Repeater device, network device and method

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for communication. A network device determines at least one of first information, second information, or third information, where the first information indicates a TDD setting for a terminal device, the second information indicates at least one of a power level or a hardware state of a repeater device, and the third information indicates a channel quality of a first link between the network device and the terminal device via the repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device. The network device determines control information indicating on or off of the repeater device based on at least one of the first information, second information, or third information, and transmits the control information to the repeater device. Thus, the determination and transmission of on / off information for a network-controlled repeater device is defined.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to a communication method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for network controlled repeaters. [Background technology]

[0002] Coverage is a fundamental aspect of cellular network deployment. As is well known, radio frequency (RF) repeaters may be used simply to amplify and forward the signals they receive. While RF repeaters offer a cost-effective means of extending network coverage, they fail to take into account a variety of factors that may improve performance; they simply perform an amplify and forward operation.

[0003] Recently, network-controlled repeaters have been introduced to extend the coverage in high frequency (HF) in a more efficient way by adding side control information for beam management based on RF repeaters. It has been proposed that the side control information may include on-off information for efficient interference management and improved energy efficiency. However, the details regarding on-off information for network-controlled repeaters have not yet been defined and need to be studied. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In general, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for a network controlled repeater. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first aspect, a method of communication is provided, the method including: determining at least one of first information, second information, or third information in a network device, the first information indicating a time division duplexing setting for a terminal device, the second information indicating at least one of a power level or a hardware state of a repeater device, and the third information indicating channel quality of a first link between the network device and the terminal device via the repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device, determining control information indicating on or off of the repeater device based on at least one of the first information, the second information, or the third information, and transmitting the control information to the repeater device.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method of communication is provided, the method including: transmitting, at a repeater device, second information to a network device, the second information indicating at least one of a power level or a hardware state of the repeater device, and receiving control information from the network device, the control information indicating an on or off state of the repeater device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method of communication is provided, the method including: generating, in a terminal device, third information indicative of channel quality of a first link between a network device and the terminal device via a repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device; and transmitting the third information to the network device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a network device, comprising a processor configured to cause the network device to perform a method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, there is provided a repeater device, the repeater device comprising a processor configured to cause the repeater device to perform a method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, there is provided a terminal device, comprising a processor configured to cause the terminal device to execute a method according to the third aspect of the present disclosure.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to the first or second or third aspect of the present disclosure.

[0012] Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings.

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication network in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0015] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 3A] 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is slots according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG.

[0017] [Figure 3B] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is slots, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 3C]FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is slots, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 4A] 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG.

[0020] [Figure 4B] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 4C] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an on-off operation of a repeater device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example process for determining control information based on repeater state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 6B] 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example process for determining control information based on channel conditions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 7A] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of transmission of control information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 7B] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of transmission of control information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates an example communication method implemented in a network device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] [Figure 9] 2 illustrates an exemplary communication method implemented in a repeater device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary communication method implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] In the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only, to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitations on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways different from those described below.

[0033] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0034] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device having wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include User Equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, vehicle-mounted devices for V2X communications where X means pedestrian, vehicle, or infrastructure / network, devices for integrated access and integrated access and backhaul (IAB), Small Data Transmission (SDT), Multicast and Broadcast Services (MBS), positioning, dynamic / flexible duplication in commercial networks, reduced capability (RedCap), High Altitude Platforms (HAP) including satellites and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). These include, but are not limited to, satellite-mounted vehicles or airborne vehicles in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) including the ICT Platform, extended reality (XR) devices including different types of reality such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are aircraft without a human pilot and are commonly referred to as drones, devices on high speed trains (HSTs), image acquisition devices such as digital cameras, sensor game devices, music storage and playback devices, or Internet appliances that enable wireless or wired Internet access and browsing.The "Terminal Equipment" may further have "Multicast / Broadcast" capabilities to support public safety and mission critical V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast distribution, IPTV, Smart TV, wireless services, over-the-air software distribution, group communication and IoT applications. It may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), known as multi-SIMs. The term "Terminal Equipment" may be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0035] The term "network device" refers to a device capable of providing or hosting a cell or coverage in which a terminal device can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), a transmit / receive point (TRP), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), an IAB node, a femto node, a pico node, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), a low power node such as a network controlled repeater, etc.

[0036] The terminal device or network device may have the capability of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning. Generally, it includes a model trained from a large amount of data collected for a specific function and can be used to predict some information.

[0037] The terminal device or network device may operate on several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz-7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz-71 GHz), frequency bands greater than 100 GHz, and Tera Hertz (THz). It can also operate on licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. The terminal device may have two or more connections with the network device under Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) application scenarios. The terminal device or network device can operate in full duplex, flexible duplex, and cross division duplex modes.

[0038] The network device may have a function of network energy saving, Self-Organizing Networks (SON) / Minimization of Drive Test (MDT). The terminal may have a function of power saving.

[0039] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in test equipment, such as, for example, a signal generator, a signal analyzer, a spectrum analyzer, a network analyzer, a test terminal equipment, a test network equipment, a channel emulator, and the like.

[0040] In one embodiment, the terminal device can connect to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first network device and the second network device may be a master node and the other may be a secondary node. The first network device and the second network device may use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information about the different RATs may be transmitted to the terminal device from at least one of the first network device or the second network device. In one embodiment, the first information may be transmitted to the terminal device from the first network device and the second information may be transmitted to the terminal device from the second network device directly or via the first network device. In one embodiment, information about the configuration of the terminal device configured by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device via the first network device. Information regarding the reconfiguration of the terminal device configured by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device directly to the terminal device or via the first network device.

[0041] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "said" include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "comprises" and variations thereof should be understood as open-ended terms meaning "including, but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on." The terms "one embodiment" and "embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment." The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment." Terms such as "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object. The following may include other explicit and implicit definitions.

[0042] In some instances, values, procedures, or devices are referred to as "best," "lowest," "highest," "minimum," "maximum," etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to illustrate that selections can be made from among many functional alternatives used, and that such selections are not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or otherwise more preferred than other selections.

[0043] In the context of this application, the term "repeater" may be used interchangeably with "repeater device" or "network-controlled repeater", and the term "beam" may be used interchangeably with "link" or "channel" or "spatial filter". In the context of this application, the term "side control information" may be used interchangeably with "control information" or "on-off information". In the context of this application, the term "synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) index" may be used interchangeably with "channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) index".

[0044] In the context of this application, if the cyclic prefix (CP) length is normal CP, a slot may include 14 symbols, and if the CP length is extended cyclic prefix (ECP), a slot may include 12 symbols. For convenience, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in relation to normal CP. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied in relation to ECP.

[0045] Nowadays, - Beamforming information, - timing information for aligning the transmit and receive boundaries of network control repeaters; - Information about uplink (UL)-downlink (DL) time division duplexing (TDD) configuration, - On / off information for efficient interference management and improved energy efficiency, - power control information for efficient interference management (as a second priority); It will be studied and identified which side control information is necessary for the network controlling repeaters, including the assumption of maximum transmit power.

[0046] As mentioned above, details about on-off information need to be studied. In view of this, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a solution for determining and transmitting on-off information for a network-controlled repeater device. In this solution, the control information (i.e., the on-off information) is determined based on at least one of the TDD setting for the terminal device, the state of the repeater device, or the channel quality of the link between the network device, the terminal device, and the repeater device. The control information is transmitted on a dedicated resource.

[0047] In this way, the relationship between the on / off information and other communication parameters is defined, so as to ensure a more effective operation mode of the repeater device, and further, the resource allocation for transmitting the on / off information is defined, so as to ensure flexible switching of the operation mode of the repeater device.

[0048] The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Communication Network Example

[0049] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication network 100 may include a network device 110, a repeater device 120, and a terminal device 130. The network device 110 may serve the terminal device 130.

