Communication method, terminal device, and network device

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium. A terminal device receives an indication from a network device on whether one of a first mode based on dynamic configuration in DCI and a second mode based on RRC configuration of PUCCH carrier switching is enabled, and performs the PUCCH carrier switching for a processed PUCCH transmission according to a determination that one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled. In this way, PUCCH carrier switching can be flexibly configured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to a communication method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback.

Background Art

[0002] In New Radio (NR) Release 16, for a terminal device configured to have carrier aggregation (CA), only the uplink (UL) carrier of a component carrier (CC) is configured to transmit a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for HARQ feedback within a cell group (e.g., a primary cell), also referred to as a PUCCH group.

[0003] In NR Release 17, in order to reduce the delay of HARQ feedback for a downlink (DL) heavy configuration in an unpaired spectrum, it is proposed to switch the PUCCH carrier for HARQ feedback, so that two or more UL carriers with different time division duplexing (TDD) configurations are permitted for PUCCH transmission for HARQ feedback. This means that a set of cells is configured for PUCCH transmission within a PUCCH group, and then the PUCCH for HARQ-ACK transmission can be switched between the set of cells. It is agreed to support PUCCH carrier switching based on a dynamic indication and a semi-static setting in downlink control information (DCI) that schedules the PUCCH. However, the implementation for PUCCH carrier switching is incomplete.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Overall, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for communication for HARQ feedback.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes, at a terminal device, receiving, from a network device, an indication as to whether one of a first mode and a second mode of PUCCH carrier switching is enabled, where the first mode is based on a dynamic setting in DCI and the second mode is based on a radio resource control (RRC) setting; and performing, for a PUCCH transmission to be processed, the PUCCH carrier switching according to a determination that one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled.

[0006] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes, at a network device, transmitting to a terminal device an indication as to whether one of a first mode and a second mode of PUCCH carrier switching is enabled for the terminal device, where the first mode is based on a dynamic setting in DCI and the second mode is based on an RRC setting.

[0007] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes performing at least one of the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission according to a determination that the first PUCCH transmission on a first cell collides with the second PUCCH transmission on a second cell in a time domain, where the first PUCCH transmission is used for a first HARQ feedback for a set of first PDSCH transmissions that are dynamically scheduled, and the second PUCCH transmission is used for a second HARQ feedback for a set of second PDSCH transmissions that are semi-persistently scheduled.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes, in a network device, transmitting to a terminal device an instruction for performing at least one of a first PUCCH transmission on a first cell or a second PUCCH transmission on a second cell, where the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell collides with the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell in a time domain, the first PUCCH transmission is used for a first HARQ feedback for a set of first PDSCH transmissions that are dynamically scheduled, and the second PUCCH transmission is used for a second HARQ feedback for a set of second PDSCH transmissions that are semi - persistently scheduled.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes, in a terminal device, receiving from a network device settings regarding dynamic carrier switching and semi - persistent scheduling (SPS) HARQ deferral for the terminal device, and processing the third PUCCH transmission by canceling the third PUCCH transmission and multiplexing the third HARQ feedback onto the fourth PUCCH transmission, or delaying the third HARQ feedback to an available fifth PUCCH transmission on the third cell, according to a determination that a third PUCCH transmission on a third cell collides with a downlink transmission / symbol and a fourth PUCCH transmission on a fourth cell, which is for a fourth HARQ feedback for a set of fourth PDSCH transmissions that are dynamically scheduled, overlaps with the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell in a time domain, where the third PUCCH transmission is for a third HARQ feedback for a set of third PDSCH transmissions that are semi - persistently scheduled.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes, when dynamic carrier switching and SPS HARQ delay are set for a terminal device, the network device transmitting, to the terminal device, an instruction indicating whether multiplexing or delay is to be applied when the third PUCCH transmission on a third cell collides with a downlink transmission / symbol and the fourth PUCCH transmission on a fourth cell overlaps with the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell in a time domain, where the third PUCCH transmission is for the third HARQ feedback for a set of third PDSCH transmissions scheduled semi-persistently, the fourth PUCCH transmission is for the fourth HARQ feedback for a set of fourth PDSCH transmissions scheduled dynamically, the multiplexing includes canceling the third PUCCH transmission and multiplexing the third HARQ feedback on the fourth PUCCH transmission, and the delay includes delaying the third HARQ feedback until a fifth PUCCH transmission available on the third cell.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a processor configured to execute the method according to the first, third, or fifth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes a processor configured to execute the method according to the second, fourth, or sixth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions is provided. When the instructions are executed on at least one processor, the at least one processor is caused to execute the method described in the first, third, or fifth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the second, fourth or sixth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] Other features of the present disclosure should be readily understandable from the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail in the accompanying drawings to further clarify the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure.

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[0034] In the figure, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Here, the principles of the present disclosure will be described with reference to some embodiments. These embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and are intended to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing the present disclosure, and should not be construed as suggesting any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways different from the methods described below.

[0036] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0037] As used herein, the term "terminal device" means any device having wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE), personal computer, desktop computer, mobile phone, cellular phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable computer, tablet, wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, any Internet of Everything (IoE) device, machine type communication (MTC) device, in-vehicle device for V2X communication, etc. Here, "X" in V2X represents a pedestrian, a vehicle, or infrastructure / network, or an image acquisition device such as a digital camera, a game device, a music storage and playback device, or an Internet appliance enabling wireless or wired Internet access and browsing. The term "terminal device" may be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device. Also, the term "network device" means a device capable of providing or hosting a cell or coverage with which a terminal device can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), transmission and reception point (TRP), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), femto node, pico node, and other low-power nodes.

[0038] In one embodiment, the terminal device can be connected to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first network device and the second network device may be a master node and the other may be a secondary node. The first network device and the second network device may use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device, and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information regarding different RATs may be transmitted from at least one of the first network device or the second network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, the first information may be transmitted from the first network device to the terminal device, and the second information may be transmitted from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, information regarding the settings of the terminal device set by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device via the first network device. Information regarding the resetting of the terminal device set by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device.

[0039] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "comprising" and variations thereof should be understood as open-ended terms meaning "including, but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment". Terms such as "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. There may be other explicit and implicit definitions below.

[0040] In some examples, a value, procedure, or device is referred to as "best", "lowest", "highest", "minimum", "maximum", etc. Such descriptions are intended to indicate that a selection can be made from among a number of available functional alternatives, and it should be understood that such a selection need not be better, smaller, higher, or otherwise preferable to other selections.

