# US 11,910,365 B2 · Slot format for low latency sidelink communications

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- Number: US 11,910,365 B2
- Document ID: US11910365B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/206,403
- Filed: 2021-03-19
- Published: 2022-09-22
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-19
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Inventors: Seyedkianoush Hosseini; Wei Yang; Wanshi Chen; Peter Gaal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910365B2

## CPC

- H04W 28/26: Resource reservation
- H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
- H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for resource management
- H04W 72/00: Local resource management
- H04W 92/18: between terminal devices
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described related to a slot format for low latency sidelink communications. A group of user equipments (UEs) may receive an indication of a configuration of a sidelink resource pool. The sidelink resource pool may include one or more slots and one or more subchannels, and a slot of the sidelink resource pool may include a control region allocated for a sidelink control channel and a set of contiguous subslots each allocated for a sidelink data channel. A first UE may transmit sidelink control information (SCI) to a second UE in the control region of a slot to reserve one or more subslot of the same slot or any quantity of different slots for a sidelink message. The first UE may transmit the sidelink message to the second UE in the subslot.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for wireless communications by a first user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving, by the first UE, a first indication of a configuration of a sidelink resource pool for a group of UEs that includes the first UE, wherein the sidelink resource pool comprises one or more slots in a time domain and one or more subchannels in a frequency domain, and wherein a slot of the sidelink resource pool comprises a control region allocated for a sidelink control channel and a set of contiguous subslots each allocated for a sidelink data channel;
receiving, by the first UE, a second indication for the sidelink resource pool of a subslot pattern for the slot of the sidelink resource pool, the subslot pattern indicating a quantity of subslots within the slot and a length of each subslot of the quantity of subslots;
transmitting, by the first UE to a second UE of the group of UEs in the control region of the slot, sidelink control information that reserves a subslot from the subslot pattern for the slot for a transmission of a sidelink message to the second UE; and
transmitting, by the first UE, at least a portion of the sidelink message to the second UE in the subslot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
reserving, via the sidelink control information, a second subslot for a retransmission of the sidelink message, wherein the second subslot is within the slot or within a second set of contiguous subslots included in a second slot of the sidelink resource pool; and
transmitting the retransmission of the sidelink message to the second UE in the second subslot.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
receiving, from the second UE in a third subslot subsequent to the subslot and prior to the second subslot, a sidelink feedback message corresponding to the sidelink message, wherein transmitting the retransmission of the sidelink message in the second subslot is based at least in part on receiving the sidelink feedback message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the sidelink control information reserves a group of subslots within the set of contiguous subslots, the group of subslots comprising the subslot and one or more other subslots; and
the sidelink message comprises a transport block that spans the group of subslots.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more other subslots are contiguous with the subslot.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein whether the one or more other subslots are contiguous with the subslot is based at least in part on whether the first UE is capable of mapping the transport block to noncontiguous subslots.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying a resource reservation mode for the sidelink control information, wherein the identified resource reservation mode is one of a set of resource reservation modes comprising:
a first resource reservation mode that corresponds to reserving, from the set of contiguous subslots, a single subslot per transport block; and
a second resource reservation mode that corresponds to reserving, from the set of contiguous subslots, a group of subslots per transport block; and
configuring the sidelink control information to reserve one or more subslots of the slot for the sidelink message in accordance with the identified resource reservation mode, the one or more subslots comprising the subslot.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein:
the first indication of the configuration of the sidelink resource pool indicates a configured resource reservation mode for the sidelink resource pool; and
identifying the resource reservation mode comprises identifying the configured resource reservation mode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
receiving, from a network entity via downlink control information, an indication of the resource reservation mode, wherein identifying the resource reservation mode comprises identifying the indicated resource reservation mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
selecting, by the first UE, the resource reservation mode from the set of resource reservation modes, wherein identifying the resource reservation mode comprises selecting the resource reservation mode; and
transmitting, to the second UE within the sidelink control information, an indication of the identified resource reservation mode.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a first symbol within the slot comprises an automatic gain control symbol, a last symbol within the slot comprises a gap symbol, and remaining symbols within the slot are each allocated for the sidelink control channel or the sidelink data channel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sidelink data channel spans at least one subchannel within each symbol included in the set of contiguous subslots.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a second subslot is between the control region and the subslot.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
reserving, via the sidelink control information, a second subslot within a second slot subsequent to the slot for a second sidelink message to the second UE; and
transmitting the second sidelink message to the second UE at least partially in the second subslot.

