SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS BACKHAUL LINK AND CONTROL LINK TRANSMISSION FOR A NETWORK NODE - Patent application

Abstract

A system and method for simultaneous backhaul link and control link transmission for a network node is presented. The network node can determine (i) a first power of the network node for a control link from the network node to a wireless communication node and (ii) a second power of the network node for a forwarding link from the network node to the wireless communication node. The network node can perform at least one of (i) transmitting a first signal over the control link from the network node to the wireless communication node and (ii) forwarding a second signal over the forwarding link from the network node to the wireless communication node.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including, but not limited to, systems and methods for simultaneous backhaul link and control link transmission for a network node. [Background technology]

[0002] background Coverage is a fundamental aspect of cellular network deployment. Mobile operators rely on different types of network nodes to provide blanket coverage in their deployments. As a result, new types of network nodes are being considered to increase mobile operators' flexibility in network deployment. For example, certain systems or architectures introduce integrated access and backhaul (IAB), a new type of network node that does not require wired backhaul and can be enhanced in certain other systems. Another type of network node is the RF repeater, which simply amplifies and forwards any signals it receives. RF repeaters are expected to be widely deployed in 2G, 3G, and 4G to supplement the coverage provided by typical full-stack cells. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] overview The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems associated with one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, as well as providing additional features that will become readily apparent from a review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In accordance with various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. It will be understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example, and not limitation, and that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, a method, an apparatus, or a computer-readable medium. A network node (e.g., a smart node (SN)) can determine (i) a first power of the network node for a control link from the network node to a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS), a gNB, or a transmit / receive point (TRP)) and (ii) a second power of the network node for a forwarding link from the network node to the wireless communication node. The network node can perform / initiate / execute at least one of: (i) transmitting a first signal over the control link from the network node to the wireless communication node; and / or (ii) forwarding a second signal over the forwarding link from the network node to the wireless communication node.

[0005] In some embodiments, when transmissions on the control link and the forwarding link occur simultaneously, the first power may be less than or equal to a first maximum power configured for the control link and / or the second power may be less than or equal to a second maximum power configured for the forwarding link. In some embodiments, when transmissions on the control link and the forwarding link occur simultaneously, at least one of the first maximum power value and the second maximum power value may be less than or equal to the total maximum power, and the total maximum power may be a fraction of the capacity of the network node; or the first maximum power value may be independent of the second maximum power value; or at least one of the first maximum power value or the second maximum power value may be configured by the wireless communications node; or at least one of the first maximum power value or the second maximum power value may be determined based on the total maximum power minus the other of the first maximum power value or the second maximum power value, and the total maximum power may be a fraction of the capacity of the network node.

[0006] In some embodiments, when the total power of the first power and the second power exceeds the total maximum power and / or when transmission on the control link and transmission on the forwarding link occur simultaneously, the method can include one of: determining to implement A, which can include determining not to allocate power to the second power or not to implement forwarding of the second signal; determining to implement B, which can include determining not to allocate power to the first power or not to transmit the first signal; or determining to implement A or B according to a prioritization rule. In some embodiments, the prioritization rule can direct to implement forwarding or transmission of at least one signal having a highest priority among signals matching candidate signals identified in the prioritization rule.

[0007] In some embodiments, the prioritization rule may identify at least one of the following candidate signals for a first signal as having a higher priority than a candidate signal for a second signal: a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a PUCCH transmission with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information, a sounding reference signal (SRS), a PUCCH transmission with a status report, and / or a PUSCH transmission with a status report.

[0008] In some embodiments, the prioritization rules may identify / indicate / provide at least one of the following candidate signals for a first signal as having a lower priority than a candidate signal for a second signal: signals other than a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission, signals other than a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, signals other than a PUCCH transmission with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information, signals other than a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information, signals other than a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), signals other than a PUCCH transmission with a status report, and / or signals other than a PUSCH transmission with a status report.

[0009] In some embodiments, the prioritization rule may be to rank, in descending order of priority, a first candidate signal of the first signal, a second candidate signal of the second signal, and a third candidate signal of the first signal as {a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission; any signal; a signal other than a PRACH transmission or a PUCCH transmission}, and / or {a PRACH transmission or a PUCCH transmission with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information; any signal; a HARQ transmission or a PUCCH transmission with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information; any signal; a PRACH transmission or a PUCCH transmission with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information}. signals other than PRACH transmissions or PUCCH transmissions with HARQ-ACK information}, and / or {PRACH transmissions, PUCCH transmissions with HARQ-ACK information, or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmissions with HARQ-ACK information; any signals; signals other than PRACH transmissions, PUCCH transmissions with HARQ-ACK information, or PUSCH transmissions with HARQ-ACK information}, and / or {PUCCH transmissions with HARQ-ACK information; any signals; PUCCH transmissions with HARQ-ACK information transmission}, and / or {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information; any signal; any signal other than a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information or a PUSCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, and / or {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK, or Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) information; any signal; any signal other than a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information or an SRS}, and / or {PRACH transmission, a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or an SRS; any signal; any signal other than a PRACH transmission, a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or an SRS}, and / or {PRACH transmission, or a PUCCH transmission with a status report; any signal; any signal other than a PRACH transmission or a PUCCH transmission with a status report}, and / or {PRACH transmission, a PUCCH transmission with a status report, or a PUSCH transmission with a status report; any signal;PRACH transmission or PUCCH transmission with status report, or signals other than PUSCH transmission with status report};

[0010] In some embodiments, once the network node decides / determines / proceeds to implement B, the network node may transmit / send / provide / signal / communicate the first signal in frequency domain resources allocated to the first signal that were not previously transmitted / forwarded. In some embodiments, if the first signal comprises / includes a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission, the PRACH transmission may be transmitted in a next Random Access Channel (RACH) Opportunity (RO), the PRACH transmission may be transmitted in a next PRACH slot, and / or the PRACH transmission may be transmitted according to a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) determined by the network node and a relationship between the SSB and the PRACH transmission.

[0011] In some embodiments, if the first signal comprises a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), at least one of: the first signal may be transmitted in a next slot; the first signal may be transmitted in a next uplink slot; the first signal may be transmitted on a time domain resource according to an indication from the wireless communication node; and / or the first signal may be transmitted after a defined duration.

[0012] In some embodiments, the network node may determine / proceed with prioritizing transmission of the first signal. The network node may reduce / decrease / lower the second power to be the lesser of (i) the maximum total power minus the first power and / or (ii) the input power to the network node multiplied by the configured gain of the network node. In some embodiments, the network node may adjust / change / update / configure the actual gain of the network node such that the input power multiplied by the actual gain is less than (e.g., less than) or equal to the maximum total power minus the first power.

