Terminal and communication method

Abstract

This terminal comprises: a control unit that uses a switching pattern to execute switching between a first carrier that is used for uplink transmission and downlink reception and a second carrier that is used for downlink reception; and a reception unit that receives, from a base station, information indicating an instruction for downlink reception at one or more occasions on the first carrier or the second carrier. The control unit executes a prescribed operation when at least a part of the one or more occasions on the first carrier overlaps with a slot or a symbol that is used on the second carrier in the switching pattern, or when at least a part of the one or more occasions on the second carrier overlaps with a slot or a symbol that is used on the first carrier in the switching pattern.

Description

Terminal and Communication Method

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

[0002] In a mobile communication system, the low-frequency band (Low Band) plays an important role in accommodating indoor traffic in urban areas and extensive traffic in suburban and rural areas due to its excellent propagation characteristics. However, conventionally, carrier aggregation (CA) between low frequencies such as the 800 MHz band FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) band (Band n5) and the 700 MHz band SDL (Supplemental DownLink) band (Band n29) has not been realized due to the complexity of the terminal's transceiver circuit design and control.

[0003] In 3GPP (Registered Trademark) (3rd Generation Partnership Project), in order to eliminate the complexity of terminal implementation and realize carrier aggregation (LBCA) in the low-frequency band, a method of time-division switching between an FDD carrier and an SDL carrier using a semi-static switching pattern has been studied.

[0004] 3GPP TS 38.300 V18.4.0(2024-12)3GPP TS 38.401 V18.4.0(2024-12)

[0005] However, when the timing of downlink reception based on an instruction from a base station overlaps with either of the two carriers switched using the switching pattern, it is not clear how the terminal should operate. Therefore, the terminal may not be able to appropriately execute DL reception based on the instruction, and as a result, there is a possibility of causing a degradation in communication quality and delay.

[0006] The terminal in this embodiment includes a control unit that performs switching between a first carrier used for uplink transmission and downlink reception and a second carrier used for downlink reception using a switching pattern, and a receiving unit that receives information from a base station indicating an instruction for downlink reception in one or more occasions of the first carrier or the second carrier, wherein the control unit performs a predetermined operation when at least some of the one or more occasions of the first carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the second carrier in the switching pattern, or when at least some of the one or more occasions of the second carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the first carrier in the switching pattern.

[0007] According to this embodiment, the operation of the terminal can be clearly defined when the timing of downlink reception based on instructions from the base station overlaps with that of one of the two carriers that switch using a switching pattern.

[0008] This is a diagram illustrating the wireless communication system in this embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of switching operation between the FDD band and the SDL band. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a semi-static switching pattern in this embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-1. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-1. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-1. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-1. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-2. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-2. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-2. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-3. This is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal operation in Example 1-3. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a base station in this embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a terminal in this embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a base station or terminal in this embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle configuration in this embodiment.

[0009] This embodiment 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 applies are not limited to those described below.

[0010] The wireless communication system of this embodiment operates using existing technology. Existing technology is, for example, wireless communication technology based on communication standards such as the 3GPP standard. Existing technology is, for example, NR (New Radio), but is not limited to existing NR. As used herein, the term "NR" has a broad meaning that includes NR (5G) and later systems (e.g., 6G), unless otherwise specified.

[0011] In the embodiments described below, we will use 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 communication standards. This is for convenience of description, and similar signals, functions, etc., may be called by other names.

[0012] In this embodiment, the duplex method may be a TDD (Time Division Duplex) method, an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) method, or any other method (for example, a Flexible Duplex).

[0013] In this embodiment, "configuring" wireless parameters means either pre-configuring predetermined values, or configuring wireless parameters notified by the base station 10 or terminal 20.

[0014] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system in this embodiment. The wireless communication system in this embodiment includes a base station 10 and a terminal 20, as shown in Figure 1. Although Figure 1 shows one base station 10 and one terminal 20, this is an example, and there may be multiple base stations 10 and terminals 20.

