Communication equipment and communication methods

Abstract

This base station comprises: a receiving unit that performs listen before talk (LBT) for time division multiplexing a plurality of reception beams that correspond to a plurality of transmission beams that are applied to transmission in channel occupancy time (COT), and performing round-robin sensing applying each of the plurality of reception beams; and a transmission unit that applies, to the transmission in the COT, transmission beams corresponding to reception beams in which a busy state was not detected in the LBT among the plurality of reception beams.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a base station and a communication method in a wireless communication system.

Background Art

[0002] In NR (New Radio), which is a successor system to LTE (Long Term Evolution) (also referred to as "5G"), technologies that meet requirements such as a large-capacity system, high data transmission speed, low latency, simultaneous connection of a large number of terminals, low cost, and power saving are being studied (for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] In NR Release 17, using a higher frequency band than conventional releases (for example, Non-Patent Document 2) is being studied. For example, applicable numerologies including subcarrier spacing, channel bandwidth, etc. in the frequency band from 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz, the design of the physical layer, and obstacles assumed in actual wireless communication are being studied.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and enables directional listening before talk (LBT) in a wireless communication system that applies multiple beams. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the disclosed technology, one or more sensing beams Using A communication device is provided comprising a control unit that performs sensing, and a transmission unit that transmits using a transmission beam corresponding to a sensing beam in which no busy state was detected during sensing, wherein the control unit independently initializes a counter corresponding to each of the one or more sensing beams. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the disclosed technology, directional listening before talk (LBT) can be implemented in a wireless communication system by applying multiple beams. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a frequency range in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating an example of LBT. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hidden terminal problem. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of multibeam COT (1). [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of multibeam COT (2). [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of round-robin CCA. [Figure 8]This figure shows an example (1) of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example (2) of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example (3) of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure (4) shows an example of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure (5) shows an example of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example (6) of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure (7) shows an example of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure (8) shows an example of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure (9) shows an example of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example (10) of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This figure shows an example (11) of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] This figure (12) shows an example of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] This figure (13) shows an example of a round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when a single back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of round-robin CCA when an individual back-off counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 30] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of base station 10 in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of base station 10 or terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 33] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present invention. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to those described below.

[0011] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiments of the present invention, existing technologies may be used as appropriate. However, such existing technologies include, for example, existing LTE, but are not limited to existing LTE. Furthermore, the term "LTE" as used herein has a broad meaning that includes LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced and later methods (e.g., NR), unless otherwise specified.

[0012] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention described below, terms such as SS (Synchronization signal), PSS (Primary SS), SSS (Secondary SS), PBCH (Physical broadcast channel), PRACH (Physical random access channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), which are used in existing LTE systems, will be used. This is for convenience of description, and similar signals, functions, etc., may be called by other names. Also, the above terms in NR correspond to NR-SS, NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, NR-PRACH, etc. However, even if a signal is used in NR, it is not necessarily explicitly stated as "NR-".

[0013] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the duplex method may be a TDD (Time Division Duplex) method, an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) method, or any other method (for example, a Flexible Duplex).

[0014] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, "configuring" wireless parameters may mean that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that wireless parameters notified from the base station 10 or terminal 20 are configured.

[0015] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system in the embodiment of the present invention includes a base station 10 and a terminal 20, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows one base station 10 and one terminal 20, but this is an example, and there may be multiple base stations 10 and terminals 20.

[0016] Base station 10 is a communication device that provides one or more cells and communicates wirelessly with terminal 20. The physical resources of the radio signal are defined in the time domain and the frequency domain. The time domain may be defined by the number of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, and the frequency domain may be defined by the number of subcarriers or resource blocks. Base station 10 transmits synchronization signals and system information to terminal 20. Synchronization signals are, for example, NR-PSS and NR-SSS. System information is transmitted, for example, in NR-PBCH and is also called broadcast information. Synchronization signals and system information may be called SSB (SS / PBCH block). As shown in Figure 1, base station 10 transmits control signals or data to terminal 20 via DL (Downlink) and receives control signals or data from terminal 20 via UL (Uplink). Both base station 10 and terminal 20 are capable of transmitting and receiving signals using beamforming. Furthermore, both base station 10 and terminal 20 are capable of applying MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) communication to DL or UL. Furthermore, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 may communicate via secondary cells (SCell) and primary cells (PCell) using Carrier Aggregation (CA). In addition, the terminal 20 may communicate via the primary cell of base station 10 and the primary secondary cell group cell (PSCell) of another base station 10 using Dual Connectivity (DC).

[0017] Terminal 20 is a communication device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, wearable device, or M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communication module. As shown in Figure 1, Terminal 20 receives control signals or data from the base station 10 via DL and transmits control signals or data to the base station 10 via UL, thereby utilizing various communication services provided by the wireless communication system. Terminal 20 also receives various reference signals transmitted from the base station 10 and performs propagation path quality measurements based on the reception results of these reference signals.

[0018] Figure 2 shows an example of frequency ranges in an embodiment of the present invention. The 3GPP® Release 15 and Release 16 NR specifications consider operating in frequency bands above 52.6 GHz, for example. As shown in Figure 2, the currently defined frequency range (FR) 1 is from 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz, with a Subcarrier Spacing (SCS) of 15, 30, or 60 kHz and a bandwidth from 5 MHz to 100 MHz. FR 2 is from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz, using an SCS of 60, 120, or 240 kHz and a bandwidth from 50 MHz to 400 MHz. For example, the newly operated frequency band may be from 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz. Furthermore, support for frequency bands exceeding 71 GHz may also be considered.

