Patent Description:
Therefore, the <NUM> or pre-<NUM> communication system is also called a "Beyond <NUM> Network" or a "Post LTE System".

In the <NUM> system, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as an advanced coding modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as an advanced access technology have also been developed.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) is a general term that refers to any type of communication method applicable to road vehicles. With the development of wireless communication technology, V2X enables various additional services in addition to initial safety uses.

IEEE <NUM>. 11p and IEEE P1609-based Wireless Access In Vehicular Environments (WAVE) specifications have been standardized as V2X service providing technology. However, WAVE, which is a type of dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) technique, has a constraint of a limited message transmission distance between vehicles.

To overcome this constraint, standardization of cellular-based V2X technology is ongoing under the 3GPP. LTE system-based evolved packet system (EPS) V2X specifications have been established in Release <NUM>/Release <NUM>, and NR system-based 5th-generation system (5GS) V2X specifications are progressing in Release <NUM>.

<NPL> (<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>) proposes the kind of PC5 QoS parameter that is provisioned to the UE and NG-RAN.

<NPL> (<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>) proposes to use PFI for PC5 traffic filtering at Tx side.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a method performed by a first entity in a terminal in a wireless communication system according to claim <NUM> is provided.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method performed by a second entity in a terminal in a wireless communication system is provided according to claim <NUM>.

In accordance with still another aspect of the disclosure, a first entity in a terminal in a wireless communication system according to claim <NUM> is provided.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the disclosure, a second entity in a terminal in a wireless communication system is provided according to claim <NUM>.

Hereinafter, the operation principle of the disclosure will be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the disclosure, a detailed description of known functions or configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the disclosure rather unclear. The terms which will be described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the disclosure, and may be different according to users, intentions of the users, or customs. Therefore, the definitions of the terms should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

As used herein, the "unit" refers to a software element or a hardware element, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which performs a predetermined function. However, the "unit" does not always have a meaning limited to software or hardware. The "unit" may be constructed either to be stored in an addressable storage medium or to execute one or more processors. Therefore, the "unit" includes, for example, software elements, object-oriented software elements, class elements or task elements, processes, functions, properties, procedures, sub-routines, segments of a program code, drivers, firmware, micro-codes, circuits, data, database, data structures, tables, arrays, and parameters. The elements and functions provided by the "unit" may be either combined into a smaller number of elements, or a "unit", or divided into a larger number of elements, or a "unit". Moreover, the elements and "units" or may be implemented to reproduce one or more CPUs within a device or a security multimedia card. Further, the "unit" in the embodiments may include one or more processors.

In the following description, terms for identifying access nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, terms referring to various identification information, and the like are illustratively used for the sake of convenience. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited by the terms as used below, and other terms referring to subjects having equivalent technical meanings may be used.

In the following description, the disclosure uses terms and names defined in the <NUM>, new radio (NR), and long term evolution (LTE) system standards for the convenience of description. However, the disclosure is not limited by these terms and names, and may be applied in the same way to systems that conform other standards.

A detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure will be directed to communication standards defined by the 3GPP. However, based on determinations by those skilled in the art, the main idea of the disclosure may be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds through some changes and modifications without significantly departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Although embodiments disclosed herein are described in detail mainly with reference to a vehicle communication service, the main idea disclosed herein may be applied to other services provided by a <NUM> network via slight changes and modifications without significantly departing from the scope of the disclosure, which is possible by a judgment of a person skilled in the technical field of the disclosure. That is, a V2X layer disclosed herein may refer to an overall layer that performs a control operation for a device-to-device (D2D, or proximity service (ProSe)) communication service without being limited to a V2X service. The V2X layer refers to a layer that exists above an AS layer and exchanges signaling with the AS layer for a device-to-device communication connection.

A fifth-generation (<NUM>) communication system considers supporting various services, compared to an existing fourth-generation (<NUM>) communication system. For example, representative services include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), and evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS). A system providing URLLC is referred to as a URLLC system, and a system providing eMBB is referred to as an eMBB system. The terms "service" and "system" may be interchangeably used.

