Terminal device, method, and network device

Abstract

To provide a method and a device for instructing time domain resource allocation.SOLUTION: The present method includes: determining time information on a resource domain allocated to transmit data to a terminal device based on numerology information on the resource domain; and transmitting the time information to the terminal device to allow the terminal device to receive the data on the resource domain.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to communication technologies. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for instructing resource allocation.

Background Art

[0002] Newly developed mobile standards require, among other improvements, higher data transfer speeds, more connections, and better coverage. Generally, a network device transmits data on allocated resources to one or more terminal devices. In a conventional Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, a subframe is used as the scheduling granularity for time-domain resource allocation. In a 5G system such as New Radio (NR), for example, for Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) traffic, a mini-slot is introduced as the scheduling granularity. A mini-slot can include one or more symbols, and the length of the mini-slot can change semi-statically or dynamically. In such a case, the scheduling granularity is variable.

[0003] In NR, the numerology may change from one subframe to another for different traffic requirements, which changes the time-domain resource granularity length. For carriers with different numerologies, cross-carrier scheduling also needs to take into account different time-domain resource granularities.

[0004] In these cases, time-domain resource allocation needs to take into account different scheduling granularities and dynamically change the numerology within the same or different carriers. However, conventional methods do not provide a solution for time-domain resource allocation under such circumstances.

[0005] Therefore, in the case of variable scheduling granularity, it is necessary to develop a method for indicating information about time-domain resource allocation. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] This disclosure proposes a solution for demonstrating time-domain resource allocation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method performed by a network device. The network device determines time information for the resource area based on numerology information for the resource area. The resource area is allocated for transmitting data to a terminal device. The network device transmits the time information to the terminal device to enable the terminal device to receive the data on the resource area.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method performed by a terminal device. The terminal device receives time information for a resource area from a network device. The resource area is allocated for transmitting data to the terminal device. The time information is determined based on the numerology information of the resource area. The terminal device receives the data on the resource area based on the time information.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network device. The network device comprises a controller configured to determine time information of a resource area based on numerology information of the resource area allocated for transmitting data to a terminal device, and a transmitter configured to transmit the time information to the terminal device in order to enable the terminal device to receive the data on the resource area.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal device. The terminal device includes a receiver configured to receive time information of a resource area from a network device and to receive data on the resource area based on the time information, the resource area being allocated for transmitting the data to the terminal device, and the time information being determined based on numerology information of the resource area.

[0011] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description of specific embodiments, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the principles of the embodiments of this disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure are presented in an illustrative sense, and their advantages will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of Method 200 for illustrating resource allocation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a time domain resource allocation instruction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a diagram 400 of a time-domain resource allocation instruction according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a diagram 500 of a time-domain resource allocation instruction according to still further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method 600 for indicating resource allocation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a network device 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a terminal device 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] The subject matter described herein is described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of the subject matter, but are described only for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement the subject matter described herein.

[0023] The terms used herein are intended solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “equipped,” “equipped,” “contains,” and / or “contains,” when used herein, specify the presence of a described feature, integer, step, action, element, and / or component, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0024] Furthermore, it should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / operations mentioned may be performed in a different order than shown in the diagram. For example, two functions or actions shown consecutively may actually be executed simultaneously, or sometimes in reverse order, depending on the functions / actions involved.

[0025] As used herein, the term “communication network” refers to a network conforming to any appropriate communication standard, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA®), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be carried out in accordance with any appropriate generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0026] Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems to which this disclosure can be implemented. The scope of this disclosure should not be considered to be limited to the aforementioned systems only.

[0027] The term “Network equipment” includes, but is not limited to, base stations (BS), gateways, administrative entities, and other appropriate equipment within a communication system. The term “base station” or “BS” refers to low-power nodes such as Node B (Node B or NB), Advanced Node B (eNode B or eNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Header (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), relays, femto, pico, etc.

[0028] The term “terminal device” includes, but is not limited to, “User Equipment (UE)” and other suitable terminal devices that can communicate with network devices. For example, “terminal device” can refer to a terminal, mobile terminal (MT), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT).

[0029] Several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings. First, referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] The communication system 100 includes a network device (e.g., eNB) 110 that communicates with a terminal device (e.g., UE) 120. The network device 110 allocates a resource area for data transmission to send data to the terminal device 120 and determines the time information of the resource area based on the numerology information of the resource area. Then, the network device 110 transmits the time information of the resource area to the terminal device 120. As a result, the terminal device 120 can receive data from the resource area based on the time information.

