Patent Description:
Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (<NUM>) systems such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (<NUM>) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. A wireless multiple-access communications system may include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).

A wireless communications system may support direct communications between UEs that may be performed without being explicitly scheduled by a base station. Such communications may be referred to as sidelink communications. In some examples, the sidelink communications are performed using sidelink resources that have been reserved by the base station for sidelink communications. <CIT> relates to the provision of a buffer status report from a terminal in response to a request for a buffer status report received from a base station. The information for the buffer status request is indicated by a polling field in a MAC sub-header. <CIT> relates to a scheduled UE and a scheduling UE, where the scheduled UE is configured to receive a configuration message that indicates available sidelink resources of a resource pool for sidelink communications. The scheduled UE transmits a sidelink buffer status report to the scheduling UE over the selected sidelink resource.

The described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support scheduling request polling for sidelink communications. A transmitting device may transmit a polling request to a receiving device in sidelink control information that is associated with a sidelink data transmission. The polling request may be included in a sidelink control information message or in a medium access control (MAC) layer control message. The receiving device may respond to the polling request with an indication of whether there is data available for transmission to the transmitting device at the receiving device. The transmitting device may determine whether to schedule reverse sidelink resources for the receiving device to transmit the available data based on the response to the polling request.

The scope of the present invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Any embodiments that do not fall under the scope of the claims are examples which are useful for understanding the invention, but do not form a part of the invention.

A wireless communications system may be deployed in a factory environment and may include base stations and one or more wireless devices (e.g., programmable logic controllers (PLCs), sensors, actuators, and combined sensors and actuators). The term S/A may be used to broadly refer to sensors, actuators, and combined sensors/actuators. Wireless devices may communicate directly with one another over resources (which may be referred to as sidelink communication resources) that are reserved by a base station for direct communications between the wireless devices. In some examples, a transmitting device (e.g., a PLC) may be configured to schedule communications between the transmitting device and one or more receiving devices (e.g., one or more S/As) over the sidelink communication resources. Transmissions from the one or more receiving devices to the transmitting device may be referred to as reverse sidelink transmissions.

In some examples, reverse sidelink data resources may be scheduled for a receiving device (e.g., an S/A) to transmit data to a transmitting device (e.g., a PLC), but the receiving device may not have data to transmit to the transmitting device - e.g., a data buffer at the receiving device may be empty or an amount of data ready for transmission to the transmitting device may below a threshold. Thus, the reverse sidelink data resources may be unused by the receiving device, decreasing a throughput of reverse sidelink communications scheduled by the transmitting device.

To increase the throughput of reverse sidelink communications, a transmitting device may poll one or more receiving devices to determine whether the one or more receiving devices have data to transmit to the transmitting device. In some examples, a transmitting device may transmit a polling request to a receiving device in sidelink control information that is associated with a sidelink data transmission. The polling request may be included in a sidelink control information message or in a medium access control (MAC) layer control message. The receiving device may respond to the polling request with an indication of whether there is data available for transmission to the transmitting device at the receiving device. The transmitting device may determine whether to schedule reverse sidelink resources for the receiving device to transmit the available data based on the response to the polling request.

Aspects of the disclosure are initially described in the context of wireless communications systems. Aspects of the disclosure are further illustrated by and described with reference to a process flow diagram. Aspects of the disclosure are further illustrated by and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flowcharts that relate to scheduling request polling for sidelink communications.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a wireless communications system <NUM> that supports scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The wireless communications system <NUM> may include one or more base stations <NUM>, one or more UEs <NUM>, and a core network <NUM>. In some examples, the wireless communications system <NUM> may be a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communications system <NUM> may support enhanced broadband communications, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission critical) communications, low latency communications, communications with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof.

The base stations <NUM> may communicate with the core network <NUM>, or with one another, or both. For example, the base stations <NUM> may interface with the core network <NUM> through one or more backhaul links <NUM> (e.g., via an S1, N2, N3, or another interface). The base stations <NUM> may communicate with one another over the backhaul links <NUM> (e.g., via an X2, Xn, or other interface) either directly (e.g., directly between base stations <NUM>), or indirectly (e.g., via core network <NUM>), or both. In some examples, the backhaul links <NUM> may be or include one or more wireless links.

The time intervals for the base stations <NUM> or the UEs <NUM> may be expressed in multiples of a basic time unit which may, for example, refer to a sampling period of Ts = <NUM>/(Δfmax · Nf) seconds, where Δfmax may represent the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, and Nf may represent the maximum supported discrete Fourier transform (DFT) size. Time intervals of a communications resource may be organized according to radio frames each having a specified duration (e.g., <NUM> milliseconds (ms)). Each radio frame may be identified by a system frame number (SFN) (e.g., ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>).

A subframe, a slot, a mini-slot, or a symbol may be the smallest scheduling unit (e.g., in the time domain) of the wireless communications system <NUM> and may be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the TTI duration (e.g., the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable. Additionally, or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communications system <NUM> may be dynamically selected (e.g., in bursts of shortened TTIs (sTTIs)).

Each base station <NUM> may provide communication coverage via one or more cells, for example a macro cell, a small cell, a hot spot, or other types of cells, or any combination thereof. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used for communication with a base station <NUM> (e.g., over a carrier) and may be associated with an identifier for distinguishing neighboring cells (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID), or others). In some examples, a cell may also refer to a geographic coverage area <NUM> or a portion of a geographic coverage area <NUM> (e.g., a sector) over which the logical communication entity operates. Such cells may range from smaller areas (e.g., a structure, a subset of structure) to larger areas depending on various factors such as the capabilities of the base station <NUM>. For example, a cell may be or include a building, a subset of a building, or exterior spaces between or overlapping with geographic coverage areas <NUM>, among other examples.

