# US 12,225,483 B2 · Multiplexing reference signals with sidelink synchronization signal block > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,483 B2 - Document ID: US12225483B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/695,549 - Filed: 2022-03-15 - Published: 2023-09-21 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-15 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Chih-Hao Liu; Jing Sun; Yisheng Xue; Xiaoxia Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225483B2 ## CPC - H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes} - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for 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 In the context of a slot of a sidelink (SL) communication frame of a user equipment (UE), the slot is configured with a resource element allocation comprising an SL synchronization signal block (S-SSB) occupying a plurality of less than all symbols of the slot, and a plurality of less than all subcarriers of a channel of the slot. The UE determines that an occupied channel bandwidth (OCB) constraint for the slot across the channel will not be met with the resource element allocation. The UE then multiplexes, in response to the determining, a reference signal (RS) across the symbols occupied by the S-SSB in a plurality of resource blocks of the channel not occupied by the S-SSB to meet the OCB constraint. The UE then transmits the slot with the S-SSB and the multiplexed RS. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wireless communication method, comprising: in a slot of a sidelink (SL) communication frame of a user equipment (UE), the slot configured with a resource element allocation comprising an SL synchronization signal block (S-SSB) occupying a plurality of less than all symbols of the slot, and a plurality of less than all subcarriers of a channel of the slot: determining, by the UE, that an occupied channel bandwidth (OCB) constraint for the slot across the channel will not be met with the resource element allocation; multiplexing, by the UE and in response to the determining, a reference signal (RS) across the symbols occupied by the S-SSB in a plurality of resource blocks of the channel not occupied by the S-SSB to meet the OCB constraint; and transmitting, by the UE, the slot with the S-SSB and the multiplexed RS. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the channel is in an unlicensed frequency band. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the S-SSB is configured across four (4) contiguous symbols and one of (i) eleven resource blocks (RBs) in frequency and (ii) twenty RBs in frequency. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the RS is a Channel Status Information RS (CSI-RS). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein multiplexing comprises allocating one CSI-RS to one resource per symbol occupied by the S-SSB in a plurality of resource blocks of the channel not occupied by the S-SSB. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein multiplexing comprises allocating a given single-symbol CSI-RS with a given subcarrier pattern in each of the symbols occupied by the S-SSB. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the single-symbol CSI-RS is one of a comb-12, comb-6, comb-4, and comb-3 pattern CSI-RS. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein SL Control Information (SCI) of the frame indicates the CSI-RS multiplexed into the S-SSB symbols. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein: the S-SSB punctures a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) of the frame and an amplitude scaling factor is applied to the CSI-RS based on an amplitude scaling factor of the PSSCH. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying, by the UE and prior to the transmitting, one or more unoccupied symbols between a last symbol of a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) of the frame and a first symbol of the S-SSB; and rate matching, by the UE and prior to the transmitting, at least a portion of a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) of the frame into the identified one or more unoccupied symbols, wherein transmitting the slot further comprises transmitting the slot with the rate matched at least a portion of the PSSCH. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to transmitting: determining, by the UE, that a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) of the frame carries SL Control Information (SCI) only and no data transport blocks (TBs); and indicating, by the UE, in SCI-1 of a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) of the frame the RS multiplexed into the S-SSB symbols, wherein transmitting the slot further comprises transmitting the slot with the indication in SCI-1 of a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) of the frame the RS multiplexed into the S-SSB symbols. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the RS is a Tracking RS (TRS). ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein multiplexing comprises allocating a given single-symbol TRS with a given subcarrier pattern in each of the symbols occupied by the S-SSB. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the single-symbol TRS is a comb-4 pattern TRS. ### Claim 15 An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the memory including instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: in a slot of a sidelink (SL) communication frame of a user equipment (UE), the slot configured with a resource element allocation comprising an SL synchronization signal block (S-SSB) occupying a plurality of less than all symbols of the slot, and a plurality of less than all subcarriers of a channel of the slot: determine, by the UE, that an occupied channel bandwidth (OCB) constraint for the slot across the channel will not be met with the resource element allocation; multiplex, by the UE and in response to the determining, a reference signal (RS) across the symbols occupied by the S-SSB in a plurality of resource blocks of the channel not occupied by the S-SSB to meet the OCB constraint; and transmit, by the UE, the slot with the S-SSB and the multiplexed RS. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the channel is in an unlicensed frequency band. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the S-SSB is configured across four (4) contiguous symbols and one of (i) eleven resource blocks (RBs) in frequency and (ii) twenty RBs in frequency. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RS is a Channel Status Information RS (CSI-RS). ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein multiplexing comprises allocating one CSI-RS to one resource per symbol occupied by the S-SSB in a plurality of resource blocks of the channel not occupied by the S-SSB. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein multiplexing comprises allocating a given single-symbol CSI-RS with a given subcarrier pattern in each of the symbols occupied by the S-SSB. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the single-symbol CSI-RS is one of a comb-12, comb-6, comb-4, and comb-3 pattern CSI-RS. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein SL Control Information (SCI) of the frame indicates the CSI-RS multiplexed into the S-SSB symbols. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: the S-SSB punctures a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) of the frame and an amplitude scaling factor is applied to the CSI-RS based on an amplitude scaling factor of the PSSCH. ### Claim 24 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor-executable code, the code when read and executed by at least one processor of user equipment (UE), causes the UE to: in a slot of a sidelink (SL) communication frame of the UE, the slot configured with a resource element allocation comprising an SL synchronization signal block (S-SSB) occupying a plurality of less than all symbols of the slot, and a plurality of less than all subcarriers of a channel of the slot: determine, by the UE, that an occupied channel bandwidth (OCB) constraint for the slot across the channel will not be met with the resource element allocation; multiplex, by the UE and in response to the determining, a reference signal (RS) across the symbols occupied by the S-SSB in a plurality of resource blocks of the channel not occupied by the S-SSB to meet the OCB constraint; and transmit, by the UE, the slot with the S-SSB and the multiplexed RS. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, the code when read and executed by at least one processor of the UE, further causes the UE to: identify, prior to the transmitting, one or more unoccupied symbols between a last symbol of a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) of the frame and a first symbol of the S-SSB; and rate match, prior to the transmitting, at least a portion of a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) of the frame into the identified one or more unoccupied symbols, wherein transmitting the slot further comprises transmitting the slot with the rate matched at least a portion of the PSSCH. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, the code when read and executed by at least one processor of the UE, further causes the UE to: prior to transmitting: determine that a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) of the frame carries SL Control Information (SCI) only and no data transport blocks (TBS); and indicate in SCI-1 of a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) of the frame the RS multiplexed into the S-SSB symbols, wherein transmitting the slot further comprises transmitting the slot with the indication in SCI-1 of a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) of the frame the RS multiplexed into the S-SSB symbols. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the RS is a Tracking RS (TRS). ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein multiplexing comprises allocating a given single-symbol TRS with a given subcarrier pattern in each of the symbols occupied by the S-SSB. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the single-symbol TRS is a comb-4 pattern TRS. ### Claim 30 An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: in a slot of a sidelink (SL) communication frame of a user equipment (UE), the slot configured with a resource element allocation comprising an SL synchronization signal block (S-SSB) occupying a plurality of less than all symbols of the slot, and a plurality of less than all subcarriers of a channel of the slot: means for determining, by the apparatus, that an occupied channel bandwidth (OCB) constraint for the slot across the channel will not be met with the resource element allocation; means for multiplexing, by the apparatus and in response to the determining, a reference signal (RS) across the symbols occupied by the S-SSB in a plurality of resource blocks of the channel not occupied by the S-SSB to meet the OCB constraint; and means for transmitting, by the apparatus, the slot with the S-SSB and the multiplexed RS.