Sidelink Physical Layer Structure in Unlicensed NR

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for performing operations including generating a communication for transmission on a sidelink channel operating in an unlicensed bandwidth; determining a configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, the configuration being based on one of a frame-based equipment (FBE) mechanism or a load-based equipment (LBE) mechanism; determining one or more resources from the resource pool for transmitting the communication; and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 333,332, entitled "SIDELINK PHYSICAL LAYER STRUCTURE IN NR UNLICENSED," filed April 21, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Wireless communication networks provide an integrated communications platform and telecommunications services to wireless user devices. Exemplary telecommunications services include telephony, data (e.g., voice, audio, and / or video data), messaging, Internet access, and / or other services. Wireless communication networks have radio access nodes that exchange wireless signals with wireless user devices using radio network protocols such as those described in various telecommunications standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Exemplary wireless communication networks include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) networks, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Fifth Generation New Radio (5G NR). Wireless communication networks facilitate mobile broadband services using technologies such as OFDM, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), advanced channel coding, Massive MIMO, beamforming, and / or other features.

[0003] More recently, wireless communication networks have extended network coverage by using user equipment (UE) as relays. In particular, a relay UE establishes direct connections with other UEs to extend network coverage to those UEs. The connections that a relay UE establishes with other UEs are referred to as sidelink communications. Among other examples, a sidelink connection can be either a UE-network relay, where a relay UE connects a remote UE to a network, or a UE-UE relay, where a relay UE connects a first remote UE to a second remote UE. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a method and system for providing a sidelink design that meets the guidelines for unlicensed sidelink. In one embodiment, the UE is configured to operate according to a Frame Based Equipment (FBE) design. In this embodiment, the resource pool configuration is based on the FBE and the physical structure meets the FBE requirements. In another embodiment, the UE is configured to operate according to a Load Based Equipment (LBE) design. In this embodiment, the resource pool configuration is based on the LBE and the physical structure meets the LBE requirements.

[0005] In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes generating a communication for transmission on a sidelink channel operating in an unlicensed bandwidth; determining a configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, the configuration being based on one of a frame-based equipment (FBE) mechanism or a load-based equipment (LBE) mechanism; determining one or more resources from the resource pool for transmitting the communication; and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources.

[0006] Other versions include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs for performing the actions of the methods defined by instructions encoded on a computer-readable storage device. These and other versions may optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0007] In some implementations, determining the configuration of the resource pool for the sidelink channel includes determining at least one of a frequency domain configuration or a time domain configuration.

[0008] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and determining the frequency domain configuration includes determining a number of frequency interlaces assigned to sidelink communication for the UE, determining a number of physical resource blocks per interlace based on a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel, and determining a physical resource block spacing in the sidelink channel.

[0009] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on the FBE mechanism, and determining the time domain configuration includes determining a number of slots in the time domain based on at least one of a configured granularity of the time domain resources or a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel, and determining one or more slots assigned to sidelink communication for the UE based on a bitmap.

[0010] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and the method further includes determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

[0011] In some implementations, the communication is a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources includes determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in a physical layer structure and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

[0012] In some implementations, the first symbol of the physical layer structure is dedicated to automatic gain control (AGC).

[0013] In some implementations, determining the physical layer structure for the one or more resources includes calculating a minimum gap in the physical layer structure.

[0014] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an LBE mechanism and determining the frequency domain configuration includes determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

[0015] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication includes determining that a partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining to start transmissions only at slot boundaries after one additional one-shot listen-before-talk (LBT).

[0016] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication comprises determining that the full bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining to start transmission before a slot boundary.

[0017] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an LBE mechanism, and determining the time domain configuration includes determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

[0018] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication comprises determining that a partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining that a bitmap is used to configure a starting point of one or more resources on which to transmit the communication.

[0019] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication comprises determining that the full bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining that transmitting communication on the sidelink channel can begin at any time.

[0020] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and the method further includes determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

[0021] In some implementations, the communication is a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources includes determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in a physical layer structure and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

[0022] The details of one or more embodiments of these systems and methods are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of these systems and methods will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system in accordance with some embodiments.

[0024] [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates example frequency domain resource pool configurations for different subcarrier spacings, according to some implementations.

[0025] [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates an example configuration of a time domain resource pool for FBE, according to some implementations.

[0026] [Figure 4A] 1 illustrates an example physical layer structure for FBE, according to some implementations. [Figure 4B] 1 illustrates an example physical layer structure for FBE, according to some implementations. [Figure 4C] 1 illustrates an example physical layer structure for FBE, according to some implementations.

[0027] [Figure 5A] 1 illustrates an example physical layer structure for an LBE, according to some implementations. [Figure 5B] 1 illustrates an example physical layer structure for an LBE, according to some implementations.

[0028] [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method according to some implementations.

[0029] [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an exemplary user equipment (UE) according to some implementations.

[0030] [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an exemplary access node, according to some implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Release 16 and Release 17 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard describe the New Radio (NR) sidelink interface (also referred to as NR sidelink). The standard specifies that the resource pool configuration uses only a Cyclic Prefix Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CP-OFDM) waveform with a single carrier. The standard also specifies that the sidelink bandwidth portion uses only one bandwidth portion (BWP) for transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx). The sidelink BWP can include one or more resource pools. In the frequency domain, the standard specifies that the sidelink resource pool uses a contiguous allocation of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and has subchannel granularity. Thus, each resource pool in the sidelink BWP can include one or more subchannels. In the time domain, the standard specifies that the sidelink resource pool has slot granularity and can include non-contiguous time resources.

[0032] The standard also describes a slot structure for slots including the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) and the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH). The standard specifies that the PSSCH / PSCCH has slot granularity. Furthermore, the slot structure for the PSCCH and the PSCCH includes a first symbol for automatic gain control (AGC) training. This first symbol may include, for example, a copy of the second symbol. In the time domain, the PSCCH starts with the second symbol and continues for one or two additional symbols (i.e., two or three symbols long). In the frequency domain, the PSCCH is assigned to consecutive PRBs. The slot structure also includes a gap symbol, which may be a single symbol used for Tx / Rx switching.