[0013] In some embodiments, the network node may determine / proceed to prioritize the forwarding of the second signal. The network node may determine the first power to be the lesser of (i) the maximum total power and / or (ii) the input power to the network node multiplied by the configured gain of the network node. In some embodiments, the network node may determine the first power to be the lesser of (i) the maximum total power minus the second power and / or (ii) a first power value specific to the type of the first signal.

[0014] In some implementations, the network node may determine / calculate / compute the first power to be a first power value specific to the first signal type minus a power offset. In some implementations, the power offset may be at least one of: equal to or greater than the first power value specific to the first signal type plus the determined second power minus the maximum total power; a fixed value; and / or a value configured by the wireless communications node.

[0015] In some embodiments, the network node may receive / obtain / acquire an indication to adjust the second power. The network node may adjust the second power according to the indication. In some embodiments, the indication may be an indication of a transmit power value of the second power, where the indication is at least one of: (i) that a gain of the network node may be determined / calculated / derived based on the transmit power value divided by the input power to the network node; and / or (ii) that a sum of the transmit power value and the first power is less than a maximum total power; an indication of a gain, where (i) the second power is the lesser of: (a) the maximum total power minus a first power value specific to the first signal type, and / or (b) the input power to the network node multiplied by a configured gain of the network node; and / or (ii) that the input power multiplied by the gain is less than or equal to the maximum total power minus the first power. and / or an indication of time domain resources of the second power, the indication of the gain being at least one of: an indication of the gain; an indication of frequency domain resources of the second power, the indication of the frequency domain resources of the second power including at least one of a frequency offset, a resource block (RB) number or resource element (RE) number, a bandwidth portion (BWP) index, a band index, and / or a frequency domain resource allocation (FDRA) indicator; and / or an indication of time domain resources of the second power, the indication of the time domain resources of the second power including at least one of a slot offset, a symbol offset, a duration, a periodicity, a system frame number (SFN), a start and length indicator value (SLIV), a number of absolute time units, and / or an absolute time unit.

[0016] At least one aspect relates to a system, a method, an apparatus, or a computer-readable medium. A wireless communication node can receive / obtain / acquire at least one of (i) a first signal over a control link from a network node to the wireless communication node and / or (ii) a second signal over a forward link from the network node to the wireless communication node. The network node can determine (i) a first power of the network node for the control link from the network node to the wireless communication node and / or (ii) a second power of the network node for the forward link from the network node to the wireless communication node.

[0017] The systems and methods presented herein include novel approaches for simultaneous backhaul link and control link (C-link) transmissions for a network node. Specifically, the systems and methods presented herein discuss novel solutions for prioritizing one of the C-link or backhaul link transmissions to prevent the total power of the simultaneous C-link and backhaul link transmissions from exceeding a maximum power constraint / threshold / cap (e.g., a maximum power threshold). In some exemplary implementations, if the sum of the control link (C-link) power and the backhaul link power exceeds the total maximum power constraint, one of the links is dropped according to or in accordance with at least one predetermined rule. If the C-link is dropped according to at least one predetermined rule, a smart node (SN) communication unit (CU) (e.g., a network controlled repeater (NCR) mobile terminal (MT)) can retransmit / retransmit the dropped signal in the same frequency domain resource.

[0018] In some exemplary implementations, the C link and the backhaul link may share a total maximum power constraint, and the output power of the C link may be prioritized. In some exemplary configurations, the C link and the backhaul link may share a total maximum power constraint, and the output power of the backhaul link may be prioritized. In some exemplary configurations, a wireless communication node (e.g., a gNB, a BS, or a TRP) may transmit a power control indication to the NCR to adjust the output power of the backhaul link, for example, to ensure that the sum of the power of the C link and the backhaul link does not exceed the total maximum power constraint. The power control indication may be ● Transmission power: If the transmit power is specified, the gain can be calculated as: Gain = Transmit Power / Input Power. o The sum of the transmission power of the backhaul link and the C-link may be less than the maximum total power. ● Amplification gain: If an amplification gain is indicated, then the transmit power can be determined / calculated / figured as: Transmit power = min(Max total power - C-link power, Input power x Amplification gain). ● Frequency resources. ● Time resources. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary base station and user equipment device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of transmission links between a BS to an SN and an SN to a UE, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 illustrates an example implementation structure for simultaneous backhaul link and control link transmission, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for simultaneous backhaul link and control link transmission, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Detailed Description 1. Mobile communication technology and environment 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as “network 100.” Such exemplary network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter “BS 102,” also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter “UE 104,” also referred to as a wireless communication device) that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 that overlap a geographic region 101. In FIG. 1, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of the cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating in its assigned bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

[0027] For example, the BS 102 may operate in a channel transmission bandwidth allocated to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of “communication nodes” capable of implementing the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

[0028] 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) in accordance with some embodiments of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operational features not necessarily described in detail herein. In one exemplary embodiment, system 200 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment, such as wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1, as described above.

[0029] The system 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter “BS 202”) and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter “UE 204”). The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected as needed via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected as needed via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 over a communication channel 250, which may be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the transmission of data as described herein.

[0030] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown in FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this compatibility and adaptability of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner suitable for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230, including a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each with circuitry coupled to the antenna 232. Alternatively, a duplexing switch (not shown) may couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplexed manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210, including an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each with circuitry coupled to the antenna 212. Alternatively, a downlink duplexing switch may couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-duplexed manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 while the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 at the same time that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is strict time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0032] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate over a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna array 212 / 232 capable of supporting a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited in application to a particular standard and associated protocol. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0033] According to various embodiments, the BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station. In some embodiments, the UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, an associative memory, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. As such, a processor may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0034] Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, such that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0035] The network communications module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communications between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communications module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, the network communications module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface to enable the base station transceiver 210 to communicate with conventional Ethernet-based computer networks. As such, the network communications module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). As used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, the terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and conjugations thereof refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc. that are physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0036] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "Open Systems Interconnection Model") is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual collection of services provided to its higher and lower layers. The OSI model also defines logical networks and effectively describes computer packet transfers through the use of different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or seven-layer model. In some embodiments, layer 1 may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, layer 2 may be the medium access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, layer 3 may be the radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, layer 4 may be the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, layer 5 may be the radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, layer 6 may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and layer 7 is some other layer.

[0037] To enable those skilled in the art to make and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, any specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example approach. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in a disclosed method or process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless otherwise specified.

[0038] 2. System and method for simultaneous backhaul link and control link transmission for a network node In certain systems (e.g., 5G New Radio (NR), Next Generation (NG) systems, 3GPP systems, and / or other systems), different types of network nodes may be utilized to enhance coverage in cellular network configurations (e.g., providing blanket coverage). To increase the flexibility of network deployment, new types of network nodes may be introduced or considered. For example, an IAB may be deployed as a new type of network node that does not require a wired backhaul. Another type of network node may be an RF repeater. An RF repeater may be deployed or configured to receive, amplify, and forward any signal. An RF repeater may be deployed in various network environments, for example, to complement the coverage provided by a regular full-stack cell.

