Method and apparatus for configuring transmission of uplink control channel signal in non-terrestrial communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure is to configure a method for transmitting an uplink signal in a wireless communication system. A method performed by a terminal comprises the steps of: receiving system information block (SIB) configuration information from a base station; transmitting, to the base station, a message including communication state information; receiving, from the base station, repetitive transmission factor-related information about an uplink control channel, which is determined on the basis of current communication state information; and transmitting an uplink control channel signal on the basis of repetitive transmission-related information about the uplink control channel, wherein the communication state information may include at least one of information about power used to transmit an uplink shared channel, the repetitive transmission factor-related information about the uplink control channel, which is determined by the terminal, and RSRP information measured by the terminal.

Description

Method and device for establishing transmission of uplink control channel signal in non-terrestrial communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device and method for setting up an uplink control channel signal transmission method in a wireless communication system, and more specifically, to a device and method for setting up repeated transmission of an uplink control channel signal for coverage improvement.

[0002] Communication networks (e.g., 5G communication networks, 6G communication networks, etc.) are being developed to provide improved communication services compared to existing communication networks (e.g., long term evolution (LTE), advanced LTE-A (LTE-A), etc.). 5G communication networks (e.g., new radio (NR) communication networks) can support frequency bands above 6 GHz as well as frequency bands below 6 GHz. That is, 5G communication networks can support FR1 bands and / or FR2 bands. 5G communication networks can support various communication services and scenarios compared to LTE communication networks. For example, usage scenarios of 5G communication networks can include enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), etc.

[0003] To improve coverage in non-terrestrial environments, various discussions have been ongoing at the Rel-18 NTN RAN#1 meeting. RAN1#110 reviewed coverage performance results for various physical channels and services in a baseline NTN environment. The results concluded that repeated transmission of the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) for Msg4 HARQ-ACK (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement) is necessary to meet coverage requirements.

[0004] To establish this repeat transmission procedure, various information can be utilized. However, if the base station cannot obtain accurate information about the communication environment with the terminal, the efficiency of repeat transmission of uplink control channel signals may be reduced. Therefore, an information exchange method is required to efficiently establish repeat transmission procedures for uplink control channel signals.

[0005] Meanwhile, the technology that serves as the background for the invention is written to promote understanding of the background for the invention, and may include content that is not a prior art already known to a person with ordinary skill in the field to which the technology belongs.

[0006] The present disclosure can provide a device and method for setting up repetitive transmission of an uplink control channel based on information about a communication environment generated by a terminal in a communication system.

[0007] The technical objectives to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned can be considered by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the technical configuration of the present disclosure is applied from the embodiments of the present disclosure described below.

[0008] As an example of the present disclosure, a method of operating a terminal in a wireless communication system includes the steps of receiving SIB (system information block) configuration information from a base station, transmitting a message including communication status information to the base station, receiving, from the base station, information related to a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information, and transmitting an uplink control channel signal based on the information related to repetition transmission of the uplink control channel, wherein the communication status information may include at least one of information on power used to transmit an uplink shared channel, information related to a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and RSRP information measured by the terminal.

[0009] Here, the information on the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

[0010] Here, the information on the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to a difference value between the maximum available power of the terminal and the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

[0011] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating the absolute value of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0012] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating the interval of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0013] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be determined based on the difference between the number of repetition transmissions of the uplink shared channel of the terminal and the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0014] Here, the method is characterized in that the RSRP information measured by the terminal is information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0015] Here, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to a difference value between the RSRP threshold value set by the SIB setting information and the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0016] Here, if the threshold value of the RSRP is not set by the SIB setting information, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0017] As an example of the present disclosure, a method of operating a base station in a wireless communication system includes the steps of transmitting SIB (system information block) configuration information to a terminal, receiving a message including communication status information from the terminal, transmitting information related to a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information to the terminal, and receiving an uplink control channel signal based on the information related to repetition transmission of the uplink control channel, wherein the communication status information may include at least one of information on power used to transmit an uplink shared channel, information on a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and RSRP information measured by the terminal.

[0018] Here, the information on the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

[0019] Here, the information on the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to a difference value between the maximum available power of the terminal and the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

[0020] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating the absolute value of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0021] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating the interval of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0022] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be determined based on the difference between the number of repetition transmissions of the uplink shared channel of the terminal and the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0023] Here, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0024] Here, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to a difference value between the RSRP threshold value set by the SIB setting information and the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0025] Here, if the threshold value of the RSRP is not set by the SIB setting information, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be characterized as information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0026] As an example of the present disclosure, in a wireless communication system, a terminal includes at least one transmitter, at least one receiver, at least one processor, and at least one memory operably connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform a specific operation, wherein the specific operation comprises: receiving SIB (system information block) configuration information from a base station, transmitting a message including communication status information to the base station, receiving, from the base station, information related to a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information, and transmitting an uplink control channel signal based on the information related to repetition of the uplink control channel, wherein the communication status information may include at least one of information on power used to transmit an uplink shared channel, information related to a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and RSRP information measured by the terminal.

[0027] As an example of the present disclosure, a base station operating in a wireless communication system may include at least one transmitter, at least one receiver, at least one processor, and at least one memory operably connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform a specific operation, wherein the specific operation comprises: transmitting system information block (SIB) configuration information to a terminal, receiving a message including communication status information from the terminal, transmitting information related to a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information to the terminal; and receiving an uplink control channel signal based on the information related to repetition transmission of the uplink control channel, wherein the communication status information may include at least one of information on power used to transmit an uplink shared channel, information related to a repetition factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and RSRP information measured by the terminal.

[0028] The above-described aspects of the present disclosure are only some of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and various embodiments reflecting the technical features of the present disclosure can be derived and understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art based on the detailed description of the present disclosure to be described below.

[0029] The following effects may be achieved by embodiments based on the present disclosure.

[0030] According to the present disclosure, since repetitive transmission of an uplink control channel is set based on information about a communication environment generated by a terminal in a communication system, repetitive transmission of an uplink control channel can be set efficiently.

[0031] The effects that can be obtained from the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly derived and understood by those skilled in the art to which the technical configuration of the present disclosure is applied, from the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure below. In other words, unintended effects resulting from implementing the configuration described in the present disclosure can also be derived by those skilled in the art from the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] The accompanying drawings are intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure and, together with detailed descriptions, may provide embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the technical features of the present disclosure are not limited to specific drawings, and the features disclosed in each drawing may be combined with each other to form new embodiments. Reference numerals in each drawing may indicate structural elements.

[0033] Figure 1a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0034] Figure 1b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0035] Figure 2a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a third embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0036] Figure 2b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0037] Figure 2c is a conceptual diagram illustrating a fifth embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a communication node constituting a non-terrestrial network.

[0039] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of communication nodes performing communication.

[0040] Figure 5a is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a transmission path.

[0041] Figure 5b is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a receiving path.

[0042] FIG. 6a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a user plane in a non-terrestrial network based on transparent payload.

[0043] FIG. 6b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a control plane in a non-terrestrial network based on transparent payload.

[0044] FIG. 7a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a user plane in a non-terrestrial network based on regenerative payload.

[0045] FIG. 7b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a control plane in a non-terrestrial network based on regenerative payload.