[0019] In the new frequency bands operated under 3GPP Release 17, beam-based channel access mechanisms are assumed to comply with regulatory requirements applicable to unlicensed bands. For example, both LBT (Listen Before Talk) and non-LBT access may be employed, and in the case of non-LBT access, additional sensing mechanisms may not be required. Omni-directional LBT, directional LBT, and receiver-side support may also be employed. Enhancements to power detection thresholds may also be implemented. Hereafter, omni-directional LBT will also be referred to as omni-LBT.

[0020] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of LBT. For example, in the frequency band from 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz, the CCA (Clear Channel Assessment) procedure may define the channel detection period as 8 microseconds + 5 microseconds × random counter, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows an example where the random counter is 3 in the first LBT, resulting in a channel detection period of 8 + 5 × 3 = 23 microseconds, and channel busy is detected during a detection period from 14 microseconds to 18 microseconds.

[0021] Furthermore, Figure 3 shows an example where the second LBT starts with a random counter of 2, indicating that channel busy was detected in the first LBT. The channel detection period is 8 + 5 × 2 = 18 microseconds, and since no channel busy was detected during this period, transmission begins.

[0022] Furthermore, COT (Channel Occupancy Time) sharing may or may not be supported. Also, within one COT, LBT may be performed by other terminals applying backoff and random counters, and may be the same as at the start of the CCA procedure. Also, within one COT, LBT may be performed by other terminals not applying backoff and random counters, and may be the same as Type 2 LBT in NR-U. Also, LBT by other terminals within one COT is not required.

[0023] In the NR52.6–71GHz range, beam-based transmission and reception are widely used, and therefore, directional LBTs that apply a beam to sensing may be supported to improve the success rate of LBTs. Hereafter, directional LBTs will also be referred to simply as LBTs.

[0024] For example, LBTs corresponding to COTs that apply multiple beams for MU-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO) or SDM (Spatial Division Multiplexing) transmissions may be supported. For example, a COT that applies multiple beams may be achieved by a single LBT using a wide sensing beam, or by a beam-by-beam LBT. The sensing beam is the beam applied to sensing in an LBT, and may also be referred to as an eCCA (enhanced CCA) beam. Furthermore, success in an LBT or eCCA may mean that no busy state is detected as a result of performing sensing with a certain beam applied, while failure in an LBT or eCCA may mean that a busy state is detected as a result of performing sensing with a certain beam applied.

[0025] Furthermore, within a COT where time-division multiplexed beams are applied by beam switching, a single LBT applying a broad beam covering all beams used in the COT may be performed with an appropriate power detection threshold, or LBT sensing may be performed independently for each beam used in the COT at the start of the COT, or LBT sensing may be performed independently for each beam used in the COT at the start of the COT with the addition of Category 2 LBT requirements. Note that a Category 2 LBT may be an LBT without random backoff.

[0026] In addition, applying a beam in LBT may mean applying a received beam or received beamforming. LBT may be performed to apply a received beam or received beamforming that corresponds to the transmitted beam or transmitted beamforming applied to transmission in COT. Transmission may be performed in COT by applying a transmitted beam or transmitted beamforming that corresponds to the received beam or received beamforming that was successfully sensed in LBT. In addition, a beam being wider than another beam, covering another beam, or including another beam may mean that the beam in question at least covers the spatial direction of the other beam, or it may be defined in any other way.

[0027] Furthermore, if LBT sensing is performed per beam during MU-MIMO transmission, it may operate as shown in 1)-4) below.

[0028] 1) When LBT is performed on each beam using time-division multiplexing, after completing eCCA for one beam, eCCA for other beams is performed, and no transmission is performed between eCCA. 2) When LBT is performed on each beam using time-division multiplexing, after completing one eCCA for a given beam, the COT performs the transmission applying that beam. Subsequently, eCCA is performed for the other beams. 3) If LBT is performed on each beam using time-division multiplexing, eCCA may be performed simultaneously on different beams using a round-robin method. 4) If beam-by-beam LBT is performed simultaneously and in parallel for multiple different beams, it may be assumed that the node has the capability to sense multiple different beams simultaneously.

[0029] Figure 4 illustrates an example of the hidden terminal problem. The channel power detected at the transmitting node and the receiving node in a directional LBT may differ. As shown in Figure 4, when the gNB directs the directional LBT beam towards UE1, UE1 also receives interference beams from wireless LAN nodes that the gNB cannot detect, thus causing the hidden terminal problem at UE1.

[0030] To address the hidden terminal issue, for example, the receiving node may perform and report legacy RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) measurements. Alternatively, the receiving node may report AP-CSI (Aperiodic Channel State Information). Furthermore, the receiving node may perform eCCA or Category 2 LBT.

[0031] Figure 5 shows an example of a multi-beam COT (1). As shown in Figure 5, beams #0, #1, and #2 can be multiplexed using SDM (Spatial Division Multiplexing) and each beam can be applied to transmit PDCCH and / or PDSCH within the same COT.

[0032] Figure 6 shows an example of a multi-beam COT (2). As shown in Figure 6, beam #0, beam #1, and beam #2 can be multiplexed using TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) and each beam can be applied to transmit PDCCH and / or PDSCH within the same COT.

[0033] Figure 7 shows an example of round-robin CCA. As shown in Figure 7, CCA may be performed in a round-robin manner using multiple beams. In the example in Figure 7, CCA is performed in a round-robin manner using beams #0, #1, and #2, and the beams that successfully undergo CCA can be applied to a single COT for transmission.

[0034] When performing a CCA using the round-robin method described above, it is necessary to decide whether to use a single backoff counter common to all beams or a separate backoff counter for each beam. Furthermore, before starting the COT, it is necessary to determine how the round-robin method will behave if busy conditions are detected in the LBT.

