Repeaters, terminal devices, and network devices

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method, a device, and a computer-readable medium for communication. A network device determines an application time of a beam of a repeater device and an SCS associated with the application time, and determines time-domain resource allocation information indicating the application time based on the determined SCS. The network device transmits the time-domain resource allocation information and indication information regarding the indication of the application time to the repeater device. In this way, the application time of the beam of the NCR can be efficiently indicated.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to communication methods, devices, and computer storage media for beam management of network-controlled repeaters (NCRs). [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, NCRs have been introduced to extend high-frequency (HF) coverage in a more efficient way by adding side control information for beam management based on radio frequency (RF) repeaters. It is acknowledged that the time-domain resources corresponding to the access link between the NCR and the terminal device can be determined by explicit decisions based on time-domain resources explicitly indicated for each beam instruction. However, the details regarding the instruction of time-domain resources for NCR access beams remain undefined and need to be developed. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] Generally, embodiments of this disclosure provide communication methods, devices, and computer storage media for NCR beam management.

[0004] In the first embodiment, a communication method is provided. This method includes, in a network device, determining the application time of a beam of a repeater device; determining a subcarrier interval associated with the application time; determining time-domain resource allocation information indicating the application time based on the determined subcarrier interval; and transmitting the time-domain resource allocation information and instruction information relating to the application time instruction to the repeater device.

[0005] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes, in a repeater device and from a network device, receiving time domain resource allocation information indicating an application time of a beam of the repeater device and indication information regarding an indication of the application time, determining a subcarrier spacing associated with the application time, and determining the application time based on the time domain resource allocation information, the indication information, and the determined subcarrier spacing.

[0006] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes a processor configured to cause the device to execute a method according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions is provided. When the instructions are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor is caused to execute a method according to the first, second, or third aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] Other features of the present disclosure will be readily understood through the following description.

[0009] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through a more detailed description of some embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1A] An exemplary communication scenario in which some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown. [Figure 1B] An exemplary communication model of NCR in which some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram showing an exemplary communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. [Figure 3A] A schematic diagram showing an exemplary time domain resource allocation for a beam of NCR according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. [Figure 3B]A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 4A] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 4B] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 4C] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 5A] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 5B] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 5C] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 6A] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 6B] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 7] This disclosure illustrates exemplary methods of communication performed in network devices according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This disclosure illustrates exemplary methods of communication performed in a repeater device according to several embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing the embodiments of the disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements.

[0012] Herein, the principles of this disclosure will be described with reference to several embodiments. These embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only, without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure, and should be understood as helping those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure. The disclosures described herein can also be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0013] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0014] As used herein, the term “terminal device” refers to any device having wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) devices, all Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, in-vehicle devices for V2X communication where X means pedestrian, vehicle, or infrastructure / network, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) devices, small data transmission (SDT), mobility, multicast and broadcast services (MBS), positioning in commercial networks, dynamic / flexible redundancy, reduced capability (RedCap), and unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAS). Spacecraft or aerial aircraft in non-terrestrial networks (NTN) including satellites and high-altitude platforms (HAP), and various types of reality such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), including augmented reality (XR).Reality devices include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, which are aircraft without any human pilot; devices on high-speed trains (HSTs); image capture devices such as digital cameras and sensors; game devices; music storage and playback devices; or internet-connected home appliances that enable wireless or wired internet access and browsing. "Terminal devices" may further have "multicast / broadcast" capabilities to support public safety and mission-critical V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast distribution, IPTV, smart TVs, wireless services, wireless software distribution, group communications, and IoT applications. They may also incorporate one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), known as multi-SIMs. The term "terminal device" can be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0015] The term "network device" refers to a device that can provide or host a cell or coverage from which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, Node B (NodeB or NB), Evolutionary Node B (eNodeB or eNB), Next Generation Node B (gNB), Transmission Reception Point (TRP), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Head (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), IAB Node, Femtonode, Piconode and other low-power nodes, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS), and Network Control Repeater.

[0016] Terminal devices or network devices may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. These devices typically include models that are trained from large amounts of collected data for specific functions and can be used to predict certain information.

[0017] Terminal or network devices can operate in several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz), frequency bands greater than 100 GHz, and terahertz (THz). Furthermore, they can operate in licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. Terminal devices can connect to multiple network devices under Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) application scenarios. Terminal or network devices can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, and cross-division-duplex modes.

[0018] Network devices may have network energy saving, self-organizing network (SON) / drive test minimization (MDT) features. Terminals may have power saving features.

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using test equipment such as signal generators, signal analyzers, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, test terminal devices, test network devices, and channel emulators.

[0020] In one embodiment, a terminal device may be connected to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first and second network devices may be a master node and the other a secondary node. The first and second network devices may use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device, and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to different RATs may be transmitted to the terminal device from at least one of the first or second network device. In one embodiment, the first information may be transmitted from the first network device to the terminal device, and the second information may be transmitted from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, information related to the configuration of a terminal device configured by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device via the first network device. Information relating to the reconfiguration of a terminal device configured by a second network device may be transmitted from the second network device directly to the terminal device or via the first network device.

[0021] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural unless the context specifically indicates otherwise. The term “includes” and its variations should be read as an open term meaning “includes, but not limited to.” The term “based on” should be read as “based on at least partially.” The terms “one embodiment” and “a certain embodiment” should be read as “at least one embodiment.” The term “another embodiment” should be read as “at least one other embodiment.” Terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included below.

[0022] In some examples, values, procedures, or devices are referred to as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “minimum,” “maximum,” etc. It will be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made from among many functional alternatives, and that such a choice is better than other choices, smaller, higher, or otherwise not preferable.

[0023] In the context of this application, the term “repeater” may be used interchangeably with “repeater device” or “network-controlled repeater,” and the term “beam” may be used interchangeably with “link,” “channel,” or “spatial filter.” In the context of this application, the term “side control information” may be used interchangeably with “control information” or “on-off information.” In the context of this application, the terms “synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) index” may be used interchangeably with “channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) index.”

[0024] In the context of this application, a slot may contain 14 symbols when the Cyclic Prefix (CP) length is a normal CP, and a slot may contain 12 symbols when the CP length is an Extended Cyclic Prefix (ECP). For convenience, embodiments of this disclosure will be described in relation to a normal CP. It should be understood that embodiments of this disclosure may also be applicable in relation to an ECP.

[0025] Currently, the intention is to investigate and identify which of the following side control information is required for the network control repeater, including the assumption of maximum transmit power: - Beamforming information, - Timing information for aligning the transmit / receive boundary of a network control repeater. - Information regarding Uplink (UL)-Downlink (DL) Time Division Duplexing (TDD) settings. - On / off information for efficient interference management and improved energy efficiency. - Power control information for efficient interference management (as a second priority).

[0026] As described above, details regarding the instruction of time-domain resources for NCR access beams need to be developed. In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for indicating the time-domain resources (i.e., application time) of an NCR access beam. In this solution, a network device can determine the application time of a repeater device's beam and the subcarrier spacing (SCS) associated with the application time, and based on the determined SCS, determine time-domain resource allocation information indicating the application time. The network device can transmit the time-domain resource allocation information and instruction information regarding the application time instruction to the NCR. The NCR can determine the SCS and then determine the application time based on the time-domain resource allocation information, instruction information, and SCS.

