Communication method, device, computer-readable storage medium, and program product

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments provide a communication method, apparatus and system, a computer-readable storage medium, and a program product. The method comprises: sending a first signal on a first time domain resource, and receiving a second signal on a second time domain resource, wherein there is a first guard interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource, the first guard interval has a first length, the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource each consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the first length is the length of the positive integer number of symbols. Moreover, the first time domain resource, the first guard interval, and the second time domain resource are consecutive in time domain. In this way, the embodiments of the present disclosure can implement time-frequency alignment between different communication domains, thereby reducing interference.

Description

Methods, devices, computer-readable storage media and program products for communication

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410910219.9, filed on July 8, 2024, entitled “Method, Apparatus, Computer-readable Storage Medium and Program Product for Communication”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to the field of communications, and more specifically to a method, apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and program product for communications. Background Technology

[0004] With technological advancements, various communication technologies have been developed to address different communication scenarios and needs. For example, to meet the evolving application demands in fields such as smart cars, smart terminals, smart homes, and smart manufacturing, corresponding short-range communication technologies have been developed, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, near-field communication (NFC), and SparkLink. However, wireless short-range communication technologies are often used in scenarios without unified deployment. Due to this lack of unified deployment, different coverage areas may overlap spatially. In such cases, concurrent communication in these coverage areas can lead to interference problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a communication method, device, computer-readable storage medium, and program product that can effectively reduce the impact between different communication domains.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. The executor of this method can be a master node that schedules communication resources, or a slave node in a communication system that does not require advance timing. The master or slave node can be, for example, a network device or a terminal device. The executor can also be a chip or chip system within the master or slave node. In this method, a first signal is transmitted on a first time-domain resource, and a second signal is received on a second time-domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time-domain resources. The first guard interval has a first length, and both the first and second time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, with the first length being the length of a positive integer number of symbols. Furthermore, the first time-domain resource, the first guard interval, and the second time-domain resource are contiguous in the time domain. In this way, the length of the guard interval in communication is configured to be an integer number of symbols. Thus, even with different guard interval lengths (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or guard interval positional configurations, the symbols used for data transmission will not have an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundaries. In other words, even if the guard interval position and / or length configurations differ in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains. This way, when these two or more communication domains coexist on adjacent channels, mutual interference caused by adjacent channel leakage can be avoided.

[0007] In some implementations, the method further includes transmitting a third signal on a third time-domain resource and transmitting a fourth signal on a fourth time-domain resource. Furthermore, the first time-domain resource unit includes the third time-domain resource and the second time-domain resource unit includes the fourth time-domain resource. A second guard interval exists between the third and fourth time-domain resources. The third time-domain resource, the second guard interval, and the fourth time-domain resource are contiguous in the time domain. The third and fourth time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the second guard interval is a second length, which is the length of a non-integer number of symbols. In this way, a second guard interval of a non-integer number of symbols is configured for the transmit / receive switching requirements between different time-domain resource units, thereby reducing the overhead of the guard interval. This is because the time required for a transmit / receive switch is typically less than the length of an integer number of symbols (e.g., less than the length of one symbol). Thus, since all adjacent pairs of time-domain resource units contain a second guard interval of the same length, the second guard interval does not affect the position of the symbol boundary. Even with different lengths of the first guard interval (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or different positional configurations of the first guard interval, the symbols used for data transmission will not experience an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundaries. In other words, even if the guard interval positions and / or lengths are configured differently in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains. This also avoids mutual interference caused by adjacent-channel leakage when these two or more communication domains coexist in adjacent channels.

[0008] In some implementations, one of the following situations exists: the second protection interval is included in the first time-domain resource unit, the second protection interval is included in the second time-domain resource unit, or the second protection interval is independent of the first and second time-domain resource units. In this way, the format or structure of the time-domain resource units can be flexibly configured according to requirements.

[0009] In some implementations, transmitting a third signal on a fourth time-domain resource and a fourth signal on a fifth time-domain resource includes at least one of the following: transmitting a third signal on a third time-domain resource and transmitting a fourth signal on a fourth time-domain resource; transmitting a third signal on a third time-domain resource and receiving a fourth signal on a fourth time-domain resource; receiving a third signal on a third time-domain resource and receiving a fourth signal on a fourth time-domain resource; or receiving a third signal on a third time-domain resource and transmitting a fourth signal on a fourth time-domain resource. In this manner, on both sides of the guard interval at the boundary of a time-domain resource unit, the transmission direction can be both downlink, both uplink, or one side downlink and the other uplink without restriction. Thus, all adjacent time-domain resource units, regardless of whether a transmission direction (uplink, downlink, sidelink, etc.) switch occurs, contain a second guard interval of the same length, and the second guard interval does not affect the position of the symbol boundary. Even with different lengths of the first guard interval (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or different positional configurations of the first guard interval, the symbols used for data transmission will not have an offset of a non-integer number of symbol lengths at the boundary. In other words, even if the guard interval position and / or length configuration differs in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains. This way, when these two or more communication domains coexist on adjacent channels, mutual interference caused by adjacent channel leakage can be avoided.

[0010] In some implementations, the first protection interval comprises M symbols, and the second protection interval has a length greater than (N-1) symbols and less than N symbols, where M and N are positive integers, and M and N have at least one of the following relationships: M = N, M = N = 1, at least one of M or N is pre-configured or preset, or M = N + K, where K is a non-negative integer and K is configurable. In this way, the duration of the second protection interval can be designed according to the transmit / receive switching interval requirements. Since the first protection interval should be the minimum symbol length to meet the transmit / receive switching requirements, the first protection interval is usually slightly longer than the second protection interval, but the difference should be less than one symbol; therefore, M = N. Specifically, the length of the transmit / receive switching requirement is usually less than the length of one symbol, so in the example case, M = N = 1 to minimize the overhead caused by the protection interval. Furthermore, nodes with slow switching may require a longer switching duration to achieve better link performance. In this case, a larger N can be used. In addition, for cases where there are more distant slave nodes or where there are more distant slave nodes, and where a larger timing advance (TA) is required, or for cases where there are more distant slave nodes or where the slave nodes are located far apart, and where it is necessary to support a larger timing advance (TA), a larger K value can be selected.

[0011] In some implementations, the first length is the length of one symbol. In this way, the overhead of the guard interval can be minimized.

[0012] In some implementations, the first time-domain resource precedes the first protection interval and the second time-domain resource, or the second time-domain resource precedes the first protection interval and the first time-domain resource. In this way, the first protection interval can be used for either the master node's transmit-before-receive conversion or the master node's receive-before-transmit conversion.

[0013] In some implementations, the third time-domain resource unit includes a first time-domain resource, a second time-domain resource, and a first guard interval. The third time-domain resource unit also includes a third guard interval, the length of which is a third length that is an integer number of symbols. In some implementations, the third length is equal to the first length. In this way, a time-domain resource unit can include more than one transmission direction switch, with the resources before and after the switch separated by a third guard interval equal to the integer symbol length. For example, the third guard interval can be located between two resources in the time-domain resource unit used for different transmission directions; or the third guard interval can also be located at the end of the time-domain resource unit, in which case the time-domain resources on both sides of the third guard interval can be used for different transmission directions and belong to two different time-domain resource units.

[0014] In some implementations, this also includes transmitting a fifth signal on a first time-domain resource and / or receiving a sixth signal on a second time-domain resource. In this way, the same time-domain resource can also be used for the transmission of other data in the same transmission direction, such as data in other data packets.

[0015] In some implementations, the aforementioned symbols include Cyclic Prefix (CP)-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. In this way, adjacent-channel interference across multiple communication domains can be eliminated through synchronization of symbols in different communication domains. For example, this can be used in scenarios where communication employs OFDM waveforms, such as CP-OFDM symbols.