[0041] As described above, it is agreed to support PUCCH carrier switching based on a dynamic indication in DCI for scheduling PUCCH (for convenience, also referred to herein as the first mode) and PUCCH carrier switching based on a semi-static configuration (for convenience, also referred to herein as the second mode). However, it is necessary to study the combined operation of dynamic and semi-static PUCCH carrier switching. For example, whether to support the combined operation, how to enable or disable the combined operation, how to handle possible collisions that may occur between PUCCH resources on a first cell for DG HARQ-ACK and PUCCH resources on a second cell for SPS HARQ-ACK, and how to process SPS HARQ-ACK when the PUCCH resource on the third cell for the SPS HARQ-ACK is unavailable and overlaps with the PUCCH resource on the fourth cell for the DG HARQ-ACK in the time domain.

[0042] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for solving the above problems or potential problems in PUCCH carrier switching. In one aspect, an indication is transmitted to the terminal device as to whether one of the first mode and the second mode of PUCCH carrier switching is enabled, and how to implement PUCCH carrier switching. Thus, by flexibly configuring PUCCH carrier switching for the terminal device, a lower HARQ-ACK delay can be achieved.

[0043] In another aspect, if the PUCCH for DG HARQ-ACK on the first cell collides with the PUCCH for SPS HARQ-ACK on the second cell in the time domain, at least one of the DG HARQ-ACK or the SPS HARQ-ACK is executed. Thus, the collision can be handled.

[0044] In yet another aspect, if the PUCCH resource on the third cell for SPS HARQ-ACK is unavailable and overlaps with the PUCCH resource on the fourth cell for DG HARQ-ACK, the SPS HARQ-ACK is processed by either multiplexing the SPS HARQ-ACK onto the PUCCH resource for DG HARQ-ACK or delaying the SPS HARQ-ACK. Thus, the SPS HARQ-ACK can be efficiently transmitted.

[0045] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to any suitable scenario. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). Alternatively, embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented within one of reduced-capability NR devices, NR multi-input multi-output (MIMO), NR sidelink enhancement, NR systems at frequencies higher than 52.6 GHz, extended NR operations up to 71 GHz, narrowband mono internet of things (NB-IOT) / extended machine type communication (eMTC) on non-terrestrial networks (NTN), NTN, UE power saving enhancement, NR coverage enhancement, NB-IOT and LTE-MTC, integrated access and backhaul (IAB), NR multicast and broadcast services, or enhancement of multi-radio dual connectivity.

[0046] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail. Example of communication network

[0047] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication network 100 capable of implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication network 100 may include a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may be served by the network device 120. It should be understood that the number of devices in FIG. 1 is provided for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation to the present disclosure. The communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 110 may communicate with the network device 120 via a channel such as a wireless communication channel. The communication in the communication network 100 may comply with any suitable standard including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA (Registered trademark) :Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. Further, the communication may be performed according to any generation of communication protocol known currently or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols.

[0049] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may transmit uplink data to the network device 120 via uplink data channel transmission. For example, the uplink data channel transmission may be physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission. Of course, any other suitable format is also possible.

[0050] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may transmit uplink control information (UCI), such as HARQ feedback information, to the network device 120 via uplink control channel transmission. For example, the uplink control channel transmission may be PUCCH transmission. Of course, any other suitable format is also possible.

[0051] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may support a plurality of services with different priorities for the terminal device 110, such as eMBB with a lower priority and URLLC with a higher priority. Accordingly, the terminal device 110 may perform respective uplink data and / or control channel transmissions for different services. The uplink control channel transmission may carry HARQ feedback for different services, and the HARQ feedback may have different priorities corresponding to different services.

[0052] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may provide the terminal device 110 with a plurality of serving cells (not shown in this specification), such as a primary cell (Pcell), a primary secondary cell (PScell), a secondary cell (Sell), a special cell (sPCell), etc. Each of the serving cells may correspond to a CC. The terminal device 110 can perform transmissions with the network device 120 via the CC. Of course, the terminal device 110 may perform transmissions with the network device 120 via a plurality of CCs, for example, in the case of CA.

[0053] In some scenarios, the cell group is provided to the terminal device 110 by the network device 120. At least one cell in the cell group is configured to have a UL carrier for PUCCH transmission for HARQ-ACK of PDSCH reception on all cells in the cell group. In this case, the PUCCH transmission for HARQ feedback may be performed on a cell having an early available UL symbol within the at least one cell, and then a low HARQ-ACK feedback delay can be achieved. The switching of PUCCH cells within a cell group may be referred to as PUCCH carrier switching.

[0054] In some embodiments, the PUCCH carrier switching may be performed based on a dynamic indication. That is, when a set of cells is configured for the UE for PUCCH transmission, the UE determines one cell from the set of cells for PUCCH transmission for HARQ-ACK according to the indication of the scheduling DCI associated with the HARQ-ACK. For convenience, this is referred to as the first mode here. In some embodiments, the PUCCH carrier switching may be performed based on radio resource control (RRC) configuration. That is, when a set of cells is configured for the UE for PUCCH transmission, the UE first determines a slot or sub-slot for PUCCH transmission based on the HARQ-ACK timing k1 having a reference numerology. The reference numerology may be associated with the maximum sub-carrier space, the numerology of the Pcell, and may also be configured by RRC. Then, the UE determines a cell from the set of cells for PUCCH transmission within the slot or sub-slot for HARQ-ACK based on the PUCCH cell timing pattern configured by RRC for the mapping between the slot or sub-slot index and the PUCCH cell index. For convenience, this is referred to as the second pattern here. Example of realizing combined operation of first mode and second mode

[0055] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a communication process 200 for PUCCH carrier switching according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of explanation, the process 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 200 may involve a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the network device 120 transmits (201) an indication regarding whether one of a first mode and a second mode of PUCCH carrier switching is enabled. The first mode is based on dynamic configuration in DCI, and the second mode is based on RRC configuration.

[0057] Based on the first indication, the terminal device 110 determines (202) whether one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled. In accordance with the determination that one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled, the terminal device 110 performs (203) PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission to be processed.

[0058] In this way, PUCCH carrier switching can be flexibly configured. For the sake of illustration, it will be described in more detail with respect to Embodiments 1 to 4. Embodiment 1

[0059] In this embodiment, the indication indicates at least one of that the first mode is enabled, that the second mode is enabled, or that the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled. In other words, at a given time, only one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled for the terminal device 110.

[0060] In some embodiments, the indication may be an RRC parameter and may be represented, for example, as pucchCarrierIndication. For example, pucchCarrierIndication = {disabled; semiStatic; dynamic}.

[0061] In some embodiments, when the first mode is enabled and PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode. For example, when pucchCarrierIndication is set to dynamic, the first mode of PUCCH carrier switching based on the dynamic indication in the DCI is applied to the PUCCH that is dynamically scheduled, such as DG HARQ-ACK.

[0062] In some embodiments, when the first mode is enabled and PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured, the terminal device 110 may not perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission. For example, when pucchCarrierIndication is set to dynamic, the PUCCH carrier for SPS HARQ-ACK is, according to the default configuration, for example, the Pcell.