[0033] More recently, sidelink interfaces have been developed for operation in unlicensed spectrum. The industry has agreed on guidelines for developing unlicensed sidelink. These guidelines include regulatory guidelines that user devices are expected to meet. One set of guidelines relates to transmission bandwidth and specifies that the transmission bandwidth should meet 80% of the occupied channel bandwidth (OCB). This rule is called the "80% OCB requirement." More specifically, the guidelines specify that the OCB should be between 80% and 100% of the nominal channel bandwidth (NCB). The nominal channel bandwidth may be, for example, 20 megahertz (MHz). The guidelines also specify exceptions to the 80% OCB requirement. The exception, called the 2 MHz temporary exception, allows for transmission under 2 MHz in scenarios where the 80% OCB requirement is not met.

[0034] However, the aforementioned NR sidelink features do not meet the OCB requirements. For example, existing sidelink designs use consecutive PRBs in the frequency domain, which does not meet the OCB requirements. Existing sidelink designs also do not describe a channel access procedure for use in communications in unlicensed spectrum. Furthermore, the slot-based time domain allocation of existing sidelink designs does not fit well with the channel access procedure.

[0035] The present disclosure describes a method and system for providing a sidelink design that meets the guidelines for unlicensed sidelink. In one embodiment, the UE is configured to operate according to a Frame Based Equipment (FBE) design. In this embodiment, the resource pool configuration is based on the FBE and the physical structure meets the FBE requirements. In another embodiment, the UE is configured to operate according to a Load Based Equipment (LBE) design. In this embodiment, the resource pool configuration is based on the LBE and the physical structure meets the LBE requirements.

[0036] 1 illustrates an exemplary communication system 100 according to some implementations. It should be noted that the system of FIG. 1 is only one example of a possible system and that features of the present disclosure may be implemented in other wireless communication systems.

[0037] The following description is provided for an example communication system 100 operating in conjunction with a fifth generation (5G) network as provided by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specifications (TS). However, the example implementations are not limited in this respect, and the described implementations may be applied to other networks that may benefit from the principles described herein, such as 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, Wi-Fi networks, etc. Additionally, other types of communication standards are possible, including future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G) systems), IEEE protocols, etc. Although aspects may be described herein using terminology generally associated with 5G NR, aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to other systems, such as systems subsequent to 3G, 4G, and / or 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0038] As shown in the figure, the communication system 100 includes several user devices. As used herein, the term "user device" may generally refer to devices associated with mobile actors or traffic participants in the communication system 100, such as mobile (movable) communication devices, such as vehicles and pedestrian user equipment (PUE) devices. More specifically, the communication system 100 includes two UEs 105 (UEs 105-1 and UEs 105-2 collectively referred to as one or more "UEs 105"), two base stations 110 (base stations 110-1 and 110-2 collectively referred to as one or more "base stations 110"), two cells 115 (cells 115-1 and 115-2 collectively referred to as one or more "cells 115"), and one or more servers 135 in a core network (CN) 140 connected to the Internet 145.

[0039] In some implementations, the UE 105 can communicate directly with the base station 110 via link 120 (link 120-1 and link 120-2 are collectively referred to as “link 120” or “link 120”) that utilizes a direct interface with the base station referred to as the “Uu interface.” Each of the links 120 can represent one or more channels. The links 120 are depicted as air interfaces for enabling communication coupling and can correspond to a cellular communication protocol, such as a 3GPP LTE protocol, an Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) protocol, an LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U), a 5G NR protocol, an NR protocol, an NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) protocol, and / or any of the other communication protocols described herein.

[0040] As shown, certain user devices may be able to communicate directly with each other, i.e., without involving an intermediate infrastructure device such as base station 110-1. As shown, UE 105-1 may communicate directly with UE 105-2 (e.g., V2X-related communications). Similarly, UE 105-2 may communicate directly with UE 105-1. Such peer-to-peer communications may utilize a "sidelink" interface, such as a PC5 interface. In certain implementations, the PC5 interface supports direct cellular communications between user devices (e.g., between UEs 105), and the Uu interface supports cellular communications with infrastructure devices, such as base stations. For example, UE 105 may use the PC5 interface for radio resource control (RRC) signaling exchange between UEs. The PC5 / Uu interface is used merely as an example, and PC5, as used herein, may represent various other possible wireless communication technologies that enable direct sidelink communications between user devices, and Uu may represent cellular communications between user devices and infrastructure devices, such as base stations.

[0041] In some implementations, the UE 105 may be configured with parameters for communicating over the Uu interface and / or the sidelink interface. In some examples, the UE 105 may be "pre-configured" with some parameters. In these examples, the parameters may be hardwired into the UE 105 or coded into the spec. Additionally and / or alternatively, the UE 105 may be "configured" with the parameters from one or more of the base stations 110. In this disclosure, "(pre)configured" means that both "pre-configuration" and "configuration" are possible.

[0042] To transmit / receive data to / from one or more base stations 110 or UE 105, the UE 105 may include a transmitter / receiver (or alternatively, a transceiver), memory, one or more processors, and / or other similar components that enable the UE 105 to operate according to one or more wireless communication protocols and / or one or more cellular communication protocols. The UE 105 may have multiple antenna elements that enable the UE 105 to maintain multiple links 120 and / or sidelinks 125 to transmit / receive data to / from multiple base stations 110 and / or multiple UEs 105. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the UE 105-1 may connect to the base station 110-1 via link 120-1 and simultaneously connect to the UE 105-2 via sidelink 125.

[0043] In some implementations, one or more sidelink radio bearers may be established on the sidelink 125. The sidelink radio bearers may include a signaling radio bearer (SL-SRB) and / or a data radio bearer (SL-DRB).

[0044] The PC5 interface may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interface and may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), and / or any other similar communication channel. The PSFCH carries feedback regarding successful or unsuccessful reception of a sidelink transmission. In some examples, the PSSCH may be scheduled by a sidelink control information (SCI) carried in the sidelink PSCCH. The SCI may be transmitted in two stages. A first stage SCI is carried on the PSCCH and a second stage SCI is carried on the corresponding PSSCH. For example, a two-stage SCI may be used by applying a first stage SCI for sensing and broadcast communication and a second stage SCI carrying the remaining information for data scheduling of unicast / groupcast data transmissions. In some examples, the sidelink interface may operate over unlicensed spectrum (e.g., in the unlicensed 5 gigahertz (GHz) and 6 GHz bands) or (licensed) shared spectrum.