[0039] As an extension beyond traditional RF repeaters, network-controlled repeaters (NCRs) may be introduced with the capacity to receive and / or process side-control information from the network. The side-control information may enable the network-controlled repeater to perform / execute / operate its amplify-and-forward operations in a more efficient manner. Specific advantages may include at least mitigation of unwanted noise amplification, transmission and reception with better spatial directionality, and / or simplified network integration.

[0040] The NCR can be considered a stepping stone (e.g., a variation, alternative, or modification) of a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS). RIS nodes can adjust the phase and amplitude of received signals to improve / enhance coverage (e.g., network communication coverage). As described herein, network nodes, including but not limited to network-controlled repeaters, smart repeaters, enhanced RF repeaters, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), and / or integrated access and backhaul (IAB), may be designated, referenced, or provided as smart nodes (SNs) (e.g., network nodes) for simplicity. For example, an SN may include, correspond to, or refer to a type of network node for assisting the BS 102 in improving coverage (e.g., avoiding / preventing blockages / blocking, increasing transmission range, etc.). In certain systems, the SN may initiate / conduct control link (C-link) transmissions and backhaul link transmissions simultaneously (e.g., relatively simultaneously). Simultaneous transmissions over the C-link and backhaul links may consume a certain amount of power above a maximum power threshold. Therefore, the systems and methods of the present technical solution may implement features, operations, techniques, and / or methods described herein to prioritize one of the C link or the backhaul link to avoid the total power of simultaneous C link and backhaul link transmissions exceeding a maximum power constraint. As described herein, the systems and methods may prioritize the C link or the backhaul link by dropping one of the transmissions or by configuring / adjusting the power of the C link transmissions and / or the backhaul link transmissions.

[0041] 3 shows a schematic diagram of an example network 300. As shown in FIG. 3, one or more BSs 102A-B (e.g., BS 102) can serve one or more UEs 104A-B (e.g., UE 104) in their cells via respective one or more SNs 306A-B (e.g., which may be labeled SN(s) 306), such as when interference exists between the BS 102 and the UE 104.

[0042] 4 shows a schematic diagram 400 of transmission links between the BS 102 to the SN 306 and from the SN 306 to the UE 104. The SN 306 (e.g., a network node) may include or consist of at least two units or functional parts / components (e.g., sometimes referred to as functional entities), such as a communication unit (CU) (e.g., an SN CU) and a transfer unit (FU) (e.g., an SN FU). Each unit of the SN 306 may support different functions for communication with at least one of the BS 102 and / or the UE 104. In some cases, a first unit (or functional entity) of the SN 306 may refer to an SN CU, and a second unit (or functional entity) of the SN 306 may refer to an SN FU, or vice versa. For example, the SN CU (e.g., a first unit) may be a network controlled repeater (NCR) mobile terminal (MT). In another example, the SN FU (e.g., a second unit) can be an NCR forwarder / forwarder (Fwd). The SN CU can act / behave or include functionality similar to that of the UE 104, for example, to receive and decode side control information from the BS 102. The SN CU may be a control unit, a controller, an MT, part of a UE, a third-party IoT device, etc. The SN FU can perform intelligent amplify-and-forward operations using the side control information received by the SN CU. The SN FU may be a radio unit (RU), a RIS, etc.

[0043] The transmission links between the BS 102 to the SN 306 and from the SN 306 to the UE 104 as shown in FIG. 4 may be defined / described / provided as follows: C1: Control link from SN CU to BS (C-link); C2: Control link from BS to SN CU (C link) F1: Transmission link from SN FU to BS (backhaul link); F2: Transmission link from BS to SN FU (backhaul link); F3: Transfer link (access link) from UE to SN FU, and F4: Transfer link (access link) from SN FU to UE.

[0044] A control link (e.g., sometimes referred to as a communications link) may refer to or imply that signals from one side are detected and decoded by the other side, such that information carried on the control link can be utilized to control the status of a forwarding link (e.g., a backhaul link and / or an access link, F-link). In some implementations, a control link may correspond to or be referred to as a communications link.

[0045] A forwarding link may mean that a signal from the BS 102 or the UE 104 is unknown to the SN FU (e.g., undecoded or unchecked). In this case, the SN FU may amplify and forward the signal without decoding it. For example, the F1 and F3 links may correspond to or be associated with a complete uplink (UL) forwarding link (e.g., a backhaul link and an access link, respectively) from the UE 104 to the BS 102, with F1 being the SN FU UL forwarding link. Additionally, the F2 and F4 links may correspond to or be associated with a complete DL forwarding link (e.g., a backhaul link and an access link, respectively) from the BS 102 to the UE 104, with F4 being the SN FU DL forwarding link. The F1 and F2 links may correspond to or be referred to as backhaul links, and the F3 and F4 links may correspond to or be referred to as access links.

[0046] 5, an example implementation structure 500 for simultaneous backhaul link and control link transmissions is shown, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For simultaneous backhaul link and C link transmissions (e.g., F1 and C1, respectively), the total power of the two transmissions (e.g., the sum of the C link power and the backhaul link power) is expected to be less than or equal to (e.g., not exceed) a total maximum power constraint / limit / cap (e.g., a maximum power threshold). To avoid the total power of the two transmissions exceeding the total maximum power constraint, the following example features can be considered:

[0047] In some configurations, the signals / channels in the backhaul link (e.g., F1) may be transparent to the SN 306, e.g., the SN FU (or NCR Fwd) may forward signals from the UE 104 to the BS 102 without knowing the content of the signals. In some configurations, the total maximum power may be a fixed value. In some other configurations, the total maximum power may be adjusted according to or based on the capacity of the SN 306.

[0048] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, unless explicitly indicated / mentioned / presented (e.g., in exemplary embodiment 3), the power of the C-link may be determined / calculated / derived based on the UE power control mechanism of a particular system for different channels, such as, for example, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, a physical random access channel (PRACH), and / or a sounding reference signal (SRS), among other types of channels. In some embodiments, the C-link power calculation formula may be presented / described / presented as follows: If the C link transmits the PUSCH, the C link power can be calculated as follows: [ka] If the C link transmits the PUCCH, the C link power can be calculated as follows: [ka] If the C link transmits the PRACH, the C link power can be calculated as follows: [ka] ● If the C link transmits the SRS, the C link power can be calculated as follows: [ka]

[0049] Exemplary Embodiment 0: Separate / Different Maximum Power Constraints (or Thresholds) Configured for Backhaul Link and C-Link In some implementations, the backhaul link and the C link can be configured with separate maximum power constraints. In this case, when the C link and the backhaul link are transmitted / transmitted / forwarded simultaneously (e.g., signals configured to be transmitted simultaneously via the C link and the backhaul link), the power of the C link or the power associated with the C link can be lower than the first maximum power constraint, and / or the power of the backhaul link can be lower than the second maximum power constraint. The first maximum power constraint can be different from the second maximum power constraint. In some implementations, both the first maximum power constraint / threshold and the second maximum power constraint can be configured by the BS 102. In some implementations, at least one of the first maximum power constraint and / or the second maximum power constraint can be calculated / determined by / based on / according to the total maximum power constraint minus the other of the first maximum power constraint and the second maximum power constraint.