[0015] Base station 10 is a communication device that provides one or more cells and communicates wirelessly with terminal 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 (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, and the frequency domain may be defined by the number of subcarriers or resource blocks. Base station 10 transmits synchronization signals and system information to terminal 20. Synchronization signals are, for example, PSS and SSS. System information is transmitted, for example, via PBCH and is also called broadcast information. Synchronization signals and system information may be called SSB (SS / PBCH block). As shown in Figure 1, 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. Furthermore, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 may communicate via secondary cells (SCell) and primary cells (PCell) using Carrier Aggregation (CA). In addition, the terminal 20 may communicate via the primary cell of base station 10 and the primary secondary cell group cell (PSCell) of other base stations 10 using Dual Connectivity (DC).

[0016] 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. As shown in Figure 1, Terminal 20 receives control signals or data from the base station 10 via DL and transmits control signals or data to the base station 10 via UL, thereby utilizing various communication services provided by the wireless communication system. Terminal 20 also receives various reference signals transmitted from the base station 10 and performs propagation path quality measurements based on the reception results of these reference signals.

[0017] In this embodiment, terminal 20 may perform communication using one serving cell, or it may perform communication using multiple serving cells (e.g., CA or DC).

[0018] In the following explanation, " / " means "and / or" unless otherwise specified, or unless the context makes it clear that it has a different meaning.

[0019] In mobile communication systems, Low Band plays a crucial role in accommodating indoor traffic in urban areas and extensive traffic in suburban and rural areas due to its superior propagation characteristics. However, Low Band Carrier Aggregation (LBCA) is not fully utilized due to the difficulty of implementing it at terminals.

[0020] For example, the use of carrier aggregation (CA) between low frequencies, such as the 800MHz FDD band (Band n5) and the 700MHz SDL band (Band n29), has not been widely adopted due to the complexity of designing and controlling the transmit / receive circuits at terminals. On the other hand, SDL (Supplemental Downlink) bands like Band n29 have traditionally been used mainly for multimedia broadcasting (MBS) applications, but in recent years, their repurposing for communication applications has been attracting attention.

[0021] In 3GPP, as shown in Figure 2, it has been proposed to improve low-band capacity while resolving terminal implementation difficulties by switching between the FDD band and the SDL band in CA. This approach considers switching based on the following two cases.

[0022] Case 1: Transmission and reception are performed on the FDD carrier (e.g., Band n5), but reception is not performed on the SDL carrier (e.g., Band n29).

[0023] Case 2: Reception is performed on the SDL carrier, but transmission and reception are not performed on the FDD carrier.

[0024] To enable switching between FDD carriers and SDL carriers, time-division multiplexing using a semi-static switching pattern set by radio resource control (RRC) is being considered.

[0025] Traditionally, when the timing of downlink reception based on instructions from the base station overlaps with that of one of two carriers switching using a switching pattern, it has not been clearly defined how the terminal should behave. As a result, the terminal may not be able to properly perform DL reception based on the instructions, which can lead to a decrease in communication quality or delays.

[0026] According to this embodiment, the operation of the terminal is clarified when the timing of downlink reception based on instructions from the base station overlaps with that of one of the two carriers that switch using a switching pattern.

[0027] In this embodiment, the semi-static switching pattern may also be referred to as a switching pattern or simply a pattern.

[0028] Each embodiment in this embodiment may be performed independently, or any combination of multiple embodiments may be performed.

[0029] In this embodiment, setting “X” (for example, a function or information) on a terminal (or base station) indicates that the terminal is configured with “X”.

[0030] In this embodiment, the various information to be set on the terminal may be included, for example, in parameters transmitted from the base station (e.g., upper layer (RRC) parameters). The terminal may set various information on the terminal based on the parameters transmitted from the base station. As another example, various information may be pre-set on the terminal based on a standard (e.g., a 3GPP standard technical specification).

