Communication device, communication method, and integrated circuit

Abstract

This base station comprises: a control circuit that determines the settings of transmission directions in each of a plurality of time resources in a unit section, said settings including the settings of different transmission directions in the same time resource; and a transmission circuit that transmits a control signal including information related to the settings.

Description

Base station, terminal and communication method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a base station, a terminal, and a communication method.

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has completed the physical layer specifications for Release 17 NR (New Radio access technology) as a functional extension of 5th Generation mobile communication systems (5G). NR supports enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) to meet the requirements of high speed and large capacity, as well as ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1-5).

[0003] 3GPP TS 38.211 V17.0.0, "NR; Physical channels and modulation (Release 17)," December 20213GPP TS 38.212 V17.0.0, "NR; Multiplexing and channel coding (Release 17)," December 20213GPP TS 38.213 V17.0.0, "NR; Physical layer procedure for control (Release 17)," December 20213GPP TS 38.214 V17.0.0, "NR; Physical layer procedures for data (Release 17)," December 20213GPP TS 38.215 V17.0.0, "NR; Physical layer measurements (Release 17)," December 20213GPP TS 38.331 V16.7.0, "NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16)", December 2021

[0004] However, there is room for further study on the method of notifying resource allocation in wireless communication.

[0005] Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure contribute to providing a base station, a terminal, and a communication method that can appropriately notify resource allocation.

[0006] A base station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control circuit that determines a transmission direction setting for each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the settings including different transmission direction settings for the same time resource, and a transmission circuit that transmits a control signal including information regarding the settings.

[0007] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, resource allocation can be appropriately notified.

[0009] Further advantages and benefits of one embodiment of the present disclosure will become apparent from the specification and drawings. Such advantages and / or benefits may be provided by some embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, respectively, but not necessarily all of them may be provided to obtain one or more identical features.

[0010] Diagram showing an example of a Duplex methodDiagram showing an example of a Resource block (RB) setDiagram showing an example of a slot formatDiagram showing an example of a notification using downlink control information (DCI) format 2_0 in NR-unlicensed (NR-U)Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a part of a base stationBlock diagram showing an example of the configuration of a part of a terminalBlock diagram showing an example of the configuration of a base stationBlock diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminalSequence diagram showing an example of the operation of a base station and a terminalDiagram showing an example of setting the Slot format indicator (SFI) fieldDiagram showing an example of a slot format combinationDiagram showing an example of a slot format combinationDiagram showing an example of setting the guard bandDiagram of an exemplary architecture of a 3GPP NR systemSchematic diagram showing the functional separation between NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network) and 5GC (5th Generation Core)Sequence diagram of the procedure for setting up / resetting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection Schematic diagram illustrating a 5G Communications usage scenario. Block diagram illustrating an exemplary 5G system architecture for a non-roaming scenario.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [About Cross Division Duplex (XDD)] "Study on evolution of NR duplex operation" has been approved as a Study Item for Release 18. One of the main topics of this Study Item is support for subband non-overlapping full duplex (also called Cross Division Duplex (XDD)).

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the Duplex system. In Figure 1, the vertical axis represents frequency and the horizontal axis represents time. Also, in Figure 1, "U" represents uplink transmission and "D" represents downlink transmission.

[0014] FIG. 1(a) shows an example of half-duplex Time Division Duplex (TDD). In FIG. 1(a), terminals (e.g., also referred to as user equipment (UE)) #1 and UE #2 are terminals connected to a base station (e.g., also referred to as gNB). For example, the base station may determine the transmission direction (e.g., downlink or uplink) for each time resource and notify the terminals. Note that there may be cases where the terminal does not use resources for the transmission direction in a certain time resource (e.g., resources indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1). In the half-duplex shown in FIG. 1(a), the transmission direction in a certain time resource may be common between terminals. For example, the transmission direction in a certain time resource does not differ between terminals. For example, in a time resource in which UE #1 performs uplink transmission, UE #2 does not perform downlink reception.

[0015] Figure 1(b) shows an example of XDD. In XDD, a frequency resource (or a frequency band) is divided into multiple bands (e.g., subbands), and transmission in different directions (e.g., downlink or uplink) is supported for each subband. In XDD, a terminal transmits and receives either uplink or downlink in a given time resource, but does not transmit or receive in the other. On the other hand, in XDD, a base station can transmit and receive on both uplink and downlink simultaneously.

[0016] 1C shows an example of overlapping full duplex (also simply referred to as full duplex). In full duplex, both the base station and the terminal can simultaneously transmit and receive uplink and downlink signals using frequency and time resources.

[0017] Here, as shown in FIG. 1(b), frequency resources can be divided to realize XDD. One method of dividing frequency resources in existing standards is resource block (RB) sets. For example, in NR-U of Release 16 (hereinafter referred to as Rel. 16), RB sets were introduced to divide bands to match the bandwidth (e.g., 20 MHz) for carrier sensing (e.g., Listen Before Talk (LBT)). FIG. 2 shows an example of RB sets in an unlicensed band of frequency range 1 (FR1). In the example shown in FIG. 2, an 80 MHz band is divided into four RB sets (RB sets #0 to #3) of 20 MHz each.

[0018] For example, in Fig. 2, it is assumed that each of the multiple RB sets is used by a different wireless system. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 2, guard bands (e.g., intra-cell guard bands) can be arranged between the RB sets. By arranging the guard bands, cross link interference (CLI) can be reduced.

[0019] For example, there has been insufficient research into how to achieve XDD using RB sets.

[0020] In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, a method for realizing XDD using an RB set will be described.

[0021] [Regarding Slot Format] For example, the transmission direction of each symbol in a slot can be set by the slot format.

[0022] In the slot format, for example, Downlink (DL), Uplink (UL), and Flexible can be set. Flexible can be used by overwriting either Downlink or Uplink, for example.

[0023] Fig. 3 shows an example of a slot format. In Fig. 3, "D" represents Downlink, "U" represents Uplink, and "F" represents Flexible. Note that the slot format shown in Fig. 3 is an example, and a slot format not defined in Fig. 3 may be applied. The slot format may indicate the setting of the transmission direction (e.g., any of D, U, and F) for each of multiple symbols (e.g., time resources) in a slot (e.g., unit interval).

[0024] For example, the slot format applied by the terminal may be notified to the terminal via a downlink control channel (e.g., DCI format 2_0). In DCI format 2_0, for example, a "slot format indicator (SFI)" (also called a slot format combination) that sets the slot formats of multiple slots may be notified to the terminal.

[0025] For example, in Rel.16 NR-U, the same slot format is applied to multiple available RB sets. Here, available refers to a state in which an RB set is available for transmission and reception as a result of performing LBT, for example. Furthermore, DCI format 2_0 can notify, for example, available RB sets and channel occupancy time length (COT duration).

[0026] Fig. 4 shows an example of notification in NR-U DCI format 2_0. In the example shown in Fig. 4, four RB sets (RB sets #0 to #3) are included in the system band.

[0027] For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the base station performs LBT and determines that RB sets #0, #1, and #2 are available. Then, the base station may transmit DCI format 2_0 to notify the terminal of the SFI, available RB sets (e.g., RB sets #0, #1, and #2), and COT length. In this case, the slot format notified by the SFI is commonly applied to multiple available RB sets (e.g., RB sets #0, #1, and #2).

[0028] In this way, the slot format applied to a terminal is common to multiple RB sets available to the terminal. On the other hand, in XDD, the transmission direction may differ between subbands. Therefore, for example, when applying XDD to an RB set, it is expected that the slot format between RB sets may differ.

[0029] The transmission direction of a symbol (e.g., Downlink or Uplink) may be configured in a terminal by higher layer signaling (e.g., TDD UL / DL configuration). In semi-static configuration of the transmission direction by higher layer signaling, the slot format is not used, but Downlink, Uplink, and Flexible can be configured similarly to the slot format. For example, for a symbol configured as Flexible by higher layer signaling (or a symbol for which no transmission direction is configured), the transmission direction can be overwritten by the slot format notified by DCI format 2_0.

