Terminal and communication method

Abstract

This terminal comprises: a communication unit that transmits and receives signals to and from a base station in a non-terrestrial network (NTN); and a control unit that determines a timing advance (TA) value indicating the center of a slot related to communication with the base station. The communication unit transmits a report related to the TA value to the base station.

Description

Terminals and communication methods

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal and a communication method in a wireless communication system.

[0002] In NR (New Radio) (also known as "5G"), the successor system to LTE (Long Term Evolution), technologies are being considered that meet requirements such as large capacity, high data transmission speed, low latency, simultaneous connection of many terminals, low cost, and low power consumption (for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) is currently being considered. NTN uses non-terrestrial networks such as satellites to provide services to areas that cannot be covered by terrestrial 5G networks, mainly due to cost considerations (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3).

[0004] Furthermore, LTE and NR define UE categories or UE capabilities for IoT (Internet of Things) that reduce the functions that are mandatorily supported by normal terminals, such as functions related to transmission and reception bandwidth and the number of antennas. For example, LTE defines eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication) and NB-IoT (Narrow Band IoT), while NR defines RedCap (Reduced Capability).

[0005] 3GPP TS 38.300 V18.0.0 (2023-12) 3GPP TR 38.821 V16.2.0 (2023-03) Konishi et al., "A Study on Downlink Frequency Sharing in HAPS Mobile Communication Systems," IEICE General Conference, B-17-1, 2020 3GPP TS 38.211 V18.1.0 (2023-12)

[0006] In future systems (for example, NR Release 18 and 6G, the successor to NR), eRedCap (enhanced Reduced Capability), which further reduces the functionality of RedCap considered in NR Release 17, is being considered. However, the existing specifications do not take into account the characteristics of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) when it comes to processing performed by terminals that support RedCap.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to enable a wireless communication system in which a terminal with reduced functionality performs transmission and reception over an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network).

[0008] According to the disclosed technology, the system includes a communication unit that transmits and receives signals to and from a base station in an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network), and a control unit that determines a Timing Advance (TA) value indicating the center of a slot in relation to communication with the base station, wherein the communication unit is provided with a terminal that transmits a report regarding the TA value to the base station.

[0009] According to the disclosed technology, in a wireless communication system, a terminal with reduced functionality can perform transmission and reception over an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network).

[0010] This is a diagram illustrating an example of NTN (1). This is a diagram illustrating an example of NTN (2). This is a diagram illustrating an example of NTN (3). This is a diagram illustrating an example of NTN (4). This is a diagram illustrating an example of NTN (5). This is a diagram illustrating an example of RedCap. This is a diagram illustrating an example of half-duplex FDD. This is a diagram illustrating an example of TA reporting. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of TA reporting (1) in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of TA reporting (1) in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of TA reporting (2) in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of TA reporting (3) in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of base station 10 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of base station 10 or terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to those described below.

[0012] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiments of the present invention, existing technologies may be used as appropriate. However, such existing technologies include, for example, existing LTE, but are not limited to existing LTE. Furthermore, the term "LTE" as used herein has a broad meaning that includes LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced and later technologies (e.g., NR), unless otherwise specified.

[0013] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention described below, terms such as SS (Synchronization signal), PSS (Primary SS), SSS (Secondary SS), PBCH (Physical broadcast channel), PRACH (Physical random access channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), which are used in existing LTE systems, will be used. This is for convenience of description, and similar signals, functions, etc., may be called by other names. Also, the above terms in NR correspond to NR-SS, NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, NR-PRACH, NR-PDCCH, NR-PDSCH, NR-PUCCH, NR-PUSCH, etc. However, even if a signal is used in NR, it is not necessarily explicitly stated as "NR-".

[0014] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the duplex system may be a TDD (Time Division Duplex) system, an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) system, or any other system (for example, a Flexible Duplex).

[0015] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, "configuring" wireless parameters may mean that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that wireless parameters notified from the base station 10 or terminal 20 are configured.

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example of NTN (1). NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) uses non-terrestrial equipment such as satellites to provide services to areas that cannot be covered by terrestrial 5G networks, mainly due to cost constraints. Furthermore, NTN can provide more reliable services. For example, it is envisioned to be applied to IoT (Inter-of-Things), ships, buses, trains, and critical communications. NTN also has scalability through efficient multicast or broadcast.

[0017] As an example from NTN, as shown in Figure 1, satellite 10A can retransmit signals transmitted from ground base station 10B to provide services to areas where ground base stations are not located, such as mountainous regions.

[0018] The terrestrial 5G network may have the configuration described below. The terrestrial 5G network includes one or more base stations 10 and terminals 20. The base station 10 is a communication device that provides one or more cells and communicates wirelessly with the terminals 20. The physical resources of the radio signal are defined in the time domain and the frequency domain, the time domain may be defined by the number of OFDM symbols, and the frequency domain may be defined by the number of subcarriers or resource blocks. The base station 10 transmits synchronization signals and system information to the terminals 20. The synchronization signals are, for example, NR-PSS and NR-SSS. The system information is transmitted, for example, in NR-PBCH and is also called broadcast information.