[0050] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may directly communicate with the terminal device 130. In this case, the link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130 is a direct link (also referred to as a second link for convenience). In some exemplary embodiments, the network device 110 may communicate with the terminal device 130 via the repeater device 120. In this case, the link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130 via the repeater device 120 is an indirect link (also referred to as a first link for convenience). The first link includes a first sub-link between the network device 110 and the repeater device 120 and a second sub-link between the repeater device 120 and the terminal device 130.

[0051] The repeater device 120 may have a forwarding function (also referred to as a normal operation mode) and a monitoring function (also referred to as a low power consumption mode). In the normal operation mode, the repeater device 120 may forward signal transmission between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130. That is, the repeater device 120 may receive a signal from the network device 110, amplify the received signal, and forward the amplified signal to the terminal device 130. Or, the repeater device 120 may receive a signal from the terminal device 130, amplify the received signal, and forward the amplified signal to the network device 110. In the low power consumption mode, the repeater device 120 may intermittently or periodically monitor the signal from the network device 110.

[0052] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may transmit side control information to the repeater device 120. The side control information may include at least one of beamforming information, timing information for aligning transmission and reception boundaries of the repeater device 120, information regarding UL-DL TDD configuration, on-off information for efficient interference management and improved energy efficiency, or power control information for efficient interference management.

[0053] 1, the network device 110 may support six beams 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 and 116 for communication, the repeater device 120 may support five beams 121, 122, 123, 124 and 125 for communication, and the terminal device 130 may support four beams 131, 132, 133 and 134 for communication. These beams may function as transmit beams or receive beams in DL or UL transmission. For convenience, assume that beams 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 and 116 are transmitting beams of network device 110 in DL transmission, beams 121, 122, 123 and 124 are transmitting beams of repeater device 120 in DL transmission, beam 125 is a receiving beam of repeater device 120 in DL transmission, and beams 131, 132, 133 and 134 are receiving beams of terminal device 130 in DL transmission.

[0054] It should be understood that the number of devices or beams in Figure 1 is given for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitations to the present disclosure. Communications network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and / or repeater devices and / or terminal devices and / or beams suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0055] Communications in communication network 100 may conform to any suitable standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in accordance with any generation of communication protocols now known or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced networks, or sixth generation (6G) networks.

[0056] In some scenarios, when the terminal device 130 moves, a block may occur between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130. As shown in FIG. 1, a beam pair may not be formed between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130, and a beam pair (e.g., beam 112 and beam 125) may be formed between the network device 110 and the repeater device 120. In this case, the network device 120 may perform a forwarding function between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130. That is, the network device 110 may communicate with the terminal device 130 via the repeater device 120.

[0057] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for determining and transmitting on / off information, which is described below with reference to Figures 2 to 7B. Example of realization of on / off information determination

[0058] 2 is a schematic diagram of an example communication process 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of illustration, the process 200 is described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 200 may involve the network device 110, the repeater device 120, and the terminal device 130 as shown in FIG. It should be noted that the process 200 may include more additional steps, may omit some steps as shown, and the present disclosure does not limit the order of the steps.

[0059] 2, the network device 110 determines (210) at least one of first information, second information, or third information. The first information indicates a TDD setting for the terminal device 130. The second information indicates at least one of a power level or a hardware state of the repeater device 120. The third information indicates channel quality of a first link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130 via the repeater device 120 and a second link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130.

[0060] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may obtain the TDD configuration locally (211). In some embodiments, the network device 110 may obtain the second information from the repeater device 120 (212). In some embodiments, the network device 110 may obtain the third information from the terminal device 130 (213).

[0061] Then, the network device 110 determines control information (i.e., on / off information) based on at least one of the first information, the second information, or the third information (220). For illustration purposes, several exemplary embodiments of determining the control information are described below in relation to embodiments 1 to 3. EMBODIMENT 1

[0062] In this embodiment, the network device 110 may determine the first information (ie, the TDD configuration) and determine the control information based on the first information.

[0063] In some embodiments, if a symbol in a slot indicated in a TDD configuration is a DL symbol, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is on for that slot. In other words, if a slot indicated in a TDD configuration is a DL slot, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is on for that slot. In some embodiments, if a symbol in a slot indicated in a TDD configuration is a UL symbol, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for that slot. In other words, if a slot indicated in a TDD configuration is a UL slot, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for that slot. For illustrative purposes, an example is described below in conjunction with FIG. 3A.

[0064] FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram 300A illustrating an example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is a slot, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3A, a slot structure 310 is indicated by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon in the TDD configuration. The slot structure 310 includes DL slots 311, special slots 312, and UL slots 313. FIG. 3A also illustrates a symbol structure 321 of one of the special slots 312 adjacent to the last DL slot of the DL slots 311, a symbol structure 322 of one of the special slots 312 adjacent to the first UL slot of the UL slots 313, and the remaining slots 323 of the special slots 312. A symbol structure 330 of the remaining slots 323 is indicated by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated in the TDD configuration.

[0065] In the example of FIG. 3A, the granularity of the on / off state is a slot. For each DL slot 311, the network device 110 may make the control information indicate the repeater device 120 to be on. Even if the symbol structure 321 includes less than 14 DL symbols (i.e., one slot with a normal CP length, when the ECP length is applied, the number of symbols in one slot is 12), the network device 110 may ensure DL transmission by making the control information indicate the repeater device 120 to be on for one of the special slots 312 adjacent to the DL slot 311. Since the first 14 symbols of the symbol structure 330 are all DL symbols, the network device 110 may make the control information indicate the repeater device 120 to be on for the first 14 symbols of the symbol structure 330.

[0066] For each of the UL slots 313, the network device 110 may ensure that the control information indicates the repeater device 120 to be off. Because the symbol structure 322 includes fewer than 14 UL symbols (i.e., one slot), the network device 110 may ensure possible DL transmission on the flexible symbol by causing the control information to indicate the repeater device 120 to be on for one of the special slots 312 adjacent to the first UL slot 311. Because the last 14 symbols of the symbol structure 330 are all UL symbols, the network device 110 may ensure that the control information indicates the repeater device 120 to be off for the last 14 symbols of the symbol structure 330. It should be understood that FIG. 3A is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting.

[0067] In some embodiments, if at least one DL transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with at least one UL transmission scheduled by DL control information, and the set of symbols and the set of UL symbols form a slot, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turn off the repeater device 120 for the slot. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include one symbol. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include multiple symbols. For illustrative purposes, an example is described below in conjunction with FIG. 3B.

[0068] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram 300B illustrating another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on-off state is a slot, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3B, the higher layer signaling indicates that at least one DL transmission is performed on a set of symbols 340, and downlink control information (DCI) schedules at least one UL transmission on a set of symbols 341. The set of symbols 340 may partially overlap with the set of symbols 341. That is, the at least one DL transmission collides with the at least one UL transmission. As shown in FIG. 3B, the set of symbols 340 and the set of UL symbols 342 form a slot. Then, the network device 110 may indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for the slot in which the control information includes the set of symbols 340 and the set of UL symbols 342.

[0069] For example, the at least one DL transmission may be a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a DL positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission. For example, the at least one UL transmission may be a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical random access channel (PRACH), or a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission. It should be understood that these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0070] As another example, the higher layer signaling indicates that at least one DL transmission is performed on a set of symbols 343, and downlink control information (DCI) schedules at least one UL transmission on a set of symbols 344. The symbols in the set of symbols 344 are non-contiguous. The set of symbols 343 may partially overlap with the set of symbols 344. That is, the at least one DL transmission collides with the at least one UL transmission. As shown in FIG. 3B, the set of symbols 343 and the set of UL symbols 345 form a slot. Then, the network device 110 may indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for the slot in which the control information includes the set of symbols 343 and the set of UL symbols 345. It should be understood that FIG. 3B is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting.

[0071] In some embodiments, if at least one DL transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one UL symbol indicated in the TDD configuration, and the set of symbols and the set of UL symbols form a slot, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off the repeater device 120 for the slot. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include one symbol. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include multiple symbols. For illustrative purposes, an example is described below in conjunction with FIG. 3C.