[0016] In some implementations, with a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz, the CP length in a CP-OFDM symbol is equal to L / 30.72 MHz, where L can be 18, 39, 64, 93, or 128. In this way, when L is 18, the CP length is approximately 0.586 μs, and the spectral efficiency is highest in this case. When L is 39, the CP length is approximately 1.27 μs. Since the delay spread in most indoor short-range communication scenarios is within 1.2 μs, this approach is suitable for most indoor short-range communication scenarios. When L is 64, the CP length is approximately 2.083 μs. Since the delay spread in outdoor large-coverage scenarios can be larger, but typically within 2 μs, this approach is suitable for outdoor large-coverage scenarios. When L is 93, the CP length is approximately 3.027 μs. In environments with many metallic reflective surfaces, the delay spread can reach 3 μs. An L value of 93 is suitable for such scenarios. When L is 128, the CP length is approximately 4.167 μs. In this case, the L value is suitable for scenarios with very complex environmental reflections, large coverage, or high robustness requirements.

[0017] Secondly, a communication method is provided. The execution entity of this method can be a slave node that communicates using resources scheduled by other nodes, such as a terminal device. The execution entity can also be a chip or chip system within the slave node. In this method, a timing advance (TA) is acquired, and a first signal is transmitted using a first time-domain resource. The method also includes receiving a second signal using a second time-domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time-domain resources, and the first time-domain resources, the first guard interval, and the second time-domain resources are contiguous in the time domain. Furthermore, both the first and second time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the first guard interval is determined based on at least one of a first length or the TA, where the first length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols. In this way, for time-domain synchronized systems (e.g., systems requiring TA), the length of the guard interval in communication is determined based on an integer number of symbols and the TA. Thus, based on a reasonable TA length, even with different guard interval lengths and / or guard interval positional configurations, the symbols used for data transmission at the master node will not experience an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundaries. In other words, even if the guard interval position and / or length configurations differ in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains. This way, when these two or more communication domains coexist on adjacent channels, mutual interference caused by adjacent channel leakage can be avoided.

[0018] In some implementations, when the first time-domain resource precedes the guard interval and the second time-domain resource, the length of the first guard interval is the length of a positive integer number of symbols plus the transfer TA (TA). Alternatively, when the second time-domain resource precedes both the guard interval and the first time-domain resource, the length of the first guard interval is the length of a positive integer number of symbols minus the TA. In this way, based on a reasonable TA length, synchronization with multiple slave nodes at different locations can be achieved at the master node.

[0019] In some implementations, obtaining the TA described above includes receiving an indication of the TA. In this way, a node can determine the sum and TA values ​​of the corresponding slave node by measurement and configure or indicate them to the slave node.

[0020] In some implementations, the transmission of a third signal is also included in the third time-domain resource; and the transmission of a fourth signal is also included in the fourth time-domain resource. The first time-domain resource unit includes the third time-domain resource, and the second time-domain resource unit includes the fourth time-domain resource. A second guard interval exists between the third and fourth time-domain resources, and the third, second, and fourth time-domain resources are time-domain contiguous. Furthermore, the third and fourth time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the second guard interval is determined based on at least one of a second length or a TA (Transmission Time Interchange), where the second length is the length of a non-integer number of symbols. In some implementations, the length of the non-integer number of symbols is pre-configured or preset. In this way, a second guard interval of a non-integer number of symbols is designed to meet the transmit / receive switching requirements between different time-domain resource units, thereby reducing the overhead of the guard interval. Thus, based on a reasonable TA length, at the master node, all adjacent time-domain resource units contain a second guard interval of the same length, and the second guard interval does not affect the position of the symbol boundary. Even with different lengths of the first guard interval (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or different positional configurations of the first guard interval, the symbols used for data transmission will not experience an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundaries. In other words, even if the guard interval positions and / or lengths are configured differently in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains. This also avoids mutual interference caused by adjacent-channel leakage when these two or more communication domains coexist in adjacent channels.

[0021] In some implementations, the third time-domain resource precedes the fourth time-domain resource and transmits a third signal on the third time-domain resource and a fourth signal on the fourth time-domain resource, including: transmitting the third signal on the third time-domain resource and transmitting the fourth signal on the fourth time-domain resource, wherein the length of the second guard interval is the second length; transmitting the third signal on the third time-domain resource and receiving the fourth signal on the fourth time-domain resource, wherein the length of the second guard interval is the second length plus TA; receiving the third signal on the third time-domain resource and receiving the fourth signal on the fourth time-domain resource, wherein the length of the second guard interval is the second length; or receiving the third signal on the third time-domain resource and transmitting the fourth signal on the fourth time-domain resource, wherein the length of the second guard interval is the second length minus TA. In this way, based on a reasonable TA length, on both sides of the guard interval at the boundary of the time-domain resource unit, the transmission direction can be both downlink, both uplink, or one side downlink and the other side uplink without restriction. Thus, based on a reasonable TA length, at the master node, a second guard interval of the same length is included between all two adjacent time-domain resource units, regardless of whether a transmission direction switch (uplink, downlink, sidelink, etc.) occurs. Therefore, the second guard interval does not affect the position of the symbol boundaries. Even with different lengths of the first guard interval (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or different positional configurations of the first guard interval, the symbols used for data transmission will not experience an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundaries. In other words, even if the guard interval position and / or length configurations differ in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of all data transmission symbols in both domains. This also avoids mutual interference caused by adjacent-channel leakage when these two or more communication domains coexist in adjacent channels.

[0022] In some implementations, the third time-domain resource unit includes a first time-domain resource, a second time-domain resource, and a first guard interval. The third time-domain resource unit also includes a third guard interval, and the length of the third guard interval is determined based on at least one of a third length or a transfer transition (TA), where the third length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols. In some implementations, the third length is based on the aforementioned first length. In this way, a time-domain resource unit can include more than one transmission direction switch, with resources before and after the switch separated by a third guard interval equal to the length of an integer number of symbols.

[0023] In some implementations, the first length mentioned above is the length of a single symbol. In this way, the overhead of the guard interval can be minimized.

[0024] In some implementations, the first protection interval comprises M symbols, where the length of these non-integer symbols is greater than the length of (N-1) symbols and less than the length of N symbols, where M and N are positive integers, and M and N have at least one of the following relationships: M = N, M = N = 1, at least one of M or N is pre-configured or predetermined, or M = N + K - 1, where K is a non-negative integer and K can be configured. In this way, the duration of the second protection interval can be designed according to the transmit / receive switching interval requirements. Since the first protection interval should be the minimum symbol length to meet the transmit / receive switching requirements, the first protection interval is usually slightly longer than the second protection interval, but the difference should be less than one symbol; therefore, M = N. Specifically, the length of the transmit / receive switching requirement is usually less than the length of one symbol, so in the example case, M = N = 1 to minimize the overhead caused by the protection interval. Furthermore, nodes with slow switching may require a longer switching duration to achieve better link performance. In this case, a larger N can be used. In addition, for cases where there are more distant slave nodes or where there are more distant slave nodes, and where a larger timing advance (TA) is required, or for cases where there are more distant slave nodes or where the slave nodes are located far apart, and where it is necessary to support a larger timing advance (TA), a larger K value can be selected.

[0025] In some implementations, this also includes transmitting a fifth signal on a first time-domain resource and / or receiving a sixth signal on a second time-domain resource. In this way, the same time-domain resource can also be used for the transmission of other data in the same transmission direction, such as data in other data packets.

[0026] In some implementations, the aforementioned symbols include Cyclic Prefix (CP)-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. In this way, adjacent-channel interference across multiple communication domains can be eliminated through synchronization of symbols in different communication domains. For example, this can be used in scenarios where communication employs OFDM waveforms, such as CP-OFDM symbols.

[0027] In some implementations, with a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz, the CP length in a CP-OFDM symbol is equal to L / 30.72 MHz, where L can be 18, 39, 64, 93, or 128. In this way, when L is 18, the CP length is approximately 0.586 μs, and the spectral efficiency is highest in this case. When L is 39, the CP length is approximately 1.27 μs. Since the delay spread in most indoor short-range communication scenarios is within 1.2 μs, this approach is suitable for most indoor short-range communication scenarios. When L is 64, the CP length is approximately 2.083 μs. Since the delay spread in outdoor large-coverage scenarios can be larger, but typically within 2 μs, this approach is suitable for outdoor large-coverage scenarios. When L is 93, the CP length is approximately 3.027 μs. In environments with many metallic reflective surfaces, the delay spread can reach 3 μs. An L value of 93 is suitable for such scenarios. When L is 128, the CP length is approximately 4.167 μs. In this case, the L value is suitable for scenarios with very complex environmental reflections, large coverage, or high robustness requirements.