[0030] The slot format can be used, for example, to indicate whether a terminal is capable of transmission. For example, in a transmission method or reception method in which time and frequency resources are preset by higher layer signaling, whether a terminal actually transmits and receives may be determined depending on the transmission direction indicated by the slot format. For example, in the case of uplink transmission by configured grant, the terminal will not transmit unless the symbol used for transmission is uplink (e.g., also referred to as uplink symbol) in the slot format. Therefore, when multiple RB sets are allocated to a terminal, the transmission direction of each RB set (or subband) may be different, so the terminal may not be able to determine whether transmission is possible unless it specifies an individual slot format for each RB set.

[0031] In this embodiment, a method for setting an individual slot format for an RB set will be described.

[0032] The transmission method in which time and frequency resources are preset may be, for example, a transmission method semi-statically set by a downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel), a downlink shared channel (PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel), or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS: Channel State Information Reference Signal).The reception method in which time and frequency resources are preset may be, for example, a reception method semi-statically set by a sounding reference signal (SRS: Sounding Reference Signal), an uplink control channel (e.g., PUCCH: Physical Uplink Control Channel), an uplink shared channel (e.g., PUSCH: Physical Uplink Shared Channel), or a random access channel (e.g., PRACH: Physical Random Access Channel).

[0033] [Overview of Communication System] A communication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include, for example, a base station 100 (e.g., gNB) shown in Figures 5 and 7, and a terminal 200 (e.g., UE) shown in Figures 6 and 8. A plurality of base stations 100 and a plurality of terminals 200 may exist in the communication system.

[0034] 5 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a portion of a base station 100 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. In the base station 100 shown in FIG. 5, a control unit (e.g., corresponding to a control circuit) determines a transmission direction setting (e.g., slot format) for each of a plurality of time resources (e.g., symbols) within a unit interval (e.g., slot). Here, the transmission direction setting may include different transmission direction settings for the same time resource. A transmission unit (e.g., corresponding to a transmission circuit) transmits a control signal including information regarding the setting.

[0035] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a portion of a terminal 200 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. In the terminal 200 shown in Fig. 6, a receiving unit (e.g., corresponding to a receiving circuit) receives a control signal including information regarding a transmission direction setting (e.g., slot format) for each of a plurality of time resources (e.g., symbols) within a unit interval (e.g., slot). Here, the transmission direction setting may include different transmission direction settings for the same time resource. A control unit (e.g., corresponding to a control circuit) controls transmission and reception based on the information regarding the setting.

[0036] [Configuration of Base Station] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a base station 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. In Fig. 7, the base station 100 includes a receiving unit 101, a demodulating / decoding unit 102, a scheduling unit 103, a control information holding unit 104, a slot format control unit 105, a data / control information generating unit 106, an encoding / modulating unit 107, and a transmitting unit 108.

[0037] For example, at least one of the demodulation / decoding unit 102, the scheduling unit 103, the control information storage unit 104, the data / control information generation unit 106, and the encoding / modulation unit 107 may be included in the control unit shown in Figure 5, and the transmission unit 108 may be included in the transmission unit shown in Figure 5.

[0038] The receiving unit 101 performs reception processing such as down-conversion or A / D conversion on a signal received via an antenna, and outputs the processed received signal to the demodulation and decoding unit 102 .

[0039] The demodulation and decoding unit 102 demodulates and decodes, for example, a received signal (for example, an uplink signal) input from the receiving unit 101 and outputs the decoding result to the scheduling unit 103 .

[0040] The scheduling unit 103 may perform scheduling for the terminals 200, for example. The scheduling unit 103 schedules transmission and reception for each terminal 200 based on, for example, at least one of the decoding result input from the demodulation and decoding unit 102 and the control information input from the control information storage unit 104, and instructs the data and control information generation unit 106 to generate at least one of data and control information. Furthermore, the scheduling unit 103 may output, for example, information related to scheduling to the slot format control unit 105. Furthermore, the scheduling unit 103 may output control information related to scheduling for the terminals 200 to the control information storage unit 104. Furthermore, the scheduling unit 103 may determine, for example, the arrangement of guard bands between RB sets.

[0041] The control information storage unit 104 stores, for example, control information set for each terminal 200. The control information may include, for example, information about the RB set for each terminal 200 (for example, information about the assigned RB set, etc.). The control information storage unit 104 may output the stored information to each component of the base station 100 (for example, the scheduling unit 103) as necessary.

[0042] The slot format control unit 105 determines a slot format for each terminal 200 based on, for example, the scheduling information input from the scheduling unit 103, and instructs the data / control information generation unit 106 to generate information about the determined slot format (for example, referred to as slot format information).

[0043] The data and control information generating unit 106 generates at least one of data and control information, for example, in accordance with an instruction from the scheduling unit 103, and outputs a signal including the generated data or control information to the coding and modulation unit 107. Furthermore, the data and control information generating unit 106 generates slot format information in accordance with an instruction from the slot format control unit 105, for example, and outputs the generated slot format information to the coding and modulation unit 107. Note that the generated data may include signaling information of an upper layer.

[0044] The encoding / modulation unit 107 encodes and modulates, for example, a signal (including, for example, data, control information, or slot format information) input from the data / control information generation unit 106, and outputs the modulated signal to the transmission unit 108.

[0045] The transmitting unit 108 performs transmission processing such as D / A conversion, up-conversion, or amplification on the signal input from the encoding / modulating unit 107, and transmits the radio signal obtained by the transmission processing from an antenna to the terminal 200.

[0046] [Terminal Configuration] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of terminal 200 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. In Fig. 8, terminal 200 includes receiving section 201, data / control information demodulating / decoding section 202, slot format determining section 203, control section 204, control information holding section 205, data / control information generating section 206, encoding / modulating section 207, and transmitting section 208.

[0047] For example, at least one of the data / control information demodulation / decoding unit 202, slot format determination unit 203, control unit 204, control information storage unit 205, data / control information generation unit 206, and encoding / modulation unit 207 may be included in the control unit shown in Figure 6, and the receiving unit 201 may be included in the receiving unit shown in Figure 6.

[0048] Receiving section 201 performs reception processing such as down-conversion or A / D conversion on a signal received via an antenna, and outputs the processed received signal to data and control information demodulation and decoding section 202 .

[0049] The data and control information demodulation and decoding section 202, for example, demodulates and decodes a received signal input from the receiving section 201, and outputs the decoded result to the control section 204. The decoded result may include, for example, upper layer signaling information. Furthermore, if the decoded result includes slot format information, the data and control information demodulation and decoding section 202 outputs the slot format information to the slot format determination section 203.

[0050] Slot format determination section 203 determines (or identifies, specifies, or determines) a slot format based on, for example, slot format information input from data and control information demodulation and decoding section 202, and outputs information about the determined slot format (for example, information about the transmission direction of each symbol in the slot) to control section 204. Note that, for example, when multiple RB sets are allocated to terminal 200, the information about the slot format may include information about the transmission direction of each symbol in the slot in each RB set.

[0051] The control unit 204 may determine whether data or control information is transmitted or received based on, for example, information on the slot format input from the slot format determination unit 203 (information on the transmission direction of each symbol), control information input from the control information holding unit 205 (e.g., information on transmission and reception quasi-statically set by upper layer signaling), or a decoding result (e.g., data or control information) input from the data and control information demodulation and decoding unit 202. For example, when data or control information is received, the control unit 204 may instruct the receiving unit 201 and the data and control information demodulation and decoding unit 202 to receive the data or control information (not shown). Furthermore, for example, when data or control information is transmitted, the control unit 204 may instruct the data and control information generation unit 206 to generate at least one of the data and the control information. Furthermore, the control unit 204 may determine the arrangement of guard bands according to, for example, the transmission direction of each symbol for each RB set.

