Terminal device and method

Abstract

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for communication, the method including: generating a negative response in a first terminal device in response to a sidelink transmission failure in any of a set of resources provided by a network device due to a channel access failure in each of the resources; and transmitting the negative response in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource following the set of resources to the network device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for sidelink communications. [Background technology]

[0002] Sidelink in unlicensed spectrum or band (SL-U) will be considered in the Sidelink Evolution work item of Release 18 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®). The SL-U scheme will need to be based on New Radio (NR) sidelink and NR-U.

[0003] In sidelink communication, there are two modes for resource allocation. In the first mode (hereinafter also referred to as NR sidelink mode 1, or mode 1), one terminal device may perform sidelink communication with the other terminal device using resources allocated from the network device. In the second mode (hereinafter also referred to as NR sidelink mode 2, or mode 2), one terminal device may perform sidelink communication with the other terminal device using resources that it autonomously selects from the resource pool. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Generally, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first embodiment, a communication method is provided. The method includes, in a first terminal device, determining a Channel Occupancy Time (COT) period and a first Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) threshold and a second RSRP threshold associated with the COT period, and determining a first set of candidate resources by excluding candidate resources from an initial set of candidate resources based on the COT period and one of the first RSRP threshold and the second RSRP threshold.

[0006] In a second embodiment, a communication method is provided. The method includes a first terminal device selecting at least one resource for sidelink transmission from a first set of candidate resources and at least one of the COT resource set or a first recommended resource set received from a second terminal device, and performing a sidelink transmission on the selected at least one resource. The first set of candidate resources is determined by performing a sensing procedure.

[0007] In a third embodiment, a communication method is provided. The method includes generating a negative response in a first terminal device in response to a sidelink transmission failure due to a channel access failure of each resource in any of the set of resources provided by the network device, and transmitting the negative response to the network device in a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resource following the set of resources.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device comprises a processor and a memory in which instructions are stored. The memory and instructions are configured together with the processor to cause the terminal device to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device comprises a processor and a memory in which instructions are stored. The memory and instructions, together with the processor, are configured to cause the terminal device to perform the method according to the second aspect.

[0010] In the sixth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device comprises a processor and a memory in which instructions are stored. The memory and instructions are configured together with the processor to cause the terminal device to perform the method according to the third aspect.

[0011] In the seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed in at least one processor of the device, the device is caused to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0012] In the eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed in at least one processor of the device, the device is caused to perform the method according to the second aspect.

[0013] In the ninth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed in at least one processor of the device, the device is caused to perform the method according to the third aspect.

[0014] It should be understood that the summary portion of the invention is not intended to identify any important or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure should be readily apparent through the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] The above and other purposes, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer by describing in more detail some embodiments of this disclosure shown in the attached drawings.

[0016] [Figure 1]An exemplary communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown.

[0017] [Figure 2] Examples of automatic gain control (AGC) symbols and guard period (GP) symbols according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0018] [Figure 3] Examples of subchannels according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0019] [Figure 4] Examples of a sensing window and a selection window in a sensing and resource selection procedure are shown.

[0020] [Figure 5] A flowchart of an exemplary method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] [Figure 6] Examples of a sensing window and a selection window in a sensing and resource selection procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. [Figure 7] Examples of a sensing window and a selection window in a sensing and resource selection procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0022] [Figure 8] A flowchart of an exemplary method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] <000010s7>Examples of resource selection for sidelink transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. [Figure 9B] Examples of resource selection for sidelink transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0024] [Figure 10] A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method relating to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0025] [Figure 11] This is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Throughout all drawings, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] The principles of this disclosure will be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and should be understood as helpful to those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and should not be considered as limiting the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0028] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0029] In this specification, the term "terminal device" refers to any device having wireless or wired communication capabilities.Examples of terminal devices include user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, IoT (Internet of Things) devices, ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment for V2X communication (where X represents pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks), Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), Small Data Transmission (SDT), mobility, multicast broadcast services (MBS), positioning, dynamic / flexible duplex in commercial networks, devices for RedCap (reduced capability), High Altitude Platforms (HAP) including Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) including satellites. Examples of such devices include, but are not limited to, spacecraft or aircraft in networks, XR (eXtended Reality) devices that include different types of reality such as Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are aircraft that do not require a human pilot and are commonly known as drones, devices on high-speed trains (HST), imaging devices such as digital cameras, sensors, game consoles, music storage and playback devices, or internet devices that enable wireless / wired internet access and browsing.The “terminal device” may also have multicast / broadcast capabilities and support public safety, mission-critical, V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast distribution, IPTV, smart TV, wireless services, wireless software distribution, group communications, and IoT applications. It may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), as is known as multi-SIM. The term “terminal device” can be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0030] The term "network device" refers to a device that can provide or host a cell or coverage from which terminal devices 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 reception point (TRP), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), low-power nodes such as IAB nodes, femtonodes, and piconodes, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), and network-controlled repeater (NCR).