A macro cell generally covers a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access by the UEs <NUM> with service subscriptions with the network provider supporting the macro cell. A small cell may be associated with a lower-powered base station <NUM>, as compared with a macro cell, and a small cell may operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed, unlicensed) frequency bands as macro cells. Small cells may provide unrestricted access to the UEs <NUM> with service subscriptions with the network provider or may provide restricted access to the UEs <NUM> having an association with the small cell (e.g., the UEs <NUM> in a closed subscriber group (CSG), the UEs <NUM> associated with users in a home or office). A base station <NUM> may support one or multiple cells and may also support communications over the one or more cells using one or multiple component carriers.

In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., MTC, narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)) that may provide access for different types of devices.

Some UEs <NUM>, such as MTC or IoT devices, may be low cost or low complexity devices and may provide for automated communication between machines (e.g., via Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication). In some examples, M2M communication or MTC may include communications from devices that integrate sensors or meters to measure or capture information and relay such information to a central server or application program that makes use of the information or presents the information to humans interacting with the application program. Some UEs <NUM> may be designed to collect information or enable automated behavior of machines or other devices.

In some systems, the D2D communication link <NUM> may be an example of a communication channel, such as a sidelink communication channel, between vehicles (e.g., UEs <NUM>). In some examples, vehicles may communicate using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, or some combination of these. A vehicle may signal information related to traffic conditions, signal scheduling, weather, safety, emergencies, or any other information relevant to a V2X system. In some examples, vehicles in a V2X system may communicate with roadside infrastructure, such as roadside units, or with the network via one or more network nodes (e.g., base stations <NUM>) using vehicle-to-network (V2N) communications, or with both.

The core network <NUM> may be an evolved packet core (EPC) or <NUM> core (5GC), which may include at least one control plane entity that manages access and mobility (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF)) and at least one user plane entity that routes packets or interconnects to external networks (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)). The control plane entity may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for the UEs <NUM> served by the base stations <NUM> associated with the core network <NUM>. User IP packets may be transferred through the user plane entity, which may provide IP address allocation as well as other functions. The user plane entity may be connected to the network operators IP services <NUM>. The operators IP services <NUM> may include access to the Internet, Intranet(s), an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or a Packet-Switched Streaming Service.

The wireless communications system <NUM> may operate using one or more frequency bands, typically in the range of <NUM> megahertz (MHz) to <NUM> gigahertz (GHz). Generally, the region from <NUM> to <NUM> is known as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band because the wavelengths range from approximately one decimeter to one meter in length. The UHF waves may be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features, but the waves may penetrate structures sufficiently for a macro cell to provide service to the UEs <NUM> located indoors. The transmission of UHF waves may be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than <NUM> kilometers) compared to transmission using the smaller frequencies and longer waves of the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portion of the spectrum below <NUM>.

A base station <NUM> or a UE <NUM> may be equipped with multiple antennas, which may be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, or beamforming. The antennas of a base station <NUM> or a UE <NUM> may be located within one or more antenna arrays or antenna panels, which may support MIMO operations or transmit or receive beamforming. In some examples, antennas or antenna arrays associated with a base station <NUM> may be located in diverse geographic locations. Additionally, or alternatively, an antenna panel may support radio frequency beamforming for a signal transmitted via an antenna port.

The wireless communications system <NUM> may be a packet-based network that operates according to a layered protocol stack. A MAC layer may perform priority handling and multiplexing of logical channels into transport channels. The MAC layer may also use error detection techniques, error correction techniques, or both to support retransmissions at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol layer may provide establishment, configuration, and maintenance of an RRC connection between a UE <NUM> and a base station <NUM> or a core network <NUM> supporting radio bearers for user plane data. At the physical layer, transport channels may be mapped to physical channels.

The UEs <NUM> and the base stations <NUM> may support retransmissions of data to increase the likelihood that data is received successfully. Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback is one technique for increasing the likelihood that data is received correctly over a communication link <NUM>. HARQ may improve throughput at the MAC layer in poor radio conditions (e.g., low signal-to-noise conditions). In some examples, a device may support same-slot HARQ feedback, where the device may provide HARQ feedback in a specific slot for data received in a previous symbol in the slot.

A wireless communications system may support communication protocols that enable UEs <NUM> to communicate directly with one another without being explicitly scheduled by a base station <NUM>. In some examples, communications between UEs <NUM> may be referred to as D2D or sidelink communications. In some examples, a base station <NUM> schedules sidelink resources, and UEs <NUM> may communicate with one another over the scheduled sidelink resources. In some examples, the sidelink resources are contention-based resources and the UEs <NUM> may gain access to the sidelink resources using contention-based access techniques. In other examples, the base station <NUM> may schedule sidelink resources for sidelink communications between intended UEs <NUM>.

A wireless communications system may be implemented in a factory environment. A wireless communications system in a factory environment may include S/As and PLCs that communicate with and make decisions based on data received from the S/As, and a central scheduling node (e.g., a base station <NUM>). In some examples, PLCs, and S/As may be classified as UEs <NUM>. In some examples, PLCs may also perform functions associated with a base station <NUM>, such as scheduling sidelink resources for communications to and from S/As. In factory environments, wireless communications may use high-reliability and low-latency communication procedures (e.g., URLLC procedures). Also, communications in factory environments may be deterministic and periodic - that is, communications to and from S/As may occur at expected intervals.

In some examples, a PLC may communicate with S/As over sidelink resources that are scheduled by a base station <NUM> (e.g., using a downlink control message, such as a downlink control message configured in accordance with downlink control information (DCI) Format 3_0). The downlink control message may be used to allocate designated communication resources as physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) resources and physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) resources, which may also be referred to as sidelink data resources. In some examples, the PLC may perform scheduling functions, allocating sidelink resources to S/As, transmitting sidelink control information (e.g., sidelink control information (SCI) <NUM>-<NUM>, SCI <NUM>-<NUM>, etc.) that indicates sidelink resources for an S/A, indicating reverse sidelink resources (such as physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) resources), and the like. Sidelink resources used by a transmitting device (e.g., a PLC) to transmit data to a receiving device (e.g., an S/A) may be referred to as forward sidelink resources (or simply as sidelink resources). Sidelink resources used by the receiving device to transmit back (e.g., reverse data and/or feedback) to the transmitting device may be referred to as reverse sidelink resources.

