Side link beam management

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for beam management during sidelink communication are disclosed. The method includes a node in sidelink communication establishing multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes in sidelink communication, performing channel sensing, selecting one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions and determining one or more Tx beams, and performing at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions using the selected one or more resources and the determined one or more Tx beams.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Cross-referencing of related patent applications) This application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 518,240, filed on August 8, 2023, entitled "Mitigating Beam Conflict in Sidelink Beam Management," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Apparatus and methods consistent with this disclosure generally relate to communications, and more specifically to methods, systems, and devices for beam management during sidelink communications. [Background technology]

[0003] Sidelink communication technology enables direct communication between user equipment (UE) and one or more other UEs. During sidelink communication, a UE may need to simultaneously transmit multiple signals to multiple other UEs and simultaneously receive corresponding feedback signals from those other UEs. In low-frequency band (e.g., below 5.9 GHz) sidelink communication, a UE may have the capability to simultaneously receive multiple feedback signals using an omnidirectional beam. However, in high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) sidelink communication, simultaneous signal reception is more complex. For example, a UE may have the capability to train multiple receiver (Rx) beams for multiple receptions over multiple sidelink unicast links, but these multiple Rx beams are typically different, and a UE typically does not have the capability to simultaneously receive multiple different Rx beams. This can lead to Rx beam conflicts in the UE.

[0004] Similarly, a UE in high-frequency bandsidelink communication may have a desire to simultaneously receive signals transmitted from multiple other UEs and simultaneously transmit corresponding feedback signals to other UEs. While a UE may have the capability to operate multiple transmitter (Tx) beams for multiple transmissions over multiple sidelink unicast links, these multiple Tx beams are typically different, and a UE typically does not have the capability to transmit multiple different Tx beams simultaneously. This can lead to Tx beam conflicts in the UE. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Resource selection or reselection methods used during low-frequency bandsidelink communication may not be sufficient to mitigate Rx beam conflict and Tx beam conflict. This is particularly problematic when the UE is moving. Systems and methods capable of mitigating Rx beam conflict and / or Tx beam conflict during simultaneous receive and / or transmit are desired. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a node for beam management during sidelink communication is provided. The node has a memory for storing instructions, and establishes multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes during sidelink communication, performs channel sensing, selects one or more resources for at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmissions or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmissions, and determines one or more Tx beams, wherein a processor (1 (2) Performing resource selection or resource reselection together for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSCCH reception scheduled to use the same PSCCH Rx beams and slots as one or more already scheduled physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) receptions; (3) Performing resource selection or resource reselection together for one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSCCH reception scheduled to use the same PSCCH Rx beams and slots as one or more already scheduled PSFCH receptions (4) Prioritizing within the candidate resource set at least one resource associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use Rx beams and slots, or deprioritizing one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, (5) Reselecting resources for one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions in response to the determination of a predicted beam conflict between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, (6) One or more PSFCH for multiple other nodes The system includes a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the following: (6) dynamically select and direct at least one of one or more PSFCH Rx slots for a Tx slot or node in each of one or more PSCCH transmits or one or more PSSCH transmits; or (6) in response to a determination that beam conflict is inevitable, select one or more Rx beams wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receive; and to perform at least one of one or more PSCCH transmits or one or more PSSCH transmits using one or more selected resources and one or more determined Tx beams.

[0007] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a node for beam management during sidelink communication is provided. The node includes a memory for storing instructions, establishing one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes during sidelink communication, receiving one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals transmitted from one or more other nodes, determining whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions as feedback to the reception of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals, and determining one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed, and processing The system determines one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: (1) the priority of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priority of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, one or more priority of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, one or more Tx beam conflicts for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the existence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot; (2) select one or more PSFCH slots from multiple PSFCH slot opportunities that do not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot; or (3) respond to the determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions. The system includes a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the following: using one or more Tx beams wider than the current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination of one or more PSFCH slots.

[0008] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for beam management during sidelink communication is provided. The method involves a node in sidelink communication establishing multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes in sidelink communication, performing channel sensing, and selecting one or more resources and determining one or more Tx beams for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, wherein selecting one or more resources and determining one or more Tx beams includes (1) jointly performing resource selection or resource reselection for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions for multiple unicast links, (2) selecting from a candidate resource set at least one resource for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSCCH reception scheduled to use the same PSCCH Rx beams and slots as one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, and (3) the same PSFCH(4) Prioritizing at least one resource in the candidate resource set for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use Rx beams and slots, or deprioritizing one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, (5) Performing resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions in response to the determination of a predicted beam conflict between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, (6) One or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH for a node (6) in response to a determination that beam conflict is inevitable, the system includes performing at least one of the following: (6) dynamically selecting and indicating at least one of the Rx slots in each of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions; or (7) in response to a determination that beam conflict is inevitable, selecting one or more Rx beams that are wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions; and performing at least one of the following: one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions using one or more selected resources and one or more determined Tx beams.

[0009] According to certain embodiments of this disclosure, a method for beam management during sidelink communication is provided. The method involves a node in sidelink communication establishing one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes in sidelink communication; receiving at least one of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals transmitted from one or more other nodes; and determining whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions as feedback to the reception of at least one of the one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals. The determination to determine whether one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed and to determine one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed, wherein the determination to determine whether one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed is based on at least one of the following: (1) the priority of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priority of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, one or more priority of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, one or more Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the presence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot; (2) one or more PSFCH (3) Selecting from a plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause a conflict between a Tx beam and one or more already scheduled PSFCH Tx beams in the same slot, or (4) in response to a determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, using one or more Tx beams that are wider than one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions, and in response to a determination of one or more PSFCH slots, performing one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots.

[0010] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-temporary computer-readable medium is provided for storing instructions that can be executed by one or more processors of a node in sidelink communication in order to carry out a method. The method is to establish multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes in sidelink communication by a node in sidelink communication, to perform channel sensing, and to select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, wherein selecting one or more resources and determining one or more Tx beams means (1) performing resource selection or resource reselection together for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions for multiple unicast links, (2) selecting from a candidate resource set at least one resource for one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSCCH reception scheduled to use the same PSCCH receiver (Rx) beams and slots as one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled,(4) Prioritizing at least one resource in the candidate resource set for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use Rx beams and slots, or deprioritizing one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, (5) Performing resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions in response to the determination of a predicted beam conflict between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, (6) One or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH for a node (6) To dynamically select and designate at least one of the Rx slots for each of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, or (6) To determine that beam conflict is unavoidable. In response to a set, this includes performing at least one of selecting one or more Rx beams wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions, and performing at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions using the selected one or more resources and the determined one or more Tx beams.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-temporary computer-readable medium is provided for storing instructions that can be executed by one or more processors of nodes in sidelink communication.The method involves a node in sidelink communication establishing one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes in sidelink communication, receiving at least one of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals transmitted from one or more other nodes, deciding whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions as feedback for receiving at least one of the one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals, and determining one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed, wherein one or more PSFCH transmissions The decision of whether to implement the signal involves (1) determining one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, one or more Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the presence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot; and (2) one or more PSFCH (3) Selecting from a plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause a conflict between a Tx beam and one or more already scheduled PSFCH Tx beams in the same slot, or (4) in response to a determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, using one or more Tx beams that are wider than one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions, and in response to a determination of one or more PSFCH slots, performing one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for resource selection during sidelink communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a resource candidate determination procedure according to the method of FIG. 1, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] FIG. 3 is a table showing a correspondence between sub-carrier spacing (SCS) and a subset of resources according to the method of FIG. 1, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating PSSCH versus PSFCH time resource mapping, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a PSFCH Rx beam conflict at a UE during sidelink communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a PSFCH Tx beam conflict at a UE during sidelink communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for beam management (e.g., mitigating PSFCH Rx beam conflict at a node) during sidelink communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for beam management (e.g., mitigating PSFCH Tx beam conflict at a node) during sidelink communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a node, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0013] References to exemplary embodiments are made in detail hereby, and examples are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description relates to the accompanying drawings, where the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following description of exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, these implementations are merely examples of systems, apparatus, and methods consistent with the aspects relating to the present disclosure as enumerated in the accompanying claims.

[0014] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating method 100 for resource selection or reselection during sidelink communication, Figure 2A is a schematic diagram illustrating the resource candidate determination procedure according to the method in Figure 1, and Figure 2B is a table showing the correspondence between SCS and a subset of resources according to the method in Figure 1, consistent with some embodiments of this disclosure. Although method 100 may be implemented by some different types of nodes, the following describes method 100 being implemented by a UE during sidelink communication. For example, method 100 may be implemented by a vehicle during V2X communication. Method 100 may be implemented in a mode employing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) in the physical (PHY) layer for sidelink communication. An example of a mode is 3GPP Release 16 / 17 5G NR-V2X PC5 Mode 2.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2A, during the mode, the time-frequency radio resource is divided into slots in the time domain and subchannels in the frequency domain. In one embodiment, the mode is 15·2 μIt can support SCS at kHz, where μ is the OFDM numerology μ∈{0,1,2,3,4}. For frequencies below 6GHz, SCS at 15, 30, and 60kHz (i.e., μ∈{0,1,2}) may be supported, while for frequencies above 6GHz, SCS at 60, 120, and 240kHz (i.e., μ∈{2,3,4}) may be supported. Each slot is 1 / 2 μ It is ms long and consists of 14 OFDM symbols. Each subchannel may consist of a number of consecutive physical resource blocks (PRBs), each PRB being 180·2 μ It occupies kHz and 15.2 μ It consists of 12 subcarriers with kHz SCS. The size of the subchannels (i.e., the number of PRBs per subchannel) is configurable or preconfigurable.

