CN114342534A

CN114342534A - Resource allocation for sidelink control information

Info

Publication number: CN114342534A
Application number: CN201980099719.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李栋; 刘勇
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Current assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date: 2019-08-26
Filing date: 2019-08-26
Publication date: 2022-04-12
Also published as: WO2021035490A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for resource configuration of Sidelink Control Information (SCI). The method comprises the following steps: determining, at a first device, a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of sidelink control information; determining a second set of resources for transmitting a second portion of the side link control information based on a resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; and transmitting the first part of the SCI on the first set of resources and the second part of the SCI on the second set of resources to the second device. In this way, a new resource configuration mechanism for two-level SCI can be implemented, which results in a reduction of blind decoding complexity.

Description

Resource allocation for sidelink control information

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to an apparatus, method, device, and computer-readable storage medium for resource configuration of Sidelink Control Information (SCI).

Background

To more efficiently support advanced vehicle-to-all (V2X) services, the third generation partnership project (3GPP) has created a New Radio (NR) V2X research project to investigate the feasibility and performance of potential solutions. The present study concludes that it is feasible to support advanced V2X services using the technical solutions determined during the study.

In NR V2X, many more different V2X traffic types than Long Term Evolution (LTE) V2X will be supported to achieve advanced V2X use cases (e.g., vehicle formation, extended sensors, advanced driving, and remote driving) with stringent requirements in terms of reliability and latency. V2X traffic types include broadcast, multicast, and unicast, with unicast and multicast having configurable HARQ feedback.

Disclosure of Invention

In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for resource configuration for SCI.

In a first aspect, a first device is provided. The first device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus at least to: determining a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of the SCI; determining a second set of resources for transmitting the second portion of the SCI based at least on a resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; and transmitting the first part of the SCI on a first set of resources and the second part of the SCI on a second set of resources to the second device.

In a second aspect, a second apparatus is provided. The second device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to: receiving a first portion of sidelink control information from a first device over a first set of resources; determining a resource configuration pattern based on one of the first part of the SCI and the resource pool configuration signaling, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and a second set of resources for the second part of the SCI multiplexed in time domain or in frequency domain; determining a second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources; and receiving a second portion of the SCI from the first device on the second set of resources.

In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes determining, at a first device, a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of the SCI; determining a second set of resources for transmitting the second portion of the SCI based at least on a resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; and transmitting the first part of the SCI on a first set of resources and the second part of the SCI on a second set of resources to the second device.

In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: receiving, at the second device, a first portion of the SCI from the first device on the first set of resources; determining a resource configuration pattern based on one of the first portion of SCIs and the resource pool configuration signaling, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and a second set of resources for transmitting the second portion of SCIs, multiplexed in time domain or in frequency domain; determining a second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources; and receiving a second portion of the SCI from the first device on a second set of resources.

In a fifth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for determining a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of the SCI; means for determining a second set of resources for transmitting the second portion of the SCI based at least on a resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; and means for transmitting the first part of the SCI on a first set of resources and the second part of the SCI on a second set of resources to a second device.

In a sixth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for receiving a first portion of the SCI from the first device on a first set of resources; means for determining a resource configuration pattern based on one of the first portion of SCIs and the resource pool configuration signaling, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and a second set of resources for transmitting the second portion of SCIs multiplexed in time domain or in frequency domain; means for determining a second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources; and means for receiving a second portion of the SCI from the first device on the second set of resources.

In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, having stored thereon a computer program, which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform the method according to the third aspect.

In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, having stored thereon a computer program, which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform the method according to the fourth aspect.

Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will also become apparent from the following description of the specific embodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure are presented by way of example and their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication network in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a process 200 for resource configuration of SCIs according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

3A-3D illustrate diagrams of example resource configurations for SCI, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

4A-4D illustrate diagrams of example resource configurations for SCI, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 500 of a diagram of resource configuration for SCIs in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 600 of a diagram of resource configuration for SCIs in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 8 illustrates a block diagram of an example computer-readable medium in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements.