[0052] The control information holding unit 205 holds, for example, control information input from the control unit 204, and outputs the held information to each component (for example, the control unit 204) as necessary.

[0053] The data and control information generating unit 206 generates data or control information according to instructions from the control unit 204 , for example, and outputs a signal including the generated data or control information to the encoding and modulation unit 207 .

[0054] The coding and modulation section 207 codes and modulates the signal input from the data and control information generation section 206 , for example, and outputs the modulated transmission signal to the transmission section 208 .

[0055] The transmitting unit 208 performs transmission processing such as D / A conversion, up-conversion, or amplification on the signal input from the encoding / modulating unit 207, and transmits the radio signal obtained by the transmission processing from the antenna to the base station 100.

[0056] [Operations of Base Station 100 and Terminal 200] An example of operations in the base station 100 and terminal 200 having the above configuration will be described.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the base station 100 and the terminal 200.

[0058] In FIG. 9, the base station 100 determines settings (configuration) such as semi-static transmission and reception resources and cycles (S101).

[0059] The base station 100 transmits, for example, upper layer signaling information including the determined settings to the terminal (S102).

[0060] The base station 100 schedules each RB set for the terminal 200 (S103), for example. The base station 100 also determines, for example, a slot format for each RB set (S104). For example, the base station 100 may determine a transmission direction setting for each of multiple symbols in a slot. For example, the base station 100 may determine a transmission direction setting (e.g., slot format) for each of multiple RB sets individually. Here, the transmission direction setting may include different direction settings for the same symbol.

[0061] The base station 100 transmits, for example, information about the slot format (for example, slot format information) to the terminal 200 (S105).

[0062] The terminal 200 determines the slot format of each RB set (S106), for example, based on slot format information transmitted from the base station 100. Furthermore, the terminal 200 may set guard bands between RB sets, for example, based on the slot format of each RB set (S107).

[0063] The base station 100 may perform downlink transmission based on, for example, semi-static settings (S108).

[0064] The terminal 200 may, for example, determine an RB set that is available for downlink reception and receive a signal (S109).

[0065] Furthermore, the terminal 200 may determine an RB set that can be used for uplink transmission (S109), and perform uplink transmission based on a semi-static setting (S111).

[0066] [Method of Notifying Slot Format] A method of controlling and notifying the slot format in the base station 100 (e.g., the scheduling unit 103 and the slot format control unit 105) will be described. Note that the terminal 200 (e.g., the slot format determination unit 203 and the control unit 204) may set (or determine) the slot format, assuming that the base station 100 will notify the slot format.

[0067] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which, for example, multiple slot formats are applied to the same terminal 200 connected to the same base station 100 (for example, the same cell or the same serving cell). For example, a slot format may be applied individually to each of multiple subbands (for example, RB sets) obtained by dividing the system band of the base station 100.

[0068] Note that, for example, the RB set is introduced to the unlicensed band of FR1 in Rel. 16, but may also be applied to licensed bands (FR1, FR2, or other licensed bands). This makes it possible to realize a subband for XDD using the RB set.

[0069] An example of a method for notifying the slot format will be described below.

[0070] <Notification Method 1> In notification method 1, the base station 100 may allocate a plurality of SFI fields corresponding to a plurality of RB sets, respectively, on a control channel (e.g., DCI format 2_0). For example, a plurality of SFI fields corresponding to the respective slot formats of a plurality of RB sets may be arranged on the control channel (e.g., control signal).

[0071] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the SFI field.

[0072] 10(a) shows an example in which, for example, one SFI field is assigned. The example shown in FIG. 10(a) may be an existing method for notifying a slot format by an SFI. In FIG. 10(a), the same (or a common) slot format can be set for multiple RB sets by one SFI field.

[0073] 10(b) shows an example in which multiple SFI fields are allocated. In the example shown in FIG. 10(b), four RB sets (RB sets #0 to #3) are allocated to terminal 200, and four SFI fields corresponding to each of the four RB sets are arranged on the control channel.

[0074] Base station 100 may, for example, individually set a slot format for each RB set. Furthermore, terminal 200 identifies the slot format of each RB set by, for example, reading the SFI reported in each SFI field.

[0075] For example, the position (e.g., bit position) of the SFI field individual to an RB set may be configured in terminal 200 by higher layer signaling information or may be predefined in a standard. Furthermore, the position of the SFI field may be configured collectively for a plurality of RB sets, or may be configured individually for each RB set.

[0076] For example, when the position of the SFI field is set collectively for multiple RB sets, assuming that the SFI fields are continuous (for example, the state of Figure 10(b)), the bit position of the first SFI field (in Figure 10(b), the SFI field of RB set #0) is notified, and the bit positions of other SFI fields do not need to be notified, thereby reducing the overhead of signaling information.

[0077] Furthermore, for example, if the position of the SFI field is set individually for a plurality of RB sets, the degree of freedom in allocating downlink control channels can be improved.

[0078] In this way, according to notification method 1, by allocating an individual SFI field to an RB set, base station 100 can set a slot format for each RB, and terminal 200 can identify the slot format for each RB set.

[0079] <Notification Method 2> In notification method 2, the slot formats of multiple RB sets may be set by a slot format combination.

[0080] The slot format combination is used, for example, to set the slot formats of multiple slots together.

[0081] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of slot format combinations. Note that the numbers in the table shown in Fig. 11 may indicate indexes for identifying slot formats (for example, the indexes shown in Fig. 3).

[0082] In Fig. 11(a), each SFI index is associated with a combination of slot formats (for example, slot format indexes) set for each of a plurality of slots. Note that the example in Fig. 11(a) may be an existing slot format combination.

[0083] Fig. 11(b) shows an example of a slot format combination according to notification method 2. In Fig. 11(b), for example, an RB set dimension (entry) is added to the slot format combination in Fig. 11(a). For example, the SFI index in Fig. 11(b) corresponds to a combination of slot formats (transmission direction settings) for each of a plurality of slots and a plurality of RB sets.

[0084] As a result, in Figure 11(b), for example, individual SFIs can be set for multiple slots and multiple RB sets using the same SFI index as in Figure 11(a). In the example of Figure 11(b), in addition to an individual SFI for a slot, individual SFIs can be set for four RB sets (for example, RB sets #0 to #3) for one SFI index. For example, the SFI index shown in Figure 11(b) may be associated with a combination of indexes (for example, the indexes shown in Figure 3) that identify slot formats (transmission direction settings) that are determined individually for each of multiple slots and multiple RB sets.

[0085] The method of notifying the SFI in the control channel and the method of setting the SFI field may use existing methods.

[0086] Furthermore, the number of RB sets in the slot format combination of notification method 2 may be the same as or different from the number of RB sets allocated to terminal 200 .

[0087] In the former case, for example, when the RB sets allocated to terminal 200 are RB sets #0, #1, #2, and #3, the slot formats of RB sets #0, #1, #2, and #3 may be configured for all SFI indexes. In this case, since each SFI index includes the configuration of all RB sets, it is possible to easily configure the slot format of each RB set in terminal 200.

[0088] Furthermore, in the latter case, for example, when the RB sets allocated to terminal 200 are RB sets #0, #1, #2, and #3, a certain SFI index may include the slot formats of all RB sets (e.g., RB sets #0, #1, #2, and #3), or may include the slot formats of some RB sets (e.g., RB sets #0 and #1). For example, a transmission direction set by higher layer signaling information (e.g., TDD UL / DL configuration) may be applied to an RB set for which no SFI format is set. For example, when the transmission direction of a certain symbol is set to flexible by the signaling information, the transmission direction of a symbol for which no transmission direction is set by the SFI may remain flexible.

[0089] In this way, according to notification method 2, the dimension of the RB set is added to the slot format combination, making it possible to set an individual slot format for the RB set, and thus terminal 200 can identify an individual slot format for the RB set based on the SFI. Furthermore, according to notification method 2, it is not necessary to add an SFI field for each RB set in the control channel as in notification method 1, and therefore overhead of the control channel can be reduced.

