Sidelink transmission resources for inter-UE collaborative feedback

Abstract

A computer-readable storage medium stores instructions for configuring a UE for sidelink operation in a 5G NR network and causing the UE to perform operations including decoding a first sidelink transmission received from a second UE. The first sidelink transmission includes a first resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the second UE. A second sidelink transmission received from a third UE is decoded. The second sidelink transmission includes a second resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the third UE. A co-channel collision is detected based on the first resource reservation and the second resource reservation being in a same sidelink slot. A feedback message is encoded for transmission to the second UE and the third UE. The feedback message indicates the co-channel collision.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [Claiming priority] This application claims priority to the following U.S. provisional patent application.

[0002] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 169,704, filed on April 1, 2021, entitled "MECHANISMS FOR DETERMINING RESOURCES FOR SIDELINK TRANSMISSION FOR INTER-UE COORDINATION FEEDBACK".

[0003] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 169,715, titled "MECHANISMS FOR DETERMINING USER EQUIPMENT FOR INTER-UE COORDINATION FEEDBACK," was filed on April 1, 2021.

[0004] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 171,029, filed on April 5, 2021, entitled "SUPPORT OF PARTIAL SENSING AND INTER-UE COORDINATION FEEDBACK FOR RELIABLE SIDELINK COMMUNICATION WITH THE REDUCED POWER CONSUMPTION". The full contents of each of the patent applications listed above are to be referenced by reference.

[0005] [Technical field] Various aspects relate to wireless communications. Some aspects relate to wireless networks, including 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) networks, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks, 3GPP LTE-A (LTE Advanced) networks, (MulteFire, LTE-U), and fifth-generation (5G) networks and beyond, including 5G-LTE networks such as 5G new radio (NR) (or 5G-NR) networks and 5G NR unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) networks, and other unlicensed networks such as Wi-Fi and CBRS (OnGo). Other aspects relate to mechanisms for determining resources for sidelink (SL) transmission resources for inter-UE cooperative feedback in 5G-NR (and beyond) networks. Further aspects relate to mechanisms for determining user equipment (UE) for inter-UE cooperative feedback in 5G-NR (and beyond) networks. Further embodiments include supporting partial sensing and inter-UE cooperative feedback for reliable sidelink communications with reduced power consumption in 5G-NR (and later) networks. [Background technology]

[0006] Mobile communications have evolved remarkably from early voice systems to today's highly sophisticated integrated communication platforms. The use of 3GPP LTE systems is increasing along with the growing number of different types of devices communicating with various network devices. The penetration of mobile devices (user equipment or UE) in modern society continues to drive the demand for diverse networked devices in many different environments. Fifth-generation (5G) wireless systems are emerging, expected to enable even greater speed, connectivity, and usability. Next-generation 5G networks (or NR networks) are expected to increase throughput, coverage, and robustness, while reducing latency and operational and capital expenditures. 5G-NR networks will continue to evolve based on 3GPP LTE-Advanced, with further potential new radio access technologies (RATs) to enrich people's lives with seamless wireless connectivity solutions that deliver high-speed, rich content and services. As current cellular network frequencies are saturated, higher frequencies such as millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies may be beneficial due to their higher bandwidth.

[0007] Potential LTE operations in the unlicensed spectrum include (but are not limited to) LTE operations in the unlicensed spectrum via dual connectivity (DC) or DC-based LAA, and standalone LTE systems in the unlicensed spectrum, in which case the LTE-based technology operates independently in the unlicensed spectrum without requiring an "anchor" in the licensed spectrum called MulteFire. Further extended operations of LTE and NR systems in the licensed and unlicensed spectrum are envisioned in future releases and 5G-NR (and later) systems. Such extended operations may include mechanisms for determining resources for sidelink (SL) transmissions for inter-UE coordinating feedback in 5G-NR (and later) networks, mechanisms for determining user equipment (UE) for inter-UE coordinating feedback in 5G-NR (and later) networks, and support for partial sensing and inter-UE coordinating feedback for reliable sidelink communication with reduced power consumption in 5G-NR (and later) networks. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] In drawings that are not necessarily to scale, similar numbers may describe the same components in different drawings. Similar numbers with different subscripts may represent different instances of the same component. Drawings generally illustrate the various aspects discussed in this document, not as limitations, but as examples. [Figure 1A] Several network architectures are shown. [Figure 1B] This document presents several non-roaming 5G system architectures. [Figure 1C] This document presents several non-roaming 5G system architectures. [Figure 2] This document describes various systems, devices, and components that can implement embodiments of the disclosed embodiments. [Figure 3] This document describes various systems, devices, and components that can implement embodiments of the disclosed embodiments. [Figure 4] This document describes various systems, devices, and components that can implement embodiments of the disclosed embodiments. [Figure 5] The diagrams show Type 1 hidden node collisions in several different forms. [Figure 6] The diagrams show Type 2 concurrent access collisions in several different forms. [Figure 7] The diagrams show half-duplex transmission using inter-UE cooperative feedback in several configurations. [Figure 8] The diagrams show a half-duplex resource reservation using inter-UE collaborative feedback in several configurations. [Figure 9] The diagrams show same-channel collisions in transmission using inter-UE cooperative feedback in several configurations. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates same-channel collisions in reservations using inter-UE cooperative feedback in several configurations. [Figure 11] The diagram shows the multiplexing of PSCCH for inter-UE cooperative feedback in several configurations. [Figure 12] The diagrams show multiplexing of Rel.16 PSFCH for HARQ and Rel.17 PSFCH for inter-UE cooperative feedback in several configurations. [Figure 13] The diagram shows examples of resource (re)selection triggers using a minimum selection window that starts before the SL DRX active time in several configurations. [Figure 14] The diagram shows examples of resource (re)selection triggers using a minimum selection window that terminates after the SL DRX active time in several different ways. [Figure 15]The diagrams show block diagrams of communication devices such as evolved Node-B (eNB), new generation Node-B (gNB) (or other RAN nodes or base stations), transmission-reception points (TRP), access points (AP), wireless stations (STA), mobile stations (MS), or user equipment (UE) in several configurations. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following description and drawings are intended to illustrate embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to carry them out. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other modifications. Some parts and features of certain embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of other embodiments. The embodiments outlined in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.

[0010] Figure 1A shows a network architecture in several embodiments. Network 140A is shown to include user equipment (UE) 101 and UE102. UE101 and 102 are shown as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), pager, laptop computer, desktop computer, wireless handset, drone, or any other computing device including wired and / or wireless communication interfaces. UE101 and 102 may collectively be referred to here as UE101, which can be used to perform one or more of the technologies disclosed herein.

[0011] Any of the wireless links described herein (for example, used in network 140A or any other illustrated network) may operate in accordance with any of the exemplary wireless communication techniques and / or standards.

[0012] LTE and LTE-Advanced are standards for high-speed data wireless communications for UEs such as mobile phones. In LTE-Advanced and various wireless systems, carrier aggregation is a technique in which multiple carrier signals operating on different frequencies can be used to carry communications for a single UE, thus increasing the bandwidth available to a single device. In some embodiments, carrier aggregation may be used when one or more component carriers operate on unlicensed frequencies.

[0013] The embodiments described herein can be used in the context of any spectrum management scheme, including, for example, dedicated license spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, and (licensed) shared spectrum (such as Licensed Shared Access (LSA) in the 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz and higher frequencies, and Spectrum Access System (SAS) in the 3.55-3.7 GHz and higher frequencies).

[0014] The embodiments described herein can also be applied to different single-carrier or OFDM flavors (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter bank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDM, etc.), and in particular can be applied to 3GPP NR by assigning OFDM carrier data bit vectors to corresponding symbol resources.

[0015] In some embodiments, either UE101 or 102 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) UE or a Cellular IoT (CIoT) UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-term UE connectivity. In some embodiments, either UE101 or 102 may include a narrowband (NB) IoT UE (e.g., an enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) UE and a further enhanced (FeNB-IoT) UE). The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as a public land mobile network (PLMN), proximity-based service (ProSe), device-to-device (D2D) communication, a sensor network, or machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communications (MTC) to exchange data with an MTC server or device via the IoT network. The exchange of data between machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-to-machine (MTC) systems may also be machine-initiated exchanges of data. An IoT network involves interconnecting IoT UEs (Internet Entity-Effectives), which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure), via short-term connections. IoT UEs may run background applications (e.g., key-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0016] In some embodiments, either UE101 or 102 may include an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE or a further enhanced MTC (FeMTC) UE.

[0017] UE101 and 102 may be configured to connect to a radio access network (RAN) 110, for example, by being communicatively coupled. RAN 110 may be, for example, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or any other type of RAN. UE101 and 102 utilize connections 103 and 104, respectively, each of which includes a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in more detail below). In this example, connections 103 and 104 are shown as air interfaces to enable communication coupling and can be compatible with cellular communication protocols such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) protocol, code-division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, push-to-talk (PTT) protocol, POC (PTT over Cellular) protocol, UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) protocol, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) protocol, fifth-generation (5G) protocol, and new radio (NR) protocol.

[0018] In one embodiment, UE101 and 102 may further directly exchange communication data via the ProSe interface 105. The ProSe interface 105 may also be referred to as a sidelink interface that includes, but is not limited to, one or more logical channels, including a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0019] UE102 is shown to be configured to access access point (AP) 106 via connection 107. Connection 107 can include a local wireless connection, such as a connection compatible with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, and accordingly, AP106 can include a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi®) router. In this example, AP106 is shown to connect to the internet without connecting to the core network of the wireless system (discussed in more detail below).

[0020] RAN110 may include one or more access nodes that enable connections 103 and 104. These access nodes (ANs) may be called base stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), RAN network nodes, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographical area (e.g., a cell). In some embodiments, communication nodes 111 and 112 may be transmission / reception points (TRPs). If communication nodes 111 and 112 are NodeBs (e.g., eNBs or gNBs), one or more TRPs may function within the communication cell of the NodeB. RAN110 may include one or more RAN nodes for providing macrocells, for example, a macroRAN node 111, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femtocells or picocells (for example, cells with a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells), for example, a low-power (LP) RAN node 112 or an unlicensed spectrum-based secondary RAN node 112.

[0021] Either RAN node 111 or 112 can terminate the air interface protocol and serve as the initial contact point for UEs 101 and 102. In some embodiments, either RAN node 111 or 112 can implement various logical functions for RAN 110, including but not limited to radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. For example, either node 111 and / or 112 can be a new generation Node-B (gNB), an evolved Node-B (eNB), or another type of RAN node.

[0022] RAN110 is shown to be communicably coupled to core network (CN)120 via S1 interface 113. In this embodiment, CN120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a NextGen Packet Core (NPC) network, or any other type of CN (as described with reference to, for example, Figures 1B-1C). In this embodiment, S1 interface 113 is divided into two parts: S1-U interface 114, which carries user traffic data between RAN nodes 111 and 112 and a serving gateway (S-GW) 122, and S1-MME interface 115, which is a signaling interface between RAN nodes 111 and 112 and a mobility management entity (MME) 121.

[0023] In this embodiment, CN120 includes MME121, S-GW122, Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW)123, and home subscriber server (HSS)124. MME121 may be functionally similar to the control plane of a Legacy Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN). MME121 may manage mobility aspects in access, such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. HSS124 may include a database for network users, including subscriber-related information to support the processing of network entities in communication sessions. CN120 may include one or more HSS124s, depending on the number of mobile subscribers, equipment capacity, network configuration, etc. For example, HSS124 can provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / address resolution, location dependency, etc.

[0024] S-GW122 may terminate the S1 interface 113 toward RAN110 and route data packets between RAN110 and CN120. Furthermore, S-GW122 may also be a local mobility anchor point for handover between RAN nodes and may provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other functions of S-GW122 may include lawful interception, billing, and any policy enforcement.

[0025] P-GW123 may terminate the SGi interface toward the PDN. P-GW123 may route data packets between the EPC network 120 and an external network, such as a network containing an application server 184 (alternatively referred to as an application function (AF)), via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125. P-GW123 can also communicate data to other external networks 131A, which may include the Internet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IPS) network, and other networks. Generally, the application server 184 may also be an element that provides applications that use IP bearer resources together with the core network (e.g., a UMTS packet services (PS) domain, an LTE PS data service, etc.). In this embodiment, P-GW123 is shown to be communicably coupled to the application server 184 via the IP interface 125. The application server 184 can also be configured to support one or more communication services for UE101 and 102 via CN120 (e.g., Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.).

[0026] Furthermore, P-GW123 may also be a node for policy enforcement and billing data collection. The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)126 is the policy and billing control element of CN120. In non-roaming scenarios, in some embodiments, a single PCRF may exist within the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with the UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In roaming scenarios with local traffic breakout, there may be two PCRFs associated with the UE's IP-CAN session: a Home PCRF (H-PCRF) in the HPLMN and a Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) in the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). PCRF126 may be communicably coupled to the application server 184 via P-GW123.

[0027] In some embodiments, the communication network 140A may be an IoT network or a 5G network that includes a new 5G radio network using communications in the licensed (5G NR) spectrum and the unlicensed (5G NR-U) spectrum. One of the current enablers of IoT is narrowband IoT (NB-IoT).

[0028] The NG system architecture may include a RAN 110 and a 5G network core (5GC, 5G network core) 120. The NG-RAN 110 may include multiple nodes such as gNBs and NG-eNBs. The core network 120 (e.g., 5G core network or 5GC) may include an access and mobility function (AMF) and / or a user plane function (UPF). The AMF and UPF can be communicatively coupled to the gNB and NG-eNB via NG interfaces. More specifically, in some embodiments, the gNB and NG-eNB may be connected to the AMF by an NG-C interface and to the UPF by an NG-U interface. The gNB and NG-eNB can be coupled to each other via an Xn interface.

[0029] In some embodiments, the NG system architecture can use reference points between various nodes, as provided by 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 23.501 (e.g., V15.4.0, 2018-12). In some embodiments, the gNB and NG-eNB can be implemented as base stations, mobile edge servers, small cells, home eNBs, RAN network nodes, etc. In some embodiments, in a 5G architecture, the gNB can be the master node (MN), and the NG-eNB can be the secondary node (SN). In some embodiments, the master / primary node may operate in the licensed band, and the secondary node may operate in the unlicensed band.