[0045] In some implementations, the UEs 105 may be physical hardware devices capable of running one or more applications and accessing network services over one or more wireless links 120 with corresponding base stations 110 and communicating with each other over sidelinks 125. The links 120 may enable the UEs 105 to transmit and receive data from the base stations 110 that provide the links 120. The sidelinks 125 may enable the UEs 105 to transmit and receive data with each other. The sidelinks 125 between the UEs 105 may include one or more channels for transmitting information from the UE 105-1 to the UE 105-2 and vice versa and / or between the UE 105 and a UE type RSU (not shown in FIG. 1 ) and vice versa.

[0046] In some implementations, the base stations 110 can communicate with each other via a backhaul connection 130 and may communicate with one or more servers 135 in the CN 140 via another backhaul connection 133. The backhaul connection may be a wired connection and / or a wireless connection.

[0047] In some implementations, the sidelink 125 is established through an initial beam pairing procedure. In this procedure, the UE 105 identifies (e.g., using a beam selection procedure) one or more potential beam pairs that may be used for the sidelink 125. The beam pair includes a transmitter beam from a transmitter UE (e.g., UE 105-1) to a receiver UE (e.g., UE 105-2) and a receiver beam from the receiver UE to the transmitter UE. In some examples, the UE 105 ranks the one or more potential beam pairs. The UE 105 then selects one of the one or more potential beam pairs for the sidelink 125, possibly based on the ranking.

[0048] As mentioned above, an air interface between two or more UEs 105 or between a UE 105 and a UE type RSU (not shown in FIG. 1) may be referred to as a PC5 interface. To transmit / receive data to / from one or more eNBs 110 or UEs 105, the UE 105 may include a transmitter / receiver (or alternatively, a transceiver), memory, one or more processors, and / or other similar components that enable the UE 105 to operate according to one or more wireless communication protocols and / or one or more cellular communication protocols. The UE 105 may have multiple antenna elements that enable the UE 105 to maintain multiple links 120 and / or sidelinks 125 to transmit / receive data to / from multiple base stations 110 and / or multiple UEs 105. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the UE 105 may connect with a base station 110-1 via a link 120 and simultaneously connect with a UE 105-2 via a sidelink 125.

[0049] In some implementations, the UE 105 is configured to use a resource pool for sidelink communications. The sidelink resource pool may be divided into multiple time slots, frequency channels, and frequency subchannels. In some examples, the UE 105 is synchronized and performs sidelink transmissions aligned with slot boundaries. The UE may be expected to select several slots and subchannels for transmission of a transport block. In some aspects, the UE may use different subchannels to transmit a transport block across multiple slots within its resource selection window, which may be determined using packet delay budget information.

[0050] In some implementations, the communications system 100 supports different cast types, including unicast, broadcast, and groupcast (or multicast) communications. Unicast refers to direct communication between two UEs. Broadcast refers to communication broadcast by a single UE to multiple other UEs. Groupcast refers to communication sent from a single UE to a set of UEs that meet some condition (e.g., are members of a particular group).

[0051] In some implementations, when communicating over an unlicensed sidelink, a UE, e.g., UE 105, is configured to operate according to a frame-based equipment (FBE) design as described in section 4.2.7.3.1 of ETSI EN 301 893. Among other things, this section specifies that a frame-based equipment is an equipment with periodic timing in which the transmit / receive structure has a periodicity equal to the fixed frame period. Furthermore, this section specifies that the FBE implements a listen-before-talk (LBT) based channel access mechanism to detect the presence of other transmissions on the operating channel. The fixed frame period supported by the FBE is in the range of 1 millisecond (ms) to 10 ms, and a transmission can only start at the beginning of the fixed frame period. Furthermore, this section specifies that an idle period lasts until the beginning of the next fixed frame period such that the channel occupancy time is less than or equal to 95% of the fixed frame period and the idle period (or gap) is at least 5% of the channel occupancy time with a minimum of 100 microseconds (μs).

[0052] In some implementations, to operate according to the FBE design, the UE is configured with a frequency domain resource pool configuration specific to FBE. In some examples, the frequency domain resource pool configuration uses an interlaced waveform. In some examples, the bandwidth portion (BWP) used in the frequency domain resource pool configuration has a minimum sensing bandwidth (BW), e.g., 20 MHz. A sensing BW of at least 20 MHz allows the UE to perform channel access procedures for FBE. In some examples, multiple BWPs or carriers are configured per UE. Thus, the UE can transmit on a wider bandwidth (e.g., greater than 20 MHz). In these examples, the multiple BWPs can be contiguous or non-contiguous, and channel access is performed per sensing BW.

[0053] In some implementations, the granularity of frequency domain allocation within a BWP is one interlace, although other numbers of interlaces (e.g., two or more interlaces) are possible. More specifically, a resource pool can be configured using a minimum of one interlace up to all interlaces within the BWP (e.g., all PRBs within the BWP are used for the UE's resource pool). In some examples, for channels with 15KHz or 30KHz subcarrier spacing (SCS), the number of PRBs per interlace N is 10 or 11. Furthermore, for channels with 15KHz or 30KHz SCS, the spacing between interlaces (PRB spacing) M is 5 or 10. For channels with 60KHz SCS, the PRB spacing M can be equal to 2, 3, or 2.5 (e.g., alternating between 2 and 3). Here, the number of PRBs per interlace N is derived from M.

[0054] 2 illustrates exemplary frequency domain resource pool configurations for different subcarrier spacings according to some implementations. More specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration 202 for channels with a 15 KHz SCS, a configuration 204 for channels with a 30 KHz SCS, a first configuration 206 for channels with a 60 KHz SCS, a second configuration 208 for channels with a 60 KHz SCS, and a third configuration 210 for channels with a 60 KHz SCS.

[0055] Starting with configuration 202, the channel has an SCS of 15 KHz SCS and multiple PRB groups, where each PRB group may be populated by an interlace. Configuration 202 includes one repeating interlace across the channel band. The PRB spacing M is equal to 10. Furthermore, the number of PRBs per interlace (or per PRB group) N may be 10 or 11. In configuration 204, the channel has an SCS of 30 KHz SCS and multiple PRB groups. Configuration 204 includes one repeating interlace across the channel band. The PRB spacing M is equal to 5. Furthermore, the number of PRBs per interlace (or per PRB group) N may be 10 or 11. In configurations 206, 208, 210, the channel has an SCS of 60 KHz SCS and multiple PRB groups. Configurations 206, 208, 210 include one repeating interlace across the channel band. However, configurations 206, 208, and 210 have different PRB spacing M. Configuration 206 has a PRB spacing of two, configuration 208 has a PRB spacing of three, and configuration 210 has a PRB spacing of ten.