Sidelink control information may be conveyed in one or more sidelink control information messages. For example, a first sidelink control information message may be conveyed in PSCCH resources in accordance with a first sidelink control information format (e.g., SCI <NUM>-<NUM>), and a sidelink control information message may be conveyed in PSSCH resources in accordance with a second sidelink control information format (e.g., SCI <NUM>-<NUM>). The first sidelink control information message may include information related to a priority of corresponding data, time and frequency resources allocated to the corresponding data, a resource reservation period, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) pattern, an indication of the format used by the second sidelink control information message, a beta offset indicator, a number of DMRS ports, and a modulation and coding scheme indication. The indication of the format used by the second control information message may be used to indicate whether the data is for a single UE <NUM> or multiple UEs <NUM> - e.g., used to indicate whether the data transmission is a groupcast transmission. The second sidelink control information message may include information related to a HARQ process ID for the corresponding data, a new data indicator, a redundancy version indicator, a source ID, a destination ID, and a channel state information (CSI) request. If the data transmission is a groupcast transmission, the second sidelink control information message may also include a zone ID and a communication range requirement indication.

A receiving device (e.g., an S/A) may receive sidelink communications in accordance with decoded sidelink control information. The receiving device may also report feedback in accordance with decoded sidelink control information (e.g., over PSFCH resources). Additionally, or alternatively, the receiving device may transmit reverse sidelink data to the transmitting device over reverse sidelink data resources scheduled by decoded sidelink control information.

To increase the throughput of reverse sidelink communications, a transmitting device may poll one or more receiving devices to determine whether the one or more receiving devices have data to transmit to the transmitting device. In some examples, a transmitting device may transmit a polling request to a receiving device in sidelink control information that is associated with a sidelink data transmission. The polling request may be included in a sidelink control information message or in a MAC layer control message. The receiving device may respond to the polling request with an indication of whether there is data available for transmission to the transmitting device at the receiving device. The transmitting device may determine whether to schedule reverse sidelink resources for the receiving device to transmit the available data based on the response to the polling request.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a wireless communications subsystem that supports scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Wireless communications subsystem <NUM> may include base station <NUM>, PLC <NUM>, and S/A <NUM>.

Base station <NUM> may be an example of a base station <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>. PLC <NUM> may be an example of a UE <NUM>, as described with reference to <FIG>, but may also perform functions associated with a base station, such as scheduling functions. S/A <NUM> may be an example of a sensor, actuator, or UE <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>.

Base station <NUM> and PLC <NUM> may communicate with one another over link <NUM> within first coverage area <NUM>, as described with reference to <FIG>. In some examples, base station <NUM> and S/A <NUM> may similarly communicate with one another over a similar link. PLC <NUM> may transmit to S/A <NUM> over forward sidelink <NUM>, and S/A <NUM> may transmit to PLC <NUM> over reverse sidelink <NUM> within second coverage area <NUM>. In some examples, S/A <NUM> may transmit to PLC <NUM> over a similar sidelink, and PLC <NUM> may transmit to S/A <NUM> over a reverse sidelink - that is, the reverse sidelink may correspond to transmissions from a wireless device to a transmitting device that initiated a sidelink communication exchange.

In some examples, base station <NUM> may transmit, to PLC <NUM>, downlink control information <NUM> to PLC <NUM> over link <NUM>. Downlink control information <NUM> may be included in a downlink control information message that is configured in accordance with a downlink control information format (e.g., DCI 3_0), or in an RRC configuration message. Downlink control information <NUM> may indicate a set of communication resources (which may be referred to as sidelink resources) that are reserved for sidelink communications between wireless devices. PLC <NUM> may identity the sidelink resources based on downlink control information <NUM>.

PLC <NUM> may transmit, to S/A <NUM>, sidelink control information <NUM> and sidelink data <NUM> over forward sidelink <NUM>. Sidelink control information <NUM> may include information used to indicate sidelink resources allocated for the transmission of sidelink data <NUM>. Sidelink control information <NUM> may also include information about sidelink data (e.g., an associated HARQ version). Sidelink control information <NUM> may also include an indication of reverse sidelink resources for transmitting reverse sidelink data and/or reporting feedback.

In some examples, sidelink control information <NUM> is transmitted using sidelink control resources. In other examples, a first portion of sidelink control information <NUM> is transmitted using sidelink control resources (e.g., in a first sidelink control message), and a second portion of sidelink control information <NUM> is transmitted using sidelink data resources (e.g., in a second sidelink control message). When a first sidelink control message is transmitted using sidelink control resources, the first sidelink control message may be transmitted in accordance with a first sidelink control information format (e.g., SCI <NUM>-<NUM>). When a second sidelink control message is transmitted using sidelink control resources, the second sidelink control message may be transmitted in accordance with a second sidelink control information format (e.g., SCI <NUM>-<NUM>). In yet other examples, sidelink control information <NUM> may be transmitted using solely sidelink data resources. In some examples, sidelink control information <NUM> is included in MAC layer control signaling that is encapsulated in a header of a data message that carries sidelink data <NUM>.

As described herein, sidelink control information <NUM> may include polling request <NUM>. Polling request <NUM> may be used to solicit feedback from S/A <NUM> regarding an amount of data at S/A <NUM> that is ready for transmission to PLC <NUM>. By transmitting a polling request in sidelink control information and with the transmission of sidelink data, PLC <NUM> may avoid scheduling reverse sidelink resources that go unused.