[0019] Base station 10 transmits control signals or data to terminal 20 via DL (Downlink) and receives control signals or data from terminal 20 via UL (Uplink). Both base station 10 and terminal 20 are capable of transmitting and receiving signals using beamforming. Furthermore, both base station 10 and terminal 20 are capable of applying MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) communication to DL or UL. In addition, both base station 10 and terminal 20 may communicate via SCell (Secondary Cell) and PCell (Primary Cell) using CA (Carrier Aggregation).

[0020] Terminal 20 is a communication device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, wearable device, or M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communication module. Terminal 20 receives control signals or data from base station 10 via DL and transmits control signals or data to base station 10 via UL, thereby utilizing various communication services provided by the wireless communication system.

[0021] Figure 2 shows an example of NTN (2). The area per cell or beam in NTN is much larger compared to terrestrial networks (TN). Figure 2 shows an example of NTN configured by satellite retransmission. The connection between satellite 10A and NTN gateway 10B is called a feeder link, and the connection between satellite 10A and UE20 is called a service link.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the difference in delay between the near-side UE20A and the far-side UE20B is, for example, 10.3 ms for GEO (Geosynchronous orbit) and 3.2 ms for LEO (Low Earth orbit). The beam size in NTN is, for example, 3500 km for GEO and 1000 km for LEO.

[0023] Figure 3 shows an example of an NTN (3). As shown in Figure 3, an NTN is realized by a satellite in space or an aircraft in the air. For example, a GEO satellite may be located at an altitude of 35,786 km and have a geostationary orbit. For example, a LEO satellite may be located at an altitude of 500-2000 km and orbit with a period of 88-127 minutes. For example, a HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) may be located at an altitude of 8-50 km and perform a circular flight.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the GEO satellite, LEO satellite, and HAPS aircraft may be connected to the ground station gNB via a gateway. Furthermore, the service area may increase in the order of HAPS, LEO, and GEO.

[0025] For example, NTN can extend the coverage of a 5G network to areas that are not yet serviced or are already serviced. Also, for example, NTN can improve the continuity, availability, and reliability of services in ships, buses, trains, or other critical communications. The fact that it is NTN may be notified by the transmission of a special parameter to the terminal 20, and this special parameter may be, for example, a parameter related to the determination of Timing Advance (TA) based on information relating to satellites or aircraft.

[0026] Figure 4 shows an example of NTN (4). Figure 4 shows an example of an NTN network architecture assumed in the case of a transparent payload. As shown in Figure 4, the CN (Core Network) 10D, gNB 10C, and gateway 10B are connected. Gateway 10B is connected to satellite 10A via a feeder link. Satellite 10A is connected to terminal 20A or VSAT (Very small aperture terminal) 20B via a service link. NR Uu is established between gNB 10C and terminal 20A or VSAT 20B.

[0027] Furthermore, NTN's network architecture may employ FDD or TDD. Also, the ground cells may be fixed or mobile. Additionally, terminal 20 may have the capability to support GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). For example, FR1 may be assumed to be a power class 3 handheld device. Also, at least FR2 may be assumed to be a VSAT device.

[0028] Furthermore, NTN's network architecture may also assume a regenerative payload. For example, the gNB function may be mounted on a satellite or aircraft. Alternatively, the gNB-DU may be mounted on a satellite or aircraft, and the gNB-CU may be deployed as a ground station.

[0029] Figure 5 shows an example (5) of NTN. As shown in Figure 5, the TA in NTN includes a common TA corresponding to the distance from the satellite / HAPS 10A to the reference point (RP) in the feeder link, and a UE-specific TA corresponding to the distance from the satellite / HAPS 10A to the UE 20 in the service link. The TA in the service link is a UE-specific TA and differs depending on the location of the UE 20. The feeder link includes a user-transparent delay corresponding to the distance from the reference point to the gNB / gateway 10B.

[0030] The reference point for UL synchronization may be determined by the network implementation. For example, the reference point may be any point on the satellite, gNB, GW, or feeder link. In the gNB or GW, the time domains of DL and UL may be aligned to facilitate implementation. In the satellite, UE operations related to the common TA may not be performed to reduce the UE load.

[0031] In NTN, TA is, for example, T ＴＡ = (NTA + N ＴＡ，ＵＥ－ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ +N ＴＡ，ｃｏｍｍｏｎ +N ＴＡ，ｏｆｆｓｅｔ ) × T Ｃ It may also be calculated using the method shown in Non-Patent Document 4.

[0032] N ＴＡ is 0 in the case of PRACH and is notified by the TA command by MAC-CE (Medium Access Control - Control Element). N ＴＡ may be a closed-loop TA.

[0033] N ＴＡ，ＵＥ－ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ is a UE-specific TA. N ＴＡ，ＵＥ－ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ may be a value estimated by the UE itself in order to pre-compensate the delay of the service link. N ＴＡ，ＵＥ－ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ is calculated based on the position of the UE and the celestial position of the serving satellite.

