Method and apparatus for adjusting channel sensing threshold

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adjusting a channel sensing threshold in a wireless communication system operating with shared spectrum channel access is provided. The method of operating a base station (BS) includes the operations of determining whether an antenna configuration for channel sensing is omnidirectional or directional, and determining a channel sensing threshold. The channel sensing threshold includes a first portion of the channel sensing threshold that is common to the omnidirectional and directional antenna configurations, and a second portion of the channel sensing threshold that is dependent on the antenna configuration. The method further includes the operations of performing a channel sensing procedure based on the antenna configuration and the channel sensing threshold, and transmitting downlink (DL) data over the channel based on the channel being sensed as idle in the channel sensing procedure.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communication systems in general, and more specifically, to adjusting channel sensing thresholds in wireless communication systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Fifth-generation (5G) or NR mobile communications are currently experiencing a surge in popularity due to widespread technological activity worldwide across various candidate technologies in industry and academia. These candidate enablers for 5G / NR mobile communications include beamforming gain, encompassing large-scale antenna technologies from legacy cellular frequency bands to high frequencies, and support increased capacity, new waveforms (e.g., Radio Access Technology (RAT)) that flexibly accommodate diverse services / applications with differing requirements, and new multiplex access schemes to support large-scale connectivity. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0003] This disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly to adjusting a channel sensing threshold in a wireless communication system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In one embodiment, a base station (BS) in a wireless communication system operating on shared spectral channel access is provided. The BS includes a transceiver and a processor connected to the transceiver, the processor configured to determine whether the antenna configuration for channel sensing is omnidirectional or directional and to determine a channel sensing threshold. The channel sensing threshold includes a first portion of the channel sensing threshold that is common to both omnidirectional and directional antenna configurations and a second portion of the channel sensing threshold that is dependent on the antenna configuration. Based on the antenna configuration and the channel sensing threshold, the processor is further configured to perform a channel sensing procedure and, if the channel is sensed as idle in the channel sensing procedure, to transmit downlink (DL) data over the channel.

[0005] In another embodiment, a method for operating a BS in a wireless communication system operating on shared spectral channel access is provided. The method includes determining whether the antenna configuration for channel sensing is omnidirectional or directional, and determining a channel sensing threshold. The channel sensing threshold includes a first portion of a channel sensing threshold that is common to both omnidirectional and directional antenna configurations, and a second portion of a channel sensing threshold that is dependent on the antenna configuration. The method further includes performing a channel sensing procedure based on the antenna configuration and the channel sensing threshold, and transmitting DL data over the channel based on the channel being sensed as idle in the channel sensing procedure.

[0006] In yet another embodiment, a user device (UE) is provided in a wireless communication system operating on shared spectral channel access. The UE includes a transceiver and a processor connected to the transceiver, the processor being configured to determine whether a channel sensing threshold is set, whether the antenna configuration for channel sensing is omnidirectional or directional, and, if no channel sensing threshold is set, to determine a default channel sensing threshold. The default channel sensing threshold includes a first part of the default channel sensing threshold that is common to both omnidirectional and directional antenna configurations, and a second part of the default channel sensing threshold that is dependent on the antenna configuration. The processor is further configured to perform a channel sensing procedure based on the antenna configuration and the default channel sensing threshold, and to transmit DL data over the channel if the channel is sensed as idle in the channel sensing procedure.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a method is provided for the operation of a UE in a wireless communication system operating with shared spectral channel access. The method includes determining whether a channel sensing threshold is set, determining whether the antenna configuration for channel sensing is omnidirectional or directional, and determining a default channel sensing threshold based on the determination that the channel sensing threshold is not set. The default channel sensing threshold includes a first part of the default channel sensing threshold that is common to both omnidirectional and directional antenna configurations, and a second part of the default channel sensing threshold that is dependent on the antenna configuration. The method further includes performing a channel sensing procedure based on the antenna configuration and the default channel sensing threshold, and transmitting DL data over the channel based on the channel being sensed as idle in the channel sensing procedure.

[0008] Other technical features can be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the attached drawings, detailed description of the invention, and claims.

[0009] Before proceeding to the following detailed explanation, it may be helpful to define certain words and phrases used throughout this patent specification. The term "couple" and its derivatives can indicate direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, or whether these elements are in physical contact with each other. The terms "transmit," "receive," and "communicate," and their derivatives, include both direct and indirect communication. The terms "include" and "comprise," and their derivatives, mean to include without limitation. The term "or" is a general term meaning "and / or." The phrase "associated with" and its derivatives can mean "include," "be included within," "interconnect with," "contain," "be contained within," "connect to or with," "couple to or with," "be communicable with," "cooperate with," "interleave," "juxtapose," "be proximate to," "be bound to or with," "have," "have a property of," "have a relationship to or with," etc. The term "controller" means a device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one action. Such a controller may be embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. Functions associated with a particular controller can be processed centrally, locally, or remotely, or distributed. The phrase "at least one" means that, when used with a list of items, of the listed items... This means that one or more different combinations may be used. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and any one of A, B, and C.

[0010] Furthermore, the various functions described later may be embodied or supported by each of one or more computer programs formed in computer-readable program code and implemented on computer-readable media. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or parts thereof configured for implementation in suitable computer-readable program code. The phrase “computer-readable program code” includes types of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase “computer-readable media” includes types of media that can be accessed by a computer, such as ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random access memory), hard disk drives, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), or other types of memory. “Non-temporary” computer-readable media excludes wired, wireless, optical, temporary electrical or other communication links that transmit signals. Non-temporary computer-readable media include media on which data is permanently stored, and media on which data is overwritten after it has been stored, such as rewritable optical discs or erasable memory devices.

[0011] Definitions for other specific words and phrases are provided throughout this patent specification. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in many, though not most, such definitions apply not only to the prior use but also to the future use of the words and phrases thus defined.

[0012] For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its advantages, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary wireless network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary gNB according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary wireless transmission and reception path according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary wireless transmission and reception path according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. is a diagram showing an example of adjustment of a channel sensing threshold based on an antenna configuration for channel sensing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary one transmission burst related to a plurality of channel sensing thresholds according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8A] FIG. is a flowchart showing a method of a UE for adjusting a channel sensing threshold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8B] FIG. is a flowchart showing a method of a UE for adjusting a channel sensing threshold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8C] FIG. is a flowchart showing a method of a UE for adjusting a channel sensing threshold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. shows an exemplary channel access procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. is a diagram showing another exemplary channel access procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. is a diagram showing still another exemplary channel access procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12]This figure shows yet another exemplary channel access procedure according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] This figure shows an exemplary discontinuity in a transmit burst for a channel access procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This figure shows other discontinuities in the transmit burst for the channel access procedure according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] This figure shows a flowchart of a method for adjusting the channel sensing threshold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] This figure shows a block diagram of the structure of the BS according to the embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 17] This figure shows a block diagram of the structure of the UE according to the embodiment of the disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Figures 1 to 15 described below and the various embodiments used in this patent document to illustrate the principles of the disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and should not be understood as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the disclosure can be embodied in a appropriately configured system or apparatus.

[0015] The following documents are incorporated into this disclosure in their entirety by reference: 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.7.0, "NR; Physical channels and modulation"; 3GPP TS 38.212 v15.7.0, "NR; Multiplexing and Channel coding"; 3GPP TS 38.213 v15.7.0, "NR; Physical Layer Procedures for Control"; 3GPP TS 38.214 v15.7.0, "NR; Physical Layer Procedures for Data"; and 3GPP TS 38.331 v15.7.0, "NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) Protocol Specification".

[0016] Figures 1 to 3 below illustrate various embodiments embodied in wireless communication systems and using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA) communication techniques. The description of Figures 1 to 3 is not intended to indicate any physical or structural limitations on how different embodiments may be embodied. Different embodiments of this disclosure may also be embodied in any appropriately configured communication system.

[0017] Figure 1 shows an exemplary wireless network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the wireless network shown in Figure 1 is for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the wireless network includes gNB101 (for example, a base station (BS), gNB102, and gNB103). gNB101 communicates with gNB102 and gNB103. gNB101 also communicates with at least one network 130, such as the Internet, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, or another data network.