Detailed Description

The subject matter described herein will now be discussed with reference to several example embodiments. It is understood that these examples are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thereby implement the subject matter described herein, and do not suggest any limitation as to the scope of the subject matter.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two functions or acts illustrated in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the functions or acts may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced (LTE-a), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), and the like. Further, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be performed according to any suitable generational communication protocol, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and/or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there are, of course, future types of communication technologies and systems with which the present disclosure may be implemented. It should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention to the above-described system. For purposes of illustration, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to a 5G communication system.

The term "network device" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, Base Stations (BSs), gateways, registration management entities, and other suitable devices in a communication system. The term "base station" or "BS" denotes a node B (nodeb or NB), evolved nodeb (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Head (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), relay, low power node such as femto, pico, etc.

The term "terminal device" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, "User Equipment (UE)" and other suitable end devices capable of communicating with network devices. For example, "terminal device" may refer to a terminal, a Mobile Terminal (MT), a Subscriber Station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a Mobile Station (MS), or an Access Terminal (AT).

The term "circuitry" as used herein may refer to one or more or all of the following:

(a) a purely hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation in analog-only and/or digital circuitry) and

(b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

(i) analog and/or digital hardware circuit(s)

In combination with software/firmware, and

(ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(s) that work together to cause a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions) and

(c) hardware circuit(s) and/or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or part of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may not be present when software is not required for operation.

This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including all uses in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) alone or in part as well as software and/or firmware accompanying it (or them). By way of example, and where applicable to particular claim elements, the term circuitry also encompasses baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network 100 includes terminal devices 110-1 and 110-2. Hereinafter, the terminal device 110-1 may be referred to as a first device 110-1-1, and the terminal device 110-2 may be referred to as a second device 110-2. Terminal devices 110-1 and 110-2 may communicate with each other. It should be understood that the number of terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. Network 100 may include any suitable number of terminal devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that in some example embodiments, first device 110-1 may also be considered a second device, and correspondingly, second device 110-2 may also be considered a first device. The roles of the first and second devices may be reversed.

Network 100 illustrates a scenario for V2X communication. As mentioned above, V2X communication can be divided into four types, including vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-network (V2N). Communication between terminal devices (i.e., V2V, V2P, V2I communication) may be performed via a Uu interface and a direct link (or sidelink). For sidelink-based V2X communications, information may be transmitted from a Transmitting (TX) terminal device to one or more Receiving (RX) terminal devices in a broadcast or multicast or unicast manner.

Sidelink transmissions via a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) and a physical sidelink shared channel (PSCCH) have been investigated to enable communication between terminal devices for V2X communication. A Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) is defined to convey Sidelink Feedback Control Information (SFCI). A resource pool is a set of time-frequency resources that may be used for Sidelink (SL) transmission and/or reception. From the point of view of the end device, the resource pool is inside the bandwidth of the end device, within the SL bandwidth part (BWP), and has a single numerology. The time domain resources in the resource pool may be non-contiguous.

Depending on the communication technology, network 100 may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) network, or any other network. The communications discussed in network 100 may use protocols conforming to any suitable standard including, but not limited to, new radio access (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE evolution, LTE-advanced (LTE-a), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), CDMA2000, and global system for mobile communications (GSM), among others. Further, the communication may be performed according to any generational communication protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, and fifth generation (5G) communication protocols. The techniques described herein may be used for the wireless networks and radio technologies described above as well as other wireless networks and radio technologies. For clarity, certain aspects of the techniques are described below for LTE, and LTE terminology is used in much of the description below.

In network 100, end devices 110-1 and 110-2 may be referred to as V2X end devices. Specifically, terminal devices 110-1 and 110-2 may be vehicles moving on a road.

As mentioned above, many more different V2X traffic types than LTE V2X will be supported to achieve advanced V2X use cases with stringent requirements in terms of reliability and delay, such as vehicle formation, extended sensors, advanced driving, and remote driving, etc. Further, V2X traffic types include broadcast, multicast, and unicast, where unicast and multicast have configurable HARQ feedback. Since different propagation (cast) types may require different control information, the corresponding SCIs typically have very different sizes, which presents a huge challenge to the design of PSCCHs.

The current SCI is a single-level SCI, meaning that all SCI information is contained in a single-level SCI and conveyed in a single PSCCH. However, for SCIs supporting different propagation types, if a single SCI size is supported for various sidelink propagation types equal to the maximum size of all related propagation types, the SCI format with the smallest effective SCI size will have to be padded with many zeros, which will cause link performance degradation.