[0034] N ＴＡ，ｃｏｍｍｏｎ is a common TA controlled by the network. Hereinafter, N ＴＡ，ｃｏｍｍｏｎ is also referred to as the common TA. For example, when the reference point is a satellite, the value 0 is supported. N ＴＡ，ｏｆｆｓｅｔ may be a fixed value used for TA calculation defined in the specification.

[0035] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of RedCap. As shown in Figure 6, RedCap UE is defined in NR Release 17, and eRedCap UE is defined in NR Release 18. RedCap UE has performance and complexity intermediate between those of an NR normal device and an LTE IoT device. RedCap UE may support a bandwidth up to 20 MHz and a communication speed up to 150 Mbps. eRedCap UE may support a bandwidth up to 5 MHz and a communication speed up to 10 Mbps.

[0036] First, the conventional RedCap of NR Release 17 will be described. The maximum bandwidth supported by the RedCap UE being considered in NR Release 17 is 20 MHz in FR1 (Frequency Range 1) and 100 MHz in FR2 (Frequency Range 2). Also, the RedCap UE is required to coexist with non-RedCap UEs (hereinafter also referred to as "non-RedCap UEs") in the system.

[0037] Also, the RedCap UE and non-RedCap UE may be able to share the same initial DL-BWP (Downlink Bandwidth part) (including subcarrier spacing, bandwidth, and position) set by the MIB (Master Information Block). On the other hand, an initial DL-BWP with a subcarrier spacing, bandwidth, and position separated or added for the RedCap UE may be set.

[0038] If the RedCap UE does not exceed the maximum bandwidth supported by the RedCap UE, it can share the initial DL-BWP for non-RedCap UE (hereinafter, also referred to as "DL-BWP #0").

[0039] Also, in the specification of NR Release 17, in order to avoid RF retuning, in the case of TDD, the DL-BWP and UL-BWP with the same index must have the same center frequency.

[0040] Also, after the RedCap UE establishes or re-establishes a dedicated RRC connection, it is assumed that the initial DL-BWP and active DL-BWP are below the maximum DL bandwidth supported by the RedCap UE. For the RedCap UE, the DL-BWP is provided by "initialDownlinkBWP" of "DownlinkConfigCommonRedCapSIB", and the UL-BWP is provided by "initialUplinkBWP" of "UplinkConfigCommonRedCapSIB". If "initialUplinkBWP" of "UplinkConfigCommonSIB" indicates a UL-BWP larger than the maximum UL-BWP supported by the RedCap UE, it is assumed that the UL-BWP is provided by "initialUplinkBWP" of "UplinkConfigCommonRedCapSIB".

[0041] In addition to the initial DL-BWP, the RedCap UE may be provided with a DL-BWP by "BWP-DownlinkDedicated". In addition to the initial UL-BWP, the RedCap UE may be provided with a UL-BWP that is less than or equal to the maximum UL bandwidth supported by the RedCap UE by "BWP-UplinkDedicated".

[0042] When "RACH-ConfigCommon-RedCap" or "RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA-RedCap" is provided to the RedCap UE, the RedCap UE uses the corresponding parameters to perform initial access and random access procedures. Otherwise, the RedCap UE uses the corresponding parameters provided by "RACH-ConfigCommon" or "RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA".

[0043] When the RedCap UE is provided with "initialUplinkBWP" in "UplinkConfigCommonRedCapSIB" and there is no dedicated PUCCH resource configuration, the RedCap UE uses the PUCCH resource set provided by "pucch-ResourceCommonRedCap" to transmit PUCCH using HARQ-ACK information. Note that when "disable-FH-PUCCH" is provided in "PUCCH-ConfigCommonRedCap", PUCCH transmission is disabled.

[0044] For the initial DL-BWP provided by "initialDownlinkBWP" in "DownlinkConfigCommonRedCapSIB", the RedCap UE monitors the PDCCH according to the CSS (Common search space) set of Type1-PDCCH and recognizes that the initial DL-BWP does not contain an SS / PBCH block or a CORESET (Control resource set) with index 0 if it does not monitor the PDCCH according to the CSS set of Type2-PDCCH.

[0045] When RedCapUE monitors PDCCH according to the CSS set of Type2-PDCCH, it assumes that the initial DL-BWP will contain the SS / PBCH block and the CORESET at index 0 if RedCapUE used the SS / PBCH block to obtain SIB1, and that the CORESET at index 0 will not be included if the initial DL-BWP does not contain the SS / PBCH block used by RedCapUE to obtain SIB1.

[0046] For active DL-BWP provided by "BWP-DownlinkDedicated", RedCapUE assumes that the active DL-BWP contains SS / PBCH blocks and does not contain a CORESET at index 0, unless it indicates a function to operate with DL-BWP without receiving SS / PBCH blocks.