[0046] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of a 4-Step RACH (random access channel) procedure.

[0047] FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating one embodiment of a non-repeatedly transmitted uplink control channel and a repetitively transmitted uplink control channel.

[0048] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a repetitive transmission procedure of an uplink control channel for coverage improvement in an NTN environment.

[0049] FIG. 11 illustrates a signaling procedure of terminal generation information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of exchanging information on whether a terminal supports repeated transmission and requesting repeated transmission according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of exchanging terminal generation information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] FIG. 14 illustrates an example of a procedure for setting a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel based on terminal generation information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] This disclosure may be subject to various modifications and various embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated and described in detail in the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the disclosure to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the disclosure.

[0054] While terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component could be referred to as a "second component," and similarly, a second component could also be referred to as a "first component." The term "and / or" may refer to a combination of multiple related items described herein or to any of multiple related items described herein.

[0055] In the present disclosure, “at least one of A and B” may mean “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of combinations of one or more of A and B.” Additionally, in the present disclosure, “at least one of A and B” may mean “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of combinations of one or more of A and B.”

[0056] In the present disclosure, (re)transmission may mean “transmission,” “retransmission,” or “transmission and retransmission,” (re)setting may mean “setting,” “resetting,” or “setting and resetting,” (re)connection may mean “connection,” “reconnection,” or “connection and reconnection,” and (re)connection may mean “connection,” “reconnection,” or “connection and reconnection.”

[0057] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0058] The terminology used in this disclosure is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0059] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0060] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. In order to facilitate an overall understanding in describing the present disclosure, the same reference numerals will be used for identical components in the drawings, and redundant descriptions of identical components will be omitted. In addition to the embodiments explicitly described in the present disclosure, operations may be performed according to combinations of embodiments, extensions of embodiments, and / or modifications of embodiments. The performance of some operations may be omitted, and the order of operation may be changed.

[0061] In an embodiment, even if a method (e.g., transmitting or receiving a signal) performed by a first communication node among communication nodes is described, a corresponding second communication node can perform a method (e.g., receiving or transmitting a signal) corresponding to the method performed by the first communication node. That is, if an operation of a UE (user equipment) is described, a corresponding base station can perform an operation corresponding to the operation of the UE. Conversely, if an operation of a base station is described, a corresponding UE can perform an operation corresponding to the operation of the base station.

[0062] A base station may be referred to as a NodeB, an evolved NodeB, a gNodeB (next generation node B), a gNB, a device, an apparatus, a node, a communication node, a BTS (base transceiver station), a RRH (radio remote head), a TRP (transmission reception point), a RU (radio unit), an RSU (road side unit), a radio transceiver, an access point, an access node, etc. A UE may be referred to as a terminal, a device, an apparatus, a node, a communication node, an end node, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, a station, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a portable subscriber station, an OBU (on-broad unit), etc.

[0063] In the present disclosure, signaling may be at least one of upper layer signaling, MAC signaling, or PHY (physical) signaling. A message used for upper layer signaling may be referred to as an "upper layer message" or an "upper layer signaling message." A message used for MAC signaling may be referred to as a "MAC message" or a "MAC signaling message." A message used for PHY signaling may be referred to as a "PHY message" or a "PHY signaling message." Upper layer signaling may refer to a transmission and reception operation of system information (e.g., a master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB)) and / or an RRC message. MAC signaling may refer to a transmission and reception operation of a MAC control element (CE). PHY signaling may refer to a transmission and reception operation of control information (e.g., downlink control information (DCI), uplink control information (UCI), sidelink control information (SCI)).

[0064] In the present disclosure, “an operation (e.g., a transmission operation) is set” may mean that “setting information for the operation (e.g., an information element, a parameter)” and / or “information instructing the performance of the operation” is signaled. “An information element (e.g., a parameter) is set” may mean that the information element is signaled. In the present disclosure, “a signal and / or a channel” may mean a signal, a channel, or “a signal and a channel,” and a signal may be used to mean “a signal and / or a channel.”

[0065] The communication network to which the embodiment is applied is not limited to what is described below, and the embodiment may be applied to various communication networks (e.g., 4G communication networks, 5G communication networks, and / or 6G communication networks). Here, the communication network may be used in the same sense as the communication system.

[0066] Figure 1a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 1A, a non-terrestrial network may include a satellite (110), a communication node (120), a gateway (130), a data network (140), etc. The unit including the satellite (110) and the gateway (130) may be a remote radio unit (RRU). The non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 1A may be a transparent payload-based non-terrestrial network. The satellite (110) may be a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, or an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platform. The UAS platform may include a high altitude platform station (HAPS). The non-GEO satellite may be a LEO satellite and / or a MEO satellite.

[0068] The communication node (120) may include a communication node located on the ground (e.g., a UE, terminal) and a communication node located off the ground (e.g., an airplane, a drone). A service link may be established between the satellite (110) and the communication node (120), and the service link may be a radio link. The satellite (110) may be referred to as an NTN payload. The gateway (130) may support multiple NTN payloads. The satellite (110) may provide a communication service to the communication node (120) using one or more beams. The shape of the reception range (footprint) of the beam of the satellite (110) may be elliptical or circular.

[0069] In non-terrestrial networks, three types of service links can be supported:

[0070] - Earth-fixed: The service link may be provided by beam(s) that continuously cover the same geographic area at all times (e.g., Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO) satellites).

[0071] - Quasi-earth-fixed: The service link may be provided by beam(s) that cover one geographic area for a limited period and another geographic area for another period (e.g., NGSO (non-GSO) satellites that produce steerable beams).

[0072] - Earth-moving: The service link may be provided by beam(s) moving over the Earth's surface (e.g., NGSO satellites producing fixed beams or non-steerable beams).

[0073] The communication node (120) can perform communication (e.g., downlink communication, uplink communication) with the satellite (110) using 4G communication technology, 5G communication technology, and / or 6G communication technology. Communication between the satellite (110) and the communication node (120) can be performed using an NR-Uu interface and / or a 6G-Uu interface. When DC (dual connectivity) is supported, the communication node (120) can be connected to not only the satellite (110) but also other base stations (e.g., base stations supporting 4G functions, 5G functions, and / or 6G functions), and can perform DC operations based on technologies defined in the 4G standard, the 5G standard, and / or the 6G standard.

[0074] The gateway (130) may be located on the ground, and a feeder link may be established between the satellite (110) and the gateway (130). The feeder link may be a wireless link. The gateway (130) may be referred to as a "non-terrestrial network (NTN) gateway." Communication between the satellite (110) and the gateway (130) may be performed based on an NR-Uu interface, a 6G-Uu interface, or a satellite radio interface (SRI). The gateway (130) may be connected to a data network (140). A "core network" may exist between the gateway (130) and the data network (140). In this case, the gateway (130) may be connected to the core network, and the core network may be connected to the data network (140). The core network may support 4G communication technology, 5G communication technology, and / or 6G communication technology. For example, the core network may include an access and mobility management function (AMF), a user plane function (UPF), a session management function (SMF), etc. Communication between the gateway (130) and the core network may be performed based on a NG-C / U interface or a 6G-C / U interface.