[0028] Thirdly, a master node is provided, the beneficial effects of which are described in the first aspect and will not be repeated here. This master node has the functionality to implement the behaviors described in the method example of the first aspect. This functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functionality. In one possible design, the master node includes a unit that executes the method of the first aspect.

[0029] Fourthly, a slave node is provided, the beneficial effects of which are described in the second aspect and will not be repeated here. This master node has the functionality to implement the behaviors described in the method example of the second aspect. The functionality can be implemented in hardware or by executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functionality. In one possible design, the slave node includes a unit that executes the method of the second aspect.

[0030] Fifthly, a master node is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause an electronic device to perform any method according to the first aspect and its implementation.

[0031] A sixth aspect provides a slave node, comprising: a processor, and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause an electronic device to perform any method according to the second aspect and its implementation.

[0032] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods performed by a master node or a slave node in the above aspects.

[0033] Eighthly, a computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods performed by a master node or a slave node in the foregoing aspects.

[0034] Ninthly, this disclosure provides a chip system including a processor for implementing the master or slave node functions of the methods described in the preceding aspects. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and / or data. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0035] In a tenth aspect, this disclosure also provides a communication system, comprising: a master node for performing the method of the first aspect, or a slave node for performing the method of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1A shows a schematic diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figures 1B and 1C show some examples of guard intervals used for transmit / receive switching.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of implementation at the master node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 3 illustrates an example of time-domain resources for communication and a first guard interval consisting of an integer number of symbols, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 4 illustrates examples of multiple time-domain resource units according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 5 illustrates examples of different types of time-domain resource units according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 6 illustrates an example of a configuration cycle comprising one or more time-domain resource units according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of implementation at a slave node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 8 illustrates an example of a first protection interval determined at a slave node based on an integer number of symbol lengths and timing advance (TA) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 9 is a block diagram of a device that can be used to implement some embodiments of this application.

[0046] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus according to some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0048] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0049] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as fifth-generation (5G) and future communication protocols (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)), wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure are applicable to communication systems that follow any appropriate communication protocol, such as: Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, fifth-generation (5G) systems (e.g., New Radio (NR)), and future communication systems or future communication networks (e.g., sixth-generation (6G) systems), etc.

[0051] As used in this disclosure, the term "terminal" or "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wired or wireless communication with network devices or with each other. A terminal device can be user equipment (UE), access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, multimedia device, streaming media device, UE agent, or UE device, etc. An access terminal can be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle device, wearable device, terminal in a future 5G network, or terminal in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) network, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0052] As used in this disclosure, the terms "network node" or "network device" refer to an entity or node that can communicate with a terminal device, such as an access network device. An access network device is a device capable of communicating with a terminal device and can be a base station, relay station, or access point. A base station can be an evolved NB (eNB or eNodeB) in Long Term Evolution (LTE), a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, a base station device in a future 5G network, an access network device in a future evolved PLMN network, or a wearable device or vehicle-mounted device. For ease of description, in the subsequent embodiments of this disclosure, the aforementioned devices providing wireless communication functions for mobile terminals are collectively referred to as network devices. These devices can also refer to chips or modules in mobile terminals or access network devices that implement related wireless communication functions; the embodiments of this disclosure do not specifically limit this.

[0053] This application supports IEEE protocols, such as IEEE 802.11be / Wi-Fi 7 / EHT, IEEE 802.11bn / UHR / Wi-Fi 8, Integrated mmWave / IMMW, IEEE 802.15 / UWB, IEEE 802.11bf / sensing, or Spark Link / NearLink standard protocols.

[0054] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the term "time-domain resource unit" can be any time-domain unit of duration. For example, a time-domain resource unit can include, but is not limited to, frames, subframes, radio frames, superframes, and time slots. For example, it can refer to a period of a certain periodic resource defined by a protocol; this disclosure does not limit this. The period here can include different cases, such as a period whose length is directly defined by the protocol, or a period whose length can be configured by the master node; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0055] Figure 1A illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 1A, an example communication system 100 of some embodiments may include communication domain 101, communication domain 102, and communication domain 103. In this disclosure, a communication domain may include a master node (also referred to as a G node in some embodiments) and at least one slave node (also referred to as a T node in some embodiments). The master node and slave nodes are two types of nodes distinguished by logical function. The master node manages the slave nodes and has the functions of allocating resources and scheduling inter-node communication, and is responsible for allocating resources to the slave nodes; the slave nodes use the resources allocated by the master node to realize inter-node communication according to the scheduling of the master node. Here, other nodes can be master nodes and / or other slave nodes. Here, other nodes may include multiple nodes, and the allocated resources are used for broadcast communication, multicast communication, bus communication, or other communication methods between multiple nodes in which the slave node participates, which is not limited in this disclosure. Optionally, the resources allocated by the master node can also be used for other situations, such as for inter-node communication in other domains, which is not limited in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the communication domain may also refer to the communication resources used in a communication network consisting of a master node and at least one slave node, such as time domain, frequency domain, code domain, and waveform resources.

[0056] As an example, communication domain 101 includes network device 110 as a master node, and terminal devices 120 and 130 as slave nodes. Master node 110 can schedule resources to enable communication between the master node and slave nodes and / or among multiple slave nodes. It should be understood that the master node is not limited to a network device. For example, in communication domain 102, terminal device 120 can operate as a master node to schedule sidelink communication between terminal devices 120, 130, and 140. Accordingly, in communication domain 102, terminal devices 130 and 140 can operate as slave nodes. Furthermore, similar to communication domain 101, in communication domain 103, network device 150 acts as a master node to schedule terminal devices 160 and 170 as slave nodes.

[0057] As mentioned above, short-range wireless communication technologies are often used in scenarios without unified deployment (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.). Furthermore, due to this lack of unified deployment, the coverage areas of communication domains may overlap spatially. In such cases, even using different frequency domain resources, severe adjacent-channel interference (ADC) problems still exist. Taking Figure 1A as an example, communication domains 101 and 102 overlap spatially, thus potential ADC interference may exist between these two communication domains. To minimize ADC interference, some communication systems employ Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology (or waveforms) for communication. For systems using such waveforms, when communication domains coexist on adjacent channels, if both the time and frequency domains are synchronized, ADC interference between communication domains can approach zero.

[0058] In some embodiments of this disclosure, frequency domain synchronization refers to the difference between the center frequencies of two synchronized communication domains being a multiple of the subcarrier spacing. This allows for defining center frequencies such that the difference between the center frequencies of different frequency bands is a multiple of the subcarrier spacing, thereby enabling frequency domain synchronization between two communication domains operating in different frequency bands (e.g., communication domain 101 and communication domain 102). In some embodiments of this disclosure, time domain synchronization refers to the alignment of the time domain symbol boundaries (or boundary timing) of two synchronized communication domains. In some embodiments, this timing alignment may include a timing difference between time domain symbol boundaries that is less than the length of the cyclic prefix (CP).

[0059] However, when communication domains are configured with different frame structure parameters (e.g., resource allocation for different uplink and downlink directions), symbol boundaries may shift by a non-integer number of symbol lengths. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve time-domain and frequency-domain synchronization between different communication domains under any frame structure. In some cases, performance trade-offs must be made to achieve the aforementioned synchronization between communication domains. For example, the matching of uplink / downlink resource allocation with uplink / downlink service requirements may be sacrificed, but this may reduce resource utilization efficiency. Thus, different communication domains can use the same or opposite uplink / downlink resource allocations to achieve inter-domain synchronization. Otherwise, higher inter-domain interference may be tolerated on symbols with misaligned boundaries. For clarity, example cases that may lead to time-domain desynchronization are described with reference to Figures 1B and 1C.

