Relay device and communication method

Abstract

This relay device comprises: an antenna unit that forms a first beam and a second beam having a greater beam width than the first beam; and a control unit that controls the formation of the first beam or the second beam by the antenna unit.

Description

Relay device and communication method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a relay device and a communication method.

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has developed specifications for the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G, also known as New Radio (NR) or Next Generation (NG)), and is also developing specifications for the next generation, known as Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G.

[0003] In NR, in addition to user terminals (which may be referred to as UE (User Equipment) or simply as terminals) and radio base stations (which may be simply referred to as base stations), the introduction of radio devices such as RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface) is being considered to achieve higher data rates and wider coverage (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] International Publication No. 2022 / 151016

[0005] However, there is room for further study on how to appropriately extend coverage using the wireless devices that are being considered for introduction.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a relay device and a communication method that can appropriately extend coverage using a wireless device whose introduction is being considered.

[0007] A relay device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an antenna unit that forms a first beam and a second beam having a beam width wider than the first beam, and a control unit that controls the formation of the first beam or the second beam in the antenna unit.

[0008] 9A is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating an example of a distant user in a high frequency band. FIG. 9C is a diagram illustrating an example of a non-line-of-sight user in a high frequency band. FIG. 9D is a diagram illustrating an example of communication using an NCR configuration. FIG. 9E is a diagram illustrating an example of communication using a RIS. FIG. 9F is a diagram illustrating an example of a system architecture including a RIS. FIG. 9G is a diagram illustrating an example of the near field (NF) and far field (FF) of a RIS. FIG. 9H is a diagram illustrating an example of DFT-based beamforming (BF). FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating an example of beam focusing with an optimal phase. FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating an example of beam focusing with a near field (NF) steering vector. FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating an example of SSB transmission using a RIS. FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating an example of NCR / RIS multi-hop. FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating an example of SSB transmission in a system including an NCR / RIS. FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating an example of resource allocation corresponding to the SSB transmission shown in FIG. 9A. FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating a comparative example of each option of Proposal 2. FIG. 9I is a block diagram illustrating an example of a base station configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9I is a block diagram illustrating an example of a terminal configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9I is a block diagram illustrating an example of a wireless device configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a base station, a terminal, and a wireless device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9I is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle configuration.

[0009] An embodiment according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an example, and the embodiment to which the present disclosure is applied is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0010] In operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, existing technology is used as appropriate, for example, existing LTE or existing NR, but is not limited to existing LTE or NR.

[0011] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present disclosure described below, terms used in existing LTE or NR, such as SS (Synchronization signal), PSS (Primary SS), SSS (Secondary SS), PBCH (Physical broadcast channel), PRACH (Physical random access channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), are used. This is for convenience of description, and similar signals, functions, etc. may be referred to by other names. Furthermore, the above-mentioned terms in NR correspond to NR-SS, NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, NR-PRACH, etc. However, even signals used in NR are not necessarily referred to as "NR-".

[0012] In addition, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, transmission of a signal included in a PDSCH (for example, a downlink data signal) may be referred to as transmission of a PDSCH. Channels other than a PDSCH may also be similarly referred to.

[0013] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the duplex method may be a time division duplex (TDD) method, a frequency division duplex (FDD) method, or another method (for example, flexible duplex, etc.).

[0014] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, "configuring" radio parameters and the like may mean that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that radio parameters notified from a base station or a terminal are set.

[0015] <Wireless Communication System> Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 10 is a wireless communication system conforming to 5G NR or 6G NR, and includes a Next Generation-Radio Access Network 20 (hereinafter, NG-RAN 20) and a terminal 200 (hereinafter, also referred to as UE (User Equipment) 200).

[0016] The wireless communication system 10 may be a wireless communication system conforming to a system called Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G.

[0017] The NG-RAN 20 includes a base station 100 (hereinafter also referred to as a gNB 100). Note that the number of gNBs and UEs is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1 .

[0018] The NG-RAN 20 actually includes multiple NG-RAN nodes, specifically, gNBs (or ng-eNBs), and is connected to a core network conforming to 5G or 6G. The NG-RAN 20 and the core network may be simply referred to as a "network." In the following description, the term "gNB" may be replaced with "network (NW)."

[0019] As an example, gNB100 is a base station conforming to 5G or 6G and performs wireless communication conforming to 5G or 6G with UE200.

[0020] 1 also shows a radio device 300 that transfers signals between the gNB 100 and the UE 200. Hereinafter, the radio device 300 may be referred to as a RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface).

[0021] For example, the radio device 300 performs a forwarding operation of forwarding a signal transmitted from the gNB 100 to the UE 200. The radio device 300 may also perform a forwarding operation of forwarding a signal transmitted from the UE 200 to the gNB 100. Note that "forward" may be replaced with "relay." Furthermore, "operation" may be replaced with "processing," "control," or the like. Furthermore, a RIS, which is an example of the radio device 300 under consideration in NR, will be described below.

[0022] The gNB 100 and the UE 200 may support MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), which generates more directional beams by controlling radio signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements, carrier aggregation (CA), which bundles and uses multiple component carriers (CC), and dual connectivity (DC), which communicates between the UE and each of two NG-RAN nodes.

[0023] The wireless communication system 10 may also support multiple frequency ranges (FR). The wireless communication system 10 may support FR1 and FR2. The frequency bands of each FR are, for example, as follows: FR1: 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz FR2: 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz

[0024] FR1 may use a sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, or 60 kHz, and a bandwidth (BW) of 5 to 100 MHz. FR2 is a higher frequency than FR1, and may use an SCS of 60 kHz or 120 kHz (including 240 kHz), and a bandwidth (BW) of 50 to 400 MHz.

[0025] Note that SCS may be interpreted as numerology, which is defined in 3GPP TS 38.300 and corresponds to one subcarrier spacing in the frequency domain.

[0026] Furthermore, the wireless communication system 10 may support a frequency band higher than the FR2 frequency band. Specifically, the wireless communication system 10 may support a frequency band exceeding 52.6 GHz up to 114.25 GHz. For convenience, such a high frequency band may be referred to as "FR2x." When using a frequency band exceeding 52.6 GHz, CP-OFDM (Cyclic Prefix-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) / DFT-S-OFDM (Discrete Fourier Transform-Spread-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) with a larger SCS may be applied.

[0027] The time direction (t) may be called a time domain, a symbol period, a symbol time, etc. The frequency direction may be called a frequency domain, a resource block, a subcarrier, a bandwidth part (BWP), etc.

[0028] The gNB 100 transmits control information, configuration information, etc. of the gNB 100 to the UE 200 as a downlink (DL) signal.

[0029] Furthermore, for example, gNB100 receives control information, data signals, information regarding the processing capabilities of UE200 (terminal capabilities (information); for example, UE capability), etc. from UE200 as uplink (UL) signals.

[0030] Radio device 300 performs a forwarding operation to forward a DL signal to UE 200. Radio device 300 also performs a forwarding operation to forward a UL signal to gNB 100. Note that, hereinafter, the UL signal that gNB 100 receives from UE 200 and / or the DL signal that UE 200 receives from gNB 100 may be a signal forwarded by radio device 300.

[0031] The UE 200 is a communication device equipped with a wireless communication function, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable terminal, or an M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communication module.

[0032] The UE 200 receives a control signal or a data signal from the gNB 100 via DL and transmits a control signal or a data signal to the gNB 100 via UL, thereby utilizing various communication services provided by the wireless communication system 10. The UE 200 also receives various reference signals transmitted from the gNB 100 and performs measurement of propagation path quality based on the reception results of the reference signals.

[0033] Channels used for transmitting DL signals include, for example, data channels and control channels. For example, the data channel may include a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the control channel may include a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). For example, the gNB 100 transmits control information to the UE 200 using the PDCCH, and transmits DL data signals using the PDSCH. Note that the PDSCH is an example of a downlink shared channel, and the PDCCH is an example of a downlink control channel. Note that the PDCCH may be interpreted as downlink control information (DCI), control information, etc. transmitted in the PDCCH.

[0034] The reference signal included in the DL signal may include, for example, at least one of a DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal), a PTRS (Phase Tracking Reference Signal), a CSI-RS (Channel State Information - Reference Signal), an SRS (Sounding Reference Signal), and a PRS (Positioning Reference Signal) for position information. For example, reference signals such as the DMRS and PTRS are used to demodulate DL data signals and are transmitted using the PDSCH.