### Claim 15

A method for wireless communications at a second user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving, by the second UE, a first indication of a configuration of a sidelink resource pool for a group of UEs that includes a first UE and the second UE, wherein the sidelink resource pool comprises one or more slots in a time domain and one or more subchannels in a frequency domain, and wherein a slot of the sidelink resource pool comprises a control region allocated for a sidelink control channel and a set of contiguous subslots each allocated for a sidelink data channel;
receiving, by the second UE, a second indication for the sidelink resource pool of a subslot pattern for the slot of the sidelink resource pool, the subslot pattern indicating a quantity of subslots within the slot and a length of each subslot of the quantity of subslots;
receiving, by the second UE from the first UE in the control region of the slot, sidelink control information that reserves a subslot from the subslot pattern for the slot for receiving a transmission of a sidelink message to the second UE; and
receiving, by the second UE, the sidelink message from the first UE at least partially in the subslot.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving a retransmission of the sidelink message from the first UE in a second subslot, the second subslot within the slot or within a second set of contiguous subslots included in a second slot of the sidelink resource pool, wherein the sidelink control information further reserves the second subslot for the retransmission of the sidelink message.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
transmitting, to the first UE in a third subslot subsequent to the subslot and prior to the second subslot, a sidelink feedback message corresponding to the sidelink message, wherein receiving the retransmission of the sidelink message in the second subslot is based at least in part on transmitting the sidelink feedback message.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
the sidelink control information reserves a group of subslots within the set of contiguous subslots, the group of subslots comprising the subslot and one or more other subslots; and
the sidelink message comprises a transport block that spans the group of subslots.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
identifying a resource reservation mode for the sidelink control information, wherein the resource reservation mode is one of a set of resource reservation modes comprising:
a first resource reservation mode that corresponds to reserving, from the set of contiguous subslots, a single subslot per transport block; and
a second resource reservation mode that corresponds to reserving, from the set of contiguous subslots, a group of subslots per transport block; and
decoding the sidelink message based at least in part on the resource reservation mode.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
the first indication of the configuration of the sidelink resource pool indicates a configured resource reservation mode for the sidelink resource pool; and
identifying the resource reservation mode comprises identifying the configured resource reservation mode.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising:
receiving, from a network entity via downlink control information, an indication of the resource reservation mode, wherein identifying the resource reservation mode comprises identifying the indicated resource reservation mode.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising:
receiving, within the sidelink control information, an indication of the resource reservation mode, wherein the identified resource reservation mode comprises the indicated resource reservation mode.

### Claim 23

A method for wireless communications at a network entity, comprising:
transmitting, by the network entity to a group of user equipments (UEs), a first indication of a configuration of a sidelink resource pool for the group of UEs, wherein the sidelink resource pool comprises one or more slots in a time domain and one or more subchannels in a frequency domain, and wherein a slot of the sidelink resource pool comprises a control region allocated for a sidelink control channel and a set of contiguous subslots each allocated for a sidelink data channel;
transmitting, by the network entity, a second indication for the sidelink resource pool of a subslot pattern for the slot of the sidelink resource pool, the subslot pattern indicating a quantity of subslots within the slot and a length of each subslot of the quantity of subslots;
identifying, by the network entity, one or more subslots from the subslot pattern for the set of contiguous subslots that are available for sidelink communications; and
transmitting, by the network entity to a UE of the group of UEs, an indication that the one or more subslots are reserved for a sidelink transmission by the UE associated with the sidelink communications.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein transmitting the indication that the one or more subslots are reserved for the sidelink communications comprises:
transmitting downlink control information to the UE, wherein the downlink control information reserves the one or more subslots for transmission of a sidelink message from the UE to a second UE of the group of UEs.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the indication that the one or more subslots are reserved for the sidelink communications allocates sidelink resources within the sidelink resource pool to the UE for sidelink transmissions by the UE, the allocated sidelink resources comprising the one or more subslots and at least one subslot within a second slot of the sidelink resource pool.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
selecting a resource reservation mode for a sidelink communication by the UE, wherein the selected resource reservation mode is one of a set of resource reservation modes comprising:
a first resource reservation mode that corresponds to reserving, from the set of contiguous subslots, a single subslot per transport block; and
a second resource reservation mode that corresponds to reserving, from the set of contiguous subslots, a group of subslots per transport block; and
indicating the selected resource reservation mode to the UE via the first indication of the configuration of the sidelink resource pool or via downlink control information.

### Claim 27

An apparatus for wireless communications by a first user equipment (UE), comprising:
a processor;
memory coupled with the processor; and
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, by the first UE, a first indication of a configuration of a sidelink resource pool for a group of UEs that includes the first UE, wherein the sidelink resource pool comprises one or more slots in a time domain and one or more subchannels in a frequency domain, and wherein a slot of the sidelink resource pool comprises a control region allocated for a sidelink control channel and a set of contiguous subslots each allocated for a sidelink data channel;
receive, by the first UE, a second indication for the sidelink resource pool of a subslot pattern for the slot of the sidelink resource pool, the subslot pattern indicating a quantity of subslots within the slot and a length of each subslot of the quantity of subslots;
transmit, by the first UE to a second UE of the group of UEs in the control region of the slot, sidelink control information that reserves a subslot from the subslot pattern for the slot for a transmission of a sidelink message to the second UE; and
transmit, by the first UE, at least a portion of the sidelink message to the second UE in the subslot.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
reserve, via the sidelink control information, a second subslot for a retransmission of the sidelink message, wherein the second subslot is within the slot or within a second set of contiguous subslots included in a second slot of the sidelink resource pool; and
transmit the retransmission of the sidelink message to the second UE in the second subslot.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the second UE in a third subslot subsequent to the subslot and prior to the second subslot, a sidelink feedback message corresponding to the sidelink message, wherein transmitting the retransmission of the sidelink message in the second subslot is based at least in part on receiving the sidelink feedback message.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:
the sidelink control information reserves a group of subslots within the set of contiguous subslots, the group of subslots comprising the subslot and one or more other subslots; and
the sidelink message comprises a transport block that spans the group of subslots.