[0019] gNB102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to a first group of user devices (UEs) located within the coverage area 120 of gNB102. The first group of UEs includes UE111 which may be located in a small or medium-sized enterprise (SB); UE112 which may be located in a large enterprise (E); UE113 which may be located in a Wi-Fi hotspot (HS); UE114 which may be located in a first residential area (R); UE115 which may be located in a second residential area (R); and UE116 which may be a mobile device (M) such as a mobile phone, wireless laptop, or wireless PDA. gNB103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to a second group of UEs located within the coverage area 125 of gNB103. The second group of UEs includes UE115 and UE116. In some embodiments, one or more gNBs among gNB101 to 103 can communicate with each other and with UE111 to 116 using 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, or other wireless communication technologies.

[0020] Based on the network type, the above terms “base station” or “BS” may refer to any component (or set of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmit point (TR), transmit-receive point (TRP), advanced base station (eNodeB or eNB), 5G / NR base station (5G / NR base station: gNB), macrocell, femtocell, Wi-Fi access point (AP), or other wireless enable device. A base station may provide wireless access via one or more radio protocols, such as 5G / NR 3GPP® NR, Long Time Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc. For convenience, the terms “BS” or “TRP” are used interchangeably in this patent document to represent network infrastructure structural components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. Furthermore, based on the network type described above, the terms “user equipment” or “UE” may represent any component such as “mobile station,” “subscriber station,” “remote terminal,” “wireless terminal,” “receiving point,” or “user device.” For convenience, in this patent document, the terms “user equipment” and “UE” are used to refer to a remote wireless device that wirelessly accesses a BS, whether the UE is a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone or smartphone) or a generally considered fixed device (e.g., a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0021] The dotted lines indicate the approximate extent of coverage areas 120, 125 and are shown as roughly circular for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It should be clearly understood that coverage areas associated with gNBs such as coverage areas 120, 125 may have other forms, including regular forms, based on the configuration of the gNB and the changes in the radio environment associated with natural and artificial obstacles. As will be described more specifically below, one or more of UEs 111 to 116 include circuits, programming, or combinations thereof for beam management and coverage enhancement to adjust the channel sensing threshold. In certain embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101 to 103 include circuits, programming, or combinations thereof for adjusting the channel sensing threshold.

[0022] Figure 1 shows an example of a wireless network, but various modifications can be made to Figure 1. In one example, the wireless network may include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in an appropriate arrangement. Also, gNB 101 can communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide them with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 102 to 103 can communicate directly with network 130 and provide the UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. In addition, gNBs 101, 102 and / or 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks, such as an external telephone network or other types of data networks.

[0023] Figure 2 shows an exemplary gNB102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of gNB102 shown in Figure 2 is for illustrative purposes only, and gNB101 and 103 in Figure 1 may have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs consist of various configurations, and therefore Figure 2 does not limit the scope of the invention to any particular embodiment of a gNB.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the gNB102 includes a plurality of antennas 205a to 205n, a plurality of RF transceivers 210a to 210n, a transmit (TX) processing circuit 215, and a receive (RX) processing circuit 220. The gNB102 also includes a controller / processor 225, memory 230, and a backhaul or network interface 235.

[0025] RF transceivers 210a to 210n receive input RF signals, such as signals transmitted by UEs within network 100 from antennas 205a to 205n. RF transceivers 210a to 210n downconvert the input RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are transmitted to an RX processing circuit 220, which filters, decodes, and / or digitizes the baseband or IF signals to generate processed baseband signals. The RX processing circuit 220 transmits the processed baseband signals to a controller / processor 225 for further processing.

[0026] The TX processing circuit 215 receives analog or digital data (e.g., voice data, web data, email, or interactive video game data) from the controller / processor 225. The TX processing circuit 215 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the output baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The RF transceivers 210a to 210n receive the processed output baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 215 and upconvert the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal transmitted via the antennas 205a to 205n.

[0027] The controller / processor 225 may include one or more processors or other processing units that control the overall operation of the gNB102. For example, the controller / processor 225 can control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by the RF transceivers 210a to 210n, the RX processing circuit 220, and the TX processing circuit 215, according to well-known principles. The controller / processor 225 may support additional functions such as more advanced wireless communication functions.

[0028] For example, the controller / processor 225 can support beamforming or directional routing operations that are weighted differently so as to efficiently steer the output / input signals from multiple antennas 205a to 205n in a desired direction and from a desired direction. One of a variety of other functions may be supported by the controller / processor 225 in the gNB102.

[0029] Furthermore, the controller / processor 225 can execute programs residing in memory 230, such as the operating system, and other processes. The controller / processor 225 can move data to or outside of memory 230 as needed by the running processes.

[0030] Furthermore, the controller / processor 225 is connected to the backhaul or network interface 235. The backhaul or network interface 235 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems via the backhaul connection or via a network. The network interface 235 can support communication via any suitable wired or wireless connection(s). For example, if the gNB 102 is embodied as part of a cellular communication system (e.g., a cellular communication system supporting 5G / NR, LTE, or LTE-A), the network interface 235 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. If the GNB 102 is embodied as an access point, the network interface 235 can allow the GNB 102 to communicate with a larger network (e.g., the Internet) via a wired or wireless short-range communication network or via a wired or wireless connection. The interface 235 includes a suitable structure to support communication via a wired or wireless connection, such as Ethernet or an RF transceiver.

[0031] Memory 230 is connected to the controller / processor 225. Part of memory 230 includes RAM, and the other part of memory 230 may include flash memory or other ROM.

[0032] Figure 2 shows an example of gNB102, but various modifications can be made to Figure 2. For example, gNB102 can include any number of each component shown in Figure 2. In one particular example, the access point may include multiple interfaces 235, and the controller / processor 225 may support routing functionality to route data between different network addresses. In another particular example, although it is shown to include a single instance of the TX processing circuit 215 and a single instance of the RX processing circuit 220, gNB102 can include multiple instances of each (e.g., one per RF transceiver). Also, the various components in Figure 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added as needed.

[0033] Figure 3 shows an exemplary UE116 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of UE116 shown in Figure 3 is for illustrative purposes only, and UE111 to UE115 in Figure 1 may have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs consist of a variety of configurations, and Figure 3 does not limit the scope of the present invention to any particular embodiment of a UE.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the UE116 includes an antenna 305, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver 310, a TX processing circuit 315, a microphone 320, and an RX processing circuit 325. The UE116 also includes a speaker 330, a processor 340, an input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 345, a touchscreen 350, a display 355, and memory 360. The memory 360 includes an operating system (OS) 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0035] The RF transceiver 310 receives RF signals transmitted and input from antenna 305 by the gNB of network 100. The RF transceiver 310 downconverts the input RF signals to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is transmitted to the RX processing circuit 325, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. The RX processing circuit 325 transmits the processed baseband signal to speaker 330 (e.g., audio data) or to processor 340 (e.g., web browsing data) for further processing.

[0036] The TX processing circuit 315 receives analog or digital audio data from the microphone 320, or other output baseband data (e.g., web data, email, or interactive video game data) from the processor 340. The TX processing circuit 315 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the output baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The RF transceiver 310 receives the output processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 315 and upconverts the baseband or IF signal as an RF signal transmitted via the antenna 305.

[0037] The processor 340 includes one or more processors or other processing units and can run an OS 361 stored in memory 360 to control the overall operation of the UE 116. In one example, the processor 340 can control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by the RF transceiver 310, RX processing circuit 325, and TX processing circuit 315 according to well-known principles. In some embodiments, the processor 340 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0038] Furthermore, the processor 340 can execute other processes and programs residing in memory 360, such as processes for beam management. The processor 340 can move data into or out of memory 360 as requested by the processes currently executing. In some embodiments, the processor 340 is configured to execute applications 362 based on OS programs 361 or in response to signals received from gNBs or operators. The processor 340 is also connected to an I / O interface 345, which provides the UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptop computers and handheld computers. The I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these peripherals and the processor 340.

