outside an active time of a second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration. a circuit for extending an active time of the second UE according to the one or more selected resources in response to the reception of the advance instruction, during operation; A communication device comprising:

19. An integrated circuit for controlling a process of a first user equipment (UE), said process comprising: sending to a second UE a pre-indication for an upcoming sidelink communication with the second UE over a sidelink communication link; Including, the next sidelink communication is associated with one or more selected resources, including at least one resource located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration. Integrated circuits.

20. An integrated circuit for controlling a process of a second user equipment (UE), the process comprising: receiving, from a first UE, an advance indication for an upcoming sidelink communication with the first UE via a sidelink communication link, the upcoming sidelink communication being associated with one or more selected resources including at least one resource that is located outside an active time of the second UE in a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration; in response to the receiving of the advance instruction, extending an active time of the second UE according to the one or more selected resources; Including, Integrated circuits.

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