[0031] In the context of this disclosure, the term “numerology” refers to a set of parameters. In an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based system, the parameters include, but are not limited to, the subcarrier interval, symbol length, and cyclic prefix (CP) length. For example, the numerology for a 15 kHz subcarrier interval may include 14 symbols, a typical CP, etc., per millisecond. The numerology for a 30 kHz subcarrier interval may include 28 symbols, a typical CP, etc., per millisecond. Such a numerology is different from the numerology for a 15 kHz subcarrier interval.

[0032] The term "resource area" refers to a block of time-frequency resources allocated by the network device 110 for use in transmitting data to terminal devices. The time information of the resource area may be indexed by one or more scheduling units. The scheduling unit varies depending on the different numerology used by the resource area. The scheduling unit is the smallest possible scheduling granularity.

[0033] Herein, several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the following figures. Figure 2 shows a flowchart of method 200 for illustrating resource allocation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 200 may be carried out by a network device 110, such as an eNB or other suitable device.

[0034] Method 200 is initiated at 210, in which the network device 110 determines the time information of the resource area based on the numerology information of the resource area. The resource area is allocated for transmitting data to terminal devices.

[0035] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the time information of a resource area can be determined in various ways. In some embodiments, the scheduling unit may be determined based on the largest numerology used by one or more resource areas allocated by the network device 110. The largest numerology represents the numerology with the largest subcarrier interval. The time information may then be determined based on the scheduling unit.

[0036] Time information indicates the time domain position of a resource area and can be represented by a start position, an end position, the length of the resource area, etc. In some embodiments, the length may be determined by the start position and the end position. Therefore, two or more of the start position, end position, and length of the resource area may be used to indicate the time domain position of a resource area assigned to the terminal device 120. In 210, the network device 110 can determine time information by performing at least two of the following: determining the start scheduling unit of the resource area as the start position of the resource area, determining the end scheduling unit of the resource area as the end position of the resource area, and determining the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area as the length of the resource area.

[0037] In the above embodiment, information regarding the numerology used by one or more resource areas allocated by the network device can be predefined on both the network device 110 and the terminal device 120, for example, according to specification definitions, system requirements, etc. Alternatively, this information may be provided to the terminal device 120 by the network device 110 via high-level signaling, such as Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. Upon receiving time information for a resource area, the terminal device 120 can determine the start scheduling unit, end scheduling unit, and the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area as the start position, end position, and length of the resource area, respectively. In this way, the terminal device 120 can determine the allocation of time area resources for data to be received from the network device 110. Further details of the embodiment are discussed with reference to Figure 3.

[0038] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine time information based on both scheduling units and reference units. The scheduling unit may be determined based on the numerology information of the resource area. The network device 110 may transmit the numerology information of the resource area to the terminal device 120 so that the terminal device 120 determines the scheduling unit based on the numerology information of the resource area.

[0039] The reference unit may be determined based on a predetermined numerology. The predetermined numerology may be predefined on both the network device 110 and the terminal device 120, for example, according to specification definitions, system requirements, etc. Alternatively, the network device 110 may predetermine the numerology and transmit information about the predetermined numerology to the terminal device 120 via high-level signaling such as RRC signaling. As a further alternative, the network device 110 may determine the reference unit based on the predetermined numerology and transmit information about the reference unit to the terminal device 120 via RRC signaling.

[0040] In an embodiment, the time information may include a first part and a second part. The first part of the time information may be determined based on a reference unit, and then the second part of the time information may be determined based on the first part of the time information, the reference unit, and the scheduling unit.

[0041] The first part of the time information may include a first start position indicating the coarse-grain start position of the resource area, a first end position indicating the coarse-grain end position of the resource area, a first length of the resource area, and so on. In one example, in determining the first part of the time information, the network device 110 may perform at least two of the following: determining the start reference unit of the resource area as the first start position of the resource area, determining the end reference unit of the resource area as the first end position of the resource area, and determining the number of reference units occupied by the resource area as the first length of the resource area.

[0042] The second part of the time information may include a second start position of the resource area, which indicates the start position of the fine-grain of the resource area, and a second end position, which indicates the end position of the fine-grain of the resource area. For example, in determining the second part of the time information, the network device 110 may determine the start scheduling unit within the start reference unit as the second start position of the resource area, and the end scheduling unit within the end reference unit as the second end position of the resource area.