[0060] Figure 1B illustrates an example of a guard interval used for transmit / receive handover. Figure 1B shows two time-domain resource units comprising multiple symbols and a guard interval. It should be understood that time-domain resource units can also include any other defined duration unit. Returning to Figure 1B, these two time-domain resource units can be used for different communication domains; for example, the upper time-domain resource unit can be used for communication domain 101, while the lower time-domain resource unit can be used for communication domain 102. In these time-domain resource units, the symbol "D" refers to a symbol used for downlink direction data transmission, also known as a downlink symbol or G symbol (i.e., a symbol for signal transmission by the master node / G node). The symbol "U" refers to a symbol used for uplink direction transmission, also known as an uplink symbol or U symbol (i.e., a symbol for signal transmission by the slave node / G node). The guard interval (GP) is the handover interval time used for transmit / receive handover. For example, in the example of Figure 1B, a time-domain resource unit contains a predefined integer number of symbols and two handover intervals. When the transmission direction changes, the G node and T node need to perform a state transition from receiving to transmitting or from transmitting to receiving. The handover interval is used for the G node and T node to perform the transmit-receive transition. In this case, since the GP is less than the length of one symbol, the symbol boundaries of radio frames with different uplink / downlink ratios may be different. For example, after GP 182, the symbol direction changes from downlink to uplink. However, in another time-domain resource unit, since there is no transmission direction switch (i.e., no GP), the boundaries of U symbol 184 and D symbol 186 in these two time-domain resource units are no longer aligned. This can lead to the aforementioned adjacent-channel interference problem. In other words, the symbol boundaries in time-domain resource units with different uplink / downlink ratios may be different.

[0061] Figure 1C shows another example of a guard interval used for transmit / receive handover. Fixed-length frame configurations are also used in cellular network technologies (e.g., LTE and NR). In TDD structures, there are also handover intervals during uplink / downlink switching. Taking an LTE-TDD system as an example, its frame structure is shown in Figure 1C. In Figure 1C, time period D represents multiple consecutive downlink symbols, time period U represents multiple consecutive uplink symbols, GP1 is the handover interval for downlink to uplink, and GP2 is the handover interval for uplink to downlink. In a frame structure, the GP configuration value is equal to an integer number of symbol lengths, and this GP configuration value is the sum of the lengths of multiple actual GPs in the frame structure. For example, the length of GP2 used between time period U and time period D is less than the length of one symbol. In this case, since the GP configuration value = GP1 + GP2, the length of GP1 is also not equal to an integer number of symbols. For example, if the GP2 length is 20.3125µs, and without considering the downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS) and uplink pilot time slot (UpPTS), the GP1 length is the GP configuration value minus 20.3125µs. In other words, there are also situations in cellular network technology where time-domain symbol boundaries may not be aligned.

[0062] In summary, designing new time-domain resource unit structures that allow time-domain resource units with different resource transmission direction configurations (such as different ratios of uplink / downlink and sidelink, or different resource configuration patterns for different transmission directions) to have the same symbol boundary is a key aspect of improving system performance.

[0063] To address this, embodiments of this disclosure propose a method for aligning time-domain symbol boundaries. In some embodiments of this disclosure, a time-domain resource unit consists of an integer number of time-domain resources (e.g., time-domain symbols), and the guard interval between time-domain resources with different transmission directions (also referred to as a first guard interval in some embodiments) is a positive integer number of symbols long. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, a time-domain resource unit consists of an integer number of symbols and a guard interval (also referred to as a second guard interval in some embodiments) of a non-integer number of symbols long located at the end of the time-domain resource unit. Thus, when the interval between resources with different transmission directions is within the time-domain resource unit, the guard interval is the first guard interval. When the interval between resources with different transmission directions is at the boundary of the time-domain resources, the guard interval can be an integer number of symbols long plus the second guard interval (or simply the second guard interval itself). Alternatively, without any limitation, the second guard interval can also be at the beginning of the time-domain resource unit or independent of the time-domain resource unit.

[0064] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a master node transmits a first signal on a first time-domain resource and receives a second signal on a second time-domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time-domain resources, both of which consist of a positive integer number of symbols and have a first length equal to a positive integer number of symbols. Furthermore, the first time-domain resource, the first guard interval, and the second time-domain resource are contiguous in the time domain. In this manner, the length of the guard interval in communication is configured to be an integer number of symbols. Thus, even with different guard interval lengths (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or guard interval positional configurations, the symbols used for data transmission will not experience a non-integer symbol length offset at the boundaries. That is, even if the guard interval position and / or length configurations differ in two or more communication domains, boundary alignment of all data transmission symbols in both domains can still be achieved through synchronization. Thus, when these two or more communication domains coexist in adjacent channels, mutual interference caused by adjacent channel leakage can be avoided.

[0065] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a timing advance (TA) is obtained from a slave node. The slave node transmits a first signal on a first time-domain resource and receives a second signal on a second time-domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time-domain resources, and the first time-domain resources, the first guard interval, and the second time-domain resources are contiguous in the time domain. Furthermore, both the first and second time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the first guard interval is determined based on at least one of a first length or the TA, and the second length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols. In this way, for a time-domain synchronization system (e.g., a system that requires TA), the length of the guard interval at the slave node is determined based on an integer number of symbols and the TA. Thus, based on a reasonable TA length, even with different guard interval lengths and / or guard interval position configurations, the symbols used for data transmission at the master node will not have an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundaries. That is, in two or more communication domains, even if the guard interval position and / or length configurations are different, boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains can still be achieved through synchronization. In this way, when two or more communication domains coexist in adjacent channels, mutual interference caused by adjacent channel leakage can be avoided.

[0066] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the phrase "length of a non-integer number of symbols" means that the length has a length of a non-integer number of symbols. The embodiments of this disclosure can be used in short-range wireless communication scenarios. It should be understood that, without any limitation, the embodiments of this disclosure can also be used in other wide-area wireless communication or local-area wireless communication scenarios. Therefore, regardless of the communication scenario in which the embodiments of this disclosure are applied, they are all within the protection scope of this disclosure. Specific implementations of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in further detail below.

[0067] Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart 200 implemented at a master node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, for ease of description of the flowchart 200, the network device 110, acting as the master node, is executorly used as an example of the entity executing the corresponding steps in the flowchart 200. However, the corresponding steps in the flowchart 200 of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to being executed by the network device 110. In other examples, they may also be other network devices, terminal devices (e.g., terminal device 120 in the sidelink communication domain 102) and / or modules and / or chips in the network device 110, or other devices, equipment, modules and / or chips, that have the functionality to execute the corresponding steps.

[0068] At 210, master node 110 transmits a first signal on a first time-domain resource. At 220, master node 110 receives a second signal on a second time-domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time-domain resources, the length of which is a first length. Both the first and second time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the first length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols. Furthermore, the first time-domain resource, the first guard interval, and the second time-domain resource are contiguous in the time domain. In some embodiments, the symbols include cyclic prefix (CP)-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. In some embodiments, the CP length in the CP-OFDM symbol may have multiple candidate lengths. Furthermore, the target CP length to be used can be determined from these candidate lengths according to the communication scenario and / or communication requirements.

[0069] As an example, the candidate length of the CP can be determined by calculating L / 30.72MHz, where L can take values ​​of 18, 39, 64, 93, or 128. In some embodiments, when L is 18, the CP length is approximately 0.586µs, and the spectral efficiency is highest in this case. When L is 39, the CP length is approximately 1.27µs. This is suitable for most indoor short-range communication scenarios, as the delay spread is within 1.2µs. When L is 64, the CP length is approximately 2.083µs. This is suitable for outdoor large-coverage scenarios, where the delay spread can be larger, but typically within 2µs. When L is 93, the CP length is approximately 3.027µs. In environments with many metallic reflectors, the delay spread can reach 3µs. An L value of 93 is suitable for such scenarios. When L is 128, the CP length is approximately 4.167µs. This L value is suitable for scenarios with very complex environmental reflections, large coverage areas, or high robustness requirements. In some embodiments of this disclosure, “alignment” of symbol boundaries may refer to a timing difference between symbol boundaries that is less than or equal to the CP length of the symbol.