[0072] FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram 300C illustrating yet another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is a slot, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3C, the higher layer signaling or DCI information indicates that at least one DL transmission is performed on a set of symbols 350. The set of symbols 350 partially overlaps with a set of UL symbols 351 indicated in the TDD configuration. That is, the at least one DL transmission collides with the set of UL symbols indicated in the TDD configuration. As shown in FIG. 3C, the set of symbols 350 and the set of UL symbols 352 form a slot. Then, the network device 110 may indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for the slot in which the control information includes the set of symbols 350 and the set of UL symbols 352. It should be understood that FIG. 3C is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting.

[0073] In some embodiments where the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is on for a DL symbol or a flexible symbol. In some embodiments where the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for a UL symbol. For illustrative purposes, an example is described below in connection with FIG. 4A.

[0074] FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram 400A illustrating an example of determining control information when the granularity of the on-off state is a symbol, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4A, a slot structure 410 is indicated by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon in the TDD configuration. The slot structure 410 includes a DL slot 411, a special slot 412, and a UL slot 413. FIG. 4A also illustrates a symbol structure 421 of one special slot among the special slots 412 adjacent to the last DL slot among the DL slots 411, a symbol structure 422 of one special slot among the special slots 412 adjacent to the first UL slot among the UL slots 413, and the remaining slots 423 of the special slots 412. A symbol structure 430 of the remaining slots 423 is indicated by TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated in the TDD configuration.

[0075] In the example of Figure 4A, the granularity of the on-off state is a symbol. For each symbol of DL slot 411, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate repeater device 120 ON. For DL ​​symbols included in symbol structure 421, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate repeater device 120 OFF for these DL symbols. For DL ​​symbols included in symbol structure 430, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate repeater device 120 ON for these DL symbols.

[0076] For each symbol in the UL slot 413, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off the repeater device 120. For the UL symbols included in the symbol structure 422, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off the repeater device 120 for these UL symbols. For the UL symbols included in the symbol structure 430, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off the repeater device 120 for these UL symbols. It should be understood that FIG. 4A is an example only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0077] In some embodiments where the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, if a DL transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with a UL transmission scheduled by DCI, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate the repeater device 120 off for the set of symbols. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include one symbol. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include multiple symbols. For illustrative purposes, an example is described below in conjunction with FIG. 4B.

[0078] FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram 400B illustrating another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4B, the higher layer signaling indicates that at least one DL transmission is performed on a set of symbols 440, and the DCI schedules at least one UL transmission on a set of symbols 441. The set of symbols 440 may partially overlap with the set of symbols 441. That is, the at least one DL transmission collides with the at least one UL transmission. In this case, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for the set of symbols 440.

[0079] For example, the at least one DL transmission may be a PDCCH, a PDSCH, a CSI-RS, or a DL PRS transmission. For example, the at least one UL transmission may be a PUCCH, a PUSCH, a PRACH, or an SRS transmission. It should be understood that these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0080] As another example, the higher layer signaling indicates that at least one DL transmission is performed on a set of symbols 443, and the DCI schedules at least one UL transmission on a set of symbols 444. The symbols in the set of symbols 444 are non-contiguous. The set of symbols 443 may partially overlap with the set of symbols 444. That is, the at least one DL transmission collides with the at least one UL transmission. In this case, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for the set of symbols 443. It should be understood that FIG. 4B is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting.

[0081] In some embodiments where the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, if at least one DL transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one UL symbol, then the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turn off the repeater device 120 for the set of symbols. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include one symbol. In some embodiments, the set of symbols may include multiple symbols. For illustrative purposes, an example is described below in conjunction with FIG. 4C.

[0082] FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram 400C illustrating yet another example of determining control information when the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4C, the higher layer signaling or DCI information indicates that at least one DL transmission is performed on a set of symbols 450. The set of symbols 450 partially overlaps with a set of UL symbols 451 indicated in the TDD configuration. That is, the at least one DL transmission collides with the set of UL symbols indicated in the TDD configuration. In this case, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for the set of symbols 450. It should be understood that FIG. 4C is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting.

[0083] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may include a DL transceiver and a UL transceiver. In these embodiments, turning on the repeater device 120 may include turning on the DL transceiver of the repeater device 120 and turning off the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120. Turning off the repeater device 120 may include turning off the DL transceiver of the repeater device 120 and turning on the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120.

[0084] In some embodiments, when a UL transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with a DL transmission scheduled by a DCI, the network device 110 may determine whether a gap between a first symbol in the set of symbols and a last symbol carrying the DCI is equal to or greater than a threshold gap. If the gap is equal to or greater than the threshold gap, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning on the DL transceiver of the repeater device 120 and turning off the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120 for the set of symbols. If the gap is smaller than the threshold gap, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning on the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120 for the set of symbols. In some embodiments, the threshold gap may be predefined or preconfigured. Of course, the threshold gap may be determined in any other suitable manner. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the value of the threshold gap. For illustrative purposes, an example is described below in conjunction with FIG. 5.

[0085] 5 is a schematic diagram 500 illustrating an example of an on / off operation of a repeater device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the higher layer signaling indicates that at least one UL transmission is performed on a set of symbols 540, and the DCI schedules at least one DL transmission on a set of symbols 541. The set of symbols 540 may partially overlap with the set of symbols 541, i.e., the at least one UL transmission collides with the at least one DL transmission.

[0086] In this example, the gap between the first symbol in the set of symbols 540 and the last symbol of the DCI is a threshold gap (e.g., T proc,2 ) In some embodiments where the granularity of the on-off state is a slot, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate, for the slot including the set of symbols 540 and the set of DL symbols 542, that the DL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is on and that the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is off. In some embodiments where the granularity of the on-off state is a symbol, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate, for the set of symbols 540, that the DL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is on and that the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is off.

[0087] As another example, the higher layer signaling indicates that at least one UL transmission is to be performed on a set of symbols 543, and the DCI schedules at least one DL transmission on a set of symbols 544. The symbols in the set of symbols 544 are non-contiguous. The set of symbols 543 may partially overlap with the set of symbols 544. That is, the at least one UL transmission collides with the at least one DL transmission.

[0088] In this example, the gap between the first symbol in the set of symbols 543 and the last symbol of the DCI is a threshold gap (e.g., T proc,25. In some embodiments where the granularity of the on / off state is a slot, the network device 110 may indicate that the DL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is on and that the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is off for the slot that includes the set of symbols 543 and the set of DL symbols 545. In some embodiments where the granularity of the on / off state is a symbol, the network device 110 may indicate that the control information indicates that the DL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is on and that the UL transceiver of the repeater device 120 is off for the set of symbols 543. It should be understood that FIG. 5 is by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0089] If the granularity of the on-off states is a slot, it is possible to provide lower complexity. If the granularity of the on-off states is a symbol, it is possible to provide greater flexibility. EMBODIMENT 2

[0090] In this embodiment, the network device 110 may determine the second information (i.e., at least one of a power level or a hardware state of the repeater device 120) and determine the control information based on the second information. Some exemplary embodiments are described with reference to FIG. 6A.

[0091] 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example process 600A for determining control information based on a repeater state, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the process 600A is described below with reference to FIG 1. It should be understood that the process 600A may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some of the blocks shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 6A, the network device 110 may obtain 610 the second information from the repeater device 120.

[0093] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may transmit an indication to the network device 110 indicating the type of device that will power the repeater device 120 (611). In some embodiments, the device for powering the repeater device 120 may be a power network. In some embodiments, the device for powering the repeater device 120 may be a power grid. In some embodiments, the device for powering the repeater device 120 may be an emergency generator. In some embodiments, the device for powering the repeater device 120 may be a battery. It should be understood that the device for powering the repeater device 120 may be of any other suitable type.

[0094] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may transmit (612) to the repeater device 120 a configuration (also referred to herein as a first configuration for convenience) indicating at least one of a resource or a time period for updating the second information. Based on the first configuration, the repeater device 120 may transmit (613) the second information to the network device 110. In this manner, the second information may be obtained periodically.