[0035] The following describes the case where a single backoff counter is used with multiple beams.

[0036] The initial value of a single backoff counter may be determined in a single step. For example, the initial value N of a single backoff counter may be determined to a random integer value between 0 and the maximum value N_max_eff. The maximum value N_max_eff may be determined as shown in 1)-3) below.

[0037] 1) When the contention window length parameter CWp is applied individually to each beam, N_max_eff may be determined by the CWS (Contention window size) parameter relating to multiple beams. For example, the maximum, minimum, or average value of the CWp values ​​for each beam may be set as N_max_eff. For example, N_max_eff = max{CWp(1), CWp(2), CWp(3), ...}.

[0038] 2) If a common CWp value is set regardless of the beam, N_max_eff may be determined by the common CWp value.

[0039] 3) N_max_eff may be defined by the specification or determined by the RRC setting.

[0040] Furthermore, the initial value of a single backoff counter may be determined in two steps. The initial value N may be determined based on the values ​​of multiple counters generated independently for each beam. For example, as the first step, the initial values ​​of multiple counters generated independently for each beam may be selected for each beam: N1 may be selected from [0, CWp(1)], N2 from [0, CWp(2)], N3 from [0, CWp(3)], and so on. Next, as the second step, the maximum, minimum, or average value of the initial values ​​of the counters for each beam may be set to N_max_eff. For example, N_max_eff = max(N1, N2, N3, ...).

[0041] When performing sensing using a round-robin method, the backoff counter may be decremented after each sensing round. The backoff counter value represents the number of rounds required, and each round may consist of a 5-microsecond window for each beam.

[0042] Additionally, when performing sensing using a round-robin method, the backoff counter may be decremented for each sensing beam. The backoff counter value may represent the total number of 5-microsecond idle windows for all beams.

[0043] When performing sensing using a round-robin method, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window for all beams. Alternatively, when performing sensing using a round-robin method, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window for the first beam. Furthermore, when performing sensing using a round-robin method, the 8-microsecond window for each beam may be sensed before the 5-microsecond window for each beam in the first round. Also, when performing sensing using a round-robin method, the 8-microsecond windows for beams other than the first beam may not be sensed.

[0044] Figure 8 shows an example (1) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be decremented with each sensing round. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0045] Figure 9 shows an example (2) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 9, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be decremented with each sensing round. Also, as shown in Figure 9, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window of the first beam, and the 8-microsecond window of each beam may be sensed before the 5-microsecond window of the first round.

[0046] Figure 10 shows an example (3) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 10, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be decremented with each sensing round. Also, as shown in Figure 10, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window of the first beam, and the 8-microsecond windows other than the first beam may not be sensed.

[0047] Figure 11 shows an example (4) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 11, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be decremented for each sensing beam. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 11, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0048] Figure 12 shows an example (5) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 12, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be decremented for each sensing beam. Also, as shown in Figure 12, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window of the first beam, and the 8-microsecond window of each beam may be sensed before the 5-microsecond window of the first round.

[0049] Figure 13 shows an example (6) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 13, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be decremented for each sensing beam. Also, as shown in Figure 13, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window of the first beam, and the 8-microsecond windows other than the first beam may not be sensed.

[0050] If busy conditions are detected in any of the beams, the following actions may be taken as shown in 1)-5).

[0051] 1) The system may be switched to an omni-LBT or a LBT with a wider sensing beam. The initial value of the backoff counter in an omni-LBT or a LBT with a wider sensing beam may be reset and a new value may be set, or it may be set based on the value of the backoff counter when busy is detected in round-robin sensing.

[0052] 2) You may terminate the LBT if it has failed.

[0053] 3) The backoff counter value may be frozen, and sensing of the beam in which busy is detected may be continued. For example, sensing may be continued until the beam in which busy is detected becomes idle, and after it becomes idle, sensing of the next beam may be started. Alternatively, round-robin sensing may be continued until the beam in question is detected as busy X times. A beam in which busy is detected X times does not have to be used as a busy beam in the COT.

[0054] 4) Sensing may be terminated for beams in which busy conditions are detected, and round-robin sensing may be performed on the remaining beams. Beams in which busy conditions are detected do not necessarily have to be used as busy beams in the COT.

[0055] 5) The backoff counter value may be frozen, and round-robin sensing may be continued until all beams are idle. For example, idle status may be detected by sensing with a 5-microsecond window, or by sensing with an 8-microsecond window and a 5-microsecond window.

[0056] Additionally, additional sensing may be performed before starting COT. For example, a one-shot LBT may be performed again on each beam that has successfully sensed before starting COT. For example, a one-shot omni-LBT or a wider beam LBT including at least each beam that has successfully sensed may be performed before starting COT.

[0057] Figure 14 shows an example (7) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented with each sensing round and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0058] As shown in Figure 14, the backoff counter value may be frozen, and sensing of the busy beam may continue. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 14, sensing may continue until the busy beam becomes idle, and then sensing of the next beam may proceed. In the example in Figure 14, LBT is successful for all beams, and beams #0, #1, and #2 are available in COT.

[0059] Figure 15 shows an example (8) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented with each sensing round and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0060] As shown in Figure 15, sensing may be terminated for beams where busy is detected, and round-robin sensing may be performed on the remaining beams. Beams where busy is detected do not have to be used as busy beams in the COT. In the example in Figure 15, LBT is successful for all beams except beam #2, and beams #0 and #1 are available in the COT.

[0061] Figure 16 shows an example (9) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented with each round and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0062] As shown in Figure 16, the backoff counter values ​​may be frozen, and sensing may continue in a round-robin manner with a 5-microsecond window until all beams are idle. In the example in Figure 16, LBT is successful for all beams, and beams #0, #1, and #2 are available in COT.