[0070] For clarity, the examples of the time-domain resources and the first guard interval described above are further described with reference to FIG3. FIG3 illustrates examples of time-domain resources for communication and a first guard interval having a positive integer number of symbols (i.e., a first length) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3, in some embodiments, resources in the time domain can be divided according to symbols. For example, time-domain resources for signal transmission consist of an integer number of symbols, and the first length of the guard interval (i.e., the first guard interval) between time-domain resources in different transmission directions is a positive integer number of symbols. For example, the first length can be an integer number of symbols greater than or equal to 1. In other words, although the first guard interval is not used as a communication resource, the first guard interval can be considered to consist of an integer number of symbols greater than or equal to 1. For example, in some embodiments, the first length of the first guard interval can be the length of one symbol. Since the time required for transmit / receive switching is typically less than the length of one symbol, configuring the length of the first guard interval to be the length of one symbol can reduce the overhead of the guard interval. It should be understood that the present disclosure does not limit the length of all symbols in the time domain to be the same. The scheme of configuring a positive integer number of symbols as the first / third protection interval on symbols of different lengths that define all symbol boundaries is also within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0071] In the example of Figure 3, the master node 110 can transmit signals in time-domain resource 312 before the first guard interval 310, perform a handover from transmission to reception during the first guard interval 310, and receive signals in time-domain resource 314 after the guard interval 310. That is, the time-domain resource D 312 for transmitting signals, the first guard interval, and the time-domain resource U 314 for receiving signals are contiguous in the time domain. Furthermore, time-domain resource D, the first guard interval 310, and time-domain resource U all consist of a positive integer number of symbols. In the example, time-domain resource D, the first guard interval, and time-domain resource U all consist of one symbol. It should be understood that the order of time-domain resource D, the first guard interval 310, and time-domain resource U is merely illustrative. For example, a guard interval consisting of an integer number of symbols can also be used for handover from uplink symbols to downlink symbols. That is, alternatively, the aforementioned second time-domain resource can also precede the guard interval and the first time-domain resource.

[0072] As an example, as shown in Figure 3, the master node 110 can receive signals in time-domain resource 322 before the first guard interval 320, switch from receiving to transmitting during guard interval 310, and transmit signals in time-domain resource 324 after guard interval 310. Similarly, the time-domain resource D 322 for transmitting signals, another guard interval 320 (also referred to in some embodiments as another first guard interval or third guard interval), and the time-domain resource U 324 for receiving signals are contiguous in the time domain. Furthermore, both time-domain resource D 322 and time-domain resource U 324 consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the third guard interval 320 is also the aforementioned first length. For example, both time-domain resource D and time-domain resource U consist of one symbol, and the third guard interval 320 is one symbol long. In addition, in this way, a time-domain resource unit can include more than one change in transmission direction, with the resources before and after the change separated by a corresponding number of guard intervals of the first length. Thus, the time-domain resource unit may include multiple protection intervals for switching the transmission and reception directions, and each of these protection intervals may have the aforementioned first length.

[0073] In some embodiments, the symbol lengths at different positions within a time unit may be the same or different, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. In some embodiments, under different transmission direction resource configurations, the symbol lengths at the same positions in different time domain resources are the same. In some embodiments, the position of a time unit may refer to the position of a symbol relative to the boundary of a time domain resource unit, such as the first symbol or the starting symbol in a time domain resource unit. In some embodiments, the first symbol, the second symbol, etc., take into account the duration of the switching interval.

[0074] In some embodiments, the master node 110 can perform other signal transmissions in the same direction on the same time domain resources. For example, the master node 110 can also transmit a fifth signal on a first time domain resource. Alternatively or additionally, the master node 110 can also receive a sixth signal on a second time domain resource. In this way, the same time domain resources can be used for the transmission of different data packets in the same transmission direction.

[0075] Returning to Figure 2, considering the high probability of transmission direction reversal at the boundaries of time-domain resource units and the fact that the actual time required for transmission / reception direction reversal is usually not an integer number of symbols (e.g., less than one symbol), a guard interval of a non-integer symbol length can be preset at the boundaries of the time-domain resource units. This reduces the total overhead of the guard intervals compared to cases where all guard intervals are integer symbols long, while still achieving boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains through synchronization (described in detail in Figure 4 below). This approach reduces or avoids mutual interference caused by adjacent-channel leakage.

[0076] Specifically, in some embodiments, a guard interval (also referred to as a second guard interval) of a non-integer number of symbols can be preset between time-domain resource units. The guard interval used for switching transmission directions within the time-domain resource (e.g., the first guard interval or the third guard interval mentioned above) still has a first length.

[0077] In some embodiments, the master node 110 can perform the transmission of a third signal on a third time-domain resource and the transmission of a fourth signal on a fourth time-domain resource. Furthermore, the third and fourth time-domain resources are located in different time-domain resource units. For example, a first time-domain resource unit includes the third time-domain resource and a second time-domain resource unit includes the fourth time-domain resource unit. A second guard interval exists between the third and fourth time-domain resources. The third time-domain resource, the second guard interval, and the fourth time-domain resource are contiguous in the time domain, and the length of the second guard interval (also referred to as the second length) is not an integer number of symbols. Thus, if a second guard interval of the same length is included between all adjacent time-domain resource units, regardless of whether a transmission direction (uplink, downlink, sidelink, etc.) switch occurs, the second guard interval does not affect the position of the symbol boundary. Even with different lengths of the first guard interval (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or different positional configurations of the first guard interval, the symbols used for data transmission will not have an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundary. In other words, even if the guard interval position and / or length configurations differ in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains. This way, when these two or more communication domains coexist on adjacent channels, mutual interference caused by adjacent channel leakage can be avoided.

[0078] In embodiments of this disclosure, "transmission of a signal" does not limit the direction of the signal; for example, "transmission of a signal" may include sending a signal and receiving a signal. For instance, the master node may transmit a third signal in a third time-domain resource and transmit a fourth signal in a fourth time-domain resource. Alternatively, the master node may transmit a third signal in a third time-domain resource and receive a fourth signal in a fourth time-domain resource. Alternatively, the master node may receive a third signal in a third time-domain resource and receive a fourth signal in a fourth time-domain resource. Alternatively, the master node may receive a third signal in a third time-domain resource and transmit a fourth signal in a fourth time-domain resource. For clarity, examples of the aforementioned time-domain resources and the first protection interval are further described with reference to FIG4.

[0079] Figure 4 illustrates examples of multiple time-domain resource units according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the examples of Figure 4, multiple examples of the structure of time-domain resource unit #n (also referred to as the first time-domain resource unit in some embodiments) and time-domain resource unit #n+1 (also referred to as the second time-domain resource unit in some embodiments) are shown in the time domain, such as examples 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, and 460. In the first and second time-domain resources, each block represents a symbol. Specifically, D represents a symbol used for downlink transmission, U represents a symbol used for uplink transmission, S represents a symbol used for sidelink transmission (i.e., transmission between nodes), and GP represents a guard interval with a symbol length (without any limitation; the length of GP can be the length of multiple symbols). As shown in the examples of Figure 4, a preset guard interval of a non-integer number of symbols (i.e., a second guard interval) exists at the end of both the first and second time-domain resources, for example, second guard interval 461. Within a time-domain resource, the length of the guard interval used for transmission direction switching is an integer number of symbols (e.g., the first length mentioned above), as shown in guard intervals 463 and 465. That is, except for the second guard interval, a time-domain resource unit consists of an integer number of symbols. Alternatively, as described above, in some embodiments, the second guard interval may also be located at the beginning of a time-domain resource interval or independent of the time-domain resource unit, without any limitation. In this way, since guard intervals of non-integer symbol lengths are preset at the boundaries of each time-domain resource unit, and the guard intervals within the time-domain resource are still non-integer symbol lengths, alignment can be guaranteed at symbol boundaries for time-domain resource units with different configurations in different domains.