[0035] Channels used for transmitting UL signals include, for example, data channels and control channels. For example, the data channel may include a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), and the control channel may include a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). For example, the UE 200 transmits control information using the PUCCH and transmits UL data signals using the PUSCH. Note that the PUSCH is an example of an uplink shared channel, and the PUCCH is an example of an uplink control channel. The shared channel may also be called a data channel. Note that the PUSCH or the PUCCH may be interpreted as uplink control information (UCI), control information, etc. transmitted in the PUSCH or the PUCCH.

[0036] The reference signals included in the UL signal may include, for example, at least one of DMRS, PTRS, CSI-RS, SRS, RS, and PRS for location information. For example, the reference signals such as DMRS and PTRS are used to demodulate the UL data signal and are transmitted using the PUSCH.

[0037] <Utilization of Sub-Terahertz Waves> Future wireless communication systems (e.g., 6G and beyond) have introduced stringent requirements regarding capacity, coverage, power consumption, and other aspects. Utilizing the sub-terahertz (e.g., 100 GHz to 300 GHz) spectrum, which is a higher frequency band than existing systems (e.g., NR Rel. 15 / 16 / 17), is being considered to achieve a data rate of 100 Gbps while maintaining sufficient coverage.

[0038] Among these, the design of a line of sight (LOS)-MIMO (Multi-Input Multi-Output) transmission method suitable for access links is being considered, with the goal of 100 GHz, 100 Gbps, and 100 m (coverage).

[0039] 2A is a diagram showing an example of a distant user in a high frequency band, in which orthonormal transmission is not possible for the distant user due to the size limitations of the mega-MIMO base station (BS).

[0040] 2B illustrates an example of a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) user in the high frequency band, where blockages (e.g., buildings) prevent efficient LOS-MIMO transmission to the non-line-of-sight user.

[0041] Existing NR MIMO (NR MIMO) does not support LOS-MIMO. Existing NR requires a very large bandwidth to achieve a data rate of 100 Gbps, which is difficult to secure.

[0042] NR MIMO is designed for antenna far-field applications, supporting only rank-1 transmission per polarization direction in LOS channels. Using dual polarization enables rank-2 multiplexing, but ranks higher than this are not available. Achieving 100 Gbps requires a bandwidth of several tens of GHz, which is difficult to achieve in practical systems and places high demands on RF components.

[0043] The LOS-MIMO schemes already considered require fixed transmitting and receiving positions, making them unsuitable for access links or requiring too large array sizes.

[0044] For this reason, the introduction of fixed widely spaced antenna arrays, Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM)-MIMO, and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS)-aided Mega MIMO are being considered.

[0045] In addition to the above-mentioned example of sub-terahertz waves, RIS has attracted much attention as a new device for network deployment due to its flexible and cost-effective approach. RIS enables the achievement of very high data rates and wide-area coverage extension, and is being considered as a promising technology within the topology of 6G wireless networks. For example, Release 19 (Rel. 19) is currently considering RIS.

[0046] <Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS)> A RIS relays communications between a BS and a UE by controlling the reflection angle in at least one of a backhaul link to an access link and a backhaul link. The RIS is an example of a wireless device for implementing a flexible and cost-effective approach to network deployment compared to new types of network (NW) nodes such as an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), an RF repeater, and an NCR (Network-controlled Repeater).

[0047] The RIS may be composed of a number of reconfigurable scattering components, hereinafter sometimes referred to as elements or antenna elements.

[0048] The RIS may control the direction of the reflected signal or the direction of the transmitted (refracted) signal.

[0049] In the present disclosure, reflection, transmission, and refraction may be interpreted as interchangeable terms. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, reflection, transmission, and refraction of a signal at a RIS may be understood as the RIS receiving a signal transmitted from a specific direction and transmitting (or receiving) a signal in the same direction as the specific direction or in a direction different from the specific direction. In this case, the signal transmitted by the RIS may be the same signal as the signal received by the RIS, or may be a signal received by the RIS that has been subjected to specific processing. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, forwarding processing at a RIS may be understood as processing in which at least one of reflection, transmission, and refraction occurs at the RIS.

[0050] While the NCR amplifies the signals it relays, the RIS may not require an RF amplifier, which can reduce power consumption.

[0051] While the RIS can obtain beam gain with narrowband beams, an increase in the number of RIS beams (beams reflected / refracted by the RIS) is required.

[0052] The RIS may reflect / refract signals other than the target frequency.

[0053] The RIS may be made of a material such as a liquid crystal, a metal, a semiconductor, etc. For example, a RIS using a liquid crystal has a slower beam sweep speed than a semiconductor, and is therefore considered unsuitable for current beam sweep operations.

[0054] Due to its thin and flexible shape, the RIS may be installed on an object such as a building.

[0055] 3A is a diagram showing an example of communication using the NCR configuration. The NCR may include an NCR-mobile termination (MT) and an NCR-forwarding (Fwd). The NCR-MT communicates with the BS (gNB) via a control link.

[0056] The communication between the NCR-MT and the BS may include at least one of receiving configuration / instruction / control information from the BS and sending requests / reports / responses to the BS. The NCR-Fwd relays communications between the BS and the UE by relaying / amplifying signals from the backhaul link to the access link and from the access link to the backhaul link.

[0057] 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of communication using a RIS, in which the RIS relays communication between a BS and a UE by controlling a reflection angle in at least one of a reflection from a backhaul link to an access link and a reflection from the access link to the backhaul link.

[0058] <System Architecture Including RIS> Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a system architecture including a RIS. Below, a system architecture including a RIS will be described with reference to Fig. 4, but this is merely an example.

[0059] A system architecture including a RIS may include multiple (eg, two) design phases.

[0060] For example, a system architecture including a RIS may include an aperture pre-adaptation phase.

[0061] In the aperture pre-adaptation phase, UE positioning may be performed first. In the UE positioning, the UE may report information about its position / attitude to the network (NW). In addition, in the UE positioning, the NW (base station) may estimate information about the UE's position / attitude based on a signal (e.g., UL RS) transmitted from the UE.

[0062] Note that UE positioning in the aperture pre-adaptation phase may be omitted.

[0063] Then, in an aperture pre-adaptation phase, pre-adaptation of the apertures (eg, antenna elements) of the RIS may be performed.

[0064] In this disclosure, aperture adaptation may mean determining / determining / selecting which antenna elements / arrays to use.

[0065] Then, in an aperture pre-adaptation phase, pre-adaptation of the aperture (eg, antenna elements) of the BS may be performed.

[0066] A system architecture including a RIS may also include a beamforming phase.

[0067] The beamforming phase may, for example, follow an aperture pre-adaptation phase.

[0068] In the beamforming phase, beamforming may be performed first at the BS.

[0069] Then, in the beamforming phase, beamforming in the RIS may be performed.

[0070] Reception may then occur in the beamforming phase by the UE, which may use a CSI reception (CSIR) based MIMO receiver.

[0071] Note that reception by the UE in the beamforming phase may be omitted.

[0072] <Far field and near field beamforming method> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the near field (NF) and far field (FF) of a RIS. Fig. 5 illustrates an RIS array, and examples of radio wave propagation in the near field and far field relative to the RIS array. Note that the RIS array may be considered as an example of a surface in the RIS that transmits signals or a surface that emits radio waves. Furthermore, the near field may be replaced with a short distance. Furthermore, the far field may be replaced with a long distance.

[0073] A large aperture in a RIS exhibits certain characteristics that enhance the range of the near field. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the near field boundary (e.g., the boundary between the near field and the far field) is proportional to the square of D, where D represents the size associated with the RIS aperture. Therefore, a large aperture in a RIS enhances the range of the near field. Furthermore, the near field boundary is inversely proportional to the wavelength λ, so the shorter the wavelength, i.e., the higher the frequency, the greater the range of the near field. Within this near field region, the phase delays for the various elements of the RIS become distinguishable. As a result, the assumption of a plane wavefront is no longer valid; spherical wavefronts must be considered. As shown in FIG. 5 , within the far field region, the radio waves emitted from each element of the RIS are assumed to be plane waves, whereas within the near field region, the wavefronts of the radio waves emanating from each element are spherical.

[0074] Several methods are being investigated as existing far-field (FF) and near-field (NF) beamforming methods.

[0075] For example, the beamforming method may be DFT-based beamforming (BF), beamfocusing with optimum phase, and beamfocusing with near-field (NF) steering vector.

[0076] The DFT-based BF may be used primarily for transmitting signals to terminals at long distances, and may use a precoder (matrix) based on an angle-dependent linear phase.

[0077] Figure 6A shows an example of DFT-based beamforming (BF) for a uniform, linear array, where x is the distance from the array center to element n in the array and the angle of the beam with respect to the axis normal to the array.