[0063] Figure 17 shows an example (10) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented with each round and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0064] As shown in Figure 17, the backoff counter values ​​may be frozen, and sensing may continue in a round-robin manner with 5-microsecond windows until all beams are idle, and the idle state may be detected with 8-microsecond and 5-microsecond windows. In the example in Figure 17, LBT is successful for all beams, and beams #0, #1, and #2 are available in COT.

[0065] Figure 18 shows an example (11) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 18 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented for each sensing beam, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0066] As shown in Figure 18, the backoff counter value may be frozen, and sensing of the busy beam may continue. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 18, sensing may continue until the busy beam becomes idle, and then sensing of the next beam may proceed. The idle state may be detected in 8-microsecond and 5-microsecond windows. In the example in Figure 18, LBT is successful for all beams, and beams #0, #1, and #2 are available in COT.

[0067] Figure 19 shows an example (12) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 19 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented for each sensing beam, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0068] As shown in Figure 19, sensing may be terminated for beams where busy is detected, and round-robin sensing may be performed on the remaining beams. Beams where busy is detected do not have to be used as busy beams in the COT. In the example in Figure 19, LBT is successful for all beams except beam #2, and beams #0 and #1 are available in the COT.

[0069] Figure 20 shows an example (13) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 20 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented for each sensing beam, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0070] As shown in Figure 20, the backoff counter values ​​may be frozen, and sensing may continue in a round-robin manner with a 5-microsecond window until all beams are idle. In the example in Figure 20, LBT is successful for all beams, and beams #0, #1, and #2 are available in COT.

[0071] Figure 21 shows an example (14) of round-robin CCA when a single backoff counter is applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 21 shows an example in which, when sensing is performed in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter is decremented for each sensing beam, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0072] As shown in Figure 21, the backoff counter values ​​may be frozen, and sensing may continue in a round-robin manner with 5-microsecond windows until all beams are idle, and the idle state may be detected with 8-microsecond and 5-microsecond windows. In the example in Figure 21, LBT is successful for all beams, and beams #0, #1, and #2 are available in COT.

[0073] The following describes the case where a separate backoff counter is used for each beam.

[0074] When performing CCA with multiple beams applied in a round-robin manner, if a separate backoff counter is used for each beam, the initial value of each backoff counter may be determined independently. For example, as initial values ​​for multiple backoff counters generated independently for each beam, N1 may be selected from [0, CWp(1)], N2 from [0, CWp(2)], and N3 from [0, CWp(3)].

[0075] Furthermore, a common initial value may be used for each backoff counter. The common initial value for each backoff counter may be determined in a single step. For example, the initial value N for a common backoff counter may be determined to a random integer value between 0 and the maximum value N_max_eff. The maximum value N_max_eff may be determined as shown in 1)-3) below.

[0076] 1) When the contention window length parameter CWp is applied individually to each beam, N_max_eff may be determined by the CWS parameters relating to multiple beams. For example, the maximum, minimum, or average value of the CWp values ​​for each beam may be set as N_max_eff. For example, N_max_eff = max{CWp(1), CWp(2), CWp(3), ...}.

[0077] 2) If a common CWp value is set regardless of the beam, N_max_eff may be determined by the common CWp value.

[0078] 3) N_max_eff may be defined by the specification or determined by the RRC setting.

[0079] Furthermore, the common initial value of the backoff counter may be determined in two steps. The initial value N may be determined based on the values ​​of multiple counters generated independently for each beam. For example, as the first step, the initial values ​​of the multiple counters generated independently for each beam may be selected for each beam, such as N1 being selected from [0, CWp(1)], N2 being selected from [0, CWp(2)], N3 being selected from [0, CWp(3)], and so on. Next, as the second step, the maximum, minimum, or average value of the initial values ​​of the counters for each beam may be set to N_max_eff. For example, N_max_eff = max(N1, N2, N3, ...).

[0080] When performing CCA using a round-robin method with multiple beams, if a separate backoff counter is used for each beam, the backoff counter may be decremented during idle periods and frozen during busy periods within the sensing window of the corresponding sensing beam.

[0081] Furthermore, when performing CCA with multiple beams applied in a round-robin manner, if a separate backoff counter is used for each beam, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window for all beams. Also, when performing sensing in a round-robin manner, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window for the first beam. Also, when performing sensing in a round-robin manner, the 8-microsecond window for each beam may be sensed before the 5-microsecond window for each beam in the first round. Also, when performing sensing in a round-robin manner, the 8-microsecond windows for beams other than the first beam may not be sensed.

[0082] Figure 22 shows an example (1) of a round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 22 is an example in which the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #0 is N, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #1 is M, and the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #2 is P, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams. As shown in Figure 22, when performing a CCA that applies multiple beams in a round-robin manner, if an individual backoff counter is used for each beam, the backoff counter may be started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0083] Figure 23 shows an example (2) of a round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 23 is an example where the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #0 is N, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #1 is M, and the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #2 is P, and the backoff counter is started after the 8-microsecond window for all beams. As shown in Figure 23, when performing a CCA that applies multiple beams in a round-robin manner and using individual backoff counters for each beam, the backoff counter may be started after the 8-microsecond window for the first beam, and the 8-microsecond window for each beam may be sensed before the 5-microsecond window for each beam in the first round.

[0084] Figure 24 shows an example (3) of a round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 24, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #0 is N, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #1 is M, and the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #2 is P, and the backoff counter starts after the 8-microsecond window for all beams. As shown in Figure 24, when performing a CCA that applies multiple beams in a round-robin manner, if an individual backoff counter is used for each beam, the 8-microsecond window for beams other than the first beam does not need to be sensed.

