Subchannel and physical resource block mapping

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a terminal device, a network device, a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for mapping subchannels to PRBs. After mapping multiple subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or applying a guard band, the terminal device can determine the number of remaining PRBs and further adjust the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs. For example, one of multiple subchannels may be extended by the number of remaining PRBs. For another example, additional subchannels may be mapped to the remaining PRBs. This allows the remaining PRBs to be used for sidelink transmission, thereby improving spectral efficiency.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to a terminal device, a network device, a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for mapping subchannels and physical resource blocks (PRBs). [Background technology]

[0002] Sidelink (SL) technology is widely used in various scenarios. In some scenarios, communication data is only exchanged within a specific area, and sidelink-unlicensed (SL-U), a type of wireless communication protocol, is suitable for this kind of wireless short-range communication application scenario.

[0003] In SL operation, the mapping between subchannels and PRBs is considered. For example, a user equipment (UE) determines the set of resource blocks (RBs) allocated to a sidelink resource pool (RP) and then determines the subchannels. However, there is a risk that the resource blocks may not be fully utilized, resulting in a loss of spectral efficiency. Therefore, further research on the mapping is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for mapping subchannels to PRBs.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least determine a number of remaining PRBs after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band, and adjust the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to send at least one of a first notification indicating that remaining PRBs will be left unused, a second notification indicating that one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs will be extended by the number of remaining PRBs, a third notification indicating that a subchannel will be mapped to the remaining PRBs, or a fourth notification indicating that the terminal device will adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device, wherein the number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or physical resource set or after applying a guard band.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method performed by a terminal device is provided, the method including: determining, in the terminal device, a number of remaining PRBs after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band; and adjusting the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method executed by a network device is provided, the method including transmitting, to a terminal device, at least one of a first notification informing the terminal device to leave remaining PRBs unused, a second notification informing the terminal device to extend one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs by the number of the remaining PRBs, a third notification informing the terminal device to map subchannels to the remaining PRBs, or a fourth notification informing the terminal device to adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device, wherein the number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: means, in a terminal apparatus, for determining a number of remaining PRBs after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band; and means for adjusting the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: means for transmitting, to a terminal device, at least one of a first notification informing the terminal device that a remaining PRB is to be unused, a second notification informing the terminal device that one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRB is to be extended by the number of the remaining PRBs, a third notification informing the terminal device that a subchannel is to be mapped to the remaining PRBs, or a fourth notification informing the terminal device that the terminal device adjusts the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device, wherein the number of the remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of the third or fourth aspect.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to carry out at least the method of the third or fourth aspect.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising: a determining circuit configured to determine a number of remaining PRBs after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band, and an adjusting circuit configured to adjust the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising: a transmitting circuit configured to transmit, to a terminal device, at least one of a first notification informing the terminal device to leave remaining PRBs unused, a second notification informing the terminal device to extend one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs by the number of remaining PRBs, a third notification informing the terminal device to map subchannels to the remaining PRBs, and a fourth notification informing the terminal device to adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device, wherein the number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method of the third or fourth aspect.

[0016] It should be understood that the Abstract is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] Some embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A shows an example of a mapping according to option 1. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B shows an example of mapping according to option 2. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C shows an example of mapping according to option 3. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows examples of mapping between subchannels having various numbers of PRBs and PRBs in resource pools of various subchannel sizes. [Figure 2B]FIG. 2B shows examples of mapping between subchannels having various numbers of PRBs and PRBs in resource pools of various subchannel sizes. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C shows examples of mapping between subchannels having various numbers of PRBs and PRBs in resource pools of various subchannel sizes. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a network environment in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates an example process flow according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A illustrates an example of a mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B illustrates an example of a mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C illustrates an example of a mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5D] FIG. 5D illustrates an example of a mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5E] FIG. 5E illustrates an example of a mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a mapping according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of a method implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 10 shows a block diagram of an example of a computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The principles of the present specification will be explained with reference to several examples. It should be understood that these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present specification, but are provided merely for illustrative purposes and to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present specification. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0019] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0020] References herein to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect that feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly stated.

[0021] Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish between elements. For example, calling a first element a second element, and similarly calling a second element a first element, would not depart from the scope of the embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" encompasses any combination of one or more of the listed terms.

[0022] The terms used herein are intended to describe particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "comprising" identify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, "at least one of: " and "at least any of: " and similar expressions, when a list of two or more elements is joined by "and," mean at least any element, at least two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0023] In this application, the term "circuit" means (a) hardware-only circuit implementation (e.g., implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry); (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; and (ii) A combination of a portion of a hardware processor and software (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory that work together to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions; (c) hardware circuitry and / or processors (e.g., microprocessors or portions of microprocessors) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may be absent if not necessary for operation; It may refer to any one or more, or all of the above.

[0024] This definition of circuit applies to all uses of the term in this application, i.e., in all claims. By way of further example, the term circuit as used herein encompasses a simple hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its associated software and / or firmware implementation. For example, the term circuit also encompasses baseband or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular networks, and other computing systems, where applicable to particular claim elements.

[0025] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network conforming to an appropriate communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), or Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communications between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols, and / or other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communication technologies, the present disclosure may also be applied to future communication technologies and systems. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the aforementioned systems.