[0063] In some embodiments, when the second mode is enabled and PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled or semi-statically configured, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode. For example, when pucchCarrierIndication is set to semiStatic, the second mode of PUCCH carrier switching based on the PUCCH cell timing pattern set by RRC is applied to both the PUCCH that is dynamically scheduled and the configured PUCCH, such as the PUCCH for DG HARQ-ACK transmission and SPS HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0064] In some embodiments, when the first mode and the second mode are both deactivated simultaneously, the terminal device 110 does not perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission to be processed. For example, when pucchCarrierIndication is set to disabled, PUCCH carrier switching is not applied. Embodiment 2

[0065] In this embodiment, the indication indicates at least one of the fact that the first mode and the second mode are both activated simultaneously or the fact that the first mode and the second mode are both deactivated simultaneously. In other words, for the terminal device 110 at a given time, the first mode and the second mode are either both activated or both deactivated simultaneously.

[0066] In some embodiments, the indication may be an RRC parameter and may be represented, for example, as pucchCarrierSwitching. For example, pucchCarrierSwitching = {disabled; enabled}.

[0067] In some embodiments, when the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode. For example, when pucchCarrierSwitching is set to enabled, the first mode of PUCCH carrier switching based on the dynamic indication in the DCI is applied to the PUCCH that is dynamically scheduled.

[0068] In some embodiments, when the PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode. For example, when pucchCarrierSwitching is set to enabled, the second mode of PUCCH carrier switching based on the PUCCH cell timing pattern configured by RRC is applied to the configured PUCCH.

[0069] In some embodiments, when the first mode and the second mode are both disabled, the terminal device 110 does not perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission to be processed. For example, when pucchCarrierSwitching is set to disabled, PUCCH carrier switching is not applied. Embodiment 3

[0070] In this embodiment, the above instructions include a first instruction and a second instruction. The first instruction indicates at least one of the following: at least one of the first mode or the second mode is enabled, or the first mode and the second mode are both disabled. The second instruction indicates at least one of the following: the first mode is enabled, the second mode is enabled, or the first mode and the second mode are both enabled. In other words, at a given time, for the terminal device 110, the first mode and the second mode may be enabled or disabled simultaneously, or may be enabled or disabled separately.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first instruction and the second instruction may be RRC parameters. For example, they may be represented as pucchCarrierSwitching and pucchCarrierIndication respectively. For example, pucchCarrierSwitching = {enabled; disabled}, and pucchCarrierIndication = {semiStatic; dynamic; semiStatic&dynamic}.

[0072] In some embodiments, when the first indication indicates that at least one of the first mode or the second mode is enabled, and the second indication indicates that the first mode or the second mode is applied, for example, when pucchCarrierSwitching = {enabled} and pucchCarrierIndication = {semiStatic} or {dynamic}, the terminal device 110 may perform an operation similar to the operation described in Embodiment 0. For example, when the first mode is enabled and PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode. When the first mode is enabled and PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured, the terminal device 110 may not perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission. When the second mode is enabled, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode.

[0073] In some embodiments, when the first indication indicates that at least one of the first mode or the second mode is enabled, and the second indication indicates that both the first mode and the second mode are enabled, for example, when pucchCarrierSwitching = {enabled} and pucchCarrierIndication = {semiStatic&dynamic}, the terminal device 110 may perform an operation similar to the operation described in Embodiment 1. For example, when PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode. When PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode.

[0074] In some embodiments, when the first indication indicates that the first mode and the second mode are both disabled, for example, when pucchCarrierSwitching = {disabled}, the terminal device 110 may not perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission to be processed. Embodiment 4

[0075] In this embodiment, when the PUCCH transmission to be processed is dynamically scheduled within DCI format 1_0, the terminal device 110 may perform the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission by regarding the PUCCH transmission as a PUCCH transmission set semi-statically.

[0076] For example, when the PUCCH cell indication field is set only within DCI format 1_1 / 1_2, for example, in the case of DCI indication based on PUCCH carrier switching, to indicate which PUCCH cell is used for DG HARQ-ACK, one new field is introduced into the DL DCI format, and for the HARQ-ACK of the PDSCH scheduled by DCI format 1_0, the PUCCH cell determination may follow the CG PUCCH for SPS HARQ-ACK in Embodiments 1 to 3. Other details are omitted here for simplicity.

[0077] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a flexible setting for PUCCH carrier switching can be provided to terminal devices with different capabilities. Example of handling collision between DG HARQ-ACK and SPS HARQ-ACK

[0078] In some scenarios, the PUCCH resources on the first cell for DG HARQ-ACK may collide in the time domain with the PUCCH resources on the second cell for SPS HARQ-ACK. For example, in the case of a terminal device where two or more candidate PUCCH cells are configured for PUCCH transmission for HARQ-ACK, the PUCCH carrier switching for DG-HARQ-ACK is based on a dynamic indication in the DCI, and the PUCCH carrier switching for SPS-HARQ-ACK is either disabled or based on a semi-static configuration. In this case, the PUCCH resources for HARQ-ACK for the SPS PDSCH are set by the RRC to be transmitted within a slot on the first cell, while the previous PUCCH resources for HARQ-ACK for the dynamically scheduled PDSCH may be indicated by the DCI to be transmitted within the same slot on the second cell. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary scenario 300 of a collision between the PUCCH resources for DG HARQ-ACK and the PUCCH resources for SPS HARQ-ACK according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 3, CC#0 and CC#1 within the PUCCH cell group are configured for PUCCH transmission. CC#0 is configured as the target PUCCH cell for SPS HARQ-ACK, and CC#1 is indicated as the target PUCCH cell for DG HARQ-ACK by the scheduling DCI. As shown in FIG. 3, DCI 301 may indicate that the DG HARQ-ACK for PDSCH 302 is transmitted, for example, at HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 5 (μ = 2), by PUCCH 303 on CC#1. The SPS HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH 304 is configured to be transmitted, for example, at HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 2 (μ = 1), by PUCCH 305 on CC#0.

[0080] For dynamic HARQ-ACK, the offset k1 from PDSCH to HARQ-ACK is interpreted based on the numerology of the target PUCCH CC#1 indicated dynamically. For semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) HARQ-ACK, the offset k1 from PDSCH to HARQ-ACK is interpreted based on the numerology of the configured target PUCCH CC#0. The subcarrier spacing (SCS) of CC#0 is 30 KHz (μ = 1), and the SCS of CC#1 is 60 KHz (μ = 2).

[0081] It can be seen that the PUCCH resources for dynamic HARQ-ACK (i.e., PUCCH 303) and the PUCCH resources for SPS HARQ-ACK (i.e., PUCCH 305) collide with each other in the time domain on different cells. However, in the current technology, such a collision situation does not exist, and it is currently unknown how the terminal device should handle the collision situation.