[0056] In some implementations, the UE is configured with a time domain resource pool configuration for FBE. In one example, the granularity of the time domain resource pool is 1 ms. The number of slots is determined based on the granularity and the SCS. For 1 ms granularity, the number of slots is 1 for a 15 KHz SCS, 2 for a 30 KHz SCS, and 4 for a 60 KHz SCS. In another example, the network can configure the granularity / periodicity to be any value between 1-10 ms. In these examples, the number of slots increases or decreases based on the SCS.

[0057] In some implementations, the time resource allocation for each slot is indicated by a bitmap. More specifically, the bitmap may indicate the resources available for SL-U transmissions. In some examples, a value of "1" in the bitmap indicates that the corresponding period / granularity (e.g., 1-10 ms) is available for sidelink transmissions. If the serving cell timing reference in use starts from SFN0, then the bitmap reference is slot #0 of the radio frame corresponding to SFN0 of the serving cell. In some examples, the periodicity with which the time resource pool occurs is 10240 ms. In some examples, all of the resources in a slot are dedicated to SL-U transmissions.

[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates example configurations 302, 304 of a time domain resource pool for FBE according to some implementations. More specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates configurations 302, 304 of one radio frame, which in this example has a length of 10 ms. Starting with configuration 302, the periodicity in configuration 302 is 1 ms. Thus, configuration 302 includes 10 subframes within a 10 ms radio frame. The number of slots within each subframe depends on the SCS. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a bitmap 306 can be used to identify time resources that can be used for SL-U transmissions. For example, a value of "1" indicates that the time resource can be used for SL-U transmissions, and a value of "0" indicates that the time resource cannot be used for SL-U transmissions. Referring to configuration 304, the configuration has a periodicity of 2 ms. Thus, configuration 304 includes 5 subframes within a 10 ms radio frame. The number of slots within each subframe depends on the SCS. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the bitmap 308 can be used to identify time resources that may be used for SL-U transmissions.

[0059] In some implementations, when operating in FBE mode, the UE is configured to use a physical layer structure including interleaved resources in the frequency domain. In particular, the interleaved resources may include multiple resource blocks interleaved across the channel band. Also, in the time domain, the physical layer structure includes multiple slots in a radio frame. In some examples, some of the time domain resources are dedicated to idle periods (or gaps). As mentioned above, the minimum gap for FBE is calculated as max(5% of periodicity, 100 μs). In some examples, the UE is configured to use an LBT category for channel access procedures. In one example, the UE uses CAT2 LBT for channel access before transmission. CAT2 specifies LBT without random backoff with a deterministic clear channel assessment (CCA) period (e.g., one-shot 25 μs LBT).

[0060] In some examples, the UE may multiplex the PSCCH and the PSSCH in a configured physical layer structure. For example, the PSCCH may be time division multiplexed and / or frequency division multiplexed with the PSSCH. In some examples, the UE is configured to select one of one or more options for the PSCCH interlace. In a first option, option 1, the PSCCH occupies one or more interlaces in the subchannel (e.g., 10 or 11 resource blocks, 20 or 22 resource blocks, etc.). In a second option, option 2, the PSCCH occupies a partial interlace in the subchannel, e.g., 5 resource blocks.

[0061] 4A-4C show an example physical layer structure for FBE according to some implementations. In these figures, the time domain resource has a periodicity of 1 ms. Furthermore, in these figures, the channel band is 20 MHz, although other frequencies are possible. As previously explained, a 20 MHz BWP has a total of 10 interlaces with a 15 KHz SCS and a total of 5 interlaces with a 30 KHz SCS.

[0062] FIG. 4A shows a structure 400 including 10 PRBs across a channel band (e.g., 20 MHz band) that is dedicated to SL-U transmissions, with an SCS of 15 KHz. Here, the SL-U transmissions use one interlace out of the 10 interlaces of the 20 MHz BWP. In this example, the PSCCH is multiplexed using a half interlace and two symbols. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4A, the PSCCH is multiplexed across two symbols in five of the PRBs used for SL-U transmissions. Also as shown in FIG. 4A, the PSSCH is assigned one interlace.

[0063] FIG. 4B illustrates a structure 410 including 20 PRBs across a channel band dedicated to SL-U transmissions, with an SCS of 15 KHz. Here, the SL-U transmissions are using two interlaces out of the ten interlaces of the 20 MHz BWP. In this example, the PSCCH uses one interlace in frequency and is multiplexed across two symbols in time. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4B, the PSCCH is multiplexed across two symbols within the ten PRBs used for SL-U transmissions. In some examples, the PSCCH / PSSCH transmissions in SL-U are transmitted on one interlace per subchannel. In other examples, the PSCCH / PSSCH transmissions in SL-U are transmitted on more than one interlace (e.g., two interlaces) per subchannel. Also, as shown in FIG. 4B, the PSSCH is transmitted on two interlaces of the subchannel, while the PSCCH is transmitted on one interlace, as described above.

[0064] FIG. 4C illustrates a structure 420 including 20 PRBs across a channel band dedicated to SL-U transmissions, with an SCS of 30 KHz. With an SCS of 30 KHz, there are two slots in a 10 ms subframe, with each slot including 14 symbols. In this example, the PSCCH uses one interlace in frequency and is multiplexed across two symbols in time. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4C, the PSCCH is multiplexed across two symbols in the 10 PRBs used for SL-U transmissions. In some examples, the PSCCH / PSSCH transmissions in SL-U are transmitted on one interlace per subchannel. In other examples, the PSCCH / PSSCH transmissions in SL-U are transmitted on more than one interlace (e.g., two interlaces) per subchannel. Also, as shown in FIG. 4C, the PSSCH is transmitted on two interlaces of the subchannel, but as described above, the PSCCH is transmitted on one interlace. In some examples where the PSCCH takes one interlace / subchannel while the PSSCH takes two interlaces / subchannels, the PSCCH takes the lower subchannel / interlace.

[0065] In some implementations, when communicating over an unlicensed sidelink, a UE, e.g., the UE 105, is configured to operate according to a Load Based Equipment (LBE) design. The LBE device may utilize a transmit / receive structure that is not fixed in time, but is instead driven by demand. The LBE device may perform the required CCA. If the channel is unavailable, the LBE device may perform an extended CCA with an extended sensing period.

