Methods, infrastructure equipment and communications device
A method comprises receiving from an infrastructure equipment of wireless communications network slot configuration information indicating a configuration of one or more slots of a wireless access interface provided by a wireless communications network for communicating data to the communications device in the downlink and receiving data from the communications device in the uplink, the time divided slots of the wireless access interface each providing a plurality of symbols on one of more radio frequency carrier signals which can be configured differently for use by the communications device or the infrastructure equipment, the slot configuration information including an indication that one or more of the plurality of symbols are to be used for transmitting signals from the communications device or that one or more of the plurality of symbols are to be used for receiving signals at the communications device.
1. A communications device for transmitting or receiving signals for communicating data under control of a wireless communications network, the communications device comprising:
circuitry configured to
receive, from an infrastructure equipment, first slot configuration information indicating one or more of a plurality of symbols of a slot are to be used for transmitting signals from the communications device, and one or more of the plurality of symbols are to be used for receiving signals at the communications device or one or more of the plurality of symbols are flexible symbols;
receive second slot configuration information indicating a configuration of one or more of the plurality of symbols of the slot; and
in a case that the first slot configuration information indicates one or more of the plurality of symbols are flexible symbols and the second slot configuration information indicates that one or more of the plurality of symbols of the slot are configured differently from the first slot configuration information, determine to receive one or more of the plurality of symbols based on the second slot configuration information, wherein
the second slot configuration information has a dynamic characteristic of a higher rate of change than a dynamic characteristic of the first slot configuration information,
the first slot configuration information and the second slot configuration information are each provided by any of radio resource control information, downlink control information and a slot format indicator communicated in a group communications channel,
a rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by the radio resource control information is slower than a rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by a slot format indicator, and
a rate of change of the slot configuration information is greater than the rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by the downlink control information.
2. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first slot configuration information indicates a configuration of one or more time slots of a wireless access interface, and
the circuitry is further configured to transmit the signals in each slot of the one or more time slots on the one or more of the plurality of symbols allocated to the communications device for transmitting signals.
3. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of symbols of the slot indicated in the second slot configuration information are based on a conflict resolution rule, the conflict resolution rule according to the dynamic characteristic of the first slot configuration information and the dynamic characteristic of the second slot configuration information.
4. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to
identify the one or more of the plurality of symbols of the time slot which are configured differently between the first slot configuration information and the second slot configuration information, and
determine a configuration of the one or more of the plurality of symbols according to the second slot configuration information in preference to the first slot configuration information.
5. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to
identify whether any of the differently configured one or more of the plurality of symbols are configured as reserved in the first slot configuration information and the second slot configuration information, and
in a case that at least one of the first slot configuration information or the second slot configuration information configures any of the one or more differently configured symbols as reserved, determine that the configuration of the symbol is reserved.
6. The communication device according to claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to
receive third slot configuration information from the infrastructure equipment indicating a configuration of one or more time slots, and
in a case that the third slot configuration information indicates that one or more of the plurality of symbols of each of the one or more time slots are configured with a new slot format, determine, based on the third slot configuration information, that one or more of the differently configured symbols should be configured according to the new slot format.
7. The communication device according to claim 6 , wherein
the new slot format indicates that the communications device should transmit signals or receive signals on a device-to-device (D2D) sidelink to another communications device, and
the new slot format is only indicated in slot configuration information transmitted from the infrastructure equipment to D2D-enabled communications devices.
8. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine that a configuration of symbols, which are configured the same by each of the radio resource control information and the slot format indicator and which are configured differently by the downlink control information, should be the same as a configuration of the symbols by the radio resource control information and the slot format indicator.
9. The communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the circuitry determines that the configuration of symbols, which are configured differently by the radio resource control information and the slot format indicator, should be a flexible configuration.
10. The communication device according to claim 9 , wherein the circuitry determines that the configuration of symbols, which have a flexible configuration, should be the same as the configuration of the symbols by the downlink control information.
11. The communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to, in a case that at least one of the radio resource control information and the slot format indicator configures any of the one or more differently configured symbols as reserved, determine that the configuration of the symbol is reserved.