S/A <NUM> may transmit, to PLC <NUM>, sidelink feedback <NUM> and/or reverse sidelink data <NUM> over reverse sidelink <NUM>. Sidelink feedback <NUM> may include HARQ acknowledgment information, channel state information, and the like. As described herein, sidelink feedback <NUM> may also include polling response <NUM>. Polling response <NUM> may be used to indicate an amount of data at S/A <NUM> that is ready to be transmit to PLC <NUM> when polling response <NUM> was received. In some examples, S/A <NUM> indicates that there is data to be transmit to PLC <NUM> if a data buffer at S/A <NUM> is not empty. In other examples, S/A <NUM> indicates that there is data to be transmit to PLC <NUM> if an amount of data in the data buffer at S/A <NUM> is above a threshold. Polling request <NUM> may include, or be, a scheduling request. In some examples, S/A <NUM> may follow up with a transmission of a sidelink MAC layer buffer status report that indicates the amount of data ready to be transmit from S/A <NUM>, In other examples, polling request <NUM> may include, or be, a simplified buffer status report and may indicate an amount of data ready to be transmit from S/A <NUM> with less granularity than a MAC layer buffer status report.

In some examples, if polling response <NUM> includes an indication that S/A <NUM> has data to transmit to PLC <NUM>, PLC <NUM> transmits a reverse sidelink grant to S/A <NUM> indicating reverse sidelink data resources that are allocated to S/A <NUM>. S/A <NUM> may transmit reverse sidelink data <NUM> to PLC <NUM> during the scheduled reverse sidelink data resources.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a process flow that supports scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Process flow <NUM> may be performed by base station <NUM>, PLC <NUM>, and S/A <NUM>.

Base station <NUM> may be an example of a base station <NUM> or base station <NUM> as described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. PLC <NUM> may be an example of PLC <NUM>, as described with reference to <FIG>. S/A <NUM> may be an example of S/A <NUM>, as described with reference to <FIG>.

In some examples, process flow <NUM> illustrates an exemplary sequence of operations performed to support scheduling request polling for sidelink communications. For example, process flow <NUM> depicts the transmission of a polling request to an S/A and the receiving of a polling response from the S/A.

One skilled in the art would understand that one or more of the operations described in process flow <NUM> may be performed earlier or later in the process, omitted, replaced, supplemented, or any combination thereof. Also, additional operations described herein that are not included in process flow <NUM> may be included.

At arrow <NUM>, base station <NUM>, PLC <NUM> and S/A <NUM> may exchange RRC information with one another. In some examples, PLC <NUM> indicates a capability to send polling requests for sidelink communications, and S/A <NUM> indicates a capability to respond to polling requests for sidelink communications. In some examples, S/A <NUM> receives a configuration message (from base station <NUM> or PLC <NUM>) including a group ID for the S/A <NUM>, where the group ID is used by a transmitting device to simultaneously transmit to multiple receiving devices in a group. In some examples, S/A <NUM> receives a configuration message (from base station <NUM> or PLC <NUM>) including a schedule for monitoring for polling requests. For example, S/A <NUM> may be configured to monitor for polling requests during odd-numbered time intervals (e.g., odd time slots, odd subframes, etc.), while other receiving devices may be configured to monitor for polling requests during even-numbered time intervals - e.g., during an occurrence of sidelink resources. In some examples, PLC <NUM> and/or S/A <NUM> receive, from base station <NUM>, a configuration message indicating communication resources that are periodically scheduled for sidelink communications.

At arrow <NUM>, base station <NUM> may transmit a downlink control information message to PLC X07 indicating a location of communication resources that are reserved for sidelink communications (or sidelink resources). In some examples, the downlink control information dynamically schedules a set of sidelink resources. In other examples, the downlink control information semi-statically schedules sets of sidelink resources. The downlink control information message may be constructed in accordance with a downlink control information format, such as DCI 3_0.

At block <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may identify the sidelink resources that are reserved for sidelink communications - e.g., based on RRC configuration signaling or a received DCI message. S/A <NUM> may also identify the sidelink resources - e.g., based on the RRC configuration signaling.

At block <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may identify a polling event that queues up a polling request. That is, PLC <NUM> may be configured to generate a polling request and transmitting the polling request in a next available sidelink resource based on the polling event occurring. In some examples, the polling event occurs based on a duration of time since a transmission of a last polling request elapsing. In some examples, the polling event occurs based on PLC <NUM> receiving data for a receiving device (e.g., S/A <NUM>).

At block <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may identify data for transmitting over a next occurrence of sidelink resources. In some examples, PLC <NUM> identifies data for a group of receiving devices (that includes S/A <NUM>). In some examples, PLC <NUM> identifies data for a single receiving device (e.g., S/A <NUM>). In some examples, PLC <NUM> identifies that no data is available to be transmitted to the group of receiving devices or to the single device in the next occurrence of the sidelink resources.

At block <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may generate control information that is used to schedule a sidelink data transmission. In some examples, PLC <NUM> generates a first sidelink control information message in accordance with a first sidelink control information format (e.g., SCI <NUM>-<NUM>). PLC <NUM> may also generate a second sidelink control information message in accordance with a second sidelink control information format (e.g., SCI <NUM>-<NUM>). The first sidelink control information may be scheduled for transmission over PSCCH resources and the second sidelink control information may be scheduled for transmission over PSSCH resources (or over PSCCH resources that are interleaved with PSSCH resources). PLC <NUM> may also be configured to generate MAC layer control signaling (e.g., MAC-CEs) that supports communications between PLC <NUM> and S/A <NUM>. The MAC layer control signaling may be included in a header of a data message included in the sidelink data transmission.

In some examples, PLC <NUM> includes the polling request in the generated control information. PLC <NUM> may include an indication of the polling request in the first sidelink control information message - e.g., by assigning a specific value to a field in the first sidelink control information message used to indicate a format of the second sidelink control information message. Alternatively, PLC <NUM> may include the polling request in the second sidelink control information message. In some examples, PLC <NUM> uses a CSI request field to request CSI and polling information from one or more receiving devices. In other examples, PLC <NUM> uses a field in the second sidelink control information message that is dedicated to carrying the polling request. In some examples (e.g., if PLC <NUM> transmits groupcast data), the second sidelink control information message may also be used to indicate a group of receiving devices (e.g., including S/A <NUM>) for which the polling request is intended - e.g., by including a subgroup ID or bit map in the second sidelink control information message.