[0030] Figure 1B shows several embodiments of a non-roaming 5G system architecture. Referring to Figure 1B, the 5G system architecture 140B is shown in reference point representation. More specifically, UE 102 can communicate with RAN 110 and one or more other 5G core (5GC, 5G core) network entities. The 5G system architecture 140B includes multiple network functions (NF), such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) 132, a location management function (LMF) 133, a session management function (SMF) 136, a policy control function (PCF) 148, an application function (AF) 150, a user plane function (UPF) 134, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 142, an authentication server function (AUSF) 144, and a unified data management (UDM) / home subscriber server (HSS) 146. The UPF 134 can provide connectivity to a data network (DN) 152, which may include, for example, operator services, internet access, or third-party services. The AMF 132 can be used to manage access control and mobility and may also include a network slice selection function. SMF136 can be configured to set up and manage various sessions according to network policies. UPF134 can be deployed in one or more configurations according to the desired service type. PCF148 can be configured to provide a policy framework using network slicing, mobility management, and roaming (similar to PCRF in 4G communication systems).UDM can be configured to store subscriber profiles and data (similar to HSS in 4G communication systems).

[0031] The LMF133 may be used in connection with 5G positioning functionality. In some embodiments, the LMF133 receives measurements and support information from the next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) 110 and a mobile device (e.g., UE101) via the AMF132 on the NL interface in order to calculate the position of the UE101. In some embodiments, the NR positioning protocol A (NRPPa) may be used to carry positioning information between the NG-RAN and the LMF133 on the next-generation control plane interface (NG-C). In some embodiments, the LMF133 configures the UE using the LTE positioning protocol (LPP) via the AMF132. The NG-RAN 110 configures the UE101 using the radio resource control (RRC) protocol on the LTE-Uu and NR-Uu interfaces.

[0032] In some embodiments, the 5G system architecture 140B configures different reference signals to enable positioning measurements. Exemplary reference signals that may be used for positioning measurements include a downlink positioning reference signal (NR PRS) and an uplink sounding reference signal (SRS). The downlink positioning reference signal (PRS) is a reference signal configured to support a downlink-based positioning method.

[0033] In some embodiments, the 5G system architecture 140B includes an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 168B and several IP multimedia core network subsystem entities such as a call session control function (CSCF). More specifically, the IMS 168B includes CSCFs that can operate as a proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 162BE, a serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 164B, an emergency CSCF (E-CSCF) (not shown in Figure 1B), or an interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 166B. The P-CSCF 162B can be configured to be the first contact point for UE 102 within the IM subsystem (IMS) 168B. The S-CSCF 164B can be configured to handle session state within the network, and the E-CSCF can be configured to handle specific aspects of emergency sessions, such as routing emergency requests to the correct emergency center or PSAP. The I-CSCF166B can be configured to function as a contact point within the operator's network for all IMS connections destined for the network operator's subscribers or roaming subscribers currently located within the network operator's service area. In some embodiments, the I-CSCF166B can connect to another IP multimedia network 170E, for example, an IMS operated by a different network operator.

[0034] In some embodiments, the UDM / HSS146 can be coupled to an application server 160E which may include a telephone application server (TAS) or another application server (AS). The AS160B can be coupled to the IMS168B via the S-CSCF164B or I-CSCF166B.

[0035] Reference point representation indicates that interactions can exist between corresponding NF services. For example, Figure 1B shows the following reference points: N1 (between UE102 and AMF132), N2 (between RAN110 and AMF132), N3 (between RAN110 and UPF134), N4 (between SMF136 and UPF134), N5 (between PCF148 and AF150, not shown), N6 (between UPF134 and DN152), N7 (between SMF136 and PCF148, not shown), N8 (between UDM146 and AMF132, not shown), N9 (between two UPF134s, not shown), N10 (between UDM146 and SMF136, not shown). N11 (between AMF132 and SMF136, not shown), N12 (between AUSF144 and AMF132, not shown), N13 (between AUSF144 and UDM146, not shown), N14 (between two AMF132s, not shown), N15 (between PCF148 and AMF132 in a non-roaming scenario, or between PCF148 and the destination network and AMF132 in a roaming scenario, not shown), N16 (between two SMFs, not shown), and N22 (between AMF132 and NSSF142, not shown). Other reference point representations not shown in Figure 1B may also be used.

[0036] Figure 1C shows a 5G system architecture 140C and a service-based representation. In addition to the network entities shown in Figure 1B, the system architecture 140C may also include a network exposure function (NEF) 154 and a network repository function (NRF) 156. In some embodiments, the 5G system architecture can be service-based, and the interactions between network functions can be represented by corresponding point-to-point reference points Ni or as service-based interfaces.

[0037] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1C, service-based representations can be used to represent network functions in the control plane that allow other permitted network functions to access these services. In this regard, the 5G system architecture 140C may include the following service-based interfaces: Namf158H (service-based interface indicated by AMF132), Nsmf158I (service-based interface indicated by SMF136), Nnef158B (service-based interface indicated by NEF154), Npcf158D (service-based interface indicated by PCF148), Nudm158E (service-based interface indicated by UDM146), Naf158F (service-based interface indicated by AF150), Nnrf158C (service-based interface indicated by NRF156), Nnssf158A (service-based interface indicated by NSSF142), and Nausf158G (service-based interface indicated by AUSF144). Other service-based interfaces not shown in Figure 1C (e.g., Nudr, N5g-eir, and Nudsf) can also be used.

[0038] Figures 2, 3, and 4 illustrate various systems, devices, and components that may implement embodiments of the disclosure in different communication systems, such as 5G-NR (and later) networks. The UEs, base stations (gNBs, etc.), and / or other nodes (e.g., satellites or other NTN nodes) discussed in relation to Figures 1A to 4 can be configured to perform the technology of the disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2 shows network 200 in various embodiments. Network 200 may operate in a manner consistent with the 3GPP technical specifications for LTE or 5G / NR systems. However, exemplary embodiments are not limited in this respect, and the embodiments described may be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems.

[0040] Network 200 may include UE202, which may include any mobile or non-mobile computing device designed to communicate with RAN204 via a wireless connection. UE202 may include, but is not limited to, smartphones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, desktop computers, laptop computers, automotive infotainment systems, automotive entertainment devices, instrument clusters, head-up display devices, automotive diagnostic devices, dashboard mobile devices, mobile data terminals, electronic engine management systems, electronic / engine control units, electronic / engine control modules, embedded systems, sensors, microcontrollers, control modules, engine management systems, network appliances, machine-type communication devices, M2M or D2D devices, IoT devices, etc.

[0041] In some embodiments, the network 200 may include multiple UEs directly coupled to one another via a sidelink interface. The UEs may be M2M / D2D devices that communicate using physical sidelink channels such as PSBCH, PSDCH, PSSCH, PSCCH, PSFCH, etc.

[0042] In some embodiments, UE202 may further communicate with AP206 via a wireless connection. AP206 may manage the WLAN connection, which may function to offload some / all network traffic from RAN204. The connection between UE202 and AP206 may be consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, and AP206 may be a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi®) router. In some embodiments, UE202, RAN204, and AP206 may utilize cellular WLAN aggregation (e.g., LWA / LWIP). Cellular WLAN aggregation may involve RAN204 configuring UE202 to utilize both cellular wireless resources and WLAN resources.

[0043] RAN204 may include one or more access nodes, for example, access node (AN)208. AN208 may terminate the air interface protocol for UE202 by providing access layer protocols including RRC, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC), MAC, and L1 protocols. In this way, AN208 may enable data / voice connectivity between core network (CN)220 and UE202. In some embodiments, AN208 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a discrete device or on a server computer as part of a virtual network, which may be called CRAN or virtual baseband unit pool, for example. AN208 may be called BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, ng-eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP, TRP, etc. AN208 may also be a macrocell base station or low-power base station for providing femtocells, picocells, or other similar cells that have a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells.

[0044] In embodiments where RAN204 includes multiple ANs, the multiple ANs may be coupled to each other via an X2 interface (if RAN204 is an LTE RAN) or an Xn interface (if RAN204 is a 5G RAN). In some embodiments, the X2 / Xn interface, which may be separated into a control / user plane interface, may enable the ANs to communicate information related to handover, data / context transfer, mobility, load management, interference control, etc.

[0045] Each AN of RAN204 may manage one or more cells, cell groups, component carriers, etc., and provide an air interface for network access to UE202. UE202 may simultaneously connect to multiple cells provided by the same or different ANs of RAN204. For example, UE202 and RAN204 may use carrier aggregation to enable UE202 to connect to multiple component carriers corresponding to Pcells or Scells, respectively. In a dual connectivity scenario, the first AN may be a master node providing an MCG, and the second AN may be a secondary node providing an SCG. The first / second AN may be any combination of eNBs, gNBs, ng-eNBs, etc.

[0046] RAN204 may provide an air interface on the licensed spectrum or the unlicensed spectrum. To operate in the unlicensed spectrum, the node may use LAA, eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms based on CA technology using PCell / Scell. Before accessing the unlicensed spectrum, the node may perform a medium / carrier detection operation based, for example, on a listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol.

[0047] In a V2X scenario, UE202 or AN208 may be a roadside unit (RSU) or function as an RSU, which may represent any traffic infrastructure entity used for V2X communication. The RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable AN or static (or relatively static) UE. An RSU implemented in or by a UE may be called a “UE-type RSU,” an eNB may be called an “eNB-type RSU,” a gNB may be called a “gNB-type RSU,” and so on. In one example, the RSU is a computing device coupled to a roadside radio frequency circuit that provides connectivity support to passing vehicle UEs. The RSU may also include an internal data storage circuit that stores intersection map geometry, traffic statistics, and media, and an application / software that detects and controls oncoming vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The RSU may provide very low-latency communication required for high-speed events such as collision avoidance and traffic warnings. Furthermore, or alternatively, the RSU may provide other cellular / WLAN communication services. The RSU components may be packaged in a weather-resistant enclosure suitable for outdoor installation and may include a network interface controller for providing wired connectivity (e.g., Ethernet®) to a traffic signal controller or backhaul network.

[0048] In some embodiments, RAN204 may be LTE RAN210, which includes an eNB, eNB212, for example. LTE RAN210 may provide the LTE air interface with the following features: a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS), CP-OFDM waveforms for DL ​​and SC-FDMA waveforms for UL, turbo code for data and TBCC for control, etc. The LTE air interface may rely on CSI-RS for CSI acquisition and beam management, on PDSCH / PDCCH DMRS for PDSCH / PDCCH demodulation, and on CRS for cell search and initial acquisition, channel quality measurement, and channel estimation for coherent demodulation / detection at UE. The LTE air interface may operate in the sub-6 GHz band.

[0049] In some embodiments, the RAN204 may be an NG-RAN214 having a gNB, e.g., gNB216, or an ng-eNB, e.g., ng-eNB218. The gNB216 may be connected to a 5G-enabled UE using a 5G NR interface. The gNB216 may be connected to the 5G core via an NG interface, which may include an N2 interface or an N3 interface. The ng-eNB218 may also be connected to the 5G core via an NG interface, or it may be connected to the UE via an LTE air interface. The gNB216 and ng-eNB218 may be connected to each other via an Xn interface.

[0050] In some embodiments, the NG interface may be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface (e.g., N3 interface) that holds traffic data between the NG-RAN214 node and the UPF248, and an NG control plane (NG-C) interface (e.g., N2 interface) that is a signaling interface between the NG-RAN214 node and the AMF244.

[0051] NG-RAN214 may provide the 5G NR air interface with the following features: variable SCS, CP-OFDM for DL, CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM for UL, polar codes, repeating codes, simplex codes and Reed-Muller codes for data control and LDPC. The 5G NR air interface may depend on CSI-RS and PDSCH / PDCCH DMRS, similar to the LTE air interface. The 5G NR air interface may not use CRS, but may use PBCH DMRS for PBCH demodulation, PTRS for PDSCH phase tracking, and a tracking reference signal for time tracking. The 5G NR air interface may operate in the sub-6GHz band including the 24.25GHz to 52.6GHz band or the FR1 band including the FR2 band. The 5G NR air interface may include a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (SSB, SS / PBCH block) area, which is part of the downlink resource grid including PSS / SSS / PBCH.

[0052] In some embodiments, a 5G NR air interface may utilize a bandwidth part (BWP) for various purposes. For example, a BWP can be used for dynamic adaptation of the SCS. For instance, UE202 can be composed of multiple BWPs, each having a different SCS. When a change in the BWP is indicated to UE202, the SCS of the transmission is also changed accordingly. Another use case for BWPs relates to power saving. In particular, multiple BWPs with different amounts of frequency resources (e.g., PRBs) can be configured for UE202 to support data transmission under different traffic load scenarios. BWPs with fewer PRBs can be used for data transmission with low traffic, enabling power saving in UE202 and, in some cases, in gNB216. BWPs with more PRBs can be used for scenarios with higher traffic loads.

[0053] RAN204 is communicatively coupled to CN220, which includes network elements that provide various functions to support data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE202). The components of CN220 may be implemented on one physical node or separate physical nodes. In some embodiments, NFV may be used to virtualize some or all of the functions provided by the network elements of CN220 onto physical computing / storage resources such as servers, switches, etc. Logical instantiations of CN220 may be called network slices, and some logical instantiations of CN220 may be called network subslices.

[0054] In some embodiments, CN220 may be connected to an LTE radio network as part of an Enhanced Packet System (EPS) 222, which may also be called an EPC (or Evolutionary Packet Core). The EPC222 may include MME224, SGW226, SGSN228, HSS230, PGW232, and PCRF234 coupled to each other on an interface (or "reference point"), as shown in the figure. The functions of the elements of the EPC222 can be briefly described below.

[0055] The MME224 may track the current location of the UE202 and implement mobility management functions to facilitate paging, bearer activation / deactivation, handover, gateway selection, authentication, etc.

[0056] SGW226 may terminate the S1 interface toward the RAN and route data packets between the RAN and EPC222. SGW226 may also be a local mobility anchor point for RAN node handovers and may provide an anchor for 3GPP inter-node mobility. Several other roles may include lawful interception, billing, and any policy enforcement.

[0057] SGSN228 may track the location of UE202 and perform security functions and access control. Furthermore, SGSN228 may perform EPC node-to-node signaling for mobility between different RAT networks, PDN and S-GW selection as specified by MME224, MME selection for handover, etc. An S3 reference point between MME224 and SGSN228 may enable the exchange of user and bearer information about mobility between 3GPP access networks in idle / active states.

[0058] The HSS230 may include a database for network users, including subscription-related information, to support the processing of communication sessions by network entities. The HSS230 can provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / address resolution, location dependency, etc. An S6a reference point between the HSS230 and the MME224 may enable the transfer of subscription and authentication data to authenticate / authorize user access to the LTE CN220.

[0059] PGW232 may terminate an SGi interface toward a data network (DN) 236, which may include an application / content server 238. PGW232 may route data packets between the LTE CN 220 and the data network 236. PGW232 may be coupled to SGW226 by an S5 reference point to facilitate user plane tunneling and tunnel management. PGW232 may further include nodes for policy enforcement and billing data collection (e.g., PCEF). Furthermore, the SGi reference point between PGW232 and the data network 236 may be an external public, private PDN, or an internal packet data network, for example, to provide IMS services. PGW232 may be coupled to PCRF234 via a Gx reference point.