[0075] As in the embodiment of Fig. 1b below, in a non-terrestrial network based on transparent payload, a base station and a core network may exist between a gateway (130) and a data network (140).

[0076] Figure 1b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 1B, a gateway may be connected to a base station, the base station may be connected to a core network, and the core network may be connected to a data network. Each of the base station and the core network may support 4G communication technology, 5G communication technology, and / or 6G communication technology. Communication between the gateway and the base station may be performed based on a NR-Uu interface or a 6G-Uu interface, and communication between the base station and the core network (e.g., AMF, UPF, SMF) may be performed based on a NG-C / U interface or a 6G-C / U interface.

[0078] Figure 2a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a third embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 2A, the non-terrestrial network may include satellite #1 (211), satellite #2 (212), communication node (220), gateway (230), data network (1240), etc. The non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 2A may be a regenerative payload-based non-terrestrial network. For example, each of satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212) may perform a regenerative operation (e.g., a demodulation operation, a decoding operation, a re-encoding operation, a re-modulation operation, and / or a filtering operation) on a payload received from another entity constituting the non-terrestrial network (e.g., a communication node (220), a gateway (230)) and transmit the regenerated payload.

[0080] Each of satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212) may be a LEO satellite, MEO satellite, GEO satellite, HEO satellite, or UAS platform. The UAS platform may include HAPS. Satellite #1 (211) may be connected to satellite #2 (212), and an inter-satellite link (ISL) may be established between satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212). The ISL may operate in a radio frequency (RF) frequency or an optical band. The ISL may be configured as optional. The communication node (220) may include a ground-based communication node (e.g., UE, terminal) and a non-ground-based communication node (e.g., an airplane, a drone). A service link (e.g., a wireless link) may be established between satellite #1 (211) and the communication node (220). Satellite #1 (211) may be referred to as an NTN payload. Satellite #1 (211) can provide communication services to a communication node (220) using one or more beams.

[0081] The communication node (220) can perform communication (e.g., downlink communication, uplink communication) with satellite #1 (211) using 4G communication technology, 5G communication technology, and / or 6G communication technology. Communication between satellite #1 (211) and the communication node (220) can be performed using an NR-Uu interface or a 6G-Uu interface. When DC is supported, the communication node (220) can be connected to not only satellite #1 (211) but also other base stations (e.g., base stations supporting 4G functions, 5G functions, and / or 6G functions), and can perform DC operations based on technologies defined in the 4G standard, the 5G standard, and / or the 6G standard.

[0082] The gateway (230) may be located on the ground, and a feeder link may be established between satellite #1 (211) and the gateway (230), and a feeder link may be established between satellite #2 (212) and the gateway (230). The feeder link may be a wireless link. If an ISL is not established between satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212), a feeder link between satellite #1 (211) and the gateway (230) may be established mandatorily. Communication between each of satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212) and the gateway (230) may be performed based on an NR-Uu interface, a 6G-Uu interface, or SRI. The gateway (230) may be connected to a data network (240).

[0083] As in the embodiments of FIGS. 2b and 2c below, a “core network” may exist between the gateway (230) and the data network (240).

[0084] Figure 2b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment of a non-terrestrial network, and Figure 2c is a conceptual diagram illustrating a fifth embodiment of a non-terrestrial network.

[0085] Referring to FIGS. 2B and 2C, a gateway may be connected to a core network, and the core network may be connected to a data network. The core network may support 4G communication technology, 5G communication technology, and / or 6G communication technology. For example, the core network may include AMF, UPF, SMF, etc. Communication between the gateway and the core network may be performed based on an NG-C / U interface or a 6G-C / U interface. The function of a base station may be performed by a satellite. That is, a base station may be located on a satellite. Payloads may be processed by a base station located on a satellite. Base stations located on different satellites may be connected to the same core network. A single satellite may have one or more base stations. In the non-terrestrial network of FIG. 2B, an ISL between satellites may not be established, and in the non-terrestrial network of FIG. 2C, an ISL between satellites may be established.

[0086] Meanwhile, entities (e.g., satellites, base stations, UEs, communication nodes, gateways, etc.) constituting the non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIGS. 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, and / or 2c may be configured as follows. In the present disclosure, entities may be referred to as communication nodes.

[0087] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a communication node constituting a non-terrestrial network.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 3, a communication node (300) may include at least one processor (310), a memory (320), and a transmission / reception device (330) that is connected to a network and performs communication. In addition, the communication node (300) may further include an input interface device (340), an output interface device (350), a storage device (360), etc. Each component included in the communication node (300) may be connected by a bus (370) and communicate with each other.

[0089] However, each component included in the communication node (300) may be connected through an individual interface or individual bus centered around the processor (310), rather than a common bus (370). For example, the processor (310) may be connected to at least one of a memory (320), a transmission / reception device (330), an input interface device (340), an output interface device (350), or a storage device (360) through a dedicated interface.

[0090] The processor (310) can execute program commands stored in at least one of the memory (320) and the storage device (360). The processor (310) may refer to a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor in which the methods according to the embodiments are performed. Each of the memory (320) and the storage device (360) may be configured with at least one of a volatile storage medium or a non-volatile storage medium. For example, the memory (320) may be configured with at least one of a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM).

[0091] Meanwhile, communication nodes performing communication in a communication network (e.g., a non-terrestrial network) may be configured as follows. The communication node illustrated in FIG. 4 may be a specific embodiment of the communication node illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0092] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of communication nodes performing communication.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 4, each of the first communication node (400a) and the second communication node (400b) may be a base station or a UE. The first communication node (400a) may transmit a signal to the second communication node (400b). The transmission processor (411) included in the first communication node (400a) may receive data (e.g., a data unit) from a data source (410). The transmission processor (411) may receive control information from a controller (416). The control information may include at least one of system information, RRC configuration information (e.g., information configured by RRC signaling), MAC control information (e.g., MAC CE), or PHY control information (e.g., DCI, SCI).

[0094] The transmitting processor (411) may perform a processing operation on data (e.g., an encoding operation, a symbol mapping operation, etc.) to generate data symbol(s). The transmitting processor (411) may perform a processing operation on control information (e.g., an encoding operation, a symbol mapping operation, etc.) to generate control symbol(s). In addition, the transmitting processor (411) may generate synchronization / reference symbol(s) for a synchronization signal and / or a reference signal.

[0095] The Tx MIMO processor (412) may perform spatial processing operations (e.g., precoding operations) on data symbol(s), control symbol(s), and / or synchronization / reference symbol(s). An output (e.g., a symbol stream) of the Tx MIMO processor (412) may be provided to modulators (MODs) included in the transceivers (413a to 413t). The modulators (MODs) may perform processing operations on the symbol streams to generate modulation symbols, and may perform additional processing operations (e.g., analog conversion operations, amplification operations, filtering operations, upconversion operations) on the modulation symbols to generate signals. The signals generated by the modulators (MODs) of the transceivers (413a to 413t) may be transmitted via the antennas (414a to 414t).