In some examples, in addition to the polling request, PLC <NUM> configures the first sidelink control information message and/or the second sidelink control information message to indicate that a corresponding data transmission is absent of data. That is, PLC <NUM> may configure the first and/or second sidelink control information to indicate an absence of data in a corresponding data transmission. In some examples, PLC <NUM> may indicate the absence of data after determining that there is an insufficient amount of available sidelink resources to convey data that is available to transmit to one or more receiving devices. However, PLC <NUM> may still transmit the sidelink control information to convey the polling request over control and/or data sidelink resources - e.g., based on a polling event previously being identified. In some examples, the absence of data is indicated using a combination of fields included in a first sidelink control information message and/or a second sidelink control information message - e.g., by setting the bits including in a priority field, resource reservation period, DMRS pattern field, and number of DMRS port fields of a first data message to a same logic value (e.g., logic value <NUM>).

In some examples, PLC <NUM> includes the polling request in the MAC layer control information - e.g., PLC <NUM> may generate a sidelink buffer status report MAC-CE that is used to convey the polling request and to trigger a buffer status report from S/A <NUM>. By including the polling request in the MAC layer control information, rather than the sidelink control information, a polling request may be communicated without any modification to the sidelink control information.

At arrow <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may transmit sidelink control information to one or more receiving devices (including S/A <NUM>). The sidelink control information may be used to schedule a corresponding data transmission, identifying a location of resources used for the corresponding data transmission. The sidelink control information may also be used to indicate information about the data transmission (e.g., a HARQ version) and to indicate a location of feedback resources on a reverse sidelink. The sidelink control information may also include an indication of whether the corresponding data transmission is intended for one or multiple receiving devices - i.e., whether the corresponding data transmission is a unicast or multicast transmission. The sidelink control information may also include a polling request - e.g., if the first and/or second sidelink control information has been configured to convey the polling request. The sidelink control information may additionally include an indication that data resources allocated to a corresponding data transmission includes an absence of data.

At arrow <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may transmit data that corresponds to the control information. In some examples, the data is transmitted after the control information - e.g., after the first control information message. In some examples, the data is transmitted concurrently with the control information - e.g., with the second control information message. In some examples, no data is transmitted - e.g., if an insufficient amount of sidelink data resources is available for conveying the data. In such cases, the control information may include an indication that the sidelink data resources scheduled for the data transmission contain an absence of data. In some examples, the data transmission includes a MAC layer header that includes one or more MAC-CEs, including a MAC-CE carrying a polling a request (e.g., a sidelink buffer status report MAC-CE). In such cases, the sidelink control information message may not be configured to support carrying a polling request.

At block <NUM>, S/A <NUM> may identify a polling request in a control and/or data transmission received from PLC <NUM>. In some examples, S/A <NUM> identifies the polling request in a first sidelink control information message received from PLC <NUM> over PSCCH resources. In some examples, S/A <NUM> identifies the polling request in a second sidelink control information message received from PLC <NUM> over PSSCH resources. In some examples, S/A <NUM> identifies the polling request using a combination of the first and second sidelink control information messages. In some examples, S/A <NUM> identifies the polling request in a MAC header of a data transmission received from PLC <NUM> - e.g., in a sidelink buffer status report MAC-CE.

In some examples, S/A <NUM> monitors for the polling request when the polling request is included in a groupcast transmission that is transmit within a designated interval. In some examples, S/A <NUM> identifies that the polling request is intended for a group of receiving devices, including S/A <NUM>, when the sidelink control information indicates a group ID shared by S/A <NUM>.

At block <NUM>, S/A <NUM> may identify whether data that is available to be transmit to PLC <NUM> based on identifying a polling request that is intended for S/A <NUM> In some examples, S/A <NUM> may determine whether data is available to be transmit to PLC <NUM> by checking a data buffer at S/A <NUM>. In some examples, if the data buffer at S/A <NUM> is empty, S/A <NUM> may determine that there is no data available to be transmit to PLC <NUM>. And if the data buffer at S/A <NUM> is not empty, S/A <NUM> may determine that there is data available to be transmit to PLC <NUM>. In other examples, if the data buffer at S/A <NUM> is below a threshold, S/A <NUM> may determine that there is no data available to be transmit to PLC <NUM>.

In some examples, S/A <NUM> may calculate an amount of data that is likely to (or will) be available for transmission within a designated interval (e.g., within a <NUM> interval). In such examples, if the data buffer at S/A <NUM> is empty or below a threshold at the time the polling request is received, S/A <NUM> may determine that there is data available to be transmit to PLC <NUM> if the calculated amount of data (or a summation of the calculated amount of data and the buffered amount of data) exceeds a threshold.

At block <NUM>, S/A <NUM> may generate feedback associated with the sidelink transmission received from PLC <NUM>. S/A <NUM> may generate HARQ feedback for a data message included in the sidelink transmission. S/A <NUM> may also generate CSI feedback based on receiving a request for CSI feedback in a sidelink control information message included in the sidelink transmission. In some examples, S/A <NUM> refrains from generating HARQ and/or CSI feedback based on receiving an absence of data indication in the received sidelink control information.

Additionally, or alternatively, S/A <NUM> may generate a polling response to a polling request included in a control or data portion of the sidelink transmission. In some examples, S/A <NUM> generates a scheduling request in response to the polling request - e.g., if S/A <NUM> identifies that there is data available for transmission to PLC <NUM>. In other examples, S/A <NUM> generates a simplified buffer status report after identifying that there is data available for transmission to PLC <NUM>. A single bit may be used to indicate the scheduling request, while multiple bits may be used to indicate the simplified buffer status report. The simplified buffer status report may be used to indicate that an amount of data available for transmission to PLC <NUM> is within one of multiple ranges. In some examples, after generating a scheduling request, S/A <NUM> may subsequently generate a MAC layer sidelink buffer status report that is to be transmitted in a subsequent transmission to PLC <NUM> - e.g., using a MAC-CE.