[0039] The processor 340 is also connected to the touchscreen 350 and the display unit 355. The operator of the UE116 can input data into the UE116 using the touchscreen 350. The display 355 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display, or other display capable of rendering text and / or at least limited graphics from a website.

[0040] Memory 360 is connected to the processor 340. Part of memory 360 includes random access memory (RAM), and the remaining part of memory 360 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0041] Figure 3 shows an example of UE116, but various modifications can be made to Figure 3. For example, the various components in Figure 3 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added as needed. Furthermore, in one particular example, the processor 340 may be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). Furthermore, although Figure 3 shows UE116 configured as a mobile phone or smartphone, the UE may be configured to operate as other types of mobile or stationary devices.

[0042] Since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop and deploy improved 5G / NR or 5G / NR (pre-5G) communication systems to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic and to enable diverse vertical applications. Therefore, the 5G / NR or pre-5G / NR communication systems are also referred to as "Beyond 4G Network" or "Post LTE System." These 5G / NR communication systems are envisioned to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, such as 28GHz or 60GHz, to achieve higher data rates, or in lower frequency bands such as 6GHz to enable robust coverage and mobility support. This disclosure may also apply to the deployment of 5G communication systems, 6G, or later releases that can utilize the terahertz (THz) band. To reduce the propagation loss of the above-mentioned radio waveforms and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive multi-input multi-output (massive MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and large-scale antenna technologies are being discussed for 5G / NR communication systems.

[0043] Furthermore, in 5G / NR communication systems, development to improve the system network is based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (cloud RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, moving networks, cooperative communication, coordinated multi-points (CoMP), and receiver-side interference rejection.

[0044] The communication system includes a downlink (DL), which refers to transmission from a base station or one or more transmitting points to a UE, and an uplink (UL), which refers to transmission from a UE to a base station or one or more receiving points.

[0045] A time unit for DL ​​signaling or UL signaling on a cell is called a slot and may contain one or more symbols. Symbols can also be used as additional time units. A frequency (or bandwidth (BW)) unit is called a resource block (RB). One RB contains multiple subcarriers (SCs). For example, a slot may have a duration of 0.5 milliseconds or 1 millisecond and contain 14 symbols, and an RB may contain 12 SCs with an inter-SC spacing such as 15 kHz or 30 kHz.

[0046] A DL signal includes a data signal that transmits information content, a control signal that transmits DL control information (DCI), and a reference signal (RS), also called a pilot signal. The gNB transmits the data information or DCI, respectively, via a physical DL shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical DL control channel (PDCCH). The PDSCH or PDCCH may be transmitted via a variable number of slot symbols, each containing one slot symbol. For simplicity, the DCI format used to schedule PDSCH reception by the UE is called the DL DCI format, and the DCI format used to schedule Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission from the UE is called the UL DCI format.

[0047] The gNB transmits one or more types of RS, including Channel State Information RS (CSI-RS) and Demodulation RS (DMRS). CSI-RS is primarily intended for the UE to perform measurements and provide CSI to the gNB. Non-zero power CSI-RS (NZP CSI-RS) resources are used for channel measurements. CSI Interference Measurement (CSI-IM) resources, associated with zero power CSI-RS (ZP CSI-RS) configurations, are used for Interference Measurement Reports (IMR). The CSI process involves NZP CSI-RS and CSI-IM resources.

[0048] The UE can determine CSI-RS transmit parameters via higher-layer signaling from the gNB, such as DL control signaling or Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. A CSI-RS transmit instance may be directed by DL control signaling or constituted by higher-layer signaling. DMRS is transmitted only on the BW of each PDCCH or PDSCH, and the UE can use the DMRS to demodulate data or control information.

[0049] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate exemplary wireless transmit and receive paths according to the present disclosure. In the following detailed description, the transmit path 400 may be described as being embodied by a gNB (e.g., gNB102), while the receive path 500 may be described as being embodied by an UE (e.g., UE116). However, it should be understood that the receive path 500 may be implemented by a gNB and the transmit path 400 may be implemented by an UE. In some embodiments, the receive path 500 is configured to support adjustment of a channel sensing threshold as described in embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, the transmission path 400 includes a channel coding and modulation block 405, a series-to-parallel block 410, an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block of size N 415, a parallel-to-series (P-to-S) block 420, a cyclic prefix (CP) block 425, and an upconverter (UC) 430. As shown in Figure 5, the reception path circuit 500 includes a downconverter (DC) 555, a cyclic prefix removal block 560, and a series-to-parallel block 565, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) block of size N 570, a parallel-to-series (P-to-S) block 575, and a channel decoding and demodulation block 580.

[0051] As shown in Figure 400, the channel coding and modulation block 405 receives a set of information bits, applies coding (e.g., LDPC coding) to the input bits, and modulates (e.g., quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)) to generate a sequence of frequency-domain modulation symbols.

[0052] The series-to-parallel block 410 converts the series-modulated symbols into parallel data (i.e., demultiplexes them) to generate N parallel symbol streams, where N is the IFFT / FFT size used in BS102 and UE116. The IFFT block 415 of size N then performs an IFFT operation on the N parallel symbol streams to generate a time-domain output signal. The parallel-to-series block 420 converts (i.e., multiplexes) the parallel time-domain output symbols from the IFFT block 415 of size N to generate a series time-domain signal. The cyclic prefix addition block 425 then inserts a cyclic prefix into the time-domain signal. The upconverter 430 modulates (i.e., upconverts) the output of the cyclic prefix addition block 425 to an RF frequency for transmission over the radio channel. The signal may also be filtered in the baseband before being converted to the RF frequency.

[0053] The transmitted RF signal from gNB102 arrives at UE116 after passing through the above radio channel, and the reverse operation of the operation in gNB102 is performed in UE116.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, the downconverter 555 downconverts the received signal to a baseband frequency, and the cyclic prefix removal block 560 removes the cyclic prefix to generate a series-time-domain baseband signal. The series-to-parallel block 565 converts the time-domain baseband signal into a parallel time-domain signal. Then, an FFT block 570 of size N executes an FFT algorithm to generate N parallel frequency-domain signals. The parallel-to-series block 575 converts the parallel frequency-domain signals into a sequence of modulated data symbols. The channel decoding and demodulation block 580 demodulates and decodes the modulated symbols to restore the original input data stream.

[0055] Each of the gNBs 101 to 103 can implement a transmission path 400, as shown in Figure 4, similar to the transmission from the downlink to user devices 111 to 116, and a reception path 500, as shown in Figure 5, similar to the reception from the uplink to UEs 111 to 116. Similarly, each of the UEs 111 to 116 can implement a transmission path 400 for transmission to gNBs 101 to 103 on the uplink, and a reception path 500 for reception from gNBs 101 to 103 on the downlink.

[0056] Each of the components in Figures 4 and 5 can be implemented using hardware alone or a combination of hardware and software / firmware. In one particular example, at least some of the components in Figures 4 and 5 can be implemented in software, while other components can be implemented with configurable hardware or a combination of software and configurable hardware. For example, FFT block 570 and IFFT block 415 can be implemented with configurable software algorithms, where the value of size N may be modified by the implementation.

[0057] Furthermore, even if it is stated that FFT and IFFT are used, this is merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Other types of transforms can be used, such as the Discrete Fourier Transform (DSFT) and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) functions. It will be understood that the value of the above variable N may be any integer for the DFT and IDFT functions (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), and the value of the above variable N may be any integer that is 2 squared (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.) for the FFT and IFFT functions.

[0058] Figures 4 and 5 show examples of wireless transmission and reception paths, but various modifications can be made to Figures 4 and 5. For example, in Figures 4 and 5, various components may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added as needed. Furthermore, Figures 4 and 5 are meant to show examples of types of transmission and reception paths that may be used in wireless networks. Any other suitable architecture can be used to support wireless communication in a wireless network.