[0060] PCRF234 is the policy and billing control element of LTE CN220. PCRF234 may be communicably coupled to the application / content server 238 to determine appropriate QoS and billing parameters for the service flow. PCRF234 may provide the associated rules to the PCEF (via the Gx reference point) with appropriate TFT and QCI.

[0061] In some embodiments, CN220 may be 5GC240. 5GC240 may include AUSF242, AMF244, SMF246, UPF248, NSSF250, NEF252, NRF254, PCF256, UDM258, and AF260 coupled to each other on an interface (or "reference point"), as shown in the figure. The functions of the elements of 5GC240 can be briefly described below.

[0062] AUSF242 may store data for authentication of UE202 and handle authentication-related functions. AUSF242 may facilitate a common authentication framework for various access types. In addition to communicating with other elements of 5GC 240 on reference points as shown in the figure, AUSF242 may represent a Nausf service-based interface.

[0063] AMF244 may enable other functions of 5GC240 to communicate with UE202 and RAN204, and to subscribe to notifications about mobility events concerning UE202. AMF244 may also be responsible for registration management (e.g., for UE202 registration), connectivity management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception of AMF-related events, and access authentication and authorization. AMF244 may provide SM message forwarding between UE202 and SMF246 and may act as a transparent proxy for routing SM messages. AMF244 may also provide SMS message forwarding between UE202 and SMSF. AMF244 may interact with AUSF242 and UE202 to perform various security anchor and context management functions. Furthermore, the AMF244 may include an N2 reference point between the RAN204 and the AMF244, or may be the termination point of a RAN CP interface which may be an N2 reference point, and the AMF244 may be the termination point of NAS(N1) signaling which may perform NAS encryption and integrity protection. The AMF244 may also support NAS signaling with the UE202 over the N3 IWF interface.

[0064] SMF246 may also be responsible for SM (e.g., session establishment between UPF248 and AN208, tunnel management), allocation and management of UE IP addresses (including permission for arbitrary selection), selection and control of UP functions, configuration of traffic steering in UPF248 for routing traffic to appropriate destinations, termination of interfaces toward policy control functions, policy enforcement, control of some aspects of billing and QoS, lawful interception (for SM events and interfaces to LI systems), termination of the SM portion of NAS messages, downlink data notification, initiation of AN-specific SM information transmitted to AN208 via AMF244 on N2, and determination of the session's SSC mode. The SM may also indicate management of PDU sessions, and a PDU session or "session" may offer PDU connectivity services that provide or enable the exchange of PDUs between UE202 and data network 236.

[0065] UPF248 may function as an anchor point for mobility within and between RATs, an external PDU session point for interconnection to data network 236, and a branching point to support multi-homed PDU sessions. UPF248 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, perform packet inspection, enforce the user plane portion of policy rules, lawfully intercept packets (UP collection), perform traffic usage reporting, perform user plane QoS processing (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic verification (e.g., mapping flows from SDF to QoS), mark transport-level packets on uplinks and downlinks, and trigger downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification. UPF248 may include an uplink classifier to support routing traffic flows to the data network.

[0066] The NSSF250 may select a set of network slice instances to service the UE202. The NSSF250 may also determine the allowed NSSAIs and, if necessary, the mapping to the joined S-NSSAIs. The NSSF250 may also determine a set of AMFs, or a list of candidate AMFs, to be used to service the UE202, possibly by querying the NRF254, based on a preferred configuration. The selection of a set of network slice instances for the UE202 may be triggered by the AMF244 to which the UE202 is registered, by interacting with the NSSF250, which may result in a change of AMF. The NSSF250 may interact with the AMF244 via the N22 reference point and may communicate with another NSSF in the visited network via the N31 reference point (not shown). Furthermore, the NSSF250 may present an Nnssf service-based interface.

[0067] NEF252 may securely expose services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions to third parties, internal public / republishing, AFs (e.g., AF260), edge computing, or fog computing systems. In such embodiments, NEF252 may authenticate, authorize, or throttle AFs. NEF252 may also translate information exchanged with AF260 and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, NEF252 may translate between AF service identifiers and internal 5GC information. NEF252 may also receive information from other NFs based on the exposed capabilities of those NFs. This information may be stored in NEF252 as structured data or in a data storage NF using a standardized interface. The stored information can then be republished by NEF252 to other NFs and AFs, or used for other purposes such as analysis. Furthermore, NEF252 may present an Nnef service-based interface.

[0068] The NRF254 may support service discovery functionality, receive NF discovery requests from NF instances, and provide the NF instances with information about discovered NF instances. The NRF254 may also maintain information about available NF instances and the services they support. Where used herein, terms such as “instantiate” and “instantiate” may refer to the creation of an instance, and “instance” may refer to the specific occurrence of an object that may occur, for example, during the execution of program code. Furthermore, the NRF254 may present an Nnrf service-based interface.

[0069] PCF256 may provide policy rules to control plane functions to enforce them, and may also support a unified policy framework to govern network behavior. PCF256 may also implement a front-end for accessing subscription information related to policy decisions in the UDM258's UDR. In addition to communicating with functions on reference points as shown in the diagram, PCF256 may present an Npcf service-based interface.

[0070] UDM258 may process join-related information to support the handling of communication sessions by network entities and may store join data for UE202. For example, join data may be communicated via an N8 reference point between UDM258 and AMF244. UDM258 may include two parts: an application frontend and a UDR. The UDR may store join data and policy data for UDM258 and PCF256, and / or structured data for publication and application data for NEF252 (including application discovery for multiple UE202s and a PFD for application request information). A Nudr service-based interface may be presented by UDR221 to allow UDM258, PCF256 and NEF252 to access specific sets of stored data and to read notifications of changes to the relevant data in the UDR, update (e.g., add, modify), delete, and join. The UDM may include a UDM-FE responsible for certificate processing, location management, join management, etc. Several different frontends may serve the same user in different transactions. The UDM-FE accesses the enrollment information stored in the UDR and performs authentication certificate processing, user identity processing, access permission, enrollment / mobility management, and enrollment management. In addition to communicating with other NFs on reference points as shown in the diagram, the UDM258 may present a Nudm service-based interface.

[0071] AF260 may provide application influence on traffic routing, provide access to NEF, and interact with a policy framework for policy control.

[0072] In some embodiments, the 5GC240 may enable edge computing by selecting an operator / third-party service that is geographically closer to where the UE202 is attached to the network. This may reduce latency and network load. To provide an implementation of edge computing, the 5GC240 may select a UPF248 that is close to the UE202 and perform traffic steering from the UPF248 to the data network 236 via the N6 interface. This may be based on UE join data, UE location, and information provided by the AF260. Thus, the AF260 may influence the UPF(re)selection and traffic routing. Based on operator deployment, if the AF260 is considered a trusted entity, the network operator may allow the AF260 to interact directly with the relevant NF. Furthermore, the AF260 may present a NAF service-based interface.

[0073] The data network 236 may represent various network operator services, internet access, or third-party services, which may be provided by one or more servers, including, for example, an application / content server 238.

[0074] Figure 3 schematically shows the wireless network 300 in various embodiments. The wireless network 300 may include a UE302 that communicates wirelessly with AN304. The UE302 and AN304 may be similar to, and substantially interchangeable with, other components of similar names described elsewhere here.

[0075] UE302 may be communicatively coupled to AN304 via connection 306. Connection 306 is shown as an air interface enabling the communication coupling and may be consistent with a cellular communication protocol such as the LTE protocol or 5G NR protocol operating at mmWave or sub-6GHz frequencies.

[0076] UE302 may include a host platform 308 coupled with a modem platform 310. The host platform 308 may include an application processing circuit 312 which can be coupled with a protocol processing circuit 314 of the modem platform 310. The application processing circuit 312 may run various applications for UE302 to source / sink application data. The application processing circuit 312 may further implement one or more layer operations for sending / receiving application data to and from a data network. These layer operations may include transport (e.g., UDP) and internet (e.g., IP) operations.

[0077] The protocol processing circuit 314 may implement one or more layer operations to facilitate the transmission or reception of data over connection 306. Layer operations implemented by the protocol processing circuit 314 may include, for example, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, and NAS operations.

[0078] The modem platform 310 may further include a digital baseband circuit 316 which may implement one or more layer operations that are "below" the layer operations performed by the protocol processing circuit 314 in the network protocol stack. These operations may include PHY operations that include, for example, one or more of the following: HARQ-ACK functionality, scrambling / descrambling, coding / decoding, layer mapping / demapping, modulation symbol mapping, received symbol / bitmetric determination, multi-antenna port precoding / decoding which may include one or more of space-time, space-frequency, or space coding, reference signal generation / detection, preamble sequence generation and / or decoding, synchronous sequence generation / detection, control channel signal blind decoding, and other related functions.

[0079] The modem platform 310 may include a transmitting circuit 318, a receiving circuit 320, an RF circuit 322, and an RF front end (RFFE) 324 which may include or be connected to one or more antenna panels 326. Briefly, the transmitting circuit 318 may include a digital-to-analog converter, a mixer, an intermediate frequency (IF) component, etc.; the receiving circuit 320 may include an analog-to-digital converter, a mixer, an IF component, etc.; the RF circuit 322 may include a low-noise amplifier, a power amplifier, a power tracking component, etc.; and the RFFE 324 may include a filter (e.g., a surface / bulk acoustic wave filter), a switch, an antenna tuner, a beamforming component (e.g., a phase array antenna component), etc. The selection and configuration of the components of the transmitting circuit 318, receiving circuit 320, RF circuit 322, RFFE 324, and antenna panel 326 (commonly referred to as "transmitting / receiving components") may be specific to particular implementation details, such as whether the communication is TDM or FDM, or whether it is mmWave or sub-6GHz frequency. In some embodiments, the transmitting / receiving components may consist of multiple parallel transmitting / receiving chains and may be located on the same or different chips / modules, etc.

[0080] In some embodiments, the protocol processing circuit 314 may include one or more instances of a control circuit (not shown) to provide control functions for the transmit / receive components.

[0081] UE reception may be established by and through the antenna panel 326, RFFE 324, RF circuit 322, receiving circuit 320, digital baseband circuit 316, and protocol processing circuit 314. In some embodiments, the antenna panel 326 may receive transmissions from AN304 by received beamforming signals received by multiple antennas / antenna elements of one or more antenna panels 326.

[0082] UE transmission may be established by and through the protocol processing circuit 314, the digital baseband circuit 316, the transmit circuit 318, the RF circuit 322, the RFFE 324, and the antenna panel 326. In some embodiments, the transmit component of UE 302 may apply a spatial filter to the data to be transmitted in order to form a transmit beam radiated by the antenna elements of the antenna panel 326.

[0083] Similar to UE302, AN304 may include a host platform 328 coupled to a modem platform 330. The host platform 328 may include an application processing circuit 332 coupled to a protocol processing circuit 334 of the modem platform 330. The modem platform may further include a digital baseband circuit 336, a transmit circuit 338, a receive circuit 340, an RF circuit 342, an RFFE circuit 344, and an antenna panel 346. The components of AN304 may be similar to, and substantially interchangeable with, components of similar names in UE302. In addition to performing data transmission / reception as described above, the components of AN304 may perform various logical functions, including, for example, RNC functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management, and data packet scheduling.

[0084] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a component capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-temporary machine-readable storage medium) and executing one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, according to several exemplary embodiments. Specifically, Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of hardware resources 400, including one or more processors (or processor cores) 410, one or more memory / storage devices 420, and one or more communication resources 430, each of which may be communicatively coupled via a bus 440 or other interface circuitry. In embodiments where node virtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 402 may be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / subslice to utilize the hardware resources 400.

[0085] The processor 410 may include, for example, processors 412 and 414. The processor 410 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a DSP such as a baseband processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor (including those discussed herein), or any preferred combination thereof.

[0086] The memory / storage device 420 may include main memory, disk storage, or a preferred combination thereof. The memory / storage device 420 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile, non-volatile, or semi-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state storage, etc.

[0087] The communication resource 430 may include interconnectors or network interface controllers, components, or other suitable devices for communicating with one or more peripheral devices 404 or one or more databases 406 or other network elements via the network 408. For example, the communication resource 430 may include wired communication components (e.g., for coupling via USB, Ethernet, etc.), cellular communication components, NFC components, Bluetooth® (or Bluetooth® Low Energy) components, Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components.

[0088] Instruction 450 may include software, programs, applications, applets, apps, or other executable code to cause at least one of the processors 410 to execute one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Instruction 450 may reside entirely or partially in at least one of the processors 410 (e.g., in the processor's cache memory), a memory / storage device 420, or a preferred combination thereof. Furthermore, any portion of instruction 450 may be transferred to the hardware resource 400 from either a peripheral device 404 or a database 406. Thus, the memory of the processor 410, the memory / storage device 420, the peripheral device 404, and the database 406 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0089] In one or more embodiments, at least one of the components outlined in one or more of the above figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes and / or methods outlined in the following exemplary sections. For example, a baseband circuit related to one or more of the above figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below. In another example, a circuit related to a UE, base station, satellite, network element, etc., as described above, related to one or more of the above figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below in the exemplary sections.

[0090] The term "application" may refer to a complete and deployable package, or an environment for achieving specific functionality in an operating environment. Terms such as "AI / ML application" may also refer to an application that includes several artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) models and application-level descriptions. In some embodiments, an AI / ML application may be used to constitute or implement one or more of the embodiments of the disclosure.

[0091] The term “machine learning” or “ML” refers to the use of computer systems that implement algorithms and / or statistical models to perform a particular task without using explicit instructions, but instead relying on patterns and inference. An ML algorithm builds or estimates a mathematical model (called an “ML model,” etc.) based on sample data (called “training data,” “model training information,” etc.) to make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed to perform such tasks. Generally, an ML algorithm is a computer program that learns from experience with respect to several tasks and several performance metrics, and an ML model may be any object or data structure created after an ML algorithm has been trained on one or more training datasets. After training, an ML model may be used to make predictions on a new dataset. The term “ML algorithm” refers to a different concept from the term “ML model,” but these terms may be used interchangeably in this disclosure as discussed herein.