URLLC is a service newly considered in the <NUM> communication system, rather than in the existing <NUM> communication system, and is required to meet the requirements of ultrahigh reliability (e.g., a packet error rate of about <NUM>-<NUM>) and low latency (e.g., about <NUM> msec), compared to other services. In order to satisfy these strict requirements, the URLLC service needs to apply a transmission time interval (TTI) shorter than that of the eMBB service, and various operating methods using a TTI are considered.

The Internet has evolved from a human-centered connection network, in which humans create and consume information, into an Internet of things (IoT) network, in which distributed components, such as objects, may exchange and process information. Internet-of-everything (IoE) technology, in which big-data processing technology is combined with the IoT through connection with a cloud server and the like, has also emerged. As technological elements such as sensing technology, wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interface technology, and security technology are required to implement IoT, technologies for sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and machine-type communication (MTC) have recently been studied for connecting objects.

<FIG> illustrates a connection configuration for direct communication between UEs according to one embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, a user equipment (UE, which is interchangeable with a user terminal, a terminal, or a vehicle UE) may use direct communication (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), ProSe, Proximity-based Communication Interface <NUM> (PC5), or sidelink communication) to communicate with another UE (UE <NUM>). In direct communication, message transmission and reception between UE <NUM><NUM> and UE <NUM><NUM> may be performed through a PC5 link <NUM>. Here, when data is transmitted by broadcast or groupcast using direct communication, a user-plane connection called PC5-U may be used. That is, a message transmitted by a transmitting vehicle UE to a receiving vehicle UE may be transmitted to neighboring receiving UEs through a PC5-U link.

Referring to <FIG>, a user-plane protocol stack of a UE includes an application layer <NUM>, a V2X layer <NUM>, and an access stratum (AS) layer <NUM>. The AS layer <NUM> includes a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a media access control (MAC) layer, which may be collectively referred to as an AS layer for convenience. The SDAP layer may be used to transmit data for direct communication between UEs. For example, when establishing a <NUM>:<NUM> direct communication link between UEs and transmitting data through the established link (e.g., PC5 unicast communication), the SDAP layer may determine a QoS flow to be used to transmit the data. In addition, for example, when broadcast or groupcast is used for direct communication between UEs (e.g., PC5 broadcast communication), the SDAP layer may transmit data through a QoS flow corresponding to broadcast or groupcast.

The V2X layer disclosed herein may refer to an overall layer that performs a control operation for a device-to-device (D2D, or proximity service (ProSe)) communication service without being limited to a V2X service. The V2X layer refers to a layer that exists above an AS layer and exchanges signaling with the AS layer for a device-to-device communication connection. Further, the V2X layer may provide a data transmission function on a link established for direct communication between UEs. That is, the V2X layer may include an IP protocol, a non-IP protocol, and a transport protocol (e.g., TCP or UDP) for message transmission.

The UEs (UE <NUM> and UE <NUM>) according to one embodiment may obtain and store the following information illustrated in Table <NUM> from a network in order to use a V2X service. The V2X layer may use the stored information.

The V2X layer may store at least one of the information listed in Table <NUM> or may receive the same from the network. In addition, the information listed in Table <NUM> does not refer to all V2X service policy parameters configured or stored in the V2X layer and may include other information, for example, information for unicast communication or authorization information, in addition to the information listed herein.

<FIG> illustrates an AS layer configuration and data transmission method for PC5 broadcast or PC5 groupcast according to one embodiment.

A V2X layer <NUM> may receive and store at least one of the information listed in Table <NUM>. In operation <NUM>, the V2X layer <NUM> may store a configured provider service identifier (PSID) and binding information about a physical downlink shared channel resource element (RE)mapping and quasi co-location indicator (PQI) thereof. This information may be information preconfigured in a UE or information configured as information for a V2X service from a network. This information may be information indicating a PQI to be used for the PSID. Therefore, the V2X layer <NUM> may determine, based on the PQI, which QoS to apply for a message or data of a V2X service corresponding to the PSID.