[0031] Terminal devices or network devices may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. Generally, this includes models that can be used to predict certain information by learning from a large amount of data collected for a specific function.

[0032] Terminal devices or network devices may operate in multiple frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz), frequency bands above 100 GHz, and terahertz (THz). Furthermore, they can operate in licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. In multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC) application scenarios, terminal devices may have multiple connections to network devices. Terminal devices or network devices can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, and cross-division-duplex modes.

[0033] Network devices may have functions for saving network energy and self-organizing networks (SON) / minimizing drive tests (MDT). Terminals may have power-saving functions.

[0034] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented, for example, in test equipment such as signal generators, signal analyzers, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, test terminal devices, test network devices, and channel emulators.

[0035] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced Network, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0036] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context. The term “including” and its variations are to be interpreted as an open term meaning “including but not limited to.” The term “based on” is to be interpreted as “at least partially based on.” The terms “several embodiments” and “one embodiment” are to be interpreted as “at least several embodiments.” The term “another embodiment” is to be interpreted as “at least one other embodiment.” Terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., may refer to different or the same subject. The following may include other explicit and implicit definitions.

[0037] In some examples, values, processes (procedures), or devices are referred to as "optimal," "lowest," "highest," "minimum," "maximum," etc. It is understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice is available from among several functional alternatives, and that such a choice does not necessarily have to be better, smaller, more expensive, or more preferable than the others.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication network 100 that can implement embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication network 100 may include a first terminal device 110, a second terminal device 120, a third terminal device 130, and network devices 140 and 150. Network devices 140 and 150 may communicate with the first terminal device 110, the second terminal device 120, and the third terminal device 130 via their respective wireless communication channels.

[0039] In some embodiments, the network device 140 may be a gNB for NR, and the network device 150 may be an eNB for a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system.

[0040] The number of devices shown in Figure 1 is for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted as implying any limitation to this disclosure. The communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices suitable for carrying out embodiments of this disclosure.

[0041] Communication in the communication network 100 may conform to any appropriate standard, which includes, but is not limited to, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), LTE, LTE-Evolution, LTE-A, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA®), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communications (MTC), etc. Furthermore, communication may be performed in accordance with any generation of communication protocol that is currently known or will be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, and fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols.

[0042] In some embodiments, communication in the communication network 100 may include sidelink communication. Sidelink communication is wireless communication that is directly conducted between two or more terminal devices, such as two or more terminal devices from among the first terminal device 110, the second terminal device 120, and the third terminal device 130. In this type of communication, two or more terminal devices that are geographically close to each other can communicate directly without going through the network device 140 or 150, or without going through the core network. Therefore, data transmission in sidelink communication differs from general cellular network communication, where a terminal device sends data to the network device 140 or 150 (i.e., uplink transmission) or receives data from the network device 140 or 150 (i.e., downlink transmission). In sidelink communication, as shown in Figure 1, data is transmitted directly (i.e., sidelink transmission) from a source terminal device (e.g., the first terminal device 110) to a target terminal device (e.g., the second terminal device 120) via a Unified Air Interface, such as a PC5 interface.

[0043] Sidelink communication can offer several advantages, including reduced data transmission load on the core network, decreased system resource consumption, reduced transmission power consumption and network operating costs, conservation of radio spectrum resources, and improved spectral efficiency of cellular wireless communication systems.

[0044] In a sidelink communication system, information is transmitted between terminal devices using sidelink resources. Depending on the application scenario and service type, sidelink communication methods include, but are not limited to, device-to-device (D2D) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

[0045] V2X communication enables communication between vehicles (i.e., vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication), infrastructure (i.e., vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication), wireless networks (i.e., vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication), pedestrians (i.e., vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication), and even communication with the owner's home (i.e., vehicle-to-home (V2H) communication). Examples of infrastructure include roadside units such as traffic lights and toll booths. V2X communication can be used in a wide range of scenarios, including accident prevention, safety, convenience, traffic efficiency, accident-free driving, and ultimately in relation to autonomous and self-driving vehicles.