If multiple SCI sizes are supported for various side-link propagation types, this implies a large blind decoding complexity for detecting SCIs. For example, multiple blind decodes may have to be attempted at each receiver for each subchannel in each slot, rather than only for the target receiver(s) used for sidelink channel sensing purposes.

A two-level SCI design is discussed. In a two-level SCI framework, the entire SCI is divided into two parts, the first part containing only the basic SCI field with a fixed SCI size for enabling side link channel sensing by all other users, and the second part containing all other control information fields with dynamic size indicated by the first SCI part for enabling the target receiver(s) to decode the associated pschs. In this way, blind decoding complexity is kept to a minimum, since in most cases the receiver only needs to blindly monitor the first SCI part with a fixed and low SCI size and decode only the second SCI part when it is the target receiver. However, there is no decision on how to configure and map the resources for the second SCI part.

Accordingly, the present disclosure proposes a solution for resource configuration and mapping of SCIs. In this solution, resources for the second SCI-part may be configured based on a specific mapping pattern related to the resources for the first SCI-part.

The principles and implementations of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 2, where fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of resource configuration for SCI. For purposes of discussion, the process 200 will be described with reference to fig. 1. Process 200 may involve terminal device 110-1 and terminal device 110-2 as illustrated in fig. 1.

It should be noted that the embodiment shown in fig. 2 is merely used to illustrate the principles of the present disclosure and is not intended to be limiting. In some example embodiments, the roles of terminal device 110-1 and terminal device 110-2 may be switched.

As shown in fig. 2, if terminal device 110-1 may support two-level SCI, terminal device 110-1 may determine 210 resources for transmitting the first and second portions of the SCI, respectively.

Terminal device 110-1 may determine a first set of resources for transmitting the first part of the SCI. For example, terminal device 110-1 may receive resource pool (pre) configuration signaling from the network and determine the time domain range and the frequency domain range of the first set of resources based on the resource pool (pre) configuration signaling. Terminal device 110-1 may determine the first set of resources based on the determined time domain and frequency domain ranges.

As mentioned above, the first part of the SCI may be sensed by all other users to enable the other users to sense sidelink channels for autonomous resource selection, which may mitigate resource selection conflicts and improve efficiency. Further, an indication of resources for transmission may be obtained from the first part of the SCI to cause the target user to decode the second part of the SCI on the corresponding resources. Therefore, how to determine the resources for transmitting the second part of the SCI and how to indicate the resources for transmitting the second part of the SCI to the target user can be discussed as follows.

Resources for transmitting the second part of the SCI (hereinafter, may be referred to as "second set of resources") may be determined in relation to resources for transmitting the first part of the SCI (hereinafter, may be referred to as "first set of resources").

The association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources, multiplexed in the frequency domain or in the time domain, may be indicated by a resource configuration pattern. For example, the resource configuration pattern may indicate that the second part of the SCI may preferably be mapped to a second set of resources frequency multiplexed with the first part of the SCI in the same OFDM symbol. As another option, the resource configuration pattern may indicate that the second part of the SCI may preferably be mapped to a second set of resources that are time-multiplexed with the first part of the SCI in a different OFDM symbol.

The determination of the resource configuration mode may be implemented in various ways. For example, the resource configuration pattern may be obtained from resource pool (pre) configuration signaling received from the network.

As another option, the determination of the resource configuration pattern may depend on the power boost factor of the first part of the SCI and/or the time pattern of the DMRS sent from the terminal device 110-1 to the associated sidelink shared channel of the terminal device 110-2 associated with low or high mobility. Low mobility means that the channel estimation accuracy is acceptable for a few previous OFDM symbols, while high mobility means that the channel estimation quality based on the psch-DMRS on the previous OFDM symbols may be quite low.

If the communication scenario is low mobility, which means that DMRS time pattern for low mobility is used, while no power boost is applied to the first part of the SCI, it is beneficial that the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to a second set of resources frequency multiplexed with the first part of the SCI in the same OFDM symbol. Otherwise, if the communication scenario is high mobility, which means that DMRS time patterns for high mobility are used, and/or power boosting is used for the first part of the SCI, it is beneficial that the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to a second set of resources that are time multiplexed with the first part of the SCI in a different OFDM symbol.