[0090] <Notification Method 3> In notification method 3, the slot formats of multiple RB sets may be set by a slot format combination, as in notification method 2. Furthermore, the slot format combination of notification method 3 may set the slot format of each individual slot in the RB set, for example, by referring to another slot format combination (for example, an existing slot format combination).

[0091] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a slot format combination.

[0092] FIG. 12(a) shows an example of a certain slot format combination (for example, an existing slot format combination). Note that the numbers in the table shown in FIG. 12(a) may indicate slot format indexes (for example, the indexes shown in FIG. 3). The SFI index shown in FIG. 12(a) may be associated with a combination of slot formats (transmission direction settings) determined for each of a plurality of slots, for example. Note that the example in FIG. 12(a) may be an existing slot format combination.

[0093] Fig. 12(b) shows an example of a slot format combination according to notification method 3. In Fig. 12(b), for example, the dimension of an RB set is introduced, as in notification method 2 (e.g., Fig. 11(b)). For example, the SFI index in Fig. 12(b) corresponds to a combination of slot formats (transmission direction settings) in each of multiple slots and multiple RB sets.

[0094] Also, in Figure 12(b), the setting of the transmission direction for each slot in each RB set may be determined based on the settings of other slot format combinations in Figure 12(a). For example, in Figure 12(b), a value of '0' corresponding to RB set #0 with SFI index #0 represents SFI index #0 in the slot format combination in Figure 12(a). Similarly, for example, in Figure 12(b), a value of '1' corresponding to RB set #2 with SFI index #0 represents SFI index #1 in the slot format combination in Figure 12(a).

[0095] In this way, the SFI index shown in Figure 12(b) is associated with a combination of SFI indexes shown in Figure 12(a) that are individual to multiple RB sets. For example, SFI index #0 shown in Figure 12(b) is associated with a combination of SFI indexes #0, #2, #1, and #3 of the slot format combination in Figure 12(a), which are set individually to each of RB sets #0 to #3. The same applies to the other SFI indexes shown in Figure 12(b).

[0096] The slot format combination shown in FIG. 12(b) does not have a slot format setting for each slot, but by referring to the slot format for each slot in the slot format combination shown in FIG. 12(a), a slot format setting for each RB set and for each slot is realized.

[0097] For example, when configuring the same slot format between RB sets, notification method 2 requires that the same slot format be configured for each RB set in the slot format combination (in other words, that overlapping configurations be made between RB sets).In contrast, notification method 3 requires that an SFI configured for another slot format combination (for example, an existing slot format combination) be referenced, and therefore does not require overlapping configurations.

[0098] The method of notifying the SFI in the control channel and the method of setting the SFI field may use existing methods.

[0099] In this way, notification method 3 allows the slot format for each RB set to be set by referring to other slot format combinations, thereby enabling terminal 200 to identify an individual slot format for each RB set. Furthermore, notification method 3 can reduce overlapping slot format settings compared to notification method 2, thereby reducing overhead of signaling information in higher layers in addition to overhead of control channels.

[0100] An example of a method for notifying a slot format has been described above.

[0101] [Guard Band Arrangement Method] Next, an example of a guard band arrangement method according to the slot format set in the RB set will be described.

[0102] Guard bands may be placed between subbands primarily when the transmission directions between adjacent subbands are different.

[0103] In this embodiment, for example, if the slot format between subbands (e.g., RB sets) can be identified by the above-described notification method, guard bands may be allocated without additional notification for guard band allocation. For example, base station 100 and terminal 200 may allocate guard bands according to the following combinations of transmission directions (e.g., D, U, and F). In the cases of (D, D) and (U, U): Guard bands are not allocated. In the cases of (D, U), (D, F), (U, F), and (F, F): Guard bands are allocated.

[0104] Here, (x, x) above indicates a combination (in no particular order) of the transmission directions of adjacent RB sets (e.g., D, U, or F). For example, (D, U) indicates that the transmission direction of one RB set is downlink and the transmission direction of the other RB set is uplink.

[0105] Furthermore, since Flexible can be either Downlink or Uplink, in the above example, a guard band may be placed when it comes into contact with Flexible.

[0106] For example, after Flexible is notified by SFI, transmission / reception (e.g., allocation) of PDSCH or PUSCH may be notified by downlink control information, and the transmission direction (e.g., Downlink or Uplink) of the Flexible symbol may be determined. In this case, whether or not to allocate a guard band according to the above combination (x, x) may be determined based on the transmission direction finally determined for the Flexible symbol.

[0107] Furthermore, for example, the size of the guard band may be set in advance by signaling information of a higher layer. While a larger guard band size can reduce the influence of interference, resources are not allocated to the guard band, which may reduce resource utilization efficiency. Therefore, for example, it is expected that the guard band size be set to the minimum required size from the viewpoint of resource utilization efficiency. However, the optimal size of the guard band may differ depending on the relationship between adjacent RB sets. Therefore, for example, the size of the guard band may be set individually for each boundary of the RB set. This makes it possible to improve resource utilization efficiency while reducing the influence of interference.

[0108] An example of how to arrange guard bands within a slot will be described below.

[0109] <Allocation Method 1> In allocation method 1, for example, if there is even one symbol in a slot with a different transmission direction in adjacent RB sets, guard bands may be allocated to all symbols in the slot.

[0110] FIG. 13A shows an example of guard band placement in placement method 1.

[0111] In Fig. 13(a), the symbols in the first half of the slot (the first seven symbols) are downlink (or called downlink symbols) in both RB set #1 and RB set #2, while the symbols in the second half of the slot (the last seven symbols) correspond to different transmission directions in RB set #1 and RB set #2.

[0112] In this case, as shown in FIG. 13(a), guard bands are placed around all symbols in the slot.

[0113] On the other hand, for example, in RB set #1 and RB set #2, if the transmission direction setting is the same for all symbols in a slot, a guard band does not need to be arranged in that slot (not shown).

[0114] As a result, the presence or absence of a guard band does not change for each symbol within a slot, and the base station 100 and terminal 200 do not need to perform processing such as rate matching around the guard band, thereby simplifying the data transmission and reception processing that depends on whether or not a guard band is placed.

[0115] <Allocation Method 2> In allocation method 2, for example, guard bands are allocated to symbols with different transmission directions in adjacent RB sets, and guard bands do not need to be allocated to symbols with the same transmission direction.

[0116] FIG. 13B shows an example of guard band placement in placement method 2.

[0117] In Fig. 13(b), the symbols in the first half of the slot (the first seven symbols) are downlink in both RB set #1 and RB set #2, while the symbols in the second half of the slot (the last seven symbols) correspond to different transmission directions in RB set #1 and RB set #2.

[0118] In this case, as shown in FIG. 13(b), no guard bands are placed in the first half symbols in the slot where the transmission direction is the same, and guard bands are placed in the second half symbols in the slot where the transmission direction is different.

[0119] As a result, for example, guard bands are placed on symbols that are heavily affected by interference, and guard bands are not placed on symbols that are less affected by interference, thereby improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0120] The above describes an example of how to arrange guard bands.

[0121] In this manner, in this embodiment, base station 100 determines a slot format for each of a plurality of symbols in a slot and transmits a control signal including information on the determined slot format. Furthermore, terminal 200 receives a control signal including information on the slot format for each of a plurality of symbols in a slot and controls transmission and reception based on the information on the slot format.

[0122] For example, slot formats may be individually configured for multiple RB sets, and the slot formats corresponding to each RB set may be different, that is, the slot formats may include settings for different transmission directions in the same symbol.