[0016] To support multiple SCSs and different Doppler spreads, multiple demodulation reference signal (DMRS) density options (2 to 4 DMRS symbols per slot) are supported. Each UE can transmit first-stage sidelink control information (SCI) in the PSCCH and data (e.g., transport block (TB)), and second-stage SCI in the PSSCH. Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (e.g., acknowledgment (ACK) / negative acknowledgement (NACK) or NACK only) may be transmitted in the PSFCH.

[0017] Figure 2B shows the SCS and the parameters of the sensing window and selection window (T) consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. SL proc,0 and T SL proc,1shows the correspondence between ). For example, when the SCS is 15 kHz, as shown in the second and third columns of FIG. 2B, T SL proc,0 corresponds to 1 ms, and T SL proc,1 corresponds to 3 ms. As another example, when the SCS is 30 kHz, T SL proc,0 corresponds to 0.5 ms, and T SL proc,1 corresponds to 2.5 ms.

[0018] Referring back to FIG. 1, the method 100 includes step 102 of performing channel sensing. Channel sensing may be background sensing, or any other type of full sensing or partial sensing. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the UE sets a sensing window T sensing (for example, T sensing =[n-T0, n-T SL proc,0 , where T0=100 or 1100 ms, and T SL proc,0 is given in FIG. 2B) to perform channel sensing and collect resource reservation information of another UE. Channel sensing with a 100 ms sensing window may be for aperiodic traffic, while channel sensing with a 1100 ms sensing window may be for periodic traffic.

[0019] Method 100 includes step 104 of collecting resource reservation information from another UE and measuring the corresponding sidelink-reference signal received power (SL-RSRP). For example, as shown in Figure 2A, a UE may perform channel sensing in a sensing window and collect resource reservation information from another UE based on the decoded SCI to identify candidate resources. In one embodiment, in order to perform channel sensing and obtain information for receiving packets from other UEs, the UE first decodes the SCI.

[0020] SCI decoding can include two stages, as defined in the 3GPP specification: a first-stage SCI (SCI format 1-A) and a second-stage SCI (SCI format 2-A or 2-B). The first-stage SCI can carry resource reservation information for future transmissions, information about resource allocation, modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for PSSCH, DMRS patterns, and the second-stage SCI format, etc. The second-stage SCI can carry control information for the HARQ procedure, source / destination IDs, distance-based group cast information (e.g., UE zone IDs and communication range requirements), etc. Based on the resource reservation information contained in the first-stage SCI, a UE can avoid using time and / or frequency resources reserved by another UE when performing resource selection or reselection.

[0021] Method 100 includes step 106 of determining candidate resources by excluding reserved and / or unmonitored resources. For example, UE selects a selection window T (e.g., T=[n+T1,n+T2], where 0≦T1≦T SL proc,1 ms, T SL proc,1The UE can exclude unsupervised slots from the selection window (as shown in Figure 2B, where T2 can be set based on the remaining packet delay budget). The UE may not be able to detect unsupervised slots in the sensing window, for example, due to its own transmission (e.g., half-duplex constraints). The UE may further exclude resources reserved by one or more other UEs from the selection window if the corresponding SL-RSRP exceeds the configured or pre-configured SL-RSRP exclusion threshold. After resource exclusion, the number of candidate resources may be at least X% of the total number of resources in the selection window. Otherwise, the UE may exclude resources by, for example, 3dB until at least X% of the resources are acquired. The RSRP exclusion threshold can be increased, where X can be composed of or pre-configured from {20, 35, 50}%.

[0022] Method 100 includes a step 108 of selecting a resource from among candidate resources. The selection may be random. For example, as shown in Figure 2A, the UE can select a resource from among candidate resources in the selection window. The selected frequency resource can be used multiple times at fixed time intervals in the case of semi-persistent scheduling (SPS), or only once in the case of one-shot transmission (OST).

[0023] In some embodiments, Method 100 may utilize an inter-UE coordination scheme in which one or more other UEs send coordinate information about a resource to a UE, which then uses this information for its resource selection or re-selection. The inter-UE coordination scheme may include a first inter-UE coordination scheme and a second inter-UE coordination scheme.

[0024] According to the first inter-UE coordination scheme, a UE can receive instructions from one or more other UEs regarding resources that are preferably included in or excluded from the UE's selected or re-selected resources. In one embodiment, when resource instructions indicate what to include in a given resource, the UE can simply rely on these resources if the instructions do not support sensing and / or resource exclusion. In one embodiment, the UE can also combine resource instructions with resources identified by its own sensing procedure before making a final selection. The UE can receive instructions via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) and / or a second-stage SCI.

[0025] According to the second inter-UE coordination scheme, a UE may receive instructions that a resource reserved for a UE's transmission will or may be subject to a conflict with a transmission from another UE. In this case, the UE can re-select a new resource. The UE can receive instructions via the PSFCH. The UE can use a mapping table that defines mapping rules between PSSCH allocations (e.g., one or more slots and / or subchannels) and PSFCH resources. Using the mapping table, the UE (and transmitter UEs) can determine which PSSCH allocation the information in the PSFCH resource refers to. When two or more subchannels are reserved in the PSSCH, a number of PSFCH resources may be used. The mapping table may be predefined, pre-configured, or configured by network nodes in the UE.

[0026] Method 100 includes a step 110 of checking resource availability based on re-evaluation and / or preemption of selected resources. This step may be performed after resource selection and before packet transmission for delayed packets (e.g., aperiodic packets).

[0027] Method 100 includes step 112 of determining whether resource reselection is necessary. If it is determined that resource reselection is necessary, the method may repeat from step 104. On the other hand, if it is determined that resource reselection is not necessary, the method may continue with step 114 of transmitting a packet based on SPS or OST. The packet may be an initial packet or a retransmitted packet. The UE may also retransmit the packet multiple times, with or without feedback from the receiver UE, to improve the reliability of the transmission. It can be retransmitted (e.g., HARQ retransmission). After step 114, method 100 can be repeated from step 102.

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a PSSCH-to-PSFCH time resource mapping consistent with certain embodiments of this disclosure. In some embodiments, a mapping between PSSCH resources and PSFCH resources consistent with the 3GPP standard may be used for transmission and / or reception over PSFCH for unicast and groupcast (e.g., ACK / NACK feedback and NACK-only feedback). Figure 3 shows an example mapping between PSSCH resources and PSFCH resources. The mapping may be determined by higher-layer parameters such as sl-PSFCH-Period, sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH, and sl-PSFCH-RB-Set. The parameter sl-PSFCH-Period indicates the period of the PSFCH resource, which can be 0, 1, 2, or 4 slots. Figure 3 shows an example period of a PSFCH resource with 4 slots. The parameter sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH specifies the minimum time gap between the PSFCH and its associated PSSCH, which can be, for example, two or three slots. Figure 3 shows an example time gap of three slots between the PSFCH and its associated PSSCH. The parameter sl-PSFCH-RB-Set specifies the set of PRBs actually used for PSFCH transmission and reception in the form of a bitmap.

[0029] PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping allows the Tx UE and Rx UE to determine which PSSCH resource the information in a PSFCH resource refers to, even without explicit signaling between the Tx UE and Rx UE. The time resource for PSFCH may be configured or pre-configured to occur once for every 1, 2, or 4 slots provided by sl-PSFCH-Period. In the example PSSCH-to-PSFCH resource mapping shown in Figure 3, the time resource for PSFCH is configured or pre-configured to occur once for every 4 slots. When the UE receives a PSSCH signal in a slot (e.g., slot n in Figure 3), the UE may perform a PSFCH transmission in a first slot (e.g., slot n+5 in Figure 3) which contains a PSFCH resource and is provided by sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH in the resource pool after the last slot of PSSCH reception, which is at least 2 or 3 slots. In some embodiments, the frequency and / or code resources for the PSFCH may be derived from those used by the associated PSSCH transmission, along with the PHY layer source ID of the UE transmitting the PSSCH, and, when a group cast with ACK / NACK feedback is used, the identity of the UE receiving the PSSCH as indicated by a higher layer.

[0030] The resource reservation and resource selection mechanisms described above may be useful for sidelink communications based on low-frequency bands, such as omnidirectional FR1 signals. In this disclosure, FR1 is defined as a frequency range from 410 to 7125 MHz (including the spectrum below 6 GHz). However, resource reservation and resource selection for sidelink communications based on high-frequency bands (e.g., FR2) are more complex. In this disclosure, FR2 is defined as two frequency sub-ranges: FR2-1 from 24250 to 52600 MHz, and FR2-2 from 52600 to 71000 MHz (including the millimeter-wave spectrum). The use of high-frequency bands (e.g., FR2) for sidelink communications provides a useful complement to existing sidelink communications in the FR1 band, particularly for high-data-rate applications, but also encounters several technical challenges.

[0031] For example, high-frequency radio signals also encounter high path loss. As the frequency increases, the path loss in FR2 becomes significantly larger than the path loss in the FR1 band. In the free-space path loss model, the path loss at a carrier frequency of 30 GHz is 14 dB higher than that at 6 GHz.

