Methods of selectively decoding scheduling assignments and/or sidelink data transmissions and related wireless communication devices

A method of operating a wireless communication device providing sidelink communications, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of scheduling assignments associated with a respective plurality of sidelink data transmissions of a transmission time interval, wherein the scheduling assignments are received with the plurality of sidelink data transmissions during the TTI;
• identifying a subset of the plurality of scheduling assignments to be decoded;
• decoding the subset of the plurality of scheduling assignments to provide a plurality of decoded scheduling assignments;
• and
• decoding at least one of the plurality of sidelink data transmissions of the TTI based on a respective one of the decoded scheduling assignments.

A wireless communication device comprising:

• a transceiver configured to provide wireless communications over a radio interface;
• and
• a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to:
• provide decoded scheduling assignments for a plurality of sidelink data transmissions of a transmission time interval, TTI, wherein each of the decoded scheduling assignments corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of sidelink data transmissions of the TTI, and wherein the decoded scheduling assignments are based on scheduling assignments that are received with the plurality of sidelink data transmissions during the TTI;
• identify a subset of the plurality of sidelink data transmissions to be decoded;
• and
• selectively decode each of the sidelink data transmissions of the subset.