Alternatively, the V2X layer <NUM> may receive and store information about whether to use broadcast/groupcast or to use unicast according to the PSID (operation <NUM><NUM>). This information is configured in a list and may indicate a PSID for which broadcast/groupcast is used and a PSID for which unicast is used. This information may be information indicating applicability of unicast to a PSID by Yes or No. When the applicability of unicast is No, it may be determined that broadcast/groupcast needs to be used. Alternatively, each communication mode (broadcast, groupcast, and unicast) may be configured to be bound to a PSID. When it is configured that all of broadcast, groupcast, and unicast are possible for one PSID, the V2X layer <NUM> may determine that all of broadcast, groupcast, and unicast are possible for the PSID and may allocate a QoS flow for each communication mode.

The V2X layer <NUM> may store binding information about a PSID and a communication mode together with the information in operation <NUM>. Here, the binding information may indicate a PQI to be used for a PSID and indicates whether a communication mode for the PSID is broadcast/groupcast or unicast. Further, information indicating a communication mode may be information indicating applicability of unicast by Yes or No. When the applicability of unicast is No, it may be determined that broadcast/groupcast needs to be used. This information may be configured in a list and may indicate binding information about each PSID that the UE can use.

In operation <NUM>, the V2X layer <NUM> may perform an operation for allocating a QoS flow ID (hereinafter, "QFI"). The V2X layer <NUM> may allocate a QFI, based on the information described in operation <NUM> or operation <NUM>. The V2X layer <NUM> may allocate the QFI using a method according to one of the following three embodiments. In the disclosure, a QFI allocated by the V2X layer <NUM> may be referred to as a PFI, which means a QFI used in PC5. Therefore, a QFI may be replaced with a PFI in the following detailed description.

The V2X layer may allocate a preset QFI value for broadcast/groupcast. For example, the V2X layer may allocate, for a PQI (one or a plurality of PQIs) available in broadcast/groupcast, an integer value corresponding to a priority among attributes of the PQI as a QFI value for broadcast/groupcast. That is, the priority value of a PQI corresponding to a ProSe per-packet priority (PPPP) used to transmit a V2X message per packet in existing LTE V2X may be used as it is as a QFI. Since any V2X message used in LTE V2X operate based on a per-packet, when the value corresponding to the PPPP is allocated and used as the QFI, the QFI value can autonomously represent the PPPP, and thus an AS layer <NUM> can apply broadcast/groupcast in the same manner as in LTE V2X. As a result, the QFI value may be allocated as shown below.

The above values may be already set in the AS layer <NUM>. That is, when receiving V2X data corresponding to QFI=<NUM>, the AS layer <NUM> may determine that the priority value is <NUM> and may determine that the V2X data needs to be transmitted by broadcast/groupcast. When the value is already set in the AS layer <NUM>, operation <NUM> may not be performed.

For a PSID determined for broadcast/groupcast, the V2X layer may allocate a different QFI for each PQI configured to be used for the PSID. Further, for a PSID determined for unicast, the V2X layer may allocate a different QFI even though it is configured to use the same PQI as a PQI available in broadcast/groupcast, which is for distinguishing a QFI for unicast from a QFI for broadcast/groupcast. Therefore, the QFI may be allocated as follows.

That is, although separate PSIDs have the same PQI, different QFIs may be allocated to the same PQI, and a QFI for unicast and a QFI for broadcast/groupcast are allocated to be different. As a result, it is possible to distinguish a PQI and to distinguish between unicast and broadcast/groupcast, based on a QFI value.

The V2X layer may allocate a QFI for one PQI per broadcast/groupcast rather than allocating a QFI per PQI per PSID. That is, a different QFI may be allocated for each PQI (one or a plurality of PQIs) configured to be used in broadcast/groupcast regardless of a PSID. That is, when it is determined that different PSIDs are configured to use broadcast/groupcast for the same PQI, only one QFI may be allocated for the PQI, and thus one or more PSIDs may use broadcast/groupcast using the same QFI. Therefore, the QFI may be allocated as follows.