[0050] The C-link power may be determined / calculated according to a formula for different signals / channels (e.g., determined C-link power). Thus, the actual C-link power may be the minimum value of either the first maximum power constraint or the determined C-link power (e.g., min(first maximum power constraint, determined C-link power)).

[0051] The backhaul link power may be determined / calculated as the minimum of either the second maximum power constraint or the product of the input power and the (configured) amplification gain (e.g., min(second maximum power constraint, input power × amplification gain)). In some implementations, the configured amplification gain may be applied to different scenarios, such as simultaneous C link and backhaul link transmissions, time-division multiplexed C link and backhaul link transmissions, etc. In some implementations, the sum of the first maximum power constraint and the second maximum power constraint may be less than or equal to (e.g., less than or equal to) a total maximum power constraint (e.g., a third maximum power constraint), thereby avoiding a total maximum power between C link transmissions and backhaul link transmissions that exceeds the total maximum power constraint. In some implementations, the first maximum power constraint may not be related to the second maximum power constraint. For example, the SN CU (e.g., NCR MT) and the SN FU (e.g., NCR Fwd) may have separate radio frequency (RF) components. In various embodiments, a signal associated with a C link may be referred to as a first signal, a power associated with a C link transmission may be referred to as a first power, a signal associated with a backhaul link may be referred to as a second signal, and a power associated with a backhaul link may be referred to as a second power.

[0052] Embodiment 1: The sum of the C-link and backhaul link power exceeds the total maximum power constraint In some implementations, in response to the SN 306 (e.g., a network node) calculating the total power consumed by simultaneous C link and backhaul link transmissions (e.g., the sum of the C link power and the backhaul link power), the SN 306 may determine whether the total power exceeds a total maximum power constraint. If the total power exceeds the total maximum power constraint, the SN 306 may drop / cancel / terminate / skip / bypass transmission on one of the links (e.g., perform transmission on one of the links) according to predefined / predetermined / configured rules (e.g., sometimes referred to as prioritization rules):

[0053] The prioritization rules may include / comprise at least one of the following: ● Regardless of which signals / channels are transmitted, if the total power exceeds the total maximum power constraint, the C link may be dropped and the backhaul link may be maintained (e.g., transmission may be possible via the backhaul link). In this case, the backhaul link may be prioritized over the C-link. The C-link transmission may not affect the backhaul link forwarding. ● If the total power exceeds the total maximum power constraint, the backhaul link can be dropped and the C-link can be maintained regardless of which signal / channel is being transmitted. In this case, the C-link may be prioritized over the backhaul link. The C-link transmission may not be affected by the backhaul link forwarding. ● C-link {PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission} > Backhaul link > Other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with a lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link carries PRACH and / or PUCCH, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link carries other signals (e.g., PUSCH and / or SRS), the C-link may be dropped. ● C-link {PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information} > Backhaul link > Other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits PRACH and / or PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., PUSCH and / or SRS), the C-link may be dropped. ● C-link {PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, PUSCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information} > backhaul link > other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits a PRACH, a PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information, and / or a PUSCH with HARQ-ACK information, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., a PUSCH and / or SRS with other information), the C-link may be dropped. ● C-link {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information} > Backhaul link > Other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits a PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., PUSCH and / or SRS), the C-link may be dropped. ● C-link {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, PUSCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information} > backhaul link > other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with a lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits a PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information and / or a PUSCH with HARQ-ACK information, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., a PUSCH and / or SRS with other information), the C-link may be dropped. ● C-link {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, SRS} > Backhaul link > Other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits PUCCH and / or SRS with HARQ-ACK information, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., PRACH, PUCCH with other information, PUSCH, etc.), the C-link may be dropped. ● C-link {PRACH, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, SRS} > Backhaul link > Other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits PRACH, PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information and / or SRS, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., PUCCH and / or PUSCH with other information), the C-link may be dropped. ● C-link {PRACH, PUCCH transmission with status report} > Backhaul link > Other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits a PUCCH with PRACH and / or a status report, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., a PUCCH, SRS, and / or PUSCH with other information), the C-link may be dropped. o The status report in this case may include at least one of anomaly information (e.g., overheating, self-excitation detection, beam obstruction, radio obstruction, etc.), a measurement report, and / or HARQ-ACK information. ● C-link {PRACH, PUCCH transmission with status report? PUSCH transmission with status report} > Backhaul link > Other channels / signals on C-link. o In this case, the priority of the C-link may depend on the specific / exact transmission signal of the C-link, and the link with a lower priority (e.g., either the C-link or the backhaul link) may be dropped. For example, if the C-link transmits a PRACH, a PUCCH with a status report, and / or a PUSCH with a status report, the backhaul link may be dropped. In a further example, if the C-link transmits other signals (e.g., a PUCCH with other information, an SRS, and / or a PUSCH with other information), the C-link may be dropped. o The status report in this case may include at least one of anomaly information (e.g., overheating, self-excitation detection, beam obstruction, radio obstruction, etc.), a measurement report, and / or HARQ-ACK information.

[0054] Embodiment 1a: C links dropped according to predefined rules In some embodiments, the SN 306 may determine whether to drop the C-link or the backhaul link according to or based on a predefined rule (e.g., according to or with reference to exemplary embodiment 1). If the SN 306 drops the C-link (e.g., the dropped signal or the first signal of the C-link) according to the predefined rule, the SN CU (or NCR-MT) may retransmit the signal (e.g., the dropped signal) in the same frequency domain resource as allocated to the previously unforwarded C-link signal (e.g., the initial C-link transmission signal and the C-link retransmission signal may be in / on the same frequency domain resource).

[0055] In some cases, if the dropped signal is a PRACH, at least one of the following may be implemented / performed on the dropped signal: o The PRACH signal may be transmitted / transmitted / communicated / signaled in the next Random Access Channel (RACH) Opportunity (RO). o The PRACH signal will / can be transmitted in the next PRACH slot. o The SN CU may re-evaluate the synchronization signal block (SSB) (e.g., perform a DL synchronization procedure) and transmit the PRACH at a time domain location determined according to the relationship between the selected SSB and the PRACH (e.g., follow the RACH procedure).

