WO2018080566A1 - Subframe structure and communication procedure for 5g nr-things vehicle to vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing a broadcast transmission on a sidelink for vehicle UEs are generally described. Data is broadcast in a broadcast channel (BC) following a downlink control channel (DLCC). The DLCC indicates that the broadcast subframe comprises a broadcast structure and which of unicast and/or broadcast data is contained in the structure. The BC has data and an index that enables the data to be coherently combined and decoded. The broadcast subframe structure can be FDMed or TDMed with other unicast or broadcast subframe structures. The broadcast structure contains a single BC or multiple BCs separated by a gap. Each BC contains broadcast or unicast data. UL sensing data obtained during a sensing period of the gap is used to adjust later broadcasts.

Description

SUBFRAME STRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATION PROCEDURE FOR 5G NR-THINGS VEHICLE TO VEHICLE

PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001J This application claims the benefit of priority to United States

Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/414,480, filed October 28, 2016, entitled "SUBFRAME STRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATION

PROCEDURE FOR 5G NR-THENGS V2V," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002 J Embodiments pertain to radio access networks. Some embodiments relate to wearable devices in various cellular and wireless local area network (WLAN) networks, including Third Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) networks and LTE advanced (LTE-A) networks as well as 4^th generation (4G) networks and 5^th generation (5G) networks. Some embodiments relate to 5G wearable or other "things" devices and network interactions, in particular the subframe structure for vehicle-to- vehicle (V2V) communications.

BACKGROUND

[0003] The use of 3GPP LTE systems (including both LTE and LTE-A systems) has increased due to both an increase in the types of devices user equipment (UEs) using network resources as well as the amount of data and bandwidth being used by various applications, such as video streaming, operating on these UEs. For example, the growth of network use by Internet of Things (IoT) UEs, which include machine type communication (MTC) devices such as sensors and may use machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, has severely strained network resources. New 3GPP standard releases related to the next generation network (5G) are taking into account the massive influx of low- data, high-delay and low power transmissions. [0004] One type of user-based IoT devices developed recently whose popularity has exploded is "tilings'¹ user equipment (tUE), such as wearable devices, in addition to one or more network UEs (nUE). Other tUEs, such as vehicle-based devices used in V2V communications, may not be constrained in the same manner as wearable devices. Unlike many MTC IoT devices, tUEs may have a mobility similar to that of nUEs and limited functionality compared to the nUEs, independent of the type of tUE. The sidelink communication in the 5G network between a tUE and nUE, however, remains to be determined due at least in part to the vast changes in design of the 5G network. The frame and subframe structure of V2V communications may, in particular, be challenging in the mobile environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0005] In the figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The figures illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system architecture for supporting wearable devices in accordance with some embodiments.

[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates components of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments.

[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments.

[Θ009] FIG. 4 illustrates another block diagram of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates a protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments.

[0011] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate unicast subframe structures in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate broadcast subframe structures in accordance with some embodiments. [0013] FIG. 8 illustrates multiplexing in a subframe in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 9 illustrates frequency division multiplexing in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 10 illustrates a control element information block in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 11 illustrates a data block in accordance with some embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart of providing a broadcast in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system architecture 100 for supporting wearable devices. As shown, the system architecture 100 includes a network user equipment (nUE) 110, one or more things user equipment (tUEs) 120a, 120b, 120c, an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E- UTRAN or EUTRAN) base station (BS, also referred to as an evolved NodeB (eNB)) or 5G base station 130, and an evolved packet core (EPC) or 5G core 140. The nUE 110 and the tUEs 120 together form a personal area network (PAN) 150 or side link cell. The EUTRAN thus may include eNBs 130 that provide user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the nUE 110. The eNBs 130 may be connected by means of the X2 interface. The eNBs 130 may also be connected to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) the via a SI - MME and to a Serving Gateway (S-GW) via a S 1-U.

[0020] The nUE 110 may be any user equipment capable of

communicating with the base station 130 via an air interface. According to some examples, the nUE 110 may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device such as a smart watch, etc. According to some examples, the nUE may be a tUE that is capable of communicating with the base station 130 and has sufficient battery life (e.g., greater than 30%, 50%, 75%, 90% of the maximum amount of battery power etc.). The nUE 110 may have a full infrastructure network access protocol and full control and user plane (C/U-dlane) functions. As shown, the nUE 110 may communicate with the base station 130 via a Xu-d (direct) air interface.