Even though a QFI is not distinguished per PSID, broadcast/groupcast may be determined, through a layer-<NUM> ID, by a receiving V2X UE as to which PSID a broadcast message or a groupcast message corresponds to. Therefore, it may be sufficient for a QFI to be used only for distinguishing a PQI at a transmitting end, because the AS layer <NUM> transmits V2X data by broadcast or groupcast according to a priority corresponding to a PQI, and an operation of the AS layer <NUM> applying a priority is irrelevant to a PSID. Here, even though it is configured to use the same PQI as a PQI available in broadcast/groupcast, a different QFI may be allocated for a PSID determined for unicast, which is for distinguishing a QFI for unicast from a QFI for broadcast/groupcast. This is because the operation of the AS layer <NUM> varies depending on a QFI in unicast, and the receiving UE needs to determine a QFI used to receive data and to determine a PSID for unicast corresponding to the QFI.

In operation <NUM>, the V2X layer <NUM> configures a list of a QFI allocated by the V2X layer and a PQI for the QFI for the AS layer <NUM>. Here, the V2X layer <NUM> also forwards a communication mode to be used for the QFI. For example, the V2X layer may indicate and forward whether the communication mode is unicast or broadcast/groupcast or may separately indicate whether the communication mode is broadcast or groupcast. In another example, the V2X layer <NUM> may indicate and forward only whether the communication mode is unicast or not to the AS layer <NUM>. Here, the AS layer <NUM> determines that a QFI not indicated as unicast is a QFI for broadcast/groupcast. When receiving the list of the QFI allocated by the V2X layer <NUM> and the PQI for each QFI, the AS layer <NUM> may store this information. When the V2X layer <NUM> transmits data along with an indicator indicating a QFI, the AS layer <NUM> determines a PQI corresponding to the QFI from the stored information and accordingly transmits the V2X data by applying a priority for using a radio resource or QoS. Further, the AS layer <NUM> determines which communication type is used (whether unicast is used or broadcast/groupcast is used), based on the indicator indicating the QFI transmitted along with the data by the V2X layer <NUM> and accordingly determines a PC5 transmission method.

Operation <NUM> to operation <NUM> may be performed under at least one of a condition that the V2X layer <NUM> receives a PQI value available for each PSID, a condition that the V2X layer <NUM> does not allocate a QFI, or a condition that a QFI allocated by the V2X layer <NUM> is no longer valid and a new QFI needs to be allocated. Alternatively, operation <NUM> to operation <NUM> may be performed when the V2X UE is initially powered on. Alternatively, operation <NUM> to operation <NUM> may be performed when the V2X UE receives an updated parameter or policy needed for a V2X service from a network. Alternatively, when a V2X application is installed and requests a device-to-device transmission configuration for a V2X service, operation <NUM> to operation <NUM> may be performed accordingly. Alternatively, when a V2X application transmits data as in operation <NUM>, operation <NUM> to operation <NUM> may be performed while configuring a transmission method for the data.

An application layer (V2X application) <NUM> of the UE to perform an application operation may provide the V2X layer <NUM> with at least one of an application message (hereinafter, referred to as a message, which may be interchanged with service data, data, or application data or may be referred to as a V2X message or V2X data) generated by the application layer <NUM>, a message type (interchangeable with a service type) indicating the type of a message, a communication type or communication mode (e.g., broadcast, groupcast, unicast, or the like) indicating the communication method of a message, an application-layer identifier (ID) of the UE, and QoS requirements (operation <NUM>). In vehicle communication, a PSID, an ITS-AID, or the like may be used as the message type.

