Multiple sidelink control transmissions during a sidelink control period

An integrated circuit to control operation of a transmitting user equipment to allocate radio resources for performing a plurality of direct sidelink (SL) transmissions over a SL interface to one or more receiving user equipments in a communication system, the integrated circuit comprising:

• reception circuitry, which, in operation, controls reception, for a subsequent sidelink control (SC) period, of a plurality of SL grants in a plurality of subframes before a start of the subsequent SC period, wherein:
• the transmitting user equipment is configured with a maximum number of SL processes, and each of the plurality of SL grants is associated with one of the maximum number of SL processes in a one-to-one manner on the basis of a subframe in which the SL grant is received, and
• for one of the maximum number of SL processes, a second SL grant received in subframe n for the subsequent SC period overwrites a first SL grant previously received in subframe n-X for the same subsequent SC period, wherein X is an integer value equal to or greater than the maximum number of SL processes;
• control circuitry, which is coupled to the reception circuitry and which, in operation,
• associates the maximum number of SL processes with the plurality of SL grants, respectively, and
• allocates, for each of the maximum number of SL processes, radio resources within the subsequent SC period according to the associated SL grant;
• and
• transmission circuitry, which is coupled to the control circuitry and which, in operation, controls the plurality of SL transmissions including at least one sidelink control information (SCI) transmission and at least one data transmission, using the allocated radio resources.