[0066] To operate according to the LBE design, the UE is configured with a frequency domain resource pool configuration specific to the LBE. In one example, the frequency domain pool is located within the partial bandwidth. In another example, the frequency domain pool is located within the full bandwidth (e.g., 20 MHz). Whether the partial or full bandwidth is used affects the CCA technique used for detection. In the case of partial bandwidth, Type 1 LBT is used for CCA and transmission starts only at the slot boundary after one additional one-shot LBT. In the full bandwidth, Type 1 LBT is also used for CCA. However, transmission starts immediately after the Type 1 LBT is successful, which may be before the slot boundary. The CP extension is transmitted before the slot boundary begins. The transmitted signal may be a further extension of the AGC symbol. Doing so allows the UE to reserve the channel for its transmission opportunity.

[0067] The reason why different CCA techniques are used for partial bandwidth as opposed to full bandwidth is that in partial bandwidth, a UE is assigned one or more interlaces and shares the bandwidth with other UEs. To avoid collisions between different UEs, transmissions start only at slot boundaries (after an additional one-shot LBT). For example, assuming there are two UEs sharing bandwidth (each occupying a partial bandwidth), each UE performs its independent LBT. When the LBT period ends, each UE suspends and does not perform the channel access process. Rather, both UEs perform another one-shot LBT (e.g., 16 μs sensing), and if successful, both UEs start transmitting together at the slot boundary. Thus, one UE does not block the transmission of the other UE.

[0068] In some implementations, the UE is configured with a time domain resource pool configuration specific to LBE. The characteristics of the time domain resource pool depend on whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth is assigned to the UE. When the full bandwidth is used, the UE can start transmitting in any slot at any time. Alternatively, a bitmap is used to configure the potential start times. Whether a bitmap is used depends on the network configuration. In the case of partial bandwidth, the bitmap is used to configure the potential start times.

[0069] In some implementations, when operating in the LBE mode, the UE is configured to use a physical layer structure that includes interleaved resources in the frequency domain. In particular, the interleaved resources may include multiple resource blocks interleaved across a channel band. And, in the time domain, the physical layer structure includes multiple slots within a radio frame.

[0070] In some examples, the UE may multiplex the PSCCH and the PSSCH in a configured physical layer structure. For example, the PSCCH may be time division multiplexed and / or frequency division multiplexed with the PSSCH. In some examples, the UE is configured to select one of one or more options for the PSCCH interlace. In a first option, option 1, the PSCCH occupies one or more interlaces (e.g., 10 or 11 resource blocks, 20 or 22 resource blocks, etc.). In a second option, option 2, the PSCCH occupies a partial interlace, e.g., 5 resource blocks.

[0071] In some implementations, each transmission can be multiple slots if CCA is successful, so the channel design can span multiple slots (e.g., two slots as shown in Figures 5A and 5B). In some implementations, a cross-slot structure is used. In these implementations, the AGC symbol is included in the first slot of each burst. The AGC symbol is a repetition of the second symbol. As another alternative, the AGC symbol can be transmitted at the beginning of every X slots, e.g., X=2.

[0072] In some implementations, the UE is configured to select one of one or more options for PSCCH transmission. In a first option, Option 1, the PSCCH is in the first slot in a multi-slot transmission. In a second option, Option 2, a PSCCH duplicate is included in each slot. In a third option, Option 3, a PSCCH duplicate is included in the first N slots, e.g., N=2. For Options 1 and 3, a transport block size for the PSSCH may be determined based on an indicated modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and resource elements for one PSSCH transmission opportunity, e.g., the first PSSCH transmission opportunity.

[0073] 5A-5B show example physical layer structures for LBE according to some implementations. FIG. 5A shows a structure 500 including 20 PRBs across a channel band dedicated to SL-U transmission. In this example, the PSCCH uses one interlace in frequency and is multiplexed across two symbols in time. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5A, the PSCCH is multiplexed across two symbols within the 10 PRBs used for SL-U transmission. FIG. 5B shows a structure 510 including 20 PRBs across a channel band dedicated to SL-U transmission. In this example, the PSCCH uses one interlace in frequency and is multiplexed across two symbols in time. Furthermore, the PSCCH is multiplexed in each slot. In both structures 500, 510, there is only a gap of one symbol.

[0074] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 600 according to some implementations. For clarity of presentation, the following description generally describes the method 700 in the context of other figures in this description. For example, the method 600 may be performed by the UE device 105 of FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that the method 600 may be performed, for example, by any suitable system, environment, software, hardware, or combination of systems, environments, software, and hardware, as appropriate. In some implementations, various steps of the method 600 may be performed in parallel, in combination, in a loop, or in any order. In some implementations, the method 600 is performed by a UE.

[0075] At step 602, the method 600 includes generating a communication for transmission over a sidelink channel operating in an unlicensed bandwidth.

[0076] At step 604, the method 600 includes determining a configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, the configuration being based on one of a frame-based equipment (FBE) mechanism or a load-based equipment (LBE) mechanism.

[0077] In step 606, the method 600 includes determining one or more resources from a resource pool over which to transmit the communication.

[0078] At step 608, the method 600 includes transmitting a communication on a sidelink channel using the one or more resources.

[0079] In some implementations, determining the configuration of the resource pool for the sidelink channel includes determining at least one of a frequency domain configuration or a time domain configuration.

[0080] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and determining the frequency domain configuration includes determining a number of frequency interlaces assigned to sidelink communication for the UE, determining a number of physical resource blocks per interlace based on a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel, and determining a physical resource block spacing in the sidelink channel.

[0081] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and determining the time domain configuration includes determining a number of slots in the time domain based on at least one of a configured granularity of the time domain resources or a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel, and determining one or more slots allocated for sidelink communication for the UE based on a bitmap.

[0082] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and the method further includes determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

[0083] In some implementations, the communication is a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources includes determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in a physical layer structure and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

[0084] In some implementations, the first symbol of the physical layer structure is dedicated to automatic gain control (AGC).

[0085] In some implementations, determining the physical layer structure for the one or more resources includes calculating a minimum gap in the physical layer structure.

[0086] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an LBE mechanism and determining the frequency domain configuration includes determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

[0087] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication includes determining that a partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining to start transmissions only at slot boundaries after one additional one-shot listen-before-talk (LBT).

[0088] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication comprises determining that the full bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining to start transmission before a slot boundary.