[0026] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses and receives services from the network. A network device may refer to, for example, a base station (BS) or access point (AP), a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a new radio (NR) NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio header (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, a repeater, a low-power node such as a femto or pico node, etc.

[0027] The term "terminal" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example only, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal equipment includes mobile phones, smartphones, VoIP phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable devices, PDAs, portable computers, desktop computers, imaging devices such as digital cameras, gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminals, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, watches and other wearables, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless equipment operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, equipment operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms “terminal equipment,” “communications equipment,” “terminal,” “user equipment,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0028] Channels such as the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) and the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) may be used for transmission in sidelink technologies. Regarding the mapping of subchannels to PRBs for contiguous resource block (RB)-based PSCCH / PSSCH transmission in SL-U, it is agreed that Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3 will be further studied.

[0029] Option 1 (Subchannels Align with Resource Pool Boundaries): Similar to conventional NR SL, i.e., subchannels are mapped starting from the first PRB in the resource pool and sequentially within the resource pool according to the subchannel size. FIG. 1A shows an example of mapping 110 based on Option 1. As shown in FIG. 1A, eight subchannels 111-118 are sequentially mapped within the resource pool. However, further consideration is needed regarding whether / how to use subchannels that include intra-cell guard band PRBs (such as subchannels 114-115 in FIG. 1A) and / or whether / how to handle cases where the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size.

[0030] Option 2 (Subchannels Align with RB Set Boundaries): For each RB set, subchannels are mapped sequentially within the RB set according to the subchannel size, starting from the first PRB of the RB set. FIG. 1B shows an example of mapping 120 based on option 2. As shown in FIG. 1B, three subchannels 121-123 are mapped within RB set 0, and three subchannels 124-126 are mapped within RB set 1, which do not overlap with guard band PRBs. However, further consideration is needed regarding whether and how to use guard band PRBs within a cell and / or whether and how to handle the case where the number of PRBs in an RB set is not divisible by the subchannel size. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, unused remaining PRBs 128 and 129 may be generated.

[0031] Option 3 (Subchannels Align with RB Set Boundaries): For each RB set, subchannels are mapped starting from the first PRB of the RB set and sequentially within the RB set and / or guard band PRBs according to the subchannel size. Figure 1C shows an example of mapping 130 based on option 3. As shown in Figure 1C, seven subchannels 131-137 are mapped within RB set 0 and RB set 1. However, further consideration is needed regarding the use of intra-cell guard band PRBs and / or the use of subchannels containing PRBs within the guard band (e.g., subchannel 134). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1C, there may be unused remaining PRBs 139.

[0032] For SL operation with subchannel to PRB mapping, the contents of the following text boxes explain how subchannels are defined for consecutive RB based operation in SL. [Table 1]

[0033] As specified in 3GPP TS38.331, the subchannel size within an RP (e.g., "sl-SubchannelSize-r16" in the text box below) can be {10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75, 100} RBs, and the start RB of a subchannel (e.g., "sl-StartRB-Subchannel-r16" in the text box below) can be a value in the range [0, 265]. [Table 2]

[0034] In some cases, the number of PRBs in the resource pool (or the RB set configured in options 2 and 3 above) may not be divisible by the subchannel size. In this case, the last

number

[0035] 2A to 2C show examples of mapping between subchannels and PRBs when the number of PRBs in a resource pool is different or when the subchannel size is different. PRB 2A shows an example 210 of a resource pool with N = 50 RBs, a subchannel size of 10 (i.e., sl-SubchannelSize=10), and a starting RB of 0 (i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel=0). As shown in FIG. 2A, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is divisible by the subchannel size, so there are five subchannels 211-215, and no unused PRBs. FIG. 2B shows an example 220 of a resource pool with N PRB = 50 RBs, a subchannel size of 12 (i.e., sl-SubchannelSize=12), and a start RB of 0 (i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel=0). As shown in FIG. 2B, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, so there are four subchannels 221-224, and two PRBs 225 are unused. FIG. 2C shows an example resource pool 230, where the resource pool is N PRB = 46 RBs, the subchannel size is 12 (i.e., sl-SubchannelSize = 12), and the start RB is 0 (i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel = 0). As shown in Figure 2C, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, and there are three subchannels 231 to 233, and ten unused PRBs 234.

[0036] In some cases, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is divisible by the subchannel size, resulting in no excess PRBs. However, in other cases, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, resulting in excess PRBs. As shown in Figures 2B and 2C, the excess PRBs are dropped without being used, which can waste resources and reduce spectral efficiency.

[0037]

[0013] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for mapping subchannels to PRBs in a resource pool or a physical resource set (e.g., an RB set). In particular, a terminal device may determine the number of remaining PRBs after mapping multiple subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set, or after applying a guard band. The terminal device may further adjust the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs. For example, one of multiple subchannels may be extended by the number of remaining PRBs. For example, additional subchannels may be mapped to the remaining PRBs. The proposed solution enables appropriate use of the remaining PRBs and improves spectral efficiency. The principles and some embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] 3 illustrates an example of a network environment 300 in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network environment 300 includes terminal device 310-1, terminal device 310-2, and network device 320. In some embodiments, terminal device 310-1 and terminal device 310-2 may be collectively or individually referred to as terminal device 310.