[0056] In some other cases, if the dropped signal is a PUCCH, a PUSCH, or an SRS, at least one of the following may be performed on the dropped signal: o A signal (e.g., the first signal) can be transmitted / retransmitted in the next slot. o The signal can be transmitted in the next uplink (UL) slot. o Signals may be transmitted in time domain resources according to indications from the BS 102. o The signal can be transmitted after a predefined / predetermined duration (e.g., 1 ms, 1 slot, 1 frame, etc.) (e.g., relative to the time the signal was previously dropped).

[0057] Exemplary Implementation 2: C-Link and Backhaul Link Sharing a Total Maximum Power Constraint and Prioritizing the Output Power of the C-Link In various embodiments, the C link and the backhaul link may share a total maximum power constraint (e.g., the total maximum power constraint may apply to the sum of the C link power and the backhaul link power). In some configurations, the SN 306 (e.g., a network node) may determine to prioritize the output power of the C link (e.g., prioritize transmitting the first signal). The output power of the C link may be determined / calculated according to at least one of equations (1)-(4) for different signals / channels. By prioritizing the C link, the SN 306 may reduce the output power of the backhaul link (e.g., second power) for simultaneous transmission. Thus, the output power of the C link may be unaffected by the backhaul link power (e.g., the output power of the C link may be prioritized over the output power of the backhaul link).

[0058] The output power of the backhaul link can be determined / calculated / derived as follows: ● Backhaul link output power = min(maximum total power - C-link power, input power x amplification gain) (e.g., the smaller of maximum total power minus C-link power and / or the product of input power and the configured value of amplification gain).

[0059] The input power may refer to the incoming signal power from the UE 104 (e.g., F3 signal power) to the SN 306. The SN 306 may reduce the backhaul link power according to the determined output power of the backhaul link. In some cases, the SN 306 may adjust the actual amplification gain of the SN 306 (e.g., different from the configured value of the gain) to meet the following constraints / criteria / parameters: ● Input power × actual gain <= maximum total power − C-link power (e.g., the input power multiplied by the actual gain can be less than or equal to the maximum total power minus the first power).

[0060] Exemplary Implementation 3: C-Link and Backhaul Link Sharing a Total Maximum Power Constraint and Prioritizing the Output Power of the Backhaul Link In various embodiments, the C link and the backhaul link may share a total maximum power constraint (e.g., the total maximum power constraint may apply to the sum of the C link power and the backhaul link power). In some configurations, the SN 306 (e.g., a network node) may determine to prioritize the output power of the backhaul link (e.g., prioritize transmitting the second signal). By prioritizing the backhaul link, the SN 306 may determine / calculate the output power of the backhaul link as follows: ● Backhaul link output power = min(maximum total power, input power x amplification gain) (e.g., configure the backhaul link output power to be the smaller of the maximum total power or the product of the input power multiplied by the (configured) amplification gain).

[0061] In such a case, the SN 306 may determine or calculate the output power of the C-link by using at least one of the following techniques / methods / calculations:

[0062] Exemplary Technique 1 The output power of the C-link can be determined as follows: ● C-link output power = min(maximum total power - backhaul link output power, C-link power) (e.g., the smaller of the maximum total power minus the second power and / or the first power specific to the type of the first signal).

[0063] In this case, the C-link power may be determined / calculated according to at least one of Equations (1)-(4) for different signals / channels (e.g., the value of the first power may be specific to the type of signal on the C-link). Since the backhaul link is prioritized in this embodiment, the determined C-link power may be compared to, for example, the maximum total power minus the backhaul output power (e.g., the maximum total power minus the backhaul link output power) so that the C-link power is less than or equal to the maximum total power minus the backhaul link output power.

[0064] Exemplary Technique 2 The SN 306 may determine the output power of the C-link as follows: ● C-link output power = C-link power - power offset (e.g., first power value specific to the type of first signal minus power offset).

[0065] In this case, the C-link power may be determined according to at least one of equations (1)-(4) for different signals / channels (e.g., the C-link power may be specific to the type of signal on the C-link). The power offset may be at least one of: C-link power + backhaul link output power - maximum total power (e.g., C-link power plus the determined second power minus the maximum total power), a fixed value, and / or a value configured by the BS 102.

[0066] Exemplary embodiment 4: BS transmits power control indication to SN for adjusting output power of backhaul link In various embodiments, the BS 102 may transmit a power control indication to the SN 306 to adjust the output power of the backhaul link (e.g., the second power) to ensure that the sum of the power of the C-link and the backhaul link is below / less than or equal to (not exceed) a total maximum power constraint. The SN 306 may receive an indication to adjust the backhaul link power (e.g., the power control indication) from the BS 102. The SN 306 may adjust the backhaul link power according to the power control indication. The power control indication (e.g., for controlling the backhaul link power) may include an indication of at least one of transmit power, amplification gain, frequency resource, and / or time resource.

[0067] Transmission power In some configurations, if a transmit power (e.g., a backhaul link power or a second power) is indicated (e.g., the power control indication may include an indication of the transmit power), the amplification gain may be determined / calculated as amplification gain = transmit power / input power (e.g., transmit power value divided by input power from the UE 104 to the SN 306). The sum of the transmit powers of the backhaul link and the C link may / should be less than a maximum total power (e.g., a total maximum power constraint or maximum power threshold).

[0068] Amplification Gain In some configurations, if an amplification gain is indicated (eg, included in a power control indication), the SN 306 may determine / calculate the transmit power (eg, the power of the backhaul link) as follows: ● Transmit power = min (maximum total power - C-link power, input power x amplification gain) (e.g., the smaller of the maximum total power minus a first power value specific to the type of first signal and / or the product of the input power to the SN306 multiplied by the configured amplification gain of the SN306).

[0069] The SN 306 can adjust the amplification gain to satisfy the following constraints: ● Input power x actual gain <= maximum total power - C-link power (e.g., input power multiplied by actual gain is less than / less than or equal to maximum total power minus first power).

[0070] Frequency Resources In some configurations, a frequency resource may be indicated for the backhaul link power (e.g., the second power). The indication of the frequency resource may include at least one of the following parameters: A frequency offset to indicate the start of a frequency resource. The frequency offset can be compared to at least one of point A (e.g., a frequency location as defined herein), the start of a bandwidth portion (BWP), and / or the start of a resource block (RB). The granularity of the frequency offset can be at the RB level or the resource element (RE) level. ● RB number and / or RE number to indicate the applied frequency resource, for example, frequency offset to frequency offset+RB number or RE number. BWP Index: The power control indication may apply to one or more of the supported BWPs. Band index: The power control indication may apply to one or more of the supported bands. ● Frequency Domain Resource Allocation (FDRA) indicators such as DCI.