[0089] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an LBE mechanism, and determining the time domain configuration includes determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

[0090] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication comprises determining that a partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining that a bitmap is used to configure a starting point of one or more resources on which to transmit the communication.

[0091] In some implementations, determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication comprises determining that the full bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication and, in response, determining that transmitting communication on the sidelink channel can begin at any time.

[0092] In some implementations, the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and the method further includes determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

[0093] In some implementations, the communication is a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources includes determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in a physical layer structure and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

[0094] 7 illustrates a UE 700 according to some embodiments. The UE 700 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with the UE 105 of FIG.

[0095] The UE 700 may be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet, an industrial wireless sensor (e.g., a microphone, a carbon dioxide sensor, an air pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a thermometer, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, a laser scanner, a fluid level sensor, an inventory sensor, a voltage / current meter, an actuator, etc.), a video surveillance / monitoring device (e.g., a camera, a video camera, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), a relaxed IoT device, etc.

[0096] The UE 700 may include a processor 702, an RF interface circuit 704, a memory / storage 706, a user interface 708, a sensor 710, a driver circuit 712, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 714, one or more antenna structures 716, and a battery 718. The components of the UE 700 may be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC), a portion thereof, a separate electronic device, or other module, logic, hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The block diagram of FIG. 7 is intended to illustrate a high-level view of some of the components of the UE 700. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other implementations.

[0097] The components of UE 700 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 720, which may represent any type of interface, input / output, bus (local, system or expansion), transmission line, trace, optical connection, etc. that may allow various circuit components (on a common or different chips or chipsets) to interact with one another.

[0098] The processor 702 may include processor circuitry such as, for example, a baseband processor circuit (BB) 722A, a central processing unit circuit (CPU) 722B, and a graphics processing unit circuit (GPU) 722C. The processor 702 may include any type of circuitry or processor circuitry that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions, such as program code, software modules, or functional processes from memory / storage 706 to cause the UE 700 to perform the operations described herein.

[0099] In some implementations, the processor 702 is configured to generate a communication for transmission on a sidelink channel operating within the unlicensed bandwidth. The processor 702 is further configured to determine a configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, the configuration being based on one of a frame-based equipment (FBE) mechanism or a load-based equipment (LBE) mechanism. Still further, the processor 702 is configured to determine one or more resources from the resource pool over which to transmit the communication. The processor 702 is also configured to prepare the communication for transmission on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources.

[0100] In some implementations, the baseband processor circuitry 722A may access a communications protocol stack 724 in the memory / storage 706 to communicate over a 3GPP-compliant network. In general, the baseband processor circuitry 722A may access the communications protocol stack to perform user plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, and PDU layers, and control plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, and non-access layers. In some implementations, the PHY layer operations may additionally / alternatively be performed by components of the RF interface circuitry 704. The baseband processor circuitry 722A may generate or process baseband signals or waveforms that carry information in a 3GPP-compliant network. In some implementations, waveforms for NR may be based on cyclic prefix OFDM "CP-OFDM" in the uplink or downlink, and discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM "DFT-S-OFDM" in the uplink.

[0101] The memory / storage 706 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (e.g., communication protocol stack 724) that include instructions that may be executed by one or more of the processors 702 to cause the UE 700 to perform various operations described herein. The memory / storage 706 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that may be distributed throughout the UE 700. In some implementations, some of the memory / storage 706 may be located on the processor 702 itself (e.g., L1 and L2 caches), while other memory / storage 706 may be external to the processor 702 but accessible via a memory interface. The memory / storage 706 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0102] The RF interface circuitry 704 may include transceiver circuitry and a radio frequency front end module (RFEM) that enable the UE 700 to communicate with other devices over a radio access network. The RF interface circuitry 704 may include various elements disposed in the transmit or receive paths. These elements may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, combiner circuits, control circuits, etc.

[0103] In the receive path, the RFEM may receive radiated signals from the air interface via one or more antennas 716 and filter and amplify the signals (using a low noise amplifier). The signals may be provided to a transceiver receiver that downconverts the RF signals to baseband signals that are provided to a baseband processor of the processor 702.

[0104] In the transmit path, the transmitter of the transceiver upconverts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides an RF signal to the RFEM, which may amplify the RF signal through a power amplifier before the signal is radiated over the air interface via the antenna 716.

[0105] In various implementations, the RF interface circuitry 704 may be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner that complies with NR access technologies.

[0106] The antenna 716 may include antenna elements that convert electrical signals into radio waves to travel through the air and convert received radio waves into electrical signals. The antenna elements may be arranged in one or more antenna panels. The antenna 716 may have antenna panels that are omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to enable beamforming and multiple-input multiple-output communications. The antenna 716 may include microstrip antennas, printed antennas fabricated on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, patch antennas, phased array antennas, etc. The antenna 716 may have one or more panels designed for a particular frequency band, including bands in FR1 or FR2.

[0107] User interface circuitry 708 includes various input / output (I / O) devices designed to enable user interaction with UE 700. User interface 708 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. Input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for accepting input, including, among others, one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touch screen, a microphone, a scanner, a headset, etc. Output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for displaying or otherwise communicating information, such as sensor readings, actuator position(s), or other similar information. The output device circuitry may include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, including, among others, one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary status indicators such as light emitting diodes "LEDs" and multi-character visual outputs), or more complex outputs such as display devices or touch screens (e.g., liquid crystal displays "LCDs", LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.), where output such as text, graphics, multimedia objects, etc. are generated or created from operation of the UE700.

[0108] The sensors 710 may include devices, modules, or subsystems intended to detect events or changes in its environment and transmit information about the detected events (sensor data) to some other device, module, subsystem, etc. Examples of such sensors include, among others, inertial measurement units including accelerometers, gyroscopes, or magnetometers, microelectromechanical systems or nanoelectromechanical systems including 3-axis accelerometers, 3-axis gyroscopes, or magnetometers, level sensors, flow sensors, temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors), pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravitational meters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless apertures); light detection and ranging sensors, proximity sensors (e.g., infrared detectors, etc.), depth sensors, ambient light sensors, ultrasonic transceivers, microphones or other similar audio capture devices, etc.