[0039] The network device 320 provides a radio access cell through which the terminal device 310 communicates with the network device 320. In some embodiments, the network device 320 may be a gNB providing a 3GPP® New Radio (NR) cell. In other embodiments, the network device 320 may be an eNB providing an LTE cell. The air interface over which the terminal device 310 and the network device 320 communicate may be compatible with 3GPP® technical specifications defining fifth-generation (5G) NR system standards.

[0040] In environment 300, network device 320 provides services to terminal device 310, and network device 320 and terminal device 310 communicate data and control information with each other. In some embodiments, network device 320 and terminal device 310 communicate over a direct link / channel. In environment 300, the link from network device 320 to terminal device 310 is referred to as the downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 310 to network device 320 is referred to as the uplink (UL).

[0041] The terminal 310-1 and the terminal 310-2 may also communicate directly via a sidelink interface. The sidelink interface may also be referred to as a ProSe interface, a device-to-device (D2D) interface, a PC5 interface, or a reference point. In some embodiments, the network environment 300 may be deployed in an in-vehicle communication system. In the in-vehicle communication system, the terminal 310-1 and the terminal 310-2 may communicate with each other using cellular V2X communication. V2X may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-network (VTN), or vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P). Thus, while the terminal 310-1 and the terminal 310-2 are depicted as mobile phones in FIG. 3, they may be any type of user equipment.

[0042] The terminal device 310-1 and the terminal device 310-2 can communicate with each other using a sidelink resource pool. The sidelink resource pool includes a set of time / frequency resources for sidelink transmission and reception. The sidelink resource pool is used for all unicast, groupcast, and broadcast communications for a particular UE. In the frequency domain, the resource pool includes multiple subchannels, each of which includes one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs). In various embodiments, a subchannel includes, for example, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75, or 100 PRBs. In some embodiments, the PRBs of a subchannel and the subchannels of the resource pool may be contiguous.

[0043] In the time domain, a sidelink resource pool may contain multiple slots, which may be contiguous or non-contiguous. In some embodiments, the slots of the sidelink resource pool are configured, for example, by a bitmap transmitted by the network device 320, indicating which slots are part of the sidelink resource pool. This bitmap has a period of 10,240 ms and a bitmap length between 10 and 160. In some embodiments, physical slots encompass all slots, including non-sidelink slots, while logical slots may only include slots in the resource pool. For example, consider a 10-bit bitmap of [1,1,0,1,1,0,1,1,1,1]. This bitmap indicates that 10 physical slots comprise 8 logical slots of the sidelink resource pool.

[0044] Sidelink resources can be allocated in multiple ways. For example, in a first mode (Mode 1), the network device 320 may provide sidelink grants to the terminal device 310-1 and the terminal device 310-2. In a second mode (Mode 2), the transmitting UE (e.g., the terminal device 310) senses the channel and selects resources for its transmission. Mode 2 resource allocation includes multiple operations, such as resource pool configuration, sensing, resource selection, and sidelink transmission.

[0045] Resource pool configuration involves the network device 320 providing configuration information to the terminal devices 310-1 and 310-2 via control signals (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signals). Additionally or alternatively, resource pool configuration may involve accessing predefined configuration information stored in the terminal devices 310-1 and 310-2. After the UEs are configured with the resource pool, the transmitting UE performs a sensing procedure. Within a sensing window, the transmitting UE transmits sidelink control information (SCI) to transmit data priority notification and resource reservation information. The transmitting UE may also measure a channel quality indicator, such as reference signal received power (RSRP). Sidelink RSRP measurements may be based on the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) demodulation reference signal (DMRS) or the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) DMRS.

[0046] Based on the sensing operation, the transmitting UE can select resources from within a resource selection window. The resources are selected on a subchannel-by-subchannel basis in the frequency domain and on a slot-by-slot basis in the time domain. The transmitting UE identifies candidate resources within the resource selection window. A resource within the resource selection window may be excluded from the candidate resources if it is reserved and its associated RSRP measurement value exceeds a predetermined threshold. The transmitting UE selects a resource from the identified candidate resources. In some embodiments, the selection may be randomized. The transmitting UE encodes and transmits sidelink data on the selected resources.

[0047] Communications in the network environment 300 may be implemented according to any suitable communications protocol, including, but not limited to, cellular communications protocols such as first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), and sixth generation (6G), wireless local network communications protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or other protocols now known or developed in the future. Furthermore, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communications technology, including, but not limited to, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and other technologies now known or developed in the future.

[0048] 3 (i.e., terminal device 310 and network device 320), as well as their connection relationships and types, are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to imply any limitations. For example, environment 300 may include any number of devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented without the presence of network device 320.

[0049] 4 illustrates an example process flow 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, the process flow 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The process flow 400 involves a terminal device 310 and a network device 320. While the process flow 400 is described in the network environment 300 of FIG. 3, it should be understood that the process flow is applicable to other communication scenarios as well.

[0050] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the network device 320 may send 410 a configuration 412 to the terminal device 310. In some embodiments, the configuration 412 may include the number of PRBs in the resource pool. For example, the resource pool may contain N PRB may have N PRBs, PRB is an integer. In some embodiments, the settings 412 may include a sub-channel size. For example, the sub-channel size may be n subCHsize n PRBs, subCHsize is an integer and N PRB Smaller than.