[0082] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution to solve the above problems. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a communication process 400 for HARQ feedback according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of explanation, the process 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 400 may involve the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal device 110 determines (401) whether the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell collides with the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell in the time domain. The first PUCCH transmission (e.g., PUCCH 303) is used for the first HARQ feedback (e.g., DG HARQ-ACK) of a set of first PDSCH transmissions (e.g., PDSCH 302) that are dynamically scheduled, and the second PUCCH transmission (e.g., PUCCH 305) is used for the second HARQ feedback (e.g., SPS HARQ-ACK) of a set of second PDSCH transmissions (e.g., SPS PDSCH 304) that are semi-persistently scheduled. In some embodiments, the number of first PDSCH transmissions in the set of first PDSCH transmissions may be an integer greater than or equal to 1, and the number of second PDSCH transmissions in the set of second PDSCH transmissions may be an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0084] If it is determined that the first PUCCH transmission collides with the second PUCCH transmission, the terminal device 110 executes at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission (402). In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 receives (403) an instruction from the network device 120 to execute at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission, and based on the instruction or a pre-determination, may execute at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission. In some embodiments, the instruction may be provided within the RRC configuration. In some embodiments, the instruction may be dynamically indicated by the network device 120.

[0085] Regarding Embodiments 5 to 8, some exemplary embodiments of solutions related to the execution of at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission will be described in detail. It should be noted that the solutions described in these exemplary embodiments may be used separately or in any combination thereof. Embodiment 5

[0086] In this embodiment, the second HARQ feedback is multiplexed on the first PUCCH transmission, and the second PUCCH transmission is cancelled. For example, the terminal device 110 may multiplex the DG HARQ-ACK and the SPS HARQ-ACK on the HARQ-ACK codebook, transmit the multiplexed HARQ-ACK bits on a PUCCH resource scheduled dynamically, and cancel the PUCCH transmission configured for the SPS HARQ-ACK.

[0087] FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram 500A showing an example of handling a collision between a PUCCH resource for DG HARQ-ACK and a PUCCH resource for SPS HARQ-ACK according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5A, DCI 501 may indicate that the DG HARQ-ACK for PDSCH 502 is transmitted by PUCCH 503 on CC#1, for example, at HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 5 (μ = 2). The SPS HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH 504 is configured to be transmitted by PUCCH 505 on CC#0, for example, at HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 2 (μ = 1). DCI 506 may also indicate that the DG HARQ-ACK for PDSCH 507 is transmitted by PUCCH 503 on CC#1, for example, at HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 7 (μ = 2).

[0088] It can also be seen that PUCCH 505 on CC#0 collides with PUCCH 503 on CC#1 in the time domain. According to the first solution, the SPS HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH 504 may be multiplexed on PUCCH 503. In this example, PUCCH 503 carries the DG HARQ-ACK for PDSCH 502, the DG HARQ-ACK for PDSCH 507, and the SPS HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH 504.

[0089] In some embodiments where a Type-1 codebook or a Type-2 codebook is configured for the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 generates a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback and a second codebook for the second HARQ feedback, and the first codebook may be appended after or before the second codebook. For example, when a Type-1 codebook is configured for the terminal device 110, the HARQ-ACK codebook for the SPS HARQ-ACK corresponding to CC#0 may be placed after or before the Type-1 codebook for the DG HARQ-ACK corresponding to CC#1. In another example, when a Type-2 codebook is configured for the terminal device 110, the HARQ-ACK codebook for the SPS HARQ-ACK corresponding to CC#0 may be placed after or before the Type-2 codebook for the DG HARQ-ACK corresponding to CC#1.

[0090] FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram 500B showing an exemplary determination of a Type-1 HARQ-ACK codebook according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5B, a HARQ-ACK codebook 510 is generated for the DG HARQ-ACK for the PDSCH 502 and the PDSCH 507, and a HARQ-ACK codebook 520 is generated for the SPS HARQ-ACK for the SPS PDSCH 504. To form the multiplexed HARQ-ACK codebook, the HARQ-ACK codebook 520 is placed after the HARQ-ACK codebook 510.

[0091] In some embodiments where a Type-1 codebook is configured for the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 may determine an offset k1' between a first slot for a first PUCCH transmission and a second slot for an end symbol for a second PDSCH transmission based on the numerology of a first cell. The slot may be interpreted as a sub-slot. In some cases, for example, HARQ feedback may be based on a PUCCH based on sub-slots. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the terminal device 110 may determine that the offset k1' between the slot of PUCCH 503 and the reception slot (end symbol) of SPS PDSCH 504 is 3 based on the numerology of CC#1.

[0092] If the offset is included in a set of offsets configured for the first PUCCH transmission, the terminal device 110 may generate a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback and determine a position within the first codebook based on the offset. The terminal device 110 may then place the second HARQ feedback at that position. For example, in the example of FIG. 5A, assume that the set of k1 for PUCCH CC#0 is {1, 2} and the set of k1 for PUCCH CC#1 is {3, 5, 7}. It can be seen that the offset k1' = 3 for the SPS PDSCH is within the set of k1 for PUCCH CC#1. Therefore, to place the SPS HARQ-ACK, the position within the Type-1 codebook for the DG HARQ-ACK may be determined. This will be described in relation to FIG. 5C.

[0093] FIG. 5C is a schematic diagram 500C showing another exemplary determination of a HARQ-ACK codebook according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5C, since the offset is 3 and the SPS PDSCH is received on CC# zero, the position 530 corresponding to {k1 = 3, CC#0} is determined from the Type-1 codebook for the DG HARQ-ACK to carry the SPS HARQ-ACK.

[0094] In some embodiments, if the offset is not within the set of offsets set for the first PUCCH transmission, the terminal device 110 may discard the second HARQ feedback (e.g., SPS HARQ-ACK). In some embodiments, if the offset is not within the set of offsets set for the first PUCCH transmission, the terminal device 110 may append the second HARQ feedback (e.g., SPS HARQ-ACK) after the first codebook (e.g., the Type-1 codebook for DG HARQ-ACK). In some embodiments, if the offset is not in the set of offsets set for the first PUCCH transmission, the terminal device 110 may expand the set of offsets by adding the offset to the set of offsets, and the UE may determine the multiplexed HARQ-ACK codebook based on the expanded set of HARQ-ACK timing offsets.

[0095] In some embodiments, if the multiplexing timeline for SPS HARQ-ACK multiplexed on the DG PUCCH resource is not satisfied, e.g., if the required minimum SPS PDSCH decoding time is not satisfied, the SPS HARQ-ACK is discarded.

[0096] In some embodiments where a Type-2 codebook is configured for the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 may reuse the Rel-16 rules for multiplexing SPS HARQ-ACK and DG HARQ-ACK. For example, for the sub-codebook for SPS HARQ-ACK only, the HARQ-ACK bits may be arranged as {in ascending order of DL slot index, then in ascending order of SPS configuration index, then in ascending order of DL CC index}. And the sub-codebook for SPS HARQ-ACK is appended to the sub-codebook based on the TB for DG HARQ-ACK.