[0047] Next, we will explain the status of the RedCap considerations for NR Release 18. In NR Release 18, eRedCap is being considered to further reduce the complexity of RedCapUE for NR Release 17. Hereafter, we will distinguish between the two by referring to the function-reduced terminal for NR Release 17 as RedCapUE and the extended function-reduced terminal for NR Release 18 as eRedCapUE. RedCapUE is an example of the first function-reduced terminal. eRedCapUE is an example of the second function-reduced terminal. That is, the first function-reduced terminal is a terminal with the first function reduced, and the second function-reduced terminal is a terminal with the second function reduced, which is different from the first function (including cases where there is some overlap).

[0048] The impact on the network, the coexistence of RedCapUE or eRedCapUE and non-RedCapUE within a cell, the impact on UE, and the impact on specifications are being considered. Potential complementary solutions to reduce device complexity focus on the following:

[0049] As a first solution, a reduction in the UE bandwidth at FR1 to 5 MHz is being considered. This solution could be specified in combination with relaxed UE processing timelines for PDSCH and / or PUSCH and / or CSI.

[0050] As a second solution, reducing the UE peak data rate of FR1 is being considered. This solution may involve limited bandwidth for PDSCH and / or PUSCH and could be specified in combination with relaxed UE processing timelines for PDSCH and / or PUSCH and / or CSI.

[0051] Furthermore, the following points should be considered for eRedCapUE: Specifically, the SSB specified in NR Release 15 should be reused, and changes to L1 should be minimized. Also, BWP operation with and without SSB and with and without RF retuning should be considered. Additionally, consideration should be given to not ruling out the possibility of applying some FR1 solutions to FR2. Finally, to further reduce the complexity of the UE, the definition of a reduced-function terminal type for a single Release 18 is being considered.

[0052] eRedCapUE may be defined as follows:

[0053] For example, in a random access procedure, a terminal 20 that notifies that its device is an eRedCapUE in at least one of Msg1, Msg3, and MsgA may be defined as an eRedCapUE. For example, an eRedCapUE may send Msg1 or MsgA using a resource specified or configured for eRedCapUE, or it may notify that it is an eRedCapUE in a notification field within Msg3 specified for eRedCapUE.

[0054] For example, a terminal 20 that supports a particular UE capability may be defined as an eRedCapUE. The particular UE capability may be, for example, one of the following 1)-7).

[0055] 1) Support a maximum bandwidth of 5 MHz for PDSCH and PUSCH in FR1. 2) Support relaxed UE processing time for PDSCH, PUSCH and / or CSI. 3) Support a reduced UE peak data rate in FR1. 4) Support one or two receive branches and the corresponding maximum number of DL-MIMO layers. 5) Support FD (Full Duplex)-FDD or Type A HD (Half Duplex)-FDD in the FR1 FDD band. 6) Support up to 64QAM (Quadrature amplitude modulation) or 256QAM in FR1DL. 7) Do not support carrier aggregation or dual connectivity.

[0056] Furthermore, a terminal 20 that reports to the base station 10 through a UE capability report that it supports the specific UE capability may be defined as an eRedCapUE. Note that existing terminals may be terminals other than eRedCapUEs.

[0057] Furthermore, in order to reduce the complexity related to UE-BB, the eRedCap terminal may support the operations shown in 1)-5) below.

[0058] 1) It may be possible to receive DL allocations included in DCI that allocate unicast PDSCH resources with a bandwidth exceeding 5 MHz. 2) For broadcast PDSCHs carrying SIB1, the scheduling of SIB1 may exceed 5 MHz, as in legacy operation. 3) For broadcast PDSCHs carrying OSI (Other System Information), the scheduling of OSI may exceed 5 MHz, as in legacy operation. 4) For broadcast PDSCHs carrying RAR (Random Access Response), the scheduling of RAR-PDSCH may exceed the maximum number of unicast PRBs that the eRedCap terminal can process per slot. 5) For broadcast PDSCHs carrying paging, the scheduling of paging channels may exceed 5 MHz, as in legacy operation.

[0059] As described above, for RedCapUE or eRedCapUE, the following measures are being considered: reduction of maximum bandwidth, reduction of RX branches and DLMIMO layer count, maximum modulation scheme, half-duplex FDD operation, relaxation of processing time, and relaxation of RRM measurement in UE near the cell center.

[0060] Furthermore, it is conceivable that characteristics related to NTN may affect RedCapUE. For example, common performance characteristics for DL ​​and UL are assumed. In addition, NTN-specific TA adjustments such as simultaneous processing of GNSS and Uu, common TA parameters, and TA updates during UL reception are assumed. In addition, a two-step RACH is assumed for these characteristics.

[0061] In this embodiment, RedCapUE may include eRedCapUE.

[0062] Because RedCapUE uses half-duplex frequency division multiplexing, there are cases where downlink reception and uplink transmission cannot be performed simultaneously. Handling of cases where downlink and uplink overlap in the time domain may be defined for each of the following cases, for example.