In some examples, S/A <NUM> generates a no scheduling request in response to the polling request - e.g., if S/A <NUM> identifies that there is not data available for transmission to PLC <NUM>. In other examples, S/A <NUM> refrains from generating any polling response if S/A <NUM> identifies that there is not data available for transmission to PLC <NUM>.

At arrow <NUM>, S/A <NUM> may transmit sidelink feedback for a received sidelink transmission to PLC <NUM>. The sidelink feedback may include HARQ information, channel state information, and/or polling information. S/A <NUM> may transmit the sidelink feedback over PSFCH resources scheduled by the sidelink control information received in the sidelink transmission. In some examples, S/A <NUM> may transmit a first set of sidelink feedback (e.g., HARQ information and channel state information) over a first PSFCH resource and may transmit a second set of sidelink feedback (e.g., the polling information) over a separate (e.g., non-overlapping) PSFCH resource. In other examples, S/A <NUM> may transmit all of the sidelink feedback over a single, or overlapping, PSFCH resources. In such cases, S/A <NUM> may multiplex the feedback information - e.g., by applying different cyclic shifts of a same Zadoff-Chu sequence to different types of sidelink feedback transmitted over a physical resource block. In some examples, after transmitting feedback information including a scheduling request, S/A <NUM> may transmit a follow-up reverse sidelink transmission that includes a buffer status report in a MAC header of the reverse sidelink transmission. When S/A <NUM> receives an absence of data indication in the sidelink transmission, S/A <NUM> may refrain from transmitting HARQ information and/or channel state information and may transmit the polling information over PSFCH resources allocated to the HARQ and channel state information.

At block <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may identify a polling response received from one or more receiving devices, including S/A <NUM>. PLC <NUM> may determine whether S/A <NUM> has data that is available for transmission to PLC <NUM>, and in some cases, an amount of data that S/A <NUM> has to transmit to PLC <NUM> based on the polling response. In some examples, PLC <NUM> may determine that S/A <NUM> has no available data (or an amount of available data that is below a threshold) for transmission to PLC <NUM>. In such cases, PLC <NUM> may refrain from scheduling reverse sidelink resources for S/A <NUM> to transmit to PLC <NUM>. By avoiding scheduling reverse sidelink resources to S/A <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may avoid scheduling unused resources and may free up the resources to be scheduled to a different receiving device, increasing a throughput of the reverse sidelink. In other examples, PLC <NUM> may determine that S/A <NUM> has available data (or a sufficient amount of data) for transmission to PLC <NUM>. Thus, PLC <NUM> may schedule reverse sidelink resources for S/A <NUM>.

At arrow <NUM>, PLC <NUM> may transmit a reverse sidelink grant to S/A <NUM> that indicates a location of reverse sidelink resources dedicated to S/A <NUM> based on determining that S/A <NUM> has a sufficient amount of available data (e.g., any available data) to transmit to PLC <NUM>.

At block <NUM>, S/A <NUM> may identify the reverse sidelink resources indicated in the reverse sidelink grant. At arrow <NUM>, S/A <NUM> may transmit data that is available for transmission to PLC <NUM> during the reverse sidelink resources.

Although the above process is generally discussed in the context of PLC <NUM> scheduling resource for communications between PLC <NUM> and S/A <NUM>, the above process may be similarly performed by PLC <NUM> with other PLCs, by an S/A with one or more PLCs, by an S/A with other S/As, and the like.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a device <NUM> that supports scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a PLC or S/A as described herein. The device <NUM> may include a receiver <NUM>, a communication manager <NUM>, and a transmitter <NUM>. The device <NUM> may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

The receiver <NUM> may receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to scheduling request polling for sidelink communications, etc.). Information may be passed on to other components of the device <NUM>. The receiver <NUM> may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

The communication manager <NUM> may be an example of means for performing various aspects of scheduling request polling for sidelink communications as described herein. The communication manager <NUM>, or its sub-components, may be implemented in hardware, code (e.g., software or firmware) executed by a processor, or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communication manager <NUM>, or its sub-components may be executed by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU) an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure. In some examples, the communication manager <NUM> may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting) using or otherwise in cooperation with the receiver <NUM>, the transmitter <NUM>, or both.

The communication manager <NUM> may support wireless communication at a first wireless device (e.g., a PLC) in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. For example, the communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support receiving an indication of sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using the sidelink communication resources. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, from a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the first wireless device.

The communication manager <NUM> may support wireless communication at a first wireless device (e.g., an S/A) in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. For example, the communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support receiving a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the second wireless device.

The communication manager <NUM> as described herein may be implemented to realize one or more potential advantages. One implementation may allow for reverse sidelink throughput to be improved. That is, by polling devices (e.g., a PLC or S/A) to determine whether the devices have data to transmit before scheduling reverse sidelink resources for the devices, a scheduling device (e.g., a PLC) may avoid scheduling sidelink resources for devices that do not have data to transmit (and may allocate the saved resources to devices that do have data to transmit). Another implementation may allow for sidelink polling to be performed without modifications to physical layer protocols. That is, by including a polling request in MAC layer control signaling, the polling request may be conveyed to receiving devices without modification to a downlink control information format.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a device <NUM> that supports scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a device <NUM> or a UE <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may include a receiver <NUM>, a communication manager <NUM>, and a transmitter <NUM>. The device <NUM> may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

The communication manager <NUM>, or various component thereof, may be an example of means for performing various aspects of scheduling request polling for sidelink communications as described herein. For example, the communication manager <NUM> may include a sidelink resources component <NUM>, a sidelink polling component <NUM>, and a sidelink feedback component <NUM>. The communication manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the communication manager <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>. In some examples, the communication manager <NUM> may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting) using or otherwise in cooperation with one or both of the receiver <NUM> or the transmitter <NUM>.

