Method and apparatus for sharing channel occupancy time

A method for sharing a channel occupancy time (COT), applied to a sidelink unlicensed frequency band and performed by a second terminal device, wherein the method comprises:

• receiving first shared COT information from a first terminal device, wherein the first shared COT information comprises a first remained length of a first shared COT;
• determining the first remained length of the first shared COT;
• determining a second number of slots, wherein the second number of slots is a number of slots occupied by the second terminal device for data transmission, in which the second number of slots is 1;
• determining a second remained length of a second shared COT comprised in second shared COT information based on the first remained length of the first shared COT and a processing time for a terminal device, wherein the processing time of the terminal device is a time required for the terminal device to decode sidelink control information (SCI) and prepare a data packet;
• and
• sending the second shared COT information to a third terminal device;
• wherein the first remained length of the first shared COT is determined by the first terminal device based on the total length of the first shared COT, a number of offset slots, and the processing time for the terminal device, wherein the number of offset slots is a number of spaced slots between a slot carrying the first shared COT information and a start slot of the first shared COT.

A first terminal device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory has a computer program stored thereon, and the processor is configured to:

• send first shared channel occupancy time (COT) information to a second terminal device, wherein the first shared COT information comprises a first remained length of a first shared COT;
• determine a total length of the first shared COT;
• determine a first number of slots and a second number of time slots, wherein the first number of slots is M slots occupied by the first terminal device for data transmission, in which M is a positive integer greater than 1, and the second number of slots is a number of slots occupied by the second terminal device for data transmission, in which the second number of slots is 1;
• and
• determine a processing time for a terminal device, wherein the processing time of the terminal device is a time required for the terminal device to decode sidelink control information (SCI) and prepare a data packet;
• and
• determine the first remained length of the first shared COT based on the total length of the first shared COT, a number of offset slots, and the processing time for the terminal device, wherein the number of offset slots is a number of spaced slots between a slot carrying the first shared COT information and a start slot of the first shared COT.