[0123] This allows base station 100 to appropriately notify terminal 200 of individual slot formats (e.g., transmission direction settings or resource allocation) for multiple RB sets. Terminal 200 can identify the slot formats for each RB set even when multiple RB sets are allocated, for example, and therefore can appropriately determine whether transmission and reception are possible for each RB set even when the transmission directions of the RB sets (or subbands) are different.

[0124] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, for example, it is possible to arrange a guard band (for example, an intra-cell guard band) according to the relationship between the transmission directions of adjacent RB sets (for example, whether the transmission directions are the same). As a result, whether or not to arrange a guard band between adjacent RB sets is set as needed, and therefore it is possible to improve resource utilization efficiency while reducing CLI.

[0125] Therefore, according to this embodiment, XDD can be realized using an RB set.

[0126] (Other Embodiments) (1) Notification of a slot format specific to an RB set may be used to determine whether to transmit an SRS or CSI-RS specific to the RB set. The SRS and CSI-RS may be used, for example, to measure CLI.

[0127] For example, the time and frequency resources for SRS transmission or CSI-RS reception may be configured in advance in terminal 200 by signaling information, and whether terminal 200 actually transmits SRS or receives CSI-RS may be determined based on notification of the slot format.

[0128] As a result, for example, terminal 200 can dynamically control the execution of SRS transmission or CSI-RS reception according to the usage status of each RB set by notifying the slot format, thereby improving the resource usage efficiency for CSI or CLI measurement.

[0129] For example, when terminal 200 is notified of the slot format for each RB set, terminal 200 transmits the SRS in the uplink symbol but does not transmit the SRS in the downlink symbol.

[0130] Furthermore, for example, when the slot format is notified for each RB set, terminal 200 receives CSI-RS (including, for example, a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS)) in the downlink symbol, but does not receive CSI-RS in the uplink symbol.

[0131] Furthermore, for example, terminal 200 may determine whether to transmit SRS or receive CSI-RS in a Flexible symbol based on signaling information. How to handle Flexible symbols (for example, whether transmission or reception in a Flexible symbol improves control efficiency, or whether neither transmission nor reception improves control efficiency) depends on scaling of base station 100, and may therefore be set by signaling information.

[0132] (2) For example, a method of notifying a slot format for full duplex shown in FIG. 1(c) will be described.

[0133] The existing slot format notification supports three types of symbol transmission directions: downlink, uplink, and flexible. On the other hand, full duplex is expected to include a setting that supports both downlink and uplink communications simultaneously on the same time and frequency resources.

[0134] Here, Flexible indicates that the transmission direction is undecided or that the terminal 200 does not know the transmission direction, so it is difficult to use (or notify) Flexible as a symbol for simultaneously transmitting and receiving Downlink and Uplink.

[0135] Therefore, for example, a slot format for full duplex may be applied as follows.

[0136] For example, a "Mixed" symbol is introduced as a symbol that simultaneously supports both downlink and uplink communications in the same time resource and the same frequency resource.

[0137] The mixed symbols may be set semi-statically by higher layer signaling information (for example, TDD UL / DL configuration) or may be set in a slot format by downlink control information, for example.

[0138] For example, when the Mixed setting is notified, the terminal 200 may assume that it will simultaneously perform Downlink reception and Uplink transmission in the corresponding symbol.

[0139] For example, a case will be described in which Downlink (e.g., PDCCH reception) and Uplink (e.g., Configured grant transmission) are simultaneously configured using the same symbol by higher layer signaling information. For example, when Downlink is indicated by the slot format, terminal 200 performs PDCCH reception and does not perform Configured grant transmission. Furthermore, for example, when Uplink is indicated by the slot format, terminal 200 performs Configured grant transmission and does not perform PDCCH reception. In contrast, when Mixed is indicated by the slot format, terminal 200 performs both PDCCH reception and Configured grant transmission.

[0140] Also, just as a Flexible symbol can be overwritten onto a Downlink symbol or an Uplink symbol, a Flexible symbol can be overwritten onto a Mixed symbol. In XDD, for example, a Flexible symbol can be overwritten onto a Downlink or an Uplink, whereas in Full duplex, by overwriting a Flexible symbol onto a Mixed symbol, both Downlink and Uplink can be supported by the same symbol.

[0141] Furthermore, for example, the following two methods (Method 1 and Method 2) may be supported for overwriting a Downlink symbol or an Uplink symbol to a Mixed symbol. For example, Method 1 and Method 2 may be changed (or switched) by signaling information.

[0142] <Method 1> In method 1, overwriting of Downlink and Uplink symbols onto Mixed symbols is prohibited.

[0143] For example, downlink and uplink symbols may be treated as symbols with a fixed transmission direction. For example, uplink transmission may be prohibited for symbols set as downlink. Similarly, downlink reception may be prohibited for symbols set as uplink.

[0144] For example, even if the base station 100 notifies the terminal 200 of an erroneous slot format, the symbol set for one of the transmission directions, downlink and uplink, is not overwritten, and therefore transmission and reception in the other transmission direction is prohibited.

[0145] For example, if full duplex is supported and CLI caused by bidirectional transmission and reception is a problem, interference can be reduced by setting to unidirectional transmission and reception. In this way, method 1 can achieve more robust control of transmission direction.

[0146] <Method 2> Method 2 supports overwriting of Downlink and Uplink symbols onto Mixed symbols.

[0147] For example, when Downlink and Uplink are in a state where transmission in one transmission direction is permitted once, and Downlink and Uplink are overwritten by Mixed, transmission in the other transmission direction can additionally be supported.

[0148] Method 2 allows, for example, a symbol that has been set for one of the transmission directions, downlink or uplink, to be added for transmission in the other transmission direction when additional traffic occurs, thereby improving scheduling flexibility and system performance.

[0149] In addition, when both downlink and uplink resources are scheduled for a symbol notified as a flexible symbol by downlink control information (for example, when both PDSCH and PUSCH are scheduled), terminal 200 may regard the symbol as a mixed symbol.

[0150] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the supported RAT does not have to be NR.

[0151] Furthermore, the unit of resources into which frequency resources are divided in XDD is not limited to RB sets. The above-mentioned slot format notification may be applied to subbands into which the system band is divided. Furthermore, the RB set may be called by another name.

[0152] Furthermore, the notification of the SFI is not limited to DCI format 2_0, and the SFI may be notified by other signals (for example, at least one of other channels, other DCI formats, and higher layer signaling).

[0153] In the above-described embodiment, the values ​​of the number of RB sets, the number of slots, and the number of symbols in a slot are merely examples and are not limited to these.

[0154] (Supplementary Note) Information indicating whether the terminal 200 supports the functions, operations, or processes described in the above-described embodiments may be transmitted (or notified) from the terminal 200 to the base station 100, for example, as capability information or capability parameters of the terminal 200.

[0155] The capability information may include an information element (IE) that individually indicates whether or not the terminal 200 supports at least one of the functions, operations, or processes described in the above-described embodiments. Alternatively, the capability information may include an information element that indicates whether or not the terminal 200 supports a combination of any two or more of the functions, operations, or processes described in the above-described embodiments.

[0156] For example, the base station 100 may determine (or decide or assume) the functions, operations, or processes that the terminal 200 that transmitted the capability information supports (or does not support) based on the capability information received from the terminal 200. The base station 100 may perform operations, processes, or controls according to the determination result based on the capability information. For example, the base station 100 may control the slot format based on the capability information received from the terminal 200.

[0157] Note that the fact that terminal 200 does not support some of the functions, operations, or processes described in the above-described embodiments may be interpreted as meaning that such some of the functions, operations, or processes are restricted in terminal 200. For example, information or a request regarding such restrictions may be notified to base station 100.

[0158] Information regarding the capabilities or limitations of terminal 200 may, for example, be defined in a standard, or may be implicitly notified to base station 100 in association with information known at base station 100 or information transmitted to base station 100.