[0043] In these embodiments, upon receiving the first and second portions of the time information of the resource area, the terminal device 120 can determine the coarse grain start position, coarse grain end position, and coarse grain length, and thus determine which reference unit the resource area is located in. The terminal device 120 may then determine, based on the fine grain start and end positions, the start scheduling unit within the reference unit (see also "start reference unit") and the end scheduling unit within the same or different reference unit (see also "end reference unit"). In this way, the terminal device 120 can determine the allocation of time area resources for the data to be received from the network device 110. Further details of the above embodiments are discussed with reference to Figure 4.

[0044] As a further alternative, in some embodiments, in 210, the network device 110 may determine scheduling units based on the numerology information of the resource area. In other words, the scheduling units described in these embodiments are associated with the numerology of the resource assigned to the terminal device 120, without considering the numerology of other possible resources. The network device 120 may then determine time information based on the scheduling units. In this case, the network device 110 may perform at least two of the following: determining the start scheduling unit of the resource area as the start position of the resource area; determining the end scheduling unit of the resource area as the end position of the resource area; and determining the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area as the length of the resource area. In these embodiments, the network device 110 may transmit the numerology information of the resource area to the terminal device 120 so that the terminal device 120 can determine scheduling units based on the numerology information of the resource area.

[0045] When the terminal device 120 receives time information for the resource area, it may determine the start scheduling unit, end scheduling unit, and the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area as the start position, end position, and length of the resource area, respectively. In this way, the terminal device 120 may determine the allocation of time area resources for data to be received from the network device 110. Further details of the embodiment will be discussed with reference to Figure 5.

[0046] Further referring to an embodiment of Method 200, in 220, the network device 110 transmits time information to the terminal device 120 to enable the terminal device 120 to receive data on the resource area. Specifically, upon receiving the time information, the terminal device 120 may determine the time area resource to be used by the data transmission from the network device 110. Thus, the terminal device 120 may receive data on the resource area based on the time information of the resource area.

[0047] Furthermore, in some embodiments, indicating the time information of the resource area as described above may be used for self-scheduling as well as cross-carrier scheduling. In some embodiments, separate Downlink Control Information (DCI) is used for resource allocation, and one or more terminal devices may decode the resource allocation information. In some embodiments, the Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) setting may be set independently of resource allocation. The DMRS is based on the subframe, slot, symbol, or frame structure of the numerology. It can be set semi-statically by RRC signaling or dynamically by DCI for forward compatibility purposes. When indicated by DCI, the signaling can indicate the presence and location of the DMRS in the current period. The period is one or more symbols, slots, subframes, frames, etc.

[0048] Further embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 shows Figure 300 of a time-domain resource allocation instruction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The time-frequency resource comprises four resource regions 311 to 314. Resource region 311 is allocated for DCI transmission, and resource regions 312, 313 and 314 are allocated for data transmission to terminal equipment. A scheduling unit 321 is defined as the smallest possible scheduling granularity and may also be referred to as a “symbol”. It should be understood that the term “symbol” as used herein may be the same as or different from the conventional definition of “symbol” in LTE. In practice, the term “symbol” refers to a scheduling unit in the present disclosure. The size and indexing of scheduling units may be based on the smallest symbol length. For example, the size of a scheduling unit may be one symbol with a 60KHz subcarrier interval. In such a case, resource regions 312 to 314 may be indexed as follows: Resource region 312, also referred to as “DL (Downlink) minislot 1”, is indicated by symbols 9 to 14. Resource area 313, also known as "DL Mini Slot 2," is indicated by symbols 16 to 23. Resource area 314, also known as "DL Mini Slot 3," is indicated by symbols 24 to 27.

[0049] It should be understood that the above example is provided for illustrative purposes only, not limitation. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the size of the scheduling unit could be other applicable values, such as one symbol with a 15kHz subcarrier interval. In such a case, all scheduled time-domain resources would be multiples of the scheduling unit, except for DL ​​mini-slot 1. In this way, the payload size used to index different scheduling units can be reduced.

[0050] In some embodiments, resource areas may not be immediately adjacent to or from another resource area. For example, there may be a gap 315 between DCI and DL mini-slot 1. The gap 315 may be used for DL / UL (uplink) transitions, LBT for the unlicensed spectrum, scheduling requests, and / or other possible factors.