[0021] Each tUE 120 may include a wireless interface (Xu-d or Xu-s) for communicating within the PAN 150. The tUE 120 may communicate with the nUE 110 or another tUE 120 through the Xu-s (sidelink) intra-PAN air interface. The tUE 120 may include, for example, smart watches, smart glasses, smart headphones, fitness sensors, movement trackers, sleep sensors, etc. In some embodiments, the tUE 120 may also communicate directly with the base station 130 via a Xu-d air interface. In some embodiments, the tUE 120 may be unable to communicate directly with the base station 130. The nUE 1 10 may act as a master UE in a sidelink cell formed by the nUE 1 10 and associated tUEs 120. The tUE 120 may have a full sidelink protocol stack and may or may not have standalone direct link protocol stack. The tUE 120 may act as a slave UE in the side link cell.

[0022J The base station 130 may be a base station of a cellular network.

The base station 130 is may be an eNB in a LTE cellular network or a 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) in a next generation (5G) network. In the latter case, the 5G RAN may be a standalone base station or a booster cell anchored to an eNB. The base station 130 may communicate with a core network 140 (EPC for LTE or 5G core for 5G) using an S I interface. Some aspects of the subject technology are directed to defining the air interface between the base station and the PAN of the nUE 1 10 and the tUEs 120, while other aspects are directed to defining the intra-PAN air interface for enabling low power operation with diverse traffic and application requirements.

[0023] Some aspects of the subject technology may be implemented in conjunction with a LTE network, and, in some cases, leverages device-to-device (D2D) and machine-type communications (MTC) technology. However, for connectivity techniques, aspects of the subject technology address high-density scenarios. For LTE-D2D, some aspects of the subject technology enable PAN- specific identity, unicast in intra-PAN communication, uplink and downlink features, and operation in unlicensed bands. For LTE-MTC, some aspects of the subject technology provide support for diverse traffic, including high rate traffic and low latency traffic.

[0024 J The base station 130 may be a macro base station or a smaller base station (micro, pico, nano) that may terminate the air interface protocol. In some embodiments, the base station 130 may fulfill various logical functions for the RAN including, but not limited to, RNC (radio network controller functions) such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. In accordance with embodiments, UEs 120 may be configured to communicate orthogonal frequency di vision multiplexed (OFDM) communication signals with the base station 130 over a multicarrier communication channel in accordance with an OFDM A communication technique. The OFDM signals may comprise a plurality of orthogonal subcarriers. In other embodiments, such as those related to 5G systems, non-OFDM signals may be used in addition or instead, of OFDM signals.

[0025] The SI interface may be the interface that separates the RAN 130 and the core network 140. The SI interface may be split into two parts: the Sl- U, which may cany traffic data between base stations of the RAN 130 and other elements of the core network, such as a serving GW, and the S 1 -MME, which may be a signaling interface between the RAN 130 and an MME.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates components of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments. The communication device 200 may be a UE, eNB or other network component as described herein. The communication device 200 may be a stationary, non-mobile device or may be a mobile device. In some embodiments, the UE 200 may include application circuitry 202, baseband circuitry 204, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 206, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 208 and one or more antennas 210, coupled together at least as shown. At least some of the baseband circuitry 204, RF circuitry 206, and FEM circuitry 208 may form a transceiver. In some embodiments, other network elements, such as the MME may contain some or all of the components shown in FIG. 2.

[0027] The application or processing circuitry 202 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 202 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi- core processors. The processors) may include any combination of general- purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupled with and/or may include memory/storage and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory/storage to enable various applications and/or operating systems to run on the system.

[0028] The baseband circuitry 204 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuitry 204 may include one or more baseband processors and/or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 206 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 206. Baseband processing circuity 204 may interface with the application circuitry 202 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for controlling operations of the RF circuitry 206. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may include a second generation (2G) baseband processor 204a, third generation (3G) baseband processor 204b, fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 204c, and/or other baseband processor(s) 204d for other existing generations, generations in development or to be developed in the future (e.g., fifth generation (5G), 5G, etc.). The baseband circuitry 204 (e.g., one or more of baseband processors 204a-d) may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuitry 206. The radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation/demodulation,

encoding/decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, modulation/demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 204 may include FFT, preceding, and/or constellation mapping/demapping functionality. In some embodiments, encoding/decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 204 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, and/or Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder/decoder functionality. Embodiments of modulation/demodulation and encoder/decoder functionality are not limited to these examples and may include other suitable functionality in other embodiments.