[0095] In some embodiments, the resource for updating the second information may be preset to have a time period, and the time period of the resource may be associated with the time period for updating the second information.

[0096] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the period for updating the second information based on the type of device for powering the repeater device 120. In other words, different periods are expected for different types of devices for powering the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, a long period may be used for a power network or power grid. In some embodiments, a medium period may be used for an emergency generator. In some embodiments, a short period may be used for a battery. It should be understood that these are only examples and any other suitable method for determining the period for updating the second information is also possible.

[0097] In some scenarios, if the timeline of the period for updating the second information is set too long, it may cause incorrect timing. In view of this, in some embodiments, the network device 110 may send a request to the repeater device 120 to update the second information within a certain time interval (614). The time interval may be associated with a type of device for powering the repeater device 120. In response to the request, the repeater device 120 may send the second information to the network device 110 (615). In this way, the second information can be obtained aperiodically.

[0098] Continuing to refer to FIG. 6A, upon receiving the second information, the network device 110 may determine 620 control information based on the second information. In some embodiments, the on / off state or transmit power may be associated with the power provided by the device to power the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, a lower transmit power is used when lower power is provided. For example, a high transmit power may be used for a power network or grid; a medium transmit power may be used for an emergency generator; and a low transmit power may be used for a battery.

[0099] In some embodiments, network device 110 may compare the power level indicated by the second information to a threshold level (621). If the power level indicated by the second information is less than or equal to the threshold level, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off repeater device 120 (622). In some embodiments, if the power level is greater than the threshold level, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning on repeater device 120 (623).

[0100] In some embodiments, a threshold level may be associated with at least one of the service types, or the entirety of them. For example, if the service type indicates video, the threshold level may be a high threshold level. If the service type indicates graphics, the threshold level may be a medium threshold level. If the service type indicates words or web messages, the threshold level may be a low threshold level.

[0101] In some alternative or additional embodiments, if the second information includes a hardware status, and the hardware status indicates hardware damage or failure of the repeater device 120, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off the repeater device 120.

[0102] The second information reported by the repeater device realizes an active trigger for transmitting the on-off information.

[0103] Alternatively, a trigger based on the requirements of the repeater device may be further implemented for sending the on / off information. Continuing to refer to FIG. 6A, in some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may send a request to the network device 110 to turn off the repeater device 120 (630).

[0104] For example, the repeater device 120 may determine whether the current power level is equal to or lower than a threshold level. If the current power level is equal to or lower than a threshold level, the repeater device 120 may send a request to the network device 110 to turn off the repeater device 120. As another example, the repeater device 120 may determine whether hardware damage or failure has occurred in the repeater device 120. For example, if the temperature of the repeater device 120 exceeds a threshold temperature, the repeater device 120 may determine that hardware damage or failure has occurred. Of course, any other suitable method is also possible. In response to the occurrence of hardware damage or failure, the repeater device 120 may send a request to the network device 110 to turn off the repeater device 120.

[0105] Upon receiving this request from repeater device 120, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that repeater device 120 is turned off (631).

[0106] It should be understood that the repeater state may take any other suitable form and that any other suitable method for determining control information based on the repeater state is also possible. EMBODIMENT 3

[0107] In this embodiment, the network device 110 may determine third information (i.e., channel quality of the indirect link (i.e., the first link) and the direct link (i.e., the second link) between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130) and determine the control information based on the third information. In practice, any damage or failure that cannot be detected by the repeater device 120 may be measured as part of the channel condition. Some exemplary embodiments are described with reference to FIG. 6B.

[0108] 6B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example process 600B for determining control information based on a repeater state, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the process 600B is described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that the process 600B may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks that are shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 6B, the network device 110 may obtain 640 the third information from the repeater device 120.

[0110] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may transmit (641) to the terminal device 130 a configuration (also referred to herein as a second configuration for convenience) indicating a first resource set and a second resource set, the first resource set being configured for channel measurements of a first link (also referred to herein as a first channel measurement for convenience) and the second resource set being configured for channel measurements of a second link (also referred to herein as a second channel measurement for convenience).

[0111] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may transmit 642 a first set of reference signals on the first resource set to the terminal device 130. For example, the first set of reference signals may be a set of channel condition CSI-RS or any other suitable reference signals. In this case, the network device 110 may transmit the first set of reference signals to the repeater device 120, which may forward the first set of reference signals to the terminal device 130.

[0112] The terminal device 130 may perform a first channel measurement for the first set of reference signals (643). In some embodiments, the result of the first channel measurement may be reference signal receive power (RSRP). In some embodiments, the result of the first channel measurement may be reference signal receive quality (RSRQ). It should be understood that any other suitable format is also possible. The terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the first channel measurement to the network device 110 (644). For example, the terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the first channel measurement to the repeater device 120, which may forward the result of the first channel measurement to the network device 110.

[0113] In some embodiments, network device 110 may transmit (645) the second set of reference signals on the second resource set to terminal device 130. For example, the second set of reference signals may be another set of channel condition CSI-RS or any other suitable reference signals. In this case, network device 110 may transmit the second set of reference signals directly to terminal device 130.

[0114] Terminal device 130 may then perform a second channel measurement on the second set of reference signals (646). In some embodiments, the result of the second channel measurement may be an RSRP. In some embodiments, the result of the first channel measurement may be an RSRQ. It should be understood that any other suitable format is also possible. Terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the second channel measurement to network device 110 (647). For example, terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the second channel measurement to network device 110.

[0115] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine a third resource set and a fourth resource set based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result (648). The third resource set is configured for the interference measurement of the first link (also referred to herein as a first interference measurement for convenience), and the fourth resource set is configured for the interference measurement of the second link (also referred to herein as a second interference measurement for convenience). The network device 110 may then transmit a configuration (also referred to herein as a third configuration for convenience) indicating the third resource set and the fourth resource set to the terminal device 130 (649).

[0116] The network device 110 may transmit 650 a third set of reference signals on the third resource set to the terminal device 130. For example, the third set of reference signals may be a set of channel condition CSI-RS or any other suitable reference signals. In this case, the network device 110 may transmit the third set of reference signals to the repeater device 120, which may forward the third set of reference signals to the terminal device 130.

[0117] Terminal device 130 may then perform a first interference measurement on the third set of reference signals (651). In some embodiments, the result of the first interference measurement may be a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR). It should be understood that any other suitable format is also possible. Terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the first interference measurement to network device 110 (652). For example, terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the first interference measurement to repeater device 120, which may forward the result of the first interference measurement to network device 110.

[0118] The network device 110 may transmit the fourth set of reference signals on the fourth resource set to the terminal device 130 (653). For example, the fourth set of reference signals may be a set of channel condition CSI-RS or any other suitable reference signals. In this case, the network device 110 may transmit the fourth set of reference signals directly to the terminal device 130.

[0119] Terminal device 130 may then perform a second interference measurement on the fourth set of reference signals (654). In some embodiments, the result of the second interference measurement may be a SINR. It should be understood that any other suitable format is also possible. Terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the second interference measurement to network device 110 (655). For example, terminal device 130 may transmit the result of the second interference measurement directly to network device 110.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first resource set and the second resource set may be used for the first channel measurement and the second channel measurement on a beam pair set. The beam pair set may include two subsets corresponding to two links, respectively. Based on the results of the first channel measurement and the second channel measurement, M1 beam pairs in the subset of the beam pair set are selected for the first interference measurement, and M2 beam pairs in another beam pair of the beam pair set are selected for the second interference measurement. Based on the results of the interference measurement for both the M1 beam pairs and the M2 beam pairs, one beam pair may be selected as the final beam pair. The values ​​of M1 and M2 may be the same or different.

[0121] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine which of the first link and the second link has better channel quality based on results of the first and second interference measurements (660). In some alternative embodiments, the network device 110 may determine which of the first and second links has better channel quality based on results of the first and second channel measurements.