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 3, for the resource area 312, at least two of the start position 9, end position 14, and duration length 6 may be transmitted to the terminal device 120 as time information. The start position 9 indicates that the start position of the resource area 312 is the 9th scheduling unit. The end position 14 indicates that the end position of the resource area 312 is the 14th scheduling unit. The duration length 6 indicates that the resource area 312 occupies six scheduling units. In one embodiment, the time information for DL ​​minislot 1 may include the start position 9 and the end position 14. In another embodiment, the time information for DL ​​minislot 1 may include the start position 9 and the duration length 6. In yet another embodiment, the time information for DL ​​minislot 1 may include the end position 14 and the duration length 6.

[0052] Continuing with the example in Figure 3, for resource area 313, the time information may include two of the following: start position 16, end position 23, and duration 8. For resource area 314, the time information may include two of the following: start position 24, end position 27, and duration 4.

[0053] In some embodiments, longer durations may be used to support multi-slot time-domain resource allocation. In addition to or instead of this, larger end-position symbol indicators may be used. Furthermore, or alternatively, slot / subframe / frame indicators may be used in addition to symbol indicators to more efficiently indicate the end position.

[0054] Figure 4 shows a time-domain resource allocation instruction according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, the time information includes a first part and a second part. The first part is determined based on a reference unit (e.g., maximum symbol length, or other suitable predetermined symbol length). The second part is determined based on a scheduling unit. In some embodiments, at least two of the start reference unit, end reference unit, and total number of reference units may be determined first. Resource allocation within the reference units may then be determined from the start and end reference units.

[0055] In the example in Figure 4, the time-frequency resource includes four resource areas 411 to 414. Resource area 411 is allocated to DCI transmission, and resource areas 412, 413, and 414 are allocated to data transmission to terminal devices. The scheduling unit 421 is determined based on the numerology information of the resource area, and the reference unit 431 may be determined based on a predetermined numerology.

[0056] On the network device 110 side, with respect to the resource area 412, the start symbol 2, the end symbol 3, and two of the total number of symbols 2 may be used as the first part of the time information. Next, based on the symbol length of the 60KHz subcarrier interval, the start symbol 1 and the end symbol 3 may be used as the second part of the time information. On the terminal device 120 side, based on the 15KHz subcarrier interval, it is understood that the time area resource allocation starts with symbol 2 and ends with symbol 3. Next, the terminal device 120 may first divide the 15KHz subcarrier interval symbol into four 60KHz subcarrier interval symbols. Then, for the start, the terminal device 120 knows that symbol 1 of the four 60KHz symbols in the 15KHz subcarrier interval symbol 2 is the start position. For the end, the terminal device 120 knows that symbol 3 of the four 60KHz symbols in the 15KHz subcarrier interval symbol 3 is the end position.

[0057] With respect to the resource area 413, in the network device 110, the first part of the time information may include at least two of the start symbol 4, end symbol 5, and duration 2, which are determined based on a 15KHz subcarrier interval. The duration unit is also a symbol of the 15KHz subcarrier interval. Then, the network device 110 can determine that the numerology specific to the time-domain resource allocation is the same as the reference numerology, so the second part of the time information is unnecessary. Alternatively, the second part may be the same as the first part of the time information. In the terminal device 120, if the time-domain resource allocation unit is based on a 15KHz subcarrier interval, it can know the start symbol 4 and the end symbol 5. Then, the terminal device 120 knows that there is no granularity in the time-domain resource allocation and that the first part of the time information is sufficient to determine the time-domain resource allocation.

[0058] In the example in Figure 4, the time information for resource area 414 is the same as the time information for resource area 413. The only difference is that UL transmission indicates something other than DL transmission.

[0059] In some embodiments, longer durations and / or larger end-position symbol indicators may be used for multi-slot time-domain resource allocation. In addition to symbol indicators, slot / subframe / frame-in indicators may be used to more efficiently indicate the end position.

[0060] Figure 5 shows Figure 500 of a time-domain resource allocation instruction according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure. The time-frequency resource includes five resource areas 511 to 515. Resource area 511 is allocated to DCI transmission, and resource areas 512, 513, 514, and 515 are allocated to data transmission to terminal devices. Scheduling units 523, 524, 532, and 535 may be determined, respectively, based on the numerology information of resource areas 513, 514, 512, and 515. Scheduling units may be subframes, slots, minislots, etc. The network device 110 may coordinate resource allocation for different terminal devices and / or different numerology.