[0063] Case 1: A dynamically scheduled DL receiver collides with a quasi-statically configured UL transmit. Case 2: A quasi-statically configured DL receiver collides with a dynamically scheduled UL transmit. Case 3: A quasi-statically configured DL receiver collides with a quasi-statically configured UL transmit. Case 4: A dynamically scheduled DL receiver collides with a dynamically scheduled UL transmit. Case 5: A configured SSB collides with a dynamically scheduled or configured UL transmit. Case 6: A dynamic or quasi-static DL collides with an active RO.

[0064] Table 1 shows an example of handling during DL / UL overlap.

[0065]

[0066] In Table 1, "dynamic" is indicated as "dynamic" and "configured" as "configured".

[0067] Cases 3 and 4 described above are cases that are not considered from a UE perspective, and can be avoided by assuming that the UL transmission timing including TA is known at BS, and that BS supplies scheduling information so that DL and UL do not overlap.

[0068] However, this assumption may not be valid in an NTN environment. Figure 7 shows an example of a half-duplex FDD. As shown in Figure 7, in an NTN environment, the TA value is determined by the UE, and as shown in Figure 7, it is unclear from a network perspective when DL and UL overlap occurs. It is unclear from a network perspective whether PDSCH (SPS PDSCH#B) and PUCCH overlap. Reporting of the TA value is specified in existing technologies. However, it is not guaranteed that the BS always knows the exact TA value.

[0069] Here, improving the granularity of TA reports is being considered. In the current specification, the granularity of TA reports is 1 ms, which corresponds to one slot in the case of SCS 15 kHz.

[0070] Figure 8 illustrates an example of TA reporting. As shown in Figure 8, if the granularity of the TA report is 1 slot, the actual range of TA values ​​based on TA values ​​reported as N slots from a reference will be 2 slots. However, the fact that the actual range of TA values ​​is 2 slots means that the actual TA values ​​will be located within either the former or latter slot, making it difficult to use for the UE from a network perspective.

[0071] Therefore, the granularity of TA reports is being considered as either symbol level or 0.5ms. However, refining the granularity of TA reports leads to increased overhead.

[0072] Therefore, the HD-FDD RedCapUE may perform a 1ms granularity TA report indicating the center of the slot. For example, the TA report may be performed as shown in the flowchart in Figure 9 or Figure 11 below.

[0073] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example (1) of TA reporting in an embodiment of the present invention. In step S101, if the TA value is defined at a 1-slot granularity, the UE calculates the TA value with the reference at the center of the slot. In step S102, the UE reports the TA value to the BS.

[0074] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example (1) of TA reporting in an embodiment of the present invention. When the TA value is defined at a 1-slot granularity, the UE may calculate the TA value with the reference being the center of the slot, as shown in Figure 10. The TA report based on the TA value will indicate the center of the slot, and the actual range of the TA value will be within that slot. For example, the TA report may be a DL timing that adds a half-slot to the normal DL timing or subtracts a half-slot from the normal DL timing.

[0075] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example (2) of TA reporting in an embodiment of the present invention. In step S201, if the TA value is defined as a 1-slot granularity, the UE calculates a TA value that is N slots + half slots or N slots - half slots. In step S202, the UE reports the TA value to the BS as N slots.

[0076] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating an example (2) of TA reporting in an embodiment of the present invention. When the TA value is defined at a 1-slot granularity, the UE may report a TA value of N slots, which means N slots plus half slots, as shown in Figure 12. That is, the network may interpret a reported TA value of N slots as meaning N slots plus half slots. In the example in Figure 12, when the reported TA value is N = 15, an example is shown in which the TA value is interpreted as 15 plus half slots.

[0077] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating an example (3) of TA reporting in an embodiment of the present invention. When the TA value is defined at a 1-slot granularity, the UE may report a TA value of N slots, which means N slots - half slots, as shown in Figure 13. That is, the network may interpret a reported TA value of N slots as meaning N slots - half slots. In the example in Figure 13, when the reported TA value is N = 16, an example is shown in which the TA value is interpreted as 16 - half slots.

[0078] Signaling to determine whether or not to execute a TA report indicating the center of the aforementioned slot, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 9 or Figure 11, may be performed from the network via RRC signaling or the MAC layer. For example, the RRC signaling may be UE individual signaling or SIB. For example, the MAC layer signaling may be MAC-CE.

[0079] The UE may report to the network whether or not it supports the operation of performing a TA report indicating the center of the aforementioned slot.

[0080] Other UEs besides HD-FDD RedCapUE may support TA reporting indicating the center of the slot as described above. Other UEs besides HD-FDD RedCapUE may report to the network whether or not they support the operation of performing TA reporting indicating the center of the slot as described above.

[0081] The TA report indicating the center of the aforementioned slot may also be supported even if the granularity is higher than 1 ms.

[0082] The above embodiment reduces the number of slots unavailable for the UE from a network perspective, thereby reducing overhead. RedCapUE accurately and efficiently reports the TA value to the network, which can then refer to the TA value to schedule DL and UL.