[0097] In the solution of Embodiment 5, high spectral efficiency (SE) and low latency can be achieved, but its realization is complex. Embodiment 6

[0098] In this embodiment, the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell is executed, and the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell is delayed.

[0099] For example, when SPS HARQ-ACK postponement is enabled, this means that the PUCCH resource configured for SPS HARQ-ACK is unavailable (collides with semi-static DL symbols, SSB, or CORESET #0), and the UE delays the SPS HARQ-ACK until the next available PUCCH resource based on predefined rules. The terminal device 110 may transmit a PUCCH on PUCCH CC #1 for DG HARQ-ACK and delay the PUCCH transmission on PUCCH CC #0 for SPS HARQ-ACK based on the postponement rules defined in Rel-17. Of course, the postponement may be performed in any other suitable way. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram 600 showing another example of handling the collision between the PUCCH resource for DG HARQ-ACK and the PUCCH resource for SPS HARQ-ACK according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 6, DCI 601 may indicate that the DG HARQ-ACK for PDSCH 602 is transmitted by PUCCH 603 on CC#1 at, for example, HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 5 (μ = 2). The SPS HARQ-ACK for SPS PDSCH 604 is set to be transmitted by PUCCH 605 on CC#0 at, for example, HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 2 (μ = 1). It can be seen that PUCCH 603 on CC#1 and PUCCH 605 on CC#0 collide with each other in the time domain. The terminal device 110 may execute the transmission of PUCCH 603 and delay the SPS HARQ-ACK until the next available PUCCH 606 on CC#0.

[0101] In the solution of Embodiment 6, the collision may be treated in a simple way, but it may cause a large delay for the SPS HARQ-ACK. Embodiment 7

[0102] In this embodiment, the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell and the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell are executed simultaneously. That is, the terminal device 110 may transmit the PUCCH on PUCCH CC#0 for SPS HARQ-ACK and the PUCCH on PUCCH CC#1 for DG HARQ-ACK simultaneously. This solution may be adopted according to the capabilities of the terminal device 110.

[0103] In the solution of Embodiment 7, high UE capabilities may be required. Embodiment 8

[0104] In this embodiment, the terminal device 110 determines the priorities of the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission, executes the one with the higher priority among the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission, and abandons the other with the lower priority among the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission.

[0105] For example, the PUCCH on the first PUCCH cell for DG HARQ-ACK is considered to have a high priority and is transmitted, while the PUCCH on the second PUCCH cell for SPS HARQ-ACK is considered to have a low priority and is discarded.

[0106] In the solution of Embodiment 8, although the implementation for handling collisions may be simple, it may degrade the performance of SPS HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0107] In view of the above, rules are provided to handle possible collisions between the PUCCH resources on the first cell for DG HARQ-ACK and the PUCCH resources on the second cell for SPS HARQ-ACK. Further, the same understanding regarding the HARQ-ACK codebook size is consistent between the network device and the terminal device. Example of transmitting SPS HARQ-ACK

[0108] In some scenarios, the PUCCH resources on the third cell for SPS HARQ-ACK are unavailable as they collide with semi-static DL symbols, SSB, or CORESET#0, and the PUCCH resources for SPS HARQ-ACK overlap with the PUCCH resources on the fourth cell for DG HARQ-ACK. Assume that SPS HARQ-ACK postponement is enabled. In this case, since both the multiplexing rule and the SPS HARQ-ACK postponement rule are enabled and may be applied to SPS HARQ-ACK, it is necessary to study how to handle SPS HARQ-ACK in order to eliminate the uncertainty between the UE and the gNB in SPS HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0109] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution to solve the above problems. For clarity, this solution will be described in relation to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a communication process 700 for SPS HARQ feedback according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of explanation, process 700 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Terminal device 110 and network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1 may be involved in process 700. It is assumed that SPS HARQ-ACK postponement is enabled.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 7, the terminal device 110 receives settings regarding dynamic carrier switching and SPS HARQ postponement for the terminal device 110 (701).

[0111] The terminal device 110 determines whether the PUCCH transmission on a cell (also referred to as the third cell in this specification) (also referred to as the third PUCCH transmission in this specification) collides with a downlink transmission / symbol and overlaps in the time domain with another PUCCH transmission on another cell (also referred to as the fourth cell in this specification) (also referred to as the fourth PUCCH transmission in this specification) (702). The third PUCCH transmission is used for the third HARQ feedback (e.g., SPS HARQ-ACK) for the third PDSCH transmission that is semi-persistently scheduled, and the fourth PUCCH transmission is used for the fourth HARQ feedback (e.g., DG HARQ-ACK) for the fourth PDSCH transmission that is dynamically scheduled.

[0112] When it is determined that the third PUCCH transmission collides with the downlink transmission and overlaps with the fourth PUCCH transmission in the time domain, the terminal device 110 processes the third PUCCH transmission (703). In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may multiplex the third HARQ feedback onto the fourth PUCCH transmission and cancel the third PUCCH transmission. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may delay the third HARQ feedback until the fifth PUCCH transmission on the third cell, and the fifth PUCCH transmission is available. For illustration, an example will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0113] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram 800 showing an exemplary process of SPS HARQ-ACK when the PUCCH resource for SPS HARQ ACK is unavailable and overlaps with the PUCCH resource for DG HARQ-ACK according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8, the SPS HARQ-ACK for the SPS PDSCH 801 is set to be transmitted by the PUCCH 802 on CC#0, for example, with the HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 2. The DCI 803 may indicate that the DG HARQ-ACK for the PDSCH 804 is transmitted by the PUCCH 805 on CC#1, for example, with the HARQ-ACK timing value k1 = 4.

[0114] For example, since the slot of the PUCCH 802 is a downlink slot, the PUCCH 802 is unavailable on that slot. In some embodiments, the SPS HARQ-ACK may be delayed until the next available PUCCH 806 according to the SPS HARQ-ACK delay rule. In some embodiments, the SPS HARQ-ACK on the PUCCH 802 may be directly multiplexed onto the PUCCH 805, and the PUCCH 802 is canceled.

[0115] Returning to FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive an instruction from the network device 120 indicating whether multiplexing or delay is applied (704). When the instruction indicates that multiplexing is applied, the terminal device 110 may process the third PUCCH transmission by multiplexing the third HARQ feedback onto the fourth PUCCH transmission and canceling the third PUCCH transmission (705). When the instruction indicates that delay is applied, the terminal device 110 may process the third PUCCH transmission by delaying the third HARQ feedback until an available fifth PUCCH transmission on the third cell (705’).

[0116] In some embodiments, the instruction may be provided by RRC configuration. In some embodiments, the instruction may be dynamically indicated by the network device 120.