The resources used for transmitting the DMRS may be considered for determining the second set of resources in addition to the range of the first set of resources in the time or frequency domain. In determining the second set of resources, an association with resources used for transmitting a DMRS of an associated physical sidelink shared channel may be considered.

Where the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to a second set of resources frequency multiplexed with the first part of the SCI in the same OFDM symbol, the available resources for the second set of resources may be determined from close to far according to the distance to the first psch-DMRS symbol within the OFDM symbol occupied by the first part of the SCI.

Terminal device 110-1 may also determine whether the available resources are sufficient for the second part of the SCI.

In some example embodiments, terminal device 110-1 may determine the number of SCI Resource Blocks (SRBs) in one SCI resource block group (SRG) and the number of SRGs for the second part of the SCI, which is also referred to as an aggregate level for the second part of the SCI.

In some example embodiments, the second part of the SCI may be mapped to at least one SRG, and each SRG may include a number (e.g., 6) of SRBs. The SRB may be represented as a Physical Resource Block (PRB) consisting of 12 consecutive subcarriers.

For each relevant OFDM symbol involved in the SCI resource mapping, one or more SRGs are allocated in the available bandwidth of the sidelink transmission bandwidth. Further, for each SRG, a number of SRBs are allocated within the available bandwidth of the sidelink transmission bandwidth.

Terminal device 110-1 may then determine a corresponding number of PRBs in the available resources based on the resource configuration pattern, the number of SRGs for the second part of the SCI, and the available resources for the second set of resources, and determine whether the available resources are sufficient for the second part of the SCI.

If the available resources are sufficient for the second part of the SCI, terminal device 110-1 may determine the second part of the resources from the available resources based on the number of SRGs for the second part of the SCI and the number of SRBs in each SRG.

If the available resources are insufficient for the second part of the SCI, terminal device 110-1 may determine a portion of the second part of the resources from the available resources based on the number of SRGs for the second part of the SCI and the number of SRBs in each SRG. The remainder of the second part of the resources may be determined in OFDM symbols other than the OFDM symbols of the first part of the SCI according to the distance from the first psch-DMRS symbol from near to far.

Where the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to a second set of resources that are time-multiplexed with the first part of the SCI in a different OFDM symbol, the available resources of the second set of resources may be determined from the near to the far of the first psch-DMRS symbol starting from the OFDM symbol immediately following the first part of the SCI.

Terminal device 110-1 may determine the second set of resources based on the resource configuration pattern and additional resource allocation mechanisms described above (e.g., the location of the psch-DMRS symbols and the number of SRGs used for the second part of the SCI and the number of SRBs per SRG).

As mentioned above, the first part of the SCI may include an indication of a resource configuration pattern of the second set of resources for terminal device 110-2 to decode the second part of the SCI, if necessary.

As an option, the resource configuration pattern may be indicated in an individual field of the first part of the SCI to indicate resource allocation for the second set of resources.

As another option, the resource configuration pattern may be indicated by the first part of the SCI via other related control information fields (e.g., an indicator indicating DMRS time pattern and/or an indicator indicating power boost of the first part of the SCI).

Alternatively, the resource configuration mode may also be indicated via resource pool configuration signaling.

After determining the first and second sets of resources, terminal device 110-1 sends 220 the first and second parts of the SCI to terminal device 110-2.

Terminal device 110-2 may decode the first part of the SCI to determine a second set of resources for the second part of the SCI and decode 230 the second part of the SCI based on the determined second set of resources.

Fig. 3A-3D and fig. 4A-4D illustrate some examples of resource allocation for the first and second parts of the SCI, respectively. The resource configuration for the SCI, and in particular for the second part of the SCI, will be better understood with reference to fig. 3A-3D and fig. 4A-4D.

In the embodiments of fig. 3A-3D, each subchannel (e.g., subchannel 310) includes 6 PRBs, and 3 subchannels are allocated for sidelink transmission. Further, each SCI resource block group includes 6 PRBs for the second part of the SCI, and the first part of the SCI spans 6 PRBs in the frequency domain.