[0051] In some embodiments, the configuration 412 may include a notification informing the terminal device 310 how to use the remaining PRBs. For example, the network device 320 may determine how to use the remaining PRBs and notify the terminal device 310 via the notification. In some embodiments, the notification may be any of a first notification, a second notification, a third notification, or a fourth notification.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first notification notifies that the remaining PRBs are to be left unused, the second notification notifies that a subchannel among a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs is to be expanded by the number of remaining PRBs, the third notification notifies that the subchannels are to be mapped to the remaining PRBs, and the fourth notification notifies that the terminal device adjusts the mapping according to the implementation of the terminal device 310.

[0053] In some embodiments, the notification may be two bits, for example, "00" indicates the first notification, "01" indicates the second notification, "10" indicates the third notification, and "11" indicates the fourth notification. The notification may be other ways, for example, more than two bits, and the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0054] In some embodiments, network device 320 may also transmit a threshold or ratio to terminal device 310. Terminal device 310 receives the threshold or ratio and can use the threshold or ratio to adjust the mapping of multiple subchannels using PRBs.

[0055] In some embodiments, the threshold may be a fixed value, for example, N3 PRB, where N3 is N PRB In some embodiments, the threshold may be a value associated with the subchannel size. For example, different thresholds may be set for different subchannel sizes. For example, the threshold may be smaller than the subchannel size. In some embodiments, the ratio may be a value less than 1. For example, the ratio may be 0.7, 0.8, or other values.

[0056] In some embodiments, the threshold or ratio may be included in the configuration 412. In other embodiments, the threshold or ratio may be transmitted independently of the configuration 412, for example, separately.

[0057] In some embodiments, the threshold may be referred to as a minimum subchannel size. In some embodiments, the threshold or ratio may be transmitted in an RRC message or signaling. For example, the threshold or ratio may be indicated by an information element (IE) "SL-ResourcePool," which may be a "dummy" RRC parameter, or the like.

[0058] 4, the terminal device 310 receives 414 the configuration 412. Thus, the terminal device 310 obtains the information in the configuration 412.

[0059] After mapping the plurality of subchannels to the resource pool or physical resource set, or after applying a guard band, the terminal device 310 determines the number of remaining PRBs 420. In some embodiments, the mapping of the plurality of subchannels to the resource pool or physical resource set is performed in a manner such as that described with reference to FIGS.

[0060] In some embodiments, the terminal device 310 determines the subchannel size (n subCHsize ) and the total number of PRBs (N PRB ) to map the subchannels to the PRBs. In some embodiments, the mapping further considers a guard band, for example, the guard band is placed above the mapping.

[0061] In some embodiments, the remaining PRBs may also be referred to as remainder PRBs, rest PRBs, etc., although the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. The number of remaining PRBs is determined based on the subchannel size (n subCHsize It should be understood that although multiple surviving PRBs are used herein, in some cases there may be only one surviving PRB. In some embodiments, there are multiple surviving PRB sets, each set containing one or more consecutive surviving PRBs, and the number of PRBs in each set is less than the sub-channel size (n subCHsize ) smaller than

[0062] In some embodiments, the resource pool includes multiple RB sets, and the remaining PRBs may be determined for each RB set, eg, one or more remaining PRB sets may be determined for each RB set.

[0063] In some embodiments, terminal device 310 may determine the remaining PRBs and further determine the number of remaining PRBs.

[0064] In some embodiments, if there are one or more unmapped PRBs, the remaining PRBs may include the one or more PRBs. In some embodiments, if one of the subchannels overlaps with the guard band, the remaining PRBs may include at least one PRB of the subchannel that overlaps with the guard band, where the at least one PRB is not located within the guard band.

[0065] Terminal device 310 adjusts 430 the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs.

[0066] In some embodiments, the terminal device 310 adjusts the mapping based on the notification received from the network device. In some embodiments, when the first notification described above is received, the terminal device 310 leaves the remaining PRBs unused based on the first notification. In other embodiments, when the second notification described above is received, the terminal device 310 expands the subchannel (the subchannel closest to the remaining PRBs among the multiple subchannels) by the number of remaining PRBs. In other embodiments, when the third notification described above is received, the terminal device 310 may map additional subchannels to the remaining PRBs. In other embodiments, when the fourth notification described above is received, the terminal device 310 may determine the adjustment method based on its own decision.

[0067] In some embodiments, terminal device 310 may adjust the mapping based on the result of comparing the number of remaining PRBs to a threshold, and may omit adjusting the mapping if the number of remaining PRBs is zero, i.e., if there are no remaining PRBs.

[0068] In some embodiments, if no notification (either the first notification, the second notification, the third notification, or the fourth notification) is received from the network device 320, or if a fourth notification is received from the network device 320, the terminal device 310 may adjust the mapping based on the result of comparing the number of remaining PRBs with a threshold.

[0069] In some embodiments, the threshold may be pre-configured in terminal device 310. In other embodiments, the threshold may be pre-configured by network device 320, e.g., the threshold may be received from network device 320, such as in configuration 412.

[0070] In yet another embodiment, the terminal device 310 may use a predefined / configured / preset sub-channel size (n subCHsize ) may be determined. For example, terminal device 310 may determine the threshold based on the ratio and the sub-channel size. For example, terminal device 310 may determine the threshold by multiplying the sub-channel size by the ratio. In some embodiments, the ratio may be pre-configured in terminal device 310 or pre-configured by network device 320. For example, the ratio may be received from the network device, such as in configuration 412.