[0078] Beam focusing with optimal phase may be used primarily for transmitting signals to terminals at short distances, and may use a precoder (matrix) based on a position (distance)-dependent non-linear phase.

[0079] Figure 6B shows an example of beam focusing with optimal phase, showing an example of a uniform linear array, where DF is the focal length and x' is the distance from the axis normal to the array to the focal point.

[0080] Beam focusing with short-range steering vectors may be used primarily for transmitting signals to short-range terminals. Beam focusing with short-range steering vectors may use a precoder (matrix) based on angle- and position (distance)-dependent quadratic phase.

[0081] Figure 6C shows an example of beam focusing with near-field (NF) steering vectors, showing an example of a uniform linear array, where D is the distance from the center of the array to the focal point, and ω is the angle from the axis normal to the array to the line connecting the array center and the focal point.

[0082] Conventional codebooks for far-field beamforming, such as DFT codebooks, cannot be directly applied to near-field beamforming due to a mismatch with the near-field channel. If DFT codebooks were applied to near-field beamforming, it could cause severe SNR loss. On the other hand, focused beamforming, such as ring-type codebooks (RTC), a near-field version of coherent beamformers, does not have the near-field limitation.

[0083] For example, RIS is employed for data channel transmission, and the RTC described above generates a UE-specific focused beam, enabling high-speed transmission.

[0084] On the other hand, the adoption of RIS for the transmission of control channels (for example, SSBs (Synchronization Signal Blocks) and the like) is being considered. The SSBs include SSs (Synchronization Signals) and PBCHs (Physical Broadcast Channels). The SSs may include PSSs (Primary Synchronization Signals) and SSSs (Secondary Synchronization Signals). The SSBs may also include DMRSs for PBCHs (hereinafter sometimes referred to as PBCH DMRSs).

[0085] Furthermore, identification information (hereinafter referred to as an SSB index) for identifying the SSB is assigned to the SSB. For example, SSB#i or SSBi (i is an integer equal to or greater than 0) corresponds to the SSB assigned index i. SSBs with different indices may be transmitted using different beams. Furthermore, different PRACH transmission resources are associated with the SSBs. When a terminal receives an SSB, it transmits the PRACH using the PRACH transmission resource associated with the received SSB.

[0086] For example, in NR, it is being considered that 64 indexes from 0 to 63 will be used as SSB indexes. Hereinafter, the SSBs with the 64 indexes from 0 to 63 being considered in NR may be referred to as "existing SSBs."

[0087] 7 is a diagram showing an example of SSB forwarding using RIS. In FIG. 7, RIS forwards SSBs #2 to #4 of SSBs #0 to #4 transmitted by the gNB.

[0088] When the RIS transmits a control channel (for example, SSB, etc.), it is considered to transmit the control channel by expanding the beam.

[0089] <Considerations in this embodiment> In recent years, Beyond 5G / 6G has been studied both domestically and internationally. Higher performance requirements are expected for 6G. In addition, the following various use cases are expected for 6G: - Ultra-extended coverage / ultra-long distance communication - Ultra-large capacity - Ultra-reliable communication - Virtual cell (user centric no cell) - Flexible NW - Mesh NW / Side link It is desirable to design 6G taking these use cases into consideration.

[0090] Toward 6G, the use of high frequency bands and the expansion of coverage are expected. One of the means to achieve this is the use of network controlled repeaters (NCRs) and / or the use of reconfigurable intelligence surfaces (RISs) in base station planning.

[0091] In the following, NCR and / or RIS may be referred to as NCR / RIS. NCR / RIS may be NCR, RIS, RIS having NCR functions, or NCR having RIS functions. NCR / RIS may also be UE having NCR and / or RIS functions. In addition, when there are multiple NCR / RIS, the multiple NCR / RIS may be a mixture of NCR and RIS.

[0092] In the following, in the NCR / RIS, a configuration having the same function as the above-mentioned NCR-MT, for example, a function of performing at least one of receiving configuration / instruction / control information from a base station and transmitting a request / report / response to a base station, may be referred to as NCR / RIS-MT. In the following, in the NCR / RIS, a configuration having the same function as the above-mentioned NCR-Fwd, for example, a function of relaying communications between a base station and a UE by relaying / amplifying from a backhaul link to an access link and from an access link to a backhaul link, may be referred to as NCR / RIS-Fwd. In the following description, "NCR / RIS" may be replaced with "NCR / RIS-MT" or "NCR / RIS-Fwd."

[0093] One possible means of expanding coverage is to apply multi-hop, in which multiple NCR / RISs are placed between the base station and the UE, and signals are sent and received between the base station and the UE using a route that passes through the NCR / RISs.

[0094] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of NCR / RIS multi-hop. FIG. 8 illustrates a route between a transmission reception point (TRP) and a UE that passes through one or more NCR / RISs. Note that the TRP may be an example of a base station. Although not illustrated in FIG. 8, a central unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU) may be connected to the TRP. In the example of FIG. 8, a route that passes through NCR / RIS#1 and NCR / RIS#3 and a route that passes through NCR / RIS#1 and NCR / RIS#4 are illustrated.

[0095] Here, in the route that passes through NCR / RIS#1 and NCR / RIS#3, NCR / RIS#1 is the NCR / RIS at the first hop, and NCR / RIS#3 is the NCR / RIS at the second hop. In other words, in this route, the number of hops for NCR / RIS#1 is 1, and the number of hops for NCR / RIS#3 is 2. Note that the fact that the number of hops for NCR / RIS#1 is 1 may correspond to NCR / RIS#1 being located at hop number 1.

[0096] As in the example of FIG. 8, it is assumed that multiple NCR / RISs will be installed within a cell in order to extend coverage.

[0097] On the other hand, due to the characteristics of the operation of the NCR / RIS, it has been considered to allocate resources for cell-specific signals (cell-specific signals) to each NCR / RIS, but there is a concern that the resources for the cell-specific signals may be insufficient. The cell-specific signals are, for example, SSB and / or RACH.

[0098] FIG. 9A is a diagram showing an example of SSB transmission in a system including an NCR / RIS. FIG. 9A shows an example of an SSB transmitted by a base station (e.g., TRP) and an SSB arriving at a UE via NCR / RIS#1. In FIG. 9A, SSBs 0-4 are assigned for sweeping from the base station (e.g., TRP) to the terminal, and SSBs 5 and beyond (SSBs 5-8 in FIG. 9A) are assigned to NCR / RIS#1. The base station transmits SSBs 0-4 using narrow beams. NCR / RIS#1 transmits SSBs 5-8 using narrow beams. For example, SSB 0 corresponds to the SSB with index #0.

[0099] Figure 9B shows an example of resource allocation corresponding to the SSB transmission shown in Figure 9A. As shown in Figure 9B, SSBs 5-8 are assigned to NCR / RIS#1, so the base station cannot use SSBs 5-8 to sweep for its subordinate terminals.

[0100] For example, as shown in Figure 8, if multiple NCR / RISs are installed in a cell to expand coverage, the SSB resources allocated to the NCR / RISs increase, resulting in a shortage of SSB resources. As a result, the RACH resources associated with the SSBs (e.g., resources for PRACH transmission) also become insufficient.

[0101] For example, if the number of NCR / RIS is reduced to avoid resource shortages, the coverage area will decrease, making it impossible to properly extend coverage. Also, if the amount of SSB resources allocated to NCR / RIS is reduced to avoid resource shortages, the number of SSBs transmitted will decrease, which will increase the time required to sweep for terminals within the cell and increase the likelihood that terminals will be unable to connect, making it impossible to properly extend coverage.

[0102] Furthermore, although the above description has been made regarding the resource shortage for cell-specific signals, when an NCR / RIS is installed within a cell for coverage extension of signals other than cell-specific signals (e.g., broadcast signals), the increase in resources used by the NCR / RIS (e.g., time resources and frequency resources) will result in a resource shortage, and coverage extension will not be possible appropriately.

[0103] Therefore, in this embodiment, a method will be described that can appropriately extend coverage by avoiding resource shortages in signal transmission including cell-specific signals in NCR / RIS station placement design.

[0104] <Proposal 1> In Proposal 1, the NCR / RIS has a configuration capable of forming multiple types of beams. For example, the transmission beam of the NCR / RIS includes multiple types of beams according to differences in beam power. In this case, the transmission beam of the NCR / RIS is classified into multiple types according to differences in beam power. Here, the difference in beam power may be, for example, a difference in the range covered by the beam, a difference in the output power (e.g., gain) of the beam, or a difference between the coverage range and the output power.