In case the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to a second set of resources that are time-multiplexed in different OFDM symbols (different from the first and second OFDM symbols) with the first set of resources 320 for the first part of the SCI, as shown in fig. 3A, if the second part of the SCI involves 4 SRGs, the first three SRGs, i.e. the first, second and third SRGs, are mapped to the fourth OFDM symbol that is closest to the first psch-DMRS 330 symbol (at the third OFDM symbol).

With respect to the fourth SRG, fig. 3A shows two alternatives for resource mapping: one is a resource mapping the fourth SRG into the fifth OFDM symbol, and the other is a resource mapping the fourth SRG into the second OFDM symbol. It should be appreciated that only one alternative is used, and for another alternative, the relevant PRBs will be used for data.

In case the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to a second set of resources frequency-multiplexed with the first set of resources 320 for the first part of the SCI in the same OFDM symbol (first and second OFDM symbols), as shown in fig. 3B, if the second part of the SCI involves 4 SRGs, the first two SRGs, i.e., the first and second SRGs, are mapped to a second OFDM symbol closer to the first psch-DMRS 330 symbol (at the third OFDM symbol) than the first OFDM symbol, while the third and fourth SRGs are mapped to the first OFDM symbol.

Assuming that the psch-DMRS time pattern for low mobility is used and power boosting is not used for the first part of SCI and assuming that one SRG is allocated for the second part of SCI, as shown in fig. 3C, the SRG is mapped to the second OFDM symbol closest to the first psch-DMRS 330 symbol (at the third OFDM symbol).

It is assumed that a psch-DMRS time pattern for high mobility is used and/or power boosting is used for the first part of SCI, which may be indicated in the first part of SCI, and that one SRG is allocated for the second part of SCI, as shown in fig. 3D, the SRG being mapped to the fourth OFDM symbol closest to the first psch-DMRS 330 symbol (at the third OFDM symbol).

In this context, power boosting means that the power of the resource elements of the first part of the SCI is boosted compared to the power of the data resource elements in the same OFDM symbol. Furthermore, the resource configuration mode may be explicitly or implicitly indicated by the first part of the SCI, or configured by resource pool configuration signaling.

In the embodiments of fig. 4A-4D, each subchannel (e.g., subchannel 410) includes 14 PRBs, and 1 subchannel is allocated for sidelink transmission. Further, each SCI resource block group includes 6 PRBs for the second part of the SCI, and the first part of the SCI spans 6 PRBs in the frequency domain.

In case that the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to the second set of resources frequency-multiplexed with the first set of resources 420 for the first part of the SCI in the same OFDM symbol (first and second OFDM symbols), as shown in fig. 4A, if the second part of the SCI involves 4 SRGs, the first two SRGs are mapped to the second OFDM symbol and the first OFDM symbol, respectively, and the third and fourth SRGs are mapped to OFDM symbols (fourth symbols) subsequent to the first psch-DMRS 430 symbol (third symbol).

In case the second part of the SCI is preferably mapped to a second set of resources that are time-multiplexed in different OFDM symbols (different from the first and second OFDM symbols) with the first set of resources 420 for the first part of the SCI, as shown in fig. 4B, if the second part of the SCI involves 4 SRGs, the first two SRGs are mapped to the fourth symbol that is closest to the first psch-DMRS 430 symbol (at the third symbol).

With respect to the third and fourth SRGs, fig. 4B shows two alternatives for resource mapping: one is to map the third and fourth SRGs to resources in the fifth OFDM symbol, and the other is to map the third and fourth SRGs to resources in the second and first OFDM symbols. It should be appreciated that only one alternative is used, and for another alternative, the relevant PRBs will be used for data.

Assuming that the psch-DMRS time pattern for low mobility is used and power boosting is not used for the first part of SCI, which may be indicated in the first part of SCI, and assuming that two SRGs are allocated for the second part of SCI, as shown in fig. 4C, the first SRG and the second SRG are mapped to the second and first OFDM symbols, respectively. The first SRG is closer to the first psch-DMRS 430 symbol (at the third OFDM symbol) than the second SRG.

Assuming that a psch-DMRS time pattern for high mobility is used and/or power boosting is used for the first part of SCI and assuming that two SRGs are allocated for the second part of SCI, as shown in fig. 3D, the first and second SRGs are mapped to the fourth OFDM symbol closest to the first psch-DMRS 430 symbol (at the third OFDM symbol).