[0096] Signals transmitted by the first communication node (400a) may be received by antennas (464a to 464r) of the second communication node (400b). Signals received by the antennas (464a to 464r) may be provided to demodulators (DEMODs) included in transceivers (463a to 463r). The demodulator (DEMOD) may perform a processing operation (e.g., a filtering operation, an amplification operation, a downconversion operation, a digital conversion operation) on the signal to obtain samples. The demodulator (DEMOD) may perform an additional processing operation on the samples to obtain symbols. The MIMO detector (462) may perform a MIMO detection operation on the symbols. The receiving processor (461) may perform a processing operation (e.g., a deinterleaving operation, a decoding operation) on the symbols. The output of the receiving processor (461) may be provided to a data sink (460) and a controller (466). For example, data may be provided to the data sink (460) and control information may be provided to the controller (466).

[0097] Meanwhile, the second communication node (400b) can transmit a signal to the first communication node (400a). The transmitting processor (468) included in the second communication node (400b) can receive data (e.g., data units) from a data source (467) and perform a processing operation on the data to generate data symbol(s). The transmitting processor (468) can receive control information from the controller (466) and perform a processing operation on the control information to generate control symbol(s). In addition, the transmitting processor (468) can perform a processing operation on a reference signal to generate reference symbol(s).

[0098] The Tx MIMO processor (469) may perform spatial processing operations (e.g., precoding operations) on data symbol(s), control symbol(s), and / or reference symbol(s). The output (e.g., symbol stream) of the Tx MIMO processor (469) may be provided to modulators (MODs) included in the transceivers (463a to 463t). The modulators (MODs) may perform processing operations on the symbol streams to generate modulation symbols, and may perform additional processing operations (e.g., analog conversion operations, amplification operations, filtering operations, upconversion operations) on the modulation symbols to generate signals. The signals generated by the modulators (MODs) of the transceivers (463a to 463t) may be transmitted via the antennas (464a to 464t).

[0099] Signals transmitted by the second communication node (400b) may be received by the antennas (414a to 414r) of the first communication node (400a). The signals received by the antennas (414a to 414r) may be provided to demodulators (DEMODs) included in the transceivers (413a to 413r). The demodulator (DEMOD) may perform a processing operation (e.g., a filtering operation, an amplification operation, a downconversion operation, a digital conversion operation) on the signal to obtain samples. The demodulator (DEMOD) may perform an additional processing operation on the samples to obtain symbols. The MIMO detector (420) may perform a MIMO detection operation on the symbols. The receiving processor (419) may perform a processing operation (e.g., a deinterleaving operation, a decoding operation) on the symbols. The output of the receiving processor (419) may be provided to a data sink (418) and a controller (416). For example, data may be provided to the data sink (418) and control information may be provided to the controller (416).

[0100] Memories (415 and 465) can store data, control information, and / or program code. Scheduler (417) can perform scheduling operations for communication. Processors (411, 412, 419, 461, 468, 469) and controllers (416, 466) illustrated in FIG. 4 may be the processor (310) illustrated in FIG. 3 and may be used to perform the methods described in the present disclosure.

[0101] FIG. 5a is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a transmission path, and FIG. 5b is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a reception path.

[0102] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, a transmission path (510) may be implemented in a communication node that transmits a signal, and a reception path (520) may be implemented in a communication node that receives a signal. The transmission path (510) may include a channel coding and modulation block (511), a serial-to-parallel (S-to-P) block (512), an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (N IFFT) block (513), a parallel-to-serial (P-to-S) block (514), a cyclic prefix (CP) addition block (515), and an up-converter (UC) (516). The receiving path (520) may include a DC (down-converter) (521), a CP removal block (522), an S-to-P block (523), an N FFT block (524), a P-to-S block (525), and a channel decoding and demodulation block (526). Here, N may be a natural number.

[0103] In the transmission path (510), information bits may be input to a channel coding and modulation block (511). The channel coding and modulation block (511) may perform a coding operation (e.g., a low-density parity check (LDPC) coding operation, a polar coding operation, etc.) and a modulation operation (e.g., a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), etc.) on the information bits. The output of the channel coding and modulation block (511) may be a sequence of modulation symbols.

[0104] The S-to-P block (512) can convert modulation symbols in the frequency domain into parallel symbol streams to generate N parallel symbol streams. N can be an IFFT size or an FFT size. The N IFFT block (513) can perform an IFFT operation on the N parallel symbol streams to generate signals in the time domain. The P-to-S block (514) can convert the output (e.g., parallel signals) of the N IFFT block (513) into a serial signal to generate a serial signal.

[0105] The CP addition block (515) can insert a CP into a signal. The UC (516) can up-convert the frequency of the output of the CP addition block (515) to an RF (radio frequency) frequency. Additionally, the output of the CP addition block (515) can be filtered at the baseband before up-conversion.

[0106] A signal transmitted from a transmission path (510) may be input to a reception path (520). An operation in the reception path (520) may be the reverse operation of the operation in the transmission path (510). A DC (521) may down-convert the frequency of the received signal to a baseband frequency. A CP removal block (522) may remove a CP from a signal. The output of the CP removal block (522) may be a serial signal. An S-to-P block (523) may convert the serial signal into parallel signals. An NFFT block (524) may perform an FFT algorithm to generate N parallel signals. A P-to-S block (525) may convert the parallel signals into a sequence of modulation symbols. A channel decoding and demodulation block (526) may perform a demodulation operation on the modulation symbols and perform a decoding operation on the result of the demodulation operation to restore data.

[0107] In FIGS. 5A and 5B , Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and Inverse DFT (IDFT) may be used instead of FFT and IFFT. Each of the blocks (e.g., components) in FIGS. 5A and 5B may be implemented by at least one of hardware, software, or firmware. For example, some of the blocks in FIGS. 5A and 5B may be implemented by software, and the remaining blocks may be implemented by hardware or a “combination of hardware and software.” In FIGS. 5A and 5B , a single block may be subdivided into multiple blocks, multiple blocks may be integrated into a single block, some blocks may be omitted, and blocks supporting other functions may be added.

[0108] Meanwhile, NTN reference scenarios can be defined as shown in [Table 1] below.

[0109]

[0110] In the non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 1a and / or FIG. 1b, if the satellite (110) is a GEO satellite (e.g., a GEO satellite supporting transparent functionality), this may be referred to as “Scenario A.” In the non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 2a, FIG. 2b, and / or FIG. 2c, if each of satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212) is a GEO satellite (e.g., a GEO supporting regeneration functionality), this may be referred to as “Scenario B.”

[0111] If the satellite (110) in the non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 1a and / or FIG. 1b is a LEO satellite having steerable beams, this may be referred to as “Scenario C1.” If the satellite (110) in the non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 1a and / or FIG. 1b is a LEO satellite having beams move with the satellite, this may be referred to as “Scenario C2.” If each of satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212) in the non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 2a, FIG. 2b, and / or FIG. 2c is a LEO satellite having steerable beams, this may be referred to as “Scenario D1.” In the non-terrestrial network illustrated in FIG. 2a, FIG. 2b, and / or FIG. 2c, if each of satellite #1 (211) and satellite #2 (212) is a LEO satellite having beams that travel with the satellite, this may be referred to as “Scenario D2.”

[0112] Parameters for the NTN reference scenarios defined in [Table 1] can be defined as shown in [Table 2] below.

[0113]

[0114] Additionally, in the NTN reference scenario defined in [Table 1], the delay constraint can be defined as in [Table 3] below.