[0117] In this way, by defining clear rules for in-UE multiplexing and SPS HARQ-ACK postponement, alignment between the network device 120 and the terminal device 110 regarding SPS HARQ-ACK transmission can be guaranteed, and the reliability performance of HARQ-ACK transmission can be guaranteed. Example of method

[0118] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide communication methods implemented in a terminal device and a network device. Referring to FIGS. 9 to 14, these methods will be described below.

[0119] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an exemplary communication method 900 implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 900 may be executed in the terminal device 110 as shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, method 900 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 900 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the blocks shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0120] In block 910, the terminal device 110 receives from the network device 120 an indication as to whether one of a first mode based on dynamic configuration in DCI for PUCCH carrier switching and a second mode based on RRC configuration is enabled.

[0121] In block 920, the terminal device 110 determines whether one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled. If one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled, the process proceeds to block 930.

[0122] In block 930, the terminal device 110 performs PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission to be processed. In some embodiments, when the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode. In some embodiments, when the PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured, the terminal device 110 may perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode.

[0123] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive from the network device 120 the indication indicating at least one of that the first mode is enabled, that the second mode is enabled, or that the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled.

[0124] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive from the network device 120 the indication indicating at least one of that the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously enabled or that the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled.

[0125] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive the instruction including the first instruction and the second instruction from the network device 120. The first instruction indicates at least one of the following: at least one of the first mode or the second mode is enabled, or the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled. The second instruction indicates at least one of the following: the first mode is enabled, the second mode is enabled, or the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously enabled.

[0126] In some embodiments, when the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled, the terminal device 110 does not perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission to be processed.

[0127] In some embodiments, when the first mode is enabled or the second mode is enabled, the terminal device 110 may perform the following operations for the PUCCH transmission: perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode according to the determination that the first mode is enabled and the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled; not perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission according to the determination that the first mode is enabled and the PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured; perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode according to the determination that the second mode is enabled and the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled or semi-statically configured.

[0128] In some embodiments, when the first mode and the second mode are both enabled, the terminal device 110 may execute, according to the determination that the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled, the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode, and execute, according to the determination that the PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured, the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode.

[0129] In some embodiments, when the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled within DCI format 1_0, the terminal device 110 may consider the PUCCH transmission as a PUCCH transmission configured semi-statically and execute the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission.

[0130] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary communication method 1000 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the method 1000 may be executed in the network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, the method 1000 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that the method 1000 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the blocks shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0131] In block 1010, the network device 120 transmits to the terminal device 110 an indication regarding whether one of a first mode based on dynamic configuration within DCI and a second mode based on RRC configuration of PUCCH carrier switching is enabled for the terminal device.

[0132] In some embodiments, the indication may indicate at least one of that the first mode is enabled, that the second mode is enabled, or that the first mode and the second mode are both disabled.

[0133] In some embodiments, the indication may indicate at least one of the first mode and the second mode being enabled simultaneously, or the first mode and the second mode being disabled simultaneously.

[0134] In some embodiments, this indication may include a first indication and a second indication. The first indication indicates at least one of the first mode or the second mode being enabled, or the first mode and the second mode being disabled simultaneously. The second indication indicates at least one of the first mode being enabled, the second mode being enabled, or the first mode and the second mode being enabled simultaneously.

[0135] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an exemplary communication method 1100 implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1100 may be executed in terminal device 110 as shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, method 1100 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 1100 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the blocks shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0136] In block 1110, the terminal device 110 determines whether a first PUCCH transmission on a first cell collides with a second PUCCH transmission on a second cell in the time domain, where the first PUCCH transmission is used for a first HARQ feedback for a set of first PDSCH transmissions that are dynamically scheduled, and the second PUCCH transmission is used for a second HARQ feedback for a set of second PDSCH transmissions that are semi-persistently scheduled.

[0137] If it is determined that the first PUCCH transmission collides with the second PUCCH transmission in the time domain, the process proceeds to block 1120. In block 1120, the terminal device 110 executes at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission.

[0138] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may multiplex the second HARQ feedback onto the first PUCCH transmission and cancel the second PUCCH transmission.

[0139] In some embodiments where a Type-1 codebook or a Type-2 codebook is configured for the terminal device, the multiplexing includes generating a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback and a second codebook for the second HARQ feedback, and adding the first codebook after or before the second codebook.

[0140] In some embodiments where a Type-1 codebook is configured for the terminal device, the multiplexing includes determining, for a second PUSCH transmission within a set of second PDSCH transmissions, an offset between a first slot of the first PUCCH transmission and a second slot for an end symbol of the second PDSCH transmission based on the numerology of the first cell; generating a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback according to a determination that the offset is within a set of offsets configured for the first PUCCH transmission, and determining a position within the first codebook for arranging the second HARQ feedback based on the offset; generating a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback according to a determination that the offset is not within the set of offsets configured for the first PUCCH transmission, and adding the second HARQ feedback after the first codebook.

[0141] In some embodiments, according to the determination that the offset is not within the set of offsets set for the first PUCCH transmission, the terminal device 110 may discard the second HARQ feedback or expand the set of offsets by adding the offset to the set of offsets.

[0142] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may perform the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell and delay the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell.

[0143] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may perform the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell and the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell simultaneously.

[0144] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the priorities of the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission, perform the one with the higher priority among the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission, and discard the other with the lower priority among the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission.

[0145] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive an instruction from the network device 120 to perform at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission, and perform at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission based on the instruction.

[0146] 12 illustrates an exemplary communication method 1200 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1200 may be performed in network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 1200 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 1200 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks that are shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0147] In block 1210, the network device 120 transmits to the terminal device 110 an instruction to perform at least one of a first PUCCH transmission on a first cell or a second PUCCH transmission on a second cell, where the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell collides in the time domain with the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell, the first PUCCH transmission being used for first HARQ feedback for a set of dynamically scheduled first PDSCH transmissions, and the second PUCCH transmission being used for second HARQ feedback for a set of semi-persistently scheduled second PDSCH transmissions.

[0148] 13 illustrates an exemplary communication method 1300 implemented in a terminal device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1300 may be performed in terminal device 110 as shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 1100 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 1100 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks that are shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0149] In block 1310, terminal device 110 receives configuration for dynamic carrier switching and SPS HARQ deferral for terminal device 110 from network device 120.

[0150] In block 1320, the terminal device 110 determines whether a third PUCCH transmission on a third cell for a third HARQ feedback for a set of semi-persistently scheduled third PDSCH transmissions collides with a downlink transmission / symbol and whether a fourth PUCCH transmission on a fourth cell for a fourth HARQ feedback for a set of dynamically scheduled fourth PDSCH transmissions overlaps in the time domain with the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell.

[0151] If it is determined that the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell is unavailable and the fourth PUCCH transmission on the fourth cell overlaps in the time domain with the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell, the process proceeds to block 1330.