[0109] The driver circuitry 712 may include software and hardware elements that operate to control particular devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 700. The driver circuitry 712 may include individual drivers that enable other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may be present in or connected to the UE 700. For example, the driver circuitry 712 may include a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings of the sensors 728 and controlling and allowing access to the sensors 728, a driver for obtaining actuator positions of electromechanical components or for controlling and allowing access to electromechanical components, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0110] The PMIC 714 may manage the power provided to various components of the UE 700. In particular, with respect to the processor 702, the PMIC 714 may control power source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion.

[0111] In some embodiments, the PMIC 714 may control or otherwise be a part of various power saving mechanisms of the UE 700, including the DRX discussed herein. The battery 718 may power the UE 700, although in some examples the UE 700 may be mounted and deployed at a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to a power grid. The battery 718 may be a lithium ion battery, a metal air battery such as a zinc air battery, an aluminum air battery, a lithium air battery, or the like. In some implementations, such as vehicle-based applications, the battery 718 may be a typical automotive lead acid battery.

[0112] 8 illustrates an access node 800 (e.g., a base station or a gNB) according to some implementations. The access node 800 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with the base station 110. The access node 800 may include a processor 802, an RF interface circuit 804, a core network (CN) interface circuit 806, a memory / storage circuit 808, and one or more antennas 810.

[0113] The components of the access node 800 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 812. The processor 802, RF interface circuitry 804, memory / storage circuitry 808 (including a communications protocol stack 814), antenna 810, and interconnects 812 may be similar to the similarly named elements shown and described with respect to Figure 7. For example, the processor 802 may include processor circuits such as a baseband processor circuit (BB) 816A, a central processing unit circuit (CPU) 816B, and a graphics processing unit circuit (GPU) 816C.

[0114] The CN interface circuitry 806 may provide connectivity to a core network, e.g., a fifth generation core network (5GC), using a 5GC compliant network interface protocol, such as a Carrier Ethernet protocol or some other suitable protocol. Network connectivity may be provided to / from the access node 800 via optical fiber or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuitry 806 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuitry 806 may include multiple controllers to provide connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0115] As used herein, the terms "access node", "access point", etc. may refer to equipment that provides wireless baseband functionality for data and / or voice connectivity between a network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BSs, gNBs, RAN nodes, eNBs, NodeBs, RSUs, TRxPs, TRPs, etc., and may include terrestrial stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms "NG RAN node" etc. may refer to an access node 800 operating in a NR or 5G system (e.g., gNB), and the term "E-UTRAN node" may refer to an access node 800 operating in a LTE or 4G system (e.g., eNB). According to various implementations, the access node 800 may be implemented as one or more of a macrocell base station and / or a dedicated physical device such as a femtocell, picocell, or other like cell having a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to a macrocell.

[0116] In some implementations, all or a portion of the access node 800 may be implemented as one or more software entities executing on a server computer as part of a virtual network, which may be referred to as a CRAN and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In these implementations, the CRAN or vBBUP may implement RAN functionality splitting, such as PDCP splitting, where the RRC and PDCP layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and other L2 protocol entities are operated by the access node 800, MAC / PHY splitting, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, and MAC layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and the PHY layer is operated by the access node 800, or a "lower PHY" splitting, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC layers, and the upper part of the PHY layer are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and the lower part of the PHY layer is operated by the access node 800.

[0117] In a V2X scenario, the access node 800 may be or operate as an RSU. The term "Road Side Unit" or "RSU" may refer to any transportation infrastructure entity used for V2X communications. An RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable RAN node or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE, and an RSU implemented in or by a UE may be referred to as a "UE-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by an eNB may be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by a gNB may be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU", etc.

[0118] In the description herein, for convenience, various components may be described as performing a task or tasks. Such descriptions should be construed to include the phrase "configured to." It is expressly intended that the description of a component as being configured to perform one or more tasks does not enforce 35 U.S.C. 112(f) interpretation of the component.

[0119] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components described in one or more of the preceding figures may be configured to perform one or more of the operations, techniques, processes, or methods as described in the example section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below. As another example, circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc. as described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below in the example section.

[0120] Working Example

[0121] Further exemplary embodiments are presented in the following sections.

[0122] Example 1 includes a method, the method including: generating a communication for transmission on a sidelink channel operating in an unlicensed bandwidth; determining a configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, the configuration being based on one of a frame-based equipment (FBE) mechanism or a load-based equipment (LBE) mechanism; determining one or more resources from the resource pool for transmitting the communication; and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources.

[0123] Example 2 includes the method of example 1, in which determining a configuration of a resource pool of a sidelink channel includes determining at least one of a frequency domain configuration or a time domain configuration.

[0124] Example 3 includes the method of Example 1 or 2, wherein the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and determining the frequency domain configuration includes determining a number of frequency interlaces allocated to sidelink communication for the UE, determining a number of physical resource blocks per interlace based on a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel, and determining a physical resource block spacing in the sidelink channel.

[0125] Example 4 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and determining the time domain configuration includes determining a number of slots in the time domain based on at least one of a configured granularity of the time domain resources or a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel, and determining one or more slots allocated to sidelink communication for the UE based on a bitmap.

[0126] Example 5 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, in which the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and the method further includes determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

[0127] Example 6 includes the method of any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the communication is a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using one or more resources includes determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in a physical layer structure, and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

[0128] Example 7 includes the method of example 5, wherein a first symbol of the physical layer structure is dedicated to automatic gain control (AGC).

[0129] Example 8 includes the method of example 5, wherein determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources includes calculating a minimum gap in the physical layer structure.

[0130] Example 9 includes the method of example 1 or 2, wherein the configuration of the resource pool is based on an LBE mechanism and determining the frequency domain configuration includes determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

[0131] Example 10 includes the method of Example 9, wherein determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of a sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication includes determining that a partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication, and in response thereto, determining to start transmission only at slot boundaries after one additional one-shot listen-before-talk (LBT).

[0132] Example 11 includes the method of example 9, wherein determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of a sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication includes determining that the full bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication, and in response, determining to start transmission before a slot boundary.

[0133] Example 12 includes the method of example 1 or 2, wherein the configuration of the resource pool is based on an LBE mechanism and determining the time domain configuration includes determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

[0134] Example 13 includes the method of example 12, wherein determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication includes determining that a partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication, and in response, determining that a bitmap is used to configure a starting point of one or more resources for transmitting the communication.

[0135] Example 14 includes the method of example 12, wherein determining whether the full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication includes determining that the full bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication, and in response thereto, determining that transmitting communication on the sidelink channel can begin at any time.