[0080] For illustrative purposes only and not as a limitation, in Figure 4, the aforementioned third time-domain resource can be the last symbol used for communication in the first time-domain resource unit (i.e., time-domain resource unit #n), such as the uplink symbol U before the second guard interval 461. The aforementioned fourth time-domain resource unit can be the starting symbol of the second time-domain resource unit (i.e., time-domain resource unit #n+1), such as the uplink symbol U after the second guard interval 461. That is, the third time-domain resource, the second guard interval, and the fourth time-domain resource are contiguous in the time domain.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first or third protection interval (e.g., protection interval 463 or protection interval 465) may include M symbols, and the length of the second protection interval may be greater than (N-1) symbols and less than N symbols, where M and N are positive integers. In some embodiments, M = N. For example, the duration of the second protection interval may be designed solely according to the transmit / receive switching interval requirements, while the first protection interval should be the minimum number of destination symbols required to meet the transmit / receive switching requirements. Therefore, the first protection interval is slightly longer than the second protection interval, but the difference should be less than one symbol. In this case, M = N.

[0082] In some embodiments, M = N = 1. For example, the length of the transmit / receive switching requirement is typically less than the length of one symbol, so when M = N = 1, the overhead caused by the guard interval can be minimized. Alternatively, in some embodiments, at least one of M or N can be pre-configured or preset. In some embodiments of this disclosure, pre-configuration refers to the master node determining the configuration and then sending signaling to notify the slave node. Pre-setting includes configuring corresponding parameters for each device through protocols, standard definitions, or through configuration interfaces or configuration methods provided by the device. Alternatively, in some embodiments, M = N + K - 1, where K is a non-negative integer and can be configured. In this case, the optimal guard interval overhead is: N = 0, K = 1 (i.e., M = 1). In some embodiments, a larger value of N can be used for nodes requiring a longer transmit / receive switching time or when better link performance is required through a longer switching duration. In some embodiments, a larger value of K can also be selected when a larger timing lead (TA) is required for slave nodes that are far away.

[0083] As described above, one or more transmission direction switches can exist within a time-domain resource unit, as shown in Example 450 of the first time-domain resource unit. For example, the aforementioned first time-domain resource, first guard interval, and second time-domain resource can be included in a third time-domain resource unit. Furthermore, the third time-domain resource unit can also include a third guard interval, and this third guard interval also has the aforementioned first length (i.e., the length of a positive integer number of symbols). In this way, the master node can perform multiple transmit / receive direction switches within a single time-domain resource unit. It should be understood that the interval for transmit / receive switching is not limited in any way; transmit / receive switching can be performed at intervals of multiple symbols, or at intervals of only one symbol, or in consecutive guard intervals (e.g., for self-testing, etc.). Thus, all two adjacent time-domain resource units, regardless of whether a transmission direction switch (uplink, downlink, sidelink, etc.) occurs, contain a second guard interval of the same length, and the second guard interval does not affect the position of the symbol boundary. Even with different lengths of the first guard interval (e.g., different numbers of symbols) and / or different positional configurations of the first guard interval, the symbols used for data transmission will not experience an offset of a non-integer number of symbols at the boundaries. In other words, even if the guard interval positions and / or lengths are configured differently in two or more communication domains, synchronization can still achieve boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains. This also avoids mutual interference caused by adjacent-channel leakage when these two or more communication domains coexist in adjacent channels. Furthermore, it should be understood that, as mentioned above, when the time domain is divided entirely according to symbols, a time-domain resource unit may not have a preset second guard interval.

[0084] In some embodiments, a transmission direction switch may not occur within a time domain resource unit, as shown in examples 430 and 440 of the first time domain resource units. In this case, a guard interval of the first length may not exist within the time domain resource unit. In some embodiments, even if the link changes, a guard interval for transmit / receive switching may not be required. As shown in example 460 of FIG4, the transmission link switches from uplink reception to sidelink, but no transmit / receive switching occurs in between. As an example only, in communication domain 101, terminal device 120 acts as a slave node, while in communication domain 102, terminal device 120 is assumed to act as a master node. In communication domain 101, terminal device 120 transmits uplink transmissions, while in communication domain 102, terminal device 120 transmits sidelink transmissions to other terminal devices (e.g., terminal device 130). In this case, even if the transmission link changes, the transceiver of terminal device 120 does not need to switch, and therefore a guard interval for transmit / receive switching is not required. In this way, device-to-device (D2D) transmission can be supported, and higher resource efficiency is achieved. Alternatively, a guard interval can be used between the side link direction and the uplink or downlink direction. This supports D2D transmission and imposes no restrictions on scheduling.

[0085] In some embodiments, time-domain resource units can be classified into different types. For example, time-domain resource units can be classified into switch type (also known as S-type), all-downlink type (also known as D-type), and all-uplink type (also known as U-type).

[0086] In some embodiments, an S-type time-domain resource unit may consist sequentially of a positive integer number of downlink symbols, a first protection interval, a positive integer number of uplink symbols, and a second protection interval. A D-type time-domain resource unit may consist sequentially of a positive integer number of downlink symbols and a second protection interval. A U-type time-domain resource unit may consist sequentially of a positive integer number of uplink symbols and a second protection interval. The time-domain resource units of the above types can be configured in the time domain according to a configuration period L, and each configuration period may include one or more time-domain resource units. For example, a configuration period may sequentially include one S-type time-domain resource unit and a positive integer number of U-type time-domain resource units. Alternatively or additionally, a configuration period may sequentially include a positive integer number of D-type time-domain resource units and one S-type time-domain resource unit. Alternatively or additionally, a configuration period may sequentially include a positive integer number of D-type time-domain resource units, one S-type time-domain resource unit, and a positive integer number of U-type time-domain resource units. In some embodiments, a configuration period may include only one time-domain resource unit. In this case, a configuration period includes one S-type time-domain resource unit.

[0087] The aforementioned S-type, D-type, and U-type time-domain resource units can also be defined differently. For clarity, these differently defined S-type, D-type, and U-type time-domain resource units will be described with reference to FIG5. FIG5 shows examples of different types of time-domain resource units according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In FIG5, similar to FIG4, each block represents a symbol. For clarity of discussion, the differently defined time-domain resource units are also referred to as S1-type, D1-type, and U1-type time-domain resource units, and S2-type, D2-type, and U2-type time-domain resource units.

[0088] As shown in Figure 5, an S1-type time-domain resource unit can be composed of downlink symbols, a first protection interval, and a positive integer number of uplink symbols in sequence. That is, in this definition, an S1-type time-domain resource unit may not include a second protection interval with a non-integer number of symbols. Correspondingly, a D1-type time-domain resource unit can be composed of a positive integer number of downlink symbols in sequence. A D1-type time-domain resource unit can be composed of a positive integer number of uplink symbols in sequence. A U1-type time-domain resource unit can be composed of a positive integer number of uplink symbols in sequence. S2-type, D2-type, and U2-type time-domain resource units can be further defined. Specifically, in some embodiments, an S1-type time-domain resource unit can be composed of a positive integer number of downlink symbols, a first protection interval, a positive integer number of uplink symbols, and a first protection interval in sequence. A D1-type time-domain resource unit can be composed of a positive integer number of downlink symbols and a first protection interval in sequence. A U1-type time-domain resource unit can be composed of a positive integer number of uplink symbols and a first protection interval in sequence.

[0089] Similarly, these differently defined time-domain resource unit types can be configured in the time domain according to a configuration period L, each configuration period may include one or more time-domain resource units. For clarity, an example of a configuration period L is described with reference to FIG6. FIG6 illustrates an example of a configuration period including one or more time-domain resource units according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0090] As shown in Figure 6, a configuration period L can sequentially include one S1-type time-domain resource unit, a non-negative integer number of U1-type time-domain resource units, and one U2-type time-domain resource unit. Alternatively, a configuration period L can sequentially include a positive integer number of D1-type time-domain resource units and one S2-type time-domain resource unit. Alternatively, a configuration period L can sequentially include a positive integer number of D1-type time-domain resource units, one S1-type time-domain resource unit, a non-negative integer number of U1-type time-domain resource units, and one U2-type time-domain resource unit. Alternatively, although not shown, a configuration period L can also sequentially include a positive integer number of U1-type time-domain resource units, one S1-type time-domain resource unit, a non-negative integer number of D1-type time-domain resource units, and one D2-type time-domain resource unit.