[0071] Time Resources In some configurations, a time resource may be indicated for the backhaul link power (e.g., the second power). The time resource may include at least one of the following parameters: ● A slot offset for indicating the start of a time resource at the slot level. The offset may be compared to at least one of the start of a period, the application time of the indication (e.g., which may be predefined or indicated), a reference point (e.g., SFN0, SFN512, etc.), and / or the start of a frame, among others. ● A symbol offset for indicating the start of a time resource at the symbol level. The offset can be compared to at least one of the start of a slot, the start of a period, the application time of the indication (e.g., predefined or indicated), a reference point (e.g., SFN0, SFN512, etc.), and / or the start of a frame, among others. ● ms-level, slot-level, or symbol-level duration. ● Periodicity. ● System Frame Number (SFN). ● Start and Length Indicator Value (SLIV). Subcarrier Spacing For example, the SCS value can be 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz (which may affect the slot size, for example), etc. - The number of absolute time units. For example, if the number is 5 and the absolute time unit is 1 ms, then the indicated duration may be 5 ms. Absolute time unit, for example 1 ms, 0.5 ms, 0.25 ms, etc. The absolute time unit parameter may be a parameter of one of the time resources or may be predefined herein.

[0072] Referring now to FIG. 6, a flow diagram of a method 600 for simultaneous backhaul link and control link transmission for a network node (e.g., SN) is shown. Method 600 may be implemented using any of the components and devices detailed herein in connection with FIGS. 1-5. In overview, method 600 may include determining a first power and a second power (602). Method 600 may include transmitting a first signal over a control link (604). Method 600 may include forwarding a second signal over a forward link (606). Method 600 may include receiving the first signal over the control link (608). Method 600 may include receiving a second signal over the forward link (610).

[0073] In operation (602), in some configurations, a network node (e.g., SN) may determine / calculate / compute a first power (e.g., C-link power or transmit power of / for / in the C-link) of the network node for a control link from the network node to a wireless communication node (e.g., BS, gNB, eNB, or TRP) and a second power (e.g., backhaul link power or transmit power of / for / in the backhaul link) of the network node for a forwarding link (e.g., F1, backhaul link) from the network node to the wireless communication node.

[0074] In some configurations, the network node may perform at least one of operations (604) and / or (606). In operation (604), the network node may send / transmit / provide / signal / communicate a first signal / message over a control link from the network node to the wireless communication node. In operation (606), the network node may forward / transmit a second signal over a forward link from the network node to the wireless communication node. In response to at least one of operations (604) and / or (606), the BS 102 may receive / obtain / acquire / obtain at least one of the first signal over the control link from the network node to the wireless communication node in operation (608) and / or the second signal over the forward link from the network node to the wireless communication node in operation (610).

[0075] In various implementations, when transmissions on the control link and the forward link occur simultaneously (e.g., overlap in time), the first power may be lower than or equal to a first maximum power configured for the control link and / or the second power may be lower than or equal to a second maximum power configured for the forward link. The first maximum power (e.g., maximum power constraint) may be different from the second maximum power.

[0076] In some embodiments, when transmissions on the control link and the forwarding link occur simultaneously, at least one of a plurality of methods / scenarios (e.g., a first method, a second method, etc.) may be supported / utilized / implemented. In the first method / scenario, the sum of the first power maximum (e.g., the C link maximum power) and the second power maximum (e.g., the backhaul link maximum power) may be less than or equal to the total maximum power (e.g., the C link and the backhaul link may share or be associated with one total maximum power constraint or may be associated with the same RF components). The total maximum power may be part of the capacity of the network node. For example, the network node hardware and / or software may constrain / limit / upper bound the peak output power to a certain value (e.g., the total maximum power). In the second method / scenario, the first power maximum may be independent of the second power maximum (e.g., the C link and the backhaul link may have separate maximum power constraints, e.g., the C link and the backhaul link may have separate RF components). For example, if the network node supports a first method / scenario, the sum of the first maximum power and the second maximum power may be lower than the total maximum power constraint. If the network node supports a second method / scenario, the first maximum power and the second maximum power may be unrelated (e.g., the maximum power constraints for the C link and the backhaul link are unrelated). In this case, there may be no total maximum power constraint. In a third method / scenario, at least one of the first maximum power value or the second maximum power value may be configured by the wireless communication node. In a fourth method / scenario, at least one of the first maximum power value or the second maximum power value may be calculated / computed / determined by / based on / according to the total maximum power minus the other of the first maximum power value or the second maximum power value. The total maximum power may be part of the capacity of the network node.In some configurations, two or more methods may be combined or supported according to the capacity or support of the network node, such as the first method and the third method, the first method and the fourth method, the third capacity and the fourth method, etc.

[0077] In some embodiments, when the total power of the first power and the second power exceeds the total maximum power (e.g., a total maximum power constraint between the C link and the backhaul link) and / or when transmissions on the control link and the forwarding link occur simultaneously, the network node may decide (according to a prioritization rule) to implement A, implement B, or one of A and B.

[0078] For example, to implement A, the network node may decide not to allocate power to the second power and / or not to implement forwarding / transmission of the second signal (e.g., prioritize the control link and / or drop the backhaul link). To implement B, the network node may decide not to allocate power to the first power or not to transmit the first signal (e.g., prioritize the backhaul link and / or drop the C link). In some cases, the network node may decide to implement A or B according to or based on a prioritization rule (e.g., a predefined rule). Implementing A or B may include implementing transmission on the C link and the backhaul link according to the prioritization rule.

[0079] In various configurations, the prioritization rule may direct the network node to forward or transmit at least one signal having the highest priority among the signals that match the candidate signals identified in the prioritization rule. In some implementations, the prioritization rule may identify at least one of the following candidate signals for a first signal (e.g., a control link) as having a higher priority than a candidate signal for a second signal: a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a PUCCH transmission with hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information, a sounding reference signal (SRS), a PUCCH transmission with a status report, and / or a PUSCH transmission with a status report. For example, if the first signal includes / contains at least one of the above-mentioned specific types of signals (e.g., and / or messages or information) having a higher priority than a candidate signal for a second signal, the network node may prioritize the first signal for C-link transmission and drop the second signal. If the first signal is not included in the prioritization rules or contains other types of signals outside the prioritization rules, the network node may prioritize the second signal for backhaul link transmission, thereby dropping the first signal.