[0071] In some embodiments, terminal device 310 may compare the number of remaining PRBs to a threshold to determine whether the number of remaining PRBs is greater than or equal to the threshold.

[0072] In some embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a first condition, the terminal device 310 may extend one of the plurality of subchannels by the number of remaining PRBs or leave the remaining PRBs unused. In some embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a second condition different from the first condition, the terminal device 310 may map the subchannel to the remaining PRBs.

[0073] In one embodiment, the first condition may be that the number of remaining PRBs is less than or equal to a threshold, and the second condition may be that the number of remaining PRBs is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0074] In some embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs is greater than or equal to a threshold, the terminal device 310 may map subchannels to the remaining PRBs, thereby defining additional subchannels using the remaining PRBs for further sidelink transmissions.

[0075] In some embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs is equal to or less than a threshold, the terminal device 310 may extend one of the subchannels by the number of remaining PRBs. For example, the subchannel closest to the remaining PRBs may be extended.

[0076] Therefore, the extended subchannel can have more PRBs than the subchannel size, i.e., the number of PRBs in the extended subchannel increases ... subCHsize ) plus the number of remaining PRBs.

[0077] In some embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs is less than or equal to a threshold, terminal device 310 may leave the remaining PRBs unused.

[0078] In some embodiments, this threshold may be referred to as a first threshold. Additionally, a second threshold may be defined or preset. For example, the aforementioned setting 412 may include a second threshold. If the number of remaining PRBs is equal to or less than the threshold, the second threshold is further considered. For example, if the sum of the set subchannel size and the number of remaining PRBs exceeds the second threshold, the remaining PRBs may be unused. For example, if the sum of the set subchannel size and the number of remaining PRBs is equal to or less than the second threshold, the remaining PRBs may be consolidated into, for example, a subchannel closest to the remaining PRBs among multiple subchannels.

[0079] According to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4, the mapping of subchannels to PRBs can be adjusted and the adjusted subchannels can be used for scheduling and resource allocation for sidelink transmissions.

[0080] Additionally or alternatively, terminal device 310 may perform transport block size (TBS) determination. In some embodiments, terminal device 310 may determine the TBS for each adjusted subchannel. In some embodiments, terminal device 310 may use a reference number (such as the configured subchannel size described above) to adapt a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to fit data into each adjusted subchannel.

[0081] In some embodiments, the number of remaining PRBs is equal to or greater than a threshold, and the remaining PRBs may be used as independent subchannels. In some embodiments, the terminal device 310 may determine the TBS by using a predetermined subchannel size (i.e., a configured subchannel size) of each of the multiple subchannels as a reference number and adapting the MCS to fit data into the number of remaining PRBs. For example, if the configured subchannel size (n subCHsize ) is used as the PRB reference value for determining the TBS, and the data is filtered to a smaller number of PRBs (i.e., the number of remaining PRBs smaller than the set subchannel size (n subCHsize )) may adapt the MCS to fit within

[0082] In some embodiments, the number of remaining PRBs is less than or equal to a threshold, and the number of remaining PRBs may be aggregated into a subchannel (e.g., the subchannel closest to the remaining PRBs). In some embodiments, the terminal device 310 may determine the TBS by using a predetermined subchannel size (i.e., a configured subchannel size) of each of the multiple subchannels as a reference value and adapting the MCS to fit the data into the extended subchannel that includes the remaining PRBs. For example, if the configured subchannel size (n subCHsize ) is used as the PRB reference value for determining the TBS, and the data is divided into more PRBs (i.e., the set sub-channel size (n subCHsize ) plus the number of remaining PRBs).

[0083] 5A-5E illustrate examples of mapping subchannels to PRBs with various numbers of PRBs in a resource pool or various subchannel sizes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the examples shown in FIG. 5A-5E, it is assumed that the threshold is 9 or 0.7 times the subchannel size (ratio is 0.7).

[0084] FIG. 5A shows an example 510 in which a resource pool has N PRB = 46 RBs, the subchannel size is 10, i.e., sl-SubchannelSize = 10, and the start RB is 0, i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel = 0. In example 510, the threshold is 9 or 7 (sl-SubchannelSize x ratio). As shown in FIG. 5A, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, so there are four subchannels 511-514, and there are six remaining PRBs. Because the number of remaining PRBs (i.e., 6) is less than the threshold, in example 510, the six remaining PRBs are unused.

[0085] Figure 5B shows the N PRB 5B shows an example 520 for a resource pool with 46 RBs, a subchannel size of 12 (i.e., sl-SubchannelSize=12), and a starting PRB of 0 (i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel=0). In example 520, the threshold is 9 or 8.4 (sl-SubchannelSize×ratio). As shown in FIG. 5B, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, so there are three subchannels (521-523), leaving 10 remaining PRBs. Because the number of remaining PRBs (i.e., 10) is greater than the threshold, the 10 remaining PRBs are used as an additional subchannel 524 of size 10.