[0046] In sidelink communication, terminal devices transmit or receive signals using resources within the sidelink resource pool. The sidelink resource pool includes resources in the time domain and frequency domain. These resources are either dedicated to sidelink communication or shared by both sidelink communication and cellular link.

[0047] A sidelink resource pool may contain multiple slots and resource blocks (RBs), and all or some of the symbols within a slot can be used for sidelink transmission. Within the resource pool, of all symbols configured for sidelink in each slot, the first symbol (i.e., the start symbol) is used as the automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and the last symbol is used as the guard period (GP) symbol. The AGC and GP symbols can be considered fixed overhead of the sidelink resources. In the following embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the sidelink symbols indicated by the sidelink channel resource configuration include AGC and GP symbols, where the AGC symbol transmits redundant sidelink information, but the GP symbol is not used to transmit sidelink information.

[0048] The first terminal device 110, the second terminal device 120, and the third terminal device 130 may transmit sidelink signaling or information using a sidelink channel. A sidelink channel includes at least one of the following resources: a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) resource used for transmitting sidelink control information (SCI), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) resource used for transmitting sidelink data service information, a Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) resource used for transmitting Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback information, a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH) resource used for transmitting sidelink broadcast information, and a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH) resource used for transmitting sidelink discovery signals. Hereinafter, the PSFCH resource is also referred to as a feedback channel resource or a HARQ feedback opportunity.

[0049] Within the resource pool, a PSSCH resource includes all symbols in a slot set as available symbols for sidelinks, and one or more subchannels in the frequency domain, each subchannel containing an integer number of consecutive RBs. The number of RBs m in a subchannel is also called the subchannel size. Each slot in the resource pool contains multiple available sidelink symbols, and the PSSCH resource lies in the time domain from the first available sidelink symbol in this slot to all available symbols. In the frequency domain, the resource pool contains multiple RBs, which are divided into one subchannel every m RBs, starting from the first RB in the resource pool, according to the subchannel size m, and each PSSCH channel resource lies in one or more subchannels. When one of the first terminal device 110, the second terminal device 120, and the third terminal device 130 transmits sidelink information using the PSSCH resource, one or more subchannels can be used to transmit the corresponding data information. The PSSCH resource includes t symbols in the time domain and l RBs in the frequency domain. Each PSCCH channel resource is located in the time domain at t consecutive symbols starting from the first available symbol, as shown in Figure 3, and in the frequency domain at l consecutive RBs starting from the first RB of the corresponding subchannel.

[0050] The terminal device may select a resource from the terminal device's transmission resource pool for sidelink signal transmission by performing sensing and resource selection procedures. Hereinafter, the terminal device that performs sensing and resource selection procedures will also be referred to as the sensing terminal device.

[0051] Figure 4 shows an example of a sensing window and a selection window in the sensing and resource selection procedure. As shown in the figure, the sensing and resource selection procedure is triggered in slot #n. During this procedure, the sensing terminal device senses resources within the sensing window of the resource pool and attempts to decode the SCI 410 received from another terminal device. The SCI 410 may contain control information indicating a resource reserved by another terminal device. Hereinafter, the terminal device that reserves a resource will also be referred to as the reservation terminal device.

[0052] Next, based on the measurement results and control information obtained from SCI 410, the sensing terminal device may exclude candidate resource 420 from the initial set of candidate resources in the resource selection window. Thus, the sensing terminal device may determine the remaining set of candidate resources in the resource selection window as the available set of candidate resources and report that set to the upper layer of the sensing terminal device.

[0053] Upon receiving a candidate resource set, the upper layer of the sensing terminal device may select at least one resource from the candidate resource set for sidelink transmission. For example, the upper layer of the sensing terminal device may select resource 430 from the candidate resource set.

[0054] In SL-U, in sidelink mode 2, it is first necessary to avoid collisions between SL terminal devices, and SL terminal devices must compete for resources with terminal devices using other radio access technologies (RATs). For example, resource 420 excluded by a sensing terminal device may be wasted due to a failure of the Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure performed by the terminal device that reserved resource 420. On the other hand, resource 430 selected by a sensing terminal device may also face LBT failure issues. Hereafter, the terms "LBT" and "channel access" may be used interchangeably.