[0115]

[0116] FIG. 6a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a user plane in a non-terrestrial network based on transparent payload, and FIG. 6b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a control plane in a non-terrestrial network based on transparent payload.

[0117] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, user data may be transmitted and received between a UE and a core network (e.g., UPF), and control data (e.g., control information) may be transmitted and received between a UE and a core network (e.g., AMF). Each of the user data and the control data may be transmitted and received via a satellite and / or a gateway. The protocol stack of the user plane illustrated in FIG. 6A may be applied identically or similarly to a 6G communication network. The protocol stack of the control plane illustrated in FIG. 6B may be applied identically or similarly to a 6G communication network.

[0118] FIG. 7a is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a user plane in a non-terrestrial network based on regenerative payload, and FIG. 7b is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a protocol stack of a control plane in a non-terrestrial network based on regenerative payload.

[0119] Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B , user data and control data (e.g., control information) may be transmitted and received through an interface between a UE and a satellite (e.g., a base station). User data may refer to a user protocol data unit (PDU). The protocol stack of the satellite radio interface (SRI) may be used to transmit and receive user data and / or control data between the satellite and the gateway. User data may be transmitted and received through a GTP (GPRS (general packet radio service) tunneling protocol)-U tunnel between the satellite and the core network.

[0120] Meanwhile, in a non-terrestrial network, a base station may transmit system information (e.g., SIB19) containing satellite assistance information for NTN access. A UE may receive system information (e.g., SIB19) from the base station, verify the satellite assistance information included in the system information, and perform communication (e.g., non-terrestrial communication) based on the satellite assistance information. SIB19 may include the information element(s) defined in [Table 4] below.

[0121]

[0122] NTN-Config defined in [Table 4] may include information element(s) defined in [Table 5] below.

[0123]

[0124] EphemerisInfo defined in [Table 5] may include information element(s) defined in [Table 6] below.

[0125]

[0126] Coverage Enhancement in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) environments has been selected as a Rel-18 Work Item and has been extensively discussed at the Rel-18 NTN RAN#1 meeting. In RAN1#110, coverage-related performance results for various physical channels and services in a baseline NTN environment were reviewed. As a result, it was concluded that the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) for Msg4 HARQ-ACK (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement) needs to be enhanced to meet coverage requirements. The PUCCH transmission operation for Msg4 HARQ-ACK can be configured and performed according to the procedures described below.

[0127] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of a 4-Step RACH (random access channel) procedure.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 8, Msg4 HARQ-ACK may be a signal transmitted by a terminal to a base station to indicate that an uplink 4-Step RACH (Random Access Procedure) has been successfully performed. The situation illustrated in FIG. 8 may be a situation in which a normal RRC connection establishment procedure has not been completed. To transmit Msg4 HARQ-ACK of FIG. 8, a common PUCCH resource may be used instead of a dedicated PUCCH resource dedicated to each terminal.

[0129] Although the Rel-18 RAN1 meeting only performed performance verification on Msg4 HARQ-ACK in 4-Step RACH, the common PUCCH resources used to transmit Msg4 HARQ-ACK can continue to be used until dedicated PUCCH resources are allocated to UEs. Therefore, a method to improve coverage for subsequent transmissions based on common PUCCH resources was agreed upon. A specific technique for improving coverage was the application of repeated transmission. The repeated transmission technique for improving coverage can be as described below.

[0130] FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating one embodiment of a non-repeatedly transmitted uplink control channel and a repetitively transmitted uplink control channel.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 9, when transmitting four PUCCH symbols per slot, examples of normal transmission (without repeated transmission) and examples of two repeated transmissions are illustrated. When repeated transmission is performed as in FIG. 2, the same symbols are repeatedly transmitted temporally using additional slots.

[0132] The procedures for setting up repetitive transmissions to improve NTN coverage, agreed upon at the Rel-18 meeting, may be as described below.

[0133] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a repetitive transmission procedure of an uplink control channel for coverage improvement in an NTN environment.

[0134] Referring to Fig. 10, first, in the SIB (System Information Block), 1) the RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) threshold, which serves as the criterion for repeated transmission, and 2) the repetition factor candidates that can be supported by each base station can be set. Here, the repetition factors that can be supported for NR NTN in Rel-18 have been agreed upon as {1,2,4,8}.

[0135] If repetition factor candidates are set in the SIB, each terminal can transmit a repetition request message via Msg3 depending on whether it supports repetition transmission (capability), whether an RSRP threshold is set in the SIB, and the comparison result between the measured RSRP and the RSRP threshold.

[0136] And, the base station that receives the repetition request related information from the terminal can determine the number of repetitions to be performed by each terminal and transmit repetition factor information regarding the number of repetitions through the DAI (Downlink Assignment Index) field of the DCI (Downlink Control Information). Here, the transmitted repetition factor can be selected from the repetition factor candidates transmitted in the SIB. The terminal can perform repeated transmission starting from the Msg4-HARQ ACK depending on whether it supports it or not based on the DAI field of the DCI.

[0137] On the other hand, if the repetition factor candidates are not set in the SIB, the legacy operation up to Rel-17 is performed, and the operation related to the repeated transmission of the uplink control channel signal may not be performed. In this case, the repetition request may be conveyed as two state information. Here, the first state (State 1) may indicate a repetition request, and the zeroth state (State 0) may indicate a no repetition request (No indication). The repetition request and the capability report may not be distinguished in signaling.

[0138] In this Msg4 HARQ-ACK and common PUCCH resource-based PUCCH repetition transmission procedure, a UE supporting repetition transmission can be defined as not sending any information other than 2-state repetition request information to the base station. However, if only repetition request information is transmitted, the base station cannot utilize information measured or determined by the UE during the repetition factor determination process. This can lead to errors in the repetition factor determination process at the base station, and inaccurate repetition factors can be determined. If the repetition factor is overestimated, PUCCH resources used for repeated transmissions may be wasted. On the other hand, if the repetition factor is underestimated, sufficient detection performance may not be achieved, which may hinder coverage enhancement.

[0139] To address this, the present disclosure can provide a method for determining UE-generated information and transmitting UE-generated information to determine an accurate repetition factor at a base station. By receiving UE-generated information, the base station can determine a repetition factor more accurately by additionally utilizing UE-generated information in addition to information that can be obtained through existing procedures, such as a repetition request status, repetition number candidates set in an SIB, Msg3 PUSCH repetition factor, and reception quality of Msg1 and Msg3 signals.

[0140] To explain the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following notations are first defined. First, the state of a repeat request is defined as follows.

[0141] S1: Indicates the first state (repeat request or report of support) in the two-state information for transmitting a repeat request.

[0142] S0: Indicates state 0 (does not indicate a repeat request and / or performance report) in the 2-state information for transmitting a repeat request.

[0143] Next, according to the present disclosure, terminals are classified as follows depending on whether they support the existing repetitive transmission procedure and the proposed technique for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and common PUCCH resource-based PUCCH transmission.

[0144] Legacy Incapable Terminal: A terminal that does not support the existing repeat transmission-related procedures for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and common PUCCH resource-based PUCCH transmission, and cannot transmit the 2-state information for transmitting a repeat request through Msg3. It always corresponds to S0, and also does not support the transmission of terminal-generated information.