[0027] In this way, the time-domain resources of the NCR access beam can be accurately represented with acceptable signaling overhead.

[0028] The principles and embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0029] Examples of communication networks Figure 1A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication network 100A in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication network 100A may include a network device 110, a repeater device 120, and a terminal device 130. The network device 110 can provide services to the terminal device 130.

[0030] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can communicate directly with the terminal device 130. In this case, the link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130 is a direct link. In some embodiments, the network device 110 can communicate with the terminal device 130 via a repeater device 120. In this case, the link between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130 via the repeater device 120 is an indirect link.

[0031] The repeater device 120 may have a forwarding function (also called normal operation mode) and a monitoring function (also called low power consumption mode). In normal operation mode, the repeater device 120 can forward signal transmission between the network device 110 and the terminal device 130. That is, the repeater device 120 can receive a signal from the network device 110, then amplify the received signal, and forward the amplified signal to the terminal device 130. Alternatively, the repeater device 120 can receive a signal from the terminal device 130, then amplify the received signal, and forward the amplified signal to the network device 110. In low power consumption mode, the repeater device 120 can intermittently or periodically monitor the signal from the network device 110.

[0032] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can transmit side control information to the repeater device 120. The side control information may include at least one of the following: beamforming information, timing information for aligning the transmit or receive boundary of the repeater device 120, information regarding the UL-DL TDD configuration, on-off information for efficient interference management and improved energy efficiency, or power control information for efficient interference management.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1A, the network device 110 can support six beams 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 for communication, the repeater device 120 can support five beams 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125 for communication, and the terminal device 130 can support four beams 131, 132, 133, and 134 for communication. These beams can function as transmit beams or receive beams in DL or UL transmission. For convenience, we assume that beams 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 are the transmit beams of network device 110 in DL transmission, beams 121, 122, 123, and 124 are the transmit beams of repeater device 120 in DL transmission, beam 125 is the receive beam of repeater device 120 in DL transmission, and beams 131, 132, 133, and 134 are the receive beams of terminal device 130 in DL transmission.

[0034] The number of devices or beams in Figure 1A is given for illustrative purposes only and should not imply any limitation to the present disclosure. The communication network 100A may include any appropriate number of network devices and / or repeater devices and / or terminal devices and / or beams adapted to carry out embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Communications in the communication network 100A may comply with any appropriate standard, including but not limited to, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA®), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM Edge Radio Access Network (GERAN), and Machine Type Communication (MTC). Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in accordance with any generation of communication protocols that are currently known or planned to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G advanced networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0036] Figure 1B shows an exemplary communication model 100B of an NCR, in which several embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. For convenience, this will be described with reference to the example in Figure 1A. As shown in Figure 1B, the NCR 120 may comprise a mobile termination element (indicated as NCR-MT) 141 and a forwarding element (indicated as NCR-Fwd) 142. The NCR-MT 141 may be defined as a functional entity that enables communication with a network device 110 via a control link to exchange information (e.g., side control information). The control link may be based on a Uu interface. The side control information may be used to control at least the NCR-Fwd 142. The NCR-Fwd 142 may be defined as a functional entity that performs amplification and forwarding of UL / DL RF signals between the network device 110 and a terminal device 130 via a backhaul link and an access link. The behavior of the NCR-Fwd 142 is controlled according to the side control information received from the network device 110.

[0037] It is agreed that the time-domain resources corresponding to an access link beam (also called an access beam) can be determined by an explicit decision based on the time-domain resources explicitly indicated for each beam designation. Different parameters may be indicated for semi-static or dynamic beam designations. One or more beams may be designated through a single beam designation.

[0038] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for indicating the time-domain resources (i.e., application time) of an NCR access beam. This solution is described below with reference to Figures 2 to 6B.

[0039] Examples of instructions for application time Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary communication process 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the purposes of discussion, the process 200 will be described with reference to Figure 1. The process 200 may include a network device 110, a repeater device 120, and a terminal device 130, as shown in Figure 1A. The process 200 may include more additional steps or some of the steps shown may be omitted, and it should be noted that the present disclosure does not limit the order of the steps.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the network device 110 can determine the application time of the beams of the repeater device 120 (210). In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the application time of each beam of the repeater device 120 based, for example, on the application time of the beams of the terminal device 130. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and any other suitable factors may be considered in determining the application time.

[0041] The network device 110 can determine the SCS associated with the application time (220). In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the SCS associated with the application time based on the SCS of the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the SCS associated with the application time based on the SCS of the terminal device 130. In some embodiments, the SCS of the terminal device 130 can be indicated to the repeater device 120 by the network device 110. In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the SCS associated with the application time based on a predetermined or pre-configured SCS or a reference SCS.

[0042] Based on the determined SCS, the network device 110 may determine time-domain resource information to indicate the application time (230). The network device 110 may then transmit instruction information to the repeater device 120, for example in SCI, regarding time-domain resource allocation information and instructions for application time (240).

[0043] Upon receiving time-domain resource allocation information and instruction information, the repeater device 120 can determine the SCS in a similar manner (250). Then, based on the time-domain resource allocation information, instruction information, and the determined SCS, the repeater device 120 can determine the application time (260).

[0044] For illustrative purposes, several exemplary embodiments are described below in relation to Embodiments 1 to 7.

[0045] Embodiment 1 In this embodiment, the application time may be continuous, and the instruction information may indicate that it is associated with a set of time-domain resources for which the application time is continuous.

[0046] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine a slot offset and number of slots associated with a contiguous set of time-domain resources. The slot offset and number of slots may be transmitted as time-domain resource allocation information. In this case, the application time is contiguous at the slot level.

[0047] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine a slot offset, the number of slots associated with a contiguous set of time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot, and the symbol length in the last slot. The slot offset, number of slots, symbol offset, and symbol length may be transmitted as time-domain resource allocation information. In this case, the application time is contiguous at the symbol level.

[0048] In the context of this disclosure, a slot offset may be defined with respect to the slot to which time-domain resource allocation information is transmitted (e.g., the slot in which the SCI is located). In this case, the slot offset may refer to the interval between the first slot of a contiguous set of time-domain resources and the slot in which the SCI is located. In other words, the slot offset may refer to the difference between the index of the first slot of the contiguous set of time-domain resources and the index of the slot in which the SCI is located. In some embodiments, the slot offset may be zero. In this case, the first slot of the contiguous set of time-domain resources and the slot in which the SCI is located are the same slot. It should be understood that the slot offset may take any other appropriate value.

[0049] Alternatively, the slot offset may be defined relative to a system frame or subframe. In this case, the slot offset may refer to the interval between the first slot of a contiguous set of time-domain resources and the first slot of the system frame or subframe. In some embodiments, the slot offset may be zero. In this case, the first slot of a contiguous set of time-domain resources and the first slot of the system frame or subframe are the same slot. Naturally, the slot offset may take any other appropriate value.