[0031] In this embodiment, terminal 20 supports CA (Carrier Aggregation) that operates using FDD carrier (Pcell) and SDL carrier (Scell).

[0032] Figure 3 shows an example of a semi-static switching pattern between FDD and SDL in this embodiment. FDD is a communication method that performs uplink (UL) communication (i.e., transmission) and downlink (DL) communication (i.e., reception) in different frequency bands. SDL is a mechanism that provides an additional frequency band dedicated to DL. As shown in Figure 3, the FDD carrier and the SDL carrier are switched in a time-division multiplexer.

[0033] Examples 1-4 of this embodiment are described below.

[0034] In this embodiment, a slot is an example of a unit in the time domain and may be replaced with a symbol or any unit of time. In this embodiment, an occasion is a specific timing (time) assigned to the transmission or reception of a particular physical channel or signal, and is an opportunity for transmission or reception.

[0035] (Example 1) Example 1 describes the operation of terminal 20 when the occasion(s) for DL ​​reception in the FDD carrier based on instructions from base station 10 overlap with a slot set to SDL on the semi-static switching pattern.

[0036] (Example 1-1) Example 1-1 describes the operation of terminal 20 (Alt.1 to Alt.4) when a single occasion for DL ​​reception on an FDD carrier based on instructions from DCI (Downlink Control Information) overlaps with a slot set to SDL on a semi-static switching pattern. DL reception in a single occasion instructed by DCI is, for example, reception of DG-PDSCH and A-CSI-RS.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.1 of Example 1-1. In step S101, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10 which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on an FDD carrier for a single occasion. In step S102, terminal 20 does not assume that the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set for SDL in a semi-static switching pattern.

[0038] Figure 5 shows an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.2 of Example 1-1. In S201, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10, which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on an FDD carrier for a single occasion. In S202, if the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 considers instructions other than the scheduling instructions in the DCI to be valid and the scheduling instructions to be invalid.

[0039] Figure 6 shows an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.3 of Example 1-1. In S301, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10 that includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on an FDD carrier for a single occasion. In S302, if the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 considers the entire instruction by the DCI to be invalid.

[0040] Figure 7 shows an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.4 of Example 1-1. In S401, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10 that includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on an FDD carrier for a single occasion. In S402, if the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 assumes that DL reception in the overlapping occasion will be postponed and performs DL reception in another occasion based on predetermined rules.

[0041] (Examples 1-2) Examples 1-2 describe the operation of terminal 20 (Alt.1 to Alt.4) when multiple occasions for DL ​​reception on the FDD carrier based on instructions from DCI overlap with slots set to SDL on the semi-static switching pattern. DL reception in multiple occasions instructed by DCI includes, for example, PDSCH repetition, multi-PDSCH, SPS-PDSCH, or SP-CSI-RS reception.

[0042] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.1 of Embodiment 1-2. In step S111, a DCI including an instruction regarding the scheduling of DL reception in an FDD carrier at a plurality of occasions is received from base station 10. In step S112, terminal 20 does not assume that the plurality of occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with the slots / symbols set to SDL in the Semi-static switching pattern.

[0043] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.2 of Embodiment 1-2. In S211, a DCI including an instruction regarding the scheduling of DL reception in an FDD carrier at a plurality of occasions is received from base station 10. In S212, when some of the plurality of occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with the slots / symbols set to SDL in the Semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 assumes that DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s) is dropped, and skips DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s).

[0044] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.3 of Embodiment 1-2. In S311, a DCI including an instruction regarding the scheduling of DL reception in an FDD carrier at a plurality of occasions is received from base station 10. In S312, when some of the plurality of occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with the slots / symbols set to SDL in the Semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 assumes that DL reception in all of the occasions indicated by the DCI is dropped, and skips DL reception in all of the occasions.