[0145] Legacy Capable Terminal: A terminal may only support Msg4 HARQ-ACK and the typical repeat transmission-related procedures for PUCCH transmission based on common PUCCH resources. A legacy capable terminal may transmit repetition request information for S0 or S1 states via Msg3 at its discretion. However, a legacy capable terminal may not transmit terminal-generated information.

[0146] Capable terminal: A terminal that supports both the usual repetitive transmission related procedures for PUCCH transmission based on Msg4 HARQ-ACK and common PUCCH resource and the transmission of terminal-generated information. A capable terminal can transmit repetition request information and terminal-generated information of S0 or S1 state through Msg3 at its discretion.

[0147] Finally, each symbol is defined as follows:

[0148] N: Indicates the total number of states that can be expressed in the message / field used when transmitting terminal generation information in the proposed technique. In other words, the terminal generation information related to repetition factors transmitted by the terminal to the base station in the proposed technique is N-state information expressed as a total of N states.

[0149] R total : A set of repeat factor candidates that can be assigned for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and common PUCCH resource-based repeated transmissions defined in the standard, Rel-18 standard R total = {1, 2, 4, 8}.

[0150] R SIB (⊂R total ): Represents a set of candidates for the number of repetitions set by the base station through SIB.

[0151] Based on the above definitions, the signaling method for transmitting terminal creation information according to the present disclosure may be as follows.

[0152] FIG. 11 illustrates a signaling procedure of terminal generation information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0153] Referring to FIG. 11, the terminal generation information according to the present disclosure can be utilized for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and common PUCCH resource-based repeated transmission. Accordingly, considering FIGS. 8 and 10 , in the 4-Step RACH process, the supporting terminal can transmit N-state terminal generation information via Msg3, which corresponds to the uplink transmission process prior to performing repeated transmission.

[0154] In addition, when common PUCCH resource-based repeated transmission is operated in a 2-Step RACH process, the supporting terminal can transmit N-state terminal generation information through MsgA corresponding to the uplink transmission process prior to performing repeated transmission.

[0155] In order to distinguish whether to transmit at this time, similar to the repetition request information, among the N states of the terminal generation information, a specific state may be assigned as not indicating the terminal generation information. Alternatively, a separate flag indicating whether to transmit the terminal generation information may be additionally transmitted. Alternatively, both the terminal generation information and a separate flag indicating whether to transmit the terminal generation information may be transmitted.

[0156] In the above case, the base station can distinguish between a legacy non-supporting terminal, a legacy supporting terminal requesting repeated transmission, a legacy supporting terminal not requesting repeated transmission, a supporting terminal requesting repeated transmission, and a supporting terminal not requesting repeated transmission through the status of the repetition request information and terminal generation information.

[0157] That is, the terminal generation information according to the present disclosure can be interpreted as separate performance reporting information distinct from existing repetition request information. The combination of whether a terminal performs repeated transmission and the repeated transmission request status based on the repetition request information and terminal generation information can be distinguished as follows.

[0158]

[0159] To distinguish between combinations of whether a terminal supports repeat transmission and whether a terminal requests repeat transmission, the terminal and base station can exchange information about channel quality as described below.

[0160] FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of exchanging information on whether a terminal supports repeated transmission and requesting repeated transmission according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0161] Referring to FIG. 12, a legacy non-supporting terminal may transmit to the base station a signal including repetition request information for the S0 state and terminal creation information for the unindicated state. Alternatively, a legacy non-supporting terminal may transmit to the base station a signal including repetition request information for the S0 state and not including a flag regarding terminal creation information.

[0162] A legacy-supporting terminal that does not request repeated transmission may transmit to the base station a signal that includes repetition request information in the S0 state and terminal creation information in the unindicated state. Alternatively, a legacy-supporting terminal that does not request repeated transmission may transmit to the base station a signal that includes repetition request information in the S0 state and does not include a flag regarding terminal creation information.

[0163] A legacy-supporting terminal requesting repeated transmission may transmit to the base station a signal including repetition request information in the S1 state and terminal creation information in the unindicated state. Alternatively, a legacy-supporting terminal requesting repeated transmission may transmit to the base station a signal including repetition request information in the S1 state and not including a flag regarding terminal creation information.

[0164] A supporting terminal that does not request repeat transmission may transmit to the base station a signal including terminal-generated information and / or a flag regarding terminal-generated information that is not in a repeat request state S0 and an unindicated state.

[0165] A supporting terminal requesting repeated transmission may transmit to the base station a signal including terminal-generated information and / or a flag regarding terminal-generated information that is not in a repeat request state S1 and an unindicated state.

[0166] That is, even when the repetition request state is S0, the supporting terminal can set the terminal generation information to any state except the unspecified state. That is, the supporting terminal can generate and transmit the terminal generation information according to a preset rule, just like in the case of the repetition request state S1. The base station can use the terminal generation information to distinguish between the legacy supporting terminal and the supporting terminal that have transmitted the same repetition request information in the S0 state. In addition, the base station can obtain some information about the channel quality between the terminals based on the terminal generation information. The terminal generation information exchanged between the terminal and the base station can be as described below.

[0167] FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of exchanging terminal generation information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0168] Referring to FIG. 13, the terminal can exchange terminal-generated information such as power level related information between the base station and the terminal (UE Power Level Related Information), repetition factor related information estimated by the terminal (UE Estimated Repetition Factor Related Information), and RSRP related information measured by the terminal (Measured RSRP Related Information).

[0169] Each terminal-generated information can be used independently. Referring to Case 1 of Figure 13, the terminal can transmit a message to the base station containing one of power level-related information, estimated repetition factor-related information, and measured RSRP-related information. Here, the power level-related information, estimated repetition factor-related information, and measured RSRP-related information can be expressed as N states.

[0170] Alternatively, at least two or more pieces of terminal generation information may be transmitted to the base station simultaneously. Here, when two or more pieces of terminal generation information are used, the total number of states for each piece of terminal generation information may be set differently.

[0171] Referring to Case 2 of FIG. 13, the terminal may transmit a message to the base station containing two pieces of information: power level-related information, estimated repetition factor-related information, and measured RSRP-related information. Here, the power level-related information may be expressed in N1 states. The estimated repetition factor-related information may be expressed in N2 states, and the measured RSRP-related information may be expressed in N3 states.

[0172] Referring to Case 3 of Figure 13, the terminal can transmit a message to the base station that includes information related to power levels, information related to estimated repetition factors, and information related to measured RSRP. Here, the power level information can be expressed in N1 states. The repetition factor information can be expressed in N2 states, and the measured RSRP information can be expressed in N3 states.

[0173] Which terminal-generated information(s) are generated and transmitted, and how to assign bit mapping and status of each terminal-generated information can be predefined by the standard. Alternatively, which terminal-generated information(s) are generated and transmitted, and how to assign bit mapping and status of each terminal-generated information can be instructed from the base station to the terminals through cell-specific signaling such as SIB1 or SIB19. Alternatively, which terminal-generated information(s) are generated and transmitted, and how to assign bit mapping and status of each terminal-generated information can be UE-specifically instructed to individual terminals through Msg2 in 4-Step RACH. In addition, considering signaling overhead, it is preferable that the rules for bit mapping and status assignment of each terminal-generated information be predefined by the standard.