0029J In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may include elements of a protocol stack such as, for example, elements of an Evol ved UTRAN (EUTRA ) protocol including, for example, physical (PHY), media access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio resource control (RRC) elements, and/or Non-Access Stratum (NAS) elements. A central processing unit (CPU) 204e of the baseband circuitry- 204 may be configured to run elements of the protocol stack for signaling of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP and/or RRC layers, and/or NAS. In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry may include one or more audio digital signal processor(s) (DSP) 204f. The audio DSP(s) 204f may be include elements for compression/decompression and echo cancellation and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments. Components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on a same circuit board in some embodiments. In some embodiments, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 204 and the application circuitry 202 may be implemented together such as, for example, on a system, on a chip (SOC).

[0030] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may support communication with an EUTRAN and/or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 204 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry. In some embodiments, the device can be configured to operate in accordance with communication standards or other protocols or standards, including Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 wireless technology (WiMax), IEEE 802.11 wireless technology (WiFi) including IEEE 802.1 1 ad, which operates in the 60 GHz millimeter wave spectrum, various other wireless technologies such as global system for mobile communications (GSM), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE radio access network (GERAN), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), or other 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc. technologies either alread - developed or to be developed.

[0031] RF circuitry 206 may enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry 206 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. RF circuitry 206 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 208 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry 204. RF circuitry 206 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by the baseband circuitry 204 and provide RF output signals to the FEM circuitry 208 for transmission.

[0032] In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 206 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the RF circuitry 206 may include mixer circuitry 206a, amplifier circuitry 206b and filter circuitry 206c. The transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 206 may include filter circuitry 206c and mixer circuitry 206a. RF circuitry 206 may also include synthesizer circuitry 206d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 208 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 206d. The amplifier circuitry 206b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signals and the filter circuitry 206c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. Output baseband signals may be provided to the baseband circuitry 204 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a requirement. In some embodiments, mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path may comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0033] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 206d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 208. The baseband signals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 204 and may be filtered by filter circuitry 206c. The filter circuitry 206c may include a low-pass filter (LPF), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in tins respect.

[0034] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion and/or upconversion respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g..

Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a may be arranged for direct downconversion and/or direct upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path may be configured for super-heterodyne operation.

[0035] In some embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternate embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be digital baseband signals. In these alternate embodiments, the RF circuitry 206 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry 204 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitsy 206.

[0036] In some dual -mode embodiments, a separate radio TC circuitry may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in tins respect.

[0037] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 206d may be a fractional-N syntliesizer or a fractional N/N+ l syntliesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 206d may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer comprising a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0038] The synthesizer circuitry 2()6d may be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 206a of the RF circuitry 206 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 206d may be a fractional N/N+l synthesizer.

[0039] In some embodiments, frequency input may be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although that is not a requirement. Divider control input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 204 or the applications processor 202 depending on the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, a divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table based on a channel indicated by the applications processor 202.

[0040] Synthesizer circuitry 206d of the RF circuitry 206 may include a divider, a delay -locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the divider may be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DP A). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+l (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal packets of phase, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0041] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 206d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be a LO frequency (tio). In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 206 may include an IQ/polar converter.

[0042] FEM circuitry 208 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 210, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 206 for further processing. FEM circuitry 208 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 206 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 210.

[0043] In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 208 may include a

TX/RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuitry may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 206). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 208 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by RF circuitry 206), and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 210.

[0044| In some embodiments, the communication device 200 may include additional elements such as, for example, memory/storage, display, camera, sensor, and/or input/output (I/O) interface as described in more detail below. In some embodiments, the communication device 200 described herein may be part of a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or portable computer with wireless

communication capability, a web tablet, a wireless telephone, a smartphone, a wireless headset, a pager, an instant messaging device, a digital camera, an access point, a television, a medical device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, etc.), or other device that may receive and/or transmit information wirelessly. In some embodiments, the communication device 200 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable user interaction with the system and/or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable peripheral component interaction with the system. For example, the communication device 200 may include one or more of a keyboard, a keypad, a touchpad, a display, a sensor, a non-volatile memory port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an audio jack, a power supply interface, one or more antennas, a graphics processor, an application processor, a speaker, a microphone, and other I/O components. The display may be an LCD or LED screen including a touch screen. The sensor may include a gyro sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a positioning unit. The positioning unit may communicate with components of a positioning network, e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) satellite.