[0085] If busy conditions are detected in any of the beams, the following actions may be taken as shown in 1)-5).

[0086] 1) The system may be switched to an omni-LBT or a LBT with a wider sensing beam. The initial value of the backoff counter in an omni-LBT or a LBT with a wider sensing beam may be reset and a new value may be set, or it may be set based on the value of the backoff counter when busy is detected in round-robin sensing.

[0087] 2) You may terminate the LBT if it has failed.

[0088] 3) The backoff counter value may be frozen, and sensing of the beam in which busy is detected may be continued. For example, sensing may be continued until the beam in which busy is detected becomes idle, and after it becomes idle, sensing of the next beam may be started. Alternatively, round-robin sensing may be continued until the beam in question is detected as busy X times. A beam in which busy is detected X times does not have to be used as a busy beam in the COT.

[0089] 4) Sensing may be terminated for beams in which busy conditions are detected, and round-robin sensing may be performed on the remaining beams. Beams in which busy conditions are detected do not necessarily have to be used as busy beams in the COT.

[0090] 5) The backoff counter value may be frozen, and round-robin sensing may be continued until all beams are idle. For example, idle status may be detected by sensing with a 5-microsecond window, or by sensing with an 8-microsecond window and a 5-microsecond window.

[0091] Figure 25 shows an example (4) of round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 25 is an example where the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #0 is N, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #1 is M, and the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #2 is P, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0092] As shown in Figure 25, the backoff counter value may be frozen, and sensing of the busy beam may be continued. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 25, sensing may be continued until the busy beam becomes idle, and then sensing of the next beam may be started. The idle state may be detected in 8-microsecond and 5-microsecond windows.

[0093] Figure 26 shows an example (5) of round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 26 is an example where the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #0 is N, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #1 is M, and the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #2 is P, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0094] As shown in Figure 26, sensing may be terminated for beams in which busy is detected, and round-robin sensing may be performed on the remaining beams. Beams in which busy is detected do not necessarily have to be used as busy beams in the COT.

[0095] Figure 27 shows an example (6) of round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 27 is an example where the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #0 is N, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #1 is M, and the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #2 is P, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0096] As shown in Figure 27, the backoff counter value may be frozen, and sensing may be continued in a round-robin manner with a 5-microsecond window until all beams are idle.

[0097] Figure 28 shows an example (7) of round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 28 is an example in which the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #0 is N, the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #1 is M, and the initial value of the backoff counter for beam #2 is P, and the backoff counter is started after an 8-microsecond window for all beams.

[0098] As shown in Figure 28, the backoff counter value may be frozen, and sensing may be continued in a round-robin manner with 5-microsecond windows until all beams are idle. The idle state may be detected with 8-microsecond and 5-microsecond windows.

[0099] Figure 29 shows an example (8) of round-robin CCA when individual backoff counters are applied in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 29, if the initial values ​​of the backoff counters differ from beam to beam and / or the busy period differs from beam to beam, it is expected that a large gap will occur in the completion of sensing for each beam. For this reason, the operations 1)-4) shown below may be performed.

[0100] 1) Additional sensing may be performed before starting COT. For example, one-shot LBT may be performed again on each beam that has successfully sensed before starting COT.

[0101] 2) Before starting COT, a one-shot omni-beam beam test (LBT) or a beam test with a wider beam that includes at least each beam that successfully sensed may be performed.

[0102] 3) If each backoff counter is initialized independently, a limit may be set on the difference between the initial values ​​of each backoff counter. For example, the limit may be applied to the difference between the minimum and maximum initial values, or initial values ​​with a difference greater than the limit may be prohibited and changed to a range of set upper and lower limits.

[0103] 4) A timer may be introduced to limit the gap between the end times of sensing for each beam. For example, such a timer may be called a round-robin end gap timer. The timer may be started when sensing for a beam is first completed. When the timer expires, LBT for a beam may be suspended even if there are beams that are still being sensed.

[0104] The LBT operation described above may be performed at the base station 10 or at the terminal 20. Furthermore, the LBT operation described above may be applicable to a specific frequency band. For example, the LBT operation described above may be applicable to FR2-2 in the 52.6-71 GHz range.

[0105] In the embodiments of the present invention, the LBT, eCCA, or sensing may be accompanied by random backoff, a one-shot backoff, or sensing may be performed in a specific sensing slot.

[0106] The beam order in the round-robin method in the embodiment of the present invention may be determined as appropriate.

[0107] Which of the above-described embodiments is executable may be set by higher-layer parameters, reported by terminal 20 as UE capability, defined in the specification, or determined by a combination of higher-layer parameter settings and UE capability.

[0108] Furthermore, a UE capability may be defined indicating whether terminal 20 supports LBT, which performs round-robin sensing of each beam using time-division multiplexing to acquire a COT to which multiple beams are applied.

[0109] Furthermore, a UE capability may be defined that indicates whether terminal 20 supports an LBT that performs round-robin sensing of each beam by time-division multiplexing to acquire a COT to which multiple beams are applied, and to which a single backoff counter is applied.

[0110] Furthermore, a UE capability may be defined that indicates whether terminal 20 supports an LBT that performs beam-by-beam sensing in a round-robin manner using time-division multiplexing to acquire a COT to which multiple beams are applied, and to which an individual backoff counter is applied for each beam.

[0111] Furthermore, a UE capability may be defined indicating whether terminal 20 supports LBT, which performs beam-by-beam sensing using time-division multiplexing to acquire COT to which multiple beams are applied, in a round-robin manner by continuously sensing busy beams.