[0055] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for sidelink transmission to address the above-mentioned problems and one or more other potential problems. According to this solution, the channel occupancy time (COT) is taken into consideration, and two different initial reference signal received power (RSRP) thresholds are used in the sensing and resource selection procedures. This allows for the inclusion of more COT resources in the candidate resource set for resource selection. Furthermore, the sensing terminal device can have more opportunities for sidelink transmission. The principle of this disclosure is described below with reference to Figures 5 to 11.

[0056] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, Method 500 can be implemented in a terminal device such as one of the first terminal device 110, second terminal device 120, and third terminal device 130 shown in Figure 1. For the purposes of discussion, Method 500 will be described as being implemented by the first terminal device 110 with reference to Figure 1, without loss of generality.

[0057] In block 510, the first terminal device 110 determines the COT period and the first and second RSRP thresholds associated with the COT period.

[0058] In block 520, the first terminal device 110 determines the first set of candidate resources by excluding candidate resources from the initial set of candidate resources based on the COT period and one of the first RSRP threshold and the second RSRP threshold.

[0059] Method 500 allows more COT resources to be included in the candidate resource set for resource selection. Furthermore, the first terminal device 110 can have more sidelink transmission opportunities.

[0060] In some embodiments, the COT period includes a first COT period acquired by the first terminal device 110. For example, the first terminal device 110 may acquire the first COT period by successfully executing the LBT procedure. Alternatively, the first COT period may be a COT period shared by the second terminal device 120.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first terminal device 110 may determine whether a candidate resource that overlaps with a reserved resource is within or outside the first COT period.

[0062] If a candidate resource overlaps with a reserved resource within the first COT period, the first terminal device 110 may compare the RSRP measurement of the reserved resource with a first RSRP threshold. The reserved resource is reserved by the second terminal device 120. The first RSRP threshold is greater than the reference RSRP threshold. The first terminal device 110 may then exclude the candidate resource based on the comparison.

[0063] On the other hand, if a candidate resource that overlaps with a reserved resource is outside the first COT period, the first terminal device 110 may compare the RSRP measurement value of the reserved resource with a second RSRP threshold. The reserved resource is reserved by the second terminal device 120. The second RSRP threshold is less than or equal to the reference RSRP threshold. Next, the first terminal device 110 may exclude the candidate resource based on the comparison.

[0064] In some embodiments, the reference RSRP threshold may be one defined in TS38.214. According to TS38.214, Th(prio RX ,prio TX ) is determined as the corresponding value of the RSRP threshold indicated by the i-th field of sl-Thres-RSRP-List, where i = prio RX +(prio TX -1)*8, and prio RX This is the value of the priority field of the received SCI, and prio TXIt is the transmission priority of the resource selected by the UE.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first RSRP threshold may be determined as B + X dB, where B represents a reference RSRP threshold and X is set by the upper layer of the first terminal device 110. Preferably, X = 3 dB. Alternatively, or in addition, X is set by the upper layer for each channel busy ratio (CBR) of the resource pool or for each priority.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first RSRP threshold may be determined by another set of the threshold list, sl-Thres-RSRP-List-cot, and each entry of the list has a gap (e.g., 3 dB) larger than sl-Thres-RSRP-List defined in TS38.214. According to TS38.214, Th(prio RX ,prio TX ) is determined as the corresponding value of the RSRP threshold indicated by the i-th field of sl-Thres-RSRP-List-cot, where i = prio RX +(prio TX -1)*8.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first RSRP threshold may be a positive infinite value, that is, candidate resources are not excluded.

[0068] In some embodiments, the second RSRP threshold may be X dB smaller than the reference RSRP threshold. For example, the second RSRP threshold is determined as B - X dB, where B represents the reference RSRP threshold and X is set by the upper layer of the first terminal device 110. Preferably, X = 3 dB.

[0069] In some embodiments, the second RSRP threshold may be a negative infinite value, that is, candidate resources are always excluded.

[0070] Figure 6 shows an example 600 of sensing and selection windows in a sensing and resource selection procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the sensing and resource selection procedure is triggered in slot #n. During this procedure, the first terminal device 110 senses resources in the sensing window of the resource pool and attempts to decode SCI 610, 620 received from the second terminal device 120. SCI 610 may contain control information indicating resource R1 reserved by the second terminal device 120. Similarly, SCI 620 may contain control information indicating resource R2 reserved by the second terminal device 120.