[0050] Slot offset may also be defined in any other suitable way, and it should be understood that this application does not limit this aspect.

[0051] Figure 3A shows a schematic diagram 300A illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, it is shown that the application time is continuous at the symbol level. As shown in Figure 3A, k slot This indicates the slot offset for the SCI slot, N slot k indicates the number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. symindicates the symbol offset in the first slot of the slot, I sym indicates the symbol length available in the last slot of the slot.

[0052] In some embodiments, by considering that the PDCCH of the terminal device 130 is located before the first slot of the slot, k sym may be omitted or the default value of k sym may be set to 0. In some embodiments, if the last few symbols in the last slot are not scheduled for any other terminal device, I sym may be omitted or the default value of I sym may be set to 13 (for normal CP) or 11 (for extended CP).

[0053] In some embodiments, the maximum value of k slot can be set to 32, and the maximum value of N slot can be set to 16. In some embodiments, the minimum value of k slot may be greater than the threshold k th and k th can be determined by the processing capacity of the repeater device 120, including the PDCCH decoding capacity, and the information exchange capacity between NCR-MT141 and NCR-Fwd142, and / or the beam switching capacity of NCR-Fwd142.

[0054] In some embodiments, each indication for a set of consecutive time domain resources may be associated with one beam.

[0055] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources between a beam and another beam of the repeater device 120 (also referred to herein as an additional beam). The gap may also be transmitted as time-domain resource allocation information. In other words, the gap between two adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources may be indicated for other sets of consecutive time-domain resources other than the first set of consecutive time-domain resources. In this way, multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources for multiple beams may be indicated.

[0056] Embodiment 2 In this embodiment, the instruction information may indicate that the application time is associated with an instruction (also referred to herein as an on-off instruction) to turn the repeater device 120 on or off.

[0057] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may associate an instruction to turn the repeater device 120 on or off with active or inactive resources within a set of consecutive time-domain resources for the application time. The network device 110 may determine the slot offset and number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources. In some embodiments, the on-off instruction has higher priority than the time-domain resource instruction for the beam of the NCR-Fwd 142. In other words, a set of consecutive time-domain resources may be indicated to the repeater device 120, and the repeater device 120 may determine active and inactive resources within the set of consecutive time-domain resources based on the on-off instruction. The determined active resources may correspond to the application time of the beam of the repeater device 120.

[0058] Figure 3B shows a schematic diagram 300B illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, slot-level indication is used. As shown in Figure 3B, k slot and N slot This may be shown in the repeater device 120.slot This indicates the slot offset for the SCI slot or the slot offset for the first slot of the system frame, N slot This indicates the number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0059] In some embodiments, k slot The maximum value can be set to 32, N slot The maximum value of can be set to 16. In some embodiments, k slot The minimum value is the threshold k th It can be larger than k th This may be determined by the processing capabilities of the repeater device 120, including PDCCH decoding capability, information exchange capability between NCR-MT141 and NCR-Fwd142, and / or beam switching capability of NCR-Fwd142.

[0060] Active or inactive resources within a set of consecutive time-domain resources may be indicated via on-off indicators. In some embodiments, one or more on-off indicators may be applied. For example, one indicator may indicate one slot. In another example, one indicator may indicate multiple slots. In some embodiments, on-off indicators may be indicated by semi-static or dynamic indicators. For example, a dynamic indicator may include a symbol-level bitmap for a given slot. In another example, a dynamic indicator may include slot-level bitmaps for several slots, and for a slot corresponding to the repeater device 120 being ON, an additional symbol-level bitmap may be used for that slot. In yet another example, a semi-static indicator may include slot-level bitmaps for multiple slots.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3B, reference numeral 310 indicates a symbol or slot corresponding to the power-off state of the repeater device 120, and reference numeral 320 indicates a symbol or slot corresponding to the power-on state of the repeater device 120. In other words, reference numeral 310 indicates a time resource reserved, defined, or allocated without a beam, and reference numeral 320 indicates a time resource applied to one beam of the repeater device 120.

[0062] In this way, the shown continuous time includes only the application time of one beam and does not include the application time of another beam, and represents a set of continuous time domain resources that include the application time of one beam.

[0063] Embodiment 3 In this embodiment, the instruction information may indicate that the application time is associated with a beam index list of the set of beams of the repeater device 120.

[0064] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the beam set, the number of symbols for each beam in the beam set (e.g., each beam), and the beam index list. In some embodiments, the number of symbols for each beam may be a default value, e.g., 4 or the number of symbols for a half slot. In this way, normal timer domain resources for multiple beams can be represented at the symbol group level.

[0065] Figure 4A shows schematic diagram 400A illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4A, k slot , k sym , N sym The repeater device 120 may also display a beam index list {B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5}. slot This indicates the slot offset relative to the SCI slot or the slot offset relative to the first slot of the system frame, ksym This indicates the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the set of beams, N sym This indicates the number of symbols to which each beam applies. In this example, one beam corresponds to multiple symbols. The beam switching time between two adjacent beams may be included in the symbol or slot length of each beam.

[0066] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the beam set, the number of symbols for each beam in the beam set (e.g., each beam), the number of guard symbols between adjacent beams in the beam set, and a beam index list. In some embodiments, the number of symbols for each beam may be a default value, e.g., 4 or the number of symbols for a half slot. In this way, the normal time-domain resources of multiple beams can also be represented.

[0067] Figure 4B shows a schematic diagram 400B illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4B, k slot , k sym , N sym , k gap The repeater device 120 may also display a beam index list {B0, B1, B2, B3}. slot This indicates the slot offset for the SCI slot or the slot offset for the first slot of the system frame, k sym This indicates the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the set of beams, N sym This indicates the number of symbols in each beam, k gap This indicates the number of guard symbols. In this example, one beam corresponds to multiple symbols. Beam switching time is explicitly considered a guard symbol.

[0068] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine a slot offset, the number of slots of a beam in a set of beams, and a beam index list. In these embodiments, one beam can correspond to one or more slots. The beam switching time can be included in the length of the slots of each beam. In this way, the normal time domain resources of multiple beams can be indicated at the slot level or the slot group level.

[0069] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine a slot offset, the number of slots of a beam in a set of beams, the number of guard slots between adjacent beams in a set of beams, and a beam index list. In these embodiments, one beam can correspond to one or more slots. The beam switching time is explicitly regarded as a guard slot. In this way, the normal time domain resources of multiple beams can also be indicated at the slot level.

[0070] In some scenarios, the application time of a beam determined according to the normal method may span slot boundaries. For example, M symbols and N symbols are arranged in two consecutive slots. In this case, the number of symbols to which the beam is applied is redetermined. In some embodiments, the number of symbols to which the beam is applied can be recounted from the first symbol of the next slot. In some embodiments, the number of application times of the beam can be clipped to M symbols by the slot boundary.

[0071] In some alternative embodiments, the symbols to which the beam is applied may be determined according to the values of M and / or M + N. For example, when M < N threshold, the application time can be recounted from the first symbol of the next slot. When M ≥ N threshold, the application time can be clipped to M symbols by the slot boundary. The N threshold may be equal to (M + N) / 2 or M + N - 2.