[0083] In other words, in a wireless communication system, a terminal with reduced functionality can perform transmission and reception over an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network).

[0084] (Device Configuration) Next, an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 that perform the processes and operations described above will be explained. The base station 10 and terminal 20 include the functions to carry out the above-described embodiment. However, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may each be equipped with only some of the functions in the embodiment.

[0085] <Base Station 10> Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a base station 10 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 14, the base station 10 has a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. The functional configuration shown in Figure 14 is merely an example. Any functional classification and functional unit names are acceptable as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] The transmitting unit 110 includes the function of generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal 20 and transmitting the signal wirelessly. The transmitting unit 110 also transmits inter-network node messages to other network nodes. The receiving unit 120 includes the function of receiving various signals transmitted from the terminal 20 and obtaining information from the received signals, for example, higher layer information. The transmitting unit 110 also has the function of transmitting NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL control signals, etc. to the terminal 20. The receiving unit 120 also receives inter-network node messages from other network nodes.

[0087] The configuration unit 130 stores pre-configured configuration information and various configuration information to be transmitted to the terminal 20. The contents of the configuration information include, for example, information related to communication at NTN.

[0088] As described in the embodiment, the control unit 140 performs control related to communication in NTN. The control unit 140 also controls communication with terminal 20 based on the UE capability report regarding wireless parameters received from terminal 20. The signal transmission function of the control unit 140 may be included in the transmission unit 110, and the signal reception function of the control unit 140 may be included in the reception unit 120.

[0089] <Terminal 20> Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 15, terminal 20 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a setting unit 230, and a control unit 240. The functional configuration shown in Figure 15 is merely an example. Any functional classification and functional unit names are acceptable as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] The transmitting unit 210 creates a transmission signal from the transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The receiving unit 220 wirelessly receives various signals and acquires signals from higher layers from the received physical layer signals. The receiving unit 220 also has the function of receiving NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL / SL control signals, etc. transmitted from the base station 10. For example, the transmitting unit 210 transmits PSCCH (Physical Sidelink Control Channel), PSSCH (Physical Sidelink Shared Channel), PSDCH (Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel), PSBCH (Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel), etc. to other terminals 20 as D2D communication, and the receiving unit 120 receives PSCCH, PSSCH, PSDCH or PSBCH, etc. from other terminals 20.

[0091] The setting unit 230 stores various setting information received from the base station 10 by the receiving unit 220. The setting unit 230 also stores pre-configured setting information. The content of the setting information includes, for example, information related to NTN communications.

[0092] As described in the embodiment, the control unit 240 performs control related to communication in NTN. The signal transmission function unit of the control unit 240 may be included in the transmission unit 210, and the signal reception function unit of the control unit 240 may be included in the reception unit 220.

[0093] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (Figures 14 and 15) used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may be realized by combining the above one device or the above multiple devices with software.

[0094] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, determination, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In all cases, as mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0095] For example, the base station 10, terminal 20, etc. in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that processes the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The above-mentioned base station 10 and terminal 20 may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a storage device 1002, an auxiliary storage device 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0096] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be read as "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware configuration of the base station 10 and terminal 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured without some of the devices.

[0097] Each function in the base station 10 and terminal 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and storage device 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0098] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running an operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the control unit 140, control unit 240, etc., described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0099] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, or data from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002, and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiment. For example, the control unit 140 of the base station 10 shown in Figure 14 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Also, for example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in Figure 15 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Although the above-described processes have been explained as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line.

[0100] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] The auxiliary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital multipurpose disk, a Blu-ray® disk), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may also be a database, server, or other suitable medium that includes at least one of the storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0102] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting / receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., in order to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmitting and receiving antenna, amplifier section, transmitting and receiving section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmitting and receiving section may be implemented in a physically or logically separated manner, with a transmitting section and a receiving section.

[0103] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0104] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the storage device 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be configured for each device.

[0105] Furthermore, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0106] Figure 17 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 17, vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on vehicle 2001, for example, to the communication module 2013.

[0107] The drive unit 2002 consists of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel, which is operated by the user.

[0108] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and communication ports (IO ports) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 installed in the vehicle 2001 are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0109] Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 include current signals from current sensor 2021 for sensing motor current, front or rear wheel rotation speed signals acquired by rotation speed sensor 2022, front or rear wheel air pressure signals acquired by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals acquired by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals acquired by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals acquired by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals acquired by brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals acquired by shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals acquired by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0110] The Information Service Unit 2012 consists of various devices for providing (outputting) various types of information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, including a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Service Unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001. The Information Service Unit 2012 may include input devices that accept input from the outside (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, touch panel, etc.) and output devices that perform output to the outside (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, touch panel, etc.).

[0111] The driver assistance system unit 2030 consists of various devices that provide functions to prevent accidents or reduce the driver's workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System)), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driver assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driver assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0112] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via its communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 sends and receives data via the communication port 2033 between the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, the microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021-29 provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0113] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with external devices. For example, it can send and receive various types of information with external devices via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station or a mobile station.