[0032] To compensate for higher path losses, beamforming or directional antennas with narrow beams may be used to provide sufficient array gain through wider antenna apertures. However, the use of narrow beamforming or directional antennas still requires beam alignment between the Tx UE and Rx UE. Furthermore, due to the potentially high mobility of the UEs, the relative positions between the Tx UE and Rx UE can change dynamically. In particular, in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) scenarios, both the Tx UE and Rx UE move (i.e., dual mobility), while in vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) / infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) scenarios, either the Tx UE or Rx UE moves.

[0033] Furthermore, in the FR2 band, radio signals may not penetrate solids well, which can lead to high transmission loss when the link path is blocked by surrounding objects (e.g., vehicles, buildings, or other objects). Interference and high mobility in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenarios can result in intermittent link connections. Interference from larger surrounding vehicles (e.g., trucks and buses) can be particularly severe in V2V scenarios due to the relatively low antenna heights at both the Tx UE and Rx UE.

[0034] To mitigate these technical challenges, new radio (NR) sidelink beam management (e.g., initial beam pairing, beam maintenance, beam failure recovery) can be used in high-frequency base sidelink communications. For example, in the case of initial beam pairing, the Tx UE and Rx UE can perform an initial beam pairing procedure to determine the initial beam pair between the Tx UE and the Rx UE. Initial beam pairing can be performed before, during, and / or after unicast link establishment. After initial beam pairing, the Tx UE and Rx UE can perform a beam maintenance procedure to improve the Tx beam and / or Rx beam. Beam maintenance can be performed periodically and / or aperiodically.

[0035] In older NR sidelink systems, simultaneous transmission or reception of multiple PSFCHs using omnidirectional beams is possible. However, in high-frequency band (e.g., FR2) sidelink communications, the PSFCH Tx or Rx beams are operated separately for each sidelink unicast session. If a UE supports multiple sidelink unicast sessions, the operated PSFCH beams for Tx UE and Rx UE pairs in different sidelink unicast sessions may differ. Similarly, a UE can perform simultaneous PSCCH and / or PSSCH reception. If a UE supports multiple sidelink unicast sessions, the operated PSCCH and / or PSSCH receive beams for Tx UE and Rx UE pairs in different sidelink unicast sessions may differ.

[0036] On the other hand, the capabilities of a UE are typically limited to supporting only simultaneous transmission and / or reception based on a single beam. UEs typically do not have the capability to perform simultaneous transmission or reception using different beams. This can lead to problems such as PSFCH Tx beam conflict and / or PSFCH Rx beam conflict, as described below with respect to Figures 4 and 5.

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating PSFCH Rx beam conflicts of multiple unicast links participating in a UE, consistent with certain embodiments of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 4, UE402 may also be a transmitter UE that transmits signals (e.g., PSCCH and / or PSSCH) to a number of other UEs (UE404, UE406, UE408). Accordingly, UE402 should expect to receive a number of PSFCH transmissions from a number of other UEs (UE404, UE406, UE408) in the same slot. UE402 uses different PSFCH for different unicast links, as shown in Figure 4. It is possible to manipulate Rx beams (for example, three different beams). However, since UE402 cannot use different Rx beams for simultaneous reception of PSFCH signals transmitted from other UEs (UE404, UE406, UE408), PSFCH Rx beam conflicts can occur in UE402.

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a PSFCH Tx beam conflict in a UE participating in multiple unicast links, consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 5, UE502 may also be a receiver UE that receives signals (e.g., PSCCH and / or PSSCH) transmitted from multiple other UEs (UE504, UE506, UE508). Accordingly, UE502 should expect to transmit the corresponding PSFCH signal in the same slot to multiple other UEs (UE504, UE506, UE508). UE502 may operate different PSFCH Tx beams (e.g., three different beams) for different unicast links, as shown in Figure 5. However, since UE502 cannot use different Tx beams for PSFCH transmission simultaneously, a PSFCH Tx beam conflict can occur in UE502.

[0039] While there are several proposed methods to address PSFCH Rx beam conflict and / or PSFCH Tx beam conflict, these proposed methods encounter serious drawbacks, as described below.

[0040] For example, in Figure 4, UE402 can shut down some PSFCH Rx beams based on the priority of numerous PSFCH receptions. Similarly, in Figure 5, UE502 can shut down some PSFCH Tx beams based on the priority of numerous PSFCH transmissions. However, since such actions are a passive approach, PSFCH beam conflicts may not be avoided. Also, in Figure 4, the shutdown of some PSFCH receptions by UE402 necessitates some UEs transmitting PSSCH and / or PSCCH to retransmit PSSCH and / or PSCCH even if retransmission is not required. Similarly, in Figure 5, the shutdown of some PSFCH transmissions necessitates UE502 to retransmit one or more PSSCH even if retransmission is not required. This should result in a waste of radio resources.

[0041] As another example, UE402 in Figure 4 can switch to a single common beam (e.g., a quasi-omnidirectional beam) to receive multiple PSFCHs with one beam. Similarly, UE502 in Figure 5 can switch to a single common beam (e.g., a quasi-omnidirectional beam) to transmit multiple PSFCHs with one beam. However, in Figure 4, if a wider beam is used for receiving multiple PSFCHs, the beamforming gain in UE402 will be smaller compared to the beamforming gain using a narrow beam, which may reduce the communication range of PSFCH reception. Similarly, in Figure 5, if a wider beam is used for transmitting multiple PSFCHs, the beamforming gain in UE502 will be smaller compared to the beamforming gain using a narrow beam, which may reduce the communication range of PSFCH transmission. Furthermore, depending on the location of the UE and / or the antenna configuration, there may be situations where a common beam cannot be used for receiving or transmitting multiple PSFCHs in the same slot, either by UE402 in Figure 4 or UE502 in Figure 5.

[0042] As another example, the UE in Figure 4 or the UE in Figure 5 can use inter-UE coordination to indicate beam conflicts and / or preferential / undesirable resources to avoid beam conflicts. However, this method is not suitable for mitigating PSFCH receive beam conflicts, as in the case of Figure 4.

[0043] At least some embodiments of this disclosure provide solutions to the aforementioned problems by providing methods for avoiding or mitigating PSFCH Rx beam conflict and / or PSFCH Tx beam conflict.

[0044] In some embodiments, to mitigate PSFCH Rx beam conflict in a UE (e.g., UE402 in Figure 4) that transmits a large number of PSCCHs and / or PSSCHs and simultaneously receives a large number of corresponding PSFCHs, the UE may perform one or more of the following actions:

[0045] In some embodiments, the UE can perform resource selection or resource reselection together for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions for multiple unicast links or one or more PSSCH transmissions, thus avoiding PSFCH Rx beam conflicts.

[0046] In some embodiments, the UE can select from a candidate resource set at least one resource for at least one of one of one or more PSCCH transmits or one or more PSSCH transmits associated with a PSFCH receive scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beams and slots as one or more PSFCH receives that have already been scheduled.

[0047] In some embodiments, the UE may prioritize in the candidate resource set at least one resource associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beams and slots as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or it may deprioritize one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions.

[0048] In some embodiments, the UE may, in response to the determination of predicted beam conflicts between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, perform resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions.

[0049] In some embodiments, the UE can dynamically select and direct at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for a node in each of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions.

[0050] In some embodiments, the UE may, in response to a determination that beam conflict is inevitable, select one or more Rx beams that are wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions.

[0051] In some embodiments, the UE may selectively apply one or more of the above-described operations for receiving one or more PSFCHs, depending on one or more conditions. Thus, a UE that transmits multiple PSCCHs and / or PSSCHs and simultaneously receives the corresponding PSFCHs (e.g., UE402 in Figure 4) can mitigate PSFCH Rx beam conflicts without causing excessive resource exclusion and / or increased latency for PSFCH transmission and / or reception.

[0052] In some embodiments, to mitigate PSFCH Tx beam conflict in a UE (e.g., UE502 in Figure 5) that receives a large number of PSCCHs and / or PSSCHs and transmits a large number of PSFCHs simultaneously, the UE may perform one or more of the following actions:

[0053] In some embodiments, the UE can determine one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, one or more Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the presence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot.

[0054] In some embodiments, the UE can select from a plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot.

[0055] In some embodiments, in response to the determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, the UE may use one or more Tx beams that are wider than the one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or it may use the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions.

[0056] In some embodiments, the UE can selectively perform one or more of the above operations for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on a number of conditions. In this way, a UE that receives PSCCH and / or PSSCH and transmits the corresponding PSFCH (e.g., UE502 in Figure 5) can simultaneously mitigate Tx beam conflicts without causing excessive resource exclusion and / or increased latency for PSFCH transmission and / or reception.

[0057] Since the methods provided in this disclosure are proactive approaches, PSFCH Rx beam conflicts and PSFCH Tx beam conflicts can be proactively avoided. By applying these methods, narrow beams can be used for PSFCH transmission and / or reception, thereby extending the communication range of PSFCH transmission and / or reception without causing PSFCH Rx beam conflicts and / or PSFCH Tx beam conflicts.

[0058] This disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for determining resources and / or beams for beam-based sidelink communications. The method may be applicable to all wireless communication systems using beamforming, but the remainder of this disclosure describes the method for ground mobile communications such as 3GPP LTE or 5G NR radio access technology (RAT) or future generation (6G, 7G, or any future generation) RATs on which sidelink communications are supported. The examples provided are not limited to wireless communication systems, but use ground mobile wireless communication systems. The methods described herein can also be applied to other systems, such as systems conforming to other standards (e.g., IEEE standards).