[0072] Embodiment 4 In this embodiment, the instruction information may indicate that the application time is associated with multiple sets of time-domain resources that are consecutive. In other words, multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources may be indicated for a single beam.

[0073] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine a slot offset, the number of slots in one of a plurality of sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources. In this way, a plurality of sets of consecutive time-domain resources can be represented at the slot level.

[0074] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the slot offset for the first of a set of consecutive time-domain resources, the number of slots in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol length in the last slot in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources. In this way, a set of consecutive time-domain resources can be represented at the symbol level.

[0075] In these embodiments, the gap may refer to the interval between the last slot or symbol of a previous set of consecutive time-domain resources and the first slot or symbol of the current set of consecutive time-domain resources. The gap may be in slot units or symbol units.

[0076] Figure 4C shows a schematic diagram 400C illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources are shown at the symbol group level. As shown in Figure 4C, k sym-i , I sym-i , and N slot-iThis can be shown for the i-th set of consecutive time-domain resources, where i is 1, 2, ... k sym-i This indicates the symbol offset in the first slot of the i-th set of consecutive time-domain resources, I sym-i This indicates the symbol length in the last slot of the i-th set of consecutive time-domain resources, where N slot-i This indicates the number of slots in the i-th set of consecutive time-domain resources. In addition, k slot This can be shown for a first set of consecutive time-domain resources, k gap-i This can be shown for the (i+1)th set of consecutive time-domain resources. slot This indicates the slot offset for the SCI slot or the slot offset for the first slot of the system frame, k gap-i This indicates the gap between the i-th set of consecutive time-domain resources and the (i+1)-th set of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0077] Please understand that the i-th set of consecutive time-domain resources (i=1, 2, ...) is merely illustrative and not intended as an limitation. The (i+1)-th set of consecutive time-domain resources (i=0, 1, 2, ...) may also be used.

[0078] In this way, discontinuous time-domain resources can be shown for the NCR beam.

[0079] Embodiment 5 In this embodiment, the instruction information may indicate that the application time is associated with a bitmap. In this embodiment, the bitmap may be at the slot level.

[0080] In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine a slot offset and, based on the slot offset, determine a bitmap of application time in a time-domain resource.

[0081] In some embodiments, the bitmap may include a first bitmap at the slot level and a second bitmap at the symbol level, where the slots correspond to predetermined bit values ​​in the first bitmap. For example, for a slot corresponding to "1" in the first bitmap, an additional bitmap at the symbol level (i.e., the second bitmap) can be used to further indicate the symbol resources within the slot.

[0082] Figure 5A shows a schematic diagram 500A illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, multiple non-contiguous time-domain resources are shown in a slot-level bitmap. As shown in Figure 5A, k slot And a bitmap {101101110…1} may be shown. slot This indicates the slot offset relative to the SCI slot or the slot offset relative to the first slot of the system frame.

[0083] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap can be fixed. For example, the bit length may be 32. Of course, any other suitable value is also possible.

[0084] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap may be pre-configured. For example, the bit length may be pre-configured or configured simultaneously with time-domain resource indications, such as 4, 8, 16, and 32. For example, bit 00 may be configured to indicate 4, bit 01 may be configured to indicate 8, bit 10 may be configured to indicate 16, and bit 11 may be configured to indicate 32. In some embodiments, the bit length may be associated with a determined SCS, for example, a higher SCS may be associated with a longer bit length.

[0085] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap can be determined dynamically. In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap can be determined based on a predetermined maximum bit length and bit length when a predetermined number of bit values ​​reaches a predetermined number (for convenience, also referred to herein as a first predetermined number). In some embodiments, the first predetermined number and the predetermined maximum bit length can be associated with a determined SCS. For example, the bit length of the bitmap can be determined dynamically based on the following equation (1): L = min{N,M} (1) In the formula, L represents the bit length of the bitmap, N represents the bit length at which the number of a given bit value (e.g., "1") reaches a predetermined number S, and M represents the predefined or preconfigured maximum bit length.

[0086] In some embodiments, S may relate to M. In some embodiments, S and M may relate to a determined SCS. For example, a higher SCS may correspond to larger S and M. For illustrative purposes, several exemplary embodiments are described with reference to Figure 5B.

[0087] Figure 5B shows schematic diagram 500B illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, S is equal to 4. In the example indicated by reference numeral 510, N=6 and M=8. In this case, the bit length is 6. In the example indicated by reference numeral 520, N=8 and M=8. In this case, the bit length is 8. In the example indicated by reference numeral 530, N>8 and M=8. In this case, the bit length is 8.

[0088] In this way, slot-level bitmaps can be used to represent slot-level discontinuous time-domain resources for a single beam.

[0089] Embodiment 6 In this embodiment, the instruction information may indicate that the application time is associated with a bitmap. In this embodiment, the bitmap may be at the slot group level. In other words, bits in the bitmap may be associated with slot groups. Thus, a slot group-level bitmap can be used to indicate discontinuous time-domain resources for a single beam.

[0090] Figure 5C shows a schematic diagram 500C illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, there are 16 slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. There are 8 slot groups, and each slot group contains 2 slots. In this case, 1 bit in the bitmap corresponds to 2 slots. The bitmap {11011001} is shown as in Figure 5C.

[0091] In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group may be fixed, for example, 2, 4, 8, or any other suitable number. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group may be pre-configured or configured, for example, 1, 2, 4, 8, or any other suitable number.

[0092] In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group may be determined based on a predetermined rule. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group may be associated with a determined SCS. For example, a higher SCS may correspond to more slots in the slot group. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group may be associated with a predetermined maximum number of slots in a set of consecutive slots represented by a bitmap.

[0093] In some embodiments, if a slot group corresponds to a predetermined bit value in a bitmap, the network device 110 may determine further bitmaps in the slot level to further indicate the slot resources within the slot group.

[0094] In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap may be fixed. In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap may be pre-configured or configured.

[0095] In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap can be determined dynamically. In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap can be determined based on a predetermined maximum number of slots and the number of slots corresponding to a predetermined bit value when this number reaches a predetermined number (for convenience, also referred to herein as a second predetermined number). For example, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap can be determined dynamically based on the following equations (2) and (3). L'=min{N',M1} (2) In formula TIFF0007885937000001.tif10160, L' indicates the number of slot groups associated with the bitmap, N1 indicates that the number of slots corresponding to a given bit value (e.g., "1") reaches a predetermined number S', M1 indicates the maximum number of predefined or pre-configured slot groups, and M2 indicates the maximum number of predefined or pre-configured slots. TIFF0007885937000002.tif8160 indicates ceiling operation.

[0096] In this way, a slot group-level bitmap can be used to represent multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources for a single beam.

[0097] Embodiment 7 In this embodiment, the instruction information may indicate that the application time is associated with the priority of the resource.

