Sidelink S-SSB Coverage Enhancement via Frequency Hopping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sidelink (SL) communication systems face challenges in covering large distances with low frequency bands and complying with regulations in unlicensed frequency bands, which limits their effectiveness and spectrum usage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves enhancing sidelink synchronization signal blocks (S-SSBs) through frequency hopping patterns, increased physical resource block (PRB) occupation, and time domain enhancements, such as shorter S-SSB periodicities and repeated S-SSBs, to improve coverage and spectrum usage in unlicensed bands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If frequency hopping patterns and increased PRB occupation are used for S-SSB transmission, then minimum frequency occupation requirements in unlicensed bands are met and spectrum usage efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frequency spectrum is divided into multiple resource blocks (PRBs) that can be independently allocated and hopped across different time slots. The S-SSB transmission is segmented into multiple frequency hops within a periodicity, allowing the system to meet minimum frequency occupation requirements while distributing the transmission burden across multiple frequency resources, thereby improving spectrum usage efficiency without requiring a single complex high-power continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic S-SSB transmission with defined periodicity, where the transmitter hops across different frequency resources in a repeating pattern. This periodic frequency hopping allows the system to satisfy regulatory requirements for frequency occupation in unlicensed bands while maintaining a structured, manageable transmission schedule that balances coverage requirements with implementation complexity.
2Reliability
If repeated S-SSBs with shorter periodicities are transmitted, then coverage is enhanced and synchronization reliability is improved, but transmission time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic repetition of S-SSB signals with configurable periodicity. By repeating the synchronization signal at regular intervals, the system enhances synchronization reliability through multiple detection opportunities without requiring continuous transmission. The periodic structure allows receivers to accumulate synchronization information across multiple periods, improving reliability while controlling time consumption through configurable repetition intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The repeated S-SSB transmissions maintain continuous synchronization availability by periodically re-transmitting the synchronization signal. This ensures that receivers continuously have the opportunity to acquire and update synchronization information, maintaining reliable synchronization over time without requiring the transmitter to be continuously active at maximum power, thus balancing reliability with time and energy consumption.
3Length of stationary object
If higher transmission power is used to increase coverage, then maximum power spectrum density requirements may be violated, but coverage enhancement is needed
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single high-power continuous transmission, the system segments the total transmission energy across multiple frequency hops and time periods. Each individual transmission instance operates at controlled power levels that comply with maximum power spectrum density requirements, while the cumulative effect of multiple segmented transmissions achieves the desired coverage distance through spatial and temporal distribution of the signal energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends coverage not primarily through increasing power in a single dimension, but by utilizing multiple frequency dimensions through hopping patterns and multiple time dimensions through periodic repetition. This multi-dimensional approach allows the system to achieve extended coverage while keeping individual transmissions compliant with power spectrum density regulations, as the energy is distributed across multiple frequency-time resources rather than concentrated in a single high-power beam.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for coverage enhancements for sidelink (SL) synchronization signal block (SSB) (S-SSB) between a transmit (Tx) user equipment (UE) and a receive (Rx) UE are disclosed herein. S-SSB frequency domain enhancement may use frequency hopping for S-SSB and/or S-SSB that use an increased number of physical radio bearers (PRBs). S-SSB time domain enhancements may modify an S-SSB periodicity, a number of S-SSB per period, use a clear channel assessment (CCA) (or listen before talk (LBT)) procedure, and/or transmit only some of a configured set of S-SSBs for an S-SSB periodicity. Multi-beam S-SSB enhancement may index S-SSBs of a configured set and send those S-SSBs using beams corresponding to the indexes. S-SSB enhancement using frequency domain masking and/or time domain masking may apply different masks to one or more S-SSBs.