[0045] Figure 11 shows an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.4 of Example 1-2. In S411, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10, which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on the FDD carrier for multiple occasions. In S412, if some or all of the multiple occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with slots / symbols set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 assumes that DL reception in the overlapping occasions will be postponed and performs DL reception in other occasions based on predetermined rules.

[0046] (Examples 1-3) Examples 1-3 describe the operation of terminal 20 when multiple occasions for DL ​​reception on the FDD carrier based on instructions from RRC overlap with slots set to SDL on the semi-static switching pattern. DL reception in multiple occasions instructed by RRC is, for example, PDCCH monitoring occasion, P-CSI-RS, TRS, or SSB reception.

[0047] Figure 12 shows an example of the operation of terminal 20 in Alt.1 of Embodiment 1-3. In step S121, terminal 20 receives RRC signaling from base station 10, which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on the FDD carrier for multiple occasions. In step S122, terminal 20 does not assume that the multiple occasions instructed by the RRC overlap with slots / symbols set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern.

[0048] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the terminal 20 in Alt.2 of Embodiment 1-3. In S221, RRC signaling including an instruction regarding DL reception scheduling in FDD carriers on a plurality of occasions is received from the base station 10. In S222, when some of the occasions indicated by the RRC signaling overlap with the slots / symbols set in SDL in the Semi-static switching pattern, the terminal 20 assumes that DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s) is dropped and skips DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s).

[0049] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the terminal 20 in Alt.3 of Embodiment 1-3. In S321, RRC signaling including an instruction regarding DL reception scheduling in FDD carriers on a plurality of occasions is received from the base station 10. In S322, when some of the occasions indicated by the RRC signaling overlap with the slots / symbols set in SDL in the Semi-static switching pattern, the terminal 20 assumes that DL reception in all the occasions indicated by the RRC signaling is dropped and skips DL reception in all the occasions.

[0050] (Modification of Embodiment 1) A modification of the above Embodiment 1 will be described.

[0051] Different operations (each Alt of Embodiment 1) may be applied to different types of transmissions. The type of transmission is, for example, DG-PDSCH and A-CSI-RS for DL reception in Embodiment 1-1. For example, Alt.1 of Embodiment 1-1 may be applied to DG-PDSCH, and Alt.2 of Embodiment 1-2 may be applied to A-CSI-RS.

[0052] If, in an occasion of DL reception consisting of multiple symbols in the FDD carrier as instructed by DCI / RRC, only some symbols overlap with a slot / symbol set to SDL on the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 may perform the same processing for the occasion with overlapping symbols as it would for the entire occasion with overlapping slot / symbol set to SDL.

[0053] If, in an occasion of DL reception consisting of multiple symbols on the FDD carrier as instructed by DCI / RRC, only some symbols overlap with slots / symbols set for SDL on the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 may puncture only the overlapping symbols and perform the same processing as when the entire instructed occasion does not overlap with symbols set for SDL (i.e., perform DL reception).

[0054] If, in an occasion of DL reception consisting of multiple symbols on the FDD carrier as instructed by DCI / RRC, only some symbols overlap with slots / symbols set to SDL on the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 may rate match only the overlapping symbols and perform the same processing as when the entire instructed occasion does not overlap with symbols set to SDL (i.e., perform DL reception).

[0055] The terminal 20's UE capability may include information indicating which of the operations in Example 1 (Alts 1-1 to 1-3) it is capable of performing. The terminal 20 may report its UE capability to the base station 10, including information indicating which of the operations in Example 1 it is capable of performing.

[0056] The base station 10 may notify the terminal 20 of the operation of Embodiment 1 (Each Alt from Embodiments 1-1 to 1-3) to be applied to the terminal 20.

[0057] (Example 2) Example 1 described the operation when the timing of DL reception in the FDD carrier based on instructions from base station 10 overlaps with the slot set for SDL on the semi-static switching pattern. On the other hand, Example 2 describes the operation when the timing of DL reception in the SDL carrier based on instructions from base station 10 overlaps with the slot set for FDD on the semi-static switching pattern.