[0098] In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine a contiguous set of time-domain resources, including a first set of resources and a second set of resources corresponding to the application time, and indicate the application time on the contiguous set of time-domain resources based on the priority of the first and second sets of resources. In other words, if the first and second sets of resources form a contiguous set of time-domain resources, the network device 110 can determine that the application time is indicated by indicating the contiguous set of time-domain resources. The priority of the second resource may or may not be higher than that of the first resource.

[0099] Next, the network device 110 may determine the slot offset and number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources and transmit the slot offset and number of slots as time-domain resource allocation information.

[0100] The repeater device 120 can determine a set of consecutive time-domain resources based on the slot offset and the number of slots. If the priority of the second resource in the second set of resources is higher than the priority of the first resource, the repeater device 120 can determine that the time corresponding to the second resource does not belong to the application time. If the priority of the second resource is lower than the priority of the first resource, the repeater device 120 can determine that the time corresponding to the second resource belongs to the application time. In this way, the application time is determined based on the priority of the resources.

[0101] In some embodiments, the second set of resources may include at least one of the following: a semi-static resource, an invalid resource, a reserved resource, a resource for uplink control channel transmission (e.g., PUCCH) of the repeater device 120, or a resource for uplink data channel transmission (e.g., PUSCH) of the repeater device 120. For illustrative purposes, several exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to Figures 6A and 6B.

[0102] Figure 6A shows schematic diagram 600A illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, semi-static and dynamic resources related to the beam application time are shown combined as consecutive time resources.

[0103] In some embodiments, semi-static resources may include resources for use other than application time instructions, invalid resources, or reserved resources. In some embodiments, semi-static resources may include beam training resources for terminal device 130 or ZP CSI-RS resources for terminal device 130. In some embodiments, semi-static resources may include UL resources.

[0104] As shown in Figure 6A, k slot and N slot This may be shown in the repeater device 120. slot This indicates the slot offset for the SCI slot or the slot offset for the first slot of the system frame, N slot This indicates the number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In this example, for DL ​​transmission, the set of consecutive time-domain resources includes the beam training and ZP CSI-RS resources 610 of the terminal device 130, and the UL resource 620 as a type of invalid resource.

[0105] In some embodiments, resource priorities can be predefined. For example, priority of invalid resources > priority of beam training and ZP CSI-RS resources > priority of dynamic resources for a set of consecutive time-domain resources shown to determine application time > priority of reserved resources. Note that these resource types and priority levels are merely examples. More or fewer types are possible. Higher or lower priorities are also possible. More or fewer priority levels are also possible.

[0106] If the priority of a semi-static resource is higher than the priority of the designated time resource in the set of continuous resources used to determine the beam application time, the repeater device 120 can determine that the time corresponding to the semi-static resource does not belong to the beam application time. If the priority of a semi-static resource is lower than the priority of the designated time resource in the set of continuous resources used to determine the beam application time, the repeater device 120 can determine that the time corresponding to the semi-static resource belongs to the beam application time. In the example in Figure 6A, the priority of the beam training and ZP CSI-RS resources is higher than the priority of the dynamic resource in the set of continuous resources, so the beam training and ZP CSI-RS resources 610 are determined to be invalid with respect to the beam application time. The priority of the invalid resources is higher than the priority of the dynamic resource in the set of continuous resources, and the UL resource cannot be used for DL ​​transmission, so the UL resource 620 is also determined to be invalid with respect to the beam application time. Other resources indicated by the dynamic resources are determined as beam application time.

[0107] Figure 6B shows schematic diagram 600B illustrating an exemplary time-domain resource allocation for an NCR beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, the scheduling resources for NCR-MT141 and NCR-Fwd142 are shown together.

[0108] In some embodiments, the scheduling resources of the NCR-MT141 may include resources on PUSCH, resources on PUCCH, or any other similar resources.

[0109] As shown in Figure 6B, k slot and N slot However, this can be shown in the repeater device 120. slot This indicates the slot offset for the SCI slot or the slot offset for the first slot of the system frame, N slot This indicates the number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In this example, the set of consecutive time-domain resources includes the PUCCH resource 630 of NCR-MT141.

[0110] In some embodiments, resource priorities can be predefined. For example, priority of resources on the PUCCH of NCR-MT141 > priority of resources on the PUSCH of NCR-MT141 for reporting or feedback > priority of consecutive resources indicated to determine the beam application time of NCR-Fwd142 > priority of resources on the PUSCH of NCR-MT141 for data transmission. Note that these resource types and priority levels are merely examples. More or fewer types are possible. Higher or lower priorities are also possible. More or fewer priority levels are also possible.

[0111] If the priority of an NCR-MT resource is higher than the priority of a contiguous resource shown in the beam application time determination, the repeater device 120 can determine that the time corresponding to the NCR-MT resource does not belong to the beam application time. If the priority of an NCR-MT resource is lower than the priority of a contiguous resource shown in the beam application time determination, the repeater device 120 can determine that the time corresponding to the NCR-MT resource belongs to the beam application time. In the example in Figure 6B, the priority of the resource on PUCCH for NCR-MT141 is higher than the priority of the contiguous resource shown in the beam application time determination for NCR-Fwd142, so resource 630 is determined to be invalid with respect to the beam application time. Other contiguous resources shown in the beam application time determination are determined as beam application time.

[0112] In this way, the application time of the NCR beam can be accurately indicated while further reducing signaling overhead.

[0113] It should be understood that any of the solutions described in Embodiments 1 to 7 may be used separately or in any preferred combination.

[0114] Example of a Method Embodiment Accordingly, embodiments of this disclosure provide methods for communication implemented in network devices, repeater devices, and terminal devices. These methods will be described below with reference to Figures 7 and 8.

[0115] Figure 7 shows exemplary methods 700 of communication performed in a network device according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 700 may be performed in network device 110 as shown in Figure 1. For the purposes of discussion, method 700 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Method 700 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some blocks shown may be omitted, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0116] In block 710, the network device 110 determines the application time of the beam of the repeater device 120.

[0117] In block 720, the network device 110 determines the subcarrier interval associated with the application time. In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the subcarrier interval associated with the application time based on the subcarrier interval of the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the subcarrier interval associated with the application time based on the subcarrier interval of the terminal device 130. In some embodiments, the subcarrier interval of the terminal device 130 may be indicated to the repeater device 120 by the network device 110. In some embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the subcarrier interval associated with the application time based on a predetermined or pre-configured subcarrier interval or a reference subcarrier interval.

[0118] In block 730, the network device 110 determines time-domain resource allocation information indicating the application time based on the determined subcarrier interval.

[0119] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the slot offset and the number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources. In some alternative embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the slot offset, the number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot, and the symbol length in the last slot. In some embodiments, the network device 110 may further determine the gap between the beam's adjacent time-domain resources and further beams of the repeater device 120.

[0120] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with an instruction to turn the repeater device on or off. In these embodiments, the network device 110 can associate an active or inactive resource within a set of consecutive time-domain resources with an instruction to turn the repeater device 120 on or off, and can determine the slot offset and number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0121] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with the beam index list of the beam set. In these embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the beam set, the number of beam symbols in the beam set, and the beam index list. In some alternative embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the beam set, the number of beam symbols in the beam set, the number of guard symbols between adjacent beams in the beam set, and the beam index list. In some alternative embodiments, the network device 110 can determine the slot offset, the number of beam slots in the beam set, and the beam index list. In some alternative embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the slot offset, the number of beam slots in the beam set, the number of guard slots between adjacent beams in the beam set, and the beam index list.