[0071] Candidate resource 612 in the initial set of candidate resources in the resource selection window is a reserved resource. R1 This overlaps with the previous statement. Candidate resource 612 is within the first COT period 630 of the first terminal device 110. In other words, candidate resource 612 is within the first COT period 630 of the sensing terminal device. Therefore, the first terminal device 110 compares the RSRP measurement value of reserved resource R1 with a first RSRP threshold. The first RSRP threshold is greater than the reference RSRP threshold. If the RSRP measurement value of reserved resource R1 exceeds the first RSRP threshold, the first terminal device 110 may exclude candidate resource 612 from the initial set of candidate resources.

[0072] Candidate resource 622 in the initial set of candidate resources in the resource selection window overlaps with reserved resource R2. Since candidate resource 622 is outside the first COT period 630, the first terminal device 110 compares the RSRP measurement value for reserved resource R2 with a second RSRP threshold. The second RSRP threshold is less than or equal to the reference RSRP threshold. If the RSRP measurement value for reserved resource R2 exceeds the second RSRP threshold, the first terminal device 110 may remove candidate resource 622 from the initial set of candidate resources.

[0073] In some embodiments, the COT period includes a second COT period acquired by the second terminal device 120. For example, the second terminal device 120 may acquire the second COT period by successfully executing the LBT procedure. Alternatively, the second COT period may be a COT period shared by the third terminal device 130.

[0074] In this embodiment, the first terminal device 110 may determine whether the reserved resource that overlaps with the candidate resource is within or outside the second COT period.

[0075] If a reserved resource overlaps with a candidate resource within the second COT period, the first terminal device 110 may compare the RSRP measurement value of the reserved resource with a second RSRP threshold. The reserved resource is reserved by the second terminal device 120. The second RSRP threshold is less than or equal to the reference RSRP threshold. The first terminal device 110 may then exclude the candidate resource based on the comparison.

[0076] On the other hand, if a reserved resource that overlaps with a candidate resource is outside the second COT period, the first terminal device 110 may compare the RSRP measurement value of the reserved resource with the first RSRP threshold. The reserved resource is then measured by the second terminal device 120 It is reserved by [the specified method]. The first RSRP threshold is greater than the reference RSRP threshold. Next, the first terminal device 110 may exclude candidate resources based on the comparison.

[0077] Figure 7 shows an example 700 of sensing and selection windows in a sensing and resource selection procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the sensing and resource selection procedure is triggered in slot #n. During this procedure, the first terminal device 110 senses resources in the sensing window of the resource pool and attempts to decode SCI 710, 720 received from the second terminal device 120. SCI 710 may contain control information indicating resource R3 reserved by the second terminal device 120. Similarly, SCI 720 may contain control information indicating resource R4 reserved by the second terminal device 120.

[0078] Candidate resource 712 in the initial set of candidate resources in the resource selection window is a reserved resource. R3 This overlaps with the previous statement. Reserved resource R3 is within the second COT period 730 of the second terminal device 120. In other words, reserved resource R3 is within the second COT period 730 of the reserved terminal device. Therefore, the first terminal device 110 compares the RSRP measurement value for reserved resource R3 with the second RSRP threshold. The second RSRP threshold is less than or equal to the reference RSRP threshold. If the RSRP measurement value for reserved resource R3 exceeds the second RSRP threshold, the first terminal device 110 may exclude candidate resource 712 from the initial set of candidate resources.

[0079] Candidate resource 722 in the initial set of candidate resources in the resource selection window overlaps with reserved resource R4. Since reserved resource R4 is outside the second COT period 730, the first terminal device 110 compares the RSRP measurement value for reserved resource R4 with the first RSRP threshold. The first RSRP threshold is greater than the reference RSRP threshold. If the RSRP measurement value for reserved resource R4 exceeds the first RSRP threshold, the first terminal device 110 may remove candidate resource 722 from the initial set of candidate resources.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may determine the ratio of the number of remaining candidate resources in the first COT period to the total number of candidate resources in the first COT period. The first COT period is taken by the first terminal device 110. If the ratio is less than a third ratio threshold, the first terminal device 110 may increase at least one of the first RSRP threshold and the second RSRP threshold. For example, the first terminal device 110 may increase at least one of the first RSRP threshold and the second RSRP threshold by +3dB. In this way, the number of remaining candidate resources in the first COT period can be ensured.