[0086] FIG. 5C shows an example 530 where the resource pool is N PRB= 46 RBs, the subchannel size is 15 (i.e., sl-SubchannelSize = 15), and the start RB is 0 (i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel = 0). In example 530, the threshold is 9 or 10.5 (sl-SubchannelSize x ratio). As shown in FIG. 5C, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, so there are three subchannels 531-533, and there is one remaining PRB. Because the number of remaining PRBs (i.e., 1) is less than the threshold, the one remaining PRB is incorporated into subchannel 533, and subchannel 534 having 16 PRBs may be determined, as shown in FIG. 5C.

[0087] Figure 5D shows the N PRB 5D shows an example 540 for a resource pool of 46 RBs, a subchannel size of 20 (i.e., sl-SubchannelSize=20), and a start RB of 0 (i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel=0). In example 540, the threshold is 9 or 14 (sl-SubchannelSize×ratio). As shown in FIG. 5D, the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, so there are two subchannels (541-542), leaving six remaining PRBs. Because the number of remaining PRBs (i.e., six) is less than the threshold, the six remaining PRBs are unused in example 540.

[0088] Figure 5E shows the N PRB 5E shows an example 550 for a resource pool with 46 PRBs, a subchannel size of 25 (i.e., sl-SubchannelSize=25), and a starting PRB of 0 (i.e., sl-StartRB-Subchannel=0). In example 550, the threshold is 9 or 17.5 (sl-SubchannelSize x ratio), and because the number of PRBs in the resource pool is not divisible by the subchannel size, as shown in FIG. 5E, there is one subchannel (551) and 21 remaining PRBs. Because the number of remaining PRBs (i.e., 21) is greater than the threshold, the 21 remaining PRBs are used as an additional subchannel 552 of size 21.

[0089] 6 illustrates an example of a mapping 600 between subchannels and PRBs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, a resource pool may include RB set 0, RB set 1, and a guard band between them. Assume that initial mapping is performed based on the option described in FIG. 1A, and seven unmapped subchannels 611-617 and several remaining PRBs 623 are determined, each with a set subchannel size.

[0090] 6, there are three surviving PRB sets 621, 622, and 623. Specifically, some PRBs in subchannel 614 are punctured by guard bands, so one or more PRBs that do not overlap with the guard bands can be considered as surviving PRB set 621; some PRBs in subchannel 615 are punctured by guard bands, so one or more PRBs that do not overlap with the guard bands can be considered as a set of surviving PRBs 622; and some surviving PRBs 623 are not mapped to any subchannels, so surviving PRBs 623 can be considered as a set of surviving PRBs 623.

[0091] Assume that the threshold is equal to half the set subchannel size. Because the set of remaining PRBs 621 has fewer PRBs than the threshold, the nearest subchannel (i.e., subchannel 613) is extended by the set of remaining PRBs 621, e.g., subchannel 633. Because the set of remaining PRBs 622 has more PRBs than the threshold, an independent subchannel (i.e., subchannel 635) can be mapped to it. Because the set of remaining PRBs 623 has more PRBs than the threshold, an independent subchannel (i.e., subchannel 638) can be mapped to it.

[0092] Furthermore, the set sub-channel size can be used as a reference value for determining the TBS, and in effect adapting the MCS so that the data fits into each sub-channel 633, 635, 638.

[0093] The embodiments with reference to Figures 4-6 are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a proportion threshold may be predefined or set. If the ratio of the number of remaining PRBs to the configured subchannel size is equal to or less than the proportion threshold, the number of remaining PRBs may be consolidated into the nearest subchannel or left unused. If the ratio of the number of remaining PRBs to the configured subchannel size is equal to or greater than the proportion threshold, additional subchannels may be mapped to the remaining PRBs.

[0094] According to the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, the terminal device 310 can adjust the mapping of PRBs and subchannels in the resource pool, for example, by expanding the nearest subchannel or by mapping a new subchannel. Therefore, the remaining PRBs can be used for scheduling and resource allocation accordingly. As a result, the spectral efficiency can be improved.

[0095] 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method 700 implemented in a terminal device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, the method 700 will be described from the perspective of the terminal device 310 with reference to FIG.

[0096] In block 710, the terminal device 310 determines the number of remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) after mapping multiple subchannels to a resource pool or physical resource set or after applying a guard band. In block 720, the terminal device 310 adjusts the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs.

[0097] In some embodiments, if one or more PRBs are not mapped, terminal device 310 determines that one or more PRBs are included in the remaining PRBs. In some embodiments, if one subchannel of the plurality of subchannels overlaps with the guard band, terminal device 310 determines that at least one PRB of the subchannel overlapping with the guard band is included in the remaining PRBs, and this at least one PRB is not within the guard band.

[0098] In some embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy the first condition, the terminal device 310 extends one subchannel of the plurality of subchannels (e.g., the subchannel closest to the remaining PRB) by the number of remaining PRBs. In other embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy the first condition, the terminal device 310 leaves the remaining PRBs unused.

[0099] In some embodiments, if the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a second condition, terminal device 310 maps the subchannel to the remaining PRBs.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first condition is that the number of remaining PRBs is less than or equal to a threshold, and the second condition is that the number of remaining PRBs is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0101] In some embodiments, the terminal device 310 receives a notification from the network device that includes a threshold or ratio, which ratio is used to determine the threshold.