[0122] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the slot offset, the number of slots in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources. In some alternative embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the slot offset for the first of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the number of slots in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol length in the last slot in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0123] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a bitmap. In these embodiments, the network device 110 can determine a slot offset and, based on the slot offset, a bitmap of the application time in a time-domain resource. In some embodiments, the bitmap includes a first bitmap at the slot level of the slot and a second bitmap at the symbol level of the slot, where the slot corresponds to a predetermined bit value of the first bitmap.

[0124] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is fixed. In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is configured. In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is associated with a determined subcarrier interval. In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum bit length and the bit length when a predetermined number of bit values ​​reaches a first predetermined number. In some embodiments, the first predetermined number and the predetermined maximum bit length are associated with a determined subcarrier interval.

[0125] In some embodiments, bits in a bitmap are associated with slot groups. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is fixed. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is configured. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is associated with a determined subcarrier interval or a predetermined maximum number of slots. In some embodiments where a slot group corresponds to a predetermined bit value in a bitmap, the network device 110 may also determine further bitmaps within the slot level of the slot group.

[0126] In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is fixed. In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is configured. In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum number of slots and the number of slots when the number of slots corresponding to a predetermined bit value reaches a second predetermined number.

[0127] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with the priority of a resource. In these embodiments, the network device 110 can indicate the application time for a set of consecutive time-domain resources, including a set of first and second resources corresponding to the application time, based on the priority of the first and second resource sets. The network device 110 can determine the slot offset and number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources. In some embodiments, the second resource set includes at least one of the following: a semi-static resource, an invalid resource, a reserved resource, a resource for uplink control channel transmission of the repeater device 120, or a resource for uplink data channel transmission of the repeater device 120.

[0128] In these embodiments, the slot offset may be greater than a threshold, which is related to the processing capacity of the repeater device 120.

[0129] In block 740, the network device 110 transmits time domain resource allocation information and instruction information regarding the application time to the repeater device 120.

[0130] Method 700 allows the network to efficiently demonstrate the application time of the NCR beam.

[0131] Figure 8 shows exemplary methods 800 of communication implemented in a repeater device according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 800 may be implemented in repeater device 120 as shown in Figure 1. For the purposes of discussion, method 800 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Method 800 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some blocks shown may be omitted, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0132] In block 810, the repeater device 120 receives from the network device 110 time-domain resource allocation information indicating the application time for the repeater device's beam, and instruction information regarding the application time.

[0133] In block 820, the repeater device 120 determines the subcarrier interval associated with the application time. In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the subcarrier interval associated with the application time based on the subcarrier interval of the repeater device 120. In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the subcarrier interval associated with the application time based on the subcarrier interval of the terminal device 130. In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 can receive the subcarrier interval of the terminal device 130 from the network device 110. In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the subcarrier interval associated with the application time based on a predetermined or pre-configured subcarrier interval or a reference subcarrier interval.

[0134] In block 830, the repeater device 120 determines the application time based on time-domain resource allocation information, instruction information, and the determined subcarrier interval.

[0135] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the slot offset and number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources from the time-domain resource allocation information. In some alternative embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the slot offset, the number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot, and the symbol length in the last slot from the time-domain resource allocation information. In some embodiments, the repeater device 120 can further determine the gap between adjacent time-domain resources of the beam and further beams of the repeater device from the time-domain resource allocation information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with an instruction to turn the repeater device on or off. In these embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine from the time-domain resource allocation information the slot offset and number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources, and determine which resources are active or inactive within the set of consecutive time-domain resources based on the instruction to turn the repeater device on or off.

[0137] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with the beam index list of the beam set. In these embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the beam set, the number of beam symbols in the beam set, and the beam index list from the time-domain resource allocation information. In some alternative embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the beam set, the number of beam symbols in the beam set, the number of guard symbols between adjacent beams in the beam set, and the beam index list from the time-domain resource allocation information. In some alternative embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the slot offset, the number of beam slots in the beam set, and the beam index list from the time-domain resource allocation information. In some alternative embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the slot offset, the number of beam slots in the beam set, the number of guard slots between adjacent beams in the beam set, and the beam index list from the time-domain resource allocation information.

[0138] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine from the time-domain resource allocation information the slot offset, the number of slots in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources. In some alternative embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine from the time-domain resource allocation information the slot offset of the first slot in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the number of slots in one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot of one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol length in the last slot of one of the sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0139] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a bitmap. In these embodiments, the repeater device 120 may determine a slot offset from the time-domain resource allocation information and determine a bitmap of the application time in the time-domain resource based on the slot offset.

[0140] In some embodiments, the bitmap includes a first bitmap at the slot level of the slot and a second bitmap at the symbol level of the slot, where the slot corresponds to a predetermined bit value of the first bitmap.

[0141] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is fixed. In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is configured. In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is associated with a determined subcarrier interval.

[0142] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum bit length and the bit length at which a predetermined number of bit values ​​reaches a first predetermined number. In some embodiments, the first predetermined number and the predetermined maximum bit length are associated with a determined subcarrier interval.

[0143] In some embodiments, bits in a bitmap are associated with slot groups. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is fixed. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is configured. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is associated with a determined subcarrier interval or a predetermined maximum number of slots.

[0144] In some embodiments, the slot group corresponds to a predetermined bit value in the bitmap. In these embodiments, the repeater device 120 can further determine a further bitmap at the slot level of the slot group from the time-domain resource allocation information.

[0145] In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is fixed. In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is configured. In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum number of slots and the number of slots when the number of slots corresponding to a predetermined bit value reaches a second predetermined number.

[0146] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with the priority of the resources. In these embodiments, the repeater device 120 can determine the slot offset and number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources from the time-domain resource allocation information, and determine the application time from the set of consecutive time-domain resources based on the priority of the first and second resource sets corresponding to the application time.

[0147] In some embodiments, the second set of resources includes at least one of the following: a semi-static resource, an invalid resource, a reserved resource, a resource for uplink control channel transmission of the repeater device 120, or a resource for uplink data channel transmission of the repeater device 120.

[0148] In some embodiments, if the priority of a second resource in the set of second resources is higher than the priority of a first resource, the repeater device 120 may determine that the time corresponding to the second resource does not belong to the application time. If the priority of a second resource is lower than the priority of a first resource, the repeater device 120 may determine that the time corresponding to the second resource belongs to the application time.

[0149] In these embodiments, the slot offset may be greater than a threshold, which is related to the processing capacity of the repeater device 120.

[0150] Method 800 allows the NCR to efficiently determine the application time of the NCR beam.

[0151] Examples of device and apparatus embodiments Figure 9 is a simplified block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 900 can be considered a further exemplary embodiment of a network device 110, a repeater device 120, or a terminal device 130, as shown in Figure 1. Thus, device 900 can be implemented in or as part of a network device 110, a repeater device 120, or a terminal device 130.