[0059] This disclosure focuses on tuning a channel sensing threshold based on an antenna configuration for sensing the channel. The channel sensing threshold may be related to the intended transmission direction and may be instructed to the UE by higher-layer parameters or PHY layer parameters. More precisely, the following components are provided in this disclosure: directional channel sensing threshold; channel sensing threshold association; channel sensing threshold determination; and / or UE procedures for using the channel sensing threshold.

[0060] For operations with shared spectral channel access (e.g., unlicensed or shared spectral), the transmitter may perform sensing to evaluate the usefulness of the channel for performing transmission. In the case of sensing on an energy sensing infrastructure, the basic unit for sensing is defined as a sensing slot. The transmitter detects the channel during the sensing slot period, and the power detected for a given portion of the sensing slot period is the detection threshold X. Thresh If it is determined to be less than the duration of the sensing slot, the channel is declared idle; otherwise, it is declared busy.

[0061] NR Rel-16 supports operation with shared spectral channel access for the 5GHz and 6GHz unlicensed bands. More precisely, for the 5GHz and 6GHz unlicensed bands, the sensing slots mentioned above are Tsl is defined as 9 μs, and the sensing threshold may be adjusted according to the maximum energy detection threshold.

[0062] In DL, the gNB accessing the channel on which transmission(s) is / are performed can set the energy detection threshold X Thresh to be less than or equal to the maximum energy detection threshold X Thresh_max , where X Thresh_max is determined as shown in .

[0063]

Table 1

[0064] In UL, the UE accessing the channel on which UL transmission(s) is / are performed can set the energy detection threshold X Thresh to be less than or equal to the maximum energy detection threshold X Thresh_max , where X Thresh_max is determined as shown in .

[0065]

Table 2

[0066] When the upper layer parameter absenceOfAnyOtherTechnology-r16 is not set for the UE and the upper layer parameter ULtoDL-CO-SharingED-Threshold-r16 is set for the UE, the gNB can use its transmission power when determining the resulting energy detection threshold ULtoDL-CO-SharingED-Threshold-r16.

[0067] For the case where the UE executes the channel access procedure and shares the corresponding channel occupancy time with the gNB, X Thresh_maxIf provided, this value is set to be the same as the value provided by the above-mentioned upper-level parameter ULtoDL-CO-SharingED-Threshold-r16.

[0068] For the above-mentioned higher-level parameters absenceOfAnyOtherTechnology-r14 or absenceOfAnyOtherTechnology-r16, the parameters are provided as shown in Table 3.

[0069] [Table 3]

[0070] For higher carrier frequency ranges, e.g., unlicensed spectra of 60 GHz, transmissions may utilize highly directional beamforming. To support this, the corresponding channel sensing may also be configured to be highly directional in order to conserve sensing energy in directions unrelated to the intended transmission, where the novel type of sensing is also called directional channel sensing, which is distinguished from existing omnidirectional channel sensing. This disclosure expresses adjustments to the channel sensing threshold.

[0071] Even though the following illustrative descriptions and embodiments assume OFDM or OFDMA, the disclosure can be extended to other OFDM-based transmit waveforms or multiple access schemes such as filtered OFDM (F-OFDM).

[0072] This disclosure covers several components that may be used together, in combination, or operate as standalone components.

[0073] In one embodiment, the channel sensing threshold can be adjusted based on the antenna configuration for channel sensing.

[0074] For example, whether or not the channel sensing threshold is adjusted based on the antenna configuration for channel sensing can be indicated by system information.

[0075] For example, whether or not the channel sensing threshold is adjusted based on the antenna configuration for channel sensing can be configured by an RRC parameter.

[0076] In one example, the above antenna configuration (for example, maximum channel sensing threshold X) Thresh_max Regardless of the common channel sensing threshold, there may be a channel sensing threshold offset that applies to the common channel sensing threshold, where the channel sensing threshold offset is X Thresh_offset It is shown that the above channel sensing threshold offset is based on the antenna configuration for the above channel sensing.

[0077] Figure 6 shows an example of adjusting the channel sensing threshold 600 based on an antenna configuration for channel sensing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of adjusting the channel sensing threshold 600 shown in Figure 6 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0078] For example, the above channel sensing threshold offset is applicable to directional channel sensing, where the antenna configuration for channel sensing is directional, and if the above antenna configuration for channel sensing is directional, for example, X Thresh_offset >0

[0079] For example, if the antenna configuration for the above channel sensing is omnidirectional, the above channel sensing threshold offset is X Thresh_offset It can be determined that this value is 0.

[0080] For example, whether or not the above channel sensing threshold offset is applicable can be based on the above configuration, specifically whether or not the above channel sensing threshold is adjusted based on the antenna configuration for channel sensing.

[0081] For example, the maximum channel sensing threshold X Thresh_max This may be based on the antenna configuration for channel sensing described above. Examples of these are shown in Figures 601 and 602.

[0082] For example, the channel sensing threshold may differ depending on whether the antenna configuration for the channel sensing is directional or omnidirectional.

[0083] For example, if the above configuration indicates that the channel sensing threshold is adjusted based on the antenna configuration for channel sensing, the channel sensing threshold may differ depending on whether the antenna configuration for channel sensing is directional or omnidirectional; otherwise, the channel sensing threshold will remain the same.

[0084] In one example, the adjustment of the channel sensing threshold may be based on the number of antenna configurations (e.g., number of directions / beams). In this example, the channel sensing threshold is the same for all antenna configurations (e.g., number of directions / beams), and a common X based on the number of antenna configurations (e.g., number of directions / beams) is used. Thresh_max or X Thresh_offset For example, X Thresh_offset =f(N beam ) or X Thresh_max =f(N beam ) and here, N beam This represents the number of components in the antenna configuration (e.g., the number of directions / beams).

[0085] In other examples, the adjustment of the channel sensing threshold may be based on one or a group of antenna configurations. In this example, the channel sensing threshold may be direction-specific or group-of-direction-specific, for example, X Thresh_max or X Thresh_offset It is based on the fact that it is a direction or a group of directions. For example, X Thresh_max (i beam )=f(i beam ), or X Thresh_offset (i beam )=f(i beam ) and i beam This is the index of the direction or group of directions mentioned above.

[0086] In one embodiment, there is an association between the channel sensing threshold and the antenna configuration.

[0087] For example, an association can exist between an antenna port and a channel sensing threshold. For example, when transmitting a signal and / or channel using the antenna port, the associated channel sensing threshold can be used.

[0088] In one example, the gNB can be configured to associate a channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset with an antenna port. In one example, the above configuration may be shown in the system information above. In one example, the above configuration may be shown in dedicated RRC parameters.

[0089] For example, the association between the antenna port and the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset may be hardcoded and fixed in the standard.

[0090] For example, a correlation may exist between a reference signal and a channel sensing threshold.

[0091] In one example, the signal in at least the Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block may be a reference signal associated with the channel sensing threshold. In one example, the gNB may be configured to associate the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset with the index of the SS / PBCH block. In one example, the association may be represented by an RRC parameter. In other examples, the association may be represented in DCI format. For example, the RRC parameter may constitute a set of possible values ​​for the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset, and the DCI format may indicate the association between the index of the SS / PBCH block and the channel sensing threshold value and / or channel sensing threshold offset value.

[0092] In other examples of reference signals, at least CSI-RS may be a reference signal associated with the channel sensing threshold. In one example, gNB may be configured to associate the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset with an index of a CSI-RS resource. In one example, the association may be represented by an RRC parameter. In other examples, the association may be represented in DCI format. For example, the RRC parameter may constitute a set of possible values ​​for the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset, and the DCI format may represent the association between the index of the CSI-RS resource and the values ​​of the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset.

[0093] In yet another example of a reference signal, at least the SRS may be a reference signal associated with the channel sensing threshold described above. In one example, the gNB may be configured to associate the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset with an index of the SRS resource.

[0094] For example, a correlation can exist between the QCL (quasi co-location) assumption and the channel sensing threshold.

[0095] For example, signals with the same QCL assumption may be associated with the same channel sensing threshold.

[0096] For example, an association can exist between the transmission configuration instruction state (TCI-state) and the channel sensing threshold.