[0159] (Control Signal) In the present disclosure, a downlink control signal (or downlink control information) related to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be, for example, a signal (or information) transmitted in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of a physical layer, or a signal (or information) transmitted in a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC CE) or Radio Resource Control (RRC) of a higher layer. Furthermore, the signal (or information) is not limited to being notified by a downlink control signal, but may be predefined in a specification (or standard) or preconfigured in a base station and a terminal.

[0160] In the present disclosure, an uplink control signal (or uplink control information) related to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be, for example, a signal (or information) transmitted in a PUCCH of a physical layer, or a signal (or information) transmitted in a MAC CE or RRC of a higher layer. Furthermore, the signal (or information) is not limited to being notified by an uplink control signal, but may be predefined in a specification (or standard) or preconfigured in a base station and a terminal. Furthermore, the uplink control signal may be replaced with, for example, uplink control information (UCI), 1st stage sidelink control information (SCI), or 2nd stage SCI.

[0161] (Base Station) In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the base station may be a Transmission Reception Point (TRP), a cluster head, an access point, a Remote Radio Head (RRH), an eNodeB (eNB), a gNodeB (gNB), a Base Station (BS), a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a parent device, a gateway, or the like. In sidelink communication, a terminal may play the role of a base station. Instead of a base station, a relay device that relays communication between an upper node and a terminal may be used. Alternatively, a roadside unit may be used.

[0162] (Uplink / Downlink / Sidelink) An embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to, for example, any of the uplink, downlink, and sidelink. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), or a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) in the uplink, a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), a PDCCH, or a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) in the downlink, or a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), or a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH) in the sidelink.

[0163] The PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH are examples of a downlink control channel, a downlink data channel, an uplink data channel, and an uplink control channel, respectively. The PSCCH and PSSCH are examples of a sidelink control channel and a sidelink data channel. The PBCH and PSBCH are examples of a broadcast channel, and the PRACH is an example of a random access channel.

[0164] (Data Channel / Control Channel) An embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to, for example, either a data channel or a control channel. For example, the channel in an embodiment of the present disclosure may be replaced with any of the data channels PDSCH, PUSCH, and PSSCH, or the control channels PDCCH, PUCCH, PBCH, PSCCH, and PSBCH.

[0165] (Reference Signal) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a reference signal is, for example, a signal known by both a base station and a mobile station, and may also be called a Reference Signal (RS) or a pilot signal. The reference signal may be any of a Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), a Channel State Information - Reference Signal (CSI-RS), a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), a Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), a Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS), or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS).

[0166] (Time Interval) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the unit of time resource is not limited to one or a combination of slots and symbols, but may be, for example, a time resource unit such as a frame, a superframe, a subframe, a slot, a time slot, a subslot, a minislot, a symbol, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (SC-FDMA) symbol, or another time resource unit. Furthermore, the number of symbols included in one slot is not limited to the number of symbols exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be another number of symbols.

[0167] (Frequency Band) An embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to either a licensed band or an unlicensed band.

[0168] (Communication) An embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to communication between a base station and a terminal (Uu link communication), communication between terminals (Sidelink communication), or Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication. For example, the channel in an embodiment of the present disclosure may be replaced with any of PSCCH, PSSCH, Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH), PSBCH, PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, or PBCH.

[0169] An embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to a terrestrial network, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) using a satellite or a high altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS), or a terrestrial network in which transmission delay is large compared to the symbol length or slot length, such as a network with a large cell size or an ultra-wideband transmission network.

[0170] (Antenna Port) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna port refers to a logical antenna (antenna group) consisting of one or more physical antennas. For example, an antenna port does not necessarily refer to a single physical antenna, but may refer to an array antenna consisting of multiple antennas. For example, the number of physical antennas that an antenna port is composed of is not specified, and the antenna port may be specified as the smallest unit by which a terminal station can transmit a reference signal. Furthermore, an antenna port may also be specified as the smallest unit by which a weighting of a precoding vector is multiplied.

[0171] 5G NR System Architecture and Protocol Stack 3GPP continues work on the next release of fifth-generation cellular technology (also referred to simply as "5G"), which includes the development of new radio access technology (NR) operating in the frequency range up to 100 GHz. The first version of the 5G standard was completed at the end of 2017, allowing for the prototyping and commercial deployment of 5G NR-compliant devices (e.g., smartphones).

[0172] For example, the system architecture generally assumes a Next Generation - Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) comprising gNBs. The gNBs provide UE-side termination of NG radio access user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocols. The gNBs are connected to each other via an Xn interface. The gNBs are also connected to a Next Generation Core (NGC) via a Next Generation (NG) interface, more specifically to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (e.g., a specific core entity performing AMF) via an NG-C interface, and to a User Plane Function (UPF) (e.g., a specific core entity performing UPF) via an NG-U interface. The NG-RAN architecture is shown in Figure 14 (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 v15.6.0, section 4).

[0173] The NR user plane protocol stack (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300, section 4.4.1) includes a PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol (see, for example, TS 38.300, section 6.4)) sublayer, a RLC (Radio Link Control (see, for example, TS 38.300, section 6.3)) sublayer, and a MAC (Medium Access Control (see, for example, TS 38.300, section 6.2)) sublayer, which are terminated on the network side in the gNB. A new access stratum (AS) sublayer (SDAP: Service Data Adaptation Protocol) has also been introduced above PDCP (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300, section 6.5). A control plane protocol stack has also been defined for the NR (see, for example, TS 38.300, section 4.4.2). An overview of Layer 2 functions is described in Section 6 of TS 38.300. The functions of the PDCP sublayer, RLC sublayer, and MAC sublayer are listed in clauses 6.4, 6.3, and 6.2 of TS 38.300, respectively. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in clause 7 of TS 38.300.

[0174] For example, the Medium-Access-Control layer handles logical channel multiplexing and scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including handling various numerologies.

[0175] For example, the physical layer (PHY) is responsible for coding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping of signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. The physical layer also handles mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used for transmitting a specific transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For example, physical channels include the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), and the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) as uplink physical channels, and the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) as downlink physical channels.

[0176] NR use cases / deployment scenarios may include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC), which have diverse requirements in terms of data rate, latency, and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20 Gbps in the downlink and 10 Gbps in the uplink) and effective (user-experienced) data rates approximately three times those offered by IMT-Advanced. On the other hand, URLLC imposes stricter requirements for ultra-low latency (0.5 ms for user plane latency in both UL and DL) and high reliability (1-10-5 within 1 ms). Finally, mMTC may require preferably high connection density (1,000,000 devices / km in urban environments), wide coverage in adverse environments, and extremely long battery life (15 years) for low-cost devices.

[0177] Therefore, OFDM numerology (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol length, cyclic prefix (CP) length, number of symbols per scheduling interval) suitable for one use case may not be valid for another use case. For example, low-latency services may preferably require a shorter symbol length (and therefore a larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also referred to as TTI) than mMTC services. Furthermore, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spreads may preferably require a longer CP length than scenarios with short delay spreads. The subcarrier spacing may be optimized accordingly to maintain similar CP overhead. NR may support one or more subcarrier spacing values. Correspondingly, subcarrier spacings of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, etc. are currently considered. The symbol length Tu and subcarrier spacing Δf are directly related by the formula Δf = 1 / Tu. Similar to LTE systems, the term "resource element" can be used to mean the smallest resource unit consisting of one subcarrier for the length of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol.

[0178] In the new radio system 5G-NR, for each numerology and each carrier, a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined for each uplink and downlink. Each element of the resource grid is called a resource element and is specified based on a frequency index in the frequency domain and a symbol position in the time domain (see 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.6.0).

[0179] <Functional Separation Between NG-RAN and 5GC in 5G NR> Figure 15 shows the functional separation between NG-RAN and 5GC. The logical node of NG-RAN is gNB or ng-eNB. 5GC has logical nodes AMF, UPF, and SMF.