[0058] In other words, Embodiment 2 describes the operation of terminal 20 when the occasion(s) for DL ​​reception in the SDL carrier based on instructions from base station 10 overlap with a slot set on the FDD on the semi-static switching pattern.

[0059] (Example 2-1) Example 2-1 describes the operation of terminal 20 when a single occasion for DL ​​reception on an SDL carrier based on instructions from DCI overlaps with a slot set on the FDD on a semi-static switching pattern. DL reception on a single occasion instructed by DCI is, for example, reception of DG-PDSCH and A-CSI-RS.

[0060] The operations of Alt.1 to Alt.4 in Example 2-1 correspond to the operations in Figure 4-7, where "Instructions regarding scheduling DL reception" in Figure 4-7 are replaced with "Instructions regarding scheduling DL reception in the SDL carrier," and "Slots / symbols set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern" are replaced with "Slots / symbols set for FDD in the semi-static switching pattern."

[0061] In Alt.1 of Example 2-1, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10 that includes instructions for scheduling DL reception on an SDL carrier on a single occasion. Terminal 20 then does not assume that the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set in the FDD in a semi-static switching pattern.

[0062] In Alt.2 of Example 2-1, at S201, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10 that includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on an SDL carrier for a single occasion. Next, if the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set in the FDD in a semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 considers instructions other than the scheduling instructions in the DCI to be valid and the scheduling instructions to be invalid.

[0063] In Alt.3 of Example 2-1, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10 that includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on an SDL carrier for a single occasion. Next, terminal 20 considers the entire instruction in the DCI invalid if the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set in the FDD in a semi-static switching pattern.

[0064] In Alt.4 of Example 2-1, terminal 20 receives a DCI from base station 10 that includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on an SDL carrier on a single occasion. Next, terminal 20 assumes that if the single occasion indicated by the DCI overlaps with a slot / symbol set in the FDD in a semi-static switching pattern, DL reception in the overlapping occasion will be postponed, and performs DL reception on another occasion based on predetermined rules.

[0065] (Example 2-2) Example 2-2 describes the operation of terminal 20 when multiple occasions for DL ​​reception on an SDL carrier based on instructions from DCI overlap the slots set on the FDD on the semi-static switching pattern. DL reception in multiple occasions instructed by DCI is, for example, PDSCH repetition, multi-PDSCH, SPS-PDSCH, or SP-CSI-RS reception.

[0066] The operations of Alt.1 to Alt.4 in Example 2-2 correspond to the operations in Figure 8-11, where "Instructions regarding scheduling DL reception" in Figure 8-11 are replaced with "Instructions regarding scheduling DL reception in the SDL carrier," and "Slots / symbols set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern" are replaced with "Slots / symbols set for FDD in the semi-static switching pattern."

[0067] In Alt.1 of Example 2-2, the terminal 20 receives a DCI from the base station 10, which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on the SDL carrier for multiple occasions. The terminal 20 then does not assume that the multiple occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with the slots / symbols set in the FDD in the semi-static switching pattern.

[0068] In Alt.2 of Example 2-2, the terminal 20 receives a DCI from the base station 10, which includes instructions regarding the scheduling of DL reception on the SDL carrier for multiple occasions. Next, the terminal 20 assumes that if some of the multiple occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with slots / symbols set in the FDD in the semi-static switching pattern, it will drop DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s) and skips DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s).

[0069] In Alt.3 of Example 2-2, the terminal 20 receives a DCI from the base station 10, which includes instructions regarding the scheduling of DL reception on the SDL carrier for multiple occasions. Next, the terminal 20 assumes that if some of the occasion(s) among the multiple occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with slots / symbols set in the FDD in the semi-static switching pattern, it will drop DL reception for all occasions indicated by the DCI, and skips DL reception for all occasions.