In this way, a new resource configuration mechanism for two-level SCI can be implemented, which results in a reduction of blind decoding complexity.

Fig. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 500 for resource configuration of SCIs, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 500 may be implemented at the first device 110-1 as shown in fig. 1. For discussion purposes, the method 500 will be described with reference to fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, at 510, the first device 110-1 determines a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of the SCI.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may receive the resource pool configuration signaling and determine the time domain extent of the first set of resources and the frequency domain extent of the first set of resources based on the resource pool configuration signaling. The first device 110-1 may determine the first set of resources based on the time domain and frequency domain ranges.

At 520, the first device 110-1 determines a second set of resources for transmitting the second part of the SCI based at least on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources. The resource configuration pattern may indicate at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in the time domain or in the frequency domain.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine the resource configuration pattern based on at least one of resource pool configuration signaling, a time pattern of demodulation reference signals of an associated sidelink shared channel associated with mobility from the first device to the second device, and a power boost factor for the first portion of the sidelink control information.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine an aggregation level (i.e., a number of SRGs) for the second set of resources, the aggregation level indicating a number of resource groups to be used for the second set of resources.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine available resources of the second set of resources based on a resource configuration pattern frequency-domain multiplexed with the first set of resources and resources for transmitting demodulation reference signals adjacent to the available resources. The first device 110-1 may also determine whether the available resources are sufficient for the second set of resources based on the set level for the second set of resources, the available resources, and the resources used to transmit the demodulation reference signals. If the first device 110-1 determines that the available resources are sufficient for the second set of resources, the first device 110-1 may determine the second set of resources from the available resources based on the set level and the resources used to transmit the demodulation reference signals.

If the first device 110-1 determines that the available resources are insufficient for the second set of resources, the first device 110-1 determines a first portion of the second set of resources from the available resources based on the resource configuration pattern, and determines a second portion of the second set of resources from additional available resources other than the available resources based on resources adjacent to the available resources for transmitting demodulation reference signals and the aggregation level.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine a group index for a group of physical resource blocks in at least one of the available resources and the further available resources based on the set rank, and determine the allocation of the physical resource blocks based on the group index, a frequency domain range of the at least one of the available resources and the further available resources, and resources adjacent to the available resources for transmitting demodulation reference signals.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine available resources for the second set of resources, a resource configuration pattern that is time-domain multiplexed with the first set of resources, and resources adjacent to the available resources for transmitting reference signals. The first device 110-1 may also determine the second set of resources from the available resources based on the set level, the available resources, and the resources used to transmit the demodulation reference signals.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine a group index for a group of physical resource blocks in the available resources; and determining allocation of physical resource blocks based on the group index, a frequency domain range of available resources, and resources for transmitting demodulation reference signals adjacent to the available resources.

At 530, the first device 110-1 sends a first portion of the SCI over a first set of resources and a second portion of the SCI over a second set of resources to the second device 110-2.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may generate an indication of the resource configuration pattern and send the indication to the second device on the sidelink control channel via the first portion of the SCI.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 may generate the indication with at least one of: a dedicated side link control information field for a resource configuration mode; a sidelink control information field indicating a power boost factor; and a sidelink control information field indicating a time pattern of demodulation reference signals of an associated sidelink shared channel between the first device and the second device.

Fig. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 600 for resource configuration of SCIs, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 600 may be implemented at the second device 110-2 as shown in fig. 1. For discussion purposes, the method 600 will be described with reference to fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 6, at 610, second device 110-2 receives a first portion of the SCI on a first set of resources.

At 620, the second device 110-2 determines a resource configuration mode based on one of the first part of the SCI and the resource pool configuration signaling. The resource configuration pattern may indicate at least a first association between the first set of resources and a second set of resources for a second part of the SCI multiplexed in the time domain or in the frequency domain.

At 630, the second device 110-2 determines a second set of resources based on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources.

In some example embodiments, the second device 110-2 may determine an aggregation level for the second set of resources, the aggregation level indicating a number of groups of resources to be used for the second set of resources, and determine the second set of resources based on at least the resource configuration pattern, the first set of resources, and the aggregation level for the second set of resources.

In some example embodiments, the second device 110-2 may obtain an indication of the resource configuration pattern by decoding the first part of the SCI and determine the resource configuration pattern based on the indication.

