Communication device, communication method, base station, and method performed by base station
A communication device includes a reception unit that receives, from the base station, a physical control signal used to control a physical layer of the communication device, the physical control signal including beam information about a beam used for communication between the communication device and the terminal device; and a communication control unit that controls a beam used for communication between the communication device and the terminal device based on the beam information.
1 . A communication device to relay communication between a base station and a terminal device, the communication device comprising:
a reception unit configured to receive a first physical control signal from the base station, wherein
the first physical control signal is to control a physical layer of the communication device, and
the first physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a beam for communication between the communication device and the terminal device;
an identification unit configured to identify, as an application duration for application of the beam setting information, a first duration based on a transmission timing of the first physical control signal, wherein
the first duration is from a first time to a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion associated with a second physical control signal,
the second physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a next beam for the communication between the communication device and the terminal device, and
the first time is after a specific offset duration subsequent to the reception of the first physical control signal; and
a communication control unit configured to control the beam based on the beam setting information of the first physical control signal and the application duration.
2 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein
the beam setting information of the first physical control signal includes at least one of first information associated with a downlink beam or second information associated with an uplink beam,
the uplink beam is from the terminal device to the communication device, and
the downlink beam is from the communication device to the terminal device.
3 . The communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the first information includes at least one of
information associated with a Spatial Transmitter characteristic of the communication device, or
information that specifies at least one of a Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI), a Synchronization Signal (SS)/Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) block index, a Non-Zero-Power (NZP) Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resource ID, an antenna port for a downlink reference signal, or the terminal device.
4 . The communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the second information includes
information associated with a Spatial Receiver characteristic of the communication device, and
information that specifies a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRI) or the terminal device.
5 . The communication device according to claim 2 , wherein
the beam setting information of the first physical control signal further includes third information that indicates the application duration, and
the identification of the first duration is further based on the third information.
6 . The communication device according to claim 5 , wherein the third information includes information that specifies at least one of one or more consecutive slots or one or more consecutive symbols.
7 . The communication device according to claim 5 , wherein
the third information includes information that specifies a second duration where a physical channel is allocated, and
the physical channel includes at least one of transfer information for the base station or transfer information for the terminal device.
8 . The communication device according to claim 7 , wherein
the second duration includes at least one of
a third duration where a PDCCH and a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), which are transferrable to an access link, are allocated, or
a fourth duration where a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) is allocated,
the PUCCH or the PUSCH includes a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) corresponding to the PDSCH, and
the access link is between the communication device and the terminal device.
9 . The communication device according to claim 7 , wherein the second duration includes
a third duration where a PDCCH, which is transferrable to the access link, is allocated, and
a fourth duration where a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) is allocated.
10 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the identification unit is further configured to identify the application duration based on a timer.
11 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein
the identification unit is further configured to identify, as the application duration, a second duration,
the second duration is from the first time to a second time, and
the second time is after reception of the second physical control signal.
12 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the identification unit is further configured to identify, as the application duration, a second duration from the first time.
13 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein
the reception unit is further configured to receive information that indicates a relay timing, and
the communication control unit is further configured to:
identify a timing based on the received information; and
relay information at the identified timing.
14 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first physical control signal further includes information associated with a downlink transmission power, and
the communication control unit is further configured to control the downlink transmission power based on the information associated with the downlink transmission power.
15 . A communication method, the communication method comprising:
in a communication device that relays communication between a base station and a terminal device:
receiving, from the base station, a first physical control signal, wherein
the first physical control signal is to control a physical layer of the communication device, and
the first physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a beam for communication between the communication device and the terminal device;
identifying, as an application duration for application of the beam setting information, a specific duration based on a transmission timing of the first physical control signal, wherein
the specific duration is from a specific time to a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion associated with a second physical control signal,
the second physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a next beam for the communication between the communication device and the terminal device, and
the specific time is after a specific offset duration subsequent to the reception of the first physical control signal; and
controlling the beam based on the beam setting information of the first physical control signal and the application duration.
16 . A base station, comprising:
a transmission unit; and
a control unit configured to;
transmit, via the transmission unit, a first physical control signal to a communication device, wherein
the first physical control signal is for control of a physical layer of the communication device,
the first physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a beam for communication between the communication device and a terminal device,
the communication device identifies, as an application duration for application of the beam setting information, a specific duration based on a transmission timing of the first physical control signal,
the specific duration is from a specific time to a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion associated with a second physical control signal,
the second physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a next beam for the communication between the communication device and the terminal device, and
the specific time is after a specific offset duration subsequent to the reception of the first physical control signal; and
execute communication with the terminal device via the communication device, wherein
the execution of the communication with the terminal device is via the transmission unit, and
the communication device:
controls the beam based on the beam setting information of the first physical control signal and the application duration, and
relays, based on the control of the beam, communication between the base station and the terminal device.
17 . A method, comprising:
in a base station:
transmitting a first physical control signal to a communication device, wherein
the first physical control signal is for control of a physical layer of the communication device,
the first physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a beam for communication between the communication device and a terminal device,
the communication device identifies, as an application duration for application of the beam setting information, a specific duration based on a transmission timing of the first physical control signal,
the specific duration is from a specific time to a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasion associated with a second physical control signal,
the second physical control signal includes beam setting information to set a next beam for the communication between the communication device and the terminal device, and
the specific time is after a specific offset duration subsequent to the reception of the first physical control signal; and
executing communication with the terminal device via the communication device, wherein the communication device:
controls the beam based on the beam setting information of the first physical control signal and the application duration, and
relays, based on the control of the beam, communication between the base station and the terminal device.