[0102] In some embodiments, terminal device 310 determines the threshold by multiplying a predetermined subchannel size by a ratio.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terminal device 310 receives at least one of the following from the network device: a first notification informing the network device that the remaining PRBs are to be left unused; a second notification informing the network device that one of the subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs is to be expanded by the number of the remaining PRBs; a third notification informing the network device that a subchannel is to be mapped to the remaining PRBs; or a fourth notification informing the network device that the terminal device is to adjust the mapping according to the implementation of the terminal device.

[0104] In some embodiments, the terminal device 310 determines the TBS by using a predetermined subchannel size as a reference value and adapting the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to fit the data into the subchannel containing the remaining PRBs.

[0105] 8 illustrates a flowchart of a method 800 implemented in a network device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, the method 800 will be described from the perspective of the network device 320 with reference to FIG.

[0106] In block 810, the network device 320 sends at least one of the following to the terminal device: a first notification informing the terminal device that a remaining physical resource block (PRB) will be left unused; a second notification informing the terminal device that one of the subchannels closest to the remaining PRB will be extended by the number of remaining PRBs; a third notification informing the terminal device that a subchannel will be mapped to the remaining PRB; or a fourth notification informing the terminal device that the terminal device will adjust the mapping according to its implementation, wherein the number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the multiple subchannels to a resource pool or physical resource set or after applying a guard band.

[0107] In some embodiments, the network device 320 sends a notification to the end device that includes a threshold or ratio, which is used to determine the threshold, which is used to compare with the number of remaining PRBs.

[0108] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 700 (e.g., terminal device 310) comprises means for performing the steps of method 700. The means may be implemented in any suitable form, for example, as a circuit or a software module.

[0109] In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises means for determining a number of remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set, and means for adjusting the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs.

[0110] In some embodiments, the means for determining the number of remaining PRBs includes: means for determining, in accordance with a determination that one or more PRBs are not mapped, that the remaining PRBs include one or more PRBs; or means for determining, in accordance with a determination that one subchannel of the plurality of subchannels overlaps with a guard band, that the remaining PRBs include at least one PRB of a subchannel that overlaps with the guard band, wherein at least one PRB is not within the guard band.

[0111] In some embodiments, the means for adjusting the mapping includes means for expanding the subchannel closest to the remaining PRB, for example, by the number of remaining PRBs, based on a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a first condition, or means for mapping the subchannel to the remaining PRB according to a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a second condition.

[0112] In some embodiments, the means for adjusting the mapping includes means for leaving the remaining PRBs unused in accordance with a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a first condition, or means for mapping subchannels to the remaining PRBs in accordance with a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a second condition.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first condition is that the number of remaining PRBs is less than or equal to a threshold, and the second condition is that the number of remaining PRBs is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0114] In some embodiments, the device further comprises means for receiving a notification from the network device that includes a threshold or ratio, the ratio being used to determine the threshold.

[0115] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for multiplying a predetermined sub-channel size by the ratio to determine the threshold value.

[0116] In some embodiments, the device further comprises means for receiving at least one of the following from the network device: a first notification notifying that the remaining PRBs are to be left unused; a second notification notifying that one subchannel of the plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs is to be extended by the number of the remaining PRBs; a third notification notifying that a subchannel is to be mapped to the remaining PRBs; or a fourth notification notifying that the terminal device adjusts the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device.

[0117] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for determining a transport block size (TBS) using the number of remaining PRBs, wherein the means for determining the TBS comprises means for using a predetermined subchannel size as a reference value and means for adapting a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to fit data into a subchannel that includes the number of remaining PRBs.

[0118] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 800 (e.g., network device 320) may comprise means for performing each step of method 800. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0119] In some embodiments, the device includes means for transmitting at least one of a first notification to a terminal device informing the terminal device that a remaining physical resource block (PRB) is to be left unused, a second notification informing the terminal device that one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRB is to be extended by the number of remaining PRBs, a third notification informing the terminal device that a subchannel is to be mapped to the remaining PRB, or a fourth notification informing the terminal device that the terminal device is to adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device, wherein the number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or physical resource set or after applying a guard band.

[0120] In some embodiments, the device further comprises means for sending a notification to the terminal device including a threshold or ratio, the ratio being used to determine the threshold and the threshold being used to compare with the number of remaining PRBs.

[0121] 9 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus 900 suitable for implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus 900 may be provided for implementing, for example, a communication apparatus such as the terminal equipment 310 or the network equipment 320 shown in FIG. 3. As shown, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910, one or more memories 920 coupled to the processors 910, and one or more communication modules 940 coupled to the processors 910.

[0122] The communication module 940 is for two-way communication. The communication module 940 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0123] Processor 910 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network, including, for example, a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, etc. Device 900 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0124] The memory 920 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 924, electrically erasable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), other magnetic and / or optical storage devices, etc. Examples of volatile memories include random access memory (RAM) 922 and other volatile memories that cannot retain data during power-off periods.

[0125] The computer program 930 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 910. The program 930 may be stored in the ROM 924. The processor 910 can load the program 930 into the RAM 922 to perform any suitable operations and processes.

[0126] The embodiment of the present disclosure is implemented by a program 930, which enables the device 900 to perform all of the disclosed processes described in Figures 4 to 8. The embodiment of the present disclosure can also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0127] In some embodiments, the program 930 may be tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium embedded in the device 900 (e.g., in memory 920) or on other storage accessible by the device 900. The device 900 may load the program 930 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 922 and execute it. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage device, such as a ROM, an EPROM, a flash memory, a hard disk, a CD, a DVD, etc.