At 640, the second device 110-2 receives the second portion of the SCI on a second set of resources.

In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing the method 500 (e.g., implemented at the first device 110-1) may include means for performing the respective steps of the method 500. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of the SCI; means for determining a second set of resources for transmitting the second portion of the SCI based at least on a resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; and means for transmitting the first part of the SCI on the first set of resources and the second part of the SCI on the second set of resources to the second device.

In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing the method 600 (e.g., implemented at the second device 110-2) may include means for performing the respective steps of the method 600. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving a first portion of the SCI from a first device on a first set of resources; means for determining a resource configuration pattern based on one of the first part of the SCI and resource pool configuration signaling, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between a first set of resources and a second set of resources for transmitting the second part of the SCI multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; means for determining a second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration schema and the first portion of the SCI; and means for receiving a second portion of the SCI from the first device on a second set of resources.

Fig. 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as the first device 110-1 and the second device 110-2 as shown in fig. 1. As shown, device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to processors 710, and one or more transmitters and/or receivers (TX/RX)740 coupled to processors 710.

TX/RX 740 is used for bi-directional communication. TX/RX 740 may have at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

The processor 710 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of the following: general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as an application specific integrated circuit chip that is time dependent from a clock synchronized to the main processor.

Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, Read Only Memory (ROM)724, Electrically Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a Compact Disk (CD), a Digital Video Disk (DVD), and other magnetic and/or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, Random Access Memory (RAM)722 and other volatile memory that does not persist for the duration of the power down.

The computer programs 730 include computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The program 730 may be stored in the ROM 720. The processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 730 into the RAM 722.

Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by way of the program 730 to enable the device 700 to perform any of the processes of the present invention discussed with reference to fig. 2-6. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software.

In some embodiments, the program 730 can be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which can be included in the device 700 (such as in the memory 720) or other storage device accessible to the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 722 for execution. The computer readable medium may include any type of tangible, non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, a hard disk, a CD, a DVD, etc. Fig. 8 shows an example of a computer readable medium 800 in the form of a CD or DVD. The computer readable medium has program 730 stored thereon.

In general, the various embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device. While various aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in, as non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the

methods

500 and 600 described above with reference to fig. 2-6. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired. Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executed within a local device or within a distributed device. In a distributed facility, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage media.

Program code for carrying out methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the program codes, when executed by the processor or controller, cause the functions/operations specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram to be performed. The program code may execute entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine or entirely on the remote machine or server.

In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carrier waves include signals, computer readable media, and the like.

The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Further, while operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In some scenarios, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Also, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus at least to:

determining a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of the sidelink control information;

determining a second set of resources for transmitting a second portion of the sidelink control information based at least on a resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; and

transmitting the first portion of sidelink control information to a second device on the first set of resources and transmitting the second portion of sidelink control information to the second device on the second set of resources.

2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to determine the first set of resources by:

receiving a resource pool configuration signaling; and

determining a time domain range of the first set of resources and a frequency domain range of the first set of resources based on the resource pool configuration signaling; and

determining the first set of resources based on the time domain range and the frequency domain range.

3. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to:

determining the resource configuration pattern based on at least one of:

resource pool configuration signaling; and

a time pattern of demodulation reference signals of the associated side link shared channel between the first device and the second device associated with mobility; and

a power boost factor for the first portion of the sidelink control information.

4. The first device of claim 1, the first device further caused to:

determining an aggregation level for the second set of resources, the aggregation level indicating a number of groups of resources to be used for the second set of resources.

5. The first device of claim 4, wherein the first device is caused to determine the second set of resources by:

determining available resources for the second set of resources based on the resource configuration pattern frequency domain multiplexed with the first set of resources;

determining resources adjacent to the available resources for transmitting a demodulation reference signal;

determining whether the available resources are sufficient for the second set of resources based on the aggregation level, the available resources, and the resources used to transmit demodulation reference signals; and

in response to determining that the available resources are sufficient for the second set of resources, determining the second set of resources from the available resources based on the aggregation level and the resources used to transmit demodulation reference signals.

6. The first device of claim 5, wherein the first device is further caused to:

determining a first portion of the second set of resources from the available resources in response to determining that the available resources are not sufficient for the second set of resources; and

determining a second portion of the second set of resources from additional available resources other than the available resources based on the resources adjacent to the available resources used to transmit the demodulation reference signals and the aggregation level.