[0092] Terms such as “machine learning model” and “ML model” may also refer to ML methods and concepts used by ML-assisted solutions. An “ML-assisted solution” is a solution that uses ML algorithms in operation to address a specific use case. ML models include supervised learning (e.g., linear regression, k-nearest neighbor (KNN), decision tree algorithm, support machine vectors, Bayesian algorithms, ensemble algorithms, etc.), unsupervised learning (e.g., K-means clustering, principal component analysis (PCA), etc.), reinforcement learning (e.g., Q-learning, multi-armed bandit learning, deep RL, etc.), neural networks, etc. Depending on the implementation, a particular ML model may have many submodels as components, and an ML model may train all submodels together. Separately trained ML models may also be joined together in an ML pipeline during inference. An “ML pipeline” is a set of functionality, features, or feature entities specific to an ML-assisted solution, and an ML pipeline may include one or more data sources among data pipelines, model training pipelines, model evaluation pipelines, and actors. An "actor" is an entity that hosts an ML-assisted solution using the output of an ML model inference. The term "ML training host" refers to an entity such as a network function that hosts the training of a model. The term "ML inference host" refers to an entity such as a network function that hosts a model during inference mode (including both model execution and, where applicable, online learning). The ML host informs the actor about the output of the ML algorithm, and the actor decides on an action ("action" is performed by the actor as a result of the output of the ML-assisted solution).The term "model inference information" refers to information used as input to an ML model to determine inferences. While the data used to train the ML model and the data used to determine inferences may overlap, "training data" and "inference data" represent distinct concepts.

[0093] High reliability and low latency in sidelink V2X communication are key performance indicators (KPIs) for NR V2X systems. NR Rel. 17 states that inter-UE coordination methods are beneficial for improving sidelink reliability. The disclosed technologies include specific inter-UE coordination solutions that can provide low latency and high reliability for next-generation NR V2X systems. In some embodiments, the following components of a baseline NR V2X system can be used.

[0094] (a) A UE transmitting sidelink data (communicating in either unicast, groupcast, or broadcast mode) uses the control channel to reserve sidelink resources for future retransmission of TB.

[0095] (b) The UE performs sensing procedures by monitoring the sidelink control channel within each slot, decoding control channel transmissions from other UEs, and measuring the SL-RSRP.

[0096] (c) The sidelink resources selected for transmission are determined based on the results of sensing and resource (re)selection procedures aimed at avoiding collisions between UEs.

[0097] (d) The UE uses a sidelink feedback channel introduced for HARQ operation in the case of unicast and groupcast communications.

[0098] The UE autonomous sensing and resource (re)selection procedures defined in Rel.16 provide performance benefits over random resource (re)selection. The disclosed techniques include extensions for further improving the reliability of NR V2X sidelink communication using low latency UE-to-UE cooperative feedback signaling.

[0099] UE-to-UE cooperative signaling can help improve reliability by reducing the negative performance impact caused by half-duplex and co-channel collision events in Rel.16 NR-V2X communication systems. The disclosed techniques can distinguish sidelink contention such as half-duplex and co-channel collisions and can be used to employ the following definitions.

[0100] Sidelink competition for half-duplex and same-channel collisions (A) Half-duplex contention.

[0101] (A.1) UE P ,

[0103] , P , Q , , , P , Q , Q , Q , ,

[0102] , is the target RX of UE Q (e.g., UE P is a member of the UE Q group), and if it may not be able to receive the transmission from UE Q for its transmission, UE P has a half-duplex event with UE Q . The following half-duplex contentions can be distinguished.

[0102] (A.1.a) Half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX): UE P and UE Q are already transmitting within the same sidelink slot (on overlapping resources or non-overlapping resources in frequency). This type of collision can be addressed by introducing new UE-to-UE cooperative signaling.

[0103] (A.1.b) Half-duplex in reception (HD-RX): UE PUE is in slot "n" Q Reserving resources for sending to UE. Q It is scheduled for a higher-priority uplink (UL) or sidelink (SL) transmission, and therefore the UE is on the reserved resource in slot "n". P Unable to receive transmissions from [source]. This type of conflict can be partially addressed by introducing new inter-UE coordinated signaling if it can be received before transmissions on reserved resources.

[0104] (A.1.c) Half-duplex in resource selection (HD-SLCT): UE P and UE Q This selects a resource for transmission within the same slot (on overlapping or non-overlapping resources at the same frequency). This type of conflict can be partially addressed by the (re)evaluation procedure defined in Rel.16, provided that the selected resource has not yet been reserved by one of the UEs and there is sufficient processing delay to re-select the resource.

[0105] (A.1.d) Half-duplex in resource reservation (HD-RSV): UE P and UE Q This reserves resources for transmissions within the same slot (on overlapping or non-overlapping resources at the same frequency). This type of conflict can be addressed by introducing new inter-UE coordinated signaling.

[0106] (A.2) Half-duplex is UE P and UE Q If two transmissions are transmitted on overlapping frequency resources (same-channel collision), it can significantly degrade the sidelink reception performance for other RX UEs, making it appear as if both transmissions are undecodeable.

[0107] (B) Same-channel collision.

[0108] (B.1)UE P and UE Q If the UE transmits on overlapping frequency or time resources, P , UE Q It has the same channel collision. The following same-channel collision types can be distinguished as follows:

[0109] (B.1.a) Co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX): In this case, TX UE (UE P and UE Q ) is already being transmitted within the same sidelink slot on overlapping frequency resources (full or partial overlap).

[0110] (B.1.b) Co-channel collision in resource selection (CC-RS): In this case, TX UE (UE) P and UE Q ) is selecting a resource for transmission within the same slot on overlapping frequency resources (full or partial overlap). In some embodiments, this event may not be detectable unless one of the TX UEs has already made a resource reservation.

[0111] (B.1.c) Co-channel collision in resource reservation (CC-RSV): In this case, TX UE (UE) P and UE Q ) reserves resources for transmission within the same slot on overlapping frequency resources (full or partial overlap).

[0112] The above sidelink conflicts are considered from the perspective of a single TX UE.

[0113] In some embodiments, half-duplex and same-channel collisions may occur on resources used for either initial transmission or retransmission of transport blocks (TBs), or various combinations from the perspective of the TX UE.

[0114] (a) Combination - A:UE P and UE Q Resources used for the initial transmission of TB.

[0115] (b) Combination - B:UE P and UE Q Resources used for retransmitting TB.

[0116] (c) Combination - C:UE P Resources used for the initial transmission of TB by, and UE Q Resources that transport TB retransmissions.

[0117] The following identical channel collision types exist in the Rel.16 V2X design.

[0118] (a) Type-1 (hidden node): Same-channel collision due to the hidden node problem. Figure 5 shows several embodiments of Type 1 hidden node collisions. The transmitting UEs are outside each other's communication range (i.e., cannot detect each other) but are within the communication range of the RX UE.

[0119] (b) Type 2 (Concurrent Access): Same channel collision due to simultaneous resource (re)selection caused by processing time delay or lack of sensing data due to sidelink transmission, etc. Figure 6 shows several embodiments of Type 2 concurrent access collisions. Transmitting UEs are within each other's communication range (i.e., they can detect each other) but simultaneously perform resource (re)selection and access channels in the same slot on overlapping resources.

[0120] (c) Type-3 (Congested Medium): Same-channel collision due to a lack of unoccupied resources (high medium congestion). TX UEs are within communication range of each other (i.e., can detect each other), but access to the channel is congested (resources are occupied), and the UEs select occupied resources within the set of resources at the lowest RX power level. In this case, a collision is unavoidable, and therefore a congestion control mechanism should be used to reduce the collision rate.

[0121] The following is a list of inter-UE coordination solutions for Mode 2 resource allocation extensions. Mode 2 is associated with autonomous resource selection (e.g., autonomous selection of time and frequency resources). In some embodiments, inter-UE coordination feedback and signaling can be used to mitigate the following contention in NR-V2X sidelink communication: half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX), half-duplex in the reservation (HD-RSV), half-duplex in reception (HD-RX), co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX), and co-channel collision in the reservation (CC-RSV).

[0122] To address these conflicts arising from inter-UE coordination, the proposed technology introduces low-latency side-link feedback signaling. The proposed inter-UE coordination framework may include one or more of the following design components:

[0123] (a) A method for determining sidelink collisions and half-duplex contention for reliable sidelink communication using inter-UE cooperative feedback, including conditions for determining half-duplex and same-channel collisions by the RX UE.

[0124] (b) Methods for prioritizing inter-UE cooperative feedback for reliable sidelink communication using inter-UE cooperative feedback, including UL, SL HARQ, SL half-duplex / same channel, and SL priority.

[0125] (c) A method for determining a UE for inter-UE collaborative feedback, including distance, RSRP, and detection of half-duplex / same-channel collision events.

[0126] (d) A method for determining inter-UE coordinating feedback timing for reliable sidelink communication, including which slots should be used for instruction signaling and additional processing time for inter-UE coordination.

[0127] (e) Extended resource reselection procedures and methods for determining sidelink half-duplex and collision events by the transmitting UE, including UE autonomous detection of half-duplex and same-channel collisions and TX UE behavior regarding resource allocation.

[0128] (f) A method for determining resources for sidelink transmission for inter-UE collaborative feedback.

[0129] (g) A method for inter-UE coordinated feedback signaling for reliable sidelink communication.

[0130] Figures 7 to 10 illustrate the problems of NR sidelink communication that can be addressed using the methods and techniques disclosed above.

[0131] Figure 7 shows half-duplex transmission using inter-UE cooperative feedback in several embodiments. More specifically, Figure 7 shows half-duplex collisions in transmission. In particular, UE1 and UE2 have half-duplex on the resources used for TB retransmission. UE3 provides feedback to UE1 and UE2 indicating the potential need for half-duplex and further retransmission in transmission. Furthermore, UE4 and UE5 have half-duplex on the resources used for the initial transmission of TB. UE6 provides feedback to UE4 and UE5 indicating the potential need for half-duplex and further retransmission in the initial transmission.

[0132] Figure 8 shows half-duplex in resource reservation using inter-UE cooperative feedback in several embodiments. More specifically, Figure 8 shows half-duplex contention in reservation. In particular, UE1 and UE2 have half-duplex in reserved resources planned for TB retransmission. For example, UE2 detects half-duplex where reserved for retransmission resources and provides feedback to UE1. In some embodiments, UE1 detects half-duplex where reserved for retransmission resources and provides feedback to UE2. In some embodiments, another UE (e.g., UE3, not shown in Figure 8) provides feedback to UE1 and UE2 indicating half-duplex in reservation and the potential need for resource (re)selection.

[0133] Figure 9 shows a same-channel collision in transmission using inter-UE cooperative feedback in several embodiments. More specifically, UE1 and UE2 have a same-channel collision within the resources used for TB retransmission. UE3 provides feedback to UE1 and UE2 indicating the same-channel collision in transmission and the potential need for further retransmission. Furthermore, UE4 and UE5 have a same-channel collision on the resources used for the initial transmission of TB. UE6 provides feedback to UE4 and UE5 indicating the same-channel collision in the initial transmission and the potential need for further retransmission.

[0134] Figure 10 illustrates the same-channel collision in reservations using inter-UE collaborative feedback in several embodiments. More specifically, UE1 and UE2 reserve overlapping resources for TB retransmission. UE3 provides feedback to UE1 and UE2 indicating the same-channel collision in the reservation and the potential need for resource (re)selection or retransmission.

[0135] In some embodiments, the disclosed technology includes a method for determining sidelink half-duplex and collision events by transmitting UE and extended resource reselection procedures.

[0136] The following types of inter-UE cooperative feedback, namely half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX), half-duplex in the reservation (HD-RSV), half-duplex in reception (HD-RX), co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX), and co-channel collision in the reservation (CC-RSV), can be identified to mitigate different types of conflicts that may exist in sidelink communication.

[0137] The above competition may require physical layer signaling to ensure low latency so that the feedback can adapt for ongoing TB transmission. The primary candidate for such signaling is the physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0138] To provide inter-UE collaborative feedback, the TX UE behavior can be optimized to handle specific feedback types, and the RX UE can distinguish between different sidelink contentions. Therefore, it needs to be determined whether the sidelink contentions listed above need to be distinguished from a feedback signaling perspective. However, this may result in more complex signaling designs and TX UE resource allocation procedures depending on the inter-UE collaborative feedback received.

[0139] In some aspects, it may be beneficial to distinguish all sidelink competitions from the perspective of feedback signaling.

[0140] The following options can be considered for feedback signaling design.

[0141] (A) Distinguishing between UEs using TX UE.

[0142] (A.1) Option 1: Distinguish all types of feedback.

[0143] (A.2) Option 2: Distinguishing between types of feedback based on competition in reservations and submissions from competitors.

[0144] (A.3) Option 3: Distinguishing between half-duplex and same-channel collision feedback types.

[0145] (B) Content / payload of interUE collaborative feedback.

[0146] (B.1) Option 1.

[0147] (B.1.a) TX UE (Source ID). This is the source ID of the TX UE that caused the sidelink transmission to result in a conflict.

[0148] (B.1.b) Resource ID. This is the resource ID of the TX UE whose sidelink transmission resulted in a conflict. The resource ID may be encoded in the time-frequency code of the feedback resource used for inter-UE coordinated feedback transmission.

[0149] (B.2) Option 2.

[0150] (B.2.a)TX UE (Source ID).

[0151] (B.2.b) Resource ID.

[0152] (B.2.c) Feedback type. This is information regarding the type of feedback provided (e.g., HD-TX, HD-RSV, CC-TX, CC-RSV, HARQ).

[0153] (B.3) Option 3.

[0154] (B.3.a)TX UE (Source ID).

[0155] (B.3.b) Resource ID.

[0156] (B.3.c) Feedback type.

[0157] (B.3.d) Sidelink transmission priority of competing TX UEs. This is information regarding the transmission priority of TX UEs that have a conflict.

[0158] (C) Signaling options for collaborative feedback between UEs.

[0159] (C.1) Option 1: A PSFCH that uses the same physical structure as the PSFCH that carries HARQ feedback in Rel.16.

[0160] (C.1.a) Transmission via PSFCH provides low latency and reliability.

[0161] (C.1.b) PSFCH resources are multiplexed with PSSCH, and therefore with respect to the transmission of feedback. This is beneficial for feedback transmission as it does not create conflicts with others.

[0162] (C.2) Option 2: PSCCH SCI (Stage 1 or Stage 2).

[0163] (C.2.a) In one embodiment, a new first-stage SCI format 1-x may be introduced along with a payload defined to carry inter-UE coordination information.

[0164] (C.2.b) In one embodiment, a new second-stage SCI format 2-x may be introduced along with a payload defined to carry inter-UE coordination information.

[0165] (C.2.c) The latency of this transmission may be subject to sensing and resource selection.

[0166] (C.2.d) In one option, the PSCCH resource for the SCI format carrying inter-UE coordination information is configured separately from the PSCCH resource for SCI format 1-A transmission. In another option, the same PSCCH resource pool is used for SCI carrying inter-UE coordination information.