[0122] In some embodiments, if the channel quality of the first link is less than or equal to the channel quality of the second link, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off repeater device 120. If the channel quality of the first link is greater than the channel quality of the second link, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning on repeater device 120. Example of sending on / off information

[0123] Returning to FIG. 2, once the control information has been determined, the network device 110 transmits 230 the control information to the repeater device 120 . 1. Resource Allocation

[0124] In some embodiments, network device 110 may transmit (231) to repeater device 120 a configuration (also referred to herein as a fourth configuration for convenience) regarding resource allocation for transmission of control information.

[0125] In some embodiments, the fourth configuration may indicate an identity (ID) of a control resource set (CORESET) configured for the repeater device 120. For example, a dedicated CORESET may be configured for the transmission of control information. For example, a control channel element (CCE) may include N*6 resource blocks in the frequency domain, where N represents the number of bits 1 of the field frequencyDomainResources for the CORESET with the corresponding ID. As another example, the ID of the CORESET may be selected from {16 to 19}. In some embodiments, the CORESET may be configured excluding the field precoderGranularity. In some embodiments, the CORESET may be configured by changing some fields from mandatory to conditionally mandatory.

[0126] In some embodiments, the fourth setting may indicate a maximum number of RBs (represented as Nmax) configured for the repeater device 120. For example, Nmax=4 to minimize the CORESET size in the frequency domain, resulting in low blind detection complexity. As another example, Nmax may be equal to the number of RBs for a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (SSB), for example, Nmax=20.

[0127] By setting the maximum number of RBs, resources on other locations in the frequency domain may be used for PDSCH or PDCCH transmission for the UE, which can increase the flexibility of resource allocation in the frequency domain and ensure higher resource utilization.

[0128] By setting the maximum number of RBs, it is possible to minimize the bandwidth part (BWP) supported by the repeater device and to reduce the complexity caused by detection of control information.

[0129] In some embodiments, by setting the maximum number of RBs, the resource location in the frequency domain for the control information is fixed, for example, the control information may be located at the edge or the center of the entire carrier bandwidth, which reduces the complexity of blind detection of the side control information.

[0130] In some embodiments, a dedicated resource block group (RBG) size may be defined for the repeater device to receive control information, for example, a new configuration represented as "configuration 3" is added for RBG size definition. As a detailed embodiment, the starting point may be aligned with the RBG for PDSCH resource allocation for other UEs. [Table 1]

[0131] In some embodiments, the fourth configuration may indicate a set of BWPs configured for the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the set of BWPs may be different from the set of BWPs for the UE's PDCCH or PDSCH transmissions. In some embodiments, the set of BWPs may be dedicated for the repeater device 120 to detect control information. In some embodiments, the set of BWPs may include one BWP. In some embodiments, the set of BWPs may include multiple BWPs. In some embodiments, to combat frequency selectivity of the channel, different BWPs in the set of BWPs may be activated by a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, different BWPs in the set of BWPs may be activated in a predefined manner.

[0132] In some embodiments, the maximum bandwidth may be associated with the capabilities of the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may support a small maximum bandwidth value, thus reducing the complexity of the repeater device 120.

[0133] In some embodiments, the maximum number of symbols for the time interval of the CORESET may be increased. For example, the maximum number of symbols may be 14 symbols, i.e., an entire slot. Thus, time division multiplexed demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports for different repeaters can be supported. Additionally, resources can be avoided by the rate matching pattern configuration for PDSCH scheduling for the UE without causing any impact on the UE procedures. For example, the ID of the CORESET may be indicated in the rate matching pattern configuration. As another example, the RBs and symbols allocated for side control information may be indicated in the rate matching pattern configuration.

[0134] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to setting CORESET, and any other suitable method is also possible. 2. Transmission of on / off information

[0135] Referring to FIG. 6B, the network device 110 may determine (232) resources based on the fourth configuration and transmit (233) the control information on the resources.

[0136] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may receive from the repeater device 120 the capabilities of the repeater device 120. For example, multiple capability levels may be predefined, and the repeater device 120 may report one of the capability levels. Table 1 shows examples of capability levels. In this example, T GAP The unit of is the symbol, and T GAP The value of is scaled by SCS, which means that T GAP =2 μ Or T GAP =2 (μ-1) Meet the following. [Table 2] In the example in Table 1, T GAP It can be seen that for, the same absolute time is provided for different SCSs.

[0137] As another example, the ability levels may be predefined, as shown in Table 2. In this example, T GAP The unit of is the symbol, and T GAP The value of increases exponentially with SCS. [Table 3] In the example in Table 2, T GAP It can be seen that for provides absolute times that decrease with increasing SCS.

[0138] In some embodiments, a reference SCS may be used instead of the SCS of the resource carrying the control information.

[0139] The network device 110 determines the period (T GAP In some embodiments, T GAP The unit of T may be a symbol. GAP The unit of the control information may be a slot. The network device 110 may transmit the control information at a timing that is earlier than the effective time of the control information by the time period.

[0140] In other words, if the on / off state indicated by the control information is different from the current on / off state, the repeater device 120 will notify the repeater device 120 at least a period T GAP The on / off state may be switched later. For illustrative purposes, an example will be described below with reference to Figure 7A.

[0141] FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram 700A illustrating an example of transmission of control information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, T GAP The unit of is a symbol, and the granularity of the on / off state switching is a symbol.

[0142] 7A, the repeater device 120 may receive control information at timing 701. If the current on / off state at the time of receiving the control information is on and the on / off state indicated by the control information is on, the repeater device 120 may receive control information at timing 701. GAPThe repeater device 120 may maintain the on state at timing 702, which is later than the current on / off state. If the current on / off state when the control information is received is on and the on / off state indicated by the control information is off, the repeater device 120 may switch to the off state at timing 702, as shown by reference numeral 720. If the current on / off state when the control information is received is off and the on / off state indicated by the control information is off, the repeater device 120 may maintain the off state at timing 702, as shown by reference numeral 730. If the current on / off state when the control information is received is off and the on / off state indicated by the control information is on, the repeater device 120 may switch to the on state at timing 702, as shown by reference numeral 740.

[0143] FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram 700B illustrating another example of transmission of control information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, T GAP The unit of is a symbol, and the granularity of the on / off state switching is a slot.

[0144] 7B, the repeater device 120 may receive control information at timing 703. If the current on / off state at the time of receiving the control information is on and the on / off state indicated by the control information is on, the repeater device 120 may receive control information at timing 703, as shown by reference numeral 750. GAPThe repeater device 120 may maintain the on state at the first slot boundary (i.e., timing advance value 704) after timing 705 later by 1 s. If the current on / off state upon receipt of the control information is on and the on / off state indicated by the control information is off, the repeater device 120 may switch to the off state at timing 704, as shown at 760. If the current on / off state upon receipt of the control information is off and the on / off state indicated by the control information is off, the repeater device 120 may maintain the off state at timing 704, as shown at 770. If the current on / off state upon receipt of the control information is off and the on / off state indicated by the control information is on, the repeater device 120 may switch to the on state at timing 704, as shown at 780.

[0145] In some embodiments, network device 110 may transmit control information over a wired link. For example, network device 110 may transmit control information over cable or fiber between network device 110 and repeater device 120. It should be understood that any other suitable wired link is also possible.

[0146] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may transmit the control information over a wireless link. For example, the network device 110 may transmit the control information over Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, LTE, CDMA, NR-FR1, or NR-FR2. It should be understood that any other suitable wireless link is also possible.

[0147] In some embodiments, the period T GAP may be associated with the communication scheme used for transmitting the control information.

[0148] Up to this point, the determination and transmission of on / off information for the network control repeater device is realized. Example of the method

[0149] Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide communication methods implemented in a network device, a repeater device and a terminal device, which are described below with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

[0150] 8 illustrates an example communication method 800 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 800 may be performed in network device 110 as shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 800 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 800 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks that are shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0151] In block 810, the network device 110 determines at least one of first information, second information, or third information, where the first information indicates a time division duplex setting for the terminal device 130, the second information indicates at least one of a power level or a hardware status of the repeater device 120, and the third information indicates channel quality of a first link between the network device and the terminal device via the repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device.