[0070] In Alt.4 of Example 2-2, the terminal 20 receives a DCI from the base station 10, which includes instructions regarding the scheduling of DL reception on the SDL carrier for multiple occasions. Next, the terminal 20 assumes that if some or all of the multiple occasions indicated by the DCI overlap with slots / symbols set in the FDD in the semi-static switching pattern, DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s) will be postponed, and performs DL reception in the other occasion(s) based on predetermined rules.

[0071] (Example 2-3) Example 2-3 describes the operation of terminal 20 when multiple occasions for DL ​​reception on an SDL carrier based on instructions from RRC overlap the slots set on the FDD on the semi-static switching pattern. DL reception on multiple occasions instructed by RRC is, for example, PDCCH monitoring occasion, P-CSI-RS, TRS, or SSB reception.

[0072] The operations of Alt.1 to Alt.3 in Example 2-3 correspond to the operations in Figure 12-14, where "Instructions regarding scheduling DL reception" in Figure 12-14 are replaced with "Instructions regarding scheduling DL reception in the SDL carrier," and "Slots / symbols set for SDL in the semi-static switching pattern" are replaced with "Slots / symbols set for FDD in the semi-static switching pattern."

[0073] In Alt.1 of Example 2-3, RRC signaling is received from base station 10, which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on the SDL carrier for multiple occasions. Next, terminal 20 does not assume that the multiple occasions instructed by the RRC overlap with the slots / symbols set in the FDD in the semi-static switching pattern.

[0074] In Alt.2 of Example 2-3, the terminal 20 receives RRC signaling from base station 10, which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on the SDL carrier for multiple occasions. Next, terminal 20 assumes that if some of the multiple occasions indicated by the RRC signaling overlap with slots / symbols set in the FDD in the semi-static switching pattern, it will drop DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s) and skips DL reception in the overlapping occasion(s).

[0075] In Alt.3 of Example 2-3, the terminal 20 receives RRC signaling from base station 10, which includes instructions regarding scheduling DL reception on the SDL carrier for multiple occasions. Next, the terminal 20 assumes that if some of the occasion(s) among the multiple occasions indicated by the RRC signaling overlap with slots / symbols set in the FDD in the semi-static switching pattern, it will drop DL reception for all occasions indicated by the RRC signaling, and skips DL reception for all occasions.

[0076] (Modification of Example 2) A modification of Example 2 described above will be explained.

[0077] Different operations (each Alt in Example 2) may be applied to different types of transmissions. Examples of transmission types include DG-PDSCH and A-CSI-RS for DL ​​reception in Example 2-1. For example, Alt.1 of Example 2-1 may be applied to DG-PDSCH, and Alt.2 of Example 2-2 may be applied to A-CSI-RS.

[0078] If, in an occasion of DL reception consisting of multiple symbols in an SDL carrier instructed by DCI / RRC, only some symbols overlap with a slot / symbol set on the FDD on the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 may perform the same processing for the occasion with overlapping symbols as it would for the entire occasion with overlapping symbols on the FDD.

[0079] If, in an occasion of DL reception consisting of multiple symbols on an SDL carrier as instructed by DCI / RRC, only some symbols overlap with slots / symbols set on the FDD on the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 may delete only the overlapping symbols (puncturing) and perform the same processing as when the entire instructed occasion does not overlap with symbols set on the FDD (i.e., perform DL reception).

[0080] If, in an occasion of DL reception consisting of multiple symbols in the SDL carrier instructed by DCI / RRC, only some symbols overlap with slots / symbols set on the FDD on the semi-static switching pattern, terminal 20 may rate match only the overlapping symbols and perform the same processing as when the entire instructed occasion does not overlap with symbols set on the FDD (i.e., perform DL reception).

[0081] The terminal 20's UE capability may include information indicating which of the operations in Example 2 (Alts 2-1 to 2-3) it is capable of performing. The terminal 20 may report its UE capability to the base station 10, including information indicating which of the operations in Example 1 it is capable of performing.