[0059] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method 600 for beam management during sidelink communication (e.g., mitigating PSFCH Rx beam conflict at a node receiving a large number of PSFCHs simultaneously), consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The node transmits a large number of PSCCHs and / or PSSCHs to a large number of other nodes and receives a corresponding large number of PSFCHs from the large number of other nodes. The node may include at least one of at least one UE, at least one relay node, at least one on-board module, at least one roadside unit, at least one repeater, at least one transponder, at least one wireless router, at least one controller, or at least one access point. An example of such a node is UE402 in Figure 4.

[0060] Method 600 includes step 602 of a node in sidelink communication establishing multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes in sidelink communication. Using UE402 as an example, as shown in Figure 4, UE402 establishes three unicast links with the other UEs (UE404, UE406, UE408). In some embodiments, the step of establishing multiple unicast links also includes determining at least one Tx beam and / or at least one Rx beam for each unicast link.

[0061] Method 600 includes step 604 of performing channel sensing. Channel sensing may be background sensing or any other type of full or partial sensing. For example, UE402 (Figure 4) has a sensing window T sensing (For example, T sensing =[n-T0,nT SLproc,0 ], where T0 = 100 or 1100 ms, T SL proc,0 Channel sensing can be performed (as shown in Figure 2B) to collect resource reservation information from other UEs (UE404, UE406, UE408). Channel sensing with a 100ms sensing window may be for aperiodic traffic, while channel sensing with an 1100ms sensing window may be for periodic traffic. In some embodiments, performing channel sensing may include obtaining resource reservation information from other UEs to other UEs.

[0062] Method 600 includes step 606 of selecting one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions and determining one or more Tx beams. UE402 (Figure 4) can select one or more resources and / or determine one or more Tx beams by performing one or more operations discussed below, such as resource exclusion, resource selection, resource reselection, resource reevaluation, or resource preemption for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions.

[0063] In some embodiments, the UE402 can perform resource selection or resource reselection together for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions for multiple unicast links, thus avoiding PSFCH Rx beam conflicts and / or allowing the same PSFCH Rx beam to be used for multiple PSCCH and / or PSSCH transmissions of multiple unicast links. For example, the UE402 can determine the overlap of selection windows for multiple PSCCH and / or PSSCH transmissions of multiple unicast links. In response to a determination, resource selection or resource reselection can be performed collectively for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions for multiple unicast links. As another example, in response to a determination that there is a common PSFCH Rx beam for a number of unicast links, UE402 can perform resource selection or resource reselection collectively for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions for multiple unicast links. In this case, UE402 can use the same PSFCH Rx beam for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions.

[0064] In some embodiments, UE402 (Figure 4) can select from a candidate resource set at least one resource for one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beams and slots as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled. In this case, at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions may be one or more current transmissions, and the one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled may be one or more PSFCH receptions in response to a previous transmission of one or more signals from UE402.

[0065] In some embodiments, UE402 (Figure 4) can prioritize at least one resource in the candidate resource set that is associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled. For example, UE402 can prioritize at least one resource associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled by applying one or more reference signal received power (RSRP) thresholds when excluding resources in the candidate resource set, based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSCCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more PSSCH transmissions, or one or more density metrics. The RSRP thresholds may be the priority of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals, or a correlated element of traffic density. Conversely, the UE402 may de-prioritize one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of the PSCCH transmissions or PSSCH transmissions. For example, the UE402 may de-prioritize transmissions of data with long delivery deadlines (e.g., early frames in a large group of pictures) or transmissions of data with low latency requirements (e.g., Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)).

[0066] In some embodiments, the UE402 can perform resource reselection on one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmits or one or more PSSCH transmits in response to the determination of a predicted beam conflict between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receivers in the UE. The one or more pre-selected resources are resources that have been selected for transmit but have not yet been used. For example, the predicted beam conflict may be determined based on at least one of a re-evaluation check or preemption check in one or more slots before using the one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmits or one or more PSSCH transmits. This can be determined accordingly. As another example, resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the one or more PSSCH transmissions may be performed in response to a decision to update at least one of the one or more Tx beams or one or more Rx beams associated with the UE. An update to at least one of the one or more Tx beams or one or more Rx beams associated with the UE may occur due to beam maintenance or beam failure recovery.

[0067] In some embodiments, UE402 can dynamically select and direct at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other UEs (e.g., UE404, UE406, UE408) or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for UE402, for each of one or more PSCCH transmits or one or more PSSCH transmits. For example, UE402 can dynamically select and direct at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots in response to a determination of an expected beam conflict if the current PSFCH Tx slot or current PSFCH Rx slot is used. Otherwise, UE402 can use the current PSFCH slot corresponding to one or more selected resources for at least one of the one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots.

[0068] For example, UE402 can dynamically select and direct at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots via control signaling in at least one of the following layers: the physical layer (e.g., SCI), the media access control (MAC) layer (e.g., MAC CE), or a higher layer. The higher layer may include at least one of the network layer, transport layer, or application layer. In this case, UE402 does not need to use a predefined one-to-one mapping between PSSCH time resources and PSFCH time resources, such as the example mapping shown in Figure 3. Instead, UE402 can dynamically determine the higher layer parameters sl-PSFCH-Period, sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH, and sl-PSFCH-RB-Set. For example, UE402 can dynamically determine (change) the period of a PSFCH resource directed by the parameter sl-PSFCH-Period from 0, 1, 2, or 4, or any other number of slots. As another example, the UE402 can dynamically determine (change) the minimum time gap between a PSFCH and an associated PSSCH, indicated by the parameter sl-MinTimeGapPSFCH, from two, three, or any other number of slots.

[0069] For example, at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other UEs or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for a UE may be indicated in the form of an absolute slot location or a slot offset from a PSCCH slot or PSSCH slot. UE402 can encrypt the indications for one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots to prevent a malicious UE from transmitting on the same slot and creating a collision. Since UE402 assumes that a PC5 connection will be established between the UE and another UE, if UE402 decides to encrypt the indications for one or more selected PSFCH Tx and / or Rx slots, the UE can communicate the encrypted indications using encryption at the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and one or more PC5 Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages. In this way, both confidentiality and integrity can be protected.

[0070] For example, at least one of a selected real number or maximum number of one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots is configured, preconfigured, specified, or determined based on the node implementation. Another example is that one or more allowed PSFCH Tx slots or one or more allowed PSFCH Rx slots are configured, preconfigured, specified, or determined based on the node implementation. One or more allowed PSFCH Tx slots or one or more allowed PSFCH Rx slots may be indicated in the form of a slot offset from a PSCCH slot or PSSCH slot.

[0071] In some embodiments, if UE402 determines that PSFCH Rx beam conflict cannot be avoided, the UE may select one or more Rx beams that are wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions, thereby avoiding PSFCH Rx beam conflict and / or allowing the same PSFCH Rx beam to be used for multiple PSCCH and / or PSSCH transmissions.

[0072] For example, in response to a determination that a common Rx beam is wider than one or more current Rx beams for two or more PSFCH receivers in the same slot, UE402 can select and apply one or more Rx beams that are wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receivers. UE402 can repeat this process of widening one or more Rx beams from one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receivers until the widest reachable Rx beam associated with the node is used or a PSFCH Rx beam conflict is avoided.

[0073] In some embodiments, the UE may selectively apply one or more of the above operations for one or more PSFCH receptions based on one or more conditions to mitigate excessive resource exclusion and / or increased latency for PSFCH transmission and / or reception. One or more conditions may be the RSRP of the signal, transmission priority, PSFCH This may include, but is not limited to, whether Rx beam conflicts are expected and whether a broad Rx beam is unavailable.

[0074] One example condition is the priority of PSCCH and / or PSSCH transmissions. For example, UE402 can select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison of the priority of at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions with the priority of at least one PSCCH transmission that is already scheduled or at least one PSSCH transmission that is already scheduled.

[0075] Another example of a condition is the RSRP of candidate resources for one or more PSCCH and / or PSSCH transmissions. For example, UE402 can select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison of the RSRP of candidate resources in a candidate resource set with an RSRP threshold. The RSRP threshold can be a correlative factor in transmission priority. As another example, UE402 can select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison of the RSRP of candidate resources in a candidate resource set with the RSRP of candidate resources for at least one PSCCH transmission already scheduled or the RSRP of candidate resources for at least one PSSCH transmission already scheduled.

[0076] Another example of a condition is the determination of whether or not a PSFCH Rx beam conflict is expected. For example, UE402 may select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on the expected beam conflict between one or more Rx beams for one or more expected PSFCH receptions as feedback for one or more current transmissions and one or more Rx beams for one or more already scheduled PSFCH receptions.

[0077] Another example of a condition is the decision of whether a wide Rx beam is available for one or more PSFCH receptions. For example, UE402 can select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison of one or more Rx beamwidths for one or more expected PSFCH receptions as feedback for one or more current transmissions with one or more beamwidths for one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled.

[0078] Method 600 includes step 608 of performing at least one of one of one PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions using one or more selected resources and one or more determined Tx beams. For example, UE402 (Figure 4) can transmit one or more PSCCH signals and / or one or more PSSCH signals to other UEs (e.g., UE404, UE406, UE408) using one or more selected resources and / or one or more determined Tx beams. Since one or more resources are selected and / or one or more Tx beams are determined using a method designed to mitigate PSFCH Rx beam conflicts, the UEs should expect to receive a number of PSFCH signals simultaneously without encountering PSFCH Rx beam conflicts.