[0174] The method of setting the uplink control channel to be repeatedly transmitted using each terminal generation information may be as described below.

[0175] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal can transmit information regarding the transmission power currently being used for Msg3 PUSCH transmission to a base station. As a result, the base station can determine the transmission power of the terminal, which is difficult to accurately estimate. In addition, the base station can accurately determine the repetition factor for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and PUCCH transmission based on common PUCCH resources. In addition, by accurately estimating the transmission power, the base station can improve the PUCCH detection performance when transmitting Msg4 HARQ-ACK and PUCCH based on common PUCCH resources.

[0176] UE transmission power level-related information can be expressed as N states in one of the following two ways. In this case, if one of the N states is assigned as not indicating a transmission power level, the UE can express and transmit transmission power level information using (N-1) states. Here, the states can be selected in units of a table or step size (e.g., a difference value from a predetermined power level). In addition, the unit of power can be predefined as dBm, watt, milliwatt, etc.

[0177] According to one embodiment, a terminal may transmit transmission power level information by expressing the absolute value of the transmission power used to transmit the current signal in N states. The transmission power level information may be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0178]

[0179] In another embodiment, the terminal may transmit transmission power level information by expressing the difference between the maximum available power defined in the power class and the transmission power used to transmit the current signal as N states. The transmission power level information may be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0180]

[0181] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal can set a repetition factor of an uplink control channel that is determined to be appropriate, taking into account the RSRP and RSRP threshold values ​​measured to date, the number of repeated Msg3 PUSCH transmissions, and transmission power. Furthermore, the terminal can transmit the configured repetition factor information to a base station. As a result, the base station can accurately determine the repetition factor for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and common PUCCH resource-based PUCCH transmissions using the repetition factor information. Furthermore, the base station can determine the channel quality of the terminal in a given situation based on the repetition factor information.

[0182] The information related to the repetition factor estimated by such a terminal can be expressed as N states according to the following method. Here, if one of the N states is assigned as unknown, the terminal can express and transmit the information related to the repetition factor using (N-1) states.

[0183] The terminal can express the judged repetition factor as N-state and transmit it. Here, N is from 1 to max(R), which is the maximum repetition factor supported by the standard. total ) can be set to represent all values ​​up to max(R total ) = 8, and N≥8. If N is from 1 to max(R total ) is insufficient to express all values ​​up to N, the terminal can express the repetition factor only up to the values ​​that can be expressed as N. Information related to the repetition factor can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0184]

[0185] The terminal can transmit the determined repetition factor by expressing it as an N-state. Here, N is a set of repetition factors supported by the standard, starting from 1, R. totalcan be determined to represent all elements of R. For example, according to the Rel-18 standard, R total = {1, 2, 4, 8}, so N≥4. If N is R total If it is not enough to express all elements of , the terminal can express the repetition factor only up to the value that can be expressed as N. Here, the allocation criterion can be based on the priority in the specification or a smaller or larger value depending on the repetition request status. Information related to the repetition factor can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0186]

[0187] The terminal can transmit the determined repetition factor by expressing it as an N-state. Here, N is the set of repetition factors R supported by the current base station. SIB It can be determined so that all elements of R can be expressed. However, R SIB If the number of elements in is 0, i.e., if no repeat factor candidates are set in the SIB, the terminal can always express the repeat factor in an unknown state. Here, if the unknown state does not exist separately, the terminal may not be able to express the repeat factor. Information related to the repeat factor can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0188]

[0189] The terminal is limited to the maximum max (R) defined by the standard. total ) can be divided into N states according to predefined rules or given value units. And the terminal can express and transmit the section corresponding to the judged repetition factor as N-state. That is, the terminal can express and transmit the repetition factor by selecting the state on the table corresponding to the currently judged repetition factor using the table defined through pre-standardization. In addition, the reference value on the table is R total or R SIBIt can be one of the following. Information related to the repeating argument can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0190]

[0191] The terminal can express the relative value of the repetition factor of the uplink control channel to the repetition factor when repeatedly transmitting Msg3 PUSCH and transmit it as N states. Here, the terminal can transmit information about the rank of each repetition factor candidate of the uplink control channel close to the Msg3 PUSCH repetition factor. Here, a high state can be assigned to a repetition factor candidate of the uplink control channel close to the Msg3 PUSCH repetition factor. Here, the rank of the repetition factor candidates of the uplink control channel can be determined using a method similar to the cyclic shift method. For example, if the Msg3 PUSCH repetition factor is 4 and the repetition factor candidates of the uplink control channel {1,2,4,8} are assigned to the states, the rank can be determined based on 4, 8, 1, 2, or based on 4, 2, 1, 8. In addition, the elements that can be expressed as states by being determined by rank are R total or R SIB Elements in one of the sets are used. These relative ranks can be determined in a similar way to the cyclic shift method based on the nearest value criteria described above. Alternatively, the relative ranks are R total or R SIB The order set in can also be used. In the above embodiment, the terminal can express and transmit the repetition factor of the uplink control channel as a direct difference value instead of the relative rank difference method. Alternatively, the terminal can express and transmit the repetition factor of the uplink control channel as a value obtained by applying log2 to the direct difference value. Information related to the repetition factor can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0192]

[0193] Alternatively, the terminal may transmit the repetition factor of the uplink control channel by distinguishing it as a value greater than or equal to (non-smaller value) or less than or equal to (smaller value) compared to Msg3 PUSCH, or as a value greater than or equal to (larger value) or less than or equal to (non-larger value).

[0194] According to another embodiment, the terminal may set the maximum R based on the repetition factor of Msg3 PUSCH. total The interval can be divided into N states according to predefined rules or given value units. In addition, the terminal can express and transmit the interval corresponding to the determined repetition factor as N-state. In other words, the terminal can express and transmit the repetition factor by selecting the state on the table corresponding to the currently determined repetition factor using the table defined through pre-standardization. Information related to the repetition factor can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0195]

[0196] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal can transmit information related to the currently measured RSRP to a base station. As a result, the base station can utilize this information to accurately determine the repetition factor for Msg4 HARQ-ACK and PUCCH transmissions based on common PUCCH resources. Furthermore, based on this information, the base station can utilize channel reciprocity to improve detection performance during Msg4 HARQ-ACK and PUCCH transmissions based on common PUCCH resources at the base station.

[0197] Measured RSRP-related information can be expressed and transmitted in the following manner. In this case, if one of the N states is assigned as not indicating the measured RSRP, the terminal can express and transmit the measured RSRP information using (N-1) states. In this case, the states can be expressed on a table or unit basis.

[0198] In one embodiment, the terminal can express and transmit measured RSRP-related information in N states. Here, the terminal can express and transmit RSRP-related information by selecting a state corresponding to the measured RSRP among the N states. RSRP-related information can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0199]

[0200] According to one embodiment, the terminal can express and transmit the difference between the RSRP threshold value and the measured RSRP value as N states. Here, the terminal can express and transmit RSRP-related information by selecting a state corresponding to the difference between the RSRP threshold value and the measured RSRP value among the N states. RSRP-related information can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0201]

[0202] In one embodiment, when the RSRP threshold is set by the SIB, the terminal can express the measured RSRP-related information as N states or express the difference between the RSRP threshold and the measured RSRP value as N states and transmit it. On the other hand, when the RSRP threshold is not set by the SIB, the terminal can express the measured RSRP-related information as N states and transmit it. The RSRP-related information can be expressed as shown in the table below.

