Electronic device, wireless communication method, and computer readable medium for using and managing a plurality of bandwidth parts

1. A first electronic device for performing wireless communication with a second electronic device via a plurality of bandwidth parts that are configured for the wireless communication through radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and where one or more of the configured bandwidth parts are activated for the wireless communication, the first electronic device comprising processing circuitry configured to:

determine a future occupation duration, in a second time period assigned to the second electronic device for transmission and that is beyond an expiration of a first time period assigned to the first electronic device for transmission, of a target bandwidth part of the one or more of the configured bandwidth parts that are activated for the wireless communication;

transmit, to the second electronic device, indication information of the future occupancy duration of the target bandwidth part so as to enable the second electronic device to make a decision about using the target bandwidth part in a future transmission in the second time period that follows the first time period,

wherein the decision is one of a set of predetermined possible decisions, the set of predetermined possible decisions comprising each of:

a decision not to conduct the future transmission in the target bandwidth part based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than a predetermined threshold occupancy duration,

a decision to use only a portion of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than zero and less than the predetermined threshold occupancy duration, and

a decision to use all of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period not extending into the second time period, and

conduct operations with the second electronic device in accordance with the decision made by the second electronic device.

2. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the indication information is transmitted to the second electronic device in a portion of the target bandwidth part that precedes the target bandwidth part to be used in the future transmission.

3. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the indication information is transmitted to the second electronic device in a portion of one of the activated one or more of the configured bandwidth parts that is adjacent to and that precedes the target bandwidth part to be used in the future transmission.

4. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the future occupation duration is determined by the first electronic device based on the first electronic device:

performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure before attempting to perform communications with the second electronic device in the target bandwidth part in the first time period; and

receiving information indicating the future occupation duration during the listen-before-talk procedure.

5. The first electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the information indicating the future occupation duration is included in a preamble that is received during the listen-before-talk procedure.

6. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the decision made by the second electronic device based on the indication information further includes one of:

not performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure before attempting to perform communications with the first electronic device in the target bandwidth part between the expiration of the first time period and a beginning of the second time period,

before attempting to perform the communications with the first electronic device in the target bandwidth part between the expiration of the first time period and the beginning of the second time period, performing the LBT procedure without a random fallback,

before attempting to perform the communications with the first electronic device in the target bandwidth part between the expiration of the first time period and the beginning of the second time period, performing the LBT procedure with a size of a fallback contention window that is fixed, or

before attempting to perform the communications with the first electronic device in the target bandwidth part beyond the expiration of the first time period, performing the LBT procedure with a size of the fallback contention window that is variable.

7. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device is a base station and the second electronic device is a user equipment.

8. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device is a user equipment and the second electronic device is a base station.

9. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the decision comprises the decision not to conduct the future transmission in the target bandwidth part.

10. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the decision comprises the decision to use only the portion of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission.

11. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the decision comprises the decision to use all of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission.

12. A first electronic device for performing wireless communication with a second electronic device via a plurality of bandwidth parts that are configured for the wireless communication through radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and where one or more of the configured bandwidth parts are activated for the wireless communication, the first electronic device comprising processing circuitry configured to:

receive, from the second electronic device, indication information of a future occupancy duration, in a second time period assigned to the second electronic device for transmission aid that is beyond an expiration of a first time period assigned to the first electronic device for transmission, of a target bandwidth part of the activated one or more of the configured bandwidth parts,

make a decision about using the target bandwidth part in a future transmission in the second time period that follows the first time period,

wherein the decision is one of a set of predetermined possible decisions, the set of predetermined possible decisions comprising each of:

a decision not to conduct the future transmission in the target bandwidth part based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than a predetermined threshold occupancy duration,

a decision to use only a portion of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than zero and less than the predetermined threshold occupancy duration, and

a decision to use all of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period not extending into the second time period; and

conduct operations with the second electronic device in accordance with the decision.

13. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the indication information is transmitted by the second electronic device in a portion of the target bandwidth part that precedes the target bandwidth part to be used in the future transmission.

14. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the indication information is transmitted by the second electronic device in a portion of one of the activated one or more of the configured bandwidth parts that is adjacent to and that precedes the target bandwidth part to be used in the future transmission.

15. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the future occupation duration is determined by the second electronic device based on the second electronic device:

performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure before attempting to perform communications with the first electronic device in the target bandwidth part in the first time period; and

receiving the information indicating the future occupation duration during the listen-before-talk procedure.

16. The first electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the information indicating the future occupation duration is included in a preamble that is received by the second electronic device during the listen-before-talk procedure.

17. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the decision comprises the decision to not conduct the future transmission in the target bandwidth part.

18. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the decision comprises the decision to use only the portion of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission.

19. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the decision comprises the decision to use all of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission.

20. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the decision made by the first electronic device based on the indication information further includes one of:

not performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure before attempting to perform communications with the second electronic device in the target bandwidth part between the expiration of the first time period and a beginning of the second time period,

before attempting to perform the communications with the second electronic device in the target bandwidth part between the expiration of the first time period and the beginning of the second time period, performing the LBT procedure without a random fallback,

before attempting to perform the communications with the second electronic device in the target bandwidth part between the expiration of the first time period and the beginning of the second time period, performing the LBT procedure with a size of a fallback contention window that is fixed, or

before attempting to perform the communications with the second electronic device in the target bandwidth part between the expiration of the first time period and the beginning of the second time period, performing the LBT procedure with a size of the fallback contention window that is variable.

21. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first electronic device is a base station and the second electronic device is a user equipment.

22. The first electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first electronic device is a user equipment and the second electronic device is a base station.

23. A method of performing wireless communication by a first electronic device with a second electronic device via a plurality of bandwidth parts that are configured for the wireless communication through radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and where one or more of the configured bandwidth parts are activated for the wireless communication, the method comprising:

determining a future occupation duration, in a second time period assigned to the second electronic device for transmission and that is beyond an expiration of a first time period assigned to the first electronic device for transmission, of a target bandwidth part of the one or more of the configured bandwidth parts that are activated for the wireless communication;

transmitting, to the second electronic device, indication information of the future occupancy duration of the target bandwidth part so as to enable the second electronic device to make a decision about using the target bandwidth part in a future transmission in the second time period that follows the first time period,

wherein the decision is one of a set of predetermined possible decisions, the set of predetermined possible decisions comprising each of:

a decision to not conduct the future transmission in the target bandwidth part based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than a predetermined threshold occupancy duration,

a decision to use only a portion of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than zero and less than the predetermined threshold occupancy duration, and

a decision to use all of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period not extending into the second time period, and

conducting operations with the second electronic device in accordance with the decision made by the second electronic device.

24. A method of performing wireless communication by a first electronic device with a second electronic device via a plurality of bandwidth parts that are configured for the wireless communication through radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and where one or more of the configured bandwidth parts are activated for the wireless communication, the method comprising:

receiving, from the second electronic device, indication information of a future occupancy duration, in a second time period assigned to the second electronic device for transmission aid that is beyond an expiration of a first time period assigned to the first electronic device for transmission, of a target bandwidth part of the activated one or more of the configured bandwidth parts,

making a decision about using the target bandwidth part in a future transmission in the second time period that follows the first time period,

wherein the decision is one of a set of predetermined possible decisions, the set of predetermined possible decisions comprising each of:

a decision to not conduct the future transmission in the target bandwidth part based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than a predetermined threshold occupancy duration,

a decision to use only a portion of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period extending into the second time period by an amount of time that is greater than zero and less than the predetermined threshold occupancy duration, and

a decision to use all of the target bandwidth part in the future transmission based on the future occupancy duration beyond the expiration of the first time period not extending into the second time period; and

conducting operations with the second electronic device in accordance with the decision.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 23 .

26. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 24 .