[0079] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method 700 for beam management during sidelink communication (e.g., mitigating PSFCH Tx beam conflict at a node transmitting multiple PSFCHs simultaneously), consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. A node may include at least one of the following: at least one UE, at least one relay node, at least one on-board module, at least one roadside unit, at least one repeater, at least one transponder, at least one wireless router, at least one controller, or at least one access point. An example of a node is a UE for sidelink communication, such as UE502 in Figure 5.

[0080] Method 700 includes step 702 of a node in sidelink communication establishing one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes in sidelink communication. Using UE502 as an example, as shown in Figure 5, UE502 establishes multiple unicast links with a number of other UEs (e.g., UE504, UE506, UE508). In some embodiments, the step of establishing multiple unicast links also includes determining at least one Tx beam and / or at least one Rx beam for each of the multiple unicast links.

[0081] Method 700 includes step 704 of receiving at least one of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals transmitted from one or more other nodes. For example, UE502 (Figure 5) can receive at least one of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals transmitted from other UEs (e.g., UE504, UE506, UE508).

[0082] Method 700 involves one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSCCH signals. The procedure includes step 706, which determines whether one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed as feedback for the reception of at least one of the H signals, and determines one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed. For example, UE502 may determine one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions by performing one or more operations designed to mitigate PSFCH Tx beam conflicts in the UE, as described below.

[0083] In some embodiments, the UE502 can determine one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, one or more Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the presence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot.

[0084] In some embodiments, UE502 can select from a plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot. The plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities may be configured, pre-configured, or designated by the specification of the standard. For example, the plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities may be indicated by one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals received from one or more other nodes. The indicated plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities may be encrypted by one or more other UEs to deter a potential attacker who intends to create a collision by intentionally transmitting on the same slot or to modify the indicated slots to violate information integrity.

[0085] Additionally, at least one of the real number of one or more PSFCH slots or the maximum number of one or more PSFCH slots may be configured, preconfigured, or specified by the standard specification. In response to a determination that only the maximum number of one or more PSFCH slots has been provided, the UE502 may determine the real number of one or more PSFCH slots based on the node implementation configuration.

[0086] Additionally, UE502 can select at least one PSFCH slot prior to the current PSFCH slot that does not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot. UE502 can also randomly select at least one PSFCH slot that does not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot, or between one or more already scheduled PSFCH transmissions and a common Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions.

[0087] In some embodiments, in response to the determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, the UE502 may use one or more Tx beams that are wider than one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or use the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions. For example, in response to the determination that a common Tx beam is wider than the current PSFCH beams for two or more PSFCH transmissions in the same slot, the UE502 may... The same PSFCH Tx beam can be used for one or more PSFCH transmissions. The UE502 can repeatedly widen one or more Tx beams from one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions until the widest reachable Tx beam associated with the node is used or a PSFCH Tx beam conflict is avoided.

[0088] In some embodiments, the UE502 can determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison between the priority of one or more PSCCH signals and a first priority threshold, or a comparison between the priority of one or more PSSCH signals and a second priority threshold.

[0089] For example, the UE502 can determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison of the priority of one or more PSCCH signals with the priority of one or more PSCCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or a comparison of the priority of one or more PSSCH signals with the priority of one or more PSSCH receptions that have already been scheduled.

[0090] For example, the UE502 can determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison of the RSRP and RSRP threshold of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals. The RSRP threshold may also be a correlational element of the priority of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals.

[0091] For example, the UE502 can determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison of the RSRP of one or more PSCCH signals with the RSRP of one or more PSCCH signals already received, or a comparison of the RSRP of one or more PSSCH signals with one or more PSSCH signals already received.

[0092] For example, UE502 can determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on the predicted PSFCH Tx beam conflicts for one or more PSFCH transmissions. For example, UE502 can determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on one or more beamwidths of one or more Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or one or more beamwidths of one or more Tx beams for one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals that have already been received.

[0093] Method 700 includes step 708 of performing one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination of one or more PSFCH slots. For example, if UE502 decides to transmit a PSFCH signal and determines one or more PSFCH slots, the UE transmits the PSFCH signal using the determined one or more PSFCH slots. Otherwise, the UE does not transmit a PSFCH signal for any received PSCCH and / or PSSCH signals. Since the one or more PSFCH slots are determined using a method designed to mitigate PSFCH Tx beam conflicts, UE502 should expect to transmit multiple PSFCH signals simultaneously without encountering Tx beam conflicts.

[0094] Figure 8 is a block diagram of node 800, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Node 800 may be mounted on a mobile vehicle or in a fixed location. Node 800 can take any form, including but not limited to, a UE, relay node, vehicle, vehicle-mounted components (e.g., on-board modules), roadside units, repeaters, transponders, controllers, access points, wireless terminals including laptop computers and mobile phones, wireless handheld devices, wireless personal devices, wireless routers, and / or any other form. Node 800 may be UE402 in Figure 4 or UE502 in Figure 5. Referring to Figure 8, node 800 may include antenna 802, which may be used for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic signals to / from a base station or other node. Antenna 802 may include one or more antenna elements, which may enable different input-output antenna configurations, such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configurations, multiple-input single-output (MISO) configurations, and single-input multiple-output (SIMO) configurations. In some embodiments, antenna 802 may include a large number of antenna elements (e.g., tens or hundreds), enabling multi-antenna functions such as beamforming. In some embodiments, antenna 802 is a single antenna. Antenna 802 may include one or more FR1 antennas and / or one or more FR2 antennas.

[0095] Node 800 may include a transceiver 804 connected to antenna 802. Transceiver 804 may also be a wireless transceiver in node 800 and may communicate bidirectionally with a base station or other nodes. For example, transceiver 804 may receive / transmit wireless signals from / to a base station via downlink / uplink communication. Transceiver 804 may also receive / transmit wireless signals from / to another node (e.g., another UE or roadside unit) via sidelink communication. Transceiver 804 may include a modem for modulating packets, providing modulated packets to antenna 802 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from antenna 802.

[0096] Node 800 may include memory 806. Memory 806 may be any type of computer-readable storage medium, including volatile or non-volatile memory devices, or a combination thereof. Computer-readable storage medium includes, but is not limited to, non-temporary computer storage medium. Non-temporary storage medium may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. Examples of non-temporary storage medium include, but are not limited to, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), digital versatile disks (DVDs), flash memory, compact disk (CD)ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. Non-temporary medium may be used to carry or store desired program code means (e.g., instructions and / or data structures) and may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In some examples, software / program code may be transmitted from a remote source (e.g., a website, server, etc.) using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave. In such examples, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave fall within the definition of a medium. Combinations of the above examples also fall within the scope of a computer-readable medium.

[0097] Memory 806 can store information regarding the identity of node 800, as well as signals and / or data received by antenna 802. Memory 806 can also store processed signals and / or data. Memory 806 can also store computer-readable program instructions, mathematical models, and algorithms used for signal processing in receiver 804 and calculations in processor 808. Memory 806 can further store computer-readable program instructions for execution by processor 808 to operate UE800 to perform the various functions described in this disclosure. In some examples, memory 806 may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that can control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0098] The computer-readable program instructions of this disclosure may be assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine language instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​and conventional procedural programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions can be executed entirely on a computing device as a standalone software package, or partially on a first computing device and partially on a second computing device remote from the first computing device. In the latter scenario, the second remote computing device may be connected to the first computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).

[0099] Node 800 may include a processor 808, which may include hardware devices having processing capabilities. The processor 808 may include at least one of the following: a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or other programmable logic devices. Examples of general-purpose processors include, but are not limited to, a microprocessor, any conventional processor, a controller, a microcontroller, or a state machine. In some embodiments, the processor 808 may be implemented using a combination of devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a number of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors with DSP cores, or any other such configuration). The processor 808 may receive downlink or sidelink signals from the transceiver 804 and further process the signals. The processor 808 may also receive data packets from the transceiver 804 and further process the packets. In some embodiments, the processor 808 may be configured to operate the memory using a memory controller. In some embodiments, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 808. The processor 808 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 806) to cause the UE800 to perform various functions.

[0100] Node 800 may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) 810. The GPS 810 may be used to enable location-based services or other services based on the geolocation of UE 800 and / or synchronization between nodes. The GPS 810 may receive Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals from a single satellite or multiple satellite signals via antenna 802 and provide the geolocation of Node 800 (e.g., the coordinates of Node 800). Yes, it is possible. In some embodiments, the GPS810 is omitted. In some embodiments, a timer is included.

[0101] Node 800 may include an input / output (I / O) device 812 that can be used to communicate the results of signal processing and calculations to a user or another device. The I / O device 812 may include a user interface that includes a display and input devices for sending user commands to processor 808. The display may be configured to show the status of signal reception in node 800, data stored in memory 806, the status of signal processing, and the results of calculations, etc. The display may include, but is not limited to, a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED), gas plasma display, touchscreen, or other image projection device for displaying information to the user. The input device may be any type of computer hardware equipment used to receive data and control signals from the user. The input device may include, but is not limited to, a keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera, joystick, trackball, cursor directional keys, touchscreen monitor, or audio / video commander, etc.

[0102] Node 800 may further include mechanical interfaces 814 such as an electric bus for connecting transceivers 804, memory 806, processor 808, GPS 810, and I / O devices 812.