[0097] For example, a gNB can be configured to associate a channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset with a TCI state. For example, the association may be represented by an RRC parameter. For example, the association may be indicated in DCI format. For instance, the RRC parameter may constitute a set of possible values ​​for the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset, and the DCI format indicates the association between the TCI state and the values ​​of the channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset.

[0098] For example, an association may exist between a spatial filter (e.g., PUCCH-SpatialRelationInfo) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and a channel sensing threshold.

[0099] In one example, the gNB can be configured to associate a channel sensing threshold and / or channel sensing threshold offset with a spatial filter for PUCCH (e.g., PUCCH-SpatialRelationInfo). In one example, the above association may be represented by an RRC parameter.

[0100] In one example, an association may exist between the direction / beam or direction / beam group indication and the channel sensing threshold.

[0101] In one example, the direction / beam indication may be bits in a bitmap, where the bitmap indicates all the directions / beams for the transmission or channel sensing. In one example, the bitmap may be a bitmap for bursts of SS / PBCH blocks within a period.

[0102] In one embodiment, a transmit burst may include a signal(s) and / or a channel(s) associated with at least one channel sensing threshold, where the association may follow the examples of the present disclosure.

[0103] For example, if a transmit burst associates a signal(s) and / or channel(s) with only one channel sensing threshold, the transmitter (e.g., gNB or UE) can perform channel sensing according to the associated channel sensing threshold.

[0104] In one example, a signal(s) and / or channel(s) in a single transmit burst may be associated with multiple channel sensing thresholds. An example is shown in Figure 7, where the first portion of the transmit burst is associated with a first channel sensing threshold, and the second portion of the transmit burst is associated with a second sensing threshold.

[0105] Figure 7 shows an exemplary transmit burst associated with a plurality of channel sensing thresholds 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the above transmit burst associated with a plurality of channel sensing thresholds 700 shown in Figure 7 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0106] For example, the channel sensing threshold applied to initialize a transmit burst does not need to be greater than the minimum of all associated channel sensing thresholds mentioned above.

[0107] For example, the channel sensing threshold applied to initialize a transmit burst does not need to be greater than the maximum value of all associated channel sensing thresholds mentioned above.

[0108] For example, the channel sensing threshold applied to initialize a transmit burst does not need to be greater than the average of all associated channel sensing thresholds mentioned above.

[0109] In one embodiment, the UE may be configured with a channel sensing threshold or channel sensing threshold offset, which may be adjusted based on the antenna configuration for the UE's transmission.

[0110] In one embodiment, if the channel sensing threshold or channel sensing threshold offset is not provided to the UE by the higher layer, the UE performs channel sensing using the default channel sensing threshold, where the default channel sensing threshold does not include the influence of the directional antenna configuration for the UE's transmission (for example, assuming an omnidirectional antenna configuration).

[0111] In other embodiments, the UE is provided with a channel sensing threshold or channel sensing threshold offset by the higher layer, but if the provided channel sensing threshold or channel sensing threshold offset is not related to the directional antenna configuration for the UE's transmission, the UE performs channel sensing using the default channel sensing threshold, where the default channel sensing threshold does not include the influence of the directional antenna configuration for the UE's transmission (for example, assuming an omnidirectional antenna configuration).

[0112] In yet another embodiment, the UE is provided with a channel sensing threshold, where the channel sensing threshold is associated with a directional antenna configuration for the UE's transmission, and the UE performs channel sensing using the provided channel sensing threshold.

[0113] In yet another embodiment, the UE is provided with a channel sensing threshold offset, where the channel sensing threshold offset is associated with the UE's directional antenna configuration for transmission, and the UE applies the provided channel sensing threshold offset to the default channel sensing threshold to calculate a new channel sensing threshold and performs channel sensing using the new channel sensing threshold.

[0114] Figure 8A is a flowchart showing a method 800 for adjusting a channel sensing threshold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which can be performed by a UE, such as UE116 in Figure 1.

[0115] In step 802, the UE determines whether or not a channel sensing threshold is provided to the UE.

[0116] In step 808, the channel sensing threshold is not provided to the UE, and the UE uses the default sensing threshold for the channel sensing in step 808.

[0117] In step 804, if a channel sensing threshold is provided to the UE, the UE determines whether or not the channel sensing threshold is aligned to the transmission direction.

[0118] In step 806, if the UE is provided with channel sensing thresholds aligned to the transmission direction, the UE uses the provided sensing thresholds for the channel sensing.

[0119] In step 808, if the UE is not provided with a channel sensing threshold aligned to the transmission direction, the UE uses a default sensing threshold for the channel sensing.

[0120] One or more of the components shown in Figure 8A may be embodied in a special circuit configured to perform the functions described above, or one or more of the components may be embodied in one or more processors that execute instructions for performing the functions described above.

[0121] Figure 8B shows another flowchart of a method 850 for adjusting the channel sensing threshold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which may be performed by a UE, such as UE116 in Figure 1.

[0122] In step 852, the UE determines whether or not a channel sensing threshold offset is provided to the UE.

[0123] In step 860, if no channel sensing threshold offset is provided to the UE, the UE uses the default sensing threshold for the channel sensing.

[0124] In step 854, if a channel sensing threshold offset is provided to the UE, the UE determines whether or not the channel sensing threshold offset is aligned to the transmission direction.

[0125] In step 860, if the UE is not provided with a channel sensing threshold offset aligned to the transmission direction, the UE uses a default sensing threshold for the channel sensing.

[0126] In step 856, if the UE is provided with a channel sensing threshold offset aligned to the transmission direction, the UE calculates the sensing threshold by applying the provided sensing threshold offset.

[0127] In step 858, the UE uses the sensing threshold calculated for the channel sensing.

[0128] One or more of the components shown in Figure 8B may be embodied in a special circuit configured to perform the functions described above, or one or more of the components may be embodied in one or more processors that execute instructions for performing the functions described above.

[0129] Figure 8C shows another flowchart of a method 870 for adjusting the channel sensing threshold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which may be performed by a UE, such as UE116 in Figure 1.

[0130] In step 872, the UE determines whether or not a channel sensing threshold is provided to the UE.

[0131] In step 874, if a channel sensing threshold is provided to the UE, the UE determines whether or not the channel sensing threshold is aligned to the transmission direction.

[0132] In step 876, if the UE is provided with channel sensing thresholds aligned to the transmission direction, the UE uses the provided sensing thresholds for channel sensing.

[0133] In step 886, if the UE is not provided with a channel sensing threshold aligned to the transmission direction, the UE uses a default sensing threshold for the channel sensing.

[0134] In step 878, if the channel sensing threshold is not provided to the UE, the UE determines whether or not a channel sensing threshold offset is provided to the UE.

[0135] In step 886, if no channel sensing threshold offset is provided to the UE, the UE uses the default sensing threshold for channel sensing.

[0136] In step 880, if a channel sensing threshold offset is provided to the UE, the UE determines whether or not the channel sensing threshold offset is aligned to the transmission direction.

[0137] In step 886, if no channel sensing threshold offset is provided to the UE, the UE uses the default sensing threshold for channel sensing.

[0138] In step 882, if the UE is provided with a channel sensing threshold offset aligned to the transmission direction, the UE calculates the sensing threshold by applying the provided sensing threshold offset.

[0139] In step 884, the above UE uses the above-calculated sensing threshold for the above channel sensing.

[0140] One or more of the components shown in Figure 8C can be embodied in a special circuit configured to perform the functions described above, or one or more of the components can be embodied in one or more processors that execute instructions for performing the functions described above.

[0141] Exemplary UE procedures for the adjusted channel sensing threshold are shown in Figures 8A, 8B, and 8C.

[0142] This disclosure focuses on channel access procedures using the directional channel sensing described above, where the cases of channel access procedures may be applicable based on the configuration of the transmit burst described above. Examples / embodiments for dealing with potential discontinuities in the transmit burst described above are also covered by this disclosure. More precisely, the following components are included in this disclosure: channel access procedures based on directional sensing; channel access procedures based on the configuration of the transmit burst; transmit discontinuities in case 3B channel access procedures; and / or transmit discontinuities in case 4B channel access procedures.