[0167] Figure 11 shows the multiplexing of PSCCH for inter-UE cooperative feedback in several embodiments.

[0168] (C.3) Option 3: PSSCH (MAC CE).

[0169] (C.3.a) The latency of this transmission is subject to the sensing and resource selection procedures.

[0170] (C.3.b) A potential advantage of this option is the possibility of expanding the payload and providing more information about the competition.

[0171] (C.4) Option 4: Uu interface.

[0172] (C.4.a) If both UEs are connected to a network, this feedback may be sent over the network.

[0173] (C.4.b) As in the case of MAC CE, this implies considerable latency, but has the potential benefit of being able to exchange larger amounts of information.

[0174] (D) Resource determination for inter-UE collaborative feedback on PSFCH.

[0175] Distinguishing between feedback types may be required on the TX UE side, and this may also require distinguishing HARQ feedback from other inter-UE collaborative feedback types. The following options are possible:

[0176] (D.1) Option 1: A dedicated pool of resources for collaborative feedback between UEs.

[0177] (D.1.a) A separate PRB bitmap on the PSFCH symbol may be (pre) configured for the PSFCH that carries inter-UE coordination information.

[0178] (D.1.b) Separate periods of PSFCH resources in slots having periods L=1,2,4,8, and any other option may be (pre)configured for PSFCH carrying inter-UE coordination information.

[0179] Figure 12 shows the multiplexing of Rel.16 PSFCH for HARQ and Rel.17 PSFCH for inter-UE cooperative feedback in several embodiments.

[0180] (D.2) Option 2: Shared PSFCH resource pool.

[0181] (D.2.a) Option 2A: Different resource IDs are used for the HARQ and UE co-feedback type. In this case, the PSFCH resource determination is a function of the PSFCH type.

[0182] (D.2.b) Option 2B: A common set of resource IDs is used for HARQ and inter-UE collaborative feedback types (i.e., transparent to the TX UE, and inter-UE collaborative feedback is treated the same as HARQ feedback).

[0183] (E) Determine PSFCH resources.

[0184] (E.1) The PSFCH resource determination for each feedback transmission (i.e., the determination of sequence, time, and frequency resources for PSFCH resource transmission) is a function of the following arguments, which may depend on the sidelink communication cast type and HARQ type: the slot index (where sidelink contention has occurred or may occur), the TX UE resource index (where sidelink contention has occurred or may occur), the TX UE source ID (L1 or L2 source ID), the destination ID (L1 or L2 destination ID), the TX zone ID, the TX target communication range ID (a field in the SCI), and the service ID if it is not part of the L1 / L2 destination ID, or a subset thereof.

[0185] The PSFCH resource determination function may result in SFN-type transmissions where multiple RX UEs send the same sequence on the same resource.

[0186] For example, the PSFCH resource determination procedure for a PSFCH carrying inter-UE coordination information may be reused from the one for a PSFCH carrying HARQ feedback, as defined in 3GPP TS38.213, Section 16.3, with the following modifications.

[0187] (E.2)UE indexes the PSFCH resource for PSFCH transmission in response to PSSCH reception, (P ID +M ID +L ID )modR PRB,CS PSFCH This is decided. Here, P ID This is the physical layer source ID provided by the SCI format 2-A or 2-B [5, TS38.212] for scheduling PSSCH reception, and M ID This is the identification information of the UE receiving the PSSCH, as indicated by the upper layer, if the UE detects an SCI format 2-A with a cast type indicator field value of "01", otherwise M ID L is 0, ID This is the ID offset corresponding to the inter-UE coordination information, and when PSFCH carries HARQ information, L ID = 0. Regarding inter-UE cooperation information, L ID This may be derived from the upper layer configuration or SCI format 2-A or 2-B, and may also be a function of the parameters listed above.

[0188] (E.3) Alternatively, set R of PSFCH PRB for frequency code resource selection PRB,CS PSFCH =N type PSFCH ·M subch,slot PSFCH ·N CS PSFCH M subch,slot PSFCH This can be derived by dividing it into two parts: the first part is for a normal PSFCH that carries HARQ, and the second part is for a PSFCH that carries inter-UE coordination information.

[0189] To transmit more information for feedback, a CRC-based design of the PSFCH may be introduced, which may include a CRC-based FEC scheme and a reference signal for demodulation.

[0190] (F) Determination of the target TX UE for inter-UE collaborative feedback from the RX UE.

[0191] (F.1) In the case of half-duplex / collision in reservations, (F.1.a) The target UE for inter-UE collaborative feedback determined by the RX UE.

[0192] (F.1.a.1) Option 1: Among the colliding TX UEs, the TX UE with the lower transmission priority (transmission is only sent to TX UEs that are expected to generate resources reserved for transmission (preemption operation)).

[0193] In this case, the RX UE is expected to take into account the priority of the TX UE in determining the target TX UE for feedback. In this case, the received feedback can be interpreted by the TX UE as a request to re-select a transmission on a reserved resource or to reduce TX power. UEs that have not received feedback continue to transmit on the reserved resource.

[0194] (F.1.a.2) Option 2: Conflicting TX UEs (Sent to all conflicting UEs regardless of transmission priority to trigger resource (re)selection).

[0195] In this case, the RX UE is expected to provide feedback to all competing UEs according to priority rules that handle constraints on the maximum number of simultaneous feedbacks per slot. In this case, the received feedback can be interpreted by the TX UE as a request to reselect a reserved resource or to reduce TX power.

[0196] (F.1.a.3) Option 3: TX UE with higher transmission priority (only sent to TX UEs that are expected to increase retransmissions for a given TB).

[0197] In this case, the RX UE is expected to take into account the priority of the TX UE in determining the target TX UE for feedback. In this case, the received feedback can be interpreted by the TX UE as a request to adjust the retransmission strategy for the affected TB, increase the TX power, or take other action based on the UE implementation.

[0198] (F.1.a.4) Inter-UE coordinated feedback transmission may be subject to (pre)configuration. (Pre)configuration may restrict the generation of feedback only to a subset of sidelink transmission priority values ​​associated with the TX UE (i.e., a subset pre-configured or predefined by the upper layer).

[0199] (F.1.a.5) Inter-UE coordination transmission can also rely on congestion control-related measurements.

[0200] (F.1.a.6) The above options are not mutually exclusive.

[0201] (F.2) In the case of half-duplex / collision during transmission, (F.2.a) The target UE for inter-UE collaborative feedback is determined by the RX UE.

[0202] (F.2.a.1) Option 1: A TX UE with a lower or equal transmission priority.

[0203] (F.2.a.2) Option 2: TX UE that is not related to transmission priority.

[0204] (F.2.a.3) Option 3: TX UE with a higher or equal transmission priority.

[0205] (F.2.a.4) In all options, the TX UE is not expected to make resource concessions because a conflict has already occurred, but it may adjust the retransmission strategy and / or TX power level for subsequent transmissions.

[0206] (G) Handling of conflicts in multiple reservations.

[0207] As of the current Rel.16, depending on the configuration settings, each SCI can reserve up to two resources if N_SCI_max is 3. RX UE may detect conflicts in both reservations. In this case, the following options can be considered:

[0208] (G.1) Option 1: Generate feedback on the fastest competing time resource.

[0209] (G.2) Option 2: Generate feedback on both competing resources. Option 2 may introduce unnecessary complexity regarding TX and RX UE behavior, while Option 1 is simpler and therefore recommended for the specification.

[0210] Exemplary embodiments may include one or more of the following: Inter-UE collaborative feedback is configured such that the content is based on a transmitter source ID, resource ID, resource ID of a competing resource, inter-UE collaborative feedback type, transmission priority of a competing transmission, or any combination of the above. An inter-UE collaborative feedback scheme is configured in which the feedback is signaled over a PSFCH. In some embodiments, a single PRB, sequence-based PSFCH is used. In some embodiments, multiple PRBs, sequence-based PSFCHs are used, extended from the definition in Rel. 16. In some embodiments, channel code and DMRS-based PSFCHs are used. In some embodiments, the feedback is signaled over first and second-stage SCIs. In some embodiments, the signaling uses a new first SCI format containing feedback information. In some embodiments, the signaling uses a new second SCI format containing feedback information. In some embodiments, the transmission of PSCCH-based feedback follows the sensing and resource selection procedures used. In some embodiments, the resources for SCI1, which carries inter-UE coordination, are configured separately from other SCI transmissions. In some embodiments, the resources for SCI1 reside in a separate resource pool. In some embodiments, feedback is signaled as MAC CE on a shared channel (PSSCH). In some embodiments, feedback is signaled via a network (Uu interface).

[0211] In some embodiments, inter-UE cooperative feedback on a PSFCH is configured using a dedicated resource pool for inter-UE cooperation. In some embodiments, a separate PRB bitmap indicates PSFCH resources solely for inter-UE cooperative feedback. In some embodiments, a separate period of the PSFCH is defined solely for inter-UE cooperative feedback. In some embodiments, inter-UE cooperative feedback on a PSFCH is configured using a shared resource pool. In some embodiments, different resource IDs are used for inter-UE cooperative feedback and HARQ feedback, depending on the PSFCH type. In some embodiments, a common resource ID is used for inter-UE cooperation and HARQ feedback. In some embodiments, a PSFCH resource determination scheme is configured for inter-UE cooperation, where the resource is a function of a slot index, Tx UE resource index, Tx UE source ID, destination ID, TX zone ID, Tx target communication range ID, service ID, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, resource determination results in transmissions of the same frequency network type when multiple UEs transmit feedback.

[0212] In some aspects, the PSFCH resource is (P ID +M ID +L ID )modR PRB,CS PSFCH It is calculated as, here, P ID This is the physical layer source ID provided by the SCI format 2-A or 2-B for scheduling PSSCH reception, and M ID This is the identification information of the UE receiving the PSSCH, as indicated by the upper layer, if the UE detects an SCI format 2-A with a cast type indicator field value of "01", otherwise M ID L is 0, ID This is the ID offset corresponding to the inter-UE coordination information, and when PSFCH carries HARQ information, L ID = 0. Regarding inter-UE cooperation information, L IDThis may be derived from the upper layer configuration or SCI format 2-A or 2-B, and may also be a function of the parameters listed above.

[0213] In some embodiments, a set of PSFCH PRBs R for frequency code resource selection. PRB,CS PSFCH =N type PSFCH ·M subch,slot PSFCH ·N CS PSFCH M subch,slot PSFCH This can be derived by dividing it into two parts: the first part is for a normal PSFCH that carries HARQ, and the second part is for a PSFCH that carries inter-UE coordination information.

[0214] In some embodiments, an inter-UE cooperative feedback scheme is configured, and the determination of the target TX UE for inter-UE cooperative feedback from the RX UE is based on one or more Tx UEs with lower priority in the case of half-duplex / collision reservation assuming a lower priority UE that generates a resource; in the case of half-duplex / collision reservation assuming a resource reselection, the Tx UE competes with all transmitting UEs; in the case of half-duplex / collision reservation assuming further retransmission, the Tx UE with higher priority is based on a Tx UE with lower or higher priority in the case of half-duplex / collision in transmission assuming retransmission measures and other transmitted signals are considered; and in the case of retransmission measures and other transmitted signals, the Tx UE is based regardless of transmission priority.

[0215] In some embodiments, the disclosed technology includes a method for determining a UE for inter-UE collaborative feedback. In some embodiments, the disclosed technology can be used to constitute the following novel UE behaviors.

[0216] (a) Classification of sidelink contention and RX-based determination of sidelink contention as part of the sensing procedure.

[0217] (b) UE determination for feedback indicating sidelink competition to TX UE.

[0218] (c) Enhancement of TX-based resource allocation based on inter-UE collaborative feedback.

[0219] In some embodiments, RX UE(UE R The ) may detect half-duplex or co-channel collision events and can provide inter-UE coordinated feedback to the TX UE. The following half-duplex and co-channel collision events, namely, half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX), half-duplex in the reservation (HD-RSV), half-duplex in reception (HD-RX), co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX), and co-channel collision in the reservation (CC-RSV), can be detected by the RX UE.

[0220] In sidelink communication, multiple RX UEs can detect such events and can therefore be considered potential candidates for providing inter-UE collaborative feedback. In some embodiments, the following may be considered in relation to the disclosed technology: which RX UE should provide inter-UE collaborative feedback and which TX UE should receive the feedback.

[0221] In some embodiments, the disclosed technology can be used to determine candidate UEs for sending inter-UE collaborative feedback. RX UE(UE) for inter-UE collaborative signaling R The selection of candidate UEs from among them can be based on the following set of conditions, which may include the following:

[0222] (A) Cooperative feedback is configured (pre-) using relevant conditions and configuration settings for inter-UE cooperative feedback signaling.

[0223] (B)UE R is at least one of the TX UEs (i.e., UE) Q or UE P They are a group member of ).

[0224] (B.1) The definition of group members may follow a predefined / preconfigured distance criterion for inter-UE cooperative feedback (between the UER and TX UE, i.e., between the UEQ or UEP). In certain embodiments, a target communication range signaled by the TX UE can be used in the SCI.

[0225] (B.2) The definition of group members may follow predefined / preconfigured SL-RSRP criteria for inter-UE collaborative feedback (between UER and TX UE, i.e., between UEQ or UEP).

[0226] (B.3) The definition of group members may follow an association with a common destination ID and / or source ID.

[0227] (C)UE R Although not considered a group member from a communication services perspective, the following conditions are met:

[0228] (C.1) Depending on which(s) options are supported and predefined / preconfigured, UE R , UE P Only within a predefined / preconfigured distance (or distance range) from, or UE P Only within the predefined / preconfigured SL-RSRP value (or SL-RSRP value range). In certain embodiments, the target communication range signaled by the TX UEP in the SCI can be used.

[0229] (C.2)UE Ris the UE P Determine a half-duplex or same-channel collision related to transmission, and the UE P needs an indication thereto.

[0230] (C.3) Depending on which option(s) are supported and pre-defined / pre-configured, the UE R is within a pre-defined / pre-configured distance (or distance range) only from the UE Q or within a pre-defined / pre-configured SL-RSRP value (or SL-RSRP value range) only from the UE Q . In certain embodiments, the target communication range signaled by the TX UEQ in the SCI can be used.

[0231] (C.4) The UE R determines a half-duplex or same-channel collision related to UEQ transmission, and the UE Q needs an indication thereto.

[0232] (C.5) Depending on which option(s) are supported and pre-defined / pre-configured, the UE R is within a pre-defined / pre-configured distance (or distance range) of the UE P and the UE Q or within a pre-defined / pre-configured SL-RSRP value (or SL-RSRP range).

[0233] (C.6) The UE R determines that an indication to more than one TX UE (i.e., the UE P and the UE Q or other UEs) is required.