[0082] The base station 10 may notify the terminal 20 of the operation of Embodiment 2 (each Alt from Embodiments 2-1 to 2-3) to be applied to the terminal 20.

[0083] According to the embodiment described above, the operation of the terminal can be clearly defined when the occasion(s) of downlink reception based on instructions from the base station overlap with either of the two carriers (FDD carrier and SDL carrier) that switch using a semi-static switching pattern. This ensures improved communication quality and consistency in operation at the terminal.

[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 embodiments described above. However, the base station 10 and terminal 20 may each be equipped with only some of the functions in the embodiments.

[0085] <Base Station> Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the base station 10 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 15, 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 15 is merely an example. Any functional classification and functional unit names are acceptable as long as they can perform the operations according to this embodiment.

[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 setting information, instructions, and notifications related to the low-power wake-up signal to the terminal 20. The transmitting unit 110 also transmits notifications to the terminal regarding the switching of monitoring operations. 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, information from a higher layer. The transmitting unit 110 also has the function of transmitting PSS, SSS, 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 setting unit 130 stores pre-set setting information and various setting information to be transmitted to the terminal 20. The content of the setting information includes, for example, information related to measurements in low-power signals.

[0088] As described in the embodiment, the control unit 140 performs control related to setting, instructing, and notifying about low-power wake-up signals and the like. The signal transmission function unit of the control unit 140 may be included in the transmission unit 110, and the signal reception function unit of the control unit 140 may be included in the reception unit 120.

[0089] <Terminal> Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 16, 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 16 is merely an example. Any functional classification and name of functional unit is acceptable as long as it can perform the operations according to this embodiment. The transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be collectively referred to as the communication unit.

[0090] The transmitting unit 210 creates a transmission signal from the transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The transmitting unit 210 also transmits capability information related to the low-power wake-up signal to the base station 10. 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 PSS, SSS, PBCH, DL / UL / SL control signals, etc. transmitted from the base station 10. The receiving unit 220 also receives paging notification information, setting information, instructions, and notifications related to the low-power wake-up signal from the base station 10. For example, the receiving unit 220 receives the low-power wake-up signal from the base station 10. 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-set setting information. The content of the setting information is, for example, information related to measurements in low-power signals.

[0091] As described in the embodiment, the control unit 240 performs control related to setting, instructing, and notifying of low-power wake-up signals. 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.

[0092] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (Figures 15 and 16) 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.

[0093] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, judgment, 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.

[0094] 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 17 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.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 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 the reading and writing of data in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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 15 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 16 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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).

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] Figure 18 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 18, 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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).

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.).

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] (Configuration relating to this embodiment) (Note 1) A terminal comprising: a control unit that performs switching between a first carrier used for uplink transmission and downlink reception and a second carrier used for downlink reception using a switching pattern; and a receiving unit that receives information from a base station indicating an instruction for downlink reception in one or more occasions of the first carrier or the second carrier, wherein the control unit performs a predetermined operation when at least some of the one or more occasions of the first carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the second carrier in the switching pattern, or when at least some of the one or more occasions of the second carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the first carrier in the switching pattern.

[0116] (Note 2) The terminal described in Note 1, wherein the predetermined operation is an operation in which the downlink reception is not performed in some of the overlapping occasions.

[0117] (Note 3) The terminal described in Note 1, wherein the predetermined operation is an operation in which the downlink reception is not performed in the one or more occasions based on the instruction.

[0118] (Note 4) The terminal as described in Note 1, wherein the predetermined operation is to postpone the downlink reception in some of the overlapping occasions and to perform the postponed downlink reception in an occasion after the overlapping occasions.

[0119] (Note 5) The terminal described in Note 1 performs puncturing or rate matching on the overlapping symbols as specified above.