The communication manager <NUM> may support wireless communication at a first wireless device (e.g., a PLC) in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. The sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving an indication of sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The sidelink polling component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using the sidelink communication resources. The sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, from a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the first wireless device.

The communication manager <NUM> may support wireless communication at a first wireless device (e.g., an S/A) in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. Additionally or alternatively, the sidelink polling component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the second wireless device.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a communication manager <NUM> that supports scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The communication manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a communication manager <NUM>, a communication manager <NUM>, or any combination thereof as described herein. The communication manager <NUM>, or various components thereof, may be an example of means for performing various aspects of scheduling request polling for sidelink communications. For example, the communication manager <NUM> may include a sidelink resources component <NUM>, a sidelink polling component <NUM>, a sidelink feedback component <NUM>, a sidelink data component <NUM>, a sidelink control component <NUM>, a groupcast component <NUM>, or any combination thereof. Each of these components may communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

In some examples, to transmit the polling request, the sidelink polling component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting the polling request in sidelink control information using sidelink control channel resources of the sidelink communication resources, sidelink data channel resources of the sidelink communication resources, or a combination thereof.

In some examples, to transmit the polling request, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting the polling request in first sidelink control information or second sidelink control information, wherein the first sidelink control information uses the sidelink control channel resources in accordance with a first sidelink control information format and is used to schedule the second sidelink control information and data transmission over the sidelink data channel resources. In some examples, a field in the first sidelink control information is configured to indicate the second sidelink control information format for the second sidelink control information includes the polling request.

In some examples, to transmit the polling request, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting the polling request in first sidelink control information that is transmitted during an occurrence of the sidelink data channel resources in accordance with a first sidelink control information format and is used to indicate characteristics of the data transmission. In some examples, a first field in the second sidelink control information is used to request channel state information from the second wireless device includes the polling request. In some examples, a second field in the second sidelink control information is used to indicate polling requests includes the polling request. In some examples, a field in the first sidelink control information is used to indicate that the polling request is for a group of wireless devices of a set of groups of wireless devices. In some examples, the groupcast component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to the second wireless device, an indication that the second wireless device is included in the group of wireless devices.

In some examples, the groupcast component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to the group of wireless devices, a configuration that configures the group of wireless devices to monitor for polling requests during a set of time intervals that includes the time interval.

In some examples, to receive the feedback, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, from the second wireless device, a scheduling request using sidelink feedback channel resources of the sidelink communication resources.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support determining that the second wireless device has data to transmit to the first wireless device based on the scheduling request.

In some examples, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving a medium access control-control element including a buffer status report indicating an amount of data available for transmission from the second wireless device based on receiving the scheduling request. In some examples, the sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support determining the amount of data available for transmission from the second wireless device based on the buffer status report.

In some examples, to receive the feedback, the sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, from the second wireless device, an indication of an amount of data available for transmission from the second wireless device using sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, the sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support determining the amount of data available for transmission from the second wireless device based on the indication.

In some examples, to receive the feedback, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving the feedback for the polling request using sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving second feedback for a data message included in the data transmission, where the second feedback is received using the sidelink feedback channel resources, the second feedback being multiplexed with the feedback.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving second feedback for a data message included in the data transmission, where the second feedback is received using second sidelink feedback channel resources that are non-overlapping with the sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, the sidelink data component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting a data message in the data transmission, where the control information provides characteristics of the data message.

In some examples, the sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support determining that an amount of data available to be transmitted from the second wireless device is below a threshold based on the feedback. In some examples, the sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support refraining from scheduling reverse sidelink resources for the second wireless device based on the amount of data being below the threshold.

In some examples, the sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support determining that an amount of data available to be transmitted from the second wireless device is above a threshold based on the feedback. In some examples, the sidelink resources component <NUM> may be configured to support scheduling reverse sidelink resources for the second wireless device based on the amount of data being above the threshold.

In some examples, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, in the control information, an indication of an absence of data in the data transmission.

In some examples, one or more fields in the control information being used to indicate the absence of data in the data transmission.

In some examples, each of a set of bits corresponding to the one or more fields are set to a first value.

In some examples, the sidelink polling component <NUM> may be configured to support identifying a polling event for the second wireless device prior to an occurrence of sidelink data channel resources of the sidelink communication resources. In some examples, the sidelink data component <NUM> may be configured to support determining that the sidelink data channel resources are insufficient for conveying the data transmission, where the indication of the absence of data is included in the control information based on the sidelink data channel resources being insufficient for conveying the data transmission.

In some examples, to transmit the polling request, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting a medium access control-control element that includes the polling request in the data transmission, the control information being medium access control layer control information.

In some examples, to receive the feedback, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, in response to the polling request, a buffer status report using sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support generating the medium access control-control element. In some examples, the sidelink data component <NUM> may be configured to support encapsulating the medium access control-control element in a header of a data message included in the data transmission.

The communication manager <NUM> may support wireless communication at a first wireless device (e.g., an S/A) in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, the sidelink polling component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the second wireless device.

In some examples, to receive the polling request, the sidelink polling component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving the polling request in sidelink control information using sidelink control channel resources of the sidelink communication resources, sidelink data channel resources of the sidelink communication resources, or a combination thereof.

In some examples, to receive the polling request, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving the polling request in first sidelink control information or second sidelink control information, wherein the first sidelink control information uses the sidelink control channel resources in accordance with a first sidelink control information format and is used to schedule the second sidelink control information and data transmission over the sidelink data channel resources. In some examples, a field in the first sidelink control information is configured to indicate the second sidelink control information format for the second sidelink control information includes the polling request.