[0045] The antennas 210 may comprise one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas or other types of antennas suitable for transmission of RF signals. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, the antennas 210 may be effectively separated to take advantage of spatial diversity and the different channel characteristics that may result.

[0046] Although the communication device 200 is illustrated as having several separate functional elements, one or more of the functional elements may^¬ be combined and may be implemented by combinations of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs), and/or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may comprise one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) and combinations of various hardware and logic circuitry for performing at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, the functional elements may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements.

[0047] Embodiments may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware and software. Embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, which may be read and executed by at least one processor to perform the operations described herein . A computer-readable storage device may include any non-transitory mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a computer-readable storage device may include readonly memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash-memory devices, and other storage devices and media. Some embodiments may include one or more processors and may be configured with instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device.

[0048 J FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments. The device may be a UE, for example, such as the UE shown in FIG. 1. The physical layer circuitry 302 may perform various encoding and decoding functions that may include formation of baseband signals for transmission and decoding of received signals. The communication device 300 may also include medium access control layer (MAC) circuitry 304 for controlling access to the wireless medium. The communication device 300 may also include processing circuitry 306, such as one or more single-core or multi-core processors, and memory 308 arranged to perform the operations described herein. The physical layer circuitr ' 302, MAC circuitry 304 and processing circuitry 306 may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks compatible with one or more radio technologies. The radio control functions may include signal modulation, encoding, decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. For example, similar to the device shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, communication may be enabled with one or more of a WMAN, a WLAN, and a WPAN. In some embodiments, the communication device 300 can be configured to operate in accordance with 3GPP standards or other protocols or standards, including WiMax, WiFi, WiGig, GSM, EDGE, GERAN, UMTS, UTRAN, or other 3G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc. technologies either already developed or to be developed. The communication device 300 may include transceiver circuitry 312 to enable communication with other external devices wirelessiy and interfaces 314 to enable wired communication with other external devices. As another example, the transceiver circuitry 312 may perform various transmission and reception functions such as conversion of signals between a baseband range and a Radio Frequency (RF) range.

[0049] The antennas 301 may comprise one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas or other types of antennas suitable for transmission of RF signals. In some M1MO embodiments, the antennas 301 may be effectively separated to take advantage of spatial diversity and the different channel characteristics that may result.

[0050] Although the communication device 300 is illustrated as having several separate functional elements, one or more of the functional elements may^¬ be combined and may be implemented by combinations of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including DSPs, and/or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may comprise one or more

microprocessors, DSPs, FPGAs, ASICs, RFICs and combinations of various hardware and logic circuitry for performing at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, the functional elements may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements. Embodiments may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware and software. Embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored on a computer- readable storage device, which may be read and executed by at least one processor to perform the operations described herein.

[0051] FIG. 4 illustrates another block diagram of a communication device in accordance with some embodiments. In alternative embodiments, the communication device 400 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other communication devices. In a networked deployment, the communication device 400 may operate in the capacity of a server communication device, a client communication device, or both in server- client network environments. In an example, the communication device 400 may act as a peer communication device in peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The communication device 400 may be a UE, eNB, PC, a tablet PC, a STB, a PDA, a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any communication device capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that communication device. Further, while only a single

communication device is illustrated, the term "communication device" shall also be taken to include any collection of communication devices that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations.

[0052] Examples, as described herein, may include, or may operate on, logic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules are tangible entities (e.g., hardware) capable of performing specified operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. In an example, circuits may be arranged (e.g., internally or with respect to external entities such as other circuits) in a specified manner as a module. In an example, the whole or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computer system) or one or more hardware processors may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, an application portion, or an application) as a module that operates to perform specified operations. In an example, the software may reside on a communication device readable medium. In an example, the software, when executed by the underlying hardware of the module, causes the hardware to perform the specified operations.

[0053] Accordingly, the term "module" is understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, specifically configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily (e.g., transitorily) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a specified manner or to perform part or all of any operation described herein. Considering examples in which modules are temporarily confi gured, each of the modules need not be instantiated at any one moment in time. For example, where the modules comprise a general -purpose hardware processor configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processor may be configured as respective different modules at different times. Software may accordingly configure a hardware processor, for example, to constitute a particular module at one instance of time and to constitute a different module at a different instance of time.