[0112] Furthermore, a UE capability may be defined that indicates whether terminal 20 supports one-shot LBT for each beam after completing LBT, which is performed in a round-robin manner by time-division multiplexing to obtain COT to which multiple beams are applied.

[0113] Furthermore, a UE capability may be defined indicating whether terminal 20 supports omni-LBT after completing LBT, which performs beam-by-beam sensing in a round-robin manner using time-division multiplexing to acquire a COT to which multiple beams are applied. Furthermore, a UE capability may be defined indicating whether terminal 20 supports one-shot omni-LBT after completing LBT, which performs beam-by-beam sensing in a round-robin manner using time-division multiplexing to acquire a COT to which multiple beams are applied.

[0114] As described above, the base station 10 or terminal 20 can perform directional LBT by executing beam-by-beam sensing using time-division multiplexing in an appropriate round-robin manner.

[0115] In other words, in a wireless communication system, it is possible to perform directional listening before talk (LBT) by applying multiple beams.

[0116] (Device configuration) Next, we will describe an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 that perform the processes and operations described above. The base station 10 and terminal 20 include functions to implement the embodiments described above. However, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may each have only some of the functions in the embodiments.

[0117] <Base station 10> Figure 30 shows an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 30, the base station 10 has a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. The functional configuration shown in Figure 30 is merely an example. Any functional classification and functional unit names are acceptable as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0118] The transmitting unit 110 includes the function of generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal 20 and transmitting the signal wirelessly. The transmitting unit 110 also transmits inter-network node messages to other network nodes. The receiving unit 120 includes the function of receiving various signals transmitted from the terminal 20 and obtaining information from the received signals, for example, higher layer information. The transmitting unit 110 also has the function of transmitting NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL control signals, etc. to the terminal 20. The receiving unit 120 also receives inter-network node messages from other network nodes.

[0119] The setting unit 130 stores pre-configured setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to the terminal 20. The content of the setting information includes, for example, information related to LBT settings.

[0120] The control unit 140 performs control related to the setting of the LBT, as described in the embodiment. The control unit 140 also performs scheduling. The signal transmission function unit of the control unit 140 may be included in the transmission unit 110, and the signal reception function unit of the control unit 140 may be included in the reception unit 120.

[0121] <Terminal 20> Figure 31 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 31, the terminal 20 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a setting unit 230, and a control unit 240. The functional configuration shown in Figure 31 is merely an example. Any functional classification and functional unit names are acceptable as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0122] The transmitting unit 210 creates a transmission signal from the transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The receiving unit 220 wirelessly receives various signals and acquires signals from higher layers from the received physical layer signals. The receiving unit 220 also has the function of receiving NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL / SL control signals, etc. transmitted from the base station 10. For example, the transmitting unit 210 transmits PSCCH (Physical Sidelink Control Channel), PSSCH (Physical Sidelink Shared Channel), PSDCH (Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel), PSBCH (Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel), etc. to other terminals 20 as D2D communication, and the receiving unit 220 receives PSCCH, PSSCH, PSDCH or PSBCH, etc. from other terminals 20.

[0123] The setting unit 230 stores various setting information received from the base station 10 by the receiving unit 220. The setting unit 230 also stores pre-configured setting information. The content of the setting information includes, for example, information related to LBT settings.

[0124] The control unit 240 performs control related to the setting of the LBT, as described in the embodiment. The signal transmission function in the control unit 240 may be included in the transmission unit 210, and the signal reception function in the control unit 240 may be included in the reception unit 220.

[0125] (Hardware configuration) The block diagrams (Figures 30 and 31) used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may be realized by combining the above one device or the above multiple devices with software.

[0126] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, judgment, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0127] For example, the base station 10, terminal 20, etc. in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that processes the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 32 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The above-mentioned base station 10 and terminal 20 may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a storage device 1002, an auxiliary storage device 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0128] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be read as "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured without some of the devices.

[0129] Each function in the base station 10 and terminal 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and storage device 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of the reading and writing of data in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0130] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running an operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the control unit 140, control unit 240, etc., described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0131] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, or data from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002, and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes a computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiment. For example, the control unit 140 of the base station 10 shown in Figure 30 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Also, for example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in Figure 31 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Although the above-described processes have been explained as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line.

[0132] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing a communication method according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0133] The auxiliary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disc, a digital multipurpose disc, a Blu-ray® disc), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may also be a database, server, or other suitable medium that includes at least one of the storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0134] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transceiver / receiver device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may include high-frequency switches, duplexers, filters, frequency synthesizers, etc., to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmit / receive antenna, amplifier section, transmit / receive section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmit / receive section may be implemented with physically or logically separated transmitting and receiving sections.

[0135] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0136] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the storage device 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be configured for each device.

[0137] Furthermore, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0138] Figure 33 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 33, vehicle 2001 comprises a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on vehicle 2001, for example, to the communication module 2013.

[0139] The drive unit 2002 consists of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel, which is operated by the user.

[0140] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and communication ports (IO ports) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 installed in the vehicle 2001 are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0141] Signals from various sensors 2021-2029 include current signals from current sensor 2021 which senses motor current, front and rear wheel rotation speed signals obtained by rotation speed sensor 2022, front and rear wheel air pressure signals obtained by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals obtained by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals obtained by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals obtained by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals obtained by brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals obtained by shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals obtained by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0142] The Information Services Unit 2012 consists of various devices for providing various types of information, such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, including a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Services Unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001.

[0143] The driver assistance system unit 2030 consists of various devices that provide functions to prevent accidents or reduce the driver's workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps, etc.), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System), etc.), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driver assistance system unit 2030 also sends and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driver assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0144] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via its communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 sends and receives data via its communication port 2033 to the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, the microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021-29 provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0145] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with external devices. For example, it can send and receive various types of information to and from external devices via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station or a mobile station.