[0091] In summary, by utilizing the structure of the aforementioned time-domain resource unit, boundary alignment of symbols for all data transmissions in both domains can be achieved through synchronization. This avoids mutual interference caused by adjacent-channel leakage when the two domains coexist in adjacent channels. Furthermore, although the above embodiments are described with reference to a master node in a communication network, these embodiments can also be implemented by a slave node, such as a slave node in a communication network that does not require timing advance (TA). Without any limitations, the above embodiments can also be implemented by any other communication device.

[0092] Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart 700 implemented at a slave node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the flowchart 700 is used for ease of description. The terminal device 130, acting as a slave node, is executor of the corresponding steps in the flowchart 700. However, the corresponding steps in the flowchart 700 of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to being executed by the terminal device 130. In other examples, they may be other terminal devices and / or modules and / or chips in the terminal device 130, or other devices, equipment, modules, and / or chips, that have the functionality to execute the corresponding steps.

[0093] Compared to the corresponding steps at the master node, the slave node can adopt a time-domain resource unit structure with the same guard intervals (e.g., a first guard interval, a second guard interval, and / or a third guard interval), but timing advance (TA) needs to be considered. For example, in the case of switching from transmitting to receiving, the length of the guard interval at the slave node can be determined by calculating the length of the corresponding guard interval plus TA (e.g., a first guard interval of integer symbol length plus TA or a second guard interval of non-integer symbol length plus TA). Conversely, in the case of switching from receiving to transmitting, the length of the guard interval at the slave node can be determined by calculating the length of the corresponding guard interval minus TA (e.g., a first guard interval of integer symbol length minus TA or a second guard interval of non-integer symbol length minus TA). In this way, precise time-frequency synchronization of communication can be achieved at the master node.

[0094] At 710, the slave node obtains a timing advance (TA). At 720, the slave node transmits a first signal on a first time-domain resource. At 730, the slave node receives a second signal on a second time-domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time-domain resources, and the first time-domain resources, the first guard interval, and the second time-domain resources are time-domain contiguous. Furthermore, both the first and second time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the first guard interval is determined based on at least one of the length of a positive integer number of symbols or the TA. As described above, for example, when the first time-domain resource precedes the guard interval and the second time-domain resource, the length of the first guard interval is the length of a positive integer number of symbols minus the TA. When the second time-domain resource precedes both the guard interval and the first time-domain resource, the length of the first guard interval is the length of a positive integer number of symbols minus the TA. In some embodiments, the TA is configured by the master node.

[0095] In some embodiments, when the system supports and enables the timing advance feature, the slave node's transmit timing should be advanced by a timing advance amount TA relative to the slave node's receive timing. Therefore, the guard interval for slave node transmit / receive switching needs to be adjusted accordingly. Apart from this adjustment, the slave node can communicate using the structure of all time-domain resources described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. For descriptive purposes, an example of the time-domain resource structure used by the slave node is described with reference to Figure 8.

[0096] Figure 8 illustrates an example of a first protection interval determined at a slave node based on an integer number of symbol lengths and timing advance (TA) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the first protection interval at the slave node is determined based on the length of an integer number of symbols and the TA. For example, when the slave node switches from the uplink transmission direction to the downlink reception direction, the first protection interval 810 is determined based on the integer number of symbol lengths (i.e., the first length) plus the TA. Conversely, when the slave node switches from the downlink reception direction to the uplink transmission direction, another first protection interval 820 (which may also be referred to as a third protection interval) is determined based on the first length minus the TA.

[0097] Returning to Figure 7, by similar means, considering the timing advance (TA), the slave node can also adopt the time-domain resource structure, time-domain resource unit, and / or configuration period, etc., as depicted in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 6. For the sake of brevity, this disclosure will not elaborate further.

[0098] Figure 9 is a block diagram that can be used to implement device 900 according to some embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, device 900 may be a component of a communication network infrastructure, such as a base station (e.g., a NodeB, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a next-generation NodeB (sometimes called a next-generation NodeB, gNodeB or gNB), a home subscriber server (HSS), a gateway (GW), such as a packet gateway (PGW) or a serving gateway (SGW), or various other nodes or functions within a core network (CN) or a Public Land Mobility Network (PLMN). In other embodiments, device 900 may be a device connected to the network infrastructure via a wireless interface, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or other such device that can be classified as User Equipment (UE). In some embodiments, device 900 may be a Machine Type Communications (MTC) device (also known as a machine-to-machine (M2M) device), or another such device that, although not providing direct service to a user, can be classified as a UE. In some embodiments, device 900 may be a roadside unit. Device 900 can be a mobile UE (RSU), vehicle UE (V-UE), pedestrian UE (P-UE), or infrastructure UE (I-UE). In some scenarios, device 900 may also be referred to as a mobile device, a term intended to reflect a device connected to a mobile network regardless of whether the device itself is designed for or capable of being mobile. A particular device may utilize all or only a subset of the components shown, and the level of integration may vary depending on the device. Furthermore, device 900 may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transmitters, receivers, etc. Additionally, device 900 may be a master node and / or slave node in any of the aforementioned communication domains. For example, device 900 may be a master node and / or slave node in short-range wireless communications such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Near Field Communication, SparkLink, etc. It should be understood that although devices of some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the form of device 900, it should be understood that some embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by chips and / or chip systems.The aforementioned device 900 may also be a block diagram of a chip and / or a chip system, and this disclosure does not impose any restrictions on it.

[0099] Device 900 typically includes a processor 902, such as a central processing unit (CPU), and may further include a dedicated processor, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) or other such processor, memory 904, a network interface 906, and a bus 908 for connecting the components of device 900. Optionally, device 900 may also include components such as a mass storage device 910, a video adapter 912, and an I / O interface 916 (shown in dashed lines).

[0100] Memory 904 may include any type of non-transitory system memory readable by processor 902, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, memory 904 may include more than one type of memory, such as ROM used at startup and DRAM used for program and data storage during program execution. Bus 908 may be one or more of a plurality of bus architectures of any type, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a video bus.

[0101] Device 900 may also include one or more network interfaces 906, which may include at least one of wired network interfaces and wireless network interfaces. As shown in FIG9, network interface 906 may include a wired network interface for connecting to network 922, and may also include a wireless access network interface 920 for connecting to other devices via a wireless link. When device 900 is a network infrastructure element, the wireless access network interface 920 may be omitted for nodes or functions that are elements of a PLMN rather than elements at the wireless edge. When device 900 is infrastructure at the wireless edge of a network, it may include both wired and wireless network interfaces. When device 900 is a wirelessly connected device, such as a user equipment, the wireless access network interface 920 may be present and may be supplemented by other wireless interfaces such as a WiFi network interface. Network interface 906 allows device 900 to communicate with remote entities such as those connected to network 922.

[0102] Mass storage 910 may include any type of non-transitory storage device configured to store data, programs, and other information and make the data, programs, and other information accessible via bus 908. Mass storage 910 may include, for example, one or more of a solid-state drive, hard disk drive, disk drive, or optical disk drive. In some embodiments, mass storage 910 may be located remotely from device 900 and may be accessed using a network interface such as interface 906. In the illustrated embodiment, mass storage 910 is distinct from the memory 904 that includes it, and mass storage 910 typically performs storage tasks compatible with higher latency but typically provides low or no fluctuation. In some embodiments, mass storage 910 may be integrated with heterogeneous memory 904.

[0103] Optional video adapter 912 and I / O interface 916 (shown in dashed lines) provide interfaces for coupling device 900 to external input and output devices. Examples of input and output devices include a display 66 coupled to video adapter 912 and an I / O device 918, such as a touchscreen, coupled to I / O interface 916. Other devices may be coupled to device 900 and may utilize additional or fewer interfaces. For example, a serial interface such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) (not shown) may be used to provide interfaces for external devices. Those skilled in the art will understand that in embodiments where device 900 is part of a data center, I / O interface 916 and video adapter 912 may be virtualized and provided via network interface 906.