[0152] At block 820, the network device 110 determines control information indicating turning the repeater device 120 on or off based on at least one of the first information, the second information, or the third information.

[0153] In some embodiments, network device 110 may send to repeater device 120 a first setting indicating at least one of a resource or a time period for updating the second information, and receive from repeater device 120 the second information based on the first setting. In some embodiments, network device 110 may determine the time period based on a type of device for powering repeater device 120.

[0154] In some embodiments, if the power level is below the threshold level, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off the repeater device 120. If the power level is above the threshold level, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning on the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the threshold level is associated with at least one of the service types, or all of them.

[0155] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may send a request to update the second information to the repeater device 120 within a time interval associated with a type of device for powering the repeater device 120, and receive the second information from the repeater device 120.

[0156] In some embodiments, network device 110 may further receive an indication from repeater device 120 indicating the type of device for powering the repeater device.

[0157] In some embodiments, in response to receiving a request from repeater device 120 to turn off repeater device 120, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off repeater device 120.

[0158] In some embodiments, network device 110 may transmit a second configuration to terminal device 130 indicating a first resource set configured for a first channel measurement of the first link and a second resource set configured for a second channel measurement of the second link. Network device 110 may transmit a first set of reference signals on the first resource set and a second set of reference signals on the second resource set to terminal device 130 and receive results of the first and second channel measurements from terminal device 130.

[0159] In some embodiments, network device 110 may further determine a third resource set configured for the first interference measurement of the first link and a fourth resource set configured for the second interference measurement of the second link based on results of the first and second measurements, and transmit a third configuration indicating the third and fourth resource sets to terminal device 130. In these embodiments, network device 110 may transmit a third set of reference signals on the third resource set and a fourth set of reference signals on the fourth resource set to terminal device 130, and receive results of the first and second interference measurements from terminal device 130.

[0160] In some embodiments, if the channel quality of the first link is less than or equal to the channel quality of the second link, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off repeater device 120. If the channel quality of the first link is greater than the channel quality of the second link, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning on repeater device 120.

[0161] At block 830 , the network device 110 transmits the control information to the terminal device 120 .

[0162] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may receive from the repeater device 120 the capabilities of the repeater device 120 and transmit the control information at a timing at least a period earlier than the effective time of the control information, the period being related to the capabilities of the repeater device 120 and the subcarrier spacing of the resources carrying the control information.

[0163] In some embodiments, network device 110 may transmit a fourth configuration indicating at least one of an identity of a control resource set configured for repeater device 120, a maximum number of resource blocks configured for repeater device 120, or a set of bandwidth parts configured for repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the maximum number of symbols for a time interval of the control resource set is 14.

[0164] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the resources based on the fourth configuration and transmit the control information on the resources.

[0165] In some embodiments, if a symbol in a slot indicated in a time division duplexing configuration is a downlink symbol, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is on for that slot. If a symbol in a slot indicated in a time division duplexing configuration is an uplink symbol, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate that the repeater device 120 is off for that slot.

[0166] In some embodiments, if at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with at least one uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information, and the set of symbols and the set of uplink symbols form a slot, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turn-off of repeater device 120 for the slot. In some embodiments, if at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one uplink symbol indicated in a time division duplex configuration, and the set of symbols and the set of uplink symbols form a slot, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turn-off of repeater device 120 for the slot.

[0167] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate the repeater device on for downlink symbols and the control information to indicate the repeater device off for uplink symbols. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

[0168] In some embodiments, if a downlink transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with an uplink transmission scheduled by the downlink control information, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off repeater device 120 for that set of symbols. In some embodiments, if at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one uplink symbol, network device 110 may cause the control information to indicate turning off repeater device 120 for that set of symbols.

[0169] In some embodiments, turning on the repeater equipment includes turning on a downlink transceiver of the repeater equipment and turning off an uplink transceiver of the repeater equipment, and turning off the repeater equipment includes turning off the downlink transceiver of the repeater equipment and turning on the uplink transceiver of the repeater equipment.

[0170] The method 800 defines the determination and transmission of on / off information.

[0171] 9 illustrates an example communication method 900 implemented in a repeater device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the method 900 may be performed in a repeater device 120 as shown in FIG. For purposes of explanation, the method 900 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that the method 900 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks that are shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0172] At block 910, the repeater device 120 transmits to the network device 110 second information indicative of at least one of the power level or hardware state of the repeater device.

[0173] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may receive a first setting from the network device indicating at least one of a resource or a time period for updating the second information, and transmit the second information to the network device based on the first setting.

[0174] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may receive a request from the network device 110 to update the second information within a time interval associated with a type of device for powering the repeater device, and in response to the request, transmit the second information to the network device 110.

[0175] At block 920, repeater device 120 receives control information from network device 110 indicating whether repeater device 120 is on or off.

[0176] In some embodiments, if the power level is at or below a threshold level, the repeater device 120 may send a request to the repeater device 120 to turn off the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the threshold level may be associated with at least one of the service types, or all of them.

[0177] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may further send an indication to the network device 110 indicating the type of device that is providing power to the repeater device 120 .

[0178] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may further transmit its capabilities to the network device 110. In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may turn on or off based on the control information at a time period later than the time of receipt of the control information, the time period being related to the capabilities of the repeater device 120 and the subcarrier spacing of the resources carrying the control information.

[0179] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may further receive a fourth configuration indicating at least one of an identity of a control resource set configured for the repeater device 120, a maximum number of resource blocks configured for the repeater device 120, or a set of bandwidth parts configured for the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the maximum number of symbols for a time interval of the control resource set is 14.

[0180] In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 may receive the control information by performing blind detection based on the fourth configuration.

[0181] Method 900 allows a repeater device to facilitate the determination and transmission of on / off information by reporting relevant information to a network device.

[0182] 10 illustrates an example communication method 1000 implemented in a terminal device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the method 1000 may be performed in a terminal device 130 as shown in FIG. For purposes of explanation, the method 1000 will be described below with reference to the terminal device 130 in FIG. It should be understood that the method 1000 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks that are shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0183] In block 1010, the terminal device 130 generates third information indicating the channel quality of a first link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130 via the repeater device 120 and a second link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130.

[0184] In some embodiments, the terminal device 130 may receive a second configuration from the network device 110 indicating a first resource set configured for a first channel measurement of a first link and a second resource set configured for a second channel measurement of a second link. The terminal device 130 may perform the first and second channel measurements on a first set of reference signals received on the first resource set and a second set of reference signals received on the second resource set. The terminal device 130 may then determine results of the first and second channel measurements as third information.

[0185] In some embodiments, terminal device 130 may further receive a third configuration from network device 110 indicating a third resource set configured for a first interference measurement of a first link and a fourth resource set configured for a second interference measurement of a second link. Terminal device 130 may perform the first and second interference measurements on a third set of reference signals received on the third resource set and a fourth set of reference signals received on the fourth resource set. Terminal device 130 may then determine results of the first and second interference measurements as the third information.

[0186] In block 1020 , the terminal device 130 transmits the third information to the network device 110 .

[0187] Method 1000 may allow a terminal device to facilitate determining on / off information by reporting channel conditions to a network device. Examples of equipment and devices

[0188] 11 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 1100 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus 1100 may be considered as another exemplary implementation of the network apparatus 110, the repeater apparatus 120, or the terminal apparatus 130 shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the apparatus 1100 may be implemented in or as at least a part of the network apparatus 110, the repeater apparatus 120, or the terminal apparatus 130.

[0189] As shown, the apparatus 1100 comprises a processor 1110, a memory 1120 coupled to the processor 1110, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 1140 coupled to the processor 1110, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 1140. The memory 1110 stores at least a portion of a program 1130. The TX / RX 1140 is used for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 1140 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although the access nodes referred to herein may in practice have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, an S1 / NG interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and an eNB / gNB, an Un interface for communication between an eNB / gNB and a relay node (RN), or a Uu interface for communication between an eNB / gNB and a terminal device.