[0152] As shown, the device 900 includes a processor 910, a memory 920 coupled to the processor 910, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 940 coupled to the processor 910, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 940. The memory 910 stores at least a portion of the program 930. The TX / RX 940 is for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 940 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although in practice the access node described in this application may have several antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, the S1 / NG interface for communication between Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) / Mobility Management Functions (AMFs) / SGWs / UPFs and eNBs / gNBs, the Un interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and relay nodes (RNs), or the Uu interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and terminal devices.

[0153] It is assumed that program 930, when executed by the associated processor 910, includes program instructions that enable device 900 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, as discussed herein with reference to Figures 1A to 8. Embodiments of the present specification may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 910 of device 900, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The processor 910 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, a combination of the processor 910 and memory 920 may form processing means 950 adapted to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0154] Memory 920 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as non-temporary computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory, as non-limiting examples. Although only one memory 920 is shown within device 900, several physically different memory modules may exist within device 900. Processor 910 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 900 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are temporally slewn to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0155] In some embodiments, the network device includes a circuit configured to determine the application time of a beam from a repeater device, determine the subcarrier interval associated with the application time, determine time-domain resource allocation information indicating the application time based on the determined subcarrier interval, and transmit instruction information relating to the time-domain resource allocation information and the application time instruction to the repeater device.

[0156] In some embodiments, the repeater device includes a circuit configured to receive from a network device time-domain resource allocation information and instruction information regarding application time indications, determine a subcarrier interval associated with the application time, and determine the application time based on the time-domain resource allocation information, instruction information, and the determined subcarrier interval.

[0157] As used herein, the term “circuit” may refer to a hardware circuit and / or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. For example, a circuit may be a combination of an analog and / or digital hardware circuit and software / firmware. As a further example, a circuit may be any part of a hardware processor having software including a digital signal processor, software, and memory that works together to enable a device such as a terminal device or network device to perform various functions. As a further example, a circuit may be a hardware circuit and / or processor that requires software / firmware for operation, such as a microprocessor or a part of a microprocessor, but the software may be absent when it is not required for operation. As used herein, the term “circuit” also includes not only a hardware circuit or processor or a part of a hardware circuit or processor, but also the implementation of its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0158] In summary, embodiments of this disclosure provide the following solutions:

[0159] One solution involves a communication method in a network device that determines the application time of the repeater device's beam, determines the subcarrier interval associated with the application time, determines time-domain resource allocation information indicating the application time based on the determined subcarrier interval, and transmits the time-domain resource allocation information and instruction information regarding the application time to the repeater device.

[0160] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, determining the time-domain resource allocation information includes determining the slot offset and number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources, or determining the slot offset, the number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot of the slots, and the symbol length in the last slot of the slots.

[0161] In some embodiments, determining time-domain resource allocation information further includes determining the gap between adjacent time-domain resources of a beam and further beams of a repeater device.

[0162] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with an instruction to turn the repeater device on or off. In these embodiments, determining the time-domain resource allocation information includes associating an active or inactive resource within a set of consecutive time-domain resources with an instruction to turn the repeater device on or off, and determining the slot offset and number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0163] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a beam index list for a set of beams. In these embodiments, determining the time-domain resource allocation information includes determining a slot offset, a symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the set of beams, the number of beam symbols in the set of beams, and a beam index list; determining a slot offset, a symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the set of beams, the number of beam symbols in the set of beams, the number of guard symbols between adjacent beams in the set of beams, and a beam index list; determining a slot offset, the number of beam slots in the set of beams, the number of guard slots between adjacent beams in the set of beams, and a beam index list; or determining a slot offset, the number of beam slots in the set of beams, the number of guard slots between adjacent beams in the set of beams, and a beam index list.

[0164] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, determining the time-domain resource allocation information includes determining the slot offset, the number of slots in one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources, or determining the slot offset of the first of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the number of slots in one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset of the first slot for one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol length of the last slot for one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0165] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a bitmap. In these embodiments, determining the time-domain resource allocation information includes determining the slot offset and, based on the slot offset, determining the bitmap of the application time in the time-domain resource.

[0166] In some embodiments, the bitmap includes a first bitmap at the slot level of the slot and a second bitmap at the symbol level of the slot, where the slot corresponds to a predetermined bit value of the first bitmap.

[0167] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is fixed, or the bit length of the bitmap is configured, or the bit length of the bitmap is associated with a determined subcarrier interval.

[0168] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum bit length and the bit length at which the number of predetermined bit values ​​reaches a first predetermined number.

[0169] In some embodiments, a first predetermined number and a predetermined maximum bit length are associated with a determined subcarrier interval.

[0170] In some embodiments, bits in a bitmap are associated with slot groups. In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is fixed, or the number of slots in a slot group is configured, or the number of slots in a slot group is associated with a determined subcarrier interval or a predetermined maximum number of slots.

[0171] In some embodiments, a slot group corresponds to a predetermined bit value in a bitmap. In these embodiments, determining time-domain resource allocation information further includes determining a further bitmap at the slot level of the slot group.

[0172] In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is fixed, or the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is configured, or the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum number of slots and the number of slots when the number of slots corresponding to a predetermined bit value reaches a second predetermined number.

[0173] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with the priority of the resource. In these embodiments, determining the time domain resource allocation information includes indicating the application time for a contiguous set of time domain resources, which includes a first set of resources and a second set of resources corresponding to the application time, based on the priority of the first and second sets of resources, and determining the slot offset and number of slots associated with the contiguous set of time domain resources.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second set of resources includes at least one of the following: a semi-static resource, an invalid resource, a reserved resource, a resource for uplink control channel transmission of the repeater device, or a resource for uplink data channel transmission of the repeater device.

[0175] In some embodiments, determining the subcarrier interval includes determining the subcarrier interval related to the application time based on the subcarrier interval of a repeater device, determining the subcarrier interval related to the application time based on the subcarrier interval of a terminal device communicating with a network device via the repeater device, or determining the subcarrier interval related to the application time based on a predetermined or pre-configured subcarrier interval.

[0176] In some embodiments, the slot offset is greater than a threshold, and the threshold is related to the processing capacity of the repeater device.

[0177] In an alternative solution, the communication method includes, in a repeater device, receiving from a network device time-domain resource allocation information and instruction information regarding application time indications, determining the subcarrier interval associated with the application time, and determining the application time based on the time-domain resource allocation information, instruction information, and the determined subcarrier interval.

[0178] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, determining the application time includes determining from time-domain resource allocation information the slot offset and the number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources, or determining from time-domain resource allocation information the slot offset, the number of slots associated with the set of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot of the slots, and the symbol length in the last slot of the slots.

[0179] In some embodiments, determining the application time further includes determining the gap between adjacent time-domain resources for a beam and further beams in the repeater device from time-domain resource allocation information.

[0180] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with an instruction to turn the repeater device on or off. In these embodiments, determining the application time includes determining the number of slots associated with a set of consecutive time-domain resources from time-domain resource allocation information, and determining which resources within the set of consecutive time-domain resources are active or inactive based on the instruction to turn the repeater device on or off.