[0234] In some aspects, assistance regarding half-duplex / collision indication can be provided by UEs within or outside the target communication range signaled by the TX UE, or using pre-configured distance or SL-RSRP criteria.

[0235] (D) Whether the UE is assumed to provide an indication can be controlled as follows.

[0236] (D.1) Predetermined / preconfigured SL-RSRP range [RSRP1, RSRP2] or RSRP limit - RSRPmin for the TX UE.

[0237] (D.2) Predetermined / preconfigured distance [D1, D2] or distance limit - Dmax for the TX UE.

[0238] In some aspects, these ranges can also depend on the congestion control state. This means adapting the relevant thresholds based on CBR and / or CR measurements, which can result in less cooperative feedback in the case of a highly congested medium.

[0239] In some aspects, to control the number of transmissions within each slot and reduce the power consumption of the UE providing feedback, the decision regarding feedback transmission can be a function of the slot index and the assigned UE ID or feedback ID (e.g., UE source ID, MAC address, etc.). In this case, all UEs may be evenly distributed over time slots for feedback transmission. For example, the UE expected to transmit within slot n needs to satisfy the following condition, i.e., n = mod(UE ID, FeedbackCycle), where the feedback cycle defines the minimum time interval between feedback transmissions for each UE. In short, the slot for feedback transmission can be defined as a function of other parameters. Each UE or group member can be explicitly associated with a specific point in time / slot for feedback transmission.

[0240] Alternatively, a probabilistic approach can be used, and the UE can be configured using random variables / events to determine whether it needs to transmit feedback within each slot. In this case, the probability of feedback transmission can be configured.

[0241] The disclosed technology may include one or more of the following embodiments: RX UE(or UE) (for example, UE) R ) provides one or more feedbacks to the TX UE (multiple possible UEs) (e.g., UEs) containing information to mitigate / avoid the following sidelink contentions: half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX), half-duplex in the reservation (HD-RSV), half-duplex in reception (HD-RX), co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX), and co-channel collision in the reservation (CC-RSV). P / UE Q A method for determining whether or not it is necessary to provide (to the group member (UE) is disclosed. In some embodiments, the decision of whether or not the RX UE is necessary to provide collaborative feedback is made by the group member (UE) R This is at least one of the TX UEs (i.e., UE) Q or UE P The group members (UEs) are (pre) configured with relevant conditions and configuration settings for inter-UE collaborative feedback signaling, and the determination of the group members themselves is based on predefined / pre-configured distance criteria (UEs) for inter-UE collaborative feedback. R and TX UE, that is, UE Q or UE P (In certain embodiments, the target communication range signaled by the TX UE in the SCI can be used), and the determination of group members is based on predefined / preconfigured SL-RSRP criteria for inter-UE cooperative feedback (UE R and TX UE, that is, UE Q or UE P The group member determination can follow the following (between), and the determination can follow the association with the common destination ID and / or source ID.

[0242] In some embodiments, the decision of whether or not the RX UE needs to provide collaborative feedback is (pre)configured using relevant conditions and configuration settings for inter-UE collaborative feedback signaling, R This includes cases where a UE is not considered a group member from the perspective of communication services, but meets the following conditions: R This depends on which options (multiple options are possible) are supported and whether they are predefined / preconfigured, UE P Only can it be within a predefined / preconfigured distance (or distance range) from, or UE P It can only be within a predefined / preconfigured SL-RSRP value (or SL-RSRP value range). In some embodiments, the TX UE in SCI P The target communication range signaled by can be used. In some embodiments, UE R , UE P Determine half-duplex or same-channel collisions related to transmission, UE P Instructions for that are needed.

[0243] Depending on which options (multiple options are possible) are supported and whether they are predefined / preconfigured, UE R , UE Q Only within a predefined / preconfigured distance (or distance range) from, or UE Q Only within the predefined / preconfigured SL-RSRP value (or SL-RSRP value range).

[0244] In certain embodiments, the TX UE in the SCI Q The target communication range signaled by can be used.

[0245] In some embodiments, a decision can be made as to whether or not the RX UE needs to provide feedback. In some embodiments, the UE R , UE Q Determine half-duplex or collision related to transmission, UE Q Instructions for that are needed.

[0246] In some aspects, the supported and predefined / preconfigured options depend on the UE. R , UE P and UE Q It is within a predefined / preconfigured distance (or distance range) or within a predefined / preconfigured SL-RSRP value (or SL-RSRP range).

[0247] In some aspects, UE R This is one more TX UE (i.e., UE) P and UE Q Alternatively, you may decide that feedback instructions are needed for other UEs.

[0248] In certain embodiments, the TX UE in the SCI Q The target communication range signaled by can be used.

[0249] In some aspects, UE R , UE Q Determine half-duplex or collision related to transmission, UE Q Instructions for that are needed.

[0250] In some aspects, the supported and predefined / preconfigured options depend on the UE. R , UE P and UE Q It is within a predefined / preconfigured distance (or distance range) or within a predefined / preconfigured SL-RSRP value (or SL-RSRP range).

[0251] In some embodiments, UE R This refers to more than one TX UE (i.e., UE) P and UE Q Alternatively, it is determined that instructions need to be given to another UE.

[0252] In some embodiments, the determination of whether or not the RX UE needs to provide feedback involves a random process having a predefined probability or function of the slot index and UE ID (source ID, etc.).

[0253] Energy efficiency and low power consumption are key attributes of modern wireless communication system design. Power saving mechanisms / features are directly integrated into the radio interface protocol. The disclosed technologies include mechanisms applicable to the NR sidelink air interface. The NR V2X sidelink communication protocol is primarily designed for vehicle-to-vehicle communication and provides reliable low-latency communication capabilities for mission-critical services. However, the design in Rel.16 NR V2X air interface may have inefficiencies with respect to power consumption, and therefore, new mechanisms aimed at providing substantial power savings are being studied / discussed at 3GPP.

[0254] The disclosed technology can be used to address specific power-saving modes of the physical layer and to provide solutions for these modes.

[0255] Solutions based on reliability (e.g., sensing for resource selection) and power consumption (e.g., random resource selection and partially sensing-based resource selection) are associated with certain inefficiencies (e.g., high UE power consumption and insufficient reliability levels for V2X applications requiring ultra-high reliability under low latency).

[0256] (A) Extensions related to interUE collaborative feedback (A.1) Instructions for inter-UE cooperative information processing capability.

[0257] Regarding UE - to - UE coordinated feedback, it can be important to know whether this feedback is considered by the transmitter. It is unclear from transmission whether the transmitting - side device can respond to UE - to - UE coordinated feedback. This means that, in a transparent way, a UE that can provide feedback needs to know this ability unless the feedback is provided, for example, through HARQ feedback generation. Therefore, it is beneficial to signal the UE - to - UE coordinated feedback consideration ability during transmission. In particular, a UE can request UE - to - UE coordinated feedback in the SCI. This can be signaled in the SCI at the first (SCI format 1 - X) or second (SCI format 2 - Y) stage and during the capability exchange in the group or unicast connection setup.

[0258] The first - stage SCI (format 1 - X). In some aspects, a configurable number of reserved bits may become available. Thus, it is possible to use these reserved bits to indicate the ability of a device to respond to UE - to - UE coordinated feedback. In this case, the transmitting UE sets this bit in its transmission and thus requests UE - to - UE coordinated feedback from other UEs.

[0259] Alternatively, assuming that a new SCI format(s) is monitored in a separately provided resource pool that avoids backward - compatibility issues, a new SCI format 1 - X may be used, or the RRC - configurable presence of a new field within the existing SCI format 1 - A may be specified.

[0260] Second-stage SCI (Format 2-Y). In some embodiments, a new second-stage SCI format may be defined, which includes information about the UE-to-UE co-feedback capability of the control information transmitter and a requirement for providing UE-to-UE co-feedback. This is desirable if signaling this capability in the control channel using as few bits as possible. This means that in many cases, one bit is sufficient to signal this capability. However, this may be (pre)configured when this capability should be signaled. This processing may depend on physical layer priority, cast type, and / or congestion control state.

[0261] In both SCI cases (first stage or second stage), the UE also includes a request for feedback regarding the following sidelink contention types: half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX), half-duplex in the reservation (HD-RSV), half-duplex in reception (HD-RX), co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX), and co-channel collision in the reservation (CC-RSV). If you wish to specify which type of feedback is requested, you can use more than one bit.

[0262] In some embodiments, unicast and groupcast can be used to enable the exchange of inter-UE cooperative feedback during unicast or groupcast connection setup. In its simplest form, the information exchange during connection setup may be a single-bit indication of the ability to respond to inter-UE coordination. However, inter-UE coordination can also signal separate capabilities for each collision type. Conflict types can be half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX), half-duplex in the reservation (HD-RSV), half-duplex in reception (HD-RX), co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX), and co-channel collision in the reservation (CC-RSV).

[0263] In some embodiments, this capability can be further defined for each physical layer transmission priority. This allows, for example, a UE to respond only to inter-UE coordination feedback in the case of a high priority. The set of required feedback types can be associated with the priority value through (pre)configuration signaling.

[0264] (A.2) Destination UE for collaborative feedback (details of destination selection).

[0265] As a result of detecting any type of collision (e.g., HD-TX, HD-RSV, HD-RX, CC-TX, and CC-RSV), the cooperative UE may generate one or more inter-UE cooperative feedbacks to one or more TX UEs. Generating multiple feedbacks can lead to the following problems:

[0266] (A.2.a) Overload of the feedback physical channel.

[0267] (A.2.a.1) A coordinated UE may have to generate multiple feedbacks addressed to different UEs simultaneously. A large number of generated feedbacks can reduce the reliability of feedback delivery for several reasons, such as shared transmit power or increased payload size.

[0268] (A.2.a.2) If a coordinating UE has limited transmission capability with respect to the number of feedbacks, some feedbacks may need to be given lower priority (e.g., dropped or transmitted at reduced power).

[0269] (A.2.b) Degradation of overall system performance.

[0270] (A.2.b.1) In some cases, the overall system performance may benefit from selective inter-UE collaborative feedback reporting. For example, if CC-RSV or HD-RSV is detected, the collaborative UE may report feedback to all detected sidelink competitors. If each UE that receives the collaborative feedback performs resource reselection, a new non-signaling resource will be selected by each UE, which may degrade system performance. Consequently, such behavior may degrade system performance if a reserved resource has already been excluded from candidate resources by other UEs during sensing but was ultimately not used for transmission.

[0271] (A.3) Rules for selecting destination UEs for inter-UE collaborative feedback (prioritization rules).

[0272] In one embodiment, if a collision with N participating nodes is detected, the cooperative UE may choose to send feedback to K of these nodes. For example, the following options or combinations of options may be used to select K from the N detected candidates for feedback.

[0273] (A.3.a) Option 1: A random selection from N to K.

[0274] (A.3.b) Option 2: Based on the timing of resource reservation signaling transmission (sidelink frame / slot index ranking). In this case, the parameters for receiving reservation information may be used to select the feedback recipient. In one embodiment, information about the slot index or transmission of slot index of a resource preceding the reserved resource with sidelink conflict may be used. Cooperative feedback may be sent to the UE that most recently transmitted the reservation information (i.e., the UE that made the most recent reservation that caused the conflict, i.e., the one whose reservation caused the conflict).

[0275] (A.3.c) Option 3: Based on resource reservation signaling. The parameters of the indicated resource preceding the resource with the detected collision may be used to select a collaborative feedback target. For example, collaborative feedback may be generated towards a UE that initiates resource allocation using a PRB with a lower (or higher) index.

[0276] (A.3.d) Option 4: Control signaling parameters. In one embodiment, source ID and transmission priority, and sidelink contention type may be used to select the co-feedback destination.

[0277] (B) Extensions related to partial sensing (B.1) Monitoring window settings (TA, TB) for non-periodic traffic.

[0278] In some cases, aperiodic traffic has an unknown packet arrival time. It may not be possible to wake up and sense the radio environment immediately before packet arrival, and therefore, a partial sensing procedure can be directly activated by a resource (re)selection trigger. In this case, two options are possible:

[0279] Option 1: The UE performs partial sensing over N=32 logical slots (SCI signaling window duration), and then triggers a resource selection procedure while continuing sensing until the last retransmission of the TB.

[0280] Option 2: The UE triggers both the partial sensing and resource selection procedures simultaneously. In this case, the UE can ultimately transmit the sensing information before aggregating it from N=32 logical slots.

[0281] Option 2 may be considered more general, since Option 1 can be achieved by the UE implementation if the packet delay budget is sufficiently large. In this regard, the following monitoring window settings can be used.

[0282] (a) TA ≤ ΔA (ΔA = 1 slot if the monitoring window starts from slot "n+1"). The value of ΔA may depend on the maximum time required to switch from sleep state to monitoring state (this may be different for different sleep states, i.e., micro, light, and deep). This process may be based on the assumption that the UE may be in a sleep state when a resource (re)selection trigger is received.

[0283] In some aspects, given that the time point "n" of the resource (re)selection trigger (arriving packet) is not known in advance, this cannot be compensated for by the UE, and therefore it may be assumed that this affects the monitoring window definition.

[0284] In some embodiments, the UE ensures that the device is already in a monitored state by the time the physical layer receives a resource (re)selection trigger. This means that the upper layers delay resource (re)selection triggers in the upper layers until the device wakes up from any possible sleep state. This has the advantage that device-specific wake-up times can be accurately taken into account.

[0285] (b) TB = ΔB - T3 ≤ PDB.

[0286] (b.1) Option 1: T3 ≤ Tproc, x = (Tproc, 1 + Tproc, 0).

[0287] (b.2) Option 2: T3 ≤ Tproc, x = Tproc, 1.

[0288] (b.3) Option 3: T3 ≤ Tproc, x = Tproc, 0.

[0289] (b.4) Option 4: T3=0.

[0290] (b.5) Option 5: T3 is equal to a predetermined value that is different from Tproc,1 and Tproc,0 or any combination thereof.

[0291] (b.6) Case A (HARQ enabled). ΔB corresponds to the slot where the last HARQ feedback for a given sidelink HARQ process is expected to be received. In NACK-only mode, the PSFCH slot where no NACK was detected. In ACK / NACK mode, the PSFCH slot where the last expected ACK was received.

[0292] (b.7) Case B (HARQ disabled - blind transmission). ΔB corresponds to the slot that carries the last (re)transmission of TB.

[0293] (b.8) Case C (last retransmission). ΔB corresponds to the slot that carries the last (re)transmission of TB, regardless of whether HARQ feedback is requested by the TX UE.

[0294] (b.9) Case D (HARQ + Inter-UE Coordinated Feedback). ΔB corresponds to the slot that carries the HARQ feedback for the last retransmission of TB, which can be triggered by the Inter-UE Coordinated Feedback.