[0080] In some embodiments, the prioritization rules may identify at least one of the following candidate signals for a first signal as having a lower priority than a candidate signal for a second signal: a signal other than a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission, a signal other than a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, a signal other than a PUCCH transmission with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information, a signal other than a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information, a signal other than a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), a signal other than a PUCCH transmission with a status report, and / or a signal other than a PUSCH transmission with a status report. For example, if the first signal includes / contains at least one of the above-mentioned specific types of signals (e.g., and / or messages or information) having a lower priority than a candidate signal for a second signal, the network node may prioritize the second signal for backhaul link transmission and drop the first signal. If the first signal is not included in the prioritization rules or includes other types of signals outside the prioritization rules (e.g., in this case because of a lower priority than the second signal), the network node may, for example, prioritize the first signal for C-link transmission, thereby dropping the second signal.

[0081] In some embodiments, the prioritization rule may prioritize, in descending order of priority, a first candidate signal of the first signal (e.g., a C-link signal), a second candidate signal of the second signal (e.g., a backhaul link signal), and a third candidate signal of the first signal (e.g., another C-link signal), respectively, e.g., as follows: {Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission or Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission; any signal (e.g., a backhaul link signal); a signal other than a PRACH transmission or a PUCCH transmission}, or {P RACH transmission, or PUCCH transmission with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information; any signal; any signal other than a PRACH transmission or PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information; any signal; any signal other than a PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or PUSCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {HARQ-A PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information; any signal; any signal other than a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information; any signal; any signal other than a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information or a PUSCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK, or Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) information; any signal; PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information a signal other than a PRACH transmission or SRS}, or {a PRACH transmission, a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or SRS; any signal; a PRACH transmission, a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or a signal other than an SRS}, or {a PRACH transmission, or a PUCCH transmission with a status report; any signal; a signal other than a PRACH transmission or a PUCCH transmission with a status report}, or {a PRACH transmission, a PUCCH transmission with a status report, or a PUSCH transmission with a status report; any signal;a PRACH transmission, or a PUCCH transmission with a status report, or a signal other than a PUSCH transmission with a status report;

[0082] In some configurations, if the network node decides to implement B (e.g., drop the first signal), the network node may transmit / retransmit the first signal (e.g., another C-link signal or the dropped first signal) on the frequency domain resources allocated to the previously unforwarded / transmitted first signal (e.g., the same frequency domain resources as the dropped first signal that was to be transmitted simultaneously with the second signal).

[0083] In some embodiments, if the first signal comprises / includes a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission, at least one of: the network node may transmit the PRACH transmission at a next random access channel (RACH) opportunity (RO); the network node may transmit the PRACH transmission at a next PRACH slot; and / or the network node may transmit the PRACH transmission according to a synchronization signal block (SSB) determined by the network node and a relationship between the SSB and the PRACH transmission. In some embodiments, if the first signal comprises a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), then at least one of: the network node may transmit the first signal (e.g., a signal on a C-link) in a next slot; the network node may transmit the first signal in a next uplink slot; the network node may transmit the first signal on a time domain resource according to an indication from the wireless communication node; and / or the network node may transmit the first signal after a defined / configured / predetermined duration.

[0084] In some configurations, the network node may determine to prioritize transmission of a first signal (e.g., a C link signal), e.g., for simultaneous transmission on the C link and the backhaul link. In this case, the network node may reduce / decrease the second power (e.g., the backhaul link output power) to be the smaller (e.g., minimum) of the maximum total power minus the first power (e.g., the C link power) and / or the input power to the network node (e.g., from a wireless communication device such as a UE) multiplied by the configured (amplification) gain of the network node. The configured gain may refer to the amplification gain or may refer to the maximum gain without adjustment.

[0085] In some implementations, the network node may adjust / change the actual gain of the network node such that the input power multiplied by the actual gain is less than / less than or equal to the maximum total power minus the first power. The network node may adjust the actual gain such that the total power output by the network node does not exceed the maximum power threshold.

[0086] In some configurations, the network node may determine to prioritize forwarding of a second signal (e.g., a backhaul link signal). In this case, the network node may determine the second power (e.g., backhaul link output power) to be the smaller of the maximum total power and / or the input power to the network node multiplied by the configured gain of the network node. In some implementations, the network node may determine the first power (e.g., C-link output power) to be the smaller (e.g., minimum) of the maximum total power minus the second power (e.g., backhaul link output power) and / or a first power specific to the type of the first signal (e.g., C-link power that can be calculated using at least one of Equations (1)-(4) for different signals / channels).

[0087] In some implementations, the network node may determine the first power (e.g., C link output power) to be a first power (e.g., C link power) value specific to the first signal type minus a power offset. The power offset may be at least one of: equal to or greater than the first power (e.g., C link power) value specific to the first signal type plus the determined second power (e.g., backhaul link power) minus a maximum total power (e.g., total maximum power constraint); a fixed value; and / or a value configured by the wireless communications node.

[0088] In some configurations, the network node may receive / obtain / acquire an indication to adjust the second power (e.g., backhaul link power), such as to prioritize the first signal on the C link. The network node may adjust the second power according to the indication. For example, the indication may include at least one of the following: ● There may be at least one of an indication of a transmission power value of the second power, the gain of the network node may be determined based on / according to the transmission power value divided by the input power to the network node, and / or the sum of the transmission power value and the first power may be less than the maximum total power. ● There may be at least one of the following indications of gain: the second power is the smaller / lesser (e.g., minimum) of the maximum total power minus the value of a first power specific to the type of first signal (e.g., the calculated C-link power) and / or the input power to the network node multiplied by the configured gain of the network node, and / or the gain may be such that the input power multiplied by the (actual) gain is smaller than or equal to the value of the maximum total power minus the first power (e.g., the C-link power). an indication of a frequency domain resource of the second power, which may include at least one of a frequency offset, a resource block (RB) number or a resource element (RE) number, a bandwidth portion (BWP) index, a band index, and / or a frequency domain resource allocation (FDRA) indicator; and / or ● An indication of a time domain resource of the second power, which may include at least one of a slot offset, a symbol offset, a duration, a periodicity, a system frame number (SFN), a start and length indicator value (SLIV), a number of absolute time units, and / or an absolute time unit.

[0089] While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Similarly, various diagrams may depict example architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand example features and functionality of the present solution. However, such skilled artisans will understand that the present solution is not limited to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Moreover, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described example embodiments.

[0090] It will also be understood that any reference to elements herein using designations such as "first," "second," etc., generally does not limit the number or order of those elements. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements can be used, nor that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0091] Additionally, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referred to in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0092] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as “software” or “software modules”), or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, and such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0093] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various example logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented in or by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include an antenna and / or transceiver for communicating with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0094] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0095] As used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, while for purposes of discussion, various modules are described as individual modules, those skilled in the art will recognize that two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0096] Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be used in embodiments of the solution. It will be appreciated that, for clarity, the above description describes embodiments of the solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without detracting from the solution. For example, functionality illustrated as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. References to specific functional units therefore do not refer to a strict logical or physical structure or organization, but merely to suitable means for providing the described functionality.