In some examples, to receive the polling request, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving the polling request in first sidelink control information that is transmitted during an occurrence of the sidelink data channel resources in accordance with a first sidelink control information format and is used to indicate characteristics of the data transmission. In some examples, a first field in the second sidelink control information is used to request channel state information from the first wireless device includes the polling request. In some examples, a second field in the second sidelink control information is used to indicate polling requests includes the polling request. In some examples, a field in the first sidelink control information is used to indicate that the polling request is for a group of wireless devices of a set of groups of wireless devices.

In some examples, the groupcast component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, from the second wireless device, an indication that the first wireless device is included in the group of wireless devices.

In some examples, the groupcast component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving a configuration that configures the first wireless device to monitor for polling requests during a set of time intervals that includes the time interval.

In some examples, to transmit the feedback, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to the second wireless device, a scheduling request using sidelink feedback channel resources of the sidelink communication resources.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting a medium access control-control element including a buffer status report indicating an amount of data available for transmission from the first wireless device based on receiving the scheduling request.

In some examples, to transmit the feedback, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to the second wireless device, an indication of an amount of data available for transmission from the first wireless device using sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, to transmit the feedback, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting the feedback for the polling request using sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting second feedback for a data message included in the data transmission using the sidelink feedback channel resources, the second feedback being multiplexed with the feedback.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting second feedback for a data message included in the data transmission using second sidelink feedback channel resources that are non-overlapping with the sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, the sidelink data component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, in the control information, an indication of an absence of data in the data transmission. In some examples, one or more fields in the control information being used to indicate the absence of data in the data transmission. In some examples, each of a set of bits corresponding to the one or more fields are set to a first value.

In some examples, to receive the polling request, the sidelink control component <NUM> may be configured to support receiving a medium access control-control element that includes the polling request in a header of the data transmission, the control information being medium access control layer control information.

In some examples, to transmit the feedback, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, in response to the polling request, a buffer status report using sidelink feedback channel resources.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting second feedback for a data message included in the data transmission, where the second feedback is received using the sidelink feedback channel resources, the second feedback being multiplexed with the feedback.

In some examples, the sidelink feedback component <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting second feedback for a data message included in the data transmission, where the second feedback is received using second sidelink feedback channel resources that are non-overlapping with the sidelink feedback channel resources.

<FIG> shows a diagram of a system <NUM> including a device <NUM> that supports scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of or include the components of device <NUM>, device <NUM>, or a UE <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may communicate wireless with one or more base stations <NUM>, UEs <NUM>, or any combination thereof. The device <NUM> may include components for bi-directional voice and data communications including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a network communications manager <NUM>, a communication manager <NUM>, a transceiver <NUM>, an antenna <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an inter-station communications manager <NUM>, and a processor <NUM>. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus <NUM>).

The network communications manager <NUM> may manage communications with the core network <NUM> (via on or more wired backhaul links).

However, in some cases the device may have more than one antenna, which may be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions.

The processor <NUM> may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor <NUM> may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, a memory controller may be integrated into the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory <NUM>) to cause the device <NUM> to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting scheduling request polling for sidelink communications).

The communication manager <NUM> may support wireless communication at a first wireless device (e.g., a PLC) in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support receiving an indication of sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using the sidelink communication resources. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support receiving, from a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the first wireless device.

The communication manager <NUM> may support wireless communication at a first wireless device (e.g., an S/A) in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support receiving a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The communication manager <NUM> may be configured to support transmitting, to a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the second wireless device.

The communication manager <NUM> may be an example of a communication manager <NUM>, communication manager <NUM>, or communication manager <NUM>, as described with reference to <FIG>. In some examples, the code <NUM> may include instructions executable by the processor <NUM> to cause the device <NUM> to perform various aspects of scheduling request polling for sidelink communications as described herein, or the processor <NUM> and the memory <NUM> may be otherwise configured to perform such operations.

<FIG> shows a flowchart illustrating a method <NUM> for scheduling request polling for sidelink communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of method <NUM> may be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method <NUM> may be performed by a UE <NUM> as described with reference to <FIG>. In some examples, a UE may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE may perform aspects of the described functions using special-purpose hardware.

At <NUM>, the method may include receiving an indication of sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink resources component as described herein.

At <NUM>, the method may include transmitting a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using the sidelink communication resources. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink polling component as described herein.

At <NUM>, the method may include receiving, from a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback comprising an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the first wireless device. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink feedback component as described herein.

At <NUM>, the method may include transmitting a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using the sidelink communication resources. The control information may also include an indication of an absence of data in the data transmission. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink polling component and/or sidelink control component as described herein.

At <NUM>, the method may include transmitting a medium access control-control element that includes a polling request in a data transmission from the first wireless device using the sidelink communication resources. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink polling component and/or sidelink control component as described herein.

At <NUM>, the method may include receiving, from a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback including an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the first wireless device. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink feedback component as described herein.

At <NUM>, the method may include receiving a polling request in control information that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink polling component as described herein.

At <NUM>, the method may include transmitting, to a second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback comprising an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the second wireless device. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink feedback component as described herein.

Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the invention, as set out in the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these.

A non-transitory storage medium may be any available medium that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that may be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable medium.

As used herein, including in the claims, "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of') indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). For example, an example step that is described as "based on condition A" may be based on both a condition A and a condition B without departing from the scope of the present invention, as set out in the appended claims.

The term "example" used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and not "preferred" or "advantageous over other examples. In some instances, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

Claim 1:
A method (<NUM>) for wireless communication at a first wireless device (<NUM>), comprising:
receiving (<NUM>), from a second wireless device (<NUM>), a polling request in control information (<NUM>) that is associated with a data transmission from the first wireless device using sidelink communication resources that are reserved for sidelink transmissions; and
transmitting (<NUM>), to the second wireless device in response to the polling request, feedback (<NUM>)
comprising an indication of an availability of data for transmission to the second wireless device,
wherein the polling request is for a group of wireless devices and is transmitted during a time interval, the method further comprising:
receiving a configuration that configures the first wireless device to monitor for polling requests during a set of time intervals that includes the time interval.