[0181] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a beam index list for a set of beams, and determining the application time includes determining the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the set of beams, the number of beam symbols in the set of beams, and the beam index list from time-domain resource allocation information; determining the slot offset, the symbol offset in the first slot of the first beam in the set of beams, the number of beam symbols in the set of beams, the number of guard symbols between adjacent beams in the set of beams, and the beam index list from time-domain resource allocation information; determining the slot offset, the number of beam slots in the set of beams, and the beam index list from time-domain resource allocation information; or determining the slot offset, the number of beam slots in the set of beams, the number of guard slots between adjacent beams in the set of beams, and the beam index list from time-domain resource allocation information.

[0182] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources. In these embodiments, determining the application time involves determining, from the time-domain resource allocation information, the slot offset, the number of slots in one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources, or from the time-domain resource allocation information, the slot offset for the first of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the number of slots in one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol offset in the first slot of one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, the symbol length in the last slot of one of the multiple sets of consecutive time-domain resources, and the gap between adjacent sets of consecutive time-domain resources.

[0183] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with a bitmap. In these embodiments, determining the application time includes determining the slot offset from the time domain resource allocation information and determining the bitmap of the application time in the time domain resource based on the slot offset.

[0184] In some embodiments, the bitmap includes a first bitmap at the slot level of the slot and a second bitmap at the symbol level of the slot, where the slot corresponds to a predetermined bit value of the first bitmap.

[0185] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is fixed, configured, or associated with a determined subcarrier interval.

[0186] In some embodiments, the bit length of the bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum bit length and the bit length at which the number of predetermined bit values ​​reaches a first predetermined number.

[0187] In some embodiments, a first predetermined number and a predetermined maximum bit length are associated with a determined subcarrier interval.

[0188] In some embodiments, bits within a bitmap are associated with slot groups.

[0189] In some embodiments, the number of slots in a slot group is fixed, or the number of slots in a slot group is configured, or the number of slots in a slot group is associated with a determined subcarrier interval or a predetermined maximum number of slots.

[0190] In some embodiments, a slot group corresponds to a predetermined bit value in a bitmap. In these embodiments, determining the application time further includes determining a further bitmap at the slot level of the slot group from time-domain resource allocation information.

[0191] In some embodiments, the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is fixed, or the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is configured, or the number of slot groups associated with a bitmap is determined based on a predetermined maximum number of slots and the number of slots when the number of slots corresponding to a predetermined bit value reaches a second predetermined number.

[0192] In some embodiments, the instruction information indicates that the application time is associated with the priority of a resource. In these embodiments, determining the application time includes determining the number of slots associated with a slot offset and a set of consecutive time-domain resources from time-domain resource allocation information, and determining the application time from a set of consecutive time-domain resources based on the priority of a first set of resources and a second set of resources corresponding to the application time.

[0193] In some embodiments, the second set of resources includes at least one of the following: a semi-static resource, an invalid resource, a reserved resource, a resource for uplink control channel transmission of the repeater device, or a resource for uplink data channel transmission of the repeater device.

[0194] In some embodiments, determining the application time includes determining that the time corresponding to the second resource does not belong to the application time, based on the determination that the priority of the second resource in the set of second resources is higher than the priority of the first resource, and determining that the time corresponding to the second resource does belong to the application time, based on the determination that the priority of the second resource is lower than the priority of the first resource.

[0195] In some embodiments, determining the subcarrier interval includes determining the subcarrier interval related to the application time based on the subcarrier interval of a repeater device, determining the subcarrier interval related to the application time based on the subcarrier interval of a terminal device communicating with a network device via the repeater device, or determining the subcarrier interval related to the application time based on a predetermined or pre-configured subcarrier interval.

[0196] In some embodiments, the slot offset is greater than a threshold, and the threshold is related to the processing capacity of the repeater device.

[0197] In another solution, the communication device comprises a processor configured to cause the device to perform the method described in any of the claims described above.

[0198] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or some other graphic representations, it will be understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may, in non-limiting examples, be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0199] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored in a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those contained in a program module, which are executed on a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the processes or methods described above with reference to Figures 1A to 8. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The functionality of program modules can be combined or separated from program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of a program module may be executed locally or in a distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules may reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0200] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing device, and as a result, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code will perform functions / operations specified in flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may run entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0201] The above program code may be embodied in a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or electrical connections having any suitable combination thereof.

[0202] Furthermore, although the operations are presented in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in a specific or sequential order, or that all presented operations be performed, in order to achieve the desired result. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while details of several specific embodiments are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in relation to separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in relation to a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable partial combination in multiple embodiments.

[0203] While this disclosure has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the attached claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. They are repeat customers, A means for receiving from a network device the configuration of a first time resource set, including priority instructions, used in the access link between the repeater and the terminal device, When the first time resource in the first time resource set overlaps with the second time resource indicated in the control information, means for performing communication on the access link based on the priority instruction, A repeat customer.

2. The means for performing communication on the access link based on the priority instruction is: The means includes applying the beam corresponding to the first time resource based on the priority instruction, The repeater according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes means for receiving instructions from the network device regarding the reference subcarrier spacing (SCS) associated with the access link, The repeater according to claim 1.

4. The first set of time resources is a semi-static resource. The repeater according to claim 1.

5. The setting of the first time resource set includes a slot offset, a symbol offset, and a duration, with the maximum duration being 8 slots. The repeater according to claim 1.

6. The repeater according to claim 5, wherein the slot offset is greater than a value associated with information regarding the repeater's processing capacity.

7. The time resources used for the control link between the repeater and the network device take precedence over the time resources for the access link. The repeater according to claim 1.

8. When a first time resource in a first time resource set used for an access link overlaps with a second time resource indicated in control information, the system includes means for communicating with the repeater on the access link between the repeater and the terminal device based on a priority instruction. The repeater receives the settings for the first time resource set from the network device. The setting of the first time resource set includes the priority instruction, Terminal device.

9. The means for performing communication on the access link based on the priority instruction is: The means includes applying the beam corresponding to the first time resource based on the priority instruction, The terminal device according to claim 8.

10. The setting of the first time resource set includes a slot offset, a symbol offset, and a duration, the maximum value of the duration being 8 slots. The terminal device according to claim 8.

11. The time resources used for the control link between the repeater and the network device take precedence over the time resources for the access link. The terminal device according to claim 8.

12. The system includes means for transmitting the settings of a first time resource set, used for the access link between the repeater and the terminal device, to the repeater. The setting of the first time resource set includes a priority instruction, If the first time resource in the first time resource set overlaps with the second time resource indicated in the control information, the priority instruction is used for communication on the access link. Network device.

13. The network device according to claim 12, wherein the beam corresponding to the first time resource is applied by the repeater based on the priority instruction.

14. The system further includes means for transmitting instructions for the reference subcarrier spacing (SCS) associated with the access link to the repeater. The network device according to claim 12.

15. The setting of the first time resource set includes a slot offset, a symbol offset, and a duration. The maximum duration is 8 slots. The network device according to claim 12.

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