[0190] The program 1130 is assumed to include program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 1110, enable the device 1100 to operate according to embodiments of the present disclosure, as described herein with reference to Figures 1-7B. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 1110 of the device 1100, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The processor 1110 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the combination of the processor 1110 and the memory 1120 may form a processing means 1150 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0191] The memory 1120 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, by way of non-limiting example, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. Although only one memory 1120 is shown in the device 1100, there may be several physically different memory modules in the device 1100. The processor 1110 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP) and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 1100 may have multiple processors, for example application specific integrated circuit chips time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0192] In some embodiments, the network device comprises circuitry configured to determine at least one of first information, second information, or third information, where the first information indicates a time division duplexing setting for a terminal device, the second information indicates at least one of a power level or a hardware state of a repeater device, and the third information indicates channel quality of a first link between the network device and the terminal device via the repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device, determine control information indicating on or off of the repeater device based on at least one of the first information, the second information, or the third information, and transmit the control information to the repeater device.

[0193] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the second information by sending to the repeater device a first configuration indicating at least one of a resource or a time period for updating the second information, and receiving from the repeater device the second information based on the first configuration.

[0194] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the control information by: causing the control information to indicate turning off the repeater unit in response to a determination that the power level is equal to or less than a threshold level; and causing the control information to indicate turning on the repeater unit in response to a determination that the power level is greater than a threshold level. In some embodiments, a threshold level is associated with at least one, or all, of the service types.

[0195] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to determine the period of time based on a type of device for powering the repeater unit.

[0196] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the second information by sending a request to the repeater device within a time interval associated with a type of device for powering the repeater device to update the second information and receiving the second information from the repeater device.

[0197] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to receive an indication from the repeater unit indicating a type of device for powering the repeater unit.

[0198] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the control information in response to receiving a request from the repeater device to turn off the repeater device, such that the control information indicates turning off the repeater device.

[0199] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the third information by: transmitting to the terminal device a second configuration indicating a first resource set configured for a first channel measurement of the first link and a second resource set configured for a second channel measurement of the second link; transmitting to the terminal device a first set of reference signals on the first resource set and a second set of reference signals on the second resource set; and receiving results of the first and second channel measurements from the terminal device.

[0200] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to determine the third information by: determining a third resource set configured for a first interference measurement of the first link and a fourth resource set configured for a second interference measurement of the second link based on results of the first and second measurements; transmitting a third configuration indicating the third resource set and the fourth resource set to the terminal device; transmitting a third set of reference signals on the third resource set and a fourth set of reference signals on the fourth resource set to the terminal device; and receiving results of the first and second interference measurements from the terminal device.

[0201] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the control information by: causing the control information to indicate OFF of the repeater device in accordance with a determination that a channel quality of the first link is less than or equal to a channel quality of the second link; and causing the control information to indicate ON of the repeater device in accordance with a determination that a channel quality of the first link is greater than a channel quality of the second link.

[0202] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to transmit the control information by receiving from the repeater device capabilities of the repeater device and transmitting the control information at a timing at least a period of time earlier than an effective time of the control information, the period of time being related to the capabilities of the repeater device and a subcarrier spacing of resources carrying the control information.

[0203] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to transmit a fourth configuration indicating at least one of an identity of a control resource set configured for the repeater device, a maximum number of resource blocks configured for the repeater device, or a set of bandwidth parts configured for the repeater device. In some embodiments, the maximum number of symbols for a time interval of the control resource set is 14.

[0204] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to transmit the control information by determining a resource based on the fourth configuration and transmitting the control information on the resource.

[0205] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the control information by: in accordance with a determination that a symbol in a slot indicated in the time division duplexing configuration is a downlink symbol, the control information indicating on of the repeater device for the slot; or in accordance with a determination that a symbol in a slot indicated in the time division duplexing configuration is an uplink symbol, the control information indicating off of the repeater device for the slot.

[0206] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the control information by: causing the control information to indicate off of the repeater device for the slot according to a determination that at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with at least one uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information, and the set of symbols and a set of uplink symbols form a slot; or causing the control information to indicate off of the repeater device for the slot according to a determination that at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one uplink symbol indicated in the time division duplex configuration, and the set of symbols and a set of uplink symbols form a slot.

[0207] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the control information by: the control information indicating the repeater device being on for a downlink symbol; or the control information indicating the repeater device being off for an uplink symbol.

[0208] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to determine the control information by: in accordance with a determination that a downlink transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with an uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information, causing the control information to indicate off of the repeater device for the set of symbols; or in accordance with a determination that at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one uplink symbol, causing the control information to indicate off of the repeater device for the set of symbols.

[0209] In some embodiments, turning on the repeater equipment includes turning on a downlink transceiver of the repeater equipment and turning off an uplink transceiver of the repeater equipment, and turning off the repeater equipment includes turning off the downlink transceiver of the repeater equipment and turning on the uplink transceiver of the repeater equipment.

[0210] In some embodiments, the repeater unit comprises circuitry configured to send second information to a network device indicating at least one of a power level or a hardware state of the repeater unit, and to receive control information from the network device indicating whether the repeater unit is on or off.

[0211] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to transmit the second information by receiving a first setting from the network device indicating at least one of a resource or a time period for updating the second information, and transmitting the second information to the network device based on the first setting.

[0212] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to send a request to the repeater device to turn off the repeater device in response to a determination that the power level is at or below a threshold level, in some embodiments a threshold level is associated with at least one, or all, of a service type.

[0213] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to transmit the second information by receiving a request from the network device within a time interval associated with a type of device for powering the repeater device to update the second information, and transmitting the second information to the network device in response to the request.

[0214] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to send an indication to the network device indicating a type of device for powering the repeater device.

[0215] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to transmit the capabilities of the repeater device to the network device and to turn the repeater device on or off based on the control information at a time period that is later than the time of receipt of the control information, the time period being related to the capabilities of the repeater device and a subcarrier spacing of resources carrying the control information.

[0216] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to receive a fourth configuration indicating at least one of an identity of a control resource set configured for the repeater device, a maximum number of resource blocks configured for the repeater device, or a set of bandwidth parts configured for the repeater device. In some embodiments, the maximum number of symbols for a time interval of the control resource set is 14.

[0217] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to receive the control information by performing blind detection based on the fourth configuration to receive the control information.

[0218] In some embodiments, the terminal device comprises circuitry configured to generate third information indicative of channel quality of a first link between a network device and the terminal device via a repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device, and to transmit the third information to the network device.

[0219] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to generate the third information by receiving from the network device a second configuration indicating a first resource set configured for a first channel measurement of the first link and a second resource set configured for a second channel measurement of the second link, performing the first and second channel measurements on a first set of reference signals received on the first resource set and a second set of reference signals received on the second resource set, and determining results of the first and second channel measurements as the third information.

[0220] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to generate the third information by receiving from the network device a third configuration indicating a third resource set configured for a first interference measurement of the first link and a fourth resource set configured for a second interference measurement of the second link, performing the first and second interference measurements on a third set of reference signals received on the third resource set and a fourth set of reference signals received on the fourth resource set, and determining results of the first and second interference measurements as the third information.

[0221] The term "circuitry" as used herein may refer to a hardware circuit and / or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. For example, a circuit may be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware. As yet another example, a circuit may be any portion of a hardware processor having software, including a digital signal processor, software, and one or more memories, that cooperate to cause a device, such as a terminal device or a network device, to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit may be a hardware circuit and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof, that requires software / firmware for operation, but the software may not be present if not required for operation. As used herein, the term "circuitry" also includes an implementation of only a hardware circuit or one or more processors, or a portion of a hardware circuit or one or more processors and its (or their) associated software and / or firmware.

[0222] Overall, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described using block diagrams, flow charts, or some other pictorial representations, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented, by way of non-limiting examples, in hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or any combination thereof.