[0152] In block 1330, the terminal device 110 processes the third PUCCH transmission by multiplexing the third HARQ feedback onto the fourth PUCCH transmission and one of canceling the third PUCCH transmission or delaying the third HARQ feedback until an available fifth PUCCH transmission on the third cell.

[0153] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive an indication from network device 120 indicating whether the multiplexing or the delay is applied. If multiplexing is applied, terminal device 110 may process the third PUCCH transmission with multiplexing. If delay is applied, terminal device 110 may process the third PUCCH transmission with delay.

[0154] FIG. 14 shows an exemplary communication method 1400 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1400 may be executed in network device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, method 1400 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 1400 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the blocks shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0155] In block 1410, when dynamic carrier switching and SPS HARQ postponement are set for terminal device 110, the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell for the third HARQ feedback for a set of third PDSCH transmissions that are semi - persistently scheduled collides with a downlink transmission / symbol, and when the fourth PUCCH transmission on the fourth cell for the fourth HARQ feedback for a set of fourth PDSCH transmissions that are dynamically scheduled overlaps with the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell in the time domain, network device 120 transmits an instruction to terminal device 110 indicating whether multiplexing or postponement is applied.

[0156] In some embodiments, the multiplexing includes multiplexing the third HARQ feedback onto the fourth PUCCH transmission and canceling the third PUCCH transmission, and the postponement includes postponing the third HARQ feedback until a fifth available PUCCH transmission on the third cell. Example of device

[0157] FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 1500 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. Apparatus 1500 can be considered as another exemplary embodiment of terminal device 110 or network device 120 shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, apparatus 1500 can be implemented in terminal device 110 or network device 120, or as at least a part of them.

[0158] As shown, apparatus 1500 includes a processor 1510, a memory 1520 coupled to the processor 1510, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 1540 coupled to the processor 1510, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 1540. The memory 1510 stores at least a part of program 1530. The TX / RX 1540 is used for two-way communication. The TX / RX 1540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although the access nodes mentioned herein may actually have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for two-way communication between eNB / gNB, the S1 / NG interface for communication between the Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and eNB / gNB, the Un interface for communication between eNB / gNB and a relay node (RN), or the Uu interface for communication between eNB / gNB and a terminal device.

[0159] It is assumed that program 1530 includes program instructions that, when executed by the relevant processor 1510 as described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-14, enable apparatus 1500 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present text may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 1510 of apparatus 1500, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The processor 1510 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, the combination of the processor 1510 and the memory 1520 may form processing means 1550 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0160] Memory 1520 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and, by way of non-limiting example, may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology such as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a semiconductor-based memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system, a fixed memory, and a removable memory. Although only one memory 1520 is shown within device 1500, there may be several physically different memory modules within device 1500. Processor 1510 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and, by way of non-limiting example, may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 1500 may have an application-specific integrated circuit chip that is temporally dependent on a clock that synchronizes a plurality of processors, such as a main processor.

[0161] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit, and the circuit receives an indication from a network device regarding whether one of a first mode based on a dynamic setting in DCI of PUCCH carrier switching and a second mode based on an RRC setting is enabled, and in accordance with a determination that one of the first mode and the second mode is enabled, is configured to perform the PUCCH carrier switching for a PUCCH transmission to be processed.

[0162] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to perform the PUCCH carrier switching by performing the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode in accordance with a determination that the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled and performing the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode in accordance with a determination that the PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured.

[0163] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to receive, from the network device, an indication indicating at least one of: the first mode is enabled; the second mode is enabled; or the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled.

[0164] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to receive, from the network device, an indication indicating at least one of: the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously enabled; or the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled.

[0165] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to receive, from the network device, an indication including a first indication and a second indication, where the first indication indicates at least one of: at least one of the first mode or the second mode is enabled; or the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled, and the second indication indicates at least one of: the first mode is enabled; the second mode is enabled; or the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously enabled.

[0166] In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured not to perform PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission to be processed according to a determination that the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled.

[0167] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to: perform the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode in accordance with a determination that the first mode is enabled or the second mode is enabled; not perform the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in accordance with a determination that the first mode is enabled and the PUCCH transmission is set to semi-static; and perform the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode in accordance with a determination that the second mode is enabled and the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled or semi-statically set.

[0168] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to: perform the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the first mode in accordance with a determination that the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled in accordance with a determination that the first mode and the second mode are enabled simultaneously; and perform the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission in the second mode in accordance with a determination that the PUCCH transmission is semi-statically configured.

[0169] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to, in accordance with a determination that the PUCCH transmission is dynamically scheduled within DCI format 1_0, treat the PUCCH transmission as a semi-statically configured PUCCH transmission and perform the PUCCH carrier switching for the PUCCH transmission.

[0170] In some embodiments, the network device comprises circuitry configured to send to a terminal device an indication as to whether one of a first mode of PUCCH carrier switching based on dynamic configuration in a DCI and a second mode based on RRC configuration is enabled for the terminal device.

[0171] In some embodiments, the indication indicates at least one of: that the first mode is enabled; that the second mode is enabled; or that the first mode and the second mode are simultaneously disabled.

[0172] In some embodiments, the indication indicates at least one of the first mode and the second mode being simultaneously enabled or the first mode and the second mode being simultaneously disabled.

[0173] In some embodiments, the instructions include first instructions and second instructions, the first instructions indicating at least one of: at least one of the first mode or the second mode being enabled, or the first mode and the second mode being simultaneously disabled, and the second instructions indicating at least one of: the first mode being enabled, the second mode being enabled, or the first mode and the second mode being simultaneously enabled.

[0174] In some embodiments, a terminal device comprises a circuit configured to perform at least one of a first PUCCH transmission on a first cell and a second PUCCH transmission according to a determination that the first PUCCH transmission collides in the time domain with a second PUCCH transmission on a second cell, the first PUCCH transmission being used for first HARQ feedback for a set of dynamically scheduled first PDSCH transmissions, and the second PUCCH transmission being used for second HARQ feedback for a set of semi-persistently scheduled second PDSCH transmissions.

[0175] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to perform at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission by multiplexing the second HARQ feedback into the first PUCCH transmission and canceling the second PUCCH transmission.

[0176] In some embodiments in which a Type-1 codebook or a Type-2 codebook is configured for the terminal device, the multiplexing includes generating a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback and a second codebook for the second HARQ feedback, and appending the first codebook after or before the second codebook.

[0177] In some embodiments in which a Type-1 codebook is configured for the terminal device, the multiplexing includes: for a second PDSCH transmission in the set of second PDSCH transmissions, determining, based on the numerology of the first cell, an offset between a first slot of the first PUCCH transmission and a second slot for a stop symbol for the second PDSCH transmission; generating a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback in accordance with a determination that the offset is within a set of offsets configured for the first PUCCH transmission and determining, based on the offset, a position in the first codebook for placing the second HARQ feedback; and generating a first codebook for the first HARQ feedback in accordance with a determination that the offset is not within a set of offsets configured for the first PUCCH transmission and appending the second HARQ feedback to the end of the first codebook.