[0081] It should be understood that the first terminal device 110 may determine the remaining candidate resources after excluding the candidate resources as described above.

[0082] In some embodiments, once a first set of candidate resources is determined, the first terminal device 110 may report the set to its upper layer. Upon receiving the first set of candidate resources, the upper layer of the first terminal device 110 may select at least one resource from the first set of candidate resources for sidelink transmission.

[0083] The following describes an exemplary method for selecting at least one resource from the first set of candidate resources, with reference to Figures 8, 9A, and 9B.

[0084] Figure 8 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, Method 800 can be implemented in a terminal device such as one of the first terminal device 110, second terminal device 120, and third terminal device 130 shown in Figure 1. For the purposes of discussion, Method 800 will be described as being implemented by the first terminal device 110 with reference to Figure 1, without loss of generality.

[0085] In block 810, the first terminal device 110 selects at least one resource for sidelink transmission from the first set of candidate resources and at least one of the following: • COT resource set, or • First recommended resource set received from the second terminal device 120

[0086] In block 820, the first terminal device 110 performs a sidelink transmission on at least one selected resource. The first set of candidate resources is determined by performing a sensing procedure. Hereinafter, the first set of candidate resources determined by performing the sensing procedure will also be referred to as the sensing result.

[0087] Method 800 allows for the selection of more COT resources for sidelink transmission. Furthermore, the first terminal device 110 can have more opportunities for sidelink transmission.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may determine the first set of candidate resources by performing at least one of the processes described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Alternatively, the first terminal device 110 may determine the first set of candidate resources by performing legacy sensing and resource selection procedures. For example, the first terminal device 110 may determine the first set of candidate resources by performing the process described with reference to Figure 4.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may select a first number of resources from the intersection of the COT resource set and the first set of candidate resources.

[0090] In some embodiments, if the first number of resources required for sidelink transmission is less than the second number, the first terminal device 110 may select a third number of resources that are outside the common area and inside the first set of candidate resources. The third number is equal to the difference between the second and first numbers.

[0091] Figure 9A shows an example 900A of resource selection for sidelink transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In example 900A, the first terminal device 110 needs to treat resources that are in the first set 910 of candidate resources determined by performing a sensing procedure and are also in the COT resource set 920 with higher priority.

[0092] If the first terminal device 110 determines the COT resource set 920 via its LBT procedure and shared COT from other terminal devices, the first terminal device 110 may select a resource using the first set of candidate resources 910 and the COT resource set 920.

[0093] For example, the first terminal device 110 may first select resources for transmission within the common area of ​​the first set of candidate resources 910 and the COT resource set 920, under the constraints defined in release 16, until it can no longer select any resources within the common area.

[0094] Subsequently, if the number of selected resources is less than the number required to transmit a transmission block (TB), the first terminal device 110 may select the remaining resources for transmission that are outside the common area but inside the first set 910 of candidate resources, under the constraints defined in Rel-16.

[0095] In some embodiments, the implementation of Example 900 may be enabled or disabled by radio resource control (RRC) parameters.

[0096] In some embodiments, Tables 1-2 show the changes to TS38.321 associated with Example 900A in Release 16. [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0097] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may select a first number of resources from a first common portion of the COT resource set, a first set of candidate resources, and a first recommended resource set.

[0098] In some embodiments, if the first number of resources required for sidelink transmission is less than the second number, the first terminal device 110 may select a third number of resources that are outside the first common area and inside the second common area of ​​the first set of candidate resources and the first recommended resource set.

[0099] In some embodiments, if the sum of the first number and the third number is less than the second number, the first terminal device 110 may select a fourth number of resources that are outside the first and second common areas and inside the first set of candidate resources. The fourth number is equal to the difference between the second number and the sum.

[0100] Figure 9B shows an example 900B of resource selection for sidelink transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In example 900B, the first terminal device 110 needs to treat resources that are in the first set of candidate resources 910 and the received recommended resource set 930 and that are in the COT resource set 920 with higher priority.

[0101] If the first terminal device 110 determines the COT resource set 920 via its LBT procedure and shared COT from other terminal devices, the first terminal device 110 may select a resource using the first set of candidate resources 910, the received recommended resource set 930, and the set of COT resources.

[0102] For example, the first terminal device 110 may first select resources for transmission within the common area M of the first set of candidate resources 910, the received recommended resource set 930, and the COT resource set 920, under the constraints defined in release 16, until it can no longer select any resources within the common area.