[0097] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method comprising: determining, by a network node, (i) a first power of the network node for a control link from the network node to a wireless communication node, and (ii) a second power of the network node for a forwarding link from the network node to the wireless communication node; performing, by the network node, at least one of: (i) transmitting a first signal over the control link from the network node to the wireless communication node; and (ii) forwarding a second signal over the forwarding link from the network node to the wireless communication node; A method comprising:

2. When transmissions on the control link and the forwarding link occur simultaneously, the first power is less than or equal to a first maximum power configured for the control link; or the second power being less than or equal to a second maximum power configured for the forwarding link; The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

3. When transmission on the control link and transmission on the forwarding link occur simultaneously, the sum of the first maximum power value and the second maximum power value is less than or equal to a total maximum power value, the total maximum power value being the capacity of the network node; or the maximum value of the first power is independent of the maximum value of the second power; or at least one of the maximum value of the first power or the maximum value of the second power being configured by the wireless communications node; or At least one of the maximum value of the first power or the maximum value of the second power is determined based on a value obtained by subtracting the other of the maximum value of the first power or the maximum value of the second power from a total maximum power, and the total maximum power is a capacity of a network node. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

4. When a total power of the first power and the second power exceeds a total maximum power, or when a transmission on the control link and a transmission on the forwarding link occur simultaneously, the method includes: Deciding to implement A, wherein A includes deciding not to allocate power to the second power source or not to implement the forwarding of the second signal; determining to implement B, wherein B includes determining not to allocate power to the first power source or not to transmit the first signal; or Deciding to implement A or B according to prioritization rules The method of claim 1 , comprising one of:

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritization rule directs the transfer or transmission of at least one signal having the highest priority among signals that match candidate signals identified in the prioritization rule.

6. The prioritization rule may select the following candidate signals for the first signal as having a higher priority than candidate signals for the second signal: Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission; Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission; PUCCH transmission with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information; Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information; Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), PUCCH transmission with status report; and PUSCH transmission with status report The method of claim 5 , further comprising identifying at least one of:

7. The prioritization rule may classify the following candidate signals for the first signal as having lower priority than candidate signals for the second signal: Signals other than physical random access channel (PRACH) transmissions, signals other than physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmissions, signals other than PUCCH transmissions with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information; signals other than Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmissions with HARQ-ACK information; Signals other than sounding reference signals (SRS), signals other than PUCCH transmissions with status reports; and Signals other than PUSCH transmission with status report The method of claim 5 , further comprising identifying at least one of:

8. The prioritization rule may be, in descending order of priority, a first candidate signal of the first signal, a second candidate signal of the second signal, and a third candidate signal of the first signal, respectively: {Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission or Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission; any signal; a signal other than a PRACH transmission or a PUCCH transmission}, or {PRACH transmission or PUCCH transmission with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information; any signal; any signal other than a PRACH transmission or PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information; any signal; a signal other than a PRACH transmission, a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or a PUSCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information; any signal; signal other than PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission with HARQ-ACK information; any signal; a signal other than a PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information or a PUSCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information}, or {PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK or Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) information; any signal; a signal other than PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information or SRS}, or {PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or SRS; any signal; PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with HARQ-ACK information, or a signal other than SRS}, or {PRACH transmission or PUCCH transmission with status report; any signal; signal other than PRACH transmission or PUCCH transmission with status report}, or {PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with status report, or PUSCH transmission with status report; any signal; a signal other than PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission with status report, or PUSCH transmission with status report} The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second sub-sub ...

9. When the network node decides to implement B, the method further comprises:

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting, by the network node, the first signal in frequency domain resources allocated to the first signal that were not previously transmitted.

10. If the first signal comprises a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission, that the PRACH transmission is to be transmitted in a next Random Access Channel (RACH) Opportunity (RO); the PRACH transmission is to be transmitted in a next PRACH slot; or the PRACH transmission is transmitted in accordance with a synchronization signal block (SSB) determined by the network node and a relationship between the SSB and the PRACH transmission; The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of

11. If the first signal includes a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission, or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), the first signal is to be transmitted in a next slot; the first signal is to be transmitted in a next uplink slot; the first signal is to be transmitted on a time domain resource according to an indication from the wireless communication node; or The first signal is transmitted after a defined duration. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of

12. determining, by the network node, a prioritization of the transmission of the first signal; and reducing, by the network node, the second power to be the lesser of (i) a maximum total power minus the first power, and (ii) an input power to the network node multiplied by a configured gain of the network node; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, comprising adjusting, by the network node, the actual gain of the network node such that the input power multiplied by an actual gain is less than or equal to the maximum total power minus the first power.

14. determining, by the network node, a prioritization of the forwarding of the second signal; determining, by the network node, the second power to be the lesser of (i) a maximum total power and (ii) an input power to the network node multiplied by a configured gain of the network node; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

15. 15. The method of claim 14, comprising determining, by the network node, the first power to be the lesser of: (i) the maximum total power minus the second power; and (ii) a value of the first power specific to a type of the first signal.

16. 15. The method of claim 14, comprising determining, by the network node, the first power to be a value of the first power specific to the type of the first signal minus a power offset.

17. The power offset is: greater than or equal to the value of the first power specific to the first signal type plus the determined second power minus the maximum total power; a fixed value, or a value configured by said wireless communications node 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one of

18. receiving, by the network node, an indication to adjust the second power; adjusting, by the network node, the second power according to the indication; and The method of claim 1 , comprising:

19. The indication may be an indication of a transmission power value of the second power, the indication being at least one of: (i) a gain of the network node is determined based on the transmission power value divided by an input power to the network node; or (ii) a sum of the transmission power value and the first power is less than a maximum total power; an indication of the gain, wherein (i) the second power is the lesser of (a) the maximum total power minus the first power value specific to the first signal type, and (b) the input power to the network node multiplied by a configured gain of the network node, or (ii) the gain is an indication that the input power multiplied by the gain is less than or equal to the maximum total power minus the first power; an indication of frequency domain resources of the second power, the indication comprising at least one of a frequency offset, a resource block (RB) number or resource element (RE) number, a bandwidth portion (BWP) index, a band index, or a frequency domain resource allocation (FDRA) indicator; or an indication of a time domain resource of the second power, the indication including at least one of a slot offset, a symbol offset, a duration, a periodicity, a system frame number (SFN), a start and length indicator value (SLIV), a number of absolute time units, or an absolute time unit; 20. The method of claim 18, comprising at least one of:

20. 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a wireless communication node, at least one of: (i) a first signal over a control link from a network node to said wireless communication node; and (ii) a second signal over a forwarding link from said network node to said wireless communication node; the network node determines (i) a first power of the network node for the control link from the network node to the wireless communication node, and (ii) a second power of the network node for the forwarding link from the network node to the wireless communication node.

21. 21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 20.

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