[0114] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of the following to an external device via wireless communication: signals from the various sensors 2021-2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on said signals, and information based on input from an external source (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021-2028, the information service unit 2012, etc., may also be called input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include the information based on the above input.

[0115] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, inter-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit, which outputs information (for example, outputs information to devices such as displays and speakers based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external device in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021-2029, etc., provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0116] (Summary of the embodiments)

[0117] The terminal or base station of this embodiment may be configured as a terminal, base station, or network node as described in the following sections. Furthermore, the following communication methods may be implemented.

[0118] (1) A terminal having a communication unit that transmits and receives signals to and from a base station in an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network), and a control unit that determines a Timing Advance (TA) value indicating the center of a slot in relation to communication with the base station, wherein the communication unit transmits a report relating to the TA value to the base station. (2) The terminal according to paragraph 1, wherein the control unit determines the TA value with the reference being the center of the slot. (3) The terminal according to paragraph 1, wherein the control unit determines the TA value which is the number of slots that indicates a position obtained by adding a half slot to a certain number of slots. (4) The terminal according to paragraph 1, wherein the control unit determines the TA value which is the number of slots that indicates a position obtained by subtracting a half slot from a certain number of slots. (5) The terminal according to paragraph 1, wherein the communication unit transmits a report to the base station indicating whether or not it supports the operation of determining a Timing Advance (TA) value indicating the center of a slot in relation to communication with the base station. (Clause 6) A communication method in which a terminal performs the following steps: a procedure for transmitting and receiving signals with a base station in an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network); a procedure for determining a TA (Timing Advance) value indicating the center of a slot in relation to communication with the base station; and a procedure for transmitting a report relating to the TA value to the base station.

[0119] In any of the above configurations, a wireless communication system can enable a terminal with reduced functionality to perform transmission and reception over an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network). Furthermore, according to claims 2-5, the number of slots unavailable for the UE from a network perspective is reduced, thereby reducing overhead. The RedCapUE accurately and efficiently reports the TA value to the network, and the network can schedule DL and UL by referring to the TA value.

[0120] (Supplement to Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, substitutions, etc. Specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, but unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention, and matters described in two or more items may be combined as needed, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other). The boundaries of functional units or processing units in the functional block diagram do not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of physical parts. The operation of multiple functional units may be physically performed by one part, or the operation of one functional unit may be physically performed by multiple parts. The processing procedures described in the embodiments may be rearranged as long as they do not contradict each other. For the convenience of explaining the processing, the base station 10 and terminal 20 have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the base station 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or other appropriate storage medium.

[0121] Furthermore, notification of information is not limited to the embodiments / models described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, notification of information may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling), broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block)), other signals, or combinations thereof. Also, RRC signaling may be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0122] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to at least one of the following: LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), W-CDMA®, GSM®, CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi®), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX®), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth®, and other appropriate systems, as well as next-generation systems extended based thereon. Furthermore, multiple systems may be applied in combination (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0123] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0124] In this specification, specific operations performed by the base station 10 may, in some cases, be performed by its upper node. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station 10, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 can be performed by the base station 10 and at least one of the other network nodes (for example, an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates the case where there is one other network node besides the base station 10, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0125] The information or signals described in this disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). They may also be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0126] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0127] The determination in this disclosure may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0128] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0129] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0130] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0131] In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0132] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0133] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or corresponding other information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0134] The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0135] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "wireless base station", "base station equipment", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNodeB (eNB)", "gNodeB (gNB)", "access point", "transmission point", "reception point", "transmission / reception point", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0136] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. If a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, each of which may also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a Remote Radio Head (RRH)). The terms “cell” or “sector” refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​at least one of the base station and / or base station subsystems that provide communication services in that coverage.

[0137] In this disclosure, the transmission of information by a base station to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to perform control or operation based on the information.

[0138] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0139] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0140] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body refers to a movable object, and its speed of movement is arbitrary. This also includes the case when the mobile body is stationary. The mobile body includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and items mounted on them. The mobile body may also be a mobile body that moves autonomously based on operation commands. It may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile body (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). Furthermore, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0141] Furthermore, the term "base station" in this disclosure may be interpreted as "user terminal." For example, the various aspects / embodiments of this disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals 20 (which may be called, for example, D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), etc.). In this case, the terminals 20 may have the functions that the base station 10 has. Also, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., may be interpreted as side channel.

[0142] Similarly, the term "user terminal" in this disclosure may be replaced with "base station." In this case, the base station may be configured to have the same functions as the user terminal described above.

[0143] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, or inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertaining. “Determining” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, or accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0144] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0145] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0146] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0147] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0148] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0149] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0150] A wireless frame may consist of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of these frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further consist of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0151] Numerical logic may be communication parameters applied to at least one of the transmission and reception of a signal or channel. Numerical logic may include, for example, at least one of the following: subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame configuration, specific filtering processes performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing processes performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0152] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) symbols, etc.). A slot may also be a time unit based on neurologic.