[0061] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the term “slot” or “index period” is a period of time containing multiple scheduling units. In the example in Figure 5, when the subcarrier interval is 15 kHz, slot 521 or 522 contains seven scheduling units 520, i.e., seven symbols. When the subcarrier interval is 60 kHz, slots 0 through 7 each contain seven scheduling units 530. In other words, there are two slots 521 and 522 for the 15 kHz subcarrier interval and eight slots for the 60 kHz subcarrier interval. Within one slot, there are indices 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 for indexing seven symbols. In the example in Figure 5, the 15 kHz slots contain four 60 kHz slots. Physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) / Enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) monitoring is performed per numerology, per slot. Within the 15kHz slot, there are four monitoring opportunities for the 60kHz subcarrier interval.

[0062] In some embodiments, longer duration and / or longer end-position symbol indicators may be used to support multi-slot time-domain resource allocation. In addition to symbol indicators, slot / subframe / frame indicators may be used to more efficiently indicate the end position.

[0063] Continuing with the example in Figure 5, since the subcarrier interval of the resource region 512 is 60 kHz, the scheduling unit 530 is used to indicate the time information of the resource region 512. The time information may include at least two of the following: a start symbol 532, an end symbol 533, and the length of the symbols, i.e., 6 symbols in this example. In some embodiments, the start symbol may be indicated by a global index of the start symbol. It should be understood that this is an example and not an limitation. In alternative embodiments, the start symbol may be indicated by a slot (e.g., slot 1) in which the start symbol is located together with an index of the start symbol in a slot (e.g., symbol 2 in slot 1).

[0064] With respect to resource area 513, since the subcarrier interval is 15 kHz, the scheduling unit 520 is used to indicate time information for resource area 513. This time information may include at least two of the following: slot length 1, start symbol 4, and end symbol 5. Slot length 1 indicates that the span of resource area 513 is within one slot 521, i.e., a single slot resource allocation. Start symbol 4 indicates that resource area 513 begins with symbol 4 in slot 521, and end symbol 5 indicates that resource area 513 ends with symbol 5 in slot 521.

[0065] For resource area 514, the subcarrier interval is also 15 kHz. Therefore, the scheduling unit 520 is also used to indicate time information. In this example, the time information for resource area 514 may include slot length 1, start symbol 6, and end symbol 6. If the resource area is allocated for uplink transmission, the uplink transmission direction also needs to be indicated to the terminal device 120.

[0066] For resource area 515, the subcarrier interval is also 60 kHz. Therefore, the scheduling unit 530 is used to indicate time information. In this example, the time information for resource area 515 may include a slot length of 3, a start symbol of 0, and an end symbol of 0. The slot length of 3 indicates that resource allocation 515 occupies 3 slots.

[0067] In the embodiment described above, numerology such as a subcarrier interval of 15 kHz or 60 kHz is provided from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120. Thus, the terminal device 120 can determine the corresponding scheduling unit for different resource areas.

[0068] Herein, we refer to Figure 6, which shows a flowchart of method 600 for demonstrating resource allocation according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 600 may be carried out by a terminal device 120, for example, a UE or other suitable device.

[0069] Method 600 begins at 610, where terminal device 120 receives time information for a resource area from network device 110. The resource area is allocated for transmitting data to the terminal device, and the time information is determined based on the numerology information of the resource area. Then, at 620, terminal device 120 receives data on the resource area based on the time information.

[0070] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, there may be multiple methods for receiving time information. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may receive at least two of the following: the start scheduling unit of a resource area, the end scheduling unit of a resource area, and the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area. The scheduling units may be determined based on the maximum number of numerology used by one or more resource areas allocated by the network device 110.

[0071] In some alternative embodiments, the terminal device 120 may receive a first and a second part of the time information. The first part of the time information may include at least two of the following: the start reference unit of the resource area, the end reference unit of the resource area, and the number of reference units occupied by the resource area. The second part of the time information may include a start scheduling unit and an end scheduling unit. The scheduling units are determined based on the numerology information of the resource area, and the reference units may be determined based on a predetermined numerology. In some embodiments, optionally, the terminal device 120 may further receive numerology information of the resource area from the network device 110.