[0054] Communication device (e.g., computer system.) 400 may include a hardware processor 402 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 404 and a static memory 406, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 408. The

communication device 400 may further include a display unit 410, an alphanumeric input device 412 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (1)1) navigation device 414 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 410, input device 412 and UI navigation device 414 may be a touch screen display. The communication device 400 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit) 416, a signal generation device 418 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 420, and one or more sensors 421, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or other sensor. The communication device 400 may include an output controller 428, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, card reader, etc.).

[0055] The storage device 416 may include a communication device readable medium 422 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 424 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 424 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 404, within static memory 406, or within the hardware processor 402 during execution thereof by the communication device 400. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 402, the main memory 404, the static memory 406, or the storage device 416 may constitute communication device readable media.

[0056] While the communication device readable medium. 422 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "communication device readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) configured to store the one or more instructions 424,

[0057] The term '^'communication device readable medium" may include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the communication device 400 and that cause the communication device 400 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instractions. Non-limiting communication device readable medium examples may include solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of communication device readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks;

magneto-optical disks; Random Access Memory (RAM); and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. In some examples, communication device readable media may include non-transitory communication device readable media. In some examples, communication device readable media may include communication device readable media that is not a transitory propagating signal.

[0058] The instructions 424 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network 426 using a transmission medium via the network interface device 420 utilizing any one of a number of transfer protocols (e.g., frame relay, internet protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks), Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., IEEE 802.11 family of standards known as WiFi®, IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax®), IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, a LIE family of standards, a UMTS family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others. In an example, the network interface device 420 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 426. In an example, the network interface device 420 may include a plurality of antennas to wirelessly communicate using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), MIMO, or multiple-input single-output (MISO) techniques. In some examples, the network mterface device 420 may wirelessly communicate using Multiple User ΜΙΜΌ techniques. The term 'transmission medium" shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the communication device 400, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of such software. [0059] As described above, vehicle UEs (vUE), each of which may be either a nUE or a tUE, may engage in V2V communications. Several tUEs may be associated with a particular nUE to form a PAN. A large number of nUEs may be located in a particular geographical region served by a single EUTRAN. Each nUE may be associated with a different PAN, which may create a high density network scenario. The RAN may furthermore assign a common resource pool for wearable communication. This resource pool may be shared among all of the PANs in the geographical area and within each PAN on a contention-based resource access basis. Each nUE may have two higher layer protocol stacks, one for the Xu-s interface with the tUE and one for the Xu-d interface with the EUTRAN. Dependent on the embodiment, the tUEs may have the same two higher layer protocol stacks or may have a single higher layer protocol stack for one for the Xu-s interface with the nUE.

[Θ06Θ] FIG. 5 illustrates a protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments. The protocol stack may be provided in any of the nUEs or tUEs described in FIGS. 1-4. The higher layer protocol stack (tSL-HL) 504 may refer primarily to the protocol layers between the PHY (tSL-PHY) 506 and

IP/ Application layers 502 in the user plane (UP) and between the tSL-PHY 506 and tSL radio resource control layer (tSL-RRC) 508 for the control plane (CP). The tSL-HL 504 may refer to one or more of the MAC, RLC and PDCP layers of legacy LTE protocol layers.

[0061] Sidehnk communications between the nUE and tUE using the

Xu-s interface may employ different types of communications. These communications may include umcast, broadcast or multicast communications. Current interests for V2V communications have in particular focused on unicast and broadcast communications. Hie communication structure for the different types of communications may be different from each other and may be different from Xu-d interface communications. In various embodiments described herein, different subframe structures for V2V communications may be used to support broadcasting only transmission and simultaneous broadcast and unicast transmissions. The control channel announces the vUEs that broadcast in the subframe. A control region is defined in the data channel to indicate the transport block and code block index for coherent combing. The transport block is a group/block of bits passed down from the upper layer to be transmitted. A transport block may be broken down by the physical layer into multiple parts/segments if the transport block is too large to be transmitted in one PRA in one subframe. Each segment may be coded (using a channel code to add some redundancy) forming a "codeblock." Each transport block may have an index and each codeblock may also have an index.