[0146] The communication module 2013 transmits current signals from current sensors input to the electronic control unit 2010 to an external device via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 also transmits, via wireless communication, other signals input to the electronic control unit 2010, including front and rear wheel rotation speed signals obtained by the rotation speed sensor 2022, front and rear wheel air pressure signals obtained by the air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals obtained by the vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals obtained by the acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals obtained by the accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals obtained by the brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals obtained by the shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals obtained by the object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0147] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, distance information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 installed in the vehicle 2001. The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external device in memory 2032, which is available to the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021-2029, etc., installed in the vehicle 2001.

[0148] (Summary of the embodiments) As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a base station is provided which includes a receiving unit that performs LBT (Listen before talk) by time-division multiplexing multiple receiving beams corresponding to multiple transmitting beams applied to transmission in COT (Channel Occupancy Time) and performing sensing applied to each of the multiple receiving beams in a round-robin manner, and a transmitting unit that applies a transmitting beam corresponding to a receiving beam in which a busy state was not detected in the LBT among the multiple receiving beams to transmission in the COT.

[0149] With the above configuration, the base station 10 or terminal 20 can perform directional LBT (Directional Listen Before Talk) by performing beam-by-beam sensing using time-division multiplexing in an appropriate round-robin manner. In other words, it is possible to perform directional LBT (Directional Listen Before Talk) that applies multiple beams in a wireless communication system.

[0150] The receiving unit may apply a single backoff counter to the multiple received beams and decrease the single backoff counter round by round or beam by beam. This configuration enables the base station 10 or terminal 20 to perform beam-by-beam sensing by time-division multiplexing using an appropriate round-robin method for directional LBT.

[0151] If the receiving unit detects that one of the multiple received beams is busy, it may freeze the single backoff counter and continue sensing until the busy received beam becomes idle. With this configuration, the base station 10 or terminal 20 can perform directional LBT by performing beam-by-beam sensing using time-division multiplexing in an appropriate round-robin manner.

[0152] If the receiving unit detects that one of the multiple receiving beams is busy, it may terminate sensing of the busy receiving beam and sense the other multiple receiving beams in a round-robin manner. With this configuration, the base station 10 or terminal 20 can perform directional LBT, which involves sensing each beam using time-division multiplexing in an appropriate round-robin manner.

[0153] The receiving unit may apply a beam-by-beam backoff counter to each of the multiple received beams and decrease the beam-by-beam backoff counter for each round or each beam. With this configuration, the base station 10 or terminal 20 can perform beam-by-beam sensing by time-division multiplexing using an appropriate round-robin method, enabling directional LBT.

[0154] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, a communication method is provided in which a base station performs a receiving procedure that includes time-division multiplexing of multiple receiving beams corresponding to multiple transmitting beams applied to transmission in the Channel Occupancy Time (COT), and LBT (Listen Before Talk) which performs sensing applied to each of the multiple receiving beams in a round-robin manner, and a transmitting procedure which applies a transmitting beam corresponding to a receiving beam in which a busy state was not detected in the LBT among the multiple receiving beams to transmission in the COT.

[0155] With the above configuration, the base station 10 or terminal 20 can perform directional LBT (Directional Listen Before Talk) by performing beam-by-beam sensing using time-division multiplexing in an appropriate round-robin manner. In other words, it is possible to perform directional LBT (Directional Listen Before Talk) that applies multiple beams in a wireless communication system.

[0156] (Supplement to the embodiment) While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, substitutions, etc. Specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, but unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention, and matters described in two or more items may be combined as needed, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other). The boundaries of functional units or processing units in the functional block diagram do not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of physical parts. The operation of multiple functional units may be physically performed by one part, or the operation of one functional unit may be physically performed by multiple parts. Regarding the processing procedures described in the embodiments, the order of processing may be changed as long as it does not contradict each other. For the convenience of explaining the processing, the base station 10 and terminal 20 have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the base station 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or any other suitable storage medium.

[0157] Furthermore, the notification of information is not limited to the embodiments / models described herein and may be carried out by other methods. For example, the notification of information may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling, broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block))), other signals, or combinations thereof. Also, RRC signaling may be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0158] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure includes LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (xG (where x is, for example, an integer or decimal)), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), and IEEE This may apply to at least one system utilizing 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth®, or other appropriate systems, and to next-generation systems extended, modified, created, or defined based thereon. It may also apply to a combination of multiple systems (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0159] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0160] In this specification, specific operations performed by the base station 10 may, in some cases, be performed by its upper node. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station 10, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 can be performed by the base station 10 and at least one of the other network nodes (for example, an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates the case where there is one other network node besides the base station 10, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0161] The information or signals described in this disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). They may also be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0162] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0163] The determination in this disclosure may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0164] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0165] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0166] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0167] In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0168] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0169] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0170] The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0171] In this disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)", "wireless base station", "base station equipment", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNodeB (eNB)", "gNodeB (gNB)", "access point", "transmission point", "reception point", "transmission / reception point", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0172] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. If a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into several smaller areas, each of which may also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a Remote Radio Head (RRH)). The terms “cell” or “sector” refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​at least one of the base station and / or base station subsystems that provide communication services in that coverage.

[0173] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0174] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0175] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile body (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device that does not necessarily move during communication operation. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0176] Furthermore, the term "base station" in this disclosure may be interpreted as "user terminal." For example, the various aspects / embodiments of this disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals 20 (which may be called, for example, D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), etc.). In this case, the terminals 20 may have the functions that the base station 10 has. Also, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., may be interpreted as side channel.

