Method and device for determining signal transmission occasion

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, the method comprising:

acquiring configuration information of a transmission resource of an uplink signal, wherein the configuration information comprises a starting offset of a first time unit and a starting value of a second time unit;

determining, based on the configuration information, a resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted;

initiating a listen before talk (LBT) operation before the resource occasion;

determining whether the LBT operation is successful;

transmitting the uplink signal at the resource occasion in case that the LBT operation is successful; and

determining a next resource occasion where the uplink signal is to be transmitted based on the configuration information in case that the LBT operation fails.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information of the transmission resource of the uplink signal is acquired based on at least one of:

uplink grant information,

separate dedicated channel indicator configuration,

upper layer control signaling, or

pre-configured parameter information.

3. The method of claim 2 ,

wherein determining, based on the configuration information, the resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted comprises:

determining, using time at which latest configuration information of the transmission resource of the uplink signal is acquired as a starting point, the resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted based on the configuration information comprises:

determining, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or a predetermined condition for abandoning transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted based on the configuration information comprises:

determining, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or a predetermined condition for abandoning transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted based on the configuration information comprises:

determining, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or a predetermined condition for abandoning transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the configuration information further comprises a starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit and a starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and

wherein determining, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied comprises:

a) shifting another resource occasion by the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determining the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, or shifting the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_S step times of the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determining the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_Sstep is an integer, and increases with a number of failures of the LBT operation;

b) initiating the LBT operation before the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted;

c) repeating steps a) and b) in case that the LBT operation fails, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied;

d) in case that the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied but the LBT operation is still unsuccessful,

shifting the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_k 2 step times of the starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and determining the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_k 2 step is an integer, and increases with an execution number of step d); and

e) repeating steps a) to d), until the LBT operation is successful or another predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the configuration information further comprises a starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and

wherein determining, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied comprises:

a) shifting another resource occasion by the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determining the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, or shifting the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_S step times of the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determining the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_Sstep is an integer, and increases with a number of failures of the LBT operation;

b) initiating the LBT operation before the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted; and

c) repeating steps a) and b) in case that the LBT operation fails, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the configuration information further comprises a starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and

wherein determining, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied comprises:

a) shifting another resource occasion by the starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and determining the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, or shifting the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_k 2 step times of the starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and determining the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_k 2 step is an integer, and increases with a number of failures of the LBT operation;

b) initiating the LBT operation before the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted; and

c) repeating steps a) and b) in case that the LBT operation fails, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

10. A user equipment (UE) in a communication system, the UE comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor configured to:

acquire configuration information of a transmission resource of an uplink signal, wherein the configuration information comprises a starting offset of a first time unit and a starting value of a second time unit,

determine, based on the configuration information, a resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted,

initiate a listen before talk (LBT) operation before the resource occasion and determine whether the LBT operation is successful,

transmit, via the transceiver, the uplink signal at the resource occasion in case that the LBT operation is successful, and

determine a next resource occasion where the uplink signal is to be transmitted based on the configuration information in case that the LBT operation fails.

11. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the configuration information of the transmission resource of the uplink signal is acquired based on at least one of:

uplink grant information,

separate dedicated channel indicator configuration,

upper layer control signaling, or

pre-configured parameter information.

12. The UE of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or a predetermined condition for abandoning transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

13. The UE of claim 11 ,

wherein the processor is configured to determine, using time at which latest configuration information of the transmission resource of the uplink signal is acquired as a starting point, the resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit.

14. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or a predetermined condition for abandoning transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

15. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the configuration information, the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, until the LBT operation is successful or a predetermined condition for abandoning transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

16. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the configuration information further comprises a starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

a) shift another resource occasion by the starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and determine the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, or shift the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_k 2 step times of the starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and determine the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_k 2 step is an integer, and increases with a number of failures of the LBT operation,

b) initiate the LBT operation before the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, and

c) repeat operations a) and b) in case that the LBT operation fails, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

17. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the configuration information further comprises a starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit and a starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

a) shift another resource occasion by the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determine the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, or shift the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_Sstep times of the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determine the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_Sstep is an integer, and increases with a number of failures of the LBT operation;

b) initiate the LBT operation before the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted;

c) repeat operations a) and b) in case that the LBT operation fails, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied;

d) in case that the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied but the LBT operation is still unsuccessful, shift the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_k 2 step times of the starting offset adjustment step size of the first time unit, and determine the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_k 2 step is an integer, and increases with an execution number of operation d), and

e) repeat operations a) to d), until the LBT operation is successful or another predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

18. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the configuration information further comprises a starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

a) shift another resource occasion by the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determine the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, or shift the resource occasion, which is determined based on the starting offset of the first time unit and the starting value of the second time unit, by N_Sstep times of the starting value adjustment step size of the second time unit, and determine the shifted resource occasion as the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, where N_Sstep is an integer, and increases with a number of failures of the LBT operation,

b) initiate the LBT operation before the next resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted, and

c) repeat operations a) and b) in case that the LBT operation fails, until the LBT operation is successful or the predetermined condition for abandoning the transmission of the uplink signal is satisfied.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

acquire configuration information of a transmission resource of an uplink signal, wherein the configuration information comprises a starting offset of a first time unit and a starting value of a second time unit;

determine, based on the configuration information, a resource occasion where the uplink signal is transmitted;

initiate a listen before talk (LBT) operation before the resource occasion;

determine whether the LBT operation is successful;

transmit the uplink signal at the resource occasion in case that the LBT operation is successful; and

determine a next resource occasion where the uplink signal is possible to be transmitted based on the configuration information in case that the LBT operation fails.