IP Library Granted Patent US 12676722
Granted Patent B2
US 12676722 · App. 18/561,860 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Transmitting a control signal scheduling a discovery signal in sidelink

Inventors: Luanxia Yang (Beijing, CN); Changlong Xu (Beijing, CN); Jing Sun (San Diego, CA); Xiaoxia Zhang (San Diego, CA); Shaozhen Guo (Beijing, CN); Rajat Prakash (San Diego, CA); Hao Xu (Beijing, CN); Siyi Chen (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04L5/0053H04L5/0005H04L27/261
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676722
App. No.
18/561,860
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for determining a relay capability configuration for using a control signal to schedule a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) that carries information to organize sidelink connections. The control signal allows user equipments (UEs) to organize a sidelink network absent base station configurations or vendor configurations. For example, the control signal may schedule a discovery signal (DS) associated with a sidelink synchronization signal block (S-SSB). The control signal may be referred to as DS-physical sidelink control channel (DS-PSCCH), different from a normal PSCCH. The DS-PSCCH may have distinct structure and content to allow UEs to organize sidelink networks.

Claims (46)

1 . A method for wireless communications by a first user equipment (UE), comprising:

transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal block (S-SSB) for discovery by at least a second UE; and

transmitting a control signal associated with the S-SSB to schedule a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) that conveys system information (SI) for the second UE, wherein the control signal comprises a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and wherein the PSCCH occupies a fixed resource location with respect to the S-SSB.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PSSCH conveys remaining minimum system information (RMSI) as a discovery signal (DS).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PSCCH indicates that the PSSCH carries the DS via a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) pattern.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the S-SSB provides information on whether the PSCCH has been transmitted with the S-SSB.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a bit in a master information block (MIB) provides information on whether the PSCCH has been transmitted with the S-SSB.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PSCCH is aligned in the time domain with the S-SSB and occupies a fixed number of resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the DS is aligned in the frequency domain with the S-SSB and occupies a fixed number of symbols in the time domain.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the DS occupies:

a fixed number of resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain; or

a remaining portion of unlicensed band that is not occupied by the S-SSB.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the S-SSB occupies at least first time and frequency resources in a first time occasion; and

the PSCCH occupies the first time and frequency resources in a second time occasion.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the S-SSB comprises a master information block (MIB) providing the fixed resource location of the PSCCH with respect to the S-SSB.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the MIB indicates a predefined set of resource blocks (RBs) used for transmitting the PSCCH.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PSCCH provides frequency domain resource allocation (FDRA) when the PSSCH is aligned with the PSCCH in time, wherein the FDRA indicates a starting resource block and a length of resource blocks of the PSSCH with respect to the PSCCH's location.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PSCCH provides time domain resource allocation (TDRA) when the PSSCH is aligned with the PSCCH in frequency, wherein the TDRA indicates a starting slot and a duration of occupied slots of the PSSCH with respect to the PSCCH's location.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PSCCH provides both frequency domain resource allocation (FDRA) and time domain resource allocation (TDRA) when the PSCCH does not align with the PSSCH.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PSCCH comprises at least one of: identify information of the second UE, services provided by the second UE, destination information, or groupcast information.

16 . A method for wireless communications by a second user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving a sidelink synchronization signal block (S-SSB) transmitted by a first UE;

receiving a control signal associated with the S-SSB to schedule a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) that conveys system information (SI) for the second UE, wherein the control signal comprises a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and wherein the PSCCH occupies a fixed resource location with respect to the S-SSB; and

receiving the PSSCH from the first UE according to the control signal.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the PSSCH conveys remaining minimum system information (RMSI) as a discovery signal (DS).

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the PSCCH indicates that the PSSCH carries the DS via a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) pattern.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the S-SSB provides information on whether the PSCCH has been transmitted with the S-SSB.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a bit in a master information block (MIB) provides information on whether the PSCCH has been transmitted with the S-SSB.

21 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the PSCCH is aligned in the time domain with the S-SSB and occupies a fixed number of resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain.

22 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the DS is aligned in the frequency domain with the S-SSB and occupies a fixed number of symbols in the time domain.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the DS occupies:

a fixed number of resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain; or

a remaining portion of unlicensed band that is not occupied by the S-SSB.

24 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a first user equipment, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including code executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a sidelink synchronization signal block (S-SSB) for discovery by at least a second UE; and

transmit a control signal associated with the S-SSB to schedule a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) that conveys system information (SI) for the second UE, wherein the control signal comprises a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and wherein the PSCCH occupies a fixed resource location with respect to the S-SSB.

25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the PSSCH conveys remaining minimum system information (RMSI) as a discovery signal (DS).

26 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a second user equipment, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including code executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive a sidelink synchronization signal block (S-SSB) transmitted by a first UE;

receive a control signal associated with the S-SSB to schedule a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) that conveys system information (SI) for the second UE, wherein the control signal comprises a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and wherein the PSCCH occupies a fixed resource location with respect to the S-SSB; and

receive the PSSCH from the first UE according to the control signal.