[0178] In some embodiments, the circuit is further configured to discard the second HARQ feedback or expand the set of offsets by adding the offset into the set of offsets for the first PUCCH transmission according to a determination that the offset is not within the set of offsets set for the first PUCCH transmission.

[0179] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to perform at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission by performing the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell and delaying the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell.

[0180] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to perform at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission by simultaneously performing the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell and the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell.

[0181] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to perform at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission by determining the priorities of the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission, performing the one with the higher priority of the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission, and discarding the other with the lower priority of the first PUCCH transmission and the second PUCCH transmission.

[0182] In some embodiments, the circuit is configured to execute at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission by receiving an instruction for executing at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission from a network device and executing at least one of the first PUCCH transmission or the second PUCCH transmission based on the instruction.

[0183] In some embodiments, a network device includes a circuit configured to send an instruction to a terminal device for executing at least one of a first PUCCH transmission on a first cell or a second PUCCH transmission on a second cell, where the first PUCCH transmission on the first cell collides with the second PUCCH transmission on the second cell in a time domain, the first PUCCH transmission is used for first HARQ feedback for a set of first PDSCH transmissions that are dynamically scheduled, and the second PUCCH transmission is used for second HARQ feedback for a set of second PDSCH transmissions that are semi-persistently scheduled. In some embodiments, a terminal device comprises circuitry configured to receive, in the terminal device, from a network device, configuration for dynamic carrier switching and SPS HARQ deferral for the terminal device; and, according to a determination that a third PUCCH transmission on a third cell for third HARQ feedback for a set of semi-persistently scheduled third PDSCH transmissions collides with a downlink transmission / symbol and a fourth PUCCH transmission on a fourth cell for fourth HARQ feedback for a set of dynamically scheduled fourth PDSCH transmissions overlaps in the time domain with the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell, process the third PUCCH transmission by one of multiplexing the third HARQ feedback onto the fourth PUCCH transmission and canceling the third PUCCH transmission, or delaying the third HARQ feedback until an available fifth PUCCH transmission on the third cell.

[0184] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to process the third PUCCH transmission by receiving an indication from a network device indicating whether the multiplexing or the delay is applied, and processing the third PUCCH transmission with the multiplexing in accordance with a determination that the multiplexing is applied, and processing the third PUCCH transmission with the delay in accordance with a determination that the delay is applied.

[0185] In some embodiments, the network device comprises circuitry configured to: when dynamic carrier switching and semi-persistent scheduling SPS HARQ deferral are configured for the terminal device, when a third PUCCH transmission on a third cell for third HARQ feedback for a third set of semi-persistently scheduled PDSCH transmissions collides with a downlink transmission / symbol and a fourth PUCCH transmission on a fourth cell for fourth HARQ feedback for a fourth set of dynamically scheduled PDSCH transmissions overlaps in the time domain with the third PUCCH transmission on the third cell, transmitting an indication to the terminal device indicating whether multiplexing or delaying is to be applied, wherein the multiplexing includes multiplexing the third HARQ feedback onto the fourth PUCCH transmission and canceling the third PUCCH transmission, and the delaying includes delaying the third HARQ feedback until an available fifth PUCCH transmission on the third cell.

[0186] As used herein, the term "circuitry" can refer to a hardware circuit and / or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. For example, a circuit may be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware. As yet another example, a circuit may be any portion of a hardware processor with software, including a digital signal processor, software, and one or more memories, that cooperate to cause a device, such as a terminal device or a network device, to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit may be a hardware circuit and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or portion thereof, that requires software / firmware for operation, although the software may not be present if not necessary for operation. As used herein, the term "circuitry" also includes implementations of a hardware circuit or one or more processors only, or a hardware circuit or portion of one or more processors and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0187] Overall, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, and other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although the various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or some other pictorial representation, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented, by way of non-limiting example, in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0188] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules, that are executed within a device on a target physical processor or virtual processor to perform the processes or methods described above with reference to FIGS. 2-14. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functions of the program modules may be combined or divided among the program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0189] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure may be described in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes are provided to a processor or a controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing devices, and when executed by the processor or the controller, the program codes implement the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram. The program code may be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0190] The above-mentioned program code may be implemented on a machine-readable medium, and the machine-readable medium may be any tangible medium that can be used by or include or store a program related to an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing media. More specific examples of the machine-readable storage medium may include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0191] Although the operations have been described in a particular order, it should be understood that such operations are not necessarily required to be executed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or that all of the operations described be executed, to obtain a desired result. In some cases, multitasking or parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Some features described in the context of individual embodiments may be combined and implemented in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0192] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method executed by a terminal device, comprising: Receiving, from a network device, a first setting regarding semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) postponement; Determining that a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission having hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for SPS physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) reception overlaps with a second PUCCH transmission in a time domain, and that the first PUCCH transmission overlaps with a downlink symbol; Determining a third PUCCH transmission associated with the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception based on the first setting; A communication method comprising the above.

2. When PUCCH cell switching based on a dynamic indication is enabled, transmitting the third PUCCH transmission having the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception on a primary cell; The method according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

3. A communication method executed by a network device, comprising: Transmitting, to a terminal device, a first setting regarding semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) postponement; wherein a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission having hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for SPS physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) reception overlaps with a second PUCCH transmission in a time domain, and the first PUCCH transmission overlaps with a downlink symbol, and the first setting is used for determining a third PUCCH transmission associated with the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception A communication method.

4. When PUCCH cell switching based on a dynamic indication is enabled, receiving the third PUCCH transmission having the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception on a primary cell; The method according to claim 3, further comprising the above.

5. Means for receiving, from a network device, a first setting regarding semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) postponement; Means for determining that a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission having Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for SPS Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) reception overlaps with a second PUCCH transmission in the time domain, and that the first PUCCH transmission overlaps with a downlink symbol. Means for determining a third PUCCH transmission associated with the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception based on the first setting. A terminal device comprising the above.

6. When PUCCH cell switching based on a dynamic indication is enabled, means for transmitting the third PUCCH transmission having the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception on a primary cell. The terminal device according to claim 5, further comprising the above.

7. Means for transmitting to a terminal device a first setting for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) postponement. A first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission having Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information for SPS Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) reception overlaps with a second PUCCH transmission in the time domain, and the first PUCCH transmission overlaps with a downlink symbol. The first setting is used for the determination of a third PUCCH transmission associated with the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception. A network device.

8. When PUCCH cell switching based on a dynamic indication is enabled, means for receiving the third PUCCH transmission having the HARQ-ACK information for the SPS PDSCH reception on a primary cell. The network device according to claim 7, further comprising the above.

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