[0180] For example, gNB and ng-eNB host the following main functions: - Radio Resource Management functions such as Radio Bearer Control, Radio Admission Control, Connection Mobility Control, dynamic allocation (scheduling) of resources to UEs in both uplink and downlink; - IP header compression, ciphering and integrity protection of data; - AMF selection at UE attach time if routing to the AMF cannot be determined from the information provided by the UE; - Routing of user plane data towards the UPF; - Routing of control plane information towards the AMF; - Connection setup and release; - Scheduling and transmission of paging messages; - Scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (sourced from the AMF or Operation, Admission, Maintenance (OAM)); - Configuration of measurements and measurement reports for mobility and scheduling; - Transport level packet marking in the uplink; - Session management; Support for network slicing; - QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers; - Support for UEs in RRC_INACTIVE state; - NAS message delivery function; - Radio access network sharing; - Dual connectivity; - Close coordination between NR and E-UTRA.

[0181] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) hosts the following main functions: - Termination of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling; - Security of NAS signaling; - Security control of Access Stratum (AS); - Signaling between Core Network (CN) nodes for mobility between 3GPP access networks; - Reachability to idle mode UEs (including control and execution of paging retransmissions); - Registration area management; - Support for intra-system and inter-system mobility; - Access authentication; - Access authorization including checking of roaming rights; - Mobility management control (subscription and policy); - Support for network slicing; - Selection of Session Management Function (SMF).

[0182] Furthermore, the User Plane Function (UPF) hosts the following main functions: - anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (if applicable); - external PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point for interconnection with data networks; - packet routing and forwarding; - packet inspection and policy rule enforcement for the user plane part; - traffic usage reporting; - uplink classifier to support routing of traffic flows to the data network; - branching point to support multi-homed PDU sessions; - QoS processing for the user plane (e.g. packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement); - uplink traffic validation (mapping of SDF to QoS flows); - downlink packet buffering and triggering of downlink data notifications.

[0183] Finally, the Session Management Function (SMF) hosts the following main functions: session management; allocation and management of IP addresses for UEs; selection and control of UPF; configuration of traffic steering in the User Plane Function (UPF) to route traffic to the appropriate destination; policy enforcement and QoS of the control part; downlink data notification.

[0184] <RRC connection setup and reconfiguration procedure> Figure 16 shows some of the interactions between the UE, gNB, and AMF (5GC entities) when the UE transitions from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED in the NAS part (see TS 38.300 v15.6.0).

[0185] RRC is a higher layer signaling (protocol) used to configure the UE and gNB. With this transition, the AMF prepares UE context data (including, for example, PDU session context, security keys, UE radio capabilities, UE security capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the gNB along with an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST. The gNB then activates AS security together with the UE. This is done by the gNB sending a SecurityModeCommand message to the UE, and the UE responding with a SecurityModeComplete message to the gNB. The gNB then sends an RRCReconfiguration message to the UE, and upon receiving an RRCReconfigurationComplete from the UE, the gNB performs reconfiguration to set up Signaling Radio Bearer 2 (SRB2) and Data Radio Bearer (DRB). For signaling-only connections, the steps related to RRCReconfiguration are omitted because SRB2 and DRB are not set up. Finally, the gNB notifies the AMF that the setup procedure is complete with an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE.

[0186] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a 5th Generation Core (5GC) entity (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) that includes: a control circuit that, upon operation, establishes a Next Generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB; and a transmitter that, upon operation, transmits an initial context setup message to the gNodeB via the NG connection so that a signaling radio bearer between the gNodeB and a user equipment (UE) is set up. Specifically, the gNodeB transmits Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, including a resource allocation configuration information element (IE), to the UE via the signaling radio bearer. The UE then transmits in uplink or receives in downlink based on the resource allocation configuration.

[0187] <IMT Usage Scenarios Beyond 2020> Figure 17 shows some use cases for 5G NR. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project New Radio (3GPP NR) is considering three use cases envisioned by IMT-2020 to support a wide variety of services and applications. The first phase of specifications for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) has been completed. Current and future work includes standardization for ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC), in addition to expanding support for eMBB. Figure 17 shows some examples of envisioned usage scenarios for IMT beyond 2020 (see, for example, ITU-R M.2083 Figure 2).

[0188] The URLLC use case has stringent performance requirements for throughput, latency, and availability. It is envisioned as one of the enabling technologies for future applications such as wireless control of industrial production or manufacturing processes, remote medical surgery, automated power transmission and distribution in smart grids, and road safety. URLLC's ultra-high reliability is supported by identifying technologies that meet the requirements set by TR 38.913. Key requirements for NR URLLC in Release 15 include a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms on the uplink (UL) and 0.5 ms on the downlink (DL). The overall URLLC requirement for a single packet transmission is a block error rate (BLER) of 1E-5 for a 32-byte packet size with a user plane latency of 1 ms.

[0189] From a physical layer perspective, reliability can be improved in many possible ways. Current room for reliability improvement includes defining a separate CQI table for URLLC, more compact DCI formats, PDCCH repetition, etc. However, this room can be expanded to achieve ultra-high reliability as NR (with respect to the key requirements of NR URLLC) becomes more stable and developed. Specific use cases for NR URLLC in Release 15 include Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-safety, and mission-critical applications.

[0190] Additionally, the technology enhancements targeted by NR URLLC aim to improve latency and reliability. Technology enhancements for latency improvement include configurable numerology, non-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, grant-free (configured grant) uplink, slot-level repetition in the data channel, and preemption in the downlink. Preemption means that a transmission with already allocated resources is stopped and the already allocated resources are used for another transmission with a later requested lower latency / higher priority. Therefore, a previously allowed transmission is preempted by a later transmission. Preemption is applicable regardless of the specific service type. For example, a transmission of service type A (URLLC) may be preempted by a transmission of service type B (eMBB, etc.). Technology enhancements for reliability improvement include a dedicated CQI / MCS table for a target BLER of 1E-5.

[0191] The use case of mMTC (massive machine type communication) is characterized by a very large number of connected devices that typically transmit relatively small amounts of data that are not sensitive to delays. These devices are required to be low-cost and have very long battery life. From the NR perspective, utilizing very narrow bandwidth portions is one solution that saves power and extends battery life from the UE's perspective.

[0192] As mentioned above, the scope of reliability improvement in NR is expected to be broader. One of the key requirements for all cases, for example, URLLC and mMTC, is high or ultra-high reliability. Several mechanisms can improve reliability from a radio perspective and a network perspective. Generally, there are two to three key areas that can help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, repetition of data channels / control channels, and diversity in the frequency, time, and / or spatial domains. These areas are generally applicable to reliability improvement regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0193] For NR URLLC, further use cases with more stringent requirements are envisaged, such as factory automation, transportation, and power distribution, with high reliability (up to 10-6 level reliability), high availability, packet sizes up to 256 bytes, time synchronization down to a few μs (depending on the use case, the value can be 1 μs or a few μs depending on the frequency range and low latency in the order of 0.5 ms to 1 ms (e.g., 0.5 ms latency on the targeted user plane)).

[0194] Furthermore, for NR URLLC, there may be several technical enhancements from the physical layer perspective. These technical enhancements include PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) enhancements for compact DCI, PDCCH repetition, and increased PDCCH monitoring. Also, UCI (Uplink Control Information) enhancements relate to enhanced Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) and CSI feedback enhancements. There may also be PUSCH enhancements related to minislot-level hopping and retransmission / repetition enhancements. The term "minislot" refers to a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) that contains fewer symbols than a slot (a slot comprises 14 symbols).

[0195] <QoS Control> The 5G Quality of Service (QoS) model is based on QoS flows and supports both QoS flows that require a guaranteed flow bit rate (Guaranteed Bit Rate QoS flows (GBR)) and QoS flows that do not require a guaranteed flow bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). Thus, at the NAS level, a QoS flow is the finest granularity of QoS classification in a PDU session. A QoS flow is identified within a PDU session by a QoS Flow ID (QFI) carried in an encapsulation header over the NG-U interface.