[0105] The NCR / RIS relays (or forwards) signals transmitted from other wireless communication devices (e.g., base stations) and arriving at the NCR / RIS. Therefore, the term "transmit" in the NCR / RIS may be replaced with "relay" or "forward." For example, the transmission beam of the NCR / RIS may be replaced with the relay beam or forwarding beam of the NCR / RIS.

[0106] Illustratively, the transmission beams of the NCR / RIS are classified into wide beams and narrow beams. Wide beams have a wider beam width than narrow beams and cover a wider range than narrow beams. Furthermore, narrow beams can transmit signals farther than wide beams. For example, a single wide beam may cover all directions around the NCS / RIS. In this case, the wide beam may be omnidirectional. Furthermore, in this case, there may be only one wide beam.

[0107] In Proposal 1, it is considered that the NCR / RIS notifies the NW (e.g., base station) that it is configured to be able to form multiple types of beams, and the NW (e.g., base station) issues instructions to the NCR / RIS based on the notified information. Below, we will explain a method of notifying that the NCR / RIS is configured to be able to form multiple types of beams, for example, a method of notifying the beam types, and a method of the NW issuing instructions to the NCR / RIS.

[0108] <Method of notifying beam type in proposal 1> In proposal 1, the NCR / RIS notifies the NW (e.g., base station) of the beam type of the NCR / RIS. The method of notifying is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, reported by OAM (Operation and Maintenance). The report by OAM may depend on the implementation. Furthermore, the NCR / RIS may report the beam type of the NCR / RIS as a capability. The report as a capability may be performed by MAC CE (Medium Access Control Control Element) and / or RRC (Radio Resource Control).

[0109] The report content may include, for example, the number of beams supported by the NCR / RIS, the beam index, and also information on the beam type. Note that the terms "report" and "notification" may be interchangeable.

[0110] The beam type information indicates, for example, what type of beam each beam is. When beams are classified into two types, wide beams and narrow beams, the beam type information indicates whether each beam is a wide beam or a narrow beam.

[0111] Each beam is assigned identification information (hereinafter referred to as a beam index) for identifying the beam. Regarding the beam index, for example, the following two examples will be considered.

[0112] (Example 1) Different beam indices may be assigned depending on the beam type. In this case, different beam indices may be reported depending on the beam type. For example, beam indices 0 and 1 correspond to wide beams, and beam indices 2, 3, 4, and 5 correspond to narrow beams. All of these beam indices may be reported, or any one or more of these beam indices may be reported.

[0113] Furthermore, in Example 1, the correspondence between the wide beam and the narrow beam may be notified. For example, the correspondence may be notified such that beam index 0 of the wide beam corresponds to beam indexes 2 and 3 of the narrow beam, and that beam index 1 of the wide beam corresponds to beam indexes 4 and 5 of the narrow beam. Note that the correspondence between beam index 0 of the wide beam and beam indexes 2 and 3 of the narrow beam may correspond to, for example, the correspondence between the range covered by the wide beam with beam index 0 and the range covered by the narrow beams with beam indexes 2 and 3.

[0114] By assigning different beam indices depending on the beam type, it is possible to omit beam type information, which may reduce signaling overhead when reporting.

[0115] (Example 2) The same index may be assigned to each beam type. Then, the same index may be reported for each beam type. For example, if there are two wide beams and four narrow beams, beam indices 0 and 1 may be assigned to the two wide beams, and beam indices 0 to 3 may be assigned to the four narrow beams. Then, beam indices 0 and 1 for the wide beams and beam indices 0 to 3 for the narrow beams may all be reported, or any one or more of these beam indices may be reported.

[0116] By assigning the same index to each beam type, the amount of information (e.g., the number of bits) required to report the beam index can be reduced, thereby reducing signaling overhead when reporting.

[0117] The report content may include information other than the number of beams supported by the NCR / RIS, the beam index, and the beam type information. For example, the report content may include information regarding beam power. The information regarding beam power is not particularly limited, but may indicate, for example, the difference in power between different beam types. The information regarding beam power may indicate, for example, the gain difference (or the difference in EIRP (Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power)) between a wide beam and a narrow beam.

[0118] Note that some of the above-described report contents may be omitted. For example, if it is reported that the beam indexes of the narrow beams are four, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the number of narrow beams does not need to be reported because the number of beam indexes implies the number of narrow beams.

[0119] <Network Instructions in Proposal 1> In Proposal 1, the network (e.g., a base station) instructs the NCR / RIS on the beam to be used by the NCR / RIS. The NCR / RIS determines the beam to be used based on the beam instruction from the network, and performs communication operations (transmission, relay, or forwarding) using the determined beam.

[0120] For example, the network uses a beam index to indicate the beam.

[0121] For example, the beams that can be used may be specified depending on the method of instruction (e.g., the method of setting the beam). For example, when a beam is set to Periodic, it may be specified that only a wide beam can be set. Alternatively, when a beam is set to Periodic, it may be specified that a wide beam can be set, but a narrow beam cannot be set. When a beam is set to A-Periodic (e.g., non-periodic), it may be specified that only a narrow beam can be set. Alternatively, when a beam is set to A-Periodic, it may be specified that a narrow beam can be set, but a wide beam cannot be set. Alternatively, when a beam is set to A-Periodic, it may be specified that both a narrow beam and a wide beam can be set.

[0122] For example, usable beams may be defined depending on the signal to be transmitted (the signal to be relayed). For example, in the case of a cell-specific signal (e.g., SSB / RACH), it may be specified that only wide beams are configurable. Alternatively, in the case of a UE-specific signal (e.g., PDSCH), only narrow beams may be configurable. Alternatively, in the case of a broadcast signal, both narrow beams and wide beams may be configurable.

[0123] For example, the network (e.g., a base station) may set the transmission power of the base station based on information about the power reported from the NCR / RIS. Alternatively, the network may set the transmission power in the NCR / RIS in a beam instruction and notify the mobile station (e.g., the NCR / RIS) of information about the set transmission power.

[0124] For example, when a wide beam is assigned to a cell-specific signal such as SSB and a narrow beam is assigned to a UE-specific signal such as PUSCH / PDSCH, an offset amount from the SSB power is notified to PUSCH / PDSCH.

[0125] Here, an example of operation will be shown.

[0126] (Operation example 1) Contents reported from NCR / RIS to NW in operation example 1: - Number of narrow beams (e.g., 4) / beam index of narrow beams (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3), and number of wide beams (e.g., 2) / beam index of narrow beams (e.g., 0, 1) - Add beam type information (e.g., 0 indicates a wide beam, 1 indicates a narrow beam) to the beam number and beam index of each wide beam and narrow beam.

[0127] Beam instruction of the network in operation example 1: Instruction example 1: The network assigns beam indices to the wide beam and the narrow beam, and performs beam instruction using the beam index and beam type. When the network assigns beam indices, the beam indices of the wide beam and the narrow beam may be assigned so that they overlap, or may not overlap. For example, if it is reported that the beam indices of the wide beam and the narrow beam overlap, the network may assign the reported beam indices so that they do not overlap. Instruction example 2: The network performs beam instruction using the beam index reported from the NCR / RIS. In this case, the beam indices of the wide beam and the narrow beam may be assigned so that they overlap, or may not overlap.

[0128] In Operation Example 1, an overlapping case corresponds to, for example, a case where the wide beams have beam indices 0 and 1 and the narrow beams have beam indices 0, 1, 2, and 3. In this case, the NCR / RIS may determine whether the overlapping beam index is a beam index of a wide beam or a beam index of a narrow beam based on beam type information. For example, whether beam index 0 is a beam index of a wide beam or a beam index of a narrow beam is determined based on beam type information included in the beam instruction and linked to beam index 0.

[0129] By overlapping the beam indexes of the wide beam and the narrow beam, the amount of information (e.g., the number of bits) required to indicate the beam index can be reduced, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0130] In Operation Example 1, a case where there is no overlap corresponds to, for example, a case where the wide beams have beam indices 0 and 1 and the narrow beams have beam indices 2, 3, 4, and 5. In this case, the NCR / RIS may determine whether the beam index is a beam index for a wide beam or a narrow beam based on information about the beam type. Alternatively, in this case, the NCR / RIS may determine whether the beam index is a beam index for a wide beam or a narrow beam based on the beam index itself. For example, if the correspondence between the beam index and the beam type is known in the RIS / NCR, the NCR / RIS may determine whether the beam index is a beam index for a wide beam or a narrow beam based on the beam index itself and the known correspondence.

[0131] (Operation example 2) Contents reported from NCR / RIS to NW in operation example 2: - Beam index of narrow beam (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3) and beam index of wide beam (e.g., 4, 5) - Add beam type information (e.g., 0 indicates a wide beam, 1 indicates a narrow beam) to each beam index of wide beam and narrow beam.

[0132] In addition, if the beam indexes assigned to wide beams and narrow beams are specified in the specifications, or if the beam indexes assigned to wide beams and narrow beams are reported in advance, information on the beam type does not need to be included.

[0133] Beam instruction by NW in operation example 2: The NW performs beam instruction using the reported beam index.

[0134] As described above, in Proposal 1, the antenna unit of the NCR / RIS (an example of a relay device) is configured to be capable of forming a narrow beam (an example of a first beam) and a wide beam (an example of a second beam) having a beam width wider than the narrow beam. The control unit of the NCR / RIS controls the formation of the narrow beam and the wide beam. This allows, for example, the NCR / RIS to transmit (relay) a cell-specific signal (e.g., SSB) using the wide beam, thereby avoiding a shortage of cell-specific signal resources (e.g., SSB indexes) used for sweeping. This reduces the increase in the time required for sweeping terminals within a cell, allowing terminals to connect appropriately, thereby enabling appropriate coverage extension.

[0135] For example, if only narrow beams can be formed, two resources (e.g., two SSB indices) are used to sweep two narrow beams. If narrow beams and wide beams can be formed, only one resource (e.g., one SSB index) is used to sweep one wide beam corresponding to the two narrow beams, thus avoiding resource shortages.

[0136] In addition, SSB transmission in NCR / RIS may be performed using only wide beams, or may be performed using wide beams and narrow beams.

[0137] In the above-mentioned Proposal 1, an example has been described in which a wide beam is used to transmit a cell-specific signal, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a wide beam may be used to transmit a signal other than a cell-specific signal. For example, when a wide beam is used to transmit a broadcast signal (e.g., a PBCH), the amount of resources (e.g., time resources and / or frequency resources) used to transmit the broadcast signal can be reduced.

[0138] Also, for example, a wide beam may be used to transmit signals to multiple terminals. A narrow beam may be used for a single terminal, and a wide beam may be used when transmitting the same signal to multiple terminals using the same resources (e.g., time resources and / or frequency resources). This eliminates the need to use narrow beams for each terminal when transmitting signals to multiple terminals, thereby reducing resource usage.

[0139] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned Proposal 1, an example was shown in which the NCR / RIS uses a wide beam and a narrow beam to transmit (relay) a signal to a terminal, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The NCR / RIS may use a wide beam and a narrow beam to transmit (relay) a signal transmitted from a terminal to another wireless communication device (e.g., a base station). The NCR / RIS may also use a wide beam and a narrow beam for reception.

[0140] In addition, although the above-described Proposal 1 shows an example in which the transmission beams of the NCR / RIS are classified into wide beams and narrow beams, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The above-described Proposal 1 may be applied to a case in which the transmission beams of the NCR / RIS are classified into three or more types.

[0141] <Proposal 2> Proposal 2 avoids resource shortages by expanding SSB resources (e.g., SSB indices). Two options for expanding the upper limit of the SSB index are described below. <Option 1 of Proposal 2> Option 1 of Proposal 2 increases the maximum number of SSB indices. For example, the maximum number of SSB indices is increased from 64 to 128. Note that the maximum number of 64 corresponds to the maximum number of existing SSBs. Note that in this case, SSBs with SSB indices 0 to 63 can be considered existing SSBs, and SSBs with SSB indices 64 to 127 can be considered SSBs added to the existing SSBs.

[0142] When the maximum number of SSB indexes is increased, the number of bits required to report the SSB indexes may increase. For example, when the maximum number of SSB indexes is increased from 64 to 128, the number of bits required to report the SSB indexes increases by at least one bit. Note that the bits increased for reporting the SSB indexes are referred to as "increased bits."

[0143] In this case, the increased bits are reported using a Master Information Block (MIB) (e.g., reserved bits), or the increased bits may be included as information in the PBCH and PBCH DMRS.

[0144] Alternatively, a bit for reporting the increased bit may be added to the SIB (System Information Block). Note that when reporting the increased bit using the added bit in the SIB, the mobile station (e.g., RIS / NCR or terminal) does not identify the SSB index until receiving the SIB.

[0145] When the maximum number of SSB indexes is increased, the SSB duration may be extended. For example, the SSB duration may be extended from 5 msec to 10 msec. Alternatively, instead of extending the SSB duration, the SCSs for which the increase in the maximum number of SSB indexes can be set may be limited. For example, the SCSs for which the increase in the maximum number of SSB indexes can be set may be limited to SCS = 240 kHz, so that the SSB duration is limited to 5 msec. Note that whether to extend the SSB duration and / or whether to increase the maximum number of SSB indexes may be determined based on the SCS.

[0146] Note that the example in which the maximum number of SSB indexes is increased to 128 is not limited to this. The maximum number of SSB indexes may be increased to a number less than 128 or to a number greater than 128. For example, if the maximum number of SSB indexes is increased to a number greater than 128, the number of bits required to report the SSB indexes increases by at least two bits. In this case, the two increased bits may be reported collectively using the MIB (e.g., reserved bit), or may be included as information in the PBCH or PBCH DMRS, or may be reported in the SIB. Alternatively, in this case, the two increased bits may be reported separately by the MIB (e.g., reserved bit), the PBCH, the PBCH DMRS, or the SIB.

[0147] In Option 1 of Proposal 2, the base station determines the SSB index to be used by the base station itself and the SSB index to be assigned to the NCR / RIS from among the increased SSB indexes (e.g., 0 to 127). The NCR / RIS transmits (relays) the SSB with the assigned SSB index using a beam. The terminal receives an SSB with any SSB index from the increased SSB index (e.g., 0 to 127) from the base station or NCR / RIS.

[0148] Option 1 of Proposal 2 allows for minimal changes to existing SSB configurations by increasing the maximum number of SSB indices in existing SSBs.

[0149] <Option 2 of Proposal 2> Option 2 of Proposal 2 allows additional SSB to be configured. For example, it allows additional SSB to be transmitted in addition to the existing SSB transmission configuration. For example, the SSB configuration information includes the configuration information for the additional SSB.

[0150] The added SSB may be contiguous in the time domain with the existing SSB transmission, or may be discontinuous in the time domain.

[0151] In Option 2 of Proposal 2, information indicating whether the SSB to be transmitted is an existing SSB or an SSB to be added (hereinafter referred to as SSB configuration information) is notified to the terminal. The notification method is not particularly limited, but for example, the SSB configuration information is notified using the MIB, PBCH, or PBCH DMRS. Alternatively, a bit for notifying the SSB configuration information is added to the SIB, and the SSB configuration information is notified using the added bit.

[0152] For example, when notifying via PBCH, assuming that the existing SSB and the SSB to be added are continuous in the time domain, the Half frame index may be interpreted differently. The Half frame index is information included in the SSB configuration information. For example, if the SSB exists in the first half of the frame, the existing Half frame index indicates "0," and if the SSB exists in the second half of the frame, the existing Half frame index indicates "1." This Half frame index may be interpreted differently so that the Half frame index indicates "0" for an existing SSB and "0" for an SSB to be added.

[0153] In Option 2 of Proposal 2, the base station determines which SSBs to use and which to assign to the NCR / RIS from among the existing SSBs and the SSBs to be added. For example, the base station determines to use an SSB from the existing SSBs and assign an SSB to the NCR / RIS. The NCR / RIS transmits (relays) the assigned SSB using a beam. The terminal receives either the existing SSBs or the added SSBs from the base station or NCR / RIS.

[0154] According to Option 2 of Proposal 2, the flexibility of SSB transmission can be improved by adding an additional configurable SSB to the existing SSB. For example, the existing SSB and the additional configurable SSB can be made contiguous or discontinuous in the time domain, thereby improving the flexibility of SSB transmission.

[0155] Although Option 2 of Proposal 2 illustrates an example in which two types of SSBs exist: an existing SSB and an SSB to be added, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, there may be two or more types of SSBs to be added. For example, the SSB to be added may be an SSB that is contiguous with the existing SSB in the time domain, and an SSB that is discontinuous with the existing SSB in the time domain. In this case, which of the two types of added SSBs to use may be selected dynamically or quasi-statically by the network, or may be determined by specifications.

[0156] <Comparison of Options in Proposal 2> Figure 10 is a diagram showing comparative examples of the options in Proposal 2. Figure 10 shows an example of transmission of an existing SSB in NR, an example of transmission of an SSB based on Option 1, and an example of transmission of an SSB based on Option 2. For Option 2, the example shows a case where the existing SSB and the SSB to be added are contiguous in the time domain, and a case where they are discontinuous in the time domain.

[0157] As shown in FIG. 10, resources for SSB transmission are secured by extending the upper limit of the SSB index.

[0158] Also, as shown in FIG. 10, in the case of option 1, the maximum number of SSB indices increases to 128, whereas in the case of option 2, the maximum number of SSB indices remains at 64.

[0159] As described above, in Proposal 2, the terminal receives at least one of an existing SSB (an example of a cell-specific first control signal) having an SSB index ranging from 0 to 63 and an SSB (an example of a second control signal) that is an extension of the existing SSB. The base station transmits at least one of an existing SSB (an example of a cell-specific first control signal) having an SSB index ranging from 0 to 63 and an SSB (an example of a second control signal) that is an extension of the existing SSB. The SSB that is an extension of the existing SSB may be an SSB whose SSB index is increased and whose SSB index ranges from 64 to 127. Alternatively, the SSB that is an extension of the existing SSB may be an SSB that can be added to the existing SSB.

[0160] Proposal 2 extends SSB beyond the existing SSB, ensuring the resources required for SSB transmission. This reduces the time required for sweeping terminals within the cell, allowing terminals to connect appropriately, enabling appropriate coverage extension.

[0161] Note that information indicating whether or not the above-mentioned Proposal 2 is applicable may be notified as a capability from the terminal and / or NCR / RIS. For example, information indicating whether or not the maximum number of SSB indexes can be increased and whether or not an SSB can be added to existing SSBs may be notified as a capability from the terminal and / or NCR / RIS.

[0162] The two options in Proposal 2 may be combined as appropriate. For example, as in Option 2, the number of SSB indices that can be added to SSBs may be increased to a number greater than 64 as in Option 1. This allows for a further increase in the number of SSB indices that can be added to existing SSBs.

[0163] Note that the above-mentioned Proposal 1 and Proposal 2 may be combined as appropriate. For example, as in Proposal 2, the upper limit of the SSB index may be extended, and the NCR / RIS may transmit SSBs with SSB indices assigned to the NCR / RIS from among the extended SSB indices using a wide beam. This allows SSB indices to be assigned to more NCR / RISs, and the number of NCR / RISs can also be increased, thereby expanding coverage.

[0164] Furthermore, the above-described Proposal 1 and Proposal 2 may be selected and used as appropriate. For example, if the number of NCRs / RISs capable of forming a wide beam is greater than a specific number, the upper limit of the SSB index may not be extended. On the other hand, if the number of NCRs / RISs capable of forming a wide beam is equal to or less than a specific number, the upper limit of the SSB index may be extended. For example, the NW may determine whether to extend the upper limit of the SSB index based on notification information notified from the NCR / RIS.

[0165] In the present disclosure, "A / B" and "at least one of A and B" may be interpreted interchangeably. Also, in the present disclosure, "A / B / C" may mean "at least one of A, B, and C."

[0166] In the present disclosure, terms such as notify, activate, deactivate, indicate (or indicate), select, configure, update, and determine may be read interchangeably. In the present disclosure, terms such as support, control, controllable, operate, and operate may be read interchangeably.

[0167] In the present disclosure, Radio Resource Control (RRC), RRC parameters, RRC messages, higher layer parameters, fields, information elements (IEs), settings, etc. may be interchangeable. In the present disclosure, Medium Access Control (MAC) control elements (CEs), update commands, activation / deactivation commands, etc. may be interchangeable.

[0168] In the present disclosure, the higher layer signaling may be, for example, any one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information, other messages (e.g., messages from the core network such as positioning protocol (e.g., NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) / LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP)) messages), or a combination thereof.

[0169] In the present disclosure, MAC signaling may use, for example, a MAC Control Element (MAC CE), a MAC Protocol Data Unit (PDU), etc. Broadcast information may be, for example, a Master Information Block (MIB), a System Information Block (SIB), Remaining Minimum System Information (RMSI), Other System Information (OSI), etc.

[0170] In the present disclosure, physical layer signaling may be, for example, Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI), and the like.

[0171] In this disclosure, terms such as aperture, antenna array, array, subarray (multiple antenna elements, part of an array), panel, RIS, RIS array, scattering element array, etc. may be interchangeable. In this disclosure, terms such as antenna, antenna element, scattering element, etc. may be interchangeable.

[0172] In the present disclosure, NCR, RIS, NCR including RIS, network node, device, IAB, IAB-MT (Mobile Termination), IAB-DU (Distribution Unit), IAB-CU (Central Unit), terminal, base station, relay station, relay device, repeater, reflector, transmittance plate, RIS-NCR, RIS type NCR, extended NCR, etc. may be read interchangeably.

[0173] <Block Configuration Diagram> Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a base station 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The base station 100 includes, for example, a transmitting unit 101, a receiving unit 102, and a control unit 103. The base station 100 communicates wirelessly with a terminal 200 (see Fig. 12). The transmitting unit 101 and the receiving unit 102 may be collectively referred to as a communication unit. The control unit may also be referred to as a processing unit, a processor, or the like.

[0174] The transmitter 101 transmits a DL signal to the terminal 200. For example, the transmitter 101 transmits the DL signal under the control of the controller 103. For example, the DL signal may include information indicating scheduling related to signal transmission by the terminal 200 (for example, an UL grant), control information of higher layers, and the like.

[0175] For example, the transmitter 101 transmits, as DL signals, various control signals (such as control signals for higher layers), reference signals, data signals, etc. to the terminal 200 and / or the radio device 300. The transmitter 101 transmits, as DL signals, various signals, channels, setting information, control information, etc., described in the above embodiments, to the terminal 200.

[0176] For example, transmitting unit 101 transmits information related to the control of terminal 200, which is generated by control unit 103, to terminal 200. Also, for example, transmitting unit 101 transmits information related to the control of wireless device 300, which is generated by control unit 103, to wireless device 300. Also, transmitting unit 101 transmits a data signal generated by control unit 103 to terminal 200.

[0177] The receiving unit 102 receives the UL signal transmitted from the terminal 200. For example, the receiving unit 102 receives the UL signal under the control of the control unit 103. The receiving unit 102 may also receive the UL signal transmitted from the wireless device 300.

[0178] For example, the receiving unit 102 receives, as UL signals, signals including terminal capability information (e.g., UE capability) of the terminal 200, various control signals, reference signals, data signals, etc. from the terminal 200. The receiving unit 102 may also receive signals including capability information (e.g., capability) of the wireless device 300.

[0179] The control unit 103 controls the overall (communication) operation of the base station 100 , including the transmission processing in the transmission unit 101 and the reception processing in the reception unit 102 .

[0180] For example, the control unit 103 acquires information such as data and control information from the upper layer and outputs it to the transmitting unit 101. The control unit 103 also outputs the data, control information, etc. received from the receiving unit 102 to the upper layer.

[0181] For example, the control unit 103 allocates resources to be used for transmitting and receiving DL signals and / or resources to be used for transmitting and receiving UL signals based on signals (e.g., data and control information, etc.) received from the terminal 200 and / or data and control information, etc. acquired from a higher layer. Information on the allocated resources may be included in control information to be transmitted to the terminal 200.

[0182] The control unit 103 performs operations other than the transmission and reception described in the above embodiment (note that these operations may be performed by the transmission unit 101 and / or the reception unit 102).

[0183] Furthermore, the control unit 103 may generate control information related to the forwarding operation of the wireless device 300. The control unit 103 may transmit instructions (e.g., control information) related to communication control of the wireless device 300 via the transmission unit 101.

[0184] In the above-described Proposal 1, for example, the transmitter 101 of the base station 100 transmits a cell-specific control signal (e.g., SSB) to the wireless device 300 (e.g., NCR / RIS). Then, the controller 103 of the base station 100 controls the transmission of the control signal in the transmitter 101.

[0185] In the above-described Proposal 2, for example, the transmitter 101 of the base station 100 transmits at least one of a first control signal (e.g., an existing SSB) specific to the cell and a second control signal (e.g., an added SSB) that is an extension of the first control signal. Then, the controller 103 of the base station 100 controls the transmission of at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal in the transmitter 101.

[0186] 12 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal 200 includes, for example, a receiving unit 201, a transmitting unit 202, and a control unit 203. The terminal 200 communicates with, for example, the base station 100 (see FIG. 11 ) wirelessly. Note that the receiving unit 201 and the transmitting unit 202 may be collectively referred to as a communication unit.

[0187] The receiving unit 201 receives a DL signal transmitted from the base station 100. For example, the receiving unit 201 receives the DL signal under the control of the control unit 203.

[0188] For example, the receiving unit 201 receives, as DL signals, various control signals, reference signals, data signals, etc. from the base station 100. For example, the receiving unit 201 receives, as DL signals, various signals, channels, setting information, control information, etc. described in the above embodiments from the base station 100.

[0189] For example, the receiving unit 201 receives a signal from the base station 100 .

[0190] The transmitting unit 202 transmits the UL signal to the base station 100. For example, the transmitting unit 202 transmits the UL signal under the control of the control unit 203.

[0191] For example, the transmitter 202 transmits, as UL signals, signals including information about the processing capacity of the terminal 200, various control signals, reference signals, data signals, and the like to the base station 100.

[0192] The control unit 203 controls the overall (communication) operation of the terminal 200 , including the reception processing in the reception unit 201 and the transmission processing in the transmission unit 202 .

[0193] For example, the control unit 203 acquires information such as data and control information from the upper layer and outputs it to the transmitting unit 202. Also, the control unit 203 outputs, for example, the data and control information received from the receiving unit 201 to the upper layer.

[0194] The control unit 203 performs operations other than the transmission and reception described in the above embodiment (note that these operations may be performed by the receiving unit 201 and / or the transmitting unit 202).

[0195] Note that the signal that terminal 200 receives from base station 100 may be a signal that has been transmitted directly from base station 100, or may be a signal that has been transmitted from base station 100 and transferred by radio device 300. Furthermore, the signal that terminal 200 transmits to base station 100 may be received directly by base station 100, or may be transferred by radio device 300 and then received by base station 100. In this case, terminal 200 does not need to recognize whether the signal has been transferred by radio device 300 or not.

[0196] In the above-described Proposal 1, for example, the receiver 201 of the terminal 200 receives a cell-specific control signal (e.g., SSB) transmitted by the wireless device 300 (e.g., NCR / RIS) using a wide beam. Then, the controller 203 of the terminal 200 controls the reception of the control signal in the receiver 201.

[0197] In the above-described Proposal 2, for example, the receiver 201 of the terminal 200 receives at least one of a first control signal (e.g., an existing SSB) specific to the cell and a second control signal (e.g., an added SSB) that is an extension of the first control signal. The controller 203 of the terminal 200 controls the reception of at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal in the receiver 201.

[0198] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a wireless device 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless device 300 corresponds to an example of an NCR / RIS or a relay device. The wireless device 300 includes, for example, a receiving unit 301, a transmitting unit 302, and a control unit 303. The wireless relay device 300 wirelessly communicates with, for example, a base station 100 (see FIG. 11) and a terminal 200 (see FIG. 12). The receiving unit 301 and the transmitting unit 302 may be collectively referred to as a communication unit. The communication unit has a radiation surface (e.g., a RIS array) that radiates radio waves, and may transmit signals from the radiation surface or receive signals at the radiation surface. The communication unit may also be referred to as an antenna surface or an antenna unit.

[0199] The receiving unit 301 receives a DL signal transmitted from the base station 100. The receiving unit 301 also receives a UL signal transmitted from the terminal 200. For example, the receiving unit 301 receives DL signals and UL signals under the control of the control unit 303. Note that the received signals may include a signal addressed to the base station 100, a signal addressed to the terminal 200, and a signal addressed to the wireless device 300. For example, the receiving unit 301 receives a signal addressed to the terminal 200 from the base station 100 (e.g., a signal unique to the terminal 200). Note that the transfer process may include at least one of a process of transmitting a signal addressed to the terminal 200 received from the base station 100 to the terminal 200 and a process of receiving a signal addressed to the base station 100 from the terminal 200.

[0200] The transmitting unit 302 transmits to the base station 100 an UL signal addressed to the base station 100 that has been received from the terminal 200. The transmitting unit 302 also transmits to the terminal 200 a DL signal addressed to the terminal 200 that has been received from the base station 100. For example, the transmitting unit 302 transmits the UL signal under the control of the control unit 303. For example, the transmitting unit 302 transfers to the terminal 200 a signal addressed to the terminal 200 that has been received from the base station 100.

[0201] The control unit 303 controls the overall (communication) operation of the wireless device 300 , including the reception processing in the receiving unit 301 and the transmission processing in the transmitting unit 302 .

[0202] The control unit 303 performs operations other than the transmission and reception described in the above embodiment (note that these operations may be performed by the receiving unit 301 and / or the transmitting unit 302).

[0203] In the above-described proposal 1, for example, the communication unit (an example of an antenna unit) of the wireless device 300 (an example of a relay device) forms a first beam (e.g., a narrow beam) and a second beam (e.g., a wide beam) having a beam width wider than that of the first beam. Then, the control unit 303 of the wireless device 300 controls the formation of the first beam or the second beam in the communication unit.

[0204] In the above-described Proposal 2, for example, the communication unit of the wireless device 300 (an example of a relay device) transmits (relays or transfers) at least one of a first control signal (e.g., an existing SSB) specific to the cell and a second control signal (e.g., an added SSB) that is an extension of the first control signal. Then, the control unit 303 of the wireless device 300 controls the transmission of at least one of the first control signal and the second control signal in the communication unit.

[0205] Note that the wireless device 300 (e.g., NCR / RIS) in the present disclosure may be an example of a communication device. Also, the wireless device 300 in the present disclosure may be called by other names such as a relay device, a forwarding device, or a relay device. Also, the wireless device 300 in the present disclosure may be replaced with a terminal 200 (e.g., a UE). For example, the wireless device 300 may be considered as a terminal 200 having a forwarding function (or a relay function).

[0206] The present disclosure has been described above. Note that the division of items in the above description is not essential to the present disclosure, and items described in two or more items may be used in combination as needed, and items described in one item may be applied to items described in another item (unless they are inconsistent).

[0207] <Hardware Configuration, etc.> The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (e.g., using wires, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining software with the single device or the multiple devices.

[0208] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, assessment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0209] For example, a base station, a terminal, a wireless device, etc. according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a base station, a terminal, and a wireless device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The base station 100, the terminal 200, and the wireless device 300 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0210] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configurations of the base station 100, the terminal 200, and the wireless device 300 may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0211] Each function in the base station 100, the terminal 200, and the wireless device 300 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0212] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the above-mentioned control unit 103, control unit 203, and control unit 303 may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0213] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the control unit 203 of the terminal 200 may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be made for other functional blocks. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by one processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0214] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by, for example, at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0215] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0216] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the above-mentioned transmitter 101, receiver 102, receiver 201, transmitter 202, receiver 301, transmitter 302, etc. may be realized by the communication device 1004.

[0217] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0218] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0219] Furthermore, base station 100, terminal 200, and wireless device 300 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0220] <Notification of Information, Signaling> Notification of information is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure and may be performed using other methods. For example, notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0221] <Applicable Systems> The embodiments described in the present disclosure are applicable to LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (xG (x is, for example, an integer or a decimal)), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.17 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.19 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.21 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.22 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.23 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.24 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.25 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.26 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.27 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.28 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.29 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.30 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.31 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.32 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.33 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.34 (WiMAX (registered trademark The present invention may be applied to at least one of systems using 802.20, UWB (Ultra-Wide Band), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable systems, and next-generation systems that are extended, modified, created, or defined based on these systems. The present invention may also be applied to a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of LTE and / or LTE-A with 5G).

[0222] <Processing Procedures, etc.> The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be rearranged unless inconsistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0223] <Operation of Base Station> In the present disclosure, specific operations described as being performed by a base station may also be performed by its upper node in some cases. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with a terminal may be performed by at least one of the base station and another network node other than the base station (for example, an MME or an S-GW, etc., but are not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates a case where there is one other network node other than the base station, a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW) may also be used.

[0224] <Direction of Input / Output> Information, etc. (see <Information, Signal>) can be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer). It may also be input / output via multiple network nodes.

[0225] <Handling of Input / Output Information, etc.> Input / output information, etc. may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input / output information, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or added. Output information, etc. may be deleted. Input information, etc. may be sent to another device.

[0226] <Determination method> The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0227] <Variations of Aspects, etc.> Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. In addition, notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to being done explicitly, but may be done implicitly (e.g., by not notifying the predetermined information).

[0228] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0229] <Software> Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0230] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0231] Information, Signals, etc., described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc., which may be referred to throughout the above description, may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0232] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0233] <System, Network> As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0234] <Parameter and Channel Names> Furthermore, the information, parameters, and the like described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0235] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0236] <Base Station> In the present disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. A base station may also be referred to by terms such as a macrocell, a small cell, a femtocell, and a picocell.

[0237] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be partitioned into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a remote radio head (RRH)). The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or the entire coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage area.

[0238] Mobile Station In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0239] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0240] <Base Station / Mobile Station> At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be referred to as a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile object, the mobile object itself, etc. The mobile object refers to a movable object, and may move at any speed. Naturally, this also includes cases where the mobile object is stationary. Examples of the mobile object include, but are not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcars, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and objects mounted thereon. The mobile object may also be an autonomous mobile object operating based on an operational command. It may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile object (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device that does not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0241] Furthermore, a base station in the present disclosure may be read as a terminal. For example, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals (which may be called, for example, Device-to-Device (D2D) or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)). In this case, the functions of the base station 100 described above may be configured to be possessed by the terminal 200 and the wireless device 300. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be read as terms corresponding to communication between terminals (for example, "side"). For example, terms such as an uplink channel and a downlink channel may be read as a side channel.

[0242] Similarly, the term "terminal" in the present disclosure may be interpreted as a base station, in which case the base station 100 and the relay station 300 may be configured to have the functions of the terminal 20 described above.

[0243] Fig. 15 shows an example configuration of a vehicle 2001. As shown in Fig. 15, the vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on the vehicle 2001, and may be applied to the communication module 2013, for example.

[0244] The drive unit 2002 is configured, for example, by an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel operated by the user.

[0245] The electronic control unit 2010 is composed of a microprocessor 2031, a memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. Signals are input to the electronic control unit 2010 from various sensors 2021 to 2029 provided in the vehicle 2001. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0246] The signals from the various sensors 2021 to 2029 include a current signal from a current sensor 2021 that senses the current of the motor, a rotation speed signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by a rotation speed sensor 2022, an air pressure signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by an air pressure sensor 2023, a vehicle speed signal obtained by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, an acceleration signal obtained by an acceleration sensor 2025, an accelerator pedal depression amount signal obtained by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, a brake pedal depression amount signal obtained by a brake pedal sensor 2026, a shift lever operation signal obtained by a shift lever sensor 2027, and a detection signal for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. obtained by an object detection sensor 2028.

[0247] The information service unit 2012 is composed of various devices, such as a car navigation system, an audio system, speakers, a television, and a radio, for providing (outputting) various types of information, such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The information service unit 2012 provides various types of multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001 by using information acquired from external devices via the communication module 2013, etc.

[0248] The information service unit 2012 may include input devices (e.g., keyboards, mice, microphones, switches, buttons, sensors, touch panels, etc.) that accept input from the outside, and may also include output devices (e.g., displays, speakers, LED lamps, touch panels, etc.) that output to the outside.

[0249] The driving assistance system unit 2030 is composed of various devices that provide functions for preventing accidents and reducing the driving burden on the driver, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS, etc.), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps, etc.), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System), etc.), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. In addition, the driving assistance system unit 2030 transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize the driving assistance function or the autonomous driving function.

[0250] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via the communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 transmits and receives data via the communication port 2033 to and from the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021 to 29, which are provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0251] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with an external device. For example, it transmits and receives various information to and from the external device via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station, a mobile station, or the like.

[0252] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of signals from the above-mentioned various sensors 2021 to 2029 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on the signals, and information based on input from the outside (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012 to an external device via wireless communication. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021 to 2029, the information service unit 2012, etc. may be referred to as input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include information based on the above-mentioned input.

[0253] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle distance information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit that outputs information (for example, outputs information to a device such as a display or speaker based on the PDSCH received by the communication module 2013 (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH)).

[0254] Furthermore, the communication module 2013 stores various information received from external devices in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, sensors 2021 to 2029, and the like provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0255] <Meaning and Interpretation of Terms> As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining something that is considered to be a "judging" or "determining," and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like that are considered to be a "judging" or "determining." Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0256] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0257] <Reference Signal> A reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may also be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0258] <Meaning of "based on"> As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0259] "First," "Second" Any reference to an element using designations such as "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0260] <Means> The "means" in the configuration of each device above may be replaced with "section," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0261] Open Format: When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0262] <Time Units such as TTI, Frequency Units such as RB, and Radio Frame Configuration> A radio frame may be composed of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of the one or more frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further be composed of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0263] Numerology may be a communication parameter that applies to the transmission and / or reception of a signal or channel, and may indicate, for example, at least one of subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering operations performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing operations performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0264] A slot may be composed of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbol). A slot may be a time unit based on numerology.

[0265] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or multiple symbols in the time domain. A minislot may also be called a subslot. A minislot may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0266] The radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol all represent time units for transmitting signals, and may be referred to by other names corresponding to the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol.

[0267] For example, one subframe may be called a transmission time interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be called a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be called a TTI. That is, at least one of the subframe and the TTI may be a subframe (1 ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1 ms (for example, 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc. instead of a subframe.

[0268] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, a base station performs scheduling to allocate radio resources (such as frequency bandwidth and transmission power that can be used by each user terminal) to each user terminal in TTI units. Note that the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0269] The TTI may be a transmission time unit for a channel-encoded data packet (transport block), a code block, a code word, etc., or may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) to which a transport block, a code block, a code word, etc. is actually mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0270] When one slot or one minislot is called a TTI, one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more minislots) may be the minimum time unit for scheduling. Also, the number of slots (minislots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0271] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms may be called a regular TTI (TTI in LTE Rel. 8-12), normal TTI, long TTI, regular subframe, normal subframe, long subframe, slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a regular TTI may be called a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, minislot, subslot, slot, etc.

[0272] In addition, a long TTI (e.g., a normal TTI, a subframe, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a time length of more than 1 ms, and a short TTI (e.g., a shortened TTI, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a TTI length shorter than the TTI length of a long TTI and greater than or equal to 1 ms.

[0273] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and the frequency domain, and may include one or more consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be the same regardless of numerology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be determined based on numerology.

[0274] The time domain of an RB may include one or more symbols and may have a length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI. One TTI, one subframe, etc. may each be composed of one or more resource blocks.

[0275] Note that one or more RBs may also be called a physical resource block (PRB), a sub-carrier group (SCG), a resource element group (REG), a PRB pair, an RB pair, etc.

[0276] Furthermore, a resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource region of one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0277] A Bandwidth Part (BWP) (which may also be referred to as a fractional bandwidth) may represent a subset of contiguous common resource blocks (RBs) for a given numerology on a given carrier, where the common RBs may be identified by their index relative to a Common Reference Point of the carrier. PRBs may be defined in a BWP and numbered within the BWP.

[0278] The BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be configured for a UE within one carrier.

[0279] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE may not expect to transmit or receive a given signal / channel outside the active BWP. Note that the terms "cell," "carrier," etc. in this disclosure may be read as "BWP."

[0280] The above-described structures of radio frames, subframes, slots, minislots, symbols, etc. are merely examples, and various changes may be made to the number of subframes included in a radio frame, the number of slots per subframe or radio frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, the number of symbols in a TTI, the symbol length, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, etc.

[0281] <Maximum Transmit Power> The "maximum transmit power" in the present disclosure may refer to the maximum value of transmit power, the nominal UE maximum transmit power, or the rated UE maximum transmit power.

[0282] Articles In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0283] <"Different"> In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." Note that the term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0284] One aspect of the present disclosure is useful in wireless communication systems.

[0285] 10 Wireless communication system 20 NG-RAN 100 Base station (gNB) 200 Terminal (UE) 300 Radio equipment (RIS) 101, 202, 302 Transmitter 102, 201, 301 Receiver 103, 203, 303 Control unit 1001 Processor 1002 Memory 1003 Storage 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 1007 Bus

Claims

1. A relay device comprising: an antenna unit that forms a first beam and a second beam having a beam width wider than the first beam; and a control unit that controls the formation of the first beam or the second beam in the antenna unit.

2. The relay device according to claim 1, further comprising: a communication unit that transmits, to a base station, notification information indicating that the antenna unit is capable of forming the first beam and the second beam.

3. The relay device described in claim 2, wherein the notification information includes at least one of the number of the first beams, the number of the second beams, first identification information for identifying the first beams, second identification information for identifying the second beams, and beam type information indicating whether each beam is the first beam or the second beam.

4. The relay device described in claim 2, wherein the communication unit receives instruction information from the base station instructing the antenna unit which beam to form, and the control unit controls the formation of the first beam or the second beam in the antenna unit based on the instruction information.

5. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein, when a cell-specific signal is transmitted from the base station to the relay device, the control unit relays the signal using the second beam.

6. A communications method in which a relay device having an antenna unit that forms a first beam and a second beam having a beam width wider than that of the first beam controls the formation of the first beam or the second beam in the antenna unit.

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