[0072] In some further alternative embodiments, the terminal device 120 may receive at least two of the resource area's start scheduling unit, the resource area's end scheduling unit, and the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area. In these embodiments, the scheduling units may be determined based on the resource area's numerology information. In some embodiments, optionally, the terminal device 120 may further receive resource area numerology information from the network device 110.

[0073] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a network device 700 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the network device 700 may be implemented as a network device 110 in a communication system, or as another suitable device.

[0074] As shown in Figure 7, the network device 700 includes a controller 710 configured to determine time information for a resource area based on numerology information of the resource area allocated for transmitting data to a terminal device, and a transmitter 720 configured to transmit time information to a terminal device in order to enable the terminal device to receive data on the resource area.

[0075] In some embodiments, the controller 710 may be further configured to determine a scheduling unit based on the largest numerology used by one or more resource areas allocated by the network device, and to determine time information based on the scheduling unit.

[0076] In some embodiments, the controller 710 may be further configured to determine the start scheduling unit of the resource area as the start position of the resource area, the end scheduling position of the resource area as the end position of the resource area, and the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area as the length of the resource area.

[0077] In some embodiments, the controller 710 may be further configured to determine a scheduling unit based on numerology information of a resource area, determine a reference unit based on a predetermined numerology, determine a first part of time information based on the reference unit, and determine a second part of time information based on the first part of time information, the reference unit, and the scheduling unit.

[0078] In some embodiments, the controller 710 may be further configured to perform at least two of the following: determining the start reference unit of the resource area as the first start position of the resource area; determining the end reference unit of the resource area as the first end position of the resource area; and determining the number of reference units occupied by the resource area as the first length of the resource area.

[0079] In some embodiments, the controller 710 may be further configured to determine a start scheduling unit within a start reference unit as a second start position of the resource area, and to determine a end scheduling unit within an end reference unit as a second end position of the resource area.

[0080] In some embodiments, the controller 710 may be further configured to determine a scheduling unit based on the numerology information of the resource area and to determine time information based on the scheduling unit.

[0081] In some embodiments, the controller 710 may be further configured to perform at least two of the following: determining the start scheduling unit of the resource area as the start position of the resource area; determining the end scheduling unit of the resource area as the end position of the resource area; and determining the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area as the length of the resource area.

[0082] In some embodiments, the transmitter 720 may be further configured to transmit numerology information of the resource area to a terminal device.

[0083] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a terminal device 800 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal device 800 can be implemented as a terminal device 120 in a communication system, or as another suitable device.

[0084] As shown in Figure 8, the terminal device 800 includes a receiver 810 configured to receive time information of a resource area from a network device and receive data on the resource area based on the time information, the resource area is allocated for transmitting data to the terminal device, and the time information is determined based on the numerology information of the resource area.

[0085] In some embodiments, the receiver 810 is further configured to receive at least two of the following: a start scheduling unit for a resource area, an end scheduling unit for a resource area, and the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area, the scheduling units being determined based on the maximum numerology used by one or more resource areas allocated by the network device.

[0086] In some embodiments, the receiver 810 may be further configured to receive a first portion of time information, the first portion of time information including at least two of a start reference unit for the resource area, an end reference unit for the resource area, and the number of reference units occupied by the resource area, and may be further configured to receive a second portion of time information, the second portion of time information including a start reference unit and an end reference unit, wherein the scheduling unit is determined based on the numerology information of the resource area, and the reference unit is determined based on a predetermined numerology.

[0087] In some embodiments, the receiver 810 may be configured to receive at least two of the following: the start scheduling unit of the resource area, the end scheduling unit of the resource area, and the number of scheduling units occupied by the resource area, the scheduling units being determined based on the numerology information of the resource area.

[0088] In some embodiments, the receiver 810 may be further configured to receive numerology information for resource areas from a network device.

[0089] It should also be noted that apparatus 700 or 800 may be implemented by any suitable technology currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, the single apparatus shown in Figure 7 or 8 may, alternatively, be implemented in multiple separate apparatuses, or multiple separate apparatuses may be implemented in a single apparatus. The scope of this disclosure is not limited in these respects.