7. The first device of claim 5 or 6, wherein the first device is further caused to:

determining a group index for a group of physical resource blocks in at least one of the available resource and the further available resource based on the aggregation level; and

determining an allocation of the physical resource blocks based on a frequency domain range of at least one of the group index, the available resource and the further available resource and the resource for transmitting the demodulation reference signal adjacent to the available resource.

8. The first device of claim 4, wherein the first device is caused to determine the second set of resources by:

determining available resources of the second set of resources based on the resource configuration pattern that is time-domain multiplexed with the first set of resources;

determining resources adjacent to the available resources for transmitting a demodulation reference signal; and

determining the second set of resources from the available resources based on the aggregation level, the available resources, and the resources used to transmit demodulation reference signals.

9. The first device of claim 8, wherein the first device is further caused to:

determining a group index for a group of physical resource blocks in the available resources; and

determining an allocation of the physical resource blocks based on the group index, a frequency domain range of the available resources, and the resources adjacent to the available resources for transmitting the demodulation reference signals.

10. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to:

generating an indication of the resource configuration mode; and

transmitting the indication to the second device via the first portion of the sidelink control information on a sidelink control channel.

11. The first device of claim 10, wherein the first device is caused to generate the indication by:

generating the indication with at least one of:

a dedicated side link control information field for the resource configuration mode;

a sidelink control information field indicating a power boost factor; and

a sidelink control information field indicating a time pattern of demodulation reference signals of the sidelink shared channel associated between the first device and the second device.

12. A second device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to:

receiving a first portion of sidelink control information from a first device over a first set of resources;

determining a resource configuration pattern based on one of the first portion of side link control information and the resource pool configuration signaling, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and a second set of resources for the second portion of side link control information multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain;

determining a second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources; and

receiving the second portion of the sidelink control information from the first device on the second set of resources.

13. The second device of claim 12, wherein the second device is caused to determine the second set of resources by:

determining an aggregation level for the second set of resources, the aggregation level indicating a number of groups of resources to be used for the second set of resources; and

determining the second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration pattern, the first set of resources, and the aggregation level for the second set of resources.

14. The second device of claim 12, wherein the second device is caused to determine the resource configuration pattern by:

obtaining an indication of the resource configuration mode by decoding the first portion of the side link control information; and

determining the resource configuration mode based on the indication.

15. The second device of claim 12, wherein the second device is caused to determine the resource configuration pattern by:

acquiring a resource pool configuration signaling; and

determining the resource configuration mode from the resource pool configuration signaling.

16. A method, comprising:

determining, at a first device, a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of sidelink control information;

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the resource configuration pattern based on at least one of:

resource pool configuration signaling; and

a power boost factor for the first portion of the sidelink control information.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the second set of resources comprises:

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

21. The method of claim 19 or 20, further comprising:

22. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the second set of resources comprises:

determining resources for transmitting a demodulation reference signal adjacent to the available resources; and

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating an indication of the resource configuration mode; and

25. The method of claim 22, wherein generating the indication comprises:

generating the indication with at least one of:

a dedicated side link control information field for the resource configuration mode; and

a sidelink control information field indicating a power boost factor; and

26. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a second device, a first portion of sidelink control information from a first device over a first set of resources;

determining the second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources; and

27. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining a first set of resources for transmitting a first portion of side link control information;

means for determining a second set of resources for transmitting a second portion of the sidelink control information based at least on a resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and the second set of resources multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain; and

means for transmitting the first portion of sidelink control information on the first set of resources and the second portion of sidelink control information on the second set of resources to a second device.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a first portion of sidelink control information from a first device over a first set of resources;

means for determining a resource configuration pattern based on one of the first portion of sidelink control information and the resource pool configuration signaling, the resource configuration pattern indicating at least a first association between the first set of resources and a second set of resources for the second portion of sidelink control information multiplexed in a time domain or in a frequency domain;

means for determining the second set of resources based at least on the resource configuration pattern and the first set of resources; and

means for receiving the second portion of the sidelink control information from the first device on the second set of resources.

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method of any one of claims 16-25.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of claim 26.