[0153] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. Minislots may also be called subslots. Minislots may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called a PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called a PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0154] Wireless frames, subframes, slots, minislots, and symbols all represent units of time when transmitting a signal. Different names may be used for each of these terms.

[0155] For example, one subframe may be called a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be called a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be called a TTI. In other words, at least one of a subframe and a TTI may be a subframe in existing LTE (1 ms), a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0156] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, the base station schedules each terminal 20 to allocate wireless resources (such as the frequency bandwidth and transmission power available to each terminal 20) in TTI units. However, the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0157] TTI may be a transmission time unit for channel-encoded data packets (transport blocks), code blocks, code words, etc., or it may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the actual time interval (e.g., number of symbols) in which the transport block, code block, code word, etc. are mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0158] Furthermore, if one slot or one mini-slot is referred to as a TTI, then one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more mini-slots) may constitute the minimum time unit for scheduling. In addition, the number of slots (number of mini-slots) that constitute this minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0159] A TTI with a time length of 1 ms may be called a normal TTI, a long TTI, a normal subframe, a long subframe, a slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a normal TTI may be called a shortened TTI, a short TTI, a partial or fractional TTI, a shortened subframe, a short subframe, a mini slot, a sub slot, a slot, etc.

[0160] Furthermore, long TTIs (e.g., normal TTIs, subframes, etc.) may be interpreted as TTIs with a time length exceeding 1 ms, and short TTIs (e.g., shortened TTIs, etc.) may be interpreted as TTIs with a TTI length less than that of a long TTI but 1 ms or more.

[0161] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and frequency domain, and in the frequency domain, it may contain one or more consecutive subcarriers. The number of subcarriers in an RB may be the same regardless of the neurology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers in an RB may be determined based on the neurology.

[0162] Furthermore, the time domain of the RB may contain one or more symbols and may be the length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI. One TTI, one subframe, etc., may each consist of one or more resource blocks.

[0163] One or more RBs may also be called a Physical RB (PRB), Sub-Carrier Group (SCG), Resource Element Group (REG), PRB pair, RB pair, etc.

[0164] Furthermore, a resource block may consist of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource area comprising one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0165] A Bandwidth Part (BWP), also known as a partial bandwidth, may represent a subset of consecutive common resource blocks (RBs) for a particular neurology in a given carrier. These common RBs may be identified by an index of the RBs relative to a common reference point of the carrier. The PRBs may be defined and numbered within a given BWP.

[0166] A BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be set within a single carrier for a UE.

[0167] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE does not need to assume that it will transmit or receive a predetermined signal / channel outside of the active BWP. In this disclosure, terms such as "cell" and "carrier" may be read as "BWP".

[0168] The structures described above, such as wireless frames, subframes, slots, minislots, and symbols, are merely illustrative. For example, the number of subframes included in a wireless frame, the number of slots per subframe or wireless frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, and the number of symbols, symbol length, and cyclic prefix (CP) length within a TTI can be varied in various ways.

[0169] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0170] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0171] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0172] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0173] This international patent application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-203552, filed on 21 November 2024, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-203552 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0174] 10 Base station 110 Transmitting unit 120 Receiving unit 130 Setting unit 140 Control unit 20 Terminal 210 Transmitting unit 220 Receiving unit 230 Setting unit 240 Control unit 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 2001 Vehicle 2002 Drive unit 2003 Steering unit 2004 Accelerator pedal 2005 Brake pedal 2006 Shift lever 2007 Front wheel 2008 Rear wheel 2009 Axle 2010 Electronic control unit 2012 Information service unit 2013 Communication module 2021 Current sensor 2022 Rotation speed sensor 2023 Air pressure sensor 2024 Vehicle speed sensor 2025 Acceleration sensor 2026 Brake pedal sensor 2027 Shift lever sensor 2028 Object detection sensor 2029 Accelerator pedal sensor 2030 Driver assistance system unit 2031 Microprocessor 2032 Memory (ROM, RAM) 2033 Communication port (I / O port)

Claims

1. A terminal comprising a communication unit that transmits and receives signals to and from a base station in an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network), and a control unit that determines a TA (Timing Advance) value indicating the center of a slot in relation to communication with the base station, wherein the communication unit transmits a report regarding the TA value to the base station.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the TA value with the reference at the center of the slot.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the TA value, which is the number of slots, indicating a position obtained by adding a half slot to a certain number of slots.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the TA value, which is the number of slots, indicating a position obtained by subtracting half slots from a certain number of slots.

5. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits to the base station a report indicating whether or not it supports the operation of determining a TA (Timing Advance) value that indicates the center of a slot, relating to communication with the base station.

6. A communication method in which a terminal performs the following steps: a procedure for sending and receiving signals with a base station in an NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network); a procedure for determining a TA (Timing Advance) value indicating the center of a slot related to communication with the base station; and a procedure for transmitting a report related to the TA value to the base station.

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