[0062] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate unicast subframe structures in accordance with some embodiments. The subframe structures shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B may be used by any of the nUEs or tUEs shown in FIGS. 1-4. FIG. 6A shows the downlink (DL) subframe structure 610 from the nUE to the tUE; FIG. 6B shows the uplink (UL) subframe structure 630 from the tUE to the nUE. The subframe structures shown may be used in the Xu-s interface

communications (sidelink). Each DL and UL subframe 610, 630 may be lms, although other numerologies such as subframe lengths of 0.25ms, 0.5ms, or 2ms can also be supported. Each DL and UL subframe 610, 630 may be divided into multiple physical resource blocks (PRE) in the frequency domain in which each PRE may occupy 3 subcarriers over one subframe. For a subcarrier spacing of 60 kHz and subframe duration of lms, each PRB may occupy 180 kHz over 1 ms. The PRBs may be grouped into subchannels in which each subchannel occupies 6 PRBs consecutive in the frequency domain. The minimum sy stem bandwidth is of the size of a subchannel. The channels may be transmitted on a PRA, whkh may be an aggregation of multiple continuous PRBs.

[0063] The DL subframe structure 610 may include a DL control channel (DLCC) 612, multiple gap periods (GPs) 614, a DL control multicast channel (DLCMC) 616, first and second ULCCs 618, 622 and a DL data channel 620. The gap periods 614 may be disposed between each control or data channel. Although shown as being of the same size, in some embodiments, the gap periods 614 may have different sizes, with the size of a particular gap period being dependent on the channels adjacent to the particular gap period.

[0064] The first symbol in the subframe 610, 630 may be a common control channel 612, 632 and may indicate whether the data channel 620, 638 is an UL or DL data channel. Thus, the common control channel 612 may be a DL common control channel independent of whether the data channel 620, 638 in the subframe 610, 630 is UL or DL. The common control channel 612, 632 may have a 10 bit payload in which the UL/DL indication is a single bit.

[0065] The DLCMC 616 (which in some cases may be a Transmitter resource Acquisition and Sounding (TAS) channel) may be used by the tUE to acquire a PRE. The DLCMC 616 may be used by the transmitter to transmit a reference signal for measurement by the receiver. For example, in the DL subframe 610, the nUE may transmit the reference signal and the tUE may measure the reference signal. The DLCMC 616 may have a 6 bit payload in which a new data indicator (NDI) is a single bit with a 2 bit repetition and 3 bit CRC.

[0066] Tl e first ULCC 618 (which in some cases may be a Receiver resource Acknowledgement and Sounding (RAS) channel) may be used by the tUE to acknowledge the reception of tlie DLCMC 616 and to request a UL resource allocation using a scheduling request (SR). The ULCC 618 may also provide a CST and power head room (PHR) report. The ULCC 618 may have a 10 bit payload in which the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) is 4 bits with a 2 bit PHR and 4 bit CRC. The second ULCC 622 may be used to provide an acknowledgment (ACK/NACK) to acknowledge reception of the subframe. The DL data channel 620 may be used to deliver user and control -plane data from tlie nUE to the tUE. The second ULCC 622 may contain a response to transmission of the data in the data channel 620 and be used by the transmitter to determine whether retransmission of the data in the data channel 620 is to occur. Tlie second ULCC 622 may have a 10 bit payload in which the ACK/NACK is 2 bits with a 4 bit buffer status report (BSR) in a DL subframe 610 indicating whether data is present for transmission and 4 bit CRC.

[0067] Tlie UL subframe structure 630 may similarly include a DLCC

632, multiple GPs, a ULCMC 634, a DLCC 636 and an UL data channel 638. The GPs may be similar to the DL GPs 614. The ULCC 632 may be transmitted from the nUE and indicate the transmission direction (DL or UL) of the UL subframe 630. The ULCMC 634 may be used by the tUE to multiplex an indication of UL data to transmit and a SR. The DLCC 636 may be used by the nUE to acknowledge the reception of the ULCMC 634. The UL data channel 638 may be used to deliver user and control-plane data from the tUE to the nUE. [0068] The guard periods 614 may be used to reduce inter-symbol interference or permit the tUE to switch between the transmitter and recei ver chains. At least some of the guard periods 614 may have different lengths. For example, the guard periods between the DLCC 612 and the DLCMC 616, between the DLCMC 616 and the ULCC 618 may occupy 1 symbol (17.7μ8 total), the guard period 614 between the ULCC 618 and the data channel 620 may occupy 1 symbol + 8.33μ.8 (26.03_,us total) and the guard period 614 between the data channel 620 and the second ULCC channel 624 may occupy 2 symbols.