12. A method of transmitting or receiving signals by a communications device communicating data under control of a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
receiving, from an infrastructure equipment, first slot configuration information indicating one or more of a plurality of symbols of a slot are to be used for transmitting signals from the communications device, and one or more of the plurality of symbols are to be used for receiving signals at the communications device or one or more of the plurality of symbols are flexible symbols;
receiving second slot configuration information indicating a configuration of one or more of the plurality of symbols of the slot; and
in a case that the first slot configuration information indicates one or more of the plurality of symbols are flexible symbols and the second slot configuration information indicates that one or more of the symbols of the slot are configured differently from the first slot configuration information, determining to receive one or more of the symbols based on the second slot configuration information, wherein
the second slot configuration information has a dynamic characteristic of a higher rate of change than a dynamic characteristic of the first slot configuration information,
the first slot configuration information and the second slot configuration information are each provided by any of radio resource control information, downlink control information and a slot format indicator communicated in a group communications channel,
a rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by the radio resource control information is slower than a rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by a slot format indicator, and
a rate of change of the slot configuration information is greater than the rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by the downlink control information.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the first slot configuration information indicates a configuration of one or more time slots of a wireless access interface, and
the method further comprises transmitting the signals in each slot of the one or more time slots on the one or more of the plurality of symbols allocated to the communications device for transmitting signals.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of symbols of the slot indicated in the second slot configuration information are based on a conflict resolution rule, the conflict resolution rule according to the dynamic characteristic of the first slot configuration information and the dynamic characteristic of the second slot configuration information.
15. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
identifying the one or more of the plurality of symbols of the time slot which are configured differently between the first slot configuration information and the second slot configuration information; and
determining a configuration of the one or more of the plurality of symbols according to the second slot configuration information in preference to the first slot configuration information.
16. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
identifying whether any of the differently configured one or more of the plurality of symbols are configured as reserved in the first slot configuration information and the second slot configuration information; and
in a case that at least one of the first slot configuration information or the second slot configuration information configures any of the one or more differently configured symbols as reserved, determining that the configuration of the symbol is reserved.
17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving third slot configuration information from the infrastructure equipment indicating a configuration of one or more time slots; and
in a case that the third slot configuration information indicates that one or more of the plurality of symbols of each of the one or more time slots are configured with a new slot format, determining, based on the third slot configuration information, that one or more of the differently configured symbols should be configured according to the new slot format.
18. An infrastructure equipment for forming part of a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment comprising:
circuitry configured to
transmit, to a communications device, first slot configuration information indicating one or more of a plurality of symbols of a slot are to be used for transmitting signals from the communications device, and one or more of the plurality of symbols are to be used for receiving signals at the communications device or one or more of the plurality of symbols are flexible symbols;
transmit second slot configuration information indicating a configuration of one or more of the plurality of symbols of the slot; and
in a case that the first slot configuration information indicates one or more of the plurality of symbols are flexible symbols and the second slot configuration information indicates that one or more of the symbols of the slot are configured differently from the first slot configuration information, determine a configuration such that the communications device determines to receive one or more of the symbols based on the second slot configuration information, wherein
the second slot configuration information has a dynamic characteristic of a higher rate of change than a dynamic characteristic of the first slot configuration information,
the first slot configuration information and the second slot configuration information are each provided by any of radio resource control information, downlink control information and a slot format indicator communicated in a group communications channel,
a rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by the radio resource control information is slower than a rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by a slot format indicator, and
a rate of change of the slot configuration information is greater than the rate of change of the slot configuration information provided by the downlink control information.
19. The infrastructure equipment according to claim 18 , wherein
the first slot configuration information indicates a configuration of one or more time slots of a wireless access interface, and
the circuitry is further configured to receive the signals in each slot of the one or more time slots on the one or more of the plurality of symbols allocated to the communications device for transmitting signals.
20. The infrastructure equipment according to claim 18 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of symbols of the slot indicated in the second slot configuration information are based on a conflict resolution rule, the conflict resolution rule according to the dynamic characteristic of the first slot configuration information and the dynamic characteristic of the second slot configuration information.