[0203]

[0204] FIG. 14 illustrates an example of a procedure for setting a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel based on terminal generation information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0205] At step S1410, the terminal can receive SIB (system information block) configuration information from the base station.

[0206] At step S1420, the terminal can transmit a message including communication status information to the base station.

[0207] At step S1430, the terminal can receive information related to a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined based on current communication status information from the base station.

[0208] At step S1440, the terminal can transmit an uplink control channel signal based on information related to repeated transmission of the uplink control channel.

[0209] Here, the communication status information may include at least one of information on power used to transmit an uplink shared channel, information on a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and RSRP information measured by the terminal.

[0210] Here, information on the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel may be information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

[0211] Here, information on the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel may be information indicating a section corresponding to the difference between the maximum available power of the terminal and the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

[0212] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be information indicating the absolute value of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0213] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal may be information indicating the interval of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0214] Here, the repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal can be determined based on the difference between the number of repetition transmissions of the uplink shared channel of the terminal and the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

[0215] Here, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0216] Here, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be information indicating a section corresponding to a difference value between the RSRP threshold value set by the SIB configuration information and the RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0217] Here, if the threshold value of RSRP is not set by the SIB configuration information, the RSRP information measured by the terminal may be information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of RSRP measured by the terminal.

[0218] Meanwhile, the base station can perform operations corresponding to the steps described in FIG. 14.

[0219] The operations of the method according to the present disclosure can be implemented as a computer-readable program or code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes any type of recording device that stores information readable by a computer system. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium can be distributed across network-connected computer systems, allowing the computer-readable program or code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0220] Additionally, the computer-readable recording medium may include hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The program instructions may include not only machine language codes produced by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0221] While some aspects of the present disclosure have been described in the context of a device, they may also represent a description of a corresponding method, wherein a block or device corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method may also be described as a corresponding block or item or a feature of a corresponding device. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware device, such as, for example, a microprocessor, a programmable computer, or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, at least one or more of the most significant method steps may be performed by such a device.

[0222] A programmable logic device (e.g., a field-programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described in the present disclosure. The field-programmable gate array may operate in conjunction with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described in the present disclosure. In general, the methods are preferably performed by some hardware device.

[0223] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims below.

[0224] The present invention can be used in a device and a transmitter / receiver for transmitting and receiving signals.

Claims

1. In a method of operating a terminal in a wireless communication system, A step of receiving SIB (system information block) setting information from a base station; A step of transmitting a message including communication status information to the base station; A step of receiving information related to a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information from the base station; and A step of transmitting an uplink control channel signal based on information related to repeated transmission of the above uplink control channel is included, The above communication status information is: A method comprising at least one of information on power used for transmitting an uplink shared channel, information on a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and information on RSRP measured by the terminal.

2. In claim 1, Information on the power used to transmit the above uplink shared channel is: A method characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to the absolute value of power used to transmit the above uplink shared channel.

3. In claim 1, Information on the power used to transmit the above uplink shared channel is: A method characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to a difference value between the maximum available power of a terminal and the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

4. In claim 1, The repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the above terminal is: A method, characterized in that the information indicates the absolute value of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

5. In claim 1, The repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the above terminal is: A method, characterized in that the information indicates an interval of a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

6. In claim 1, The repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the above terminal is: A method characterized in that it is determined based on the difference between the number of repetition transmissions of the uplink shared channel of the terminal and the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

7. In claim 1, The RSRP information measured by the above terminal is: A method, characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to the absolute value of RSRP measured by the terminal.

8. In claim 1, The RSRP information measured by the above terminal is: A method characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to a difference value between the RSRP threshold value set by the above SIB setting information and the RSRP measured by the terminal.

9. In claim 8, If the threshold value of the RSRP is not set by the above SIB setting information, A method, characterized in that the RSRP information measured by the terminal is information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the RSRP measured by the terminal.

10. In a method of operating a base station in a wireless communication system, A step of transmitting SIB (system information block) configuration information to a terminal; A step of receiving a message including communication status information from the terminal; A step of transmitting information related to a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information to the terminal; and A step of receiving an uplink control channel signal based on information related to repeated transmission of the above uplink control channel is included, The above communication status information is: A method comprising at least one of information on power used for transmitting an uplink shared channel, information on a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and RSRP information measured by the terminal.

11. In claim 10, Information on the power used to transmit the above uplink shared channel is: A method characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to the absolute value of power used to transmit the above uplink shared channel.

12. In claim 10, Information on the power used to transmit the above uplink shared channel is: A method characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to a difference value between the maximum available power of a terminal and the power used to transmit the uplink shared channel.

13. In claim 10, The repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the above terminal is: A method, characterized in that the information indicates the absolute value of the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

14. In claim 10, The repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the above terminal is: A method, characterized in that the information indicates an interval of a repetition transmission factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

15. In claim 10, The repetition transmission factor information of the uplink control channel determined by the above terminal is: A method characterized in that it is determined based on the difference between the number of repetition transmissions of the uplink shared channel of the terminal and the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined by the terminal.

16. In claim 10, The RSRP information measured by the above terminal is: A method, characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to the absolute value of RSRP measured by the terminal.

17. In claim 10, The RSRP information measured by the above terminal is: A method characterized in that the information indicates a section corresponding to a difference value between the RSRP threshold value set by the above SIB setting information and the RSRP measured by the terminal.

18. In claim 17, If the threshold value of the RSRP is not set by the above SIB setting information, A method, characterized in that the RSRP information measured by the terminal is information indicating a section corresponding to the absolute value of the RSRP measured by the terminal.

19. In a wireless communication system, at a terminal, At least one transmitter; At least one receiver; at least one processor; and At least one memory operably connected to said at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause said at least one processor to perform a specific operation; The above specific actions are: Receive SIB (system information block) configuration information from the base station; Transmitting a message including communication status information to the base station; Receive information related to the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information from the base station; and Transmitting an uplink control channel signal based on information related to repeated transmission of the above uplink control channel, The above communication status information is: A terminal characterized by including at least one of information on power used for transmitting an uplink shared channel, information on a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and information on RSRP measured by the terminal.

20. In a base station operating in a wireless communication system, At least one transmitter; At least one receiver; at least one processor; and At least one memory operably connected to said at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause said at least one processor to perform a specific operation; The above specific actions are: Transmits SIB (system information block) configuration information to the terminal; Receive a message including communication status information from the terminal; Transmitting information related to the repetition transmission factor of the uplink control channel determined based on the current communication status information to the terminal; and Receive an uplink control channel signal based on information related to repeated transmission of the above uplink control channel, The above communication status information is: A base station, characterized in that it includes at least one of information on power used for transmitting an uplink shared channel, information on a repetition factor of an uplink control channel determined by the terminal, and information on RSRP measured by the terminal.

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