[0103] In some embodiments, node 800 may be a node configured or programmed to transmit signals (e.g., PSCCH, PSSCH) to one or more other nodes and to simultaneously receive feedback signals (e.g., PSFCH) from one or more other nodes. The processor 808 establishes multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes in sidelink communication, performs channel sensing, selects one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, and determines one or more Tx beams, wherein the processor (1) jointly performs resource selection or resource reselection for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions for multiple unicast links, (2) selects from a candidate resource set at least one resource for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or PSSCH transmissions associated with a scheduled PSFCH reception to use the same PSFCH Rx beams and slots as one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, and (3) selects the same PSFCH (4) Prioritize within the candidate resource set at least one resource associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use an Rx beam and slot, or deprioritize one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, (5) Perform resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions in response to the determination of a predicted beam conflict between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, (6) Dynamically select and direct at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for a node in each of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, or (7) Beam Con The system may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the following in response to a determination that a friction is inevitable: to perform at least one of the following: to select one or more Rx beams wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions; and to execute instructions stored in memory 806 to perform at least one of the following: one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, using the selected one or more resources and the determined one or more Tx beams.

[0104] In some embodiments, node 800 may be a node configured or programmed to receive signals (e.g., PSCCH, PSSCH) from one or more other UEs and transmit feedback signals (e.g., PSFCH) to one or more other nodes. Processor 808 establishes one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes in sidelink communication, receives at least one of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals transmitted from one or more other nodes, determines whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions as feedback to the reception of at least one of one of the PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals, and determines one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed. (1) determining one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more already scheduled PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more already scheduled PSFCH receptions, one or more predicted Tx beam conflicts for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the existence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more already scheduled PSFCH transmissions in the same slot; (2) selecting one or more PSFCH slots from multiple PSFCH slot opportunities that do not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more already scheduled PSFCH Tx beams in the same slot; or (3) using one or more Tx beams wider than one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the same PSFCH for one or more PSFCH transmissions, in response to the determination of predicted Tx beam conflicts for one or more PSFCH transmissions.It may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the actions of using a Tx beam, and to execute instructions stored in memory 806 to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination of one or more PSFCH slots.

[0105] As used in this disclosure, the use of the term “or” in a list of items indicates an inclusive list. A list of items may begin with a phrase such as “at least one of” or “one or more of.” For example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C includes A or B or C or AB (i.e., A and B) or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A, B, and C). Also, as used in this disclosure, beginning a list of conditions with the phrase “based on” should not be interpreted as “based solely on” the set of conditions, but rather as “at least partially on” the set of conditions. For example, a consequence described as “based on condition A” may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this specification.

[0106] In this specification, the terms “include,” “contain,” or “contain” are used interchangeably. The terms "to possess," "to include," or "to contain" are sometimes used interchangeably and should be interpreted as having the same meaning and being comprehensive and broadly interpretable. The terms "to possess," "to include," or "to contain" can be used before a list of elements to indicate that at least all of the listed elements in the list are present, but other elements not on the list may also be present. For example, if A possesses B and C, then both {B, C} and {B, C, D} are within the scope of A.

[0107] This disclosure, together with the accompanying drawings, describes exemplary configurations, or all configurations within the scope of this disclosure, not all of which may be realized. The term “exemplary” should not be interpreted as “preferred” or “advantageous compared to other examples,” but rather as “exemplification, example, or illustration.” By reading this disclosure, including the description of embodiments and drawings, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the technology disclosed herein may be realized using alternative embodiments. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments or certain features of embodiments described herein may be combined to arrive at further other embodiments for practicing the technology described herein. Thus, this disclosure should be given the broadest scope, not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0108] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate examples of the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and devices in various embodiments. Note that in some alternative implementations, the functions described in the blocks may occur in an order other than that shown in the figures. For example, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or blocks may be executed in reverse order depending on the functions they sometimes contain. Similarly, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined in methods consistent with various embodiments.

[0109] It should be understood that the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and that elements, components, materials, or steps described with respect to one embodiment may be combined with other embodiments or removed from other embodiments in a manner appropriate to achieve the desired design objective.

[0110] Any reference herein to “certain embodiments” or “certain exemplary embodiments” means that certain features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. The occurrence of the phrases “one embodiment,” “certain embodiments,” or “another embodiment” in various places in this disclosure does not necessarily refer to all of the same embodiments, and separate or alternative embodiments do not necessarily exclude each other from other embodiments.

[0111] In addition, the articles “a” and “an,” as used in this disclosure and the attached claims, should be interpreted as meaning “one or more,” unless otherwise specified or unless the context makes it clear that they refer to a singular form.

[0112] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, each number and range should be interpreted as approximate, even if the word “about” or “approximately” precedes the value or range value.

[0113] The elements in the claims of the following methods are listed in a specific sequence, if any, but unless the enumeration of the claims otherwise suggests a specific sequence for carrying out some or all of these elements, these elements are limited to being carried out in this specific sequence. This is not necessarily the intended meaning.

[0114] It should be understood that certain features of this disclosure described in the context of separate embodiments for clarity may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of this specification described in the context of a single embodiment for conciseness may also be provided separately, in any suitable combination, or as appropriate in any other described embodiment of this specification. Certain features described in the context of different embodiments are not integral features of those embodiments unless noted as such.

[0115] It will be further understood that various modifications, alternatives, and variations of the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts described and illustrated to illustrate the nature of the described embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope. Accordingly, the following claims encompass all such alternatives, modifications, and variations contained in the claims section.

[0116] Item 1: A node for beam management during side-link communication, Memory for storing instructions, Establishing multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes during sidelink communication, Perform channel sensing. The processor selects one or more resources for at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmissions or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmissions, and determines one or more transmitter (Tx) beams, wherein the processor (1) Performing resource selection or resource reselection together for one or more PSCCH transmissions for multiple unicast links or for at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions, (2) Select from the candidate resource set at least one resource for one or more PSCCH transmits or at least one of one or more PSSCH transmits associated with a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) receive scheduled to use the same PSFCH receiver (Rx) beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receives that have already been scheduled. (3) Prioritizing in the candidate resource set at least one resource associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or deprioritizing one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. (4) In response to the determination of predicted beam conflicts between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, perform resource reselection on one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. (5) Dynamically selecting and instructing at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for a node in each of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, (6) In response to a determination that beam conflict is unavoidable, one or more Rx beams wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions To choose It is configured to execute an instruction stored in memory in order to perform at least one of the following: Using one or more selected resources and one or more determined Tx beams, perform at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. A processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to perform the task A node equipped with this feature.

[0117] Item 2: The node according to Item 1, wherein the node comprises at least one of the following: at least one user equipment (UE), at least one relay node, at least one in-vehicle module, at least one roadside unit, at least one repeater, at least one transponder, at least one wireless router, at least one controller, or at least one access point.

[0118] Item 3: One or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions is one or more current transmissions, A node according to item 1, wherein multiple PSFCH receptions involved in beam conflict at the node include at least one of one or more expected PSFCH receptions as feedback for one or more current transmissions, or one or more already scheduled PSFCH receptions.

[0119] Item 4: Performing resource selection or resource reselection together for one or more PSCCH transmissions for multiple unicast links or for at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions, Using the same PSFCH Rx beam for one or more PSCCH transmissions or for at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions. The node in item 1, which further includes the above.

[0120] Item 5: The node in item 1, in which resource selection or resource reselection for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions for multiple unicast links is performed together in response to a determination of a common PSFCH Rx beam for multiple unicast links.

[0121] Item 6: Prioritizing at least one resource associated with a scheduled PSFCH receive to use the same PSFCH Rx beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receives that are already scheduled, Applying one or more reference signal received power (RSRP) thresholds when excluding resources in a candidate resource set, based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSCCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more PSSCH transmissions, or one or more density metrics. The node in item 1, which further includes the above.

[0122] Item 7: A node according to Item 1, wherein predicted beam conflicts are determined based on at least one of a re-evaluation check or preemption check in one or more slots before using one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions.

[0123] Item 8: One or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions A node according to item 1, wherein resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of the following is performed in response to an update decision in at least one of the one or more Tx beams or one or more Rx beams associated with the node.

[0124] Item 9: The node of Item 1, which dynamically selects and directs at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots in response to a determination of the predicted beam conflict when the current PSFCH Tx slot or the current PSFCH Rx slot is used.

[0125] Item 10: A node according to item 1, in which at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots is dynamically selected and directed via control signaling at at least one of the physical layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or network layer.

[0126] Item 11: Dynamically selecting and instructing at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots, Encrypting instructions for one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots, Communicating encrypted instructions using one or more PC5 Wireless Resource Control (RRC) messages The node in item 1, which further includes the above.

[0127] Item 12: A node according to Item 1, in which at least one of the selected real or maximum number of PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots is configured, pre-configured, specified, or determined based on the node implementation form.

[0128] Item 13: A node according to Item 1, in which one or more allowed PSFCH Tx slots or one or more allowed PSFCH Rx slots are configured, pre-configured, specified, or determined based on the node implementation configuration.

[0129] Item 14: A node according to Item 1, in response to a determination that one or more Rx beams wider than one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions are selected in response to a determination that the common Rx beam is wider than one or more current Rx beams for two or more PSFCH receptions in the same slot.

[0130] Item 15: The node in item 1, further configured to repeatedly spread one or more Rx beams from one or more current Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions until the widest reachable Rx beam associated with the node is used or a PSFCH Rx beam conflict is avoided.

[0131] Item 16: The processor, Select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison between the priority of at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions and a priority threshold. The node in item 1 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to perform the following action.

[0132] Item 17: The processor, One or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions Select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison of at least one priority with the priority of at least one already scheduled PSCCH transmission or at least one already scheduled PSSCH transmission priority. The node in item 1 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to perform the following action.