[0103] Subsequently, if the number of selected resources is less than the number required to transmit TB, the first terminal device 110 may select the remaining resources for transmission that are outside the common area M but inside the common area N of the first set of candidate resources 910 and the received recommended resource set 930, subject to the constraints defined in Release-16.

[0104] Subsequently, if the number of selected resources is less than the number required to transmit TB, the first terminal device 110 may select the remaining resources for transmission that are outside the common parts M, N but inside the first set 910 of candidate resources, subject to the constraints defined in release 16.

[0105] In some embodiments, Tables 3–5 show the changes to TS38.321 associated with Example 900B in Release 16. [Table 3] [Table 4] [Table 5]

[0106] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may update the first recommended resource set by incorporating the COT resource set into the first recommended resource set. In other words, the first terminal device 110 may consider the COT resource set as a type of recommended resource set. Examples of modifications to TS38.214 in such embodiments are shown in Table 6. [Table 6]

[0107] In some embodiments, the COT resource set includes at least one of the following: · Shared COT resources received from the third terminal device 130, or • COT resources obtained by performing the LBT procedure

[0108] In this embodiment, examples of modifications to TS38.214 are shown in Table 7. [Table 7]

[0109] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may determine the COT resource set as the second recommended resource set. The first terminal device 110 may then transmit information regarding the second recommended resource set for sidelink transmission to the fourth terminal device.

[0110] In this embodiment, examples of modifications to TS38.214 are shown in Table 8. [Table 8]

[0111] In some embodiments, the selected at least one resource includes a first resource and a second resource used to send a single transmission block and located outside the COT resource set, wherein the time gap between the first resource and the second resource is greater than at least the sum of the following: • The first time gap between the first resource and the feedback channel resource associated with the first resource. • Second time gap for executing Type 1 Listen Before Talk procedure in the second resource. • Third time gap for preparing for subsequent transmission at the second resource

[0112] Figure 10 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 1000 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, method 1000 can be implemented in a terminal device such as one of the first terminal device 110, second terminal device 120, and third terminal device 130 shown in Figure 1. For the purposes of discussion, method 1000 will be described as being implemented by the first terminal device 110 with reference to Figure 1, without loss of generality.

[0113] In block 1010, in response to the failure of sidelink transmission due to channel access failure for each resource in any of the set of resources provided by the network device 140, the first terminal device 110 generates a negative acknowledgement (NACK).

[0114] In block 1020, the first terminal device 110 sends a NACK to the network device 140 on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource following the set of resources.

[0115] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may receive first configuration information regarding a set of resources from the network device 140 via downlink control information (DCI) or configured grant (CG) in radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may receive first configuration information relating to a set of resources in a licensed band or an unlicensed band.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may transmit a NACK in the licensed band or the unlicensed band.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may determine the first priority value for transmitting a NACK in the PUCCH resource to be equal to the second priority value for a sidelink transmission that was not transmitted due to a channel access failure.

[0119] In some embodiments, if a sidelink transmission is not performed due to a channel access failure, the first terminal device 110 may maintain the number of data packets transmitted for sidelink transmission without changing it. In other words, in the case of SL-U, the number of data packets transmitted should not include transmissions that failed due to channel access failures. If a data packet transmission is not performed due to a channel access failure, the number of data packets transmitted should not be increased.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first terminal device 110 may determine a first number of channel access failures associated with sidelink transmissions. If a second number of data packet transmissions for sidelink transmissions exceeds a threshold and the first number is greater than zero, the first terminal device 110 may receive second configuration information from the network device 140 regarding resources for retransmitting data packets. In such embodiments, the number of resources for retransmitting data packets is equal to the first number.

[0121] For example, the threshold may be equal to sl-MaxTransNum, which is set in the sl-CG-MaxTransNumList for sidelink permission by the RRC, and a counter may be used to count channel access failures. When the number of data packets transmitted reaches sl-MaxTransNum and the counter is a non-zero M, the network device 140 can provide an additional M resources for retransmitting data packets, as long as the packet delay budget (PDB) requirements are met.

[0122] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of a device 1100 suitable for carrying out some embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 1100 can be considered a further exemplary embodiment of the first terminal device 110 shown in Figure 1. Thus, device 1100 can be implemented in, or at least as part of, the terminal device 110.

