Abstract: A user equipment (UE) in a frame based equipment (FBE) mode may determine that a communication channel in an unlicensed spectrum is available for use, and transmit, in the communication channel, a transmission to a gNB in a fixed frame period (FFP) associated with the UE to initiate a channel occupancy time (COT) by the UE in the FFP. The transmission starts at the beginning of the FFP and ends before an idle period within the FFP. The gNB receives the transmission and, based thereon, determines that the UE has initiated the COT. The gNB may acknowledge or reject initiation of the COT by the UE.

Abstract: A method implemented by an access node includes sending, by the access node to a user equipment (UE), an indicator indicating use of coverage enhancement technique, the indicator being sent prior to the UE achieving a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with the access node; receiving, by the access node from the UE, an uplink transmission in accordance with the indicator; and sending, by the access node to the UE, a contention resolution message in accordance with the indicator.

Abstract: A method for operating a first communicating device includes sensing an availability of transmission resources; determining a first candidate sidelink resource set in accordance with the availability of transmission resources; and transmitting, to a second communicating device, a sidelink control information (SCI) message comprising a priority indicator indicating a priority associated with the first candidate sidelink resource set and time resource assignments of the first candidate sidelink resource set, the time resource assignments comprising resources reserved by the first communicating device for updating a second candidate sidelink resource set of the second communicating device.

Abstract: A method for wireless communications includes receiving a configuration for frequency-hopping outside of an active bandwidth part of a user equipment (UE) of reduced capability (RedCap) UE type, wherein the configuration comprises an indication of a number of frequency hops within a bandwidth for positioning, timing information associated with the frequency hops, and frequency information associated with the frequency hops; and transmitting, based on the configuration, a plurality of reference signal transmissions, each at a frequency location and a time location of a respective one of the frequency hops and spanning a frequency less than or equal to the active bandwidth part.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a higher layer message including reservation information for time domain network resources available for communicating with the plurality of wireless communication protocols; receiving a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator of a reservation status of a time domain network resource from the time domain network resources for communicating using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating using machine to machine communications over the wireless communication protocol, the communicating occurring over an available time domain network resource from the time domain network resources.

Abstract: A method of transmitting sidelink synchronization signal block (S-SSB) implemented by a user equipment (UE). The method includes determining whether a time to transmit the S-SSB has been reached. The method also includes determining whether a first channel occupancy time is in progress. In response to a determination that the first channel occupancy time is not in progress, the method includes transmitting the S-SSB without the first channel occupancy time sharing channel access.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a user equipment (UE) obtains a repetition number (N) of a sidelink synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel block (S-SSB), N is at least 2. The UE performs a S-SSB transmission of the S-SSB by repeating the S-SSB N times in the frequency domain.

Abstract: A method implemented by an access node includes sending, by the access node to a user equipment (UE), an indicator indicating use of coverage enhancement technique, the indicator being sent prior to the UE achieving a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with the access node; receiving, by the access node from the UE, an uplink transmission in accordance with the indicator; and sending, by the access node to the UE, a contention resolution message in accordance with the indicator.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a higher layer message including reservation information for time domain network resources available for communicating with the plurality of wireless communication protocols; receiving a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator of a reservation status of a time domain network resource from the time domain network resources for communicating using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating using machine to machine communications over the wireless communication protocol, the communicating occurring over an available time domain network resource from the time domain network resources.

Abstract: User Equipments (UEs) may be assigned a set of aggregated component carriers for downlink carrier aggregation and/or carrier selection. Some UEs may be incapable of transmitting uplink signals over all component carriers in their assigned set of aggregated component carriers. In such scenarios, a UE may need to perform SRS switching in order to transmit SRS symbols over all of the component carriers. Embodiments of this disclosure provide various techniques for facilitating SRS switching. For example, a radio resource control (RRC) message may be used to signal a periodic SRS configuration parameter. As another example, a downlink control indication (DCI) message may be used to signal an aperiodic SRS configuration parameter. Many other examples are also provided.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for performing sidelink positioning between a target user equipment (UE) and an anchor UE, with or without interaction with a fifth generation radio access network (5G) base station (gNB). The mechanism includes transmitting a positioning request from a target UE to one or more anchor UEs via a sidelink communication. Positioning signal received from the one or more anchor UEs via the sidelink communication. Positioning measurement is performed based on the positioning signal.