[0104] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device 1000 according to some embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the device 1000 includes a processing unit 1002, a transmitting unit 1004, and a receiving unit 1006. The device 1000 can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1 and can implement any of the methods provided in the foregoing embodiments. Optionally, the physical manifestation of the device 1000 can be a communication device, such as a network device or a UE. Alternatively, the device 1000 can be other devices capable of implementing the functions of a communication device, such as a processor or chip inside the communication device. Specifically, the device 1000 can be a programmable chip, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a system on a chip (SOC).

[0105] In some embodiments, the transmitting unit 1004 may be configured to transmit a first signal on a first time-domain resource. The receiving unit 1006 may be configured to receive a second signal on a second time-domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time-domain resources, the first guard interval being a first length. Both the first and second time-domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the first length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols. Furthermore, the first time-domain resource, the first guard interval, and the second time-domain resource are continuous in the time domain.

[0106] In some embodiments, processing unit 1002 may be configured to acquire timing advance (TA). Transmitting unit 1004 may be configured to transmit a first signal on a first time domain resource. Receiving unit 1006 may be configured to receive a second signal on a second time domain resource. A first guard interval exists between the first and second time domain resources, and the first time domain resources, the first guard interval, and the second time domain resources are contiguous in the time domain. Furthermore, both the first and second time domain resources consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the first guard interval is determined based on at least one of a first length or TA, wherein the first length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols.

[0107] Furthermore, it should be understood that, without any limitation, the device 1000 may also include a storage unit, which may be located in the processing unit 1002, the transmitting unit 1004, and / or the receiving unit 1006. Additionally, the processing unit 1002, the transmitting unit 1004, and / or the receiving unit 1006 may be independent components or may be located within each other; this disclosure does not impose any limitations in this regard.

[0108] In some other embodiments, the apparatus 1000 may include various other units or modules that can be configured to perform the various operations or functions described with respect to the foregoing method embodiments. Specific details can be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0109] It should be noted that the module division in the above embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, exist as separate physical units, or be integrated into one unit by two or more units. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0110] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, or all or part of it, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0111] It should be noted that the module division in the above embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, exist as separate physical units, or be integrated into one unit by two or more units. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0112] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, or all or part of it, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0113] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0114] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, it causes the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the above embodiments. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code having the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0115] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a chip for reading a computer program stored in a memory and implementing any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0116] Based on the above embodiments, this application provides a chip system including a processor for supporting a computer device in implementing the functions involved in the communication devices in the above embodiments. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing necessary programs and data of the computer device. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0117] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0118] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0119] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0120] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0121] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising: Send the first signal on the first time domain resource; as well as Receive the second signal on the second time domain resource. Specifically, a first guard interval exists between the first time-domain resource and the second time-domain resource. The length of the first guard interval is a first length. Both the first time-domain resource and the second time-domain resource consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the first length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols. The first time-domain resource, the first protection interval, and the second time-domain resource are continuous in the time domain.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Transmitting a third signal on a third time domain resource; as well as Transmitting a fourth signal on a fourth time-domain resource. The first time-domain resource unit includes the third time-domain resource, and the second time-domain resource unit includes the fourth time-domain resource. Wherein, there is a second protection interval between the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource, the third time domain resource, the second protection interval and the fourth time domain resource are continuous in the time domain, the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource are composed of a positive integer number of symbols and the length of the second protection interval is a second length, which is the length of a non-integer number of symbols.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The second protection interval is included in the first time-domain resource unit; The second protection interval is included in the second time-domain resource unit; or The second protection interval is independent of the first time-domain resource unit and the second time-domain resource unit.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Transmitting a third signal on the fourth time-domain resource and transmitting a fourth signal on the fourth time-domain resource include: The third signal is transmitted in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is transmitted in the fourth time domain resource; The third signal is transmitted in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is received in the fourth time domain resource; The third signal is received in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is received in the fourth time domain resource; or The third signal is received in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is transmitted in the fourth time domain resource.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The first protection interval comprises M symbols, the length of the second protection interval is greater than the length of (N-1) symbols and less than the length of N symbols, M and N are positive integers, and M and N have at least one of the following relationships: M = N, M = N = 1, At least one of M or N is pre-configured or preset, or M = N + K, where K is a non-negative integer and K can be configured.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first time-domain resource precedes the first protection interval and the second time-domain resource; or The second time-domain resource is located before the first protection interval and the first time-domain resource.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The third time-domain resource unit includes the first time-domain resource, the second time-domain resource, and the first protection interval; and The third time-domain resource unit further includes a third protection interval, and the length of the third protection interval is a third length, which is the length of a positive integer number of symbols.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The method is executed by the master node, which is the node that schedules communication resources.

9. A method of communication, comprising: Obtain timing lead (TA); Send the first signal in the first time domain resource; as well as The second signal is received in the second time domain resource; Specifically, a first protection interval exists between the first time-domain resource and the second time-domain resource, and the first time-domain resource, the first protection interval, and the second time-domain resource are contiguous in the time domain. Wherein, both the first time-domain resource and the second time-domain resource consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the first protection interval is determined based on a first length or at least one of the TAs, wherein the first length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: When the first time-domain resource precedes the guard interval and the second time-domain resource, the length of the first guard interval is the first length plus the TA, or When the second time-domain resource precedes the protection interval and the first time-domain resource, the length of the first protection interval is the first length minus the TA.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining the TA comprises: Receive instructions for the TA.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: Transmitting a third signal using resources in the third time domain; as well as Transmitting the fourth signal in the fourth time domain resource, The first time-domain resource unit includes the third time-domain resource, and the second time-domain resource unit includes the fourth time-domain resource. Specifically, a second protection interval exists between the third time-domain resource and the fourth time-domain resource, and the third time-domain resource, the second protection interval, and the fourth time-domain resource are continuous in the time domain. The third time-domain resource and the fourth time-domain resource consist of a positive integer number of symbols, and the length of the second guard interval is determined based on at least one of the second length or the TA, wherein the second length is the length of a non-integer number of symbols.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The length of the non-integer number of symbols is pre-configured or preset.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the third time-domain resource precedes the fourth time-domain resource and transmits a third signal on the third time-domain resource and transmits a fourth signal on the fourth time-domain resource, comprising: The third signal is transmitted in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is transmitted in the fourth time domain resource, wherein the length of the second protection interval is the second length; The third signal is transmitted in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is received in the fourth time domain resource, wherein the length of the second protection interval is the second length plus the TA; The third signal is received in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is received in the fourth time domain resource, wherein the length of the second guard interval is the second length; or The third signal is received in the third time domain resource and the fourth signal is transmitted in the fourth time domain resource, wherein the length of the second protection interval is the second length minus the TA.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The third time-domain resource unit also includes a third guard interval, and the length of the third guard interval is determined based on a third length or at least one of the TAs, wherein the third length is the length of a positive integer number of symbols.

16. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein: The method is executed by a slave node, which is a node whose resources are scheduled by other nodes for communication.

17. The method according to claim 7 or 15, wherein the third length is equal to the first length.

18. The method according to claim 1 or 9, wherein the first length is the length of a symbol.

19. The method according to claim 2 or 12, wherein: The first protection interval comprises M symbols, wherein the length of the non-integer number of symbols is greater than the length of (N-1) symbols and less than the length of N symbols, wherein M and N are positive integers, and wherein M and N have at least one of the following relationships: M = N, M = N = 1, At least one of M or N is pre-configured or predetermined, or M = N + K - 1, where K is a non-negative integer and K can be configured.

20. The method according to claim 1 or 9, further comprising: Send a fifth signal on the first time domain resource, and / or The sixth signal is received on the second time domain resource.

21. The method according to claim 1 or 9, wherein: The symbols include cyclic prefix (CP) - orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein: The CP length in the CP-OFDM symbol is equal to L / 30.72MHz, where the value of L is 18, 39, 64, 93 or 128.

23. A communication device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or claims 9 to 22.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or claims 9 to 22 to be performed.

25. A computer program product comprising instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or 9 to 22.

Images