[0123] As shown in the figure, the device 1100 includes a processor 1110, a memory 1120 coupled to the processor 1110, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 1140 coupled to the processor 1110, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 1140. The memory 1120 stores at least a portion of the program 1130. The TX / RX 1140 is for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 1140 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although in practice the access node described herein may have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 interface for bidirectional communication between gNBs or eNBs, an S1 interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Service Gateway (S-GW) and a gNB or eNB, an Un interface for communication between a gNB or eNB and a relay node (RN), or a Uu interface for communication between a gNB or eNB and a terminal device.

[0124] Program 1130 is deemed to include program instructions, and when the program is executed by the associated processor 1110, it enables the device 1100 to operate according to embodiments of the disclosure, as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 12. Embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented by computer software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware that can be executed by the processor 1110 of the device 1100. The processor 1110 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the disclosure. Alternatively, a combination of the processor 1110 and memory 1120 may constitute processing means 1150 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the disclosure.

[0125] Memory 1120 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology (e.g., computer-readable non-temporary storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory, etc.). Although only one memory 1120 is shown for device 1100, device 1100 may have multiple physically different memory modules. Processor 1110 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor configurations. Device 1100 may have multiple processors, for example, application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent to a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0126] The components included in the apparatus and / or devices of this disclosure may be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, one or more units may be implemented using software and / or firmware, for example, machine-executable instructions stored on a storage medium. In addition to, or instead of, machine-executable instructions, some or all of the units of the apparatus and / or devices may be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. For example, exemplary types of usable hardware logic components include, but are not limited to, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-chip systems (SOCs), and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs).

[0127] Typically, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented by hardware, while others may be implemented by firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Various embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described in block diagrams, flowcharts, or any other pictorial representation, and it will be understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented by, for example, hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof, but are not limited thereto.

[0128] This disclosure further provides at least one computer program product stored in tangible form on a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions contained within a program module. These instructions are executed on a device on a target real or virtual processor, performing the processes or methods described above with reference to any of Figures 1-11. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules may be combined or divided among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of a program module may be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module may reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0129] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing device, and when the program code is executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations defined in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams are performed. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a standalone software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0130] The program code described above may be implemented on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program used by an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, or a program used in conjunction with such a system or device. 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, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0131] While the operations have been described in a specific order, it should not be understood that, in order to obtain the desired results, these operations must be performed in a specific order, a sequential order, or all of the operations shown. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, the above discussion includes details of several specific embodiments, which should be interpreted not as limitations on the scope of this disclosure, but as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Some features described in the context of individual embodiments may be implemented in combination in one embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of one embodiment may be implemented individually in multiple embodiments, or in any appropriate secondary combination.

[0132] While this disclosure has been described using terminology specific to structural features and / or methodological behavior, it should be understood that this disclosure, as defined by the attached claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or behaviors described above. Rather, the specific features and behaviors described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, Means for generating a negative response (NACK) when, due to a failed channel access procedure for an operation involving shared spectral channel access, the terminal device does not transmit a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) on any of the provided resources, A means for reporting the NACK in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource, Means for determining a first number of channel access failures associated with the PSSCH, A means for receiving second configuration information from a network device regarding resources for retransmitting the data packets, in accordance with the determination that the second number of data packets transmitted for the PSSCH exceeds a threshold and the first number is greater than zero, including, Terminal device.

2. The resources provided are provided by downlink control information (DCI) or configuration grants. The terminal device according to claim 1.

3. A method performed by a terminal device, A failed channel access procedure for an operation involving shared spectral channel access results in the terminal device not transmitting a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) on any of the provided resources, thereby generating a negative response (NACK). Reporting the NACK in the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resource, To determine the first number of channel access failures associated with the PSSCH, In accordance with the determination that the second number of data packets transmitted for the PSSCH exceeds a threshold and the first number is greater than zero, the network device receives second configuration information regarding resources for retransmitting the data packets. including, method.

4. The resources provided are provided by downlink control information (DCI) or configuration grants. The method according to claim 3.

5. Further comprising maintaining without changing the number of data packets transmitted for the transmission of the PSSCH in accordance with the determination that no transmission of the PSSCH occurred due to the failed channel access procedure, The method according to claim 3.

6. The number of resources for the retransmission of the data packet is equal to the first number, The method according to claim 3.

7. Reporting the NACK means This includes transmitting the NACK on a licensed band or an unlicensed band. The method according to claim 3.

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