[0120] (Appendix 6) A communication method performed by a terminal, comprising: a step of performing switching between a first carrier used for uplink transmission and downlink reception and a second carrier used for downlink reception using a switching pattern; a step of receiving information from a base station indicating an instruction for downlink reception on one or more occasions of the first carrier or the second carrier; and a step of performing a predetermined operation when at least some of the one or more occasions of the first carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the second carrier in the switching pattern, or when at least some of the one or more occasions of the second carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the first carrier in the switching pattern.

[0121] In any of the above configurations, the behavior of the terminal can be clearly defined when the timing of downlink reception based on instructions from the base station overlaps with that of one of the two carriers switching using a switching pattern. This ensures improved communication quality and consistency in terminal operation.

[0122] (Supplement to Embodiments) Although these embodiments have been described above, the disclosed invention is not limited to these 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 this embodiment and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to this embodiment 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.

[0123] Furthermore, notification of information is not limited to the embodiments 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, RRCConnection Setup messages, RRCConnection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0124] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to at least one of systems utilizing 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).

[0125] 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.

[0126] 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).

[0127] 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.

[0128] 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.

[0129] 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).

[0130] 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.

[0131] 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.

[0132] 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.

[0133] 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.

[0134] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0135] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0136] 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.

[0137] 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.

[0138] 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.

[0139] 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.

[0140] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0141] 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.

[0142] 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.

[0143] 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)). 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.

[0144] 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.

[0145] 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."

[0146] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” and any variations 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.

[0147] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0148] 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."

[0149] 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.

[0150] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0151] 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.

[0152] 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.

[0153] 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.

[0154] 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 neurology.

[0155] 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.

[0156] 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.

[0157] 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.

[0158] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest unit of time 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.

[0159] 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. Note that 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 given TTI.

[0160] Furthermore, if one slot or one mini-slot is referred to as TTI, then one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more mini-slots) may constitute the minimum time unit of scheduling. In addition, the number of slots (number of mini-slots) that constitute the minimum time unit of scheduling may be controlled.

[0161] A TTI with a time length of 1 ms may be called a normal TTI (TTI in LTE Rel. 8-12), a regular TTI, a long TTI, a regular subframe, a long subframe, a slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a regular 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.

[0162] 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.

[0163] 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.

[0164] 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.

[0165] 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.

[0166] 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.

[0167] 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.

[0168] 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.

[0169] 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".

[0170] 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 the TTI can be varied in various ways.

[0171] 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.

[0172] 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."

[0173] 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).

[0174] 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.

[0175] This patent application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-009503, filed on 22 January 2025, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-009503 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0176] 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 control unit that performs switching between a first carrier used for uplink transmission and downlink reception and a second carrier used for downlink reception using a switching pattern; and a receiving unit that receives information from a base station indicating an instruction for downlink reception on one or more occasions of the first carrier or the second carrier, wherein the control unit performs a predetermined operation when at least some of the one or more occasions of the first carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the second carrier in the switching pattern, or when at least some of the one or more occasions of the second carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the first carrier in the switching pattern.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation is an operation in which the downlink reception is not performed in some of the overlapping occasions.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation is an operation in which the downlink reception is not performed in the one or more occasions based on the instruction.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation is an operation to postpone the downlink reception in some of the overlapping occasions and to perform the postponed downlink reception in an occasion after the overlapping occasions.

5. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation performs puncturing or rate matching on the overlapping symbols.

6. A communication method performed by a terminal, comprising: a step of performing switching between a first carrier used for uplink transmission and downlink reception and a second carrier used for downlink reception using a switching pattern; a step of receiving information from a base station indicating an instruction for downlink reception on one or more occasions of the first carrier or the second carrier; and a step of performing a predetermined operation when at least some of the one or more occasions of the first carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the second carrier in the switching pattern, or when at least some of the one or more occasions of the second carrier overlap with a slot or symbol used for the first carrier in the switching pattern.

Images