[0177] Similarly, the term "user terminal" in this disclosure may be replaced with "base station." In this case, the base station may be configured to have the same functions as the user terminal described above.

[0178] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, or inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertaining. “Determining” may also include, for example, receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, or accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0179] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0180] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0181] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0182] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0183] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0184] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0185] A wireless frame may consist of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of these frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further consist of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0186] Numerical logic may be communication parameters applied to at least one of the transmission and reception of a signal or channel. Numerical logic may include, for example, at least one of the following: subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame configuration, specific filtering processes performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing processes performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0187] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) symbols, etc.). A slot may also be a time unit based on neurology.

[0188] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. Minislots may also be called subslots. Minislots may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0189] Wireless frames, subframes, slots, minislots, and symbols all represent units of time when transmitting a signal. Different names may be used for each of these terms.

[0190] For example, one subframe may be called a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be called a TTI, or one slot or one mini-slot may be called a TTI. In other words, at least one of a subframe and a TTI may be a subframe (1 ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, mini-slot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0191] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest unit of time for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, the base station schedules each terminal 20 to allocate wireless resources (such as the frequency bandwidth and transmission power available to each terminal 20) in TTI units. However, the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0192] TTI may be a transmission time unit for channel-encoded data packets (transport blocks), code blocks, code words, etc., or it may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. Given a TTI, the actual time interval (e.g., number of symbols) to which the transport block, code block, code word, etc. are mapped may be shorter than the given TTI.

[0193] Furthermore, if one slot or one mini-slot is referred to as TTI, then one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more mini-slots) may constitute the minimum time unit of scheduling. In addition, the number of slots (number of mini-slots) that constitute the minimum time unit of scheduling may be controlled.

[0194] A TTI with a time length of 1ms may also be called a normal TTI, long TTI, normal subframe, long subframe, slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a normal TTI may also be called a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, mini slot, sub slot, slot, etc.

[0195] Furthermore, long TTIs (e.g., normal TTIs, subframes, etc.) may be interpreted as TTIs with a time length exceeding 1 ms, and short TTIs (e.g., shortened TTIs, etc.) may be interpreted as TTIs with a TTI length less than that of a long TTI but 1 ms or more.

[0196] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and frequency domain, and in the frequency domain, it may contain one or more consecutive subcarriers. The number of subcarriers in an RB may be the same regardless of the neurology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers in an RB may be determined based on the neurology.

[0197] Furthermore, the time domain of the RB may contain one or more symbols and may be the length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI. Each TTI, subframe, etc., may consist of one or more resource blocks.

[0198] One or more RBs may also be called a Physical RB (PRB), Sub-Carrier Group (SCG), Resource Element Group (REG), PRB pair, RB pair, etc.

[0199] Furthermore, a resource block may consist of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource area comprising one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0200] A Bandwidth Part (BWP), also known as a partial bandwidth, may represent a subset of consecutive common resource blocks (RBs) for a particular neurology system in a given carrier. These common RBs may be identified by an index of the RBs relative to a common reference point of the carrier. A Bandwidth Part (PRB) may be defined and numbered within a given BWP.

[0201] A BWP may include BWPs for UL (UL BWP) and BWPs for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be configured within a single carrier for a UE.

[0202] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE does not need to assume that it will send or receive a given signal / channel outside of the active BWP. In this disclosure, terms such as "cell" and "carrier" may be read as "BWP".

[0203] The structures described above, such as wireless frames, subframes, slots, minislots, and symbols, are merely illustrative. For example, the number of subframes included in a wireless frame, the number of slots per subframe or wireless frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, and the number of symbols, symbol length, and cyclic prefix (CP) length within a TTI can be varied in various ways.

[0204] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0205] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0206] Each aspect / embodiment described herein may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0207] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0208] This international patent application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-132480, filed on 16 August 2021, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-132480 are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0209] 10 base station 110 Transmitter 120 Receiver 130 Setting section 140 Control Unit 20 devices 210 Transmitter 220 Receiver 230 Setting section 240 Control Unit 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 2001 Vehicle 2002 Drive Unit 2003 Steering Department 2004 Accelerator pedal 2005 Brake pedal 2006 Shift Lever 2007 Front Wheel 2008 Rear wheel 2009 Axle 2010 Electronic Control Unit 2012 Information Services Department 2013 Communication Module 2021 Current Sensor 2022 Rotation speed sensor 2023 Pneumatic Sensor 2024 Vehicle Speed ​​Sensor 2025 Accelerometer 2026 Brake Pedal Sensor 2027 Shift lever sensor 2028 Object Detection Sensor 2029 Accelerator pedal sensor 2030 Driver Support Systems Department 2031 Microprocessor 2032 memory (ROM, RAM) 2033 Communication port (I / O port)

Claims

1. A control unit that performs sensing using one or more sensing beams, The system includes a transmitting unit that transmits using a transmitting beam corresponding to a sensing beam from among the one or more sensing beams in which no busy state was detected during sensing, The control unit is a communication device that independently initializes counters corresponding to each of the one or more sensing beams.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit initializes the counter to a value selected from a predetermined range defined by a contention window.

3. The control unit, when the sensing beam that has been sensed is idle, decrements the counter. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit freezes the counter when the sensing beam that has been sensed is busy.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit performs the transmission after the value of the counter becomes zero.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing is performed in frequency range 2-2.

6. A communication method performed at a terminal or base station in a wireless communication system, A step of performing sensing using one or more sensing beams, The system includes the step of transmitting using a transmission beam corresponding to a sensing beam from among the one or more sensing beams in which no busy state was detected during sensing, A communication method in which counters corresponding to each of the one or more sensing beams are initialized independently.

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