The V2X layer <NUM> of the UE may determine whether to perform a link connection setup procedure, based on communication mode information received from the application layer <NUM> in operation <NUM>. For example, when the communication mode received from the application layer <NUM> is PC5 broadcast or PC5 groupcast, the V2X layer <NUM> may perform an operation of requesting data transmission from the AS layer <NUM>. In another example, when the communication mode received from the application layer <NUM> is PC5 unicast, the V2X layer <NUM> may determine to perform a link connection setup procedure and may perform a PC5 unicast link establishment procedure. The disclosure is described with reference to PC5 broadcast and PC5 groupcast.

The V2X layer <NUM> may identify the information configured through operation <NUM>, operation <NUM>, and operation <NUM> and the QFI allocated by the V2X layer. That is, the V2X layer <NUM> may determine whether to use PC5 broadcast or PC5 groupcast and may determine a PQI corresponding to a QFI for transmission, based on the information received from the V2X application in operation <NUM>. Such determination is based on values set and allocated through operation <NUM> to operation <NUM>. The V2X layer <NUM> may set source layer-<NUM> and destination layer-<NUM> IDs and may configure data payload or V2X data (or a V2X message) in order to transmit the application data received in operation <NUM>. When the V2X layer <NUM> determines a QFI for transmitting this data, the V2X layer <NUM> may transmit the V2X data, along with a QFI value, to an SDAP layer of the AS layer <NUM>. In operation <NUM>, the SDAP layer, which is one layer of the AS layer <NUM> of the UE, may transmit a message using information associated with the QFI received from a message of operation <NUM>. That is, the SDAP layer may determine a PQI corresponding to the QFI received in operation <NUM> and a communication type to be used for the QFI, that is, PC5 broadcast or PC5 groupcast, based on a value set in operation <NUM>. The SDAP layer may transmit necessary information and the V2X data to a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, and a MAC layer in order to transmit the data via a logical channel corresponding to PC5 broadcast or PC5 groupcast. Here, the SDAP layer may also transmit a PQI value corresponding to the QFI or a value indicating a priority among PQI values to the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, and the MAC layer. The V2X data may be subjected to application of a priority according to the PQI value via a PHY layer corresponding to the logical channel identified by the MAC layer and may then be transmitted to the UE in operation <NUM>.

Upon receiving the application data, the PHY layer of the UE forwards the application data to the MAC layer. The MAC layer may determine that the received message is a data message, based on the logical channel ID of a MAC header of the received message and may transmit the message to the V2X layer <NUM> via the RLC layer, the PDCP layer, and the SDAP layer. The V2X layer <NUM> may determine whether the received message is a PC5 broadcast message or a PC5 groupcast message, based on the destination layer-<NUM> ID of the received message. When the received message is a PC5 broadcast message or a PC5 groupcast message, the V2X layer <NUM> may determine whether the message received from the SDAP layer is a V2X data message and may then transmit the received application data to the application layer <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a procedure in which a UE <NUM> is provided with a parameter or policy for a V2X service or receives an updated parameter or policy therefor from a V2X application server <NUM> or a 3GPP system and applies the parameter or policy to a V2X service. A policy control function (PCF) <NUM> may obtain a V2X service parameter to be applied to the UE from a unified data repository (UDR) <NUM> by various methods. For example, the V2X application server <NUM> may update the V2X service parameter to the UDR <NUM> through an Network Exposure Function (NEF), and the PCF <NUM> may obtain the V2X service parameter from the UDR <NUM>, which corresponds to operation <NUM>. Due to the operation of the V2X application server <NUM>, the UDR <NUM> can provide the V2X service parameter to the PCF <NUM> when updating of the V2X service parameter is needed. Alternatively, the PCF <NUM> may request and obtain the V2X service parameter from the UDR <NUM>. The V2X service parameter provided by the UDR <NUM> to the PCF <NUM> may include service policy/parameter information as illustrated in Table <NUM> disclosed herein.