[0133] Item 18: The processor, Based on a comparison of the RSRP and RSRP threshold of candidate resources in a candidate resource set, select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams. The node in item 1 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to perform the following action.

[0134] Item 19: The processor, Select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison of the RSRP of candidate resources in the candidate resource set with the RSRP of candidate resources for at least one PSCCH transmission already scheduled or the RSRP of candidate resources for at least one PSSCH transmission already scheduled. The node in item 1 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to perform the following action.

[0135] Item 20: The processor, Based on the predicted beam conflict between one or more Rx beams for one or more expected PSFCH receptions as feedback from one or more current transmissions and one or more Rx beams for one or more already scheduled PSFCH receptions, select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams. The node in item 3 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0136] Item 21: The processor, Select one or more resources and determine one or more Tx beams based on a comparison of one or more Rx beamwidths for one or more expected PSFCH receptions as feedback for one or more current transmissions and one or more beamwidths for one or more already scheduled PSFCH receptions. The node in item 3 is configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0137] Item 22: A node for beam management during side-link communication, Memory for storing instructions, Establishing one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes during sidelink communication, Receiving at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) signals or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) signals transmitted from one or more other nodes, The processor determines whether to perform one or more physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) transmissions as feedback to the reception of one or more PSCCH signals or at least one of one or more PSSCH signals, and determines one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed, wherein the processor (1) One or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more already scheduled PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more already scheduled PSFCH receptions, one or more predicted Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, or one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more already scheduled PSFCH transmissions in the same slot This involves determining one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on the presence of at least one common beam for multiple PSFCH transmissions. (2) Select from multiple PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot, or (3) In response to the determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, using one or more Tx beams that are wider than one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions. It is configured to execute an instruction stored in memory in order to perform at least one of the following: In response to the determination of one or more PSFCH slots, perform one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots. A processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to perform the task A node equipped with this feature.

[0138] Item 23: A node according to item 22, in which one or more PSFCH slots are indicated by one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals received from one or more other nodes.

[0139] Item 24: The node specified in Item 23, in which one or more PSFCH slots are encrypted by one or more other nodes.

[0140] Item 25: A node according to item 22, in which one or more PSFCH slots are configured, pre-configured, or specified according to the specifications of the standard.

[0141] Item 26: A node as specified in Item 22, in which at least one of the real number of one or more PSFCH slots or the maximum number of one or more PSFCH slots is configured, pre-configured, or designated according to the specifications of the standard.

[0142] Item 27: The processor, In response to the determination that only the maximum number of one or more PSFCH slots is provided, the actual number of one or more PSFCH slots is determined based on the node implementation configuration. The node in item 26 is further configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0143] Item 28: Selecting one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause conflicts between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot is required. Select at least one PSFCH slot prior to at least one current PSFCH slot that does not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot. Node 22, which further includes the above.

[0144] Item 29: Selecting one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause conflicts between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot is required. Randomly selecting at least one PSFCH slot that does not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more already scheduled PSFCH Tx beams in the same slot, or between one or more PSFCH transmissions and a common Tx beam for one or more already scheduled PSFCH transmissions. Node 22, which further includes the above.

[0145] Item 30: Using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions, In response to a determination that a broader common Tx beam is available for two or more PSFCH transmissions in the same slot than the current PSFCH beam, the same PSFCH Tx beam will be used for one or more PSFCH transmissions. Node 22, which further includes the above.

[0146] Item 31: The node in item 22, further configured to repeatedly spread one or more Tx beams from one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions until the widest reachable Tx beam associated with the node is used or a PSFCH Tx beam conflict is avoided.

[0147] Item 32: The processor, To determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison of the priority of one or more PSCCH signals with a first priority threshold, or a comparison of the priority of one or more PSSCH signals with a second priority threshold. The node in item 22 is further configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0148] Item 33: The processor, To determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison of the priority of one or more PSCCH signals with the priority of one or more PSCCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or a comparison of the priority of one or more PSSCH signals with the priority of one or more PSSCH receptions that have already been scheduled. The node in item 22 is further configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0149] Item 34: The processor, To determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison of the RSRP and RSRP threshold of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals. The node in item 22 is further configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0150] Item 35: A node in item 34 where the RSRP threshold is a correlational element of the priority of one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals.

[0151] Item 36: The processor, Comparison of RSRP of one or more PSCCH signals with the RSRP of one or more PSCCH signals already received, or comparison of one or more PSCCH signals with already received Based on a comparison of RSRP with one or more completed PSSCH signals, determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots. The node in item 22 is further configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0152] Item 37: The processor, Based on the predicted PSFCH Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, determine whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots. The node in item 22 is further configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0153] Item 38: The processor, The determination of whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on one or more beamwidths of one or more Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or one or more beamwidths of one or more Tx beams for one or more PSCCH signals or one or more PSSCH signals that have already been received. The node in item 22 is further configured to execute instructions stored in memory in order to do so.

[0154] Item 39: A method for beam management during side-link communication, A node in sidelink communication establishes multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes in sidelink communication, Performing channel sensing, Selecting one or more resources for at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmissions or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmissions, and determining one or more transmitter (Tx) beams, wherein selecting one or more resources and determining one or more Tx beams is (1) Performing resource selection or resource reselection together for one or more PSCCH transmissions for multiple unicast links or for at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions, (2) Select from the candidate resource set at least one resource for one or more PSCCH transmits or at least one of one or more PSSCH transmits associated with a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) receive scheduled to use the same PSFCH receiver (Rx) beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receives that have already been scheduled. (3) Prioritizing in the candidate resource set at least one resource for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beams and slots as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or deprioritizing one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. (4) In response to the determination of predicted beam conflicts between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, one or more pre-selected beams for at least one of them. This involves performing resource reselection for multiple resources. (5) Dynamically selecting and instructing at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for a node in each of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, (6) In response to a determination that beam conflict is inevitable, select one or more Rx beams that are wider than one or more current Rx beams for receiving multiple PSFCHs. This includes implementing at least one of the following: Using one or more selected resources and one or more determined Tx beams, perform at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. Methods that include...

[0155] Item 40: A method for beam management during side-link communication, A node in sidelink communication establishes one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes in sidelink communication, Receiving at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) signals or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) signals transmitted from one or more other nodes, The process involves determining whether to perform one or more physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) transmissions as feedback to the reception of one or more PSCCH signals or at least one of one or more PSSCH signals, and determining one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed, wherein the determination of whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions is: (1) Determining one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, one or more Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the presence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot. (2) Select from multiple PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot, or (3) In response to the determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, using one or more Tx beams that are wider than one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions. It must include at least one of the following, In response to the determination of one or more PSFCH slots, perform one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots. Methods that include...

[0156] Item 41: A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing instructions executable by one or more processors of nodes in side-link communication for carrying out a method for beam management, wherein the method is A node in sidelink communication establishes multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes in sidelink communication, Performing channel sensing, Selecting one or more resources for at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmissions or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmissions, and determining one or more transmitter (Tx) beams, wherein selecting one or more resources and determining one or more Tx beams is (1) Performing resource selection or resource reselection together for one or more PSCCH transmissions for multiple unicast links or for at least one of one or more PSSCH transmissions, (2) Select from the candidate resource set at least one resource for one or more PSCCH transmits or at least one of one or more PSSCH transmits associated with a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) receive scheduled to use the same PSFCH receiver (Rx) beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receives that have already been scheduled. (3) Prioritizing in the candidate resource set at least one resource associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or deprioritizing one or more resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. (4) In response to the determination of predicted beam conflicts between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at a node, perform resource reselection on one or more pre-selected resources for at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. (5) Dynamically selecting and instructing at least one of one or more PSFCH Tx slots for multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for a node in each of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions, (6) In response to a determination that beam conflict is inevitable, select one or more Rx beams that are wider than one or more current Rx beams for receiving multiple PSFCHs. This includes implementing at least one of the following: Using one or more selected resources and one or more determined Tx beams, perform at least one of one or more PSCCH transmissions or one or more PSSCH transmissions. Non-temporary computer-readable media, including [specific examples of such media].

[0157] Item 42: A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing instructions executable by one or more processors of nodes in side-link communication for carrying out a method for beam management, wherein the method is A node in sidelink communication establishes one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes in sidelink communication, Receiving at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) signals or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) signals transmitted from one or more other nodes, One or more physical sidelink fees as feedback for receiving one or more PSCCH signals or at least one of the one or more PSSCH signals The process involves determining whether or not to perform a back channel (PSFCH) transmission, and determining one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed, and the process of determining whether or not to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions is as follows: (1) Determining one or more PSFCH slots for one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, one or more priorities of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, one or more Tx beam conflicts of one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the presence of a common beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot. (2) Select from multiple PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause a conflict between one or more PSFCH Tx beams and one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot, or (3) In response to the determination of a predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, using one or more Tx beams that are wider than one or more current Tx beams for one or more PSFCH transmissions, or using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions. It must include at least one of the following, In response to the determination of one or more PSFCH slots, perform one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots. Non-temporary computer-readable media, including [specific examples of such media].