[0223] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, that execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform a process or method as described above with reference to Figures 1-7B. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as appropriate. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0224] Program codes for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, and when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a separate software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0225] The above program code may be implemented on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program used by or associated with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the aforementioned media. More specific examples of the machine-readable storage medium may include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the aforementioned.

[0226] It should be noted that although operations have been described in a particular order, it should not be understood that such operations need to be performed in the particular order shown, or in any sequential order, or that all of the operations described must be performed in order to achieve desired results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to certain embodiments. Some features described in the context of individual embodiments may be realized in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable subcombination.

[0227] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure, as defined in the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method of communication comprising: determining at least one of first information, second information, or third information in a network device, the first information indicating a time division duplexing setting for a terminal device, the second information indicating at least one of a power level or a hardware state of a repeater device, and the third information indicating channel quality of a first link between the network device and the terminal device via the repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device; determining control information indicating on or off of the repeater device based on at least one of the first information, the second information, or the third information; transmitting the control information to the repeater device; The method includes:

2. Determining the second information comprises: sending to the repeater device a first configuration indicating at least one of a resource or a time period for updating the second information; receiving the second information from the repeater device based on the first setting; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

3. Determining the control information comprises: in response to determining that the power level is below a threshold level, causing the control information to indicate turning off the repeater equipment; in response to determining that the power level is greater than a threshold level, causing the control information to indicate turning on the repeater equipment; The method of claim 2 , comprising:

4. The threshold level is associated with at least one of, or all of, the service types. The method according to claim 3.

5. determining the time period based on a type of device for powering the repeater device; The method of claim 2 further comprising:

6. Determining the second information comprises: sending a request to the repeater device to update the second information within a time interval associated with a type of device for powering the repeater device; receiving the second information from the repeater device; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

7. receiving an indication from the repeater device indicating a type of device for powering the repeater device; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

8. Determining the control information comprises: In response to receiving a request from the repeater device to turn off the repeater device, the control information indicates turning off the repeater device; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

9. Determining the third information comprises: transmitting a second configuration to the terminal device, the second configuration indicating a first resource set configured for a first channel measurement of the first link and a second resource set configured for a second channel measurement of the second link; transmitting, to the terminal device, a first set of reference signals on the first resource set and a second set of reference signals on the second resource set; receiving results of the first channel measurement and the second channel measurement from the terminal device; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

10. Determining the third information comprises: determining a third resource set configured for a first interference measurement of the first link and a fourth resource set configured for a second interference measurement of the second link based on results of the first measurement and the second measurement; transmitting a third configuration indicating the third resource set and the fourth resource set to the terminal device; transmitting, to the terminal device, a third set of reference signals on the third resource set and a fourth set of reference signals on the fourth resource set; receiving results of the first interference measurement and the second interference measurement from the terminal device; The method of claim 9 further comprising:

11. Determining the control information comprises: in response to a determination that a channel quality of the first link is less than or equal to a channel quality of the second link, the control information indicating turning off the repeater device; According to a determination that a channel quality of the first link is higher than a channel quality of the second link, causing the control information to indicate turning on of the repeater device; The method of claim 9 or 10, comprising:

12. Transmitting the control information receiving from the repeater device capabilities of the repeater device; Transmitting the control information at a timing at least a certain period earlier than the effective time of the control information, the period being associated with the capability of the repeater device and a subcarrier spacing of resources carrying the control information; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

13. the identity of a control resource set configured for the repeater device; a maximum number of resource blocks configured for the repeater device; or a set of bandwidth parts configured for the repeater device; transmitting a fourth configuration indicating at least one of: The method of claim 1 further comprising:

14. The maximum number of symbols for a time interval of the control resource set is 14. The method of claim 13.

15. Transmitting the control information determining resources based on the fourth configuration; and transmitting the control information on the resources; and The method of claim 13, comprising:

16. Determining the control information comprises: According to a determination that a symbol in a slot indicated in the time division duplex configuration is a downlink symbol, causing the control information to indicate ON of the repeater device for said slot; or according to a determination that a symbol in a slot indicated in said time division duplex configuration is an uplink symbol, causing said control information to indicate turning off said repeater apparatus for said slot; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

17. Determining the control information comprises: According to a determination that at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with at least one uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information, said set of symbols and a set of uplink symbols forming a slot, causing said control information to indicate off of said repeater device for said slot; or according to a determination that at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one uplink symbol indicated in said time division duplex configuration, said set of symbols and said set of uplink symbols forming a slot, causing said control information to indicate off of said repeater equipment for said slot; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

18. Determining the control information comprises: the control information indicating the repeater device being on for a downlink symbol; or said control information indicating for uplink symbols an off state of said repeater device; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

19. Determining the control information comprises: According to a determination that a downlink transmission on a set of symbols indicated by higher layer signaling collides with an uplink transmission scheduled by downlink control information, said control information indicating off of said repeater apparatus for said set of symbols; or in accordance with determining that at least one downlink transmission on a set of symbols collides with at least one uplink symbol, causing said control information to indicate turning off said repeater apparatus for said set of symbols; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

20. turning on the repeater device includes turning on a downlink transceiver of the repeater device and turning off an uplink transceiver of the repeater device; Turning off the repeater device includes turning off a downlink transceiver of the repeater device and turning on an uplink transceiver of the repeater device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 19.

21. 1. A method of communication comprising: transmitting, at the repeater device, to a network device, second information indicative of at least one of a power level or a hardware state of the repeater device; receiving control information from the network device indicating whether the repeater device is on or off; The method includes:

22. Transmitting the second information includes: receiving a first configuration from the network device indicating at least one of a resource or a time period for updating the second information; transmitting the second information to the network device based on the first configuration; 22. The method of claim 21 , comprising:

23. pursuant to determining that the power level is at or below a threshold level, sending to the repeater device a request to turn off the repeater device; 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

24. The threshold level is associated with at least one of, or all of, the service types.

24. The method of claim 23.

25. Transmitting the second information includes: receiving a request from the network device to update the second information within a time interval associated with a type of device for powering the repeater device; transmitting the second information to the network device in response to the request; 22. The method of claim 21 , comprising:

26. sending an indication to the network device indicating a type of device for powering the repeater device; 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

27. transmitting the capabilities of the repeater device to the network device; Turning on or off the repeater device based on the control information at a time period later than the time of receiving the control information, the time period being related to the capability of the repeater device and a subcarrier spacing of resources carrying the control information; 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

28. the identity of a control resource set configured for the repeater device; a maximum number of resource blocks configured for the repeater device; or a set of bandwidth parts configured for the repeater device; receiving a fourth configuration indicative of at least one of:

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

29. The maximum number of symbols for a time interval of the control resource set is 14.

30. The method of claim 28.

30. Receiving the control information receiving the control information by performing blind detection based on the fourth configuration; 30. The method of claim 28, comprising:

31. 1. A method of communication comprising: generating, in the terminal device, third information indicative of channel quality of a first link between the network device and the terminal device via a repeater device and a second link between the network device and the terminal device; transmitting the third information to the network device; and The method includes:

32. Generating the third information includes: receiving a second configuration from the network device indicating a first resource set configured for a first channel measurement of the first link and a second resource set configured for a second channel measurement of the second link; performing the first and second channel measurements on a first set of reference signals received on the first resource set and a second set of reference signals received on the second resource set; determining a result of the first channel measurement and the second channel measurement as the third information; 32. The method of claim 31 , comprising:

33. Generating the third information includes: receiving from the network device a third configuration indicating a third resource set configured for a first interference measurement of the first link and a fourth resource set configured for a second interference measurement of the second link; performing the first and second interference measurements on a third set of reference signals received on the third resource set and a fourth set of reference signals received on the fourth resource set; determining a result of the first interferometric measurement and the second interferometric measurement as the third information; 32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising:

34. A processor configured to cause a network device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20. Network device.

35. A processor configured to cause a repeater device to carry out the method according to any one of claims 21 to 30. Repeater device.

36. A processor configured to cause a terminal device to carry out the method according to any one of claims 31 to 33. Terminal device.

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