[0295] (b.10) Case E (HARQ disabled in interUE collaborative feedback). ΔB corresponds to the slot that carries the last (re)transmission of TB, triggered by interUE collaborative feedback.

[0296] In some embodiments, the value of TB may depend on the last retransmission of a given TB or the slot having the last HARQ feedback provided for a given TB.

[0297] (B.2) Setting monitoring windows (TA,TB) for periodic traffic.

[0298] While semi-persistent transmit / reserve may not be supported by the resource pool, the UE implementation can still predict packet arrival times in the case of periodic traffic and thus wake up just before the next TB transmit and sense the radio environment. In this case, UE partial sensing can be triggered in N=32 logical slots before the resource reselection trigger, thereby making sensing data across one SCI signaling window available before the arrival of a new TB / packet. In this case, the following two options are possible:

[0299] Option 1: The UE triggers partial sensing on 32 logical slots (SCI signaling window duration) before the next resource reselection trigger and continues sensing until the last retransmission of TB.

[0300] Option 2: The UE simultaneously triggers both partial sensing and resource reselection procedures. In this case, the UE can finally transmit the sensing information from the 32 logical slots by the time it is aggregated.

[0301] Option 1 is best suited for periodic traffic when semi-persistent reservations are disabled in the resource pool. This may also be applied for better coexistence of periodic and aperiodic traffic when semi-persistent reservations are enabled in the sidelink resource pool. Thus, since Option 1 can provide greater reliability for transmissions associated with periodic traffic, it can be used in several aspects if similar behavior is agreed upon for enabled semi-persistent reservations in the resource pool.

[0302] In some embodiments, the following monitoring window settings can be used.

[0303] (a)-max((ΔA+tn-32), resource selection window size)≦TA≦1 slot, where tn-32 is the physical distance in the slot to the 32 logical slots preceding the slot with physical index n. The value of ΔA can be adapted by the UE implementation so that the start of the watch window is determined by the following:

[0304] (a.1) Option 1: -max(tn-32 slots, resource selection window size) ≤ TA ≤ 1 slot (a.2) Option 2: TA = -max(tn - 32 slots, resource selection window size).

[0305] (a.3) Option 3: Provided to the physical layer by the upper layer within the range of -max((ΔA+tn-32), resource selection window size) ≤ TA ≤ 1 slot.

[0306] (b) TB (for example, the same options as for aperiodic traffic can be used).

[0307] (B.3) The minimum value Y of the candidate slot.

[0308] In some embodiments, the range of values ​​for the minimum number of candidate slots Y adjusts the number of slots that a UE using partial sensing needs to monitor. For partial sensing in LTE V2X, values ​​in the range of 1 to 13 can be defined. The minimum value of Y should be defined for each priority level as the minimum resource selection window determined by T2,min, and this is also a function of priority.

[0309] (B.4) Congestion control.

[0310] In partial sensing, the number of slots used for CBR measurement can be reduced compared to full sensing. Due to the lack of experimentation / averaging, coarse CBR measurements and their variability / deviation can affect system performance in the case of congestion control. This is because of the reduced amount of resources used for this measurement, and therefore the increased deviation in the measurement.

[0311] In Rel.16 NR V2X, changes in CBR measurements can also change the congestion control state, making it possible that different MCSs may be selected for further retransmission of TBs. A modified MCS in Rel.16 NR V2X can often result in different allocation sizes and different TBSs. If the TBS is changed, combining the LLR with the physical layer is no longer possible. Thus, the general principles of HARQ are broken. Due to partial sensing in Rel.17 NR V2X, this may occur more frequently due to coarse CBR measurements.

[0312] In some aspects, an exemplary solution to this problem is to retain the MCS and use the one selected for the initial transmission of the TB. However, this is not always perfectly suited to the current state of the shared transmission medium.

[0313] In some embodiments, it may be possible to limit the amount of congestion control state for a partial sensing UE. This means that even if estimation quality is reduced, the likelihood of changing the state for subsequent transmissions is reduced.

[0314] In some embodiments, it may be possible to define a new CBR table for a UE in partial sensing mode to control the number of subchannels, retransmissions, MCS entries, and TX power depending on the CBR measurement.

[0315] (B.5) Interaction between UE SL DRX and partial sensing behavior.

[0316] In some embodiments, full sensing by definition does not allow a device to enter the DRX state, so the SL DRX and full sensing configurations may be mutually exclusive. The SL DRX configuration can take into account the traffic properties of the device (i.e., TX UE) using the DRX mechanism. Furthermore, the partial sensing procedure must take into account the SL DRX configuration of all potential receivers (i.e., RX UE). The following examples describe configurations for unicast scenarios. To adapt these to communication with multiple receivers, the SL DRX configuration represents the intersection of all known active times. For groupcasts, all participating devices using SL DRX can synchronize these DRX cycles or at least agree on a minimum pattern.

[0317] (B.5.a) Periodic traffic.

[0318] For periodic traffic, the SL DRX active time must be aligned with the periodic transmission interval. In this regard, for semi-persistent reservations, the UE can only select resources within the receiver's active time. This can be achieved by making the SL DRX period the same as the periodic transmission or an integer multiple thereof. This ensures that there is at least one SL DRX active time for each transmission of periodic traffic.

[0319] (B.5.b) Aperiodic traffic.

[0320] For aperiodic traffic, the SL DRX active time period may be aligned with the expected communication frequency and PDB. This means that if the physical layer receives a resource selection trigger during an inactive period, it must be ensured that the permitted PDB overlaps with at least one of the subsequent SL DRX active times.

[0321] For periodic and aperiodic traffic, the minimum SL DRX active time can be at least the same size as the minimum resource selection time window T2,min; otherwise, the fairness principle of the mode 2 resource selection algorithm may be violated.

[0322] The following paragraphs further describe how SL DRX active time limits the selection window for resource selection. This process can be carried out similarly for aperiodic and periodic traffic. In some embodiments, the configured SL DRX active time may be configured differently for these cases.

[0323] Figure 13 shows an example of a resource (re)selection trigger using a minimum selection window that starts before the SL DRX active time in several embodiments.

[0324] In FIG. 13, the resource reselection trigger comes before the SL DRX active time. Since the minimum selection window does not completely overlap with the SL DRX time, in extreme cases, the minimum selection window may not overlap with the SL DRX time. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to adjust the start of the minimum selection window to the start of the SL DRX active time.

[0325] If traffic arrives before the start of the SL DRX active time, the following solutions are possible.

[0326] (a) Solution 1: The resource (re)selection trigger is delayed by the upper layer. In this case, the upper layer indicates the resource (re)selection trigger in slot n, and for slot n, it is ensured that the latest possible start of the selection window (n + T1) is already within the SL DRX active time of all potential receivers of the transmission.

[0327] (b) Solution 2: The start of the selection window is set to the start of the SL DRX active time by resource selection. The corresponding earliest end time of the selection window is shifted accordingly to take into account this late start of the window.

[0328] In some aspects, for Solution 2, the calculation of the start time of the resource selection window needs to be changed. Currently, for full sensing, T1 is left to the UE implementation within the range of 0 ≦ T1 ≦ Tproc,1. To adapt to the start time of the SL DRX active time, this means that two cases of n + Tproc,1 < nactive,start and n + Tproc,1 ≧ nactive,start need to be distinguished, where nactive,start is the start of the SL DRX active time.

[0329] (b.1) When n + Tproc,1 < nactive,start: The value of T1 is left to the UE implementation within the range of nactive,start - n ≦ T1 ≦ Tproc,1.

[0330] (b.2) When n+Tproc,1≧nactive,start: The sensing window starts after the minimum processing time, so T1=nactive,start-n.

[0331] Figure 14 shows an example of a resource (re)selection trigger using a minimum selection window that terminates after the SL DRX active time in several different configurations.

[0332] In Figure 14, the minimum selection window extends beyond the SL DRX active time. If resources are selected outside of the SL DRX time, they may not be received. The following solutions can be used to address this problem.

[0333] (a) Solution 1: If the minimum selection window cannot be met, resource selection is delayed until the next SL DRX active time. This delay may be performed at a higher layer. The physical layer may also report to the higher layer that resource allocation is not possible. In some cases, it may even provide information on whether transmission is achievable given the next SL DRX active time and PDB. The higher layer may then decide whether to drop the transmission or re-trigger resource (re)selection at the next SL DRX active time. Note that this scenario should only be used for aperiodic traffic.

[0334] (b) Solution 2: Define the minimum selection window that may be available for selection. Otherwise, resource selection should be handled as in Solution 1.

[0335] Regarding Solution 2, the exit of the resource selection window takes into account the known end of the SL DRX active time. The definition of the relevant parameter for Rel.16 NR V2X is as follows: "If T2min is shorter than the remaining packet delay budget (per slot), T2 is set to the remaining packet delay budget (per slot) for UE implementations that follow T2min ≤ T2 ≤ the remaining packet delay budget (per slot); otherwise, T2 is set to the remaining packet delay budget (per slot)." To adapt to the end of the SL DRX active time, the definition can be reformatted as: "If T2min is shorter than min(the remaining packet delay budget (per slot), the remaining RX SL DRX active time (per slot)), T2 is set to the remaining packet delay budget (per slot), for UE implementations that follow T2min ≤ T2 ≤ min(the remaining packet delay budget (per slot), the remaining RX SL DRX active time (per slot)); otherwise, T2 is set to min(the remaining packet delay budget (per slot), the remaining RX SL DRX active time (per slot))."

[0336] In addition to the above considerations, partial sensing may also consider retransmissions via either HARQ or inter-UE collaborative feedback. This means that resource selection needs to know how much the SL DRX active time will be extended if any feedback is received.

[0337] The disclosed technology may include one or more of the following embodiments: a method for NR sidelink communication having inter-UE coordinating feedback is disclosed, which includes requesting sidelink inter-UE coordinating feedback, negotiating a sidelink inter-UE coordinating feedback setting, and prioritizing rules for transmitting inter-UE coordinating feedback.

[0338] In some embodiments, a request for sidelink UE-to-UE collaborative feedback includes at least one instruction in the SCI of a request for sidelink UE-to-UE collaboration, an instruction in the SCI of the type of sidelink UE-to-UE collaborative feedback requested, and an exchange of capabilities for UE-to-UE collaborative feedback processing.

[0339] In some embodiments, the instructions include the use of reserved bits in SCI format 1A / 1B or 2A / 2B to indicate a request for and / or type of inter-UE collaborative feedback, the design of a new SCI format 1X / 1Y or 2X / 2Y to indicate a request for and type of inter-UE collaborative feedback, and instructions indicating that the UE is capable of supporting inter-UE collaborative feedback.

[0340] In some embodiments, the types of interUE cooperative feedback include half-duplex in transmission (HD-TX), half-duplex in the reservation (HD-RSV), half-duplex in reception (HD-RX), co-channel collision in transmission (CC-TX), and co-channel collision in the reservation (CC-RSV).

[0341] In some embodiments, negotiation of sidelink UE-to-sidelink UE coordinating feedback settings includes the ability to transmit and respond to feedback, the ability to transmit and respond to feedback associated with different types (e.g., HD-TX, HD-RSV, HD-RX, CC-TX, and CC-RSV), and the ability to transmit and respond to feedback separated by transmission priority.

[0342] In some embodiments, the prioritization rules for inter-UE collaborative feedback transmission include a UE request for signaled inter-UE collaborative feedback, the UE capability to process it, a random selection from all possible feedbacks given according to the UE capability to transmit the feedback, the timing at which competing UEs transmit their respective resource reservations based on reserved slots / subchannels, and parameters for control signaling.

[0343] In some embodiments, inter-UE collaborative feedback is provided to the UEs regarding which transmission created a sidelink conflict, and which frame / slot index has the last reservation causing the conflict.

[0344] In some embodiments, the method for partial sensing includes sensing periodic traffic and / or aperiodic traffic. In some embodiments, sensing for aperiodic traffic begins before the resource selection trigger. In some embodiments, sensing for aperiodic traffic begins simultaneously with the resource reselection trigger. In some embodiments, the monitoring window begins one slot after the resource reselection trigger, depending on a device implementation specific time shorter than the sleep-to-active monitoring switchover time or a defined maximum switchover time from sleep-to-active monitoring. In some embodiments, the monitoring window ends at the maximum processing time before the last retransmission of the TB or the maximum processing time before the end of the remaining PDBs. In some embodiments, sensing for periodic traffic begins before the resource selection trigger. In some embodiments, sensing for periodic traffic begins simultaneously with the resource reselection trigger. In some embodiments, the monitoring window begins in a slot that ensures all further transmissions reserved in the preceding transmission's SCI have elapsed, in an implementation-defined slot greater than one but smaller than the aforementioned slot, in a slot that ensures the maximum value of the aforementioned slot or resource selection window that starts from the resource reselection trigger has elapsed, and / or in an implementation-defined slot greater than one but smaller than the aforementioned slot.

[0345] In some embodiments, the monitoring window is paused for the maximum processing time before the last retransmission of the TB, or for the maximum processing time before the end of the remaining PDBs.

[0346] In some embodiments, the minimum number of candidate resources is defined for each transmit priority. In some embodiments, transmit parameters related to congestion control are not changed for subsequent transmits of the same TB. In some embodiments, transmit parameters related to congestion control are redefined for partial sensing only. In some embodiments, the SL DRX configuration is aligned with the period and associated PDB requirements of periodic traffic. In some embodiments, the SL DRX configuration is aligned with the assumed communication frequency and traffic PDB requirements of aperiodic traffic. In some embodiments, the SL DRX configuration for all receivers is known for transmits. In some embodiments, the start of the resource selection window is aligned with the start of the receiver's SL DRX active time. In some embodiments, the resource selection trigger is delayed to ensure resource selection window alignment with the start of the SL DRX active time. In some embodiments, resource selection is delayed until the next SL DRX active time if the minimum resource selection window cannot fit within the remaining SL DRX active time by delaying the resource (re)selection trigger at the upper layer or delaying resource (re)selection at the physical layer.

[0347] In some embodiments, a minimum resource selection window specific to partial sensing is defined for each priority. In some embodiments, the end of the resource selection window for subsequent transmissions of the same TB is aligned with the end of the SL DRX active time.

[0348] Figure 15 shows block diagrams of communication devices such as evolved Node-B (eNB), new generation Node-B (gNB) (or another RAN node or base station), transmission-reception point (TRP), access point (AP), wireless station (STA), mobile station (MS), or user equipment (UE) in several embodiments. In an alternative embodiment, the communication device 1500 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected to other communication devices (e.g., network connection).