[0143] NR Rel-16 supports operation with shared spectral channel access for the 5 GHz and 6 GHz unlicensed bands. More precisely, two types of channel access procedures are supported, where Type 1 channel access procedure includes a random time period of channel sensing before downlink transmission, and Type 2 channel access procedure includes a definitive time period of channel sensing (e.g., including a zero period) before downlink transmission.

[0144] In one embodiment, at least one of the following cases of the channel access procedure may be supported for sending a transmit burst in at least one transmit direction.

[0145] In one example of Case 1, the antenna for channel sensing before the transmit burst may be configured to be omnidirectional or quasi-omnidirectional, and one transmit burst follows a channel sensing period using the omnidirectional or quasi-omnidirectional antenna.

[0146] In one example, the channel sensing period may be random (Type 1 channel sensing procedure) or deterministic (Type 2 channel sensing procedure). Note that the Type 2 channel sensing procedure includes a zero-sensing period procedure, meaning that transmission may be initiated without channel sensing. In another example, the transmission direction for the transport block included in the transmit burst may be any direction, and there may be one or more transmission directions associated with the transport block(s) included in the transmit burst, as shown in 901 or 902, respectively, in Figure 9.

[0147] Figure 9 shows an exemplary channel access procedure 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the channel access procedure 900 shown in Figure 9 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0148] In one example of Case 2, the antenna for channel sensing prior to the transmit burst is configured to be directional in a specific direction, and one transmit burst can follow a channel sensing period using the directional antenna. In one example, the channel sensing period may be random (Type 1 channel sensing procedure) or deterministic (Type 2 channel sensing procedure). Note that the Type 2 channel sensing procedure includes a zero-sensing period procedure, meaning that transmission may start without channel sensing. In other examples, the direction for channel sensing may be aligned with the direction for transmission. For example, the antenna filter configuration for channel sensing is identical to the antenna filter configuration for transmission. An example of this case is shown in Figure 10.

[0149] Figure 10 shows another exemplary channel access procedure 1000 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. One embodiment of the channel access procedure 1000 shown in Figure 10 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0150] In one example of Case 3, the antenna for channel sensing prior to a transmit burst may be configured to be directional with respect to a set of directions, and one transmit burst follows a channel sensing period using the directional antenna with respect to the set of directions. In one example, the channel sensing period may be random (Type 1 channel sensing procedure) or deterministic (Type 2 channel sensing procedure). Note that a Type 2 channel sensing procedure may indicate a zero-sensing period procedure, meaning that transmission may start without channel sensing; or a positive-value detection period procedure, meaning that transmission may start after sensing that the channel is idle for a fixed time period. In other examples, the directions for channel sensing may be aligned with the directions for transmission. For example, the antenna filter configuration for channel sensing is identical to the antenna filter configuration for transmission. An example for this case is shown in Figure 11. In other examples, the antenna filter configuration for channel sensing is a superset of the antenna filter configuration for transmission.

[0151] Figure 11 shows another exemplary channel access procedure 1100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. One embodiment of the channel access procedure 1100 shown in Figure 11 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0152] In one example of Case 3A, the above-mentioned transmission burst may be initiated regardless of the sensing results of the channel sensing. An example with two directions is shown in Table 4.

[0153] In one example of Case 3B, the transmission burst described above may be initiated only in the direction sensed by the idle. An example with two directions is shown in Table 4.

[0154] In one example of Case 3C, the above transmission burst is not initiated if any of the sensing directions are busy, which is equivalent to all sensing directions being idle. An example with two directions is shown in Table 4.

[0155] [Table 4]

[0156] In one example of Case 4, the antenna for the channel sensing prior to the transmit burst may be configured to be directional with respect to a set of directions, and one transmit burst follows a channel sensing period using the directional antenna with respect to the set of directions. Meanwhile, within the transmit burst, prior to the transmission of the direction, other channel sensing is performed with an antenna configured for that direction.

[0157] In one example, the channel sensing period before the above transmit burst may be random (Type 1 channel sensing procedure). In another example, the channel sensing period within the above transmit burst may be deterministic (Type 2 channel sensing procedure). Note that the Type 2 channel sensing procedure includes a zero sensing period, meaning that transmission within the transmit burst may start without channel sensing. In one example, the direction for the above channel sensing may be aligned with the direction for the above transmission. For example, the antenna filter configuration for the above channel sensing is the same as the antenna filter configuration for the above transmission. In another example, the first sensing period within the above transmit burst may be set to zero. An example of this case is shown in Figure 11.

[0158] In this case, sensing within the transmit burst described above is performed only if the sensing prior to the transmit burst was successful (for example, when the channel is sensed as idle).

[0159] In one example of Case 4A, the transport block may be transmitted in the above transmit burst regardless of the results of the associated directional channel sensing.

[0160] In one example of Case 4B, the transport block in the above transmit burst can only be transmitted when the associated directional channel sensing is successful (for example, when a channel for a particular direction is sensed as idle).

[0161] Figure 12 shows another exemplary channel access procedure 1200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the channel access procedure 1200 shown in Figure 12 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0162] In one embodiment, the channel access procedure according to the exemplary cases of the Disclosure may be applicable to a transmission based on the configuration of the transmit burst. For example, the applicable cases of the channel access procedure depend on the type of signals and / or channels included in the transmission. For example, in another example, the applicable cases of the channel access procedure depend on the time of the signals and / or channels included in the transmission. In yet another example, the applicable cases of the channel access procedure depend on the duty cycle of the signals and / or channels included in the transmission.

[0163] For example, the above Case 3 channel access procedure is applicable when the transmit burst includes only a discover burst, where the discover burst may include a burst of the configured PDCCH and / or PDSCH and / or configured CSI-RS, which include the SS / PBCH block and / or the remaining minimal system information (RMSI) associated with the SS / PBCH block.

[0164] For example, the channel access procedure in case 3A described above may be applicable when the transmit burst includes only a discovery burst. In this example, the discovery burst may be transmitted without channel sensing or regardless of the channel sensing result.

[0165] In one example, the above case 3C channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst includes only a discovery burst. In this example, the transmit burst can only be transmitted when all of the above directions are sensed as idle.

[0166] For example, the above Case 3B channel access procedure may not be applicable if the transmit burst contains only a discovery burst. In this example, the transmit burst must be transmitted as a whole.

[0167] For example, if the above transmit burst includes only a discover burst, the above case 4 channel access procedure may be applicable, where the discover burst may include bursts of SS / PBCH blocks and / or PDCCH and / or PDSCH configured with RMSI associated with the above SS / PBCH blocks and / or configured CSI-RS.

[0168] For example, if the above transmit burst includes only a discovery burst, the channel access procedure in Case 4A may be applicable. In this example, the discovery burst may be transmitted without channel sensing or regardless of the channel sensing results.

[0169] For example, if the above transmit burst contains only a discovery burst, the above Case 4B channel access procedure may not be applicable. In this example, the transmit burst containing the discovery burst must be transmitted as a whole.

[0170] For example, the channel access procedure for non-unicast DL signals and / or channels follows the channel access procedure for the discovery burst when the non-unicast signals and / or channels are multiplexed with the discovery burst as a single overall transmit burst.

[0171] For example, if the above transmit burst contains only non-unicast DL signals and / or channels, the above Case 3 channel access procedure may be applicable.

[0172] For example, the above Case 3C channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst contains only non-unicast DL signals and / or channels, and when the burst of non-unicast DL signals and / or channels has a QCL assumption relationship with the SS / PBCH block burst. In this example, the transmit burst containing the non-unicast DL signals and / or channels must be transmitted as a whole.

[0173] For example, the above Case 3B channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst consists only of non-unicast DL signals and / or channels, and when the burst of non-unicast DL signals and / or channels does not have an association with the SS / PBCH block burst under the QCL assumption.

[0174] For example, if the above transmit burst contains only non-unicast DL signals and / or channels, the above Case 4 channel access procedure may be applicable.