[0090] It should be noted that the apparatus 700 or 800 may be configured to implement the functions described with reference to Figure 2 or 6. Thus, the features described with respect to Method 200 can be applied to the corresponding components of apparatus 700, and the features described with respect to Method 600 can be applied to the corresponding components of apparatus 800. Furthermore, it should be noted that the components of apparatus 700 or 800 may be embodied in hardware, software, firmware, and / or any combination thereof. For example, the components of apparatus 700 or 800 may be implemented by circuits, processors, or any other suitable devices, respectively. Those skilled in the art will understand that the examples given herein are for illustrative purposes only and not limiting.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the device 700 or 800 may comprise at least one processor. At least one processor suitable for use with embodiments of the present disclosure may include, for example, both general-purpose and special-purpose processors already known or to be developed in the future. The device 700 or 800 may further comprise at least one memory. At least one memory may comprise, for example, a semiconductor memory device such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices. At least one memory may be used to store a program of computer executable instructions. The program can be written in any programming language that is compatible or interpretable at a high level and / or low level. According to embodiments, the computer executable instructions may be configured to use at least one processor to cause the device 700 to execute according to at least the method 200 described above, and the device 800 to execute according to at least the method 600 described above.

[0092] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure may be embodied in apparatus, methods, or computer program products. Generally, various exemplary embodiments can be implemented in hardware or specialized circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, 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, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Various embodiments of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure can be illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other pictograms, but it should be understood that these blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented, in non-limiting examples, in hardware, software, firmware, specialized circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0093] The various blocks shown in Figure 2 or 6 can be viewed as a plurality of coupled logic circuit elements configured to perform method steps and / or operations resulting from the operation of computer program code and / or related functions. At least some aspects of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in various components such as integrated circuit chips and modules, and the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be realized in devices embodied as integrated circuits, FPGAs or ASICs that can be configured to operate according to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0094] This specification includes many specific implementation details, which should be interpreted not as limitations on the scope or claims of any disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of a particular disclosure. Certain features described herein in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments, either separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, features described above as acting in a particular combination, and may initially be claimed as such, but one or more features from the claimed combination may be excluded from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed towards a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

[0095] Similarly, while the operations are depicted in a specific order in the diagrams, achieving the desired result requires that such operations be performed in the specific order or sequentially shown, or that all shown operations be performed. In certain situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and the program components and systems described can generally be integrated into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0096] Various modifications and adaptations of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Any modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, other embodiments of the disclosure described herein will be conceivable to those skilled in the art in relation to these embodiments of this disclosure, benefiting from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

[0097] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure should not be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Certain terms are used herein, but they are used only in a general and descriptive sense and are not intended to be limiting.

Claims

1. A method performed by a terminal device A step of receiving configuration information relating to a first time-domain resource allocation unit and a second time-domain resource allocation unit, wherein the numerology information of the first time-domain resource allocation unit is different from the numerology information of the second time-domain resource allocation unit. The steps include receiving downlink control information, which includes resource allocation information for uplink data transmission, A method comprising determining the time-domain location of the resource area for the uplink data transmission indicated in the resource allocation information, based on the first time-domain resource allocation unit and the second time-domain resource allocation unit.

2. Means for receiving setting information relating to a first time domain resource allocation unit and a second time domain resource allocation unit, Means for receiving downlink control information, including resource allocation information for uplink data transmission, The system includes means for determining the time-domain location of the uplink data transmission resource area indicated in the resource allocation information, based on the first time-domain resource allocation unit and the second time-domain resource allocation unit, A terminal device in which the numerology information of the first time-domain resource allocation unit is different from the numerology information of the second time-domain resource allocation unit.

3. A method performed by a network device, A step of transmitting configuration information relating to a first time-domain resource allocation unit and a second time-domain resource allocation unit, wherein the numerology information of the first time-domain resource allocation unit is different from the numerology information of the second time-domain resource allocation unit. The step of transmitting downlink control information, which includes resource allocation information for uplink data transmission, A method for determining the time domain location of the resource area for the uplink data transmission indicated in the resource allocation information, based on the first time domain resource allocation unit and the second time domain resource allocation unit.

4. Means for transmitting configuration information relating to a first time domain resource allocation unit and a second time domain resource allocation unit, It has means for transmitting downlink control information including resource allocation information for uplink data transmission, The numerology information of the first time-domain resource allocation unit differs from the numerology information of the second time-domain resource allocation unit, A network device in which the time domain location of the resource area for uplink data transmission indicated in the resource allocation information is determined based on the first time domain resource allocation unit and the second time domain resource allocation unit.

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