[0349] A circuit (e.g., a processing circuit) is a collection of circuits implemented on a tangible entity of device 1500, which includes hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). The membership of a circuit may become flexible over time. A circuit includes components that can perform a specified operation individually or in combination when in operation. In one example, the hardware of a circuit may be designed immutably to perform a particular operation (e.g., hardwired). In one example, the hardware of a circuit may include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) which include a machine-readable medium that is physically modified (e.g., magnetically, electrically, or a movable arrangement of immutable aggregate particles, etc.) to encode instructions for a particular operation.

[0350] When connecting physical components, the underlying electrical properties of the hardware components are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor, or vice versa. Instructions allow embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or loading mechanism) to create members of a circuit within the hardware via variable connections to perform a specific part of an operation during operation. Thus, in one example, a machine-readable media element is part of a circuit or is communicatively coupled to other components of a circuit when the device is operating. In one example, any of the physical components may be used in more than one member of more than one circuit. For example, during operation, an execution unit may be used at one point in a first circuit of a first circuit and reused at a different point in time by a second circuit of the first circuit or a third circuit of the second circuit. Further examples of these components relating to device 1500 follow below.

[0351] In some embodiments, device 1500 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected to other devices (e.g., network connection). In a networked deployment, communication device 1500 may operate as a server communication device, a client communication device, or both in a server-client network environment. For example, communication device 1500 may operate as a peer communication device in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Communication device 1500 may be a UE, eNB, PC, tablet PC, STB, PDA, mobile phone, smartphone, web device, network router, switch or bridge, or any communication device capable of executing commands (sequential or other commands) that specify the actions to be performed by the communication device. Furthermore, although only a single communication device is shown, the term “communication device” shall also be interpreted to include any set of communication devices that individually or collectively perform a set (or set) of instructions to perform one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), and other computer cluster configurations.

[0352] The examples described herein may include, or operate on, logic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. A module is a tangible entity (e.g., hardware) capable of performing a specified operation and may be configured or arranged in a particular manner. In one example, a circuit may be arranged as a module in a specified manner (e.g., internally or relative to an external entity such as another circuit). In one example, one or more computer systems (e.g., standalone, client, or server computer systems) or one or more hardware processors, in whole or in part, may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, application parts, or applications) as modules that operate to perform a specified operation. In one example, the software may reside on a communication device-readable medium. In one example, the software, when executed by the underlying hardware of the module, causes the hardware to perform a specified operation.

[0353] Therefore, the term “module” is understood to encompass tangible entities that are physically constructed, specifically configured (e.g., wired), or temporarily (e.g., transiently) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a specified manner or to perform some or all of the operations described herein. Considering an example where a module is temporarily configured, each module does not need to be instantiated at any single point in time. For example, if a module includes a general-purpose hardware processor configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processor may be configured as different modules at different times. Thus, the software may configure the hardware processor to, for example, configure a particular module at one point in time and different modules at different points in time.

[0354] The communication device (e.g., UE) 1500 may include a hardware processor 1502 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), main memory 1504, static memory 1506, and storage devices 1507 (e.g., a hard drive, tape drive, flash storage, or other block or storage devices), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., a bus) 1508.

[0355] The communication device 1500 may further include a display device 1510, an alphanumeric input device 1512 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 1514 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display device 1510, the input device 1512, and the UI navigation device 1514 may be touchscreen displays. The communication device 1500 may further include a signal generating device 1518 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 1520, and one or more sensors 1521 such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. The communication device 1500 may include an output controller 1528, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near-field communication (NFC)) connection, for communicating with or controlling one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.).

[0356] The storage device 1507 may include a communication device-readable medium 1522 that stores one or more sets of data structures or instructions 1524 (e.g., software) that embody or are utilized by any one or more of the technologies or functions described herein. In some embodiments, the registers of the processor 1502, the main memory 1504, the static memory 1506 and / or the storage device 1507 may be a device-readable medium 1522 that stores one or more sets of data structures or instructions 1524 that embody or are utilized by any one or more of the technologies or functions described herein, or may include (all or at least partially) it. In one example, one or a combination of the hardware processor 1502, the main memory 1504, the static memory 1506, or the mass storage 1522 may constitute the device-readable medium 1522.

[0357] As used herein, the term “device-readable medium” is interchangeable with “computer-readable medium” or “machine-readable medium.” Although the communication device-readable medium 1522 is shown as a single medium, the term “communication device-readable medium” may also include a single or multiple mediums configured to store one or more instructions 1524 (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers). The term “communication device-readable medium” may also include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions (e.g., instructions 1524) for execution by the communication device 1500, causing the communication device 1500 to execute one or more of the technologies of this disclosure, or any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Examples of non-limiting communication device-readable mediums may include solid-state memory, optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of communication device-readable media may include non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, random access memory (RAM), and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. In some examples, the communication device-readable media may include non-temporary communication device-readable media. In some examples, the communication device-readable media may include communication device-readable media that are not temporary propagation signals.

[0358] Furthermore, instruction 1524 may be transmitted or received over the communication network 1526 using a transmission medium via the network interface device 1520, utilizing one of a number of transport protocols. In one example, the network interface device 1520 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 1526. In one example, the network interface device 1520 may include multiple antennas for wireless communication using at least one of the single-input multiple-output (SIMO), MIMO, or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technologies.

[0359] The term “transmission medium” is to be interpreted as including any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the communication device 1500, including digital or analog communication signals or other intangible mediums for facilitating the communication of such software. In this context, the transmission medium in the context of this disclosure is a device-readable medium.

[0360] The terms “machine-readable medium,” “computer-readable medium,” and “device-readable medium” mean the same thing and may be used interchangeably in this disclosure. These terms are defined to include both machine storage media and transmission media. Therefore, these terms include both storage devices / mediums and carrier / modulated data signals.

[0361] The implementation forms of the described subject may include one or more features individually or in combination, as shown below as an example.

[0362] Example 1 is a device for a user equipment (UE) configured for operation in a fifth-generation new wireless (5G NR) network, the device including a processing circuit configured to decode a first sidelink transmission received from a second UE, which includes a first resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the second UE, to configure the UE for sidelink operation in a 5G NR network, decode a second sidelink transmission received from a third UE, which includes a second resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the third UE, detect a same-channel collision based on the fact that the first and second resource reservations are in the same sidelink slot, and encode a feedback message indicating the same-channel collision for transmission to the second and third UEs, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit and configured to store the first and second sidelink transmissions.

[0363] In Example 2, the subject of Example 1 includes a subject in which the processing circuit is configured to encode a feedback message for transmission to a second UE and a third UE using a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0364] In Example 3, the subject of Example 2 is configured such that the processing circuit uses a pool of PSFCH resources to encode feedback messages for transmission to the second and third UEs, and the pool of resources is dedicated to inter-UE cooperative feedback.

[0365] In Example 4, the subject of Example 3 is such that the resource pool includes a physical resource block (PRB) bitmap on the PSFCH symbol, and the PRB bitmap includes a subject pre-configured for the PSFCH.

[0366] In Example 5, the themes of Examples 2-4 include themes in which the processing circuit is configured to encode feedback messages for transmission to the second and third UEs using a shared pool of resources in the PSFCH.

[0367] In Example 6, the subject of Example 5 is configured such that the processing circuit is configured to encode Hybrid Auto Retransmission Request (HARQ) information for transmission using a shared pool of PSFCH resources, and the transmission of HARQ information and feedback messages are associated with resources from the shared pool with different resource IDs.

[0368] In Example 7, the subject of Examples 1-6 includes a subject in which the feedback message includes at least one of the following: the source IDs of the second UE and the third UE; the resource IDs associated with the first sidelink transmission and the second sidelink transmission; the feedback type associated with the feedback message; and the sidelink transmission priority of the second UE or the third UE.

[0369] In Example 8, the themes of Examples 1-7 include themes in which the processing circuit is configured to encode a feedback message for transmission to the second and third UEs using physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) sidelink control information (SCI).

[0370] In Example 9, the subjects of Examples 1-8 include subjects in which the UE is a group member of a UE group that includes the second UE and the third UE.

[0371] In Example 10, the subject of Examples 1-9 includes a transceiver circuit coupled to a processing circuit and one or more antennas coupled to the transceiver circuit.

[0372] Example 11 is a computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a user device (UE), the instructions configure the UE for sidelink operation in a fifth-generation new radio (5G NR) network, and causes the UE to perform operations including encoding data including resource reservations for subsequent sidelink transmissions by the UE for sidelink transmission using a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), decoding a feedback message received from a second UE indicating a same-channel collision based on the resource reservation and at least another resource reservation from a third UE being in the same sidelink slot, and encoding data for sidelink retransmission based on the received feedback message.

[0373] In Example 12, the subject of Example 11 includes a subject in which the feedback message is received using either a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) or a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) sidelink control information (SCI).

[0374] Example 13 is a computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a user device (UE), the instructions configure the UE for sidelink operation in a fifth-generation new radio (5G NR) network, and causes the UE to perform operations including decoding a first sidelink transmission received from a second UE, which includes a first resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the second UE; decoding a second sidelink transmission received from a third UE, which includes a second resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the third UE; detecting a same-channel collision based on the fact that the first and second resource reservations are in the same sidelink slot; and encoding a feedback message indicating the same-channel collision for transmission to the second and third UEs.

[0375] In Example 14, the subject of Example 13 further includes the operation encoding a feedback message for transmission to a second and a third UE using a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0376] In Example 15, the subject of Example 14 further includes the operation encoding a feedback message for transmission to a second and third UE using a pool of resources in the PSFCH, wherein the pool of resources is dedicated to inter-UE cooperative feedback.

[0377] In Example 16, the subject of Example 15 is such that the pool of resources includes a physical resource block (PRB) bitmap on the PSFCH symbol, and the PRB bitmap includes a subject pre-configured for the PSFCH.

[0378] In Example 17, the subject matter of Examples 14–16 further includes the operation encoding a feedback message for transmission to a second and third UE using a shared pool of resources in the PSFCH.

[0379] In Example 18, the subject of Example 17 further includes the operation encoding Hybrid Auto-Retransmission Request (HARQ) information for transmission using a shared pool of resources in the PSFCH, and the transmission of the HARQ information and the transmission of feedback messages are associated with resources from the shared pool with different resource IDs.

[0380] In Example 19, the subject of Examples 13-18 includes a subject in which the feedback message includes at least one of the following: the source IDs of the second UE and the third UE; the resource IDs associated with the first sidelink transmission and the second sidelink transmission; the feedback type associated with the feedback message; and the sidelink transmission priority of the second UE or the third UE.

[0381] In Example 20, the subject matter of Examples 13–19 further includes the operation of encoding a feedback message for transmission to the second and third UEs using physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) sidelink control information (SCI).

[0382] Example 21 is at least one machine-readable medium containing an instruction, which, when executed by a processing circuit, causes the processing circuit to perform an action to carry out one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0383] Example 22 is an apparatus that includes means for carrying out any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0384] Example 23 is a system for implementing any of Examples 1 through 20.

[0385] Example 24 is a method for implementing any of Examples 1 through 20.

[0386] While embodiments have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it is clear that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this specification and the drawings should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, this detailed description should not be interpreted restrictively, and the scope of the various embodiments, along with the entire scope of equivalents to which the appended claims are granted, is defined solely by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a first user equipment (UE) configured for operation in a fifth-generation new wireless (5G NR) network, Includes processing circuitry, To configure the first UE for side-link communication in the 5G NR network, the processing circuit is: Decode the first stage sidelink control information (SCI) format received from the second UE, which includes information indicating that the second UE is able to receive inter-UE coordination information. Decode the second stage SCI format received from the second UE, which includes a request from the second UE for inter-UE coordination information. Detect half-duplex contention related to slots within a set of resources, A device for encoding the half-duplex competition information as inter-UE coordination information requested by the second UE, for transmission to the second UE via a physical side-link feedback channel (PSFCH).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the requirement is indicated by a 1-bit field in the second-stage SCI format.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit decides to transmit the conflict information to the second UE as inter-UE cooperation information via the PSFCH, based on the information in the first-stage SCI format indicating that the second UE can receive the inter-UE cooperation information.

4. The aforementioned processing circuit is Decode the first sidelink transmission received from the second UE, which includes a first resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the second UE. Decode the second sidelink transmission received from the third UE, which includes a second resource reservation for a subsequent sidelink transmission by the third UE. Based on the fact that the first resource reservation and the second resource reservation are located in the same side link slot, a same channel collision is detected. The apparatus according to claim 1, which encodes the feedback message indicating the same-channel collision for transmission to the second UE and the third UE.

5. The aforementioned processing circuit is The apparatus according to claim 4, configured to encode the feedback message for transmission to the second UE and the third UE using a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

6. The aforementioned processing circuit is The apparatus according to claim 5, configured to encode the feedback message for transmission to the second UE and the third UE using a pool of resources of the PSFCH, wherein the pool of resources is dedicated to inter-UE cooperative feedback.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pool of resources includes a physical resource block (PRB) bitmap on a PSFCH symbol, and the PRB bitmap is pre-configured for the PSFCH.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is configured to encode the feedback message for transmission to the second UE and the third UE using a shared pool of resources of the PSFCH.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is configured to encode Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) information for transmission using the shared pool of resources of the PSFCH, and the transmission of the HARQ information and the transmission of the feedback message are associated with resources from the shared pool with different resource IDs.

10. The aforementioned feedback message is, The source IDs of the second UE and the third UE, The resource ID associated with the first side link transmission and the second side link transmission, The feedback type associated with the aforementioned feedback message, The sidelink transmission priority of the second UE or the third UE and The apparatus according to claim 4, comprising at least one of the following.

11. The aforementioned processing circuit is The apparatus according to claim 4, configured to encode the feedback message for transmission to the second UE and the third UE using physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) sidelink control information (SCI).

12. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the UE is a group member of the UE group including the second UE and the third UE.

13. A computer program comprising instructions for execution by one or more processors of a user device (UE), The aforementioned instruction configures the UE for sidelink operation in a fifth-generation new wireless (5G NR) network, and to the UE, Decode the first stage sidelink control information (SCI) format received from the second UE, which includes information indicating that the second UE is able to receive inter-UE coordination information. Decode the second stage SCI format received from the second UE, which includes a request from the second UE for inter-UE coordination information. Detect half-duplex contention related to slots within a set of resources, For transmission to the second UE via the physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), the race information regarding the half-duplex race is encoded as inter-UE coordination information requested by the second UE. A computer program that causes an action to be performed, including the action of doing something.

14. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the request is indicated by a one-bit field in the second-stage SCI format.

15. The computer program according to claim 13, further comprising determining to transmit the conflict information to the second UE as inter-UE coordination information via the PSFCH, based on the information in the first stage SCI format indicating that the second UE can receive the inter-UE coordination information.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

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