Electronic device and method used for network control terminal and network node

1. An electronic apparatus for a network control terminal, comprising:

a transceiver; and

processing circuitry configured to:

with respect to a sidelink between a relay network node and a remote network node, determine a sidelink-discontinuous reception (SL-DRX) configuration for the relay network node and/or the remote network node in a sidelink between the relay network node and the remote network node, by determining an active time for the relay network node and/or the remote network node to detect a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and a sleep time for the relay network node and/or the remote network node not to detect the PSCCH;

generate radio resource control (RRC) signaling comprising the SL-DRX configuration;

transmit the RRC signaling;

set, based on priority levels of a downlink and the sidelink, a transmission order of the downlink and the sidelink, the downlink being a Uu link between a base station and either one of the relay network node or the remote network node;

in a case where the priority level of the downlink is higher than the priority levels of the sidelink, and when there are data transmission requests on both the sidelink and downlink, after the relay network node first receives information from the downlink, update the configuration of the SL-DRX of the relay network node and schedule the remote network node to transmit data to the relay network node later; and

transmit the updated configuration of the SL-DRX to the relay network node and/or the remote network node.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to schedule, based on a SL-DRX sleep indicator from the relay network node, a downlink transmission from the base station to the relay network node, wherein, the SL-DRX sleep indicator represents that the sidelink of the relay network node enters a sleep state, or

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to schedule, based on a SL-DRX sleep indicator from the remote network node, a downlink transmission from the base station to the remote network node, wherein, the SL-DRX sleep indicator represents that the sidelink of the remote network node enters a sleep state.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in a case that discontinuous reception (DRX) is used between the network control terminal and the relay network node and/or the remote network node, the processing circuitry is configured to allocate receiving resources orthogonal to each other to the DRX and the SL-DRX.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein based on a Uu discontinuous reception (DRX) being configured for the relay network node and/or the remote network node, the processing circuitry is further configured to coordinate the Uu DRX and the SL-DRX configuration.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein in a case that the Uu DRX and SL DRX overlap in time, the processing circuitry is configured to allocate orthogonal resources for Uu link communication and sidelink communication.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the relay network node and the remote network node are under unicast sidelink communication.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the SL-DRX configuration information comprises information about a SL-DRX Start Offset.

8. A method performed by an electronic apparatus configured as a network control terminal, the method comprising:

with respect to a sidelink between a relay network node and a remote network node, determining a sidelink-discontinuous reception (SL-DRX) configuration for the relay network node and/or the remote network node in a sidelink between the first network node and the second network node, by determining an active time for the relay network node and/or the remote network node to detect a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and a sleep time for the relay network node and/or the remote network node not to detect the PSCCH;

generating radio resource control (RRC) signaling comprising the SL-DRX configuration;

transmitting the RRC signaling;

setting, based on priority levels of a downlink and the sidelink, a transmission order of the downlink and the sidelink, the downlink being a Uu link between a base station and either one of the relay network node or the remote network node;

in a case where the priority level of the downlink is higher than the priority levels of the sidelink, and when there are data transmission requests on both the sidelink and downlink after the relay network node first receives information from the downlink, updating the configuration of the SL-DRX of the relay network node and schedule the remote network node to transmit data to the relay network node later; and

transmitting the updated configuration of the SL-DRX to the relay network node and/or the remote network node.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

scheduling, based on a SL-DRX sleep indicator from the relay network node, a downlink transmission from the base station to the relay network node, wherein, the SL-DRX sleep indicator represents that the sidelink of the relay network node enters a sleep state, or

scheduling, based on a SL-DRX sleep indicator from the remote network node, a downlink transmission from the base station to the remote network node, wherein, the SL-DRX sleep indicator represents that the sidelink of the remote network node enters a sleep state.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in a case that discontinuous reception (DRX) is used between the network control terminal and the relay network node and/or the remote network node, allocating receiving resources orthogonal to each other to the DRX and the SL-DRX.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

based on a Uu discontinuous reception (DRX) being configured for the relay network node and/or the remote network node, coordinating the Uu DRX and the SL-DRX configuration.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in a case that the Uu DRX and SL DRX overlap in time, allocating orthogonal resources for Uu link communication and sidelink communication.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the SL-DRX configuration information comprises information about a SL-DRX Start Offset.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions, which when executed by a computer for a network control terminal cause the computer to perform operations that comprise:

with respect to a sidelink between a relay network node and a remote network node, determining a sidelink-discontinuous reception (SL-DRX) configuration for the relay network node and/or the remote network node in a sidelink between the first network node and the second network node, by determining an active time for the relay network node and/or the remote network node to detect a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and a sleep time for the relay network node and/or the remote network node not to detect the PSCCH;

generating radio resource control (RRC) signaling comprising the SL-DRX configuration;

transmitting the RRC signaling;

setting, based on priority levels of a downlink and the sidelink, a transmission order of the downlink and the sidelink, the downlink being a Uu link between a base station and either one of the relay network node or the remote network node;

in a case where the priority level of the downlink is higher than the priority levels of the sidelink, and when there are data transmission requests on both the sidelink and downlink after the relay network node first receives information from the downlink, updating the configuration of the SL-DRX of the relay network node and schedule the remote network node to transmit data to the relay network node later; and

transmitting the updated configuration of the SL-DRX to the relay network node and/or the remote network node.