[0196] For each UE, 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions. For each UE, the NG-RAN establishes at least one Data Radio Bearer (DRB) for each PDU session, e.g., as shown above with reference to Figure 16. Additional DRBs for the QoS flows of that PDU session can be configured later (when this is up to the NG-RAN). The NG-RAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS flows, while AS-level mapping rules in the UE and NG-RAN associate UL and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0197] Figure 18 shows the non-roaming reference architecture for 5G NR (see TS 23.501 v16.1.0, section 4.23). An Application Function (AF) (e.g., an external application server hosting 5G services, as illustrated in Figure 17) interacts with the 3GPP core network to provide services. For example, it accesses the Network Exposure Function (NEF) to support applications that affect traffic routing, or interacts with a policy framework for policy control (e.g., QoS control) (see Policy Control Function (PCF)). Based on operator deployment, Application Functions considered trusted by the operator can interact directly with the associated Network Functions. Application Functions not permitted by the operator to directly access Network Functions interact with the associated Network Functions using an external exposure framework via the NEF.

[0198] Figure 18 further illustrates further functional units of the 5G architecture, namely, Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and Data Network (DN, e.g., operator-provided services, Internet access, or third-party services). All or part of the core network functions and application services may be deployed and run in a cloud computing environment.

[0199] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an application server (e.g., an AF in a 5G architecture) comprising: a transmitter that, in operation, sends a request including QoS requirements for at least one of a URLLC service, an eMMB service, and an mMTC service to at least one of 5GC functions (e.g., an NEF, an AMF, an SMF, a PCF, an UPF, etc.) to establish a PDU session including a radio bearer between a gNodeB and a UE according to the QoS requirements; and a control circuit that, in operation, performs a service using the established PDU session.

[0200] The present disclosure can be realized by software, hardware, or software in conjunction with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of the above embodiments may be partially or entirely realized as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit, and each process described in the above embodiments may be partially or entirely controlled by a single LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI may be composed of individual chips, or may be composed of a single chip that includes some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI may have data input and output. Depending on the degree of integration, the LSI may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0201] The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a dedicated processor. Also, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI, may be used. The present disclosure may be realized as digital processing or analog processing.

[0202] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology may be used to integrate functional blocks. The application of biotechnology, etc. is also a possibility.

[0203] The present disclosure may be implemented in any type of apparatus, device, or system (collectively referred to as a communications apparatus) that has a communications function. The communications apparatus may include a radio transceiver and processing / control circuitry. The radio transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, or both functions. The radio transceiver (transmitter and receiver) may include a radio frequency (RF) module and one or more antennas. The RF module may include an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, or the like. Non-limiting examples of communication devices include telephones (e.g., cell phones, smartphones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, notebooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (e.g., digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine devices, communication-enabled vehicles or mobile transportation (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), and combinations of the above devices.

[0204] The communication devices are not limited to portable or mobile devices, but also include any kind of non-portable or fixed equipment, devices, and systems, such as smart home devices (such as home appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or measuring devices, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and any other "things" that may exist on an IoT (Internet of Things) network.

[0205] Communications include data communications via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, communication satellite systems, and the like, as well as data communications via combinations of these.

[0206] A communications apparatus also includes devices such as controllers and sensors connected or coupled to a communications device that performs the communications functions described in this disclosure, such as controllers and sensors that generate control and data signals used by the communications device to perform the communications functions of the communications apparatus.

[0207] The communication apparatus also includes infrastructure facilities, such as base stations, access points, and any other apparatus, device, or system that communicates with or controls the various apparatuses listed above, but are not limited to these.

[0208] A base station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control circuit that determines a transmission direction setting for each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the settings including different transmission direction settings for the same time resource, and a transmission circuit that transmits a control signal including information regarding the settings.

[0209] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control circuit determines the setting individually for each of a plurality of bands into which a frequency band is divided.

[0210] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control signal includes a plurality of fields corresponding to the settings of each of the plurality of bands.

[0211] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the information includes a first index corresponding to a combination of the settings for each of the plurality of unit intervals and the plurality of bands.

[0212] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first index is associated with a combination of information that identifies the settings that are determined individually for each of the plurality of unit intervals and the plurality of bands.

[0213] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a second index is associated with the combination of settings determined for each of the plurality of unit intervals, and the first index is associated with a combination of the second indexes that is individual to the plurality of bands.

[0214] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration includes a configuration to simultaneously support both downlink and uplink communications on the same time resource and the same frequency resource.

[0215] A terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a receiving circuit that receives a control signal including information regarding a setting of a transmission direction for each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the setting including different settings of the transmission direction for the same time resource, and a control circuit that controls transmission and reception based on the information regarding the setting.

[0216] In a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a base station determines a transmission direction setting for each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the settings including different transmission direction settings for the same time resource, and transmits a control signal including information regarding the settings.

[0217] In a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal receives a control signal including information regarding a setting of a transmission direction for each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the setting including different settings of the transmission direction for the same time resource, and controls transmission and reception based on the information regarding the setting.

[0218] The disclosures of the specification, drawings and abstract contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-056365, filed on March 30, 2022, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0219] One embodiment of the present disclosure is useful in wireless communication systems.

[0220] 100 Base station 101, 201 Receiving unit 102 Demodulation and decoding unit 103 Scheduling unit 104, 205 Control information holding unit 105 Slot format control unit 106, 206 Data and control information generating unit 107, 207 Encoding and modulation unit 108, 208 Transmitting unit 200 Terminal 202 Data and control information demodulation and decoding unit 203 Slot format determining unit 204 Control unit

Claims

1. a receiving circuit that receives a control signal including information regarding a setting of a transmission direction in each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the settings including different settings of the transmission direction in the same time resource; a control circuit that determines the setting based on information about the setting; A communication device comprising:

2. The information regarding the setting is notified separately for a first part of a frequency band and a second part of the frequency band. The communication device according to claim 1 .

3. The setting of the transmission direction is determined based on the control signal and a TDD UL / DL setting notified by higher layer signaling. The communication device according to claim 1 .

4. Each of the plurality of time resources is a symbol; downlink symbols of the plurality of time resources are overwritten with symbols supporting both downlink and uplink directions; The communication device according to claim 1 .

5. The downlink symbol is overwritten by higher layer signaling to the symbol supporting both the downlink direction and the uplink direction. The communication device according to claim 4.

6. A guard band is arranged in symbols between the first portion of the frequency band and a portion of the frequency band adjacent to the first portion and having a different transmission direction. The communication device according to claim 2 .

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of time resources is a symbol; The unit interval is a slot. The communication device according to claim 1 .

8. A communication device comprising: receiving a control signal including information regarding a setting of a transmission direction in each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the settings including different settings of the transmission direction in the same time resource; determining the setting based on information about the setting; Communication method.

9. The information regarding the setting is notified separately for a first part of a frequency band and a second part of the frequency band. The communication method according to claim 8.

10. The setting of the transmission direction is determined based on the control signal and a TDD UL / DL setting notified by higher layer signaling. The communication method according to claim 8.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of time resources is a symbol; downlink symbols of the plurality of time resources are overwritten with symbols supporting both downlink and uplink directions; The communication method according to claim 8.

12. The downlink symbol is overwritten by higher layer signaling to a symbol that supports both the downlink direction and the uplink direction. The communication method according to claim 11.

13. A guard band is arranged in symbols between the first portion of the frequency band and a portion of the frequency band adjacent to the first portion and having a different transmission direction. The communication method according to claim 9.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of time resources is a symbol; The unit interval is a slot. The communication method according to claim 8.

15. A receiving circuit for controlling reception of a control signal including information regarding settings of a transmission direction for each of a plurality of time resources within a unit interval, the settings including different settings of the transmission direction for the same time resource; a control circuit that controls the determination of the setting based on information about the setting; An integrated circuit comprising: