Methods, infrastructure equipment, and communications devices

Abstract

A method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network is provided. The method comprises transmitting, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and transmitting, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption. [Figure 18 to accompany abstract]

Description

[0001] METHODS, INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT, AND COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] Field of Disclosure

[0004] The present disclosure relates to infrastructure equipment, communications devices, and methods for the more efficient and effective transmission and / or reception of data in a wireless communications network.

[0005] The present application claims the Paris Convention priority from European patent application number EP24158148.7, filed on 16 February 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0006] Description of Related Art

[0007] The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.

[0008] Previous generation mobile telecommunication systems, such as those based on the 3GPP defined UMTS and Long Term Evolution (LTE) architecture, are able to support a wider range of services than simple voice and messaging services offered by previous generations of mobile telecommunication systems. For example, with the improved radio interface and enhanced data rates provided by LTE systems, a user is able to enjoy high data rate applications such as mobile video streaming and mobile video conferencing that would previously only have been available via a fixed line data connection. The demand to deploy such networks is therefore strong and the coverage area of these networks, i.e. geographic locations where access to the networks is possible, is expected to continue to increase rapidly.

[0009] Current and future wireless communications networks are expected to routinely and efficiently support communications with an ever-increasing range of devices associated with a wider range of data traffic profiles and types than existing systems are optimised to support. For example, it is expected future wireless communications networks will be expected to efficiently support communications with devices including reduced complexity devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, high resolution video displays, virtual reality headsets, extended Reality (XR) and so on. Some of these different types of devices may be deployed in very large numbers, for example low complexity devices for supporting the “The Internet of Things”, and may typically be associated with the transmissions of relatively small amounts of data with relatively high latency tolerance. Other types of device, for example supporting high-definition video streaming, may be associated with transmissions of relatively large amounts of data with relatively low latency tolerance. Other types of device, for example used for autonomous vehicle communications and for other critical applications, may be characterised by data that should be transmitted through the network with low latency and high reliability. A single device type might also be associated with different traffic profiles / characteristics depending on the application(s) it is running. For example, different considerations may apply for efficiently supporting data exchange with a smartphone when it is running a video streaming application (high downlink data) as compared to when it is running an Internet browsing application (sporadic uplink and downlink data) or being used for voice communications by an emergency responder in an emergency scenario (data subject to stringent reliability and latency requirements).

[0010] In view of this there is expected to be a desire for current wireless communications networks, for example those which may be referred to as 5G or new radio (NR) systems / new radio access technology (RAT) systems, or indeed future 6G wireless communications, as well as future iterations / releases of existing systems, to efficiently support connectivity for a wide range of devices associated with different applications and different characteristic data traffic profiles and requirements.

[0011] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0012] The present disclosure can help address or mitigate at least some of the issues discussed above.

[0013] Embodiments of the present technique can provide a method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network. The method comprises transmitting, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co- location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and transmitting, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0014] Such embodiments of the present technique, which, in addition to methods of operating infrastructure equipment, relate to methods of operating communications devices, to infrastructure equipment and communications devices, to circuitry for infrastructure equipment and communications devices, to wireless communications systems, to computer programs, and to computer-readable storage mediums, can allow for the more efficient and effective use of radio resources in a wireless communications network through minimising the impacts of channel discontinuity.

[0015] Respective aspects and features of the present disclosure are defined in the appended claims.

[0016] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the present technology. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0017] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 schematically represents some aspects of an LTE-type wireless telecommunication system which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 schematically represents some aspects of a new radio access technology (RAT) wireless telecommunications system which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of an example infrastructure equipment and communications device which may be configured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 4 schematically represents a first example of non-overlapping sub-bands for uplink and downlink transmissions;

[0022] Figure 5 schematically represents second and third examples of non-overlapping sub-bands for uplink and downlink transmissions;

[0023] Figure 6 schematically illustrates an example of intra-cell cross link interference;

[0024] Figure 7 illustrates an example of transmission power leakage;

[0025] Figure 8 illustrates an example of receiver power selectivity;

[0026] Figure 9 illustrates an example of inter sub-band interference;

[0027] Figure 10 shows an example of a time-division duplexing (TDD) slot format;

[0028] Figure 11 shows examples of sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot formats;

[0029] Figure 12 illustrates how a slot may comprise both SBFD and non-SBFD orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols;

[0030] Figure 13 illustrates an example of a quasi-co-location (QCL) assumption;

[0031] Figure 14 shows the current TCI-State information element (IE);

[0032] Figure 15 illustrates how a transmission may overlap both SBFD and non-SBFD symbols;

[0033] Figure 16 illustrates how channel discontinuity may occur due to changes in gNB antenna panels for a transmission that overlaps both SBFD and non-SBFD symbols within a slot;

[0034] Figure 17 illustrates how channel discontinuity may occur due to changes in gNB antenna panels for a transmission that overlaps both SBFD within a first slot and non-SBFD symbols within a second slot; Figure 18 shows a part schematic, part message flow diagram representation of an example wireless communications system comprising a communications device and an infrastructure equipment in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

[0035] Figure 19 shows how a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state may indicate two QCL assumptions in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

[0036] Figure 20 shows changes that may be made to the current TCI-State IE in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

[0037] Figure 21 shows changes that may be made to the current ConfiguredGrantConfig IE in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

[0038] Figure 22 shows changes that may be made to the current PUCCH-SpatialRelationlnfo IE in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

[0039] Figure 23 illustrates how separate physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduling may be applied between SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in accordance with embodiments of the present technique; and

[0040] Figure 24 shows a flow diagram illustrating an example process of communications in a communications system in accordance with embodiments of the present technique.

[0041] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Long Term Evolution Advanced Radio Access Technology (4G)

[0043] Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram illustrating some basic functionality of a mobile telecommunications network / system 6 operating generally in accordance with LTE principles, but which may also support other radio access technologies, and which may be adapted to implement embodiments of the disclosure as described herein. Various elements of Figure 1 and certain aspects of their respective modes of operation are well-known and defined in the relevant standards administered by the 3GPP (RTM) body, and also described in many books on the subject, for example, Holma H. and Toskala A [1], It will be appreciated that operational aspects of the telecommunications networks discussed herein which are not specifically described (for example in relation to specific communication protocols and physical channels for communicating between different elements) may be implemented in accordance with any known techniques, for example according to the relevant standards and known proposed modifications and additions to the relevant standards. The network 6 includes a plurality of base stations 1 connected to a core network 2. Each base station provides a coverage area 3 (i.e. a cell) within which data can be communicated to and from communications devices 4. Although each base station 1 is shown in Figure 1 as a single entity, the skilled person will appreciate that some of the functions of the base station may be carried out by disparate, inter-connected elements, such as antennas (or antennae), remote radio heads, amplifiers, etc. Collectively, one or more base stations may form a radio access network.

[0044] Data is transmitted from base stations 1 to communications devices 4 within their respective coverage areas 3 via a radio downlink (DL). Data is transmitted from communications devices 4 to the base stations 1 via a radio uplink (UL). The core network 2 routes data to and from the communications devices 4 via the respective base stations 1 and provides functions such as authentication, mobility management, charging and so on. Communications devices may also be referred to as mobile stations, user equipment (UEs), user terminals, mobile radios, mobile terminals, terminal devices, wireless transmit and receive units (WTRUs), and so forth. Services provided by the core network 2 may include connectivity to the internet or to external telephony services. The core network 2 may further track the location of the communications devices 4 so that it can efficiently contact (i.e. page) the communications devices 4 for transmitting downlink data towards the communications devices 4.

[0045] Base stations, which are an example of network infrastructure equipment, may also be referred to as transceiver stations, nodeBs, e-nodeBs, eNB, g-nodeBs, gNB and so forth. In this regard different terminology is often associated with different generations of wireless telecommunications systems for elements providing broadly comparable functionality. However, certain embodiments of the disclosure may be equally implemented in different generations of wireless telecommunications systems, and for simplicity certain terminology may be used regardless of the underlying network architecture. That is to say, the use of a specific term in relation to certain example implementations is not intended to indicate these implementations are limited to a certain generation of network that may be most associated with that particular terminology.

[0046] New Radio Access Technology (5G)

[0047] Systems incorporating NR technology are expected to support different services (or types of services), which may be characterised by different requirements for latency, data rate and / or reliability. For example, Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services are characterised by high capacity with a requirement to support up to 20 Gb / s. The requirements for Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) services are for one transmission of a 32 byte packet to be transmitted from the radio protocol layer 2 / 3 SDU ingress point to the radio protocol layer 2 / 3 SDU egress point of the radio interface within 1 ms with a reliability of 1 - 10'5(99.999 %) or higher (99.9999%) [2],

[0048] Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) is another example of a service which may be supported by NR-based communications networks. In addition, systems may be expected to support further enhancements related to Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in order to support services with new requirements of high availability, high reliability, low latency, and in some cases, high-accuracy positioning.

[0049] An example configuration of a wireless communications network which uses some of the terminology proposed for and used in NR and 5G is shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2 a plurality of transmission and reception points (TRPs) 10 are connected to distributed control units (DUs) 41, 42 by a connection interface represented as a line 16. Each of the TRPs 10 is arranged to transmit and receive signals via a wireless access interface within a radio frequency bandwidth available to the wireless communications network. Thus, within a range for performing radio communications via the wireless access interface, each of the TRPs 10, forms a cell of the wireless communications network as represented by a circle 12. As such, wireless communications devices 14 which are within a radio communications range provided by the cells 12 can transmit and receive signals to and from the TRPs 10 via the wireless access interface. Each of the distributed units 41, 42 are connected to a central unit (CU) 40 (which may be referred to as a controlling node) via an interface 46. The central unit 40 is then connected to the core network 20 which may contain all other functions required to transmit data for communicating to and from the wireless communications devices and the core network 20 may be connected to other networks 25.

[0050] The elements of the wireless access network shown in Figure 2 may operate in a similar way to corresponding elements of an LTE network as described with regard to the example of Figure 1. It will be appreciated that operational aspects of the telecommunications network represented in Figure 2, and of other networks discussed herein in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, which are not specifically described (for example in relation to specific communication protocols and physical channels for communicating between different elements) may be implemented in accordance with any known techniques, for example according to currently used approaches for implementing such operational aspects of wireless telecommunications systems, e.g. in accordance with the relevant standards.

[0051] The TRPs 10 of Figure 2 may in part have a corresponding functionality to a base station or eNodeB of an LTE network. Similarly, the communications devices 14 may have a functionality corresponding to the UE devices 4 known for operation with an LTE network. It will be appreciated therefore that operational aspects of a new RAT network (for example in relation to specific communication protocols and physical channels for communicating between different elements) may be different to those known from LTE or other known mobile telecommunications standards. However, it will also be appreciated that each of the core network component, base stations and communications devices of a new RAT network will be functionally similar to, respectively, the core network component, base stations and communications devices of an LTE wireless communications network.

[0052] In terms of broad top-level functionality, the core network 20 connected to the new RAT telecommunications system represented in Figure 2 may be broadly considered to correspond with the core network 2 represented in Figure 1, and the respective central units 40 and their associated distributed units / TRPs 10 may be broadly considered to provide functionality corresponding to the base stations 1 of Figure 1. The term network infrastructure equipment / access node may be used to encompass these elements and more conventional base station type elements of wireless telecommunications systems. Depending on the application at hand the responsibility for scheduling transmissions which are scheduled on the radio interface between the respective distributed units and the communications devices may lie with the controlling node / central unit and / or the distributed units / TRPs. A communications device 14 is represented in Figure 2 within the coverage area of the first communication cell 12. This communications device 14 may thus exchange signalling with the first central unit 40 in the first communication cell 12 via one of the distributed units / TRPs 10 associated with the first communication cell 12.

[0053] It will further be appreciated that Figure 2 represents merely one example of a proposed architecture for a new RAT based telecommunications system in which approaches in accordance with the principles described herein may be adopted, and the functionality disclosed herein may also be applied in respect of wireless telecommunications systems having different architectures.

[0054] Thus, certain embodiments of the disclosure as discussed herein may be implemented in wireless telecommunication systems / networks according to various different architectures, such as the example architectures shown in Figures 1 and 2. It will thus be appreciated the specific wireless telecommunications architecture in any given implementation is not of primary significance to the principles described herein. In this regard, certain embodiments of the disclosure may be described generally in the context of communications between network infrastructure equipment / access nodes and a communications device, wherein the specific nature of the network infrastructure equipment / access node and the communications device will depend on the network infrastructure for the implementation at hand. For example, in some scenarios the network infrastructure equipment / access node may comprise a base station, such as an LTE-type base station 1 as shown in Figure 1 which is adapted to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein, and in other examples the network infrastructure equipment may comprise a control unit / controlling node 40 and / or a TRP 10 of the kind shown in Figure 2 which is adapted to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein.

[0055] A more detailed diagram of some of the components of the network shown in Figure 2 is provided by Figure 3. In Figure 3, a TRP 10 as shown in Figure 2 comprises, as a simplified representation, a wireless transmitter 30, a wireless receiver 32 and a controller or controlling processor 34 which may operate to control the transmitter 30 and the wireless receiver 32 to transmit and receive radio signals to one or more UEs 14 within a cell 12 formed by the TRP 10. As shown in Figure 3, an example UE 14 is shown to include a corresponding transmitter 49, a receiver 48 and a controller 44 which is configured to control the transmitter 49 and the receiver 48 to transmit signals representing uplink data to the wireless communications network via the wireless access interface formed by the TRP 10 and to receive downlink data as signals transmitted by the transmitter 30 and received by the receiver 48 in accordance with the conventional operation.

[0056] The transmitters 30, 49 and the receivers 32, 48 (as well as other transmitters, receivers and transceivers described in relation to examples and embodiments of the present disclosure) may include radio frequency filters and amplifiers as well as signal processing components and devices in order to transmit and receive radio signals in accordance for example with the 5G / NR standard. The controllers 34, 44 (as well as other controllers described in relation to examples and embodiments of the present disclosure) may be, for example, a microprocessor, a CPU, or a dedicated chipset, etc., configured to carry out instructions which are stored on a computer readable medium, such as a non-volatile memory. The processing steps described herein may be carried out by, for example, a microprocessor in conjunction with a random access memory, operating according to instructions stored on a computer readable medium. The transmitters, the receivers and the controllers are schematically shown in Figure 3 as separate elements for ease of representation. However, it will be appreciated that the functionality of these elements can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s), or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s) / circuitry / chip(s) / chipset(s). As will be appreciated the infrastructure equipment / TRP / base station as well as the UE / communications device will in general comprise various other elements associated with its operating functionality.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3, the TRP 10 also includes a network interface 50 which connects to the DU 42 via a physical interface 16. The network interface 50 therefore provides a communication link for data and signalling traffic from the TRP 10 via the DU 42 and the CU 40 to the core network 20.

[0058] The interface 46 between the DU 42 and the CU 40 is known as the F 1 interface which can be a physical or a logical interface. The Fl interface 46 between CU and DU may operate in accordance with specifications 3GPP TS 38.470 and 3GPP TS 38.473, and may be formed from a fibre optic or other wired or wireless high bandwidth connection. In one example the connection 16 from the TRP 10 to the DU 42 is via fibre optic. The connection between a TRP 10 and the core network 20 can be generally referred to as a backhaul, which comprises the interface 16 from the network interface 50 of the TRP 10 to the DU 42 and the Fl interface 46 from the DU 42 to the CU 40.

[0059] In order for a UE such as UE 4 or 14 to transmit uplink data to the network (e.g. on a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)) to, for example, base station 1 or TRP 10, the UE must first ensure it is synchronised with the network on the uplink. Since a particular eNB or gNB expects to be receiving communications from many UEs, it needs to ensure that it shares a common timing understanding with each of these UEs (i.e. they are synchronised in terms of the starting times of frames and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols). This is so that the eNB is able to schedule communication with each of them in a manner that avoids collisions and to ensure orthogonality of the uplink signals, such that inter-subcarrier interference is avoided or mitigated.

[0060] Although reference is made to 5G networks, the discussions in this specification apply equally to 6G networks (and beyond) where there is expected to be significantly higher throughput, lower latency and higher reliability utilizing sub-THz frequencies.

[0061] Full Duplex Time Division Duplex (FD-TDD)

[0062] NR / 5G networks can operate using Time Division Duplex (TDD), where an entire frequency band or carrier is switched to either downlink or uplink transmissions for a time period and can be switched to the other of downlink or uplink transmissions at a later time period. Currently, TDD operates in Half Duplex mode (HD-TDD) where the gNB or UE can, at a given time, either transmit or receive packets, but not both at the same time. As wireless networks transition from NR to 5G- Advanced networks, a proposed new feature of such networks is to enhance duplexing operation for Time Division Duplex (TDD) by enabling Full Duplex operation in TDD (FD-TDD) [3], [4],

[0063] In FD-TDD, a gNB can transmit and receive data to and from the UEs at the same time on the same frequency band. In addition, a UE can operate either in HD-TDD or FD-TDD mode, depending on its capability. For example, when UEs are only capable of supporting HD-TDD, FD-TDD is achieved at the gNB by scheduling a DL transmission to a first UE and scheduling a UL transmission from a second UE within the same orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol (i.e., at the same time). Conversely, when UEs are capable of supporting FD-TDD, FD-TDD is achieved both at the gNB and the UE, where the gNB can simultaneously schedule this UE with DL and UL transmissions within the same OFDM symbol by scheduling the DL and UL transmissions at different frequencies (e.g., physical resource blocks (PRBs)) of the system bandwidth. A UE supporting FD-TDD requires more complex hardware than a UE that only supports HD-TDD. Development of current 5G networks is focused primarily on enabling FD-TDD at the gNB with UEs operating in HD-TDD mode.

[0064] Motivations for enhancing duplexing operation for TDD include an improvement in system capacity, reduced latency, and improved uplink coverage. For example, in current HD-TDD systems, OFDM symbols are allocated only for either a DL or UL direction in a semi-static manner. Hence, if one direction experiences less or no data, the spare resources cannot be used in the other direction, or are, at best, under-utilized. However, if resources can be used for DL data and UL data (as in FD-TDD) at the same time, the resource utilization in the system can be improved. Furthermore, in current HD-TDD systems, a UE can receive DL data, but cannot transmit UL data at the same time, which causes delays. If a gNB or UE is allowed to transmit and receive data at the same time (as with FD-TDD), the traffic latency will be improved. In addition, UEs are usually coverage limited in their UL transmissions when located close to the edge of a cell. While the UE coverage at the cell-edge can be improved if more time domain resources are assigned to UL transmissions (e.g. repetitions), if the UL direction is assigned more time resources, fewer time resources can be assigned to the DL direction, which can lead to system imbalance.

[0065] Sub-band Full Duplex (SBFD)

[0066] In Sub-band Full Duplex (SBFD), the frequency resource of a TDD system bandwidth or Bandwidth Part (BWP) (i.e. at the UE / gNB) is divided into two or more non-overlapping sub-bands, where each sub-band can be DL or UL [5], Guard sub-bands may be used between DL and UL sub-bands to reduce inter subband interference.

[0067] An example is shown in Figure 4, where simultaneous DL and UL transmissions occur in different nonoverlapping sub-bands 401 to 403, i.e. in different sets of frequency Resource Blocks (RB): Sub-band# 1 401, Sub-band#2 402, Sub-band#3 403, such that Sub-band# 1 401 and Sub-band#3 403 are used for DL transmissions whilst Sub-band#2 402 is used for UL transmissions.

[0068] While Figure 4 shows the system bandwidth as being divided into three sub-bands, any number of subbands could be used. For example, the system bandwidth may be divided into four sub-bands, which may include the two downlink sub-bands 401, 403, the uplink sub-band 402 and another uplink sub-band, though other sub-band arrangements are envisioned. To reduce leakage from one sub-band 401 to 403 to another, a guard sub-band 410 may be configured between UL and DL sub-bands 401 to 403. Guard subbands 410 are configured between DL Sub-band#3 403 and UL Sub-band#2 402 and between UL Sub- band#2 402 and DL Sub-band# 1 401.

[0069] The arrangement of sub-bands 401 to 403 shown in Figure 4 is just one possible arrangement of the subbands and other arrangements are possible, and guard bands may be used in substantially any sub-band arrangement.

[0070] Figure 5 shows two further examples with a DL and UL sub-band separated by a guard sub-band. For example, on the left-side of Figure 5, a UL sub-band# 1 501 is separated from a DL sub-band#2 503 by a guard sub-band 502. In this case, the DL sub-band#2 503 occupies a higher frequency portion of the system bandwidth than the UL sub-band# 1 501. On the right-side of Figure 5, a DL sub-band# 1 504 is separated from a UL sub-band#2 506 by a guard sub-band 505. In this case, the UL sub-band#2 506 occupies a higher frequency portion of the system bandwidth than the DL sub-band# 1 504.

[0071] Intra-Cell Cross Link Interference (CLI)

[0072] FD-TDD employing SBFD suffers from intra-cell cross link interference (CLI) at the gNB and at the UE. An example is shown in Figure 6, where a gNB 610 is capable of FD-TDD and is simultaneously receiving UL transmission 631 from UE1 621 and transmitting a DL transmission 642 to UE2 622. At the gNB 610, intra-cell CLI is caused by the DL transmission 642 at the gNB’s transmitter self-interfering 641 with its own receiver that is trying to decode UL signals 631. At UE2 622, intra-cell CLI 632 is caused by an aggressor UE, e.g. UE1 621, transmitting in the UL 631, whilst a victim UE, e.g. UE2 622, is receiving a DL signal 642.

[0073] The intra-cell CLI at the gNB due to self-interference can be significant, as the DL transmission can in some cases be over 100 dB more powerful than the UL reception. Accordingly, complex RF hardware and interference cancellation are required to isolate this self-interference. As noted above, guard bands may be inserted between two sub-bands of different link directions as shown in Figures 4 and 5 and described above. Furthermore, separate antenna panels may be used for transmissions and receptions at the gNB to provide spatial isolation between the DL & UL thereby reducing gNB self-interference. Inter Sub-Band Interference

[0074] The use of SBFD is considered as a way of reducing self-interference at the gNB. However, SBFD may suffer from inter (and indeed intra) sub-band interferences, which are caused by transmission leakage and receiver’s selectivity. Although a transmission is typically scheduled within a specific frequency channel (or sub-band), i.e. a specific set of RBs, transmission power can leak out to other channels. This occurs because channel filters are not perfect, and as such the roll-off of the filter will cause power to leak into channels adjacent to the intended specific frequency channel. While the following discussion uses the term channel, such discussion equally applies to sub-bands, such as the sub-bands shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0075] An example of transmission generating adjacent channel leakage is shown in Figure 7. Here, the wanted transmission (Tx) power is the transmission power in the selected frequency band (i.e. the assigned channel 710). Due to roll-off of the transmission filter and nonlinearities in components of the transmitter, some transmission power is leaked into adjacent channels (including an adjacent channel 720), as shown in Figure 7. The ratio of the power within the assigned frequency channel 710 to the power in the adjacent channel 720 is the Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR). The leakage power 750 will cause interference at a receiver that is receiving the signal in the adjacent channels 720.

[0076] Similarly, a receiver’s filter is also not perfect and will receive unwanted power from adjacent channels due to its own filter roll-off. An example of filter roll-off at a receiver is shown in Figure 8. Here, a receiver is configured to receive transmissions in an assigned channel 810. However, the imperfect nature of the receiver filter means that some transmission power 850 can be received in adjacent channels 820. Therefore, if a signal 830 is transmitted on an adjacent channel 820, the receiver will inadvertently receive the adjacent signal 830 in the adjacent channel 820, to an extent. The ratio of the received power in the assigned frequency channel 810 to the received power 850 in the adjacent channel 820 is the Adjacent Channel Selectivity (ACS).

[0077] The combination of the ACL from the transmitter and the ACS of a receiver will lead to adjacent channel interference (ACI), otherwise known as inter-sub-band interference, at the receiver. An example is shown in Figure 9, where an aggressor transmits a signal 910 in an adjacent channel at a lower frequency than the victim’s receiving 920 channel. The interference 950 caused by the aggressor’s transmission includes the ACL 951 of the aggressor’s transmitting filter and the ACS 952 of the victim’s receiving filter. In other words, the receiver will experience interference 950 in the ACI frequency range shown in Figure 9.

[0078] As such, due to adjacent channel interference (ACI), cross link interference (CLI) will still occur despite the use of different sub-bands 401 to 403 for DL and UL transmissions in a FD-TDD cell as shown in the example of Figure 4, or sub bands 501 and 503, and 504 and 506 in the examples of Figure 5.

[0079] SBFD Slot Format

[0080] In a typical TDD deployment, the TDD time pattern configuration has a TDD pattern periodicity of five slots and a {DDDDU} TDD slot format, where D signifies a DL slot and U signifies an UL slot as shown in the example configuration of Figure 10. As can therefore be seen in Figure 10, Slots n to n+3 are DL slots configured for the transmission of DL signals, while Slot n+4 is an UL slot configured for the transmission of UL signals. After Slot n+4, the pattern repeats in accordance with the {DDDDU} TDD slot format. Typically, the slot prior to the UL slot, i.e. Slot n+3 in the example Figure 10, comprises one or two flexible OFDM symbols at the end of the slot, which enable the provision of a guard period for UEs to perform timing advance and to transition from DL to UL. One of the objectives of Duplex Evolution is to increase UL capacity and so at least for Rel-19, SBFD is only configured in DL OFDM symbols, i.e., by configuring a UL sub-band in DL OFDM symbol. Two SBFD slot formats considered are {DXXXU} and {XXXXU}, where X signifies an SBFD slot, as shown in the example of Figure 11. Although, the SBFD slot in the example in Figure 11 has only one DL subband (and one UL sub-band), it should be noted that other SBFD frequency configurations, such as those with two DL sub-bands such as in the example of Figure 4 or with the UL sub-band at the top and a DL sub-band at the bottom such as in the example on the right-hand side of Figure 5, can be configured.

[0081] In addition to configuring SBFD with a granularity of an entire slot, SBFD may also be configured at the granularity of OFDM symbols. That is, within a single slot, the gNB may configure SBFD and non- SBFD OFDM symbols. An example is shown in Figure 12, where a TDD pattern has an SBFD slot format {DXXXU}. The SBFD slots, i.e. Slot n+1, Slot n+2 and Slot «+3, each consist of SBFD and non- SBFD OFDM symbols. In Slot w+1, the first two OFDM symbols are DL, whilst the remaining are SBFD with two DL sub-bands and one UL sub-band. Similarly, for Slot w+2 and Slot w+3. the first two OFDM symbols are DL, but the last two OFDM symbols are UL and flexible respectively for Slot n+2 and n+3. The remaining portions of each of these slots, from the third to the twelfth OFDM symbols, are SBFD symbols.

[0082] Quasi-Co-Location (QCL) and Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) States

[0083] The network operates using multiple beams and / or multiple transmission and reception point (TRPs), as shown in Figure 2, for example. When different beams and / or different TRPs are used for the transmission or reception of signals to or from UEs, the channel conditions are also changed because the radio propagation is different. In such an operation, it is helpful for a UE to know the propagation of the received signal / channel in advance, in order to improve reception performance.

[0084] In respect of this, the concept of Quasi-Co-Location (QCL) was introduced in 3GPP, to provide the UE with information in respect of which it can adjust its receiver settings to improve reception performance. In QCL, two antenna ports are said to be quasi co-located (QCLed) if properties of the channel over which a symbol on one antenna port is conveyed can be inferred from the channel over which a symbol on the other antenna port is conveyed. If the two antenna ports are QCLed, a UE can assume some properties of the channel transmitted by one antenna port may be the same as those for receiving a channel transmitted by another antenna port.

[0085] An example of QCL assumption is shown in Figure 13. In this example, a first TRP 1301 transmits a first channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) 1304 to a UE 1303, and a second TRP 1302 transmits a second CSI-RS 1305 the UE 1303. In this case, the UE 1303 should assume that the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) demodulation reference signal (DMRS) 1306 also received from the first TRP 1301 is QCLed with the first CSI-RS 1304 received from the first TRP 1301, but is not QCLed with the second CSI-RS 1305 received from the second TRP 1302.

[0086] There are four types of QCL, which are based on different channel properties as described in [6], These types of QCL, and the channel properties on which they are based, are:

[0087] • type A: {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread};

[0088] • tvpeB: {Doppler shift, Doppler spread};

[0089] • tvpeC: {Doppler shift, average delay}; and

[0090] • typeD: 1 Spatial Rx parameter} . It is indicated that properties associated with a particular QCL type (with respect to two antenna ports being QCLed in regard to that QCL type) are assumed to be the same. For example, if QCL type A is indicated, this signifies that two antenna ports (and / or the signals / channels received from them) are QCLed in terms of their Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread.

[0091] To indicate the QCL dynamically and flexibly, the concept of a Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) was introduced in 3GPP. A TCI state is an indication of QCL relationship between a reference RS and a target RS in terms of the QCL type. For example, if a TCI which is associated with a certain synchronisation signal block (SSB) and a certain DMRS is indicated, then this signifies that the DMRS and the SSB are QCLed, and so the UE assume that the DMRS and its associated physical channel is transmitted from the same antenna as the SSB.

[0092] For dynamic scheduling of a PDSCH, the DL grant can indicate the TCI state of the PDSCH DMRS. The DL grant contains a field named "Transmission Configuration Indication" . The information element (IE) shown in Figure 14 illustrates an example configuration of a TCI state. As can be seen from the example of Figure 14, the IE TCI-State associates one or two DL RS with a QCL type. For CORESET and physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs), the TCI state can be indicated in a similar way via a MAC CE.

[0093] For PUSCH, a UL beam may be indicated by the UL TCI state which indicates a QCL such as that between an UL RS and SRS. The UL TCI state can be indicated by an SRS resource indication in the UL grant. If an SRS resource is indicated, then the PUSCH and PUSCH DMRS are transmitted by using the same beam as the indicated SRS. For a PUSCH with a unified TCI where the DL and UL beams are jointly configured when beam correspondence is applied, the UL TCI state can be indicated by either a joint TCI state or an UL TCI state.

[0094] Since an SBFD slot format may contain both SBFD and non-SBFD OFDM symbols as described above, a DL or UL transmission may overlap both SBFD and non-SBFD OFDM symbols. An example of this is shown in Figure 15, which has the same SBFD slot format as that of Figure 12. In Slot w+2. PUSCH#1 transmission overlaps both SBFD OFDM symbols (i.e., from the seventh to the twelfth OFDM symbols of the slot) and non-SBFD OFDM symbols (i.e., the thirteenth and fourteenth OFDM symbols of the slot). Similarly in Slot «+3, PDSCH#2 overlaps both non-SBFD OFDM symbols (i.e., the first and second OFDM symbols of the slot) and SBFD OFDM symbols (i.e., from the third to the twelfth OFDM symbols of the slot).

[0095] Transmissions which have multiple occasions and span multiple slots, such as PDSCH / PUSCH repetitions or a configured grant PUSCH (CG-PUSCH) or a semi-persistent scheduling PDSCH (SPS- PDSCH) may also overlap SBFD and non-SBFD OFDM symbols. For example, in the example of Figure 15, PDSCH#1 has two repetitions, where the first repetition, PDSCH#1-R1, is transmitted in DL OFDM symbols in Slot n, whilst the second repetition, PDSCH# 1-R2, is transmitted fully in DL SBFD OFDM symbols in Slot «+l.

[0096] The gNB may use different hardware and transmission parameters for transmission in SBFD and non- SBFD OFDM symbols. For example, the gNB may use different antenna panels for transmission in SBFD and non-SBFD OFDM symbols, where for SBFD, additional sub-band filtering may be applied to reduce inter sub-band CLI. This leads to different radio channels for the same transmission when using either SBFD or non-SBFD OFDM symbols. An example is shown in Figure 16, where the gNB uses three different antenna panels; a first antenna panel 1601 for legacy TDD transmissions (i.e. in non-SBFD OFDM symbols) labelled “DL / UL”, a second antenna panel 1602 for DL transmission in SBFD OFDM symbols labelled “DL”, and a third antenna panel 1603 for UL reception in SBFD OFDM symbols labelled “UL” . For SBFD, separate antenna panels (e.g. antenna panels 1602 and 1603 in the example of Figure 16) are used for DL and UL to provide spatial isolation between DL transmission and UL reception to reduce self-interference caused by CLI at the gNB. In the example of Figure 16, Slot n consists of DL OFDM symbols from time to to fi, and SBFD OFDM symbols from time 6 to L, and Slot n+1 consists of SBFD OFDM symbols from time L to , and UL OFDM symbols from time h, to L.

[0097] In the example of Figure 16, a PDSCH is transmitted to the UE occupying Slot n, which overlaps DL OFDM symbols and SBFD OFDM symbols. The gNB uses the TDD panel 1601 to transmit a PDSCH

[0098] 1604 from time to to ti, and switches to the SBFD "DL" antenna panel 1602 to transmit the remaining part of the PDSCH 1604 from time ti to h, since it resides in SBFD OFDM symbols. In Slot w+1, the UE transmits a PUSCH 1605 occupying the entire slot thereby occupying SBFD OFDM symbols from time L to t3and UL OFDM symbols from time t3to Accordingly, the gNB receives the first half of the

[0099] PUSCH 1605 using the SBFD “UL” antenna panel 1603 since it provides spatial isolation from CLI from DL transmissions in the DL sub-bands of those SBFD OFDM symbols in Slot n+1. The gNB then switches to the TDD antenna panel 1601 for the remaining half of the PUSCH 1605 reception. Due to the changes in antenna panels during the transmission and reception of the PDSCH 1604 and PUSCH 1605, discontinuity in the channel condition will occur in the PDSCH 1604 reception at the UE and PUSCH

[0100] 1605 reception at the gNB, meaning that - without changing their receiver settings - the different halves of the PDSCH 1604 or PUSCH 1605 will be received by the UE or gNB with differing levels of performance and quality.

[0101] This technical issue of channel discontinuity may occur in different arrangements. As discussed above with respect to the example of Figure 16, one of the example conditions where this technical issue occurs is when a physical channel (e.g., a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PUCCH) is scheduled across both SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. Since the gNB antenna panel may be changed at the boundary between SBFD symbol and non-SBFD symbol, channel discontinuity between one part of the physical channel and the other part of the physical channel occurs.

[0102] Another example condition where the technical issue occurs is when a physical channel configured with multiple repetition is scheduled across both SBFD slot(s) and non-SBFD slot(s).

[0103] An example is shown in Figure 17, where, like in the example of Figure 16, a gNB uses three different antenna panels 1701, 1702, and 1703. A PDSCH with two repetitions is transmitted in Slot n and Slot w+1, which are non-SBFD and SBFD slots respectively. For the transmission of the first repetition 1704 of the PDSCH in the non-SBFD Slot n, the gNB uses the traditional TDD panel 1701 which is used for DL and UL. For the transmission of the second repetition 1705 of the PDSCH in the SBFD Slot w+1, the gNB uses the SBFD “DL” panel 1702 to provide spatial isolation with respect to signals transmitted by the SBFD “UL” panel 1703. That is, the first PDSCH repetition 1704 and the second PDSCH repetition 1705 are transmitted from different antenna panels and therefore they have different QCL assumptions - this again leads to channel discontinuity at the UE when receiving the two PDSCH repetitions 1704 and 1705 if the UE does not adjust its receiver settings in between.

[0104] Embodiments of the present technique seek to provide solutions to such a technical issue of channel discontinuity experienced at a receiver (e.g., a UE or gNB) that occurs due to the transmission of signals across both SBFD and non-SBFD OFDM symbols. TCI Indication for SBFD and non-SBFD OFDM Symbols

[0105] Figure 18 shows a part schematic, part message flow diagram representation of a wireless communications system comprising an infrastructure equipment 1810 (e.g., an AP such as a gNB / TRP 10) and a communications device 1820 (e.g., a UE 14) in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technique. The communications device 1820 may be configured to transmit signals to and / or receive signals from the wireless communications network, for example, to and from the infrastructure equipment 1810. Specifically, first communications device 1820 may be configured to transmit data to and / or receive data from the wireless communications network (e.g., to / from the infrastructure equipment 1810) via a wireless radio interface provided by the wireless communications network (e.g., a Uu interface between the communications device 1820 and the Radio Access Network (RAN), which includes the infrastructure equipment 1810). The infrastructure equipment 1810 and the communications device 1820 each comprise a transceiver (or transceiver circuitry) 1811, 1821, and a controller (or controller circuitry) 1812, 1822. Each of the controllers 1812, 1822 may be, for example, a microprocessor, a CPU, or a dedicated chipset, etc. The controllers 1812, 1822 may also each be equipped with a memory unit (which is not shown in Figure 18).

[0106] As shown in the example of Figure 18, the controller 1812 of the infrastructure equipment 1810 is configured to control the transceiver 1811 of the infrastructure equipment 1810 to transmit 1830, to the communications device 1820, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted 1850 by the infrastructure equipment 1810 to the communications device 1820 or received 1850 by the infrastructure equipment 1810 from the communications device 1820, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and to transmit 1840, to the communications device 1820, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption. The first and second DMRS may each comprise one or more DMRS symbols. The first portion of the physical channel may in some implementations be transmitted or received using a first antenna panel (which may be understood as being a first antenna array comprising one or more antenna elements) of the infrastructure equipment 1810, while the second portion of the physical channel may in some implementations be transmitted or received using a second antenna panel (which may be understood as being a second antenna array comprising one or more antenna elements) of the infrastructure equipment 1810.

[0107] The controller 1812 of the infrastructure equipment 1810 may then be configured to control the transceiver 1811 of the infrastructure equipment 1810 to either transmit 1850 the physical channel to the communications device 1820 or receive 1850 the physical channel from the communications device 1820, where the infrastructure equipment 1810 switches its antenna panel from the first antenna panel to the second antenna panel in between transmitting / receiving 1850 the first portion of the physical channel and the second portion of the physical channel. Here, the physical channel may carry downlink data or specifically a downlink data channel comprising a downlink packet or multiple downlink packets such as a PDSCH or an SPS-PDSCH. Alternatively, the physical channel may carry uplink data or specifically an uplink data channel comprising an uplink packet or multiple uplink packets such as a PUSCH or a CG- PUSCH. Alternatively, the physical channel may comprise SSBs, CSI-RSs, a CORESET, or may be a physical random access channel (PRACH) or a PUCCH. Furthermore, in the example of Figure 18, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the first portion and the second portion of the physical channel are not necessarily in that order in time. That is, the physical channel may be transmitted with the second portion located before the first portion in time (i.e., the non-SBFD symbols come before the SBFD symbols in time), or vice versa. Similarly, the QCL assumptions indicated by the TCI state - where that TCI state indicates both the first and second QCL assumption - may be indicated in any order. The physical channel is, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a single physical channel that is split between non-SBFD and SBFD symbols, or may be scheduled as two separate channels; one in the SBFD symbols and one in the non-SBFD symbols. The SBFD and non-SBFD symbols may all be contained within the same slot, such as in the example of Figure 16, or may be contained within different slots, such as in the example of Figure 17 (and where these different slots may be contiguous / consecutive slots, or may be separated by one or more other slots).

[0108] Essentially then, embodiments of the present technique, as exemplified by the example wireless communications system of Figure 18 for example, propose that a TCI state is indicated when the gNB’s antenna panel is switched in the middle of transmission or reception of a physical channel split between SBFD and non-SBFD symbols, either in a slot or across slots. Here, this concept of a TCI state and the QCL assumption(s) it indicates can be reused, with the TCI states being utilised to perform the arrangements of embodiments of the present technique indicating either one or two QCL assumptions. By indicating two QCL assumptions (e.g. by indicating one TCI state or two separate TCI states) for a physical channel transmission in a slot or between slots split among SBFD and non-SBFD symbols, the UE can be provided with the relevant information to ensure effective transmission / reception of the physical channel even though the gNB will change its antenna array during transmission / reception (though the QCL assumptions’ association with the DMRS for example). This therefore solves the problem of channel discontinuity caused by the gNB switching its antenna panel at the switch between SBFD and non-SBFD symbols both contained within the same slot or between slots, described above with respect to Figures 16 and 17, where the channel discontinuity will of course otherwise affect transmission / reception of signals because the radio channel conditions may change significantly during their transmission due to the change in antenna panel at the gNB.

[0109] In the current specifications, the UE assumes that the antenna panel at the gNB is the same during the entire transmission of a physical channel (i.e., the antenna panel is not changed in the middle of the transmission physical channel), and only a single QCL assumption is therefore required to be indicated for the physical channel. However, in the case of SBFD, since the gNB antenna panel may need to be switched as described above with respect to Figures 16 and 17 for example, the QCL assumption also needs to be changed in the middle of physical channel between SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. Providing the UE with both QCL assumptions enables it to understand the channel conditions both before and after the antenna panel switch at the gNB. Thus, in accordance with at least some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, if the physical channel is scheduled across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols and the gNB antenna panel is switched, the two QCL assumptions are indicated to the UE which are associated respectively with DMRS in a portion of the physical channel scheduled in SBFD symbols and DMRS in another portion of the physical channel scheduled in non-SBFD symbols.

[0110] An example of an indication of two QCL assumptions is shown in Figure 19, where similarly to the examples of Figures 16 and 17, the gNB has three antenna panels 1901, 1902, and 1903. In this example, a DL grant schedules a PDSCH 1904 in Slot n, which is mapped across SBFD symbols in the first half of Slot n and non-SBFD symbols in the second half of Slot n. The DL grant also carries indication of a TCI state indicating two QCL assumptions; QCL assumption#! which is associated with a first DMRS symbol 1905 within the first portion of the PDSCH 1904 in the SBFD symbols and QCL assumption#2 which is associated with a second DMRS symbol 1906 within the second portion of the PDSCH 1904 in the non- SBFD symbols. Through this indication, the UE is thus aware of the different QCL assumptions even if the gNB’s antenna panel is switched in the middle of the PDSCH 1904 transmission from the traditional TDD antenna panel 1901 to the “DL” antenna panel 1902.

[0111] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, the ordering of the TCI states information is arranged so that the first QCL assumption corresponds to the non-SBFD symbols and the second QCL assumption corresponds to the SBFD symbols. Those skilled in the art would also appreciate that they may be indicated in either appropriate order by the TCI state.

[0112] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, if the physical channel (such as a PDSCH or PUSCH) with a unified TCI state is dynamically scheduled, then the TCI state that indicates both of the two QCL assumptions may be indicated via a UE-specific or group-common DCI. In other words, the indication of the TCI state may be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information (DCI) the DCI either being specific to the communications device or common to a group of communications devices (including the communications device to or from which the physical channel is transmitted or received).

[0113] In some such arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, that UE-specific DCI may be the resource allocation, e.g., a DL or UL grant scheduling a PDSCH or PUSCH. In other words, the resource allocation may comprise the TCI state, where that resource allocation may be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information (DCI). In the current specifications, the DL grant contains a field entitled "Transmission Configuration Indication" which may be used in accordance with arrangements of embodiments of the present disclosure to indicate the TCI state for the scheduled PDSCH and PUSCH with unified TCI state.

[0114] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique then, as described above, one TCI state may have two QCL assumption and which are respectively associated with a first DMRS and a second DMRS. Figure 20 illustrates an information element (IE) that demonstrates an example of the expected specification changes to support such arrangements. The new portions of this IE are highlighted, as can be seen in Figure 20. In addition to the legacy parameter qcl-Type. the proposed changes to the IE TCI- State would mean that it includes the additional parameter qcl-Type-SBFD . In the IE, qcl-Type 1 and qcl- Type2 can be understood as corresponding to DMRS in first portion of a PDSCH (or other physical channel), while qcl-Type 1 -SBFD and qcl-Type2-SBFD can be understood as corresponding to DMRS in second portion of the PDSCH, when the gNB antenna panel is switched between SBFD symbols and non- SBFD symbols.

[0115] By using the new IE TCI-State as illustrated in Figure 20 for example, a TCI state table containing two QCL assumptions per TCI state may be configured, and the TCI indication transmitted by the gNB may point to an index of this table. In other words, the indication of the TCI state may be an indication of an index of a TCI state table comprising a plurality of TCI states. An example is shown below, as Table I, where the QCL assumptions specifically relate to the CSI-RSs that are indicated by each TCI state. In the example of Table I, the first four TCI states are legacy TCI states, which indicate only one QCL assumption indication, and thus can be used for PDSCH (or other physical channels) transmitted in SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only, or over both SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols only when the gNB’s antenna panel is not switched. The last four TCI states in Table I each indicate two QCL assumptions, and thus can be used for the transmission of a PDSCH (or any other physical channel) over both SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols when the gNB’s antenna panel is switched. In other words, with respect to the example format of Table I, one or more of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table may indicate two QCL assumptions and one or more others of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table may indicate only one QCL assumption. As such, the TCI state ID (or index) indicated in step 1840 in the example of Figure 18 may be any of TCI states 5, 6, 7, or 8 as shown in Table I below.

[0116] Table I: TCI state table Indicating one or two QCL assumptions

[0117] In another implementation of such arrangements, two TCI state tables can be configured, where example tables are shown below as Table II and Table III. Table II is a legacy TCI state table where each TCI state indicates only one QCL assumption, while Table III is a new TCI state table where each TCI state indicates two QCL assumptions. In other words, each of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table may indicate two QCL assumptions. As such, the TCI state ID (or index) indicated in step 1840 in the example of Figure 18 may be any of TCI states 1 to 8 as shown in Table III below.

[0118] Table II: Legacy TCI state table indicating only one QCL assumption

[0119] Table III: New TCI state table indicating two QCL assumptions

[0120] In some such arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, the DL grant may contain one additional bit which indicates which of the TCI state tables is referred to in the TCI state indication. For example, when the gNB’s antenna panel is not switched during transmission or reception of a physical channel, such a bit may be indicated as 'O’, thus referring to the legacy table such as that exemplified by Table II above. On the other hand, when the gNB antenna panel is switched during transmission or reception of a physical channel, the bit may be indicated as ‘ 1 ’, thus referring to the new table such as that exemplified by Table III above. To support this behaviour, the following description of the additional bit may be added to the specifications: gNB antenna panel switch indication - 1 hit if SBFD is configured, 0 hit otherwise

[0121] In another example, the DL grant may carry a two-field "Transmission Configuration Indication", where the first field is associated with the DMRS in the non-SBFD symbols and the second field is associated with the DMRS in the SBFD symbols, or vice versa. To support this example, the bit size of the field should be double compared to that of the legacy field. The following text is an example of the expected specification change to define this new field:

[0122] Transmission configuration indication - 0 hit if higher layer parameter tci-PresentlnDCI is not enabled; 6 hits if high layer parameter twoTCI-SBFD is configured, otherwise 3 bits as defined in Clause 5.1.5 (of [6])

[0123] In the six bits of such a Transmission Configuration Indication, the first three bits thus correspond to the DMRS in the first portion of the PDSCH and the last three bits correspond to the DMRS in the second portion of the PDSCH (or any other physical channel). For a PDSCH (or other physical channel) on SBFD symbols only, non-SBFD symbols only, or for PDSCH over SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols when the gNB antenna panel is not switched, the first three bits and last three bits will indicate the same QCL assumption. The expected description may be added in a DL grant such as DCI format 1 1, DCI format 1 2, and DCI format 1 3.

[0124] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, if the physical channel is a dynamically scheduled PDSCH or PUSCH with a unified TCI state, one TCI state is indicated via a DL / UL grant (as per current UE behaviour) and another TCI state is indicated via a UE-specific or group-common DCI. In other words, the indication of the TCI state may be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI either being specific to the communications device or common to a group of communications devices (including the communications device to or from which the physical channel is transmitted or received), the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation may comprise an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption. In an example, the field "Transmission Configuration Indication" in the DL grant as described above may correspond to the DMRS in the first portion of a PDSCH and the UE may also be provided with an indication such as via the field "Transmission Configuration Indication" via UE-specific or group-common DCI that corresponds to the DMRS in the second portion of the PDSCH.

[0125] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, if the physical channel is a dynamically scheduled PUSCH, for example, two UL beams may be indicated by the UL grant. Here, the UL grant may contain a field "SRS resource indicator" to indicate the UL beam to be used for transmitting the scheduled PUSCH.

[0126] In an implementation of such arrangements, the field "SRS resource indicator" contains two indications of SRS resource. Here, the first indication corresponds to the first DMRS in the first portion of a PUSCH and the second indication corresponds to the second DMRS in the second portion of the PUSCH. In other words, the resource allocation may comprise an indication of first and second sets of sounding reference signals, SRS resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the first set of SRS resources is associated with the first DMRS and the second set of SRS resources is associated with the second DMRS. To support this example, the bit size of the field should be double that compared to the legacy field.

[0127] In another implementation of such arrangements, the field ‘SRS resource indicator^ indicates either one SRS resource indication associated or pairing of two SRS resource indication. If one SRS resource is indicated, then the first DMRS and second DMRS are assumed to be used by the same beam as the indicated SRS. In other words, the resource allocation may comprise an indication of a set of sounding reference signals, SRS, resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the set of SRS resources is associated with both of the first DMRS and the second DMRS. If two SRS resources are indicated, then a first of the paring is associated with the first DMRS and a second of the paring is associated with the second DMRS. Additionally, here, the UL grant may contain a bit used to indicate whether one SRS resource or a paring of two SRS resources is indicated via the field.

[0128] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, if the physical channel is a semi- statically scheduled physical channel such as a CG-PUSCH or a PUCCH, or an SPS-PDSCH, both of the two QCL assumptions associated with the first DMRS and second DMRS respectively may indicated via semi-static signalling, such as via an RRC configuration. In other words, the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within radio resource control, RRC, signalling. Such RRC signalling may be the allocation of the CG-PUSCH, PUCCH, or SPS-PDSCH resources. In other words, the resource allocation may comprise the TCI state, where that resource allocation may be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

[0129] For a CG-PUSCH, two SRS resource indicators are contained in the IE ConfiguredGrantConfig. An example of such an IE is shown in Figure 21. In detail, and in accordance with arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, an additional parameter to indicate SRS resource may be included in the IE. The first SRS resource indicator may correspond to a first DMRS in a first portion of the CG- PUSCH and the second SRS resource indicator may correspond to a second DMRS in a second portion of the CG-PUSCH. The IE shown in Figure 21 illustrates an example of the expected specification change, with the new parts highlighted.

[0130] For a PUCCH, an IE such as that shown in Figure 22 may be used to configure spatial settings for the PUCCH transmission. In some implementations of such arrangements, a new reference RS parameter is added. The legacy reference RS parameter corresponds to a first DMRS in a first portion of the CG- PUSCH and the new reference RS parameter corresponds to a second DMRS in a second portion of the CG-PUSCH. The IE shown in Figure 22 illustrates an example of the expected specification change, with the new parts highlighted.

[0131] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, if the physical channel is a semi- statically scheduled physical channel such as a CG-PUSCH or PUCCH, or an SPS-PDSCH, the two QCL assumptions associated with the first DMRS and second DMRS respectively may indicated via a MAC CE. In other words, the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). The MAC CE may contain one TCI state index which is associated with two QCL assumptions or two TCI state indices each associated with a QCL assumption with respect to the first and second portions of the semi-statically scheduled physical channel.

[0132] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, the default of a TCI state indicating both of two QCL assumptions may be set by RRC configuration, if it is allowed to schedule any physical channels across both SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. If there is no indication or a timer associated with an indication that TCI states each indicate only one QCL assumption expires, then UEs will follow the default two QCL assumption associated with a first DMRS in SBFD symbols and a second DMRS in non-SBFD symbols, respectively.

[0133] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, if only one QCL assumption is indicated for a scheduled physical channel even when the physical channel is scheduled across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols, it should be assumed that the gNB antenna panel is not switched during transmission or reception of that physical channel, and so all DMRS in the physical channel will be QCLed with single reference RS.

[0134] In the current specifications, only one TCI is assumed for a single physical channel (for example, a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PUCCH). In some such arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, as has been described above, one physical channel will split at the boundary of SBFD symbols and non- SBFD symbols. In other arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, however, the physical channel can be understood as being separate physical channels split between the SBFD and non-SBFD symbols, and each having a separate TCI state indicated for it. In other words, the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises one of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols, and the infrastructure equipment may be configured to transmit, to the communications device, a second resource allocation indicating the other of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols. Here, one of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation may comprise the indication of the TCI state, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the other of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation may comprise an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0135] An example is shown in Figure 23, where similarly to the examples of Figures 16, 17, and 19, the gNB has three antenna panels 2301, 2302, and 2303. In the example of Figure 23, a first DL grant 2304 schedules PDSCH# 1 on non-SBFD symbols only and a second DL grant 2305 schedules PDSCH#2 on SBFD symbols only. Each DL grant 2304 and 2305 carry a TCI associated with their respectively scheduled PDSCHs. In other words, the physical channel is not scheduled across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols.

[0136] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique therefore, two separate physical channels are scheduled by two DCIs which carry each TCI. To separate physical channel in a slot, a first physical channel is scheduled by using mapping type A, which only allows a scheduled channel to start from a few select symbols (1st, 2nd, or 3rdsymbol) from the beginning of the slot, and a second physical channel is scheduled by using mapping type B, which allows a scheduled channel to start from anywhere in the slot. The UE here needs to have a capability to receive two PDSCHs or transmit two PUSCHs in a same slot.

[0137] In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, two separate physical channels may be scheduled by single DCIs through multi-PDSCH / PUSCH scheduling. In such arrangements, the DCI scheduling multiple PDSCH / PUSCHs also contain TCI state indication which indicates two QCL assumptions as described above. In other words, the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation may comprise both of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols, where here the first and second portions of the physical channel are separate physical channels.

[0138] Additionally, in some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, when a single DCI schedules multiple PDSCH / PUSCHs (or any other physical channel) in a slot, the single DCI that schedules multiple PDSCH / PUSCHs specifically indicates that the multiple PDSCHs / PUSCHs are scheduled in the one slot because the current specification only supports multi-PDSCH / PUSCH scheduling in the case that each of the multiple PDSCHs / PUSCHs is associated with a different one of multiple slots. In other words, the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols may be within a same time-divided slot. Here, the single DCI will also contain TCI state indication which indicates two QCL assumptions as described above.

[0139] A typical PUSCH (or other appropriate physical channel) contains at least one DMRS symbol in one of the earlier symbols (e.g., 2ndsymbol or 3rdsymbol) of the slot. In addition, depending on whether the UE which transmits the PUSCH (or, for example receives a PDSCH) has high mobility or performs frequency hopping, up to three additional DMRS symbols may be inserted in the later symbols.

[0140] Accordingly, in some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, similar to such cases, additional DMRS may be inserted in the non-SBFD symbols in addition to DMRS in the SBFD symbols when the gNB’s antenna panel is switched between SBFD and non-SBFD symbols in a slot. For example, two DMRS symbols may be inserted into the SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols, respectively. The portion of the physical channel located in the SBFD symbols may be associated with the DMRS in the SBFD symbols, and the portion of the physical channel located in the non-SBFD symbols may be associated with the DMRS in the non-SBFD symbols, as described above with respect to Figure 18, for example. In other words, the DMRS in SBFD symbols is not used for demodulation (by whichever of the UE or gNB is the receiver of the physical channel) of the other portion of the physical channel located in non-SBFD symbols, and vice versa (i.e., the first DMRS is for use in demodulating the first portion of the physical channel and not the second portion of the physical channel, and wherein the second DMRS is for use in demodulating the second portion of the physical channel and not the first portion of the physical channel.).

[0141] Table IV: PUSCH DM-RS positions within a slot for single-symbol DM-RS and intra-slot frequency hopping disabled (reproduced from Table 6.4.1.1.3-3 in [7]) In the current specifications, according to [7] for example, the DMRS position is determined by a preconfigured table. The above table, Table IV, is one of such example of a pre-configured table defined in the specifications and is reproduced from [7] .

[0142] However, since SBFD symbols may be flexibly configured, the Table IV above as taken from [7] may not fit with the SBFD use case. In some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique therefore, DMRS insertion and the DMRS position configuration may be indicated by higher layer parameter instead of the pre-determined table (e.g., Table IV) in the case of SBFD. The following text is an example of that which may be added to the specifications to indicate this:

[0143] For PUSCH mapping type A across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols,

[0144] - 'dmrs-AdditionalPosition ' in Tables 6.4.1.1.3-3 to 6.4.1.1.3-6 shall be replaced by higher layer parameter DMRS- AdditionalP bsition-SBFD;

[0145] As described in detail above, the issue of channel discontinuity occurs due to antenna switching in order to reduce inter sub-band interference. In that sense, such discontinuity would be solved if the restriction of SBFD symbol configuration is made because antenna switching is no longer necessary.

[0146] Accordingly, in some arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, a restriction is defined that a gNB is not allowed to configure SBFD symbols for transmission or reception of a physical channel, or schedule a physical channel if a certain physical signal or physical channel is mapped over both SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. Here, the UE expects neither a transmission nor a reception across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols if such a condition / restriction is applied. The UE instead expects that the physical signal or physical channel is mapped on either SBFD symbols or non-SBFD symbols only in the case. In other words, the infrastructure equipment and / or the communications device are configured to determine that the physical channel is not a restricted physical channel, wherein a restricted physical channel is a physical channel which is to be transmitted or received using only either SBFD symbols or non-SBFD symbols. It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this restriction applies for only a single instance of a physical channel.

[0147] In some of such arrangements of embodiments of the present technique, the certain physical signal is SSB. Here, the UE will thus not expect that an SSB is mapped across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. Alternatively, or in addition, the certain physical signal is CSI-RS. Here, the UE will thus not expect that CSI-RS is mapped across SBFD symbol and non-SBFD symbol. It is noted that different CSI-RS ports can be mapped to each of SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. Alternatively, or in addition, the certain physical channel is a CORESET. Here, the UE will thus not expect that a CORESET is mapped across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. It is noted that different CORESETs can be mapped to each of SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. Alternatively, or in addition, the certain physical channel is a PRACH. Here, the UE will thus not expect that a RACH resource is mapped across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. It is noted that different RACH resources can be mapped to each of SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols. Alternatively, or in addition, the certain physical channel is PDSCH, PUSCH, or PUCCH, assuming these are not separated (e.g. as repetitions) across multiple slots. In other words, a type of the restricted physical channel is one of a list of restricted physical channel types, wherein the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of: a synchronisation signal block, SSB, a channel state information reference signal, CSI-RS, a control and resource set, CORESET, a physical random access channel, PRACH, a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, and a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH. Alternatively, or in addition, where the certain (restricted) physical channel is a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PUCCH, it may be specifically a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PUCCH that is used for initial access. In other words, where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are those which are used in an initial access procedure. Since it would be too complicated to configure multiple TCI states for these physical channels during initial access, the restriction in which PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH during initial access is not scheduled across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols may be efficient. Another example is a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PUCCH scheduled by a fallback DCI (e.g., DCI format 0 0 or 1 0). In other words, where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are those which are scheduled by a fallback DCI. Since fallback DCIs have less extensibility, such a restriction may be efficient. Another example is a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PUCCH which is scheduled with repetitions across an SBFD slot and a non-SBFD slot. If two QCU assumptions are not able to be configured for the repeated physical channels, the UE does not expect to receive the repeated PDSCH or to transmit the repeated PUSCH or PUCCH across both the SBFD slot and the non-SBFD slot.

[0148] Figure 24 shows a flow diagram illustrating an example process of communications in a communications system in accordance with embodiments of the present technique. The process shown by Figure 24 is specifically a method of operating an infrastructure equipment (such as a gNB or TRP) forming part of a wireless communications network.

[0149] The method begins in step SI. The method comprises, in step S2, transmitting, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device. Here, the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and furthermore the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCU, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCU assumption. In step S3, the process comprises transmitting, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCU assumption and the second QCU assumption. The process ends in step S4.

[0150] Those skilled in the art would appreciate that the method shown by Figure 24 may be adapted in accordance with embodiments of the present technique. For example, other intermediate steps may be included in such a method, or the steps may be performed in any logical order. Though embodiments of the present technique have been described largely by way of the example communications system shown in Figure 18, and further by way of the implementation examples shown in Figures 19 to 23, it would be clear to those skilled in the art that they could be equally applied to other systems to those described herein, provided that these are within the scope of the claims.

[0151] Those skilled in the art would further appreciate that such infrastructure equipment and / or communications devices as herein defined may be further defined in accordance with the various arrangements and embodiments discussed in the preceding paragraphs. It would be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that such infrastructure equipment and communications devices as herein defined and described may form part of communications systems other than those defined by the present disclosure, provided that these are within the scope of the claims. The following numbered paragraphs provide further example aspects and features of the present technique:

[0152] Paragraph 1. A method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, the method comprising transmitting, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non- SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and transmitting, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0153] Paragraph 2. A method according to Paragraph 1, wherein the first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received using a first antenna panel of the infrastructure equipment, and the second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received using a second antenna panel of the infrastructure equipment.

[0154] Paragraph 3. A method according to Paragraph 1 or Paragraph 2, wherein the resource allocation comprises the TCI state.

[0155] Paragraph 4. A method according to Paragraph 3, wherein the resource allocation is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI.

[0156] Paragraph 5. A method according to Paragraph 3 or Paragraph 4, wherein the resource allocation is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

[0157] Paragraph 6. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 5, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE.

[0158] Paragraph 7. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 6, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device.

[0159] Paragraph 8. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 7, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices.

[0160] Paragraph 9. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 8, wherein the indication of the TCI state is an indication of an index of a TCI state table comprising a plurality of TCI states.

[0161] Paragraph 10. A method according to Paragraph 9, wherein one or more of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate two QCL assumptions and one or more others of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate only one QCL assumption.

[0162] Paragraph 11. A method according to Paragraph 9 or Paragraph 10, wherein each of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicates two QCL assumptions.

[0163] Paragraph 12. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 11, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption. Paragraph 13. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 12, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0164] Paragraph 14. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 13, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of first and second sets of sounding reference signals, SRS resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the first set of SRS resources is associated with the first DMRS and the second set of SRS resources is associated with the second DMRS.

[0165] Paragraph 15. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 14, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of a set of sounding reference signals, SRS, resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the set of SRS resources is associated with both of the first DMRS and the second DMRS.

[0166] Paragraph 16. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 15, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

[0167] Paragraph 17. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 16, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises both of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

[0168] Paragraph 18. A method according to Paragraph 17, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

[0169] Paragraph 19. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 18, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises one of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

[0170] Paragraph 20. A method according to Paragraph 19, comprising transmitting, to the communications device, a second resource allocation indicating the other of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

[0171] Paragraph 21. A method according to Paragraph 20, wherein: one of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises the indication of the TCI state, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the other of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0172] Paragraph 22. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 21, wherein the first DMRS is for use in demodulating the first portion of the physical channel and not the second portion of the physical channel, and wherein the second DMRS is for use in demodulating the second portion of the physical channel and not the first portion of the physical channel.

[0173] Paragraph 23. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 22, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols are within a first time-divided slot, and wherein the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a second time-divided slot.

[0174] Paragraph 24. A method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 23, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

[0175] Paragraph 25. A method according to Paragraph 24, comprising determining that the physical channel is not a restricted physical channel, wherein a restricted physical channel is a physical channel which is to be transmitted or received using only either SBFD symbols or non-SBFD symbols. Paragraph 26 A method according to Paragraph 25, wherein a type of the restricted physical channel is one of a list of restricted physical channel types, wherein the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of: a synchronisation signal block, SSB, a channel state information reference signal, CSI-RS, a control and resource set, CORESET, a physical random access channel, PRACH, a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, and a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH.

[0176] Paragraph 27. A method according to Paragraph 26, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are used in an initial access procedure.

[0177] Paragraph 28. A method according to Paragraph 26 or Paragraph 27, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are scheduled by a fallback DCL

[0178] Paragraph 29. An infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a communications device, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to transmit, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non- SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and to transmit, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0179] Paragraph 30. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a communications device, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to transmit, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non- SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and to transmit, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0180] Paragraph 31. A method of operating a communications device configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a wireless communications network and / or one or more other communications devices, the method comprising receiving, from the wireless communications network, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the communications device to the wireless communications network or received by the communications device from the wireless communications network, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and receiving, from the wireless communications network, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0181] Paragraph 32. A method according to Paragraph 31, wherein the resource allocation comprises the TCI state.

[0182] Paragraph 33. A method according to Paragraph 32, wherein the resource allocation is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI.

[0183] Paragraph 34. A method according to Paragraph 32 or Paragraph 33, wherein the resource allocation is received by the communications device within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

[0184] Paragraph 35. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 34, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE.

[0185] Paragraph 36. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 35, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device.

[0186] Paragraph 37. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 36, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices.

[0187] Paragraph 38. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 37, wherein the indication of the TCI state is an indication of an index of a TCI state table comprising a plurality of TCI states.

[0188] Paragraph 39. A method according to Paragraph 38, wherein one or more of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate two QCL assumptions and one or more others of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate only one QCL assumption.

[0189] Paragraph 40. A method according to Paragraph 38 or Paragraph 39, wherein each of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicates two QCL assumptions.

[0190] Paragraph 41. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 40, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0191] Paragraph 42. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 41, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices, the first TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0192] Paragraph 43. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 42, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of first and second sets of sounding reference signals, SRS resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the first set of SRS resources is associated with the first DMRS and the second set of SRS resources is associated with the second DMRS.

[0193] Paragraph 44. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 43, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of a set of sounding reference signals, SRS, resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the set of SRS resources is associated with both of the first DMRS and the second DMRS.

[0194] Paragraph 45. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 44, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

[0195] Paragraph 46. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 45, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises both of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

[0196] Paragraph 47. A method according to Paragraph 46, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

[0197] Paragraph 48. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 47, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises one of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

[0198] Paragraph 49. A method according to Paragraph 48, comprising receiving, from the wireless communications network, a second resource allocation indicating the other of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

[0199] Paragraph 50. A method according to Paragraph 49, wherein: one of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises the indication of the TCI state, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the other of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0200] Paragraph 51. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 50, wherein the first DMRS is for use in demodulating the first portion of the physical channel and not the second portion of the physical channel, and wherein the second DMRS is for use in demodulating the second portion of the physical channel and not the first portion of the physical channel.

[0201] Paragraph 52. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 51, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols are within a first time-divided slot, and wherein the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a second time-divided slot.

[0202] Paragraph 53. A method according to any of Paragraphs 31 to 52, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

[0203] Paragraph 54. A method according to Paragraph 53, comprising determining that the physical channel is not a restricted physical channel, wherein a restricted physical channel is a physical channel which is to be transmitted or received using only either SBFD symbols or non-SBFD symbols.

[0204] Paragraph 55 A method according to Paragraph 54, wherein a type of the restricted physical channel is one of a list of restricted physical channel types, wherein the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of: a synchronisation signal block, SSB, a channel state information reference signal, CSI-RS, a control and resource set, CORESET, a physical random access channel, PRACH, a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, and a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH.

[0205] Paragraph 56. A method according to Paragraph 55, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are used in an initial access procedure.

[0206] Paragraph 57. A method according to Paragraph 55 or Paragraph 56, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are scheduled by a fallback DCL Paragraph 58. A communications device comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a wireless communications network and / or one or more other communications devices, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive, from the wireless communications network, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the communications device to the wireless communications network or received by the communications device from the wireless communications network, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and to receive, from the wireless communications network, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0207] Paragraph 59. Circuitry for a communications device, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a wireless communications network and / or one or more other communications devices, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive, from the wireless communications network, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the communications device to the wireless communications network or received by the communications device from the wireless communications network, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and to receive, from the wireless communications network, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

[0208] Paragraph 60. A wireless communications system comprising an infrastructure equipment according to Paragraph 29 and a communications device according to Paragraph 58. Paragraph 61. A computer program comprising instructions which, when loaded onto a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to any of Paragraphs 1 to 28 or Paragraphs 31 to 57.

[0209] Paragraph 62. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program according to Claim 61.

[0210] It will be appreciated that the above description for clarity has described embodiments with reference to different functional units, circuitry and / or processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, circuitry and / or processors may be used without detracting from the embodiments.

[0211] Described embodiments may be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. Described embodiments may optionally be implemented at least partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and / or digital signal processors. The elements and components of any embodiment may be physically, functionally and logically implemented in any suitable way. Indeed, the functionality may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of units or as part of other functional units. As such, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in a single unit or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units, circuitry and / or processors.

[0212] Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Additionally, although a feature may appear to be described in connection with particular embodiments, one skilled in the art would recognise that various features of the described embodiments may be combined in any manner suitable to implement the technique.

[0213] References

[0214] [1] Holma H. and Toskala A, “LTE for UMTS OFDMA and SC-FDMA based radio access”, John Wiley and Sons, 2009.

[0215] [2] TR 38.913, “3rdGeneration Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Study on Scenarios and Requirements for Next Generation Access Technologies

[0216] (Release 14)”, 3GPP, vl4.3.0, August 2017.

[0217] [3] RP -213591, “New SI: Study on evolution of NR duplex operation,” CMCC, RAN#94e, December 2021.

[0218] [4] RP -220633, “Revised SID: Study on evolution of NR duplex operation,” CMCC, RAN#95e, March 2022.

[0219] [5] European Patent No. 3545716.

[0220] [6] TS 38.214, “3rdGeneration Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for data (Release 18),” 3GPP, vl8.1.0, December 2023.

[0221] [7] TS 38.211, “3rdGeneration Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical channels and modulation (Release 18),” 3GPP, vl8.1.0, December 2023.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, the method comprising transmitting, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non- SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and transmitting, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received using a first antenna panel of the infrastructure equipment, and the second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received using a second antenna panel of the infrastructure equipment.

3. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the resource allocation comprises the TCI state.

4. A method according to Claim 3, wherein the resource allocation is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI.

5. A method according to Claim 3, wherein the resource allocation is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

6. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE.

7. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device.

8. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices.

9. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the indication of the TCI state is an indication of an index of a TCI state table comprising a plurality of TCI states.

10. A method according to Claim 9, wherein one or more of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate two QCL assumptions and one or more others of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate only one QCL assumption.

11. A method according to Claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicates two QCL assumptions.

12. A method according to Claim 1, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

13. A method according to Claim 1, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

14. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of first and second sets of sounding reference signals, SRS resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the first set of SRS resources is associated with the first DMRS and the second set of SRS resources is associated with the second DMRS.

15. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of a set of sounding reference signals, SRS, resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the set of SRS resources is associated with both of the first DMRS and the second DMRS.

16. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the indication of the TCI state is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

17. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises both of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

18. A method according to Claim 17, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

19. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises one of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

20. A method according to Claim 19, comprising transmitting, to the communications device, a second resource allocation indicating the other of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

21. A method according to Claim 20, wherein: one of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises the indication of the TCI state, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the other of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

22. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the first DMRS is for use in demodulating the first portion of the physical channel and not the second portion of the physical channel, and wherein the second DMRS is for use in demodulating the second portion of the physical channel and not the first portion of the physical channel.

23. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols are within a first time- divided slot, and wherein the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a second time-divided slot.

24. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

25. A method according to Claim 24, comprising determining that the physical channel is not a restricted physical channel, wherein a restricted physical channel is a physical channel which is to be transmitted or received using only either SBFD symbols or non-SBFD symbols.26 A method according to Claim 25, wherein a type of the restricted physical channel is one of a list of restricted physical channel types, wherein the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of: a synchronisation signal block, SSB, a channel state information reference signal, CSI-RS, a control and resource set, CORESET, a physical random access channel, PRACH, a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, and a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH.

27. A method according to Claim 26, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are used in an initial access procedure.

28. A method according to Claim 26, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are scheduled by a fallback DCI.

29. An infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a communications device, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to transmit, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non- SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS,associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and to transmit, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

30. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a communications device, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to transmit, to a communications device, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the infrastructure equipment to the communications device or received by the infrastructure equipment from the communications device, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non- SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and to transmit, to the communications device, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

31. A method of operating a communications device configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a wireless communications network and / or one or more other communications devices, the method comprising receiving, from the wireless communications network, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the communications device to the wireless communications network or received by the communications device from the wireless communications network, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCL, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCL assumption, and receiving, from the wireless communications network, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

32. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the resource allocation comprises the TCI state.

33. A method according to Claim 32, wherein the resource allocation is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI.

34. A method according to Claim 32, wherein the resource allocation is received by the communications device within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

35. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE.

36. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device.

37. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices.

38. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the indication of the TCI state is an indication of an index of a TCI state table comprising a plurality of TCI states.

39. A method according to Claim 38, wherein one or more of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate two QCL assumptions and one or more others of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicate only one QCL assumption.

40. A method according to Claim 38, wherein each of the plurality of TCI states of the TCI state table indicates two QCL assumptions.

41. A method according to Claim 31, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being specific to the communications device, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

42. A method according to Claim 31, wherein: the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within downlink control information, DCI, the DCI being common to a group of communications devices, the first TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

43. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of first and second sets of sounding reference signals, SRS resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the first set of SRS resources is associated with the first DMRS and the second set of SRS resources is associated with the second DMRS.

44. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the resource allocation comprises an indication of a set of sounding reference signals, SRS, resources configured for the communications device to transmit SRS to the wireless communications network, wherein the set of SRS resources is associated with both of the first DMRS and the second DMRS.

45. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the indication of the TCI state is received by the communications device within radio resource control, RRC, signalling.

46. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises both of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

47. A method according to Claim 46, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

48. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the set of radio resources indicated by the resource allocation comprises one of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

49. A method according to Claim 48, comprising receiving, from the wireless communications network, a second resource allocation indicating the other of the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols.

50. A method according to Claim 49, wherein: one of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises the indication of the TCI state, the TCI state indicating one of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption, and the other of the resource allocation and the second resource allocation comprises an indication of a second TCI state, the second TCI state indicating the other of the first QCL assumption and the second QCL assumption.

51. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the first DMRS is for use in demodulating the first portion of the physical channel and not the second portion of the physical channel, and wherein the second DMRS is for use in demodulating the second portion of the physical channel and not the first portion of the physical channel.

52. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols are within a first time- divided slot, and wherein the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a second time-divided slot.

53. A method according to Claim 31, wherein the one or more SBFD symbols and the one or more non-SBFD symbols are within a same time-divided slot.

54. A method according to Claim 53, comprising determining that the physical channel is not a restricted physical channel, wherein a restricted physical channel is a physical channel which is to be transmitted or received using only either SBFD symbols or non-SBFD symbols.55 A method according to Claim 54, wherein a type of the restricted physical channel is one of a list of restricted physical channel types, wherein the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of: a synchronisation signal block, SSB, a channel state information reference signal, CSI-RS, a control and resource set, CORESET, a physical random access channel, PRACH, a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, and a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH.

56. A method according to Claim 55, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are used in an initial access procedure.

57. A method according to Claim 55, wherein where the list of restricted physical channel types comprises one or more of a PDSCH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH, the one or more of the PDSCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are scheduled by a fallback DCI.

58. A communications device comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a wireless communications network and / or one or more other communications devices, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive, from the wireless communications network, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the communications device to the wireless communications network or received by the communications device from the wireless communications network, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCU, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCU assumption, and to receive, from the wireless communications network, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCU assumption and the second QCU assumption.

59. Circuitry for a communications device, the circuitry comprising transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals to and / or to receive signals from a wireless communications network and / or one or more other communications devices, and controller circuitry configured in combination with the transceiver circuitry to receive, from the wireless communications network, a resource allocation indicating a set of radio resources within which a physical channel is to be either transmitted by the communications device to the wireless communications network or received by the communications device from the wireless communications network, wherein the set of radio resources comprises one or more sub-band full duplex, SBFD, symbols within which a first portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received and / or one or more non-SBFD symbols within which a second portion of the physical channel is to be transmitted or received, and wherein the first portion of the physical channel comprises a first demodulation reference signal, DRMS, associated with a first quasi-co-location, QCU, assumption and the second portion of the physical channel comprises a DMRS, associated with a second QCU assumption, and to receive, from the wireless communications network, an indication of a transmission configuration indication, TCI, state, the TCI state indicating one or both of the first QCU assumption and the second QCU assumption.

60. A wireless communications system comprising an infrastructure equipment according to Claim 29 and a communications device according to Claim 58.

61. A computer program comprising instructions which, when loaded onto a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to Claim 1 or Claim 31.

62. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program according to Claim 61.

Images