The PCF <NUM> provides policy information to be applied to the UE to an access and mobility management function (AMF) <NUM> according to operation <NUM>. Here, the V2X service parameter received from the UDR <NUM> may be included in the policy information. The service policy/parameter information (e.g., the V2X service policy parameter illustrated in Table <NUM>) may be transmitted to the AMF <NUM> via a Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message. The Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message may include a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), a UE policy container, and the like. The AMF <NUM> may transmit the parameter information for the V2X service, received from the PCF <NUM>, to the UE, in which a registration procedure or a UE configuration update procedure may be used. Alternatively, when the UE is in a connected state, a downlink NAS message transmission procedure for forwarding a policy may be used. The parameter or policy information for providing the V2X service may include at least one of the service policy/parameter information (e.g., the information in Table <NUM>) disclosed herein. Upon receiving information about a UE policy, the UE may store the information in the UE and may transmit a response message indicating an acknowledgement of the information to the AMF <NUM>. The AMF <NUM> may notify the PCF <NUM> that the service policy/parameter information (e.g., the V2X service policy parameter illustrated in Table <NUM>) has been successfully transmitted to the UE. Here, the message may be Namf_N1MessageNotify. The PCF <NUM> may maintain the UE policy and may notify the UDR <NUM> about the updated UE policy.

Upon receiving the parameter or policy information for the V2X service in operation <NUM>, the UE may perform operation <NUM> to operation <NUM> in <FIG>. Accordingly, a V2X layer <NUM> may allocate a QoS flow ID for broadcast/groupcast for each PQI (operation <NUM>).

In operation <NUM>, the V2X layer <NUM> may configure a list of a QFI allocated by the V2X layer and a PQI for the QFI for the AS layer <NUM>. Here, the V2X layer <NUM> may also forward a communication mode to be used for the QFI. For example, the V2X layer may indicate whether the communication mode is unicast or broadcast/groupcast or may separately indicate whether the communication mode is broadcast or groupcast. In another example, the V2X layer <NUM> may indicate and forward only whether the communication mode is unicast or not to the AS layer <NUM>. Here, the AS layer <NUM> may determine that a QFI not indicated as unicast is a QFI for broadcast/groupcast. When receiving the list of the QFI allocated by the V2X layer <NUM> and the PQI for each QFI, the AS layer <NUM> may store this information. When the V2X layer <NUM> transmits data along with an indicator indicating a QFI, the AS layer <NUM> may determine a PQI corresponding to the QFI from the stored information and may accordingly transmit the V2X data by applying a priority for using a radio resource or QoS. Further, the AS layer <NUM> may determine which communication type is used (whether unicast is used or broadcast/groupcast is used), based on the indicator indicating the QFI transmitted along with the data by the V2X layer <NUM> and may accordingly determine a PC5 transmission method.

The procedure in which the UE obtains a service parameter/policy from a network and configures a QoS flow ID for the AS layer <NUM> illustrated in operation <NUM> to operation <NUM> may be equally applied to other UE.

<FIG> illustrates the structure of a UE according to one embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, the UE may include a transceiver <NUM>, a controller <NUM>, and a storage unit <NUM>. In the disclosure, the controller may be defined as a circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit, or at least one processor.

The transceiver <NUM> may transmit and receive signals to and from a different network entity. For example, the transceiver <NUM> may receive system information from a base station and may receive a synchronization signal or a reference signal.

The controller <NUM> may control the overall operation of the UE according to an embodiment proposed herein. For example, the controller <NUM> may control the flow of signals between blocks to perform an operation according to the flowcharts described above.

The storage unit <NUM> may store at least one of information transmitted and received through the transceiver <NUM> and information generated through the controller <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A method performed by a first entity (<NUM>) in a terminal (<NUM>) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
determining (<NUM>) Proximity-based Communication Interface <NUM>, PC5, Quality of Service, QoS, parameters based on a PC5 QoS mapping configuration;
assigning (<NUM>) a PC5 QoS Flow Identifier, PFI, associated with the PC5 QoS parameters;
transmitting, to a second entity (<NUM>) in the terminal, the PFI and the PC5 QoS parameters: and
forwarding (<NUM>), to the second entity, a communication mode related to the PFI before transmitting V2X service data, wherein the communication mode is broadcast or groupcast.