[0175] For example, the above Case 4B channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst consists only of non-unicast DL signals and / or channels, and when the burst of non-unicast DL signals and / or channels does not have an association with the SS / PBCH block burst under the QCL assumption.

[0176] For example, the above case 3B channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst includes unicast DL signals and / or channels.

[0177] For example, the above Case 4B channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst includes unicast DL signals and / or channels.

[0178] For example, the above case 3C channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst includes the scheduled UL signal(s) and / or channel(s).

[0179] For example, the above case 3B channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst includes unscheduled UL signals and / or channels.

[0180] For example, the above Case 4B channel access procedure may be applicable when the transmit burst includes unscheduled UL signals and / or channels.

[0181] In Case 3B, if directional sensing is busy providing sensing results for a transmit burst, the transmit segments included in the transmit burst cannot be transmitted. Based on this channel access procedure, the transmit burst may not be continuous in the time domain. An example of this is shown in Figure 13.

[0182] Figure 13 illustrates an exemplary discontinuity in a transmit burst for the channel access 1300 procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the discontinuity in a transmit burst for the channel access 1300 shown in Figure 13 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0183] For example, if one of the directional sensing devices is busy, the corresponding transmission segment cannot be transmitted, and the resource corresponding to that transmission segment can be made empty. An example is shown in Figure 13, 1301.

[0184] In one example, the transmit burst is a downlink burst, and in the downlink burst, the segment has a predetermined time-domain opportunity for transmission, such as an SS / PBCH block, a PDCCH and / or PDSCH of system information (e.g., a system information block (SIBx)), or at least one during paging.

[0185] In one example, the transmit burst is an uplink burst, and in the uplink burst, the segment has a predetermined time-domain opportunity for transmission, such as at least one of a random access channel (RACH) preamble or a scheduled uplink transmit burst.

[0186] In one example, if one of the directional sensings is busy, the corresponding transmit segment cannot be transmitted, and the resource corresponding to that transmit segment can be freed. If other transmit segments exist in the transmit burst, directional channel sensing corresponding to the transmission direction of the next transmit segment must be performed in order to resume transmission. In one example, the channel sensing period of the directional channel sensing is deterministic (Type 2 channel sensing procedure). An example is shown in Figure 13, 1302.

[0187] In one example, the transmit burst is a downlink burst, and the segment in the downlink burst has a predetermined time-domain opportunity for transmission, such as an SS / PBCH block, a PDCCH and / or PDSCH of system information (e.g., SIBx), or paging. In another example, the transmit burst is an uplink burst, and the segment in the uplink burst has a predetermined time-domain opportunity for transmission, such as a RACH preamble, or at least one of a scheduled uplink transmit burst.

[0188] For example, if one of the directional sensings is busy, the corresponding transmission segment cannot be transmitted, and the resource corresponding to the transmission segment can be used for transmissions with idle and sensed directions.

[0189] In one example, the scheduling of resources corresponding to the canceled transmission segment may be included in the previously transmitted segment, such as PDCCH and / or PDSCH, in the above segment. This example is shown in Figure 13, 1303.

[0190] In one example, the resources corresponding to the canceled transmission segment may be used for transmission according to the successful direction, and the scheduling information (e.g., delivered by PDCCH and included in DCI format) may be notified to the receiver. This example is shown in Figure 13, 1304.

[0191] In Case 4B, if the directional sensing provides a busy sensing result for a transmit burst, the transmit segments included in the transmit burst cannot be transmitted. Based on this channel access procedure, the transmit burst does not have to be continuous in the time domain. An example of this is shown in Figure 14.

[0192] Figure 14 shows another exemplary discontinuity in the transmit burst for the channel access procedure 1400 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. One embodiment of the transmit burst discontinuity for the channel access procedure 1400 shown in Figure 14 is for illustrative purposes only.

[0193] For example, if one of the directional sensings is busy, the corresponding transmission segment cannot be transmitted, and the resource corresponding to the transmission segment can be made empty. An example is shown in Figure 14, 1401.

[0194] In one example, the transmit burst is a downlink burst, and the segments in the downlink burst have a predetermined time period of opportunity for transmission, such as an SS / PBCH block, a PDCCH and / or PDSCH of system information (e.g., SIBx), or paging.

[0195] In one example, the transmit burst is an uplink burst, and the segment in the uplink burst has a predetermined time-domain opportunity for transmission, such as a RACH preamble or at least one of a scheduled uplink transmit burst.

[0196] For example, if one of the directional sensings is busy, the corresponding transmission segment cannot be transmitted, and the resource corresponding to the transmission segment may be used for a transmission that has an idle direction being sensed.

[0197] In one example, the scheduling of resources corresponding to the canceled transmission segment may be included in previously transmitted segments such as PDCCH and / or PDSCH in the transmission segment. An example is shown in Figure 14, 1402.

[0198] In one example, the resources corresponding to the canceled transmission segment can be used for the successful transmission, and the scheduling information (e.g., delivered by PDCCH and included in DCI format) can be notified to the receiver. This example is shown in Figure 14, section 1403.

[0199] Figure 15 shows a flowchart of a method for adjusting channel sensing thresholds according to embodiments of the present disclosure, which may be performed by UEs (e.g., 111 to 116 shown in Figure 1) and / or BSs (e.g., BS102 in Figure 1). One embodiment of method 1500 shown in Figure 15 is for illustrative purposes only. One or more of the components shown in Figure 15 may be embodied in special circuitry configured to perform the functions described above, or one or more of the components may be embodied in one or more processors that execute instructions for performing the functions described above.

[0200] In this embodiment, Method 1500 is performed in a wireless communication system operating on shared spectral channel access by a UE or BS, collectively referred to as the “Apparatus”. The Method begins with the Apparatus determining whether the antenna configuration for channel sensing is omnidirectional or directional (step 1505). For example, if in step 1505 it is determined that the antenna configuration for channel sensing is directional, the Apparatus determines one or more beam directions for the antenna configuration, each beam direction being QCLed (quasi-co-located) with a reference signal. In some embodiments, one or more beam directions for the antenna configuration for channel sensing are aligned with one or more beam directions for DL ​​transmission.

[0201] Subsequently, the device determines a channel sensing threshold (step 1510). For example, in step 1510, the device may determine the channel sensing threshold based on two parts of the channel sensing threshold. The first part of the channel sensing threshold is common to both omnidirectional and directional antenna configurations. The second part of the channel sensing threshold is dependent on the antenna configuration. In some embodiments, the second part of the channel sensing threshold is zero if the antenna configuration is determined to be omnidirectional. Furthermore, the second part of the channel sensing threshold may be greater than zero if the antenna configuration is determined to be directional.

[0202] Subsequently, the device performs a channel sensing procedure (step 1515). For example, in step 1515, the device performs a channel sensing procedure based on the antenna configuration and channel sensing threshold to determine whether the channel is idle. In some embodiments, the channel is determined to be idle in the channel sensing procedure if the energy detection for each of the one or more beam directions is less than the channel sensing threshold. Subsequently, the device transmits DL data through the channel (step 1520). For example, in step 1520, if the channel is sensed to be idle in the channel sensing procedure, the device transmits DL data through the channel.

[0203] Figure 16 shows a block diagram of the structure of a BS according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 16, the BS1600 may include a processor 1610, a transceiver 1620, and a memory 1630. However, not all of the components shown above are essential. The BS1600 may be embodied by more or fewer components than those shown in Figure 16. Furthermore, the processor 1610, the transceiver 1620, and the memory 1630 may be embodied as a single chip according to other embodiments. The BS1600 may correspond to the gNB described above. For example, the BS1600 may correspond to the gNB102 shown in Figure 2.

[0204] Next, we will explain the components mentioned above in detail.

[0205] The processor 1610 may include one or more processors or other processing units that control the proposed functions, processes, and / or methods. The processor 1610 can control other components of the BS1600. The operation of the BS1600 can be embodied by the processor 1610. The operation performed by the BS1600 can be considered to be performed by the processor 1610. The processor 1610 may correspond to the controller / processor 225 shown in Figure 2.