[0069] For V2V communication, the frame structures shown in FIGS.

6A and 6B may support unicast traffic. For broadcast traffic, two types of subframe structure may be used. FIGS. 7 A and 7B illustrate broadcast subfraine structures in accordance with some embodiments. The first subframe structure 710 (also referred to as a Type 1 broadcast subframe or broadcast-only subframe), shown in FIG. 7A, may be used for broadcast-only transmissions through the side link interface. As seen, the broadcast subframe structures are different than the unicast subframe structures, with the same symbol within at least some of the subframe assigned to different types of information (e.g., data, control, gap) between the different subframes. The second subframe structure 730 (also referred to as a Type 2 broadcast subframe or broadcast/unicast subframe), shown in FIG. 7B, may be used for simultaneous DL broadcast and unicast transmissions. The broadcast-only subframe structure 710 may be used when the vUE only has broadcast traffic at a given subframe transmission duration. The simultaneous broadcast and unicast subframe structure 730 may^¬ be used when the vUE has both broadcast and unicast traffic at a given subframe transmission duration.

[0070] A broadcast subframe may contain various channels, including a downlink control channel (DLCC) 712, a broadcast channel (BC) 714 and a gap period 716. The control channel 712 may be disposed at the beginning of the subframe 710 and may contain several indications. In some embodiments, the control channel 712 may contain a broadcast vUE ID, a broadcast/unicast indication, a control channel type indication, an indication of time/fre uency resource used for the broadcast data transmission, an indication of the modulation and coding (MCS) level used for the broadcast, and the cyclic redundancy code (CRC). The broadcast vUE ID may be an ID unique to the vUE, used to indicate a broadcast transmission and different from other vUE IDs, such as the temporary vUE ID. Thus, unlike unicast transmissions, which may be scrambled using an ID specific to a particular UE (the receiver UE), the IDs used to scramble the control channel 712 and the broadcast channel 714 may be available to multiple UEs and may be, for example, an ID of the transmitter UE. The broadcast/unicast indication may indicate whether the subframe contains broadcast and/or unicast data and thus whether the subframe is a broadcast subframe or a unicast subframe (as well as the type of broadcast subframe). The time/frequency resource indication may indicate the subframe and/or fre uency for the broadcast. In some embodiments, the time/frequency resource indication may not be present. The control channel type indication may indicate whether or not the time/frequency resource indication is present. The channel type indicator may thus indicate the type/format of the subframe, what control parameters are specified, e.g., whether a time-frequency resource is present in the DLCC. The channel type indicator may be used to indicate whether the transport block index and the code block index are present or not. For example, these indices would may be used when the receiver is to combine coherently multiple repetitions of a code block. If no combining is to be performed , these indices could be left out to lower overhead. The

time/frequency resource used for broadcasting data transmission may or may not be explicitly signaled in the control channel

[0071] The broadcast channel 714 may be provided in the subframe 710 after the control channel 712. The broadcast channel 714 may contain various pieces of information. The broadcast channel 714 may be scrambled by the corresponding vUE ID. The broadcast channel 714 may include a broadcast code block index, a transport block (TB) index and a broadcast code block. The broadcast code block may contain the data, the TB index may indicate a transmission number of the broadcast subframe in a sequence of broadcast subframes and the code block index may indicate which portion of the broadcast transmission is contained within broadcast code block (i.e., the sequence number of the broadcast code block) for proper assembly and decoding. Tims, the TB index may permit ordering of the received broadcast subframes and the code block index may permit ordering of the broadcast code blocks after the broadcast subframes have been ordered using the TB index.

ΘΘ72] The gap period 716 may be provided at the end of the subframe 710 after the broadcast channel 714. At the end of the subframe 710, the vUE may switch from transmission of the broadcast to reception mode in the next subframe, with the gap period 716 providing a buffer between the two periods.

[0073] The Type 2 broadcast subframe 730 may also contain a control channel 732, one or more broadcast channels 734, and one or more gap periods 736. As above, the control channel 732 may be disposed at the beginning of the subframe 730 and may contain a broadcast vUE ID, a broadcast/unicast indication, a control channel type indication, an indication of time/frequency resource used for the broadcast data transmission, an indication of the modulation and coding (MCS) level used for the broadcast, and the cyclic redundancy code (CRC).