[0136] Example 15 includes the method of example 1, in which the configuration of the resource pool is based on an FBE mechanism, and the method further includes determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

[0137] Example 16 includes the method of example 15, wherein the communication is a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using one or more resources includes determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in a physical layer structure, and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

[0138] Example 17 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any one of Examples 1-16, or any other method or process described herein.

[0139] Example 18 may include an apparatus including logic, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of the method described or related to any one of Examples 1-16, or any other method or process described herein.

[0140] Example 19 may include any method, technique, or process described or related to any one of Examples 1-16, or any part or portion thereof.

[0141] Example 20 may include an apparatus including one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process described in or related to any one of Examples 1-16, or a portion thereof.

[0142] Example 21 may include a signal described or related to any one of Examples 1-16, or a part or portion thereof.

[0143] Example 22 may include a datagram, information element, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message described or related to any one of Examples 1 to 16, or any portion or part thereof, or others described in this disclosure.

[0144] Example 23 may include a signal encoded with data described or related to any one of Examples 1-16, or a portion or part thereof, or other method described in this disclosure.

[0145] Example 24 may include a signal encoded with a datagram, IE, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message described or related to any one of Examples 1-16, or a portion or part thereof, or a signal described in any manner otherwise in this disclosure.

[0146] Example 25 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, where execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process described in or related to or a portion of any one of Examples 1 to 16.

[0147] Example 26 may include a computer program including instructions, where execution of the program by a processing element causes the processing element to perform a method, technique, or process described in or related to or a portion thereof in any one of Examples 1 to 16. The operations or actions performed by the instructions executed by the processing element may include the method of any one of Examples 1 to 16.

[0148] Example 27 may include a signal in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0149] Example 28 may include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0150] Example 29 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein. The operations or actions performed by the system may include the method described in any one of Examples 1 to 16.

[0151] Example 30 may include a device for providing wireless communication as illustrated and described herein. The operations or actions performed by the device may include the method described in any one of Examples 1 to 16.

[0152] The above-described Examples 1-16 can be implemented using a computer system including a computer-implemented method, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for executing the computer-implemented method, and a computer memory interoperably coupled with a hardware processor configured to execute the computer-implemented method or the instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0153] A system, such as a base station, a device including one or more baseband processors, etc., can be configured to perform a particular operation or action by installing software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof on the system that causes the system to perform the operation or take the action during operation. The operation or action performed by the system can include a method described in any one of Examples 1-16.

[0154] Any of the above examples may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples) unless otherwise stated. The foregoing description of one or more implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

[0155] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated, and it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

[0156] It is understood that use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of permitted uses should be clearly indicated to users.

Claims

1. One or more processors of a user equipment (UE) configured to perform operations, the operations including: generating a communication for transmission on a sidelink channel operating in an unlicensed bandwidth; determining a configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, the configuration being based on one of a Frame Based Equipment (FBE) mechanism or a Load Based Equipment (LBE) mechanism; determining one or more resources from the resource pool for transmitting the communication; and and causing the UE to transmit the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources.

2. determining the configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, The one or more processors of claim 1 , further comprising determining at least one of a frequency domain configuration or a time domain configuration.

3. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the FBE mechanism, and the frequency domain configuration is determined. determining a number of frequency interlaces allocated for sidelink communication for the UE; and determining a number of physical resource blocks per interlace based on a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel; and determining a physical resource block spacing in the sidelink channel.

4. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the FBE mechanism, and the time domain configuration is determined. determining a number of slots in the time domain based on at least one of a configured granularity or a subcarrier spacing of time domain resources of the sidelink channel; and determining one or more slots allocated for sidelink communication for the UE based on a bitmap.

5. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the FBE mechanism, and the method further comprises: The one or more processors of claim 1 , further comprising: determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

6. the communication being a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources. determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in the physical layer structure; and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

7. The one or more processors of claim 5 , wherein a first symbol of the physical layer structure is dedicated to automatic gain control (AGC).

8. determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources; The one or more processors of claim 5 further comprising: calculating a minimum gap in the physical layer structure.

9. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the LBE mechanism, and the frequency domain configuration is determined. The one or more processors of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

10. determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; determining that the partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; and in response thereto, determining to start transmission only at slot boundaries after one additional one-shot listen-before-talk (LBT).

11. determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; determining that the entire bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; and in response thereto, determining to begin transmission before a slot boundary.

12. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the LBE mechanism, and the time domain configuration is determined. The one or more processors of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication.

13. determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; determining that the partial bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; and in response thereto, determining that a bitmap is used to configure a starting point for the one or more resources over which to transmit the communication.

14. determining whether a full bandwidth or a partial bandwidth of the sidelink channel is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; determining that the entire bandwidth is dedicated to the UE for sidelink communication; and in response thereto, determining that transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel can commence at any time.

15. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the FBE mechanism, and the method further comprises: The one or more processors of claim 1 , further comprising determining a physical layer structure for the one or more resources.

16. the communication being a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) communication, and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources. determining an interlace design for the PSCCH communication in the physical layer structure; and transmitting the PSCCH communication based on the interlace design.

17. 1. A method comprising: generating a communication for transmission on a sidelink channel operating in an unlicensed bandwidth; determining a configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, the configuration being based on one of a Frame Based Equipment (FBE) mechanism or a Load Based Equipment (LBE) mechanism; determining one or more resources from the resource pool for transmitting the communication; and and transmitting the communication on the sidelink channel using the one or more resources.

18. determining the configuration of a resource pool for the sidelink channel, 20. The method of claim 17, comprising determining at least one of a frequency domain configuration or a time domain configuration.

19. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the FBE mechanism, and the frequency domain configuration is determined. determining a number of frequency interlaces allocated for sidelink communication for the UE; and determining a number of physical resource blocks per interlace based on a subcarrier spacing of the sidelink channel; 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: determining a physical resource block spacing in the sidelink channel.

20. The configuration of the resource pool is based on the FBE mechanism, and the time domain configuration is determined. determining a number of slots in the time domain based on at least one of a configured granularity or a subcarrier spacing of time domain resources of the sidelink channel; and determining one or more slots allocated for sidelink communications for the UE based on a bitmap.

21. 17. A user equipment (UE) comprising one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions operable, when executed by the UE, to cause the UE to perform the operations of any one of claims 1 to 16.

Images