[0128] 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium 1000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer-readable medium 1000 stores a program 930. It should be noted that while the computer-readable medium 1000 is shown in the form of a CD or DVD in FIG. 10, the computer-readable medium 1000 may be in other forms suitable for carrying or maintaining the program 930.

[0129] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some features may be implemented in hardware, while other features may be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other graphical representations, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented by, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or any combination thereof.

[0130] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product physically recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that execute on a target real or virtual processor device to perform the methods described above according to any of FIGS. 7-8. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0131] Program code for implementing the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, and executed by the processor or controller to implement the functions / acts specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0132] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or associated data may be transmitted by any suitable medium to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations as described above, examples of which include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0133] The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. The term "non-transitory" in this context refers not to the permanence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM), but to the medium itself (i.e., a tangible object rather than a signal).

[0134] Furthermore, even if acts are shown in a particular order, this should not be interpreted as requiring that the acts be performed in the particular order or sequential order shown, or that all of the acts shown be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain situations, multitasking or parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while the above description includes some specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of functionality specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0135] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specifying structural features and / or method acts, the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features and acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. The terminal device is at least one processor; When executed by the at least one processor, the terminal device is configured to: determining a number of remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or physical resource set or after applying a guard band; adjusting the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs; at least one memory storing instructions for executing the A terminal device comprising:

2. The terminal device includes at least determining, according to a determination that one or more PRBs are not mapped, that the remaining PRBs include the one or more PRBs; or determining, in accordance with determining that one subchannel of the plurality of subchannels overlaps with the guard band, that the remaining PRBs include at least one PRB of the subchannel that overlaps with the guard band, wherein the at least one PRB is not within the guard band; The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the number of remaining PRBs is determined by at least one of:

3. The terminal device Extending one subchannel of the plurality of subchannels by the number of remaining PRBs according to a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and a threshold satisfy a first condition; or mapping subchannels to the remaining PRBs according to a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a second condition; 3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is adapted to adjust the mapping by:

4. The terminal device leaving the remaining PRBs unused in accordance with a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and a threshold satisfy a first condition; or mapping subchannels to the remaining PRBs according to a determination that the number of remaining PRBs and the threshold satisfy a second condition; 3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is adapted to adjust the mapping by:

5. The first condition is that the number of remaining PRBs is equal to or less than the threshold, and the second condition is that the number of remaining PRBs is equal to or greater than the threshold.

5. The terminal device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The terminal device further receiving a notification from a network device that includes the threshold or ratio, the ratio being used to determine the threshold; 6. A terminal device according to claim 3, adapted to execute the following:

7. The terminal device further determining the threshold by multiplying a predetermined sub-channel size by a ratio; 7. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal device is configured to:

8. The terminal device further From the network device, at least a first notification indicating that the remaining PRBs will remain unused; a second notification notifying that one subchannel of the plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs will be extended by the number of the remaining PRBs; a third notification informing of mapping subchannels to the remaining PRBs; or a fourth notification informing the terminal device to adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device; 8. A terminal device according to claim 1, adapted to receive any of the following:

9. The terminal device further using a predetermined sub-channel size as a reference value; adapting a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to fit data onto sub-channels containing the remaining PRBs; The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal device is configured to determine a transport block size (TBS) using the remaining PRBs by:

10. A network device, at least one processor; When executed by the at least one processor, the network device is configured to: a first notification indicating that remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) are to remain unused; a second notification notifying that one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs will be extended by the number of the remaining PRBs; a third notification informing of mapping subchannels to the remaining PRBs; or a fourth notification informing the terminal device to adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device; at least one memory for storing instructions for causing the terminal device to transmit at least one of the following: Equipped with The number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set, or after applying a guard band. Network equipment.

11. The network device further comprises: sending a notification to the terminal device including a threshold or ratio, the ratio being used to determine the threshold, and the threshold being used to compare with the number of remaining PRBs; 11. The network device of claim 10, adapted to execute:

12. In a terminal device, determining a number of remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band; adjusting the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs; A method comprising:

13. In the network device, a terminal device a first notification indicating that remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) are to remain unused; a second notification notifying that one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs will be extended by the number of the remaining PRBs; a third notification informing of mapping subchannels to the remaining PRBs; or a fourth notification informing the terminal device to adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device; transmitting at least one of The number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set, or after applying a guard band. method.

14. 1. An apparatus comprising: In a terminal device, means for determining a number of remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) after mapping a plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set or after applying a guard band; means for adjusting the mapping based on the number of remaining PRBs; An apparatus comprising:

15. 1. An apparatus comprising: In the network device, a terminal device a first notification indicating that remaining physical resource blocks (PRBs) are to remain unused; a second notification notifying that one subchannel of a plurality of subchannels closest to the remaining PRBs will be extended by the number of the remaining PRBs; a third notification informing of mapping of subchannels to the remaining PRBs; or a fourth notification informing the terminal device to adjust the mapping according to an implementation of the terminal device; means for transmitting at least one of The number of remaining PRBs is determined by the terminal device after mapping the plurality of subchannels to a resource pool or a physical resource set, or after applying a guard band. Device.

16. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of claim 12 or 13.

Images