[0206] The transceiver 1620 may include an RF transmitter for upconverting and amplifying the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for downconverting the frequency of the received signal. However, according to other embodiments, the transceiver 1620 may be embodied by more or fewer components than those shown as components.

[0207] The transceiver 1620 can be coupled to the processor 1610 to transmit and / or receive signals. These signals may include control information and data. The transceiver 1620 can also receive these signals via a wireless channel and output them to the processor 1610. The transceiver 1620 can transmit signals output from the processor 1610 via the wireless channel. The transceiver 1620 may correspond to the RF transceivers 210a to 210n and the backhaul / network IF 235 shown in Figure 2.

[0208] Memory 1630 can store the control information or data contained in the signals acquired by BS1600. Memory 1630 is coupled to processor 1610 and can store at least one instruction, protocol, or parameter for the proposed function, process, and / or method. Memory 1630 may include read-only memory (ROM) and / or random access memory (RAM) and / or hard disk and / or CD-ROM and / or DVD and / or other storage devices. Memory 1630 may correspond to memory 230 shown in Figure 2.

[0209] Figure 17 shows a block diagram of the structure of a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 17, the UE1700 may include a processor 1710, a transceiver 1720, and a memory 1730. However, not all of the components shown above are essential. The UE1700 may be embodied by more or fewer components than those shown in Figure 17. Furthermore, the processor 1710, the transceiver 1720, and the memory 1730 may be embodied as a single chip according to other embodiments. The UE1700 may correspond to the UE described above. For example, the UE1700 may correspond to the UE116 shown in Figure 3.

[0210] Next, we will explain the components mentioned above in detail.

[0211] The processor 1710 may include one or more processors or other processing units that control the proposed functions, processes, and / or methods. The processor 1710 can control other components of the UE 1700. The operation of the UE 1700 may be embodied by the processor 1710. The operation performed by the UE 1700 can be considered to be performed by the processor 1710. The processor 1710 may correspond to the processor 340 shown in Figure 3.

[0212] The transceiver 1720 may include an RF transmitter for upconverting and amplifying the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for downconverting the frequency of the received signal. However, according to other embodiments, the transceiver 1720 may be embodied by more or fewer components than those shown as components.

[0213] The transceiver 1720 can be coupled to the processor 1710 to transmit and / or receive signals. These signals may include control information and data. The transceiver 1720 can also receive these signals via a wireless channel and output them to the processor 1710. The transceiver 1720 can transmit signals output from the processor 1710 via the wireless channel. The transceiver 1720 may correspond to the RF transceiver 310 and I / O IF 345 shown in Figure 3.

[0214] Memory 1730 can store the control information or data contained in the signals acquired by UE 1700. Memory 1730 is coupled to processor 1710 and can store at least one instruction, protocol, or parameter for the proposed function, process, and / or method. Memory 1730 may include read-only memory (ROM) and / or random access memory (RAM) and / or hard disk and / or CD-ROM and / or DVD and / or other storage devices. Memory 1730 may correspond to memory 360 shown in Figure 3.

[0215] Even though this disclosure is described as an exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications can be proposed by persons ordinary skill in the art. This disclosure is intended to include changes and modifications within the equivalent scope of the appended claims.

[0216] The flowcharts described above illustrate exemplary methods that can be embodied in accordance with the principles of this disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the methods shown in the flowcharts herein. For example, although shown as a series of processes, the various steps in each drawing may be duplicated, occur in parallel, occur in different orders, or occur multiple times. In other examples, steps may be omitted or replaced by other steps.

[0217] While this disclosure has been described in exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications can be proposed by those skilled in the art. This disclosure is intended to include changes and modifications such as those included in the appended claims. Nothing in this application should be construed as suggesting that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element to be included in the claims. The scope of the patented subject matter is defined by the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0218] 100 Wireless Networks 101,102,103 Base station (BS), gNB 111,112,113,114,115,116 User Equipment (UE) 120,125 coverage areas 130 Network, Internet 205a, 205b, 205n antennas 210a, 210b, 210n Radio Frequency (RF) Transceivers 215 Transmit (TX) Processing Circuit 220 Receiver (RX) Processing Circuit 225 Controllers / Processors 230 memory 235 Backhaul / Network Interface (IF) 305 Antenna 310 RF Transceiver 315 TX processing circuit 320 Microphones 325 RX processing circuit 330 speakers 340 processors 345 Input / Output (I / O) IF 350 Touchscreen 355 displays 360 memory 361 Operating Systems (OS) 362 applications 400 transmission routes 405 Channel coding and modulation block 410 Series-to-Parallel (S-to-P) Blocks 415 Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) Block of Size N 420 Parallel-to-Series (P-to-S) Blocks 425 Cyclic prefix additional block 430 Upconverter (UC) 500 Receiving Route 555 Downconverter (DC) 560 Cyclic prefix removal block 565 Series vs. Parallel Blocks 570 Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) Blocks of Size N 575 Parallel vs. Series Blocks 580-channel coding and demodulation block 1600 BS 1610 Processor 1620 Transmitter / Receiver 1630 memory 1700 UE 1710 Processor 1720 Transmitter / Receiver 1730 memory

Claims

1. A terminal in a wireless communication system that senses a shared spectral channel based on multiple beams, Transmitter and receiver, The system includes at least one processor connected to the transceiver, The at least one processor is Identify system information indicating that a channel access process is being executed for transmission, Prior to the transmit burst, a Type 1 channel access procedure is performed based on multiple beams, where the channel sensing period for the Type 1 channel access procedure is random. Based on the channel access procedure of type 1, the transmit burst is initiated on the first channel sensed as idle. After performing the Type 1 channel access procedure, a Type 2 channel access procedure is performed within the transmit burst, and the channel sensing period for the Type 2 channel access procedure is a definitive period of a predetermined length. Based on the channel access procedure of type 2 described above, the transmit burst is configured to be performed on a second channel sensed as idle. A terminal characterized by the following features.

2. A method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system for sensing a shared spectral channel based on multiple beams, A process that identifies system information indicating that a channel access process is being executed for transmission, Prior to the transmit burst, a process is performed to execute a random sensing procedure of a type 1 channel access procedure based on multiple beams, wherein the channel sensing period for the type 1 channel access procedure is random. A process to initiate the transmit burst on a first channel sensed as idle based on the channel access procedure of type 1, After performing the channel access procedure of type 1, a process of performing the channel access procedure of type 2 within the transmit burst, wherein the channel sensing period for the channel access procedure of type 2 is a definitive period of a predetermined length. Based on the channel access procedure of type 2 described above, the process of executing the transmit burst on a second channel sensed as idle and including A method characterized by the following features.

3. A base station in a wireless communication system that senses a shared spectral channel based on multiple beams, Transmitter and receiver, The system includes at least one processor connected to the transceiver, The at least one processor is The system provides system information indicating that a channel access process is performed for transmission, and before a transmit burst, a type 1 channel access procedure is performed based on multiple beams, where the channel sensing period for the type 1 channel access procedure is random. On the first channel sensed as idle based on the channel access procedure of type 1, the transmit burst is initiated. After performing the Type 1 channel access procedure, a Type 2 channel access procedure is performed within the transmit burst, and the channel sensing period for the Type 2 channel access procedure is a definitive period of a predetermined length. A base station configured to perform the transmit burst on a second channel sensed as idle, based on the channel access procedure of type 2 described above.

4. A method by a base station in a wireless communication system for sensing a shared spectral channel based on multiple beams, A process that provides system information indicating that a channel access process is being executed for transmission, Prior to the transmit burst, a process is performed to execute a random sensing procedure of a type 1 channel access procedure based on multiple beams, wherein the channel sensing period for the type 1 channel access procedure is random. A process to initiate the transmit burst on a first channel sensed as idle, based on the channel access procedure of type 1 described above, After performing the channel access procedure of type 1, a process of performing the channel access procedure of type 2 within the transmit burst, wherein the channel sensing period for the channel access procedure of type 2 is a definitive period of a predetermined length. Based on the channel access procedure of type 2 described above, the process of executing the transmit burst on a second channel sensed as idle and including A method characterized by the following features.

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