Claims

1. A node for beam management during sidelink communication, Memory for storing instructions, It is a processor, Establishing multiple unicast links with multiple other nodes during the aforementioned sidelink communication, Perform channel sensing. Selecting one or more resources for at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) transmissions or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmissions, and determining one or more transmitter (Tx) beams, wherein the processor, (1) Performing resource selection or resource reselection together for one or more PSCCH transmissions for the multiple unicast links or for at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions, (2) Selecting from the candidate resource set at least one resource for one or more of the PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions associated with a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH receiver (Rx) beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled, (3) Prioritizing within the candidate resource set at least one resource associated with a PSFCH reception scheduled to use the same PSFCH Rx beam and slot as one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or deprioritizing one or more resources for one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the PSCCH transmissions based on the delivery deadline or latency requirements of one or more of the PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the PSCCH transmissions. (4) In response to the determination of a predicted beam conflict between multiple Rx beams for multiple PSFCH receptions at the node, perform resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for one or more PSFCH transmissions or for at least one of the one or more PSFCH transmissions. (5) Dynamically selecting and instructing at least one of the one or more PSFCH Tx slots for the multiple other nodes or one or more PSFCH Rx slots for the node in each of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or the one or more PSSCH transmissions, (6) In response to the determination that the beam conflict is unavoidable, select one or more Rx beams that are wider than one or more current Rx beams for the PSFCH reception of the plurality of PSFCHs. The system is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform at least one of the following: Using the selected one or more resources and the determined one or more Tx beams, perform one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions. A processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform the following: A node equipped with this feature.

2. The aforementioned one or more PSCCH transmissions or the aforementioned one or more PSCCH transmissions At least one of these is one or more current transmissions, The plurality of PSFCH receptions involved in the beam conflict at the node include one or more expected PSFCH receptions as feedback of the one or more current transmissions, or at least one of the one or more PSFCH receptions that have already been scheduled. The node according to claim 1.

3. Performing the resource selection or resource reselection for one or more PSCCH transmissions for the multiple unicast links or for at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions together is: The further includes using the same PSFCH Rx beam for one or more PSCCH transmissions or for at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions, The node according to claim 1.

4. The resource selection or resource reselection for one or more PSCCH transmissions for the plurality of unicast links or for at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions is performed together in response to the determination of a common PSFCH Rx beam for the plurality of unicast links. The node according to claim 1.

5. The same PSFCH as one or more PSFCHs that have already been scheduled for reception. Prioritizing the at least one resource associated with the PSFCH receiver scheduled to use the Rx beam and slot is, The further includes applying one or more reference signal received power (RSRP) thresholds when excluding resources in the candidate resource set, based on at least one of the following: one or more priorities of the one or more PSCCH transmissions, one or more priorities of the one or more PSCCH transmissions, or one or more density metrics. The node according to claim 1.

6. The predicted beam conflict is determined based on at least one of a re-evaluation check or preemption check in one or more slots before using one or more of the pre-selected resources for one or more of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or for at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions. The node according to claim 1.

7. The resource reselection for one or more pre-selected resources for one or more of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or for at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions is performed in response to a decision to update at least one of the one or more Tx beams or one or more Rx beams associated with the node. The node according to claim 1.

8. The dynamic selection and designation of at least one of the one or more PSFCH Tx slots or the one or more PSFCH Rx slots is performed in response to the determination of the predicted beam conflict when the current PSFCH Tx slot or the current PSFCH Rx slot is used. The node according to claim 1.

9. Dynamically selecting and instructing at least one of the one or more PSFCH Tx slots or the one or more PSFCH Rx slots is Encrypting the instructions for one or more PSFCH Tx slots or one or more PSFCH Rx slots, Communicating the encrypted instructions using one or more PC5 Wireless Resource Control (RRC) messages, Further including, The node according to claim 1.

10. One or more Rx beams wider than the one or more current Rx beams for the multiple PSFCH receptions are selected in response to a determination that a common Rx beam is wider than the one or more current Rx beams for two or more PSFCH receptions in the same slot. The node according to claim 1.

11. The processor is further configured to repeatedly broaden one or more Rx beams from one or more current Rx beams for the multiple PSFCH receptions until the widest reachable Rx beam associated with the node is used or the PSFCH Rx beam conflict is avoided. The node according to claim 1.

12. The aforementioned processor, Based on a comparison between the priority of at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the one or more PSCCH transmissions and a priority threshold, one or more resources are selected and one or more Tx beams are determined. It is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform the following: The node according to claim 1.

13. The aforementioned processor, Based on a comparison between the priority of one or more PSCCH transmissions or at least one of the priority of one or more PSSCH transmissions and the priority of at least one PSCCH transmission that has already been scheduled or the priority of at least one PSSCH transmission that has already been scheduled, one or more resources are selected and one or more Tx beams are determined. It is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform the following: The node according to claim 1.

14. The aforementioned processor, Based on a comparison of the RSRP and RSRP threshold of the candidate resources in the candidate resource set, one or more resources are selected and one or more Tx beams are determined. It is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform the following: The node according to claim 1.

15. The aforementioned processor, Based on a comparison between the RSRP of a candidate resource in the aforementioned candidate resource set and the RSRP of a candidate resource for at least one PSCCH transmission that has already been scheduled or the RSRP of a candidate resource for at least one PSCCH transmission that has already been scheduled , selecting one or more resources and determining one or more Tx beams It is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform the following: The node according to claim 1.

16. A node for beam management during sidelink communication, Memory for storing instructions, It is a processor, To establish one or more unicast links with one or more other nodes during the aforementioned sidelink communication, Receiving at least one of one or more physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) signals or one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) signals transmitted from one or more of the aforementioned other nodes, The processor determines whether to perform one or more physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) transmissions as feedback to the reception of one or more PSCCH signals or at least one of the one or more PSCCH signals, and determines one or more PSFCH slots in response to the determination that one or more PSFCH transmissions should be performed, wherein the processor (1) Determining the one or more PSFCH slots for the one or more PSFCH transmissions based on at least one of the following: the priority of one or more PSFCH transmissions, the priority of one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, the priority of one or more PSFCH receptions already scheduled, the predicted Tx beam conflict of the one or more PSFCH transmissions, or the presence of a common beam for the one or more PSFCH transmissions and the one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled in the same slot. (2) Selecting from a plurality of PSFCH slot opportunities one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause a conflict between the one or more PSFCH Tx beams and the one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot, or (3) In response to the determination of the predicted Tx beam conflict for one or more PSFCH transmissions, use one or more Tx beams that are wider than the one or more current Tx beams for the one or more PSFCH transmissions, or use the same PSFCH Tx beam for the one or more PSFCH transmissions. The system is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform at least one of the following: In response to the determination of one or more PSFCH slots, perform one or more PSFCH transmissions using the determined one or more PSFCH slots. A processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to perform the following: A node equipped with this feature.

17. Selecting one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause conflict between the one or more PSFCH Tx beams and the one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot is At least one PS prior to the current PSFCH slot that does not cause the conflict between the one or more PSFCH Tx beams and the one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot Further including selecting an FCH slot, The node according to claim 16.

18. Selecting one or more PSFCH slots that do not cause conflict between the one or more PSFCH Tx beams and the one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot is The further includes randomly selecting at least one PSFCH slot that does not cause the conflict between the one or more PSFCH Tx beams and the one or more PSFCH Tx beams already scheduled in the same slot, or between the one or more PSFCH transmissions and a common Tx beam for the one or more PSFCH transmissions already scheduled, The node according to claim 16.

19. Using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions is, The further includes using the same PSFCH Tx beam for one or more PSFCH transmissions in response to a determination that a common Tx beam is wider than the current PSFCH beam for two or more PSFCH transmissions in the same slot. The node according to claim 16.

20. The processor is further configured to repeatedly broaden the one or more Tx beams from the one or more current Tx beams for the one or more PSFCH transmissions until the widest reachable Tx beam associated with the node is used or the PSFCH Tx beam conflict is avoided. The node according to claim 16.

21. The aforementioned processor, A determination is made as to whether to perform the one or more PSFCH transmissions and the one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison between the priority of one or more of the aforementioned PSCCH signals and a first priority threshold, or a comparison between the priority of one or more of the aforementioned PSCCH signals and a second priority threshold. It is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to do so. The node according to claim 16.

22. The aforementioned processor, A decision is made on whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison between the priority of one or more of the aforementioned PSCCH signals and the priority of one or more PSCCH receptions that have already been scheduled, or a comparison between the priority of one or more of the aforementioned PSSCH signals and the priority of one or more PSSCH receptions that have already been scheduled. It is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to do so. The node according to claim 16.

23. The aforementioned processor, Based on a comparison between the RSRP of one or more PSCCH signals or the RSRP threshold of one or more PSCCH signals, it is determined whether to perform one or more PSFCH transmissions and one or more PSFCH slots. It is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to do so. The node according to claim 16.

24. The aforementioned processor, A decision is made on whether to perform the one or more PSFCH transmission and the one or more PSFCH slots based on a comparison of the RSRP of one or more PSCCH signals with the RSRP of one or more PSCCH signals already received, or a comparison of the RSRP of one or more PSSCH signals with the RSRP of one or more PSSCH signals already received. It is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to do so. The node according to claim 16.

25. The aforementioned processor, Based on the predicted PSFCH Tx beam conflict of the one or more PSFCH transmissions, it is determined whether the one or more PSFCH transmissions and the one or more PSFCH slots should be performed. It is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to do so. The node according to claim 16.

26. The aforementioned processor, The determination of whether to perform the one or more PSFCH transmission and the one or more PSFCH slots based on one or more beamwidths of one or more Tx beams for the one or more PSFCH transmission, or one or more beamwidths of one or more Tx beams for the one or more PSFCH signals that have already been received. It is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory in order to do so. The node according to claim 16.

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