Abstract: A method for operating a communications controller includes selecting a search space configuration out of a set of candidate search space configurations for a user equipment served by the communications controller, wherein the search space configuration specifies one or more search spaces to be monitored out of a set of search spaces, and signaling the selected search space configuration to the user equipment.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a user equipment (UE) performs a first type of sensing in a sensing window to detect first one or more SL transmissions using a sidelink (SL) radio access technology (RAT). The UE performs a second type of sensing to detect second one or more transmissions using a non-SL RAT different from the SL RAT. The second type is different from the first type. The UE selects an SL resource in an unlicensed band in a selection window for an SL transmission based on the first type of sensing and the second type of sensing. The UE transmits the SL transmission via the SL resource using the SL RAT.

Abstract: A base station generates a punctured synchronization signal block (SSB) for a channel of a frequency band based on a SSB. A bandwidth of the SSB exceeds a bandwidth of the channel. The punctured SSB includes a punctured physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS). The PSS of the punctured SSB has a center frequency indicated by a sync raster location of a set of sync raster locations associated with the frequency band. The punctured PBCH is obtained from a PBCH of the first SSB based on a puncture pattern associated with the sync raster location. The base station transmits the punctured SSB in the channel. A user equipment (UE) detects the punctured SSB according to the sync raster location.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a user equipment (UE) initiates a channel occupancy time (COT) following a successful listen before talk (LBT) procedure. The UE transmits to a second UE COT information indicating that the COT is sharable. The UE transmits a sidelink (SL) transmission in an unlicensed band within the COT.

Abstract: User Equipments (UEs) may be assigned a set of aggregated component carriers for downlink carrier aggregation and/or carrier selection. Some UEs may be incapable of transmitting uplink signals over all component carriers in their assigned set of aggregated component carriers. In such scenarios, a UE may need to perform SRS switching in order to transmit SRS symbols over all of the component carriers. Embodiments of this disclosure provide various techniques for facilitating SRS switching. For example, a radio resource control (RRC) message may be used to signal a periodic SRS configuration parameter. As another example, a downlink control indication (DCI) message may be used to signal an aperiodic SRS configuration parameter. Many other examples are also provided.

Abstract: A method implemented by first user equipment (UE) include transmitting a first sidelink position reference signal (SL Pos-RS) to a second UE at a first time (t1), receiving a second SL Pos-RS from the second UE at a fourth time (t4), receiving a timing measurement report from the second UE, wherein the timing measurement report contains information regarding a second time (t2) when the first SL Pos-RS was received by the second UE and regarding a third time (t3) when the second UE transmitted the second SL Pos-RS to the first UE, and calculating a distance between the first UE and the second UE based on the first time, the fourth time, and the timing measurement report.

Abstract: A method includes determining a first subframe on which to transmit a first downlink control information (DCI) message and determining a second subframe on which to transmit a first information. The method also includes determining a delay between the first subframe and the second subframe and transmitting, by a communications controller to a user equipment (UE), the second subframe in accordance with the delay.

Abstract: A method for operating a communications controller includes selecting a search space configuration out of a set of candidate search space configurations for a user equipment served by the communications controller, wherein the search space configuration specifies one or more search spaces to be monitored out of a set of search spaces, and signaling the selected search space configuration to the user equipment.

Abstract: A method includes performing sensing to determine resources for a sidelink transmission between a first device and a second device; obtaining channel information associated with a first subset of the resources; generating resource selection probabilities for a second subset of the resources, the resource selection probabilities being generated in accordance with the channel information and sensing information derived from the sensing; selecting a resource from the resources in accordance with the resource selection probabilities, the resource being used for the sidelink transmission; and transmitting, to the second device, the sidelink transmission over the selected resource.