[0074] The broadcast channels 734 may follow the control channel 732 and may be scrambled by the corresponding vUE ID. The broadcast channels 734 may, as above, contain a broadcast code block index, a transport block index and a broadcast code block. One of the broadcast channels 734 may correspond to a unicast transmission and the other of the broadcast channels 734 may correspond to a broadcast transmission. In some embodiments, specific ones of the broadcast channels 734 (i .e., the first or second broadcast channel) correspond to the unicast and broadcast transmissions. Different vUiis mav have independently selected broadcast channels corresponding to the broadcast transmission or a predetermined broadcast channel may correspond to the broadcast transmission for all vUEs. The first and second broadcast channel 734 may be allocated the same amount of resources (the same number of symbols) or may be allocated different amounts of resources. If different, the amount of resources may depend on the type of data (unicast or broadcast), the priority of the data (e.g., mission critical (MC) or non-MC), and/or MCS, among others.

[0075] In embodiments in which multiple broadcast channels 734 are present, multiple gap periods 736 may be present, with the broadcast channels 734 separated by one of the gap periods 736. The last gap period 736 may again allow the vUE to switch from transmission mode to reception mode, receive a UL control channel in the unicast transmission session and then switch back to transmission mode. The gap periods 736 of the Type 2 broadcast subframe 730 may be larger than those of the Type 1 broadcast subframe 710. This may permit a portion of each gap period (sensing period 738) in the Type 2 broadcast subframe 730 to also be used for sensing. In the sensing period 738, a control or data transmission from the other vUEs may be received by the vUE. The sensing period 738 may be disposed in the middle of the gap period 736. The data provided from the other UE during the sensing period 738 may be used by the UE to adjust the MCS and/or channel (e.g., channel hop), among others, after the current subframe structure, that is, immediately after the current slot or subframe or after a predetermined number of slots or subframes after the current slot or subframe. The change may be signaled to the UE(s) in the next DLCC. The control data may be, for example, a reference signal (such as a sounding reference signal), response to a reference signal (such as a channel reference signal) or an AC NACK for unicast data provided previously in the same or a different frequency. The sensing data may be for the channel on which the broadcast is transmitted or for a different channel.

[0076] The different types of subframes 710, 730 can be combined using one or both frequency division multiplexing (FDM) or time division

multiplexing (TDM) among different vUEs. Each vUE may be able to FDM and/or TDM a DL unicast transmission and a Type 2 broadcast transmission. Each vUE may make an individual determination whether to FDM or TDM a DL unicast transmission and a Type 2 broadcast transmission. Each vUE can also TDM a UL unicast transmission in either a Type 1 or Type 2 broadcast transmission. FDM and TDM can be used for DL/UL unicast transmissions and Type 1 or 2 broadcast transmission of different vUEs. The use of a type 2 broadcast subframe may enable broadcast transmission at a UE that also has unicast downlink transmission, A half-duplex UE may not be able to simultaneously transmit a signal in some frequencies and receive signal in other frequencies. Therefore, a half-duplex UE may be unable to have a subframe with broadcast and uplink unicast simultaneously. [0077] FIG. 8 illustrates multiplexing in a subframe in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 8 illustrates multiple different PRBs used by different vUEs in different slots (slot k and slot (k+1)) of the subframe 810. Each PRB may include, for example, 6 subcarriers. As described, each slot in the subframe and each PRB may be independently assigned to a vUE and may be

independently determined to be a unicast or broadcast transmission. Thus, for example, different slots of the same PRB may be assigned to different vUEs, and different PRBs of the same slot may be assigned to the same vUE.

[0078] FIG. 8 may be associated with 1-6 different vUEs. Not ail of the vUEs may be communicating in each slot. For example, in one of the slots one of the vUEs may use FDM, while in the pair slots multiple vUEs may use TDM. Although shown as adjacent, in some embodiments the PRBs may not be adjacent. In particular, the frequency /time resource in a first PRB and first slot {PRB#n, siot#k} of the subframe 810 may be used by a vUE (vUE#l) for Type 1 broadcasting. The frequency /time resource in a different PRB and the same slot {PRB#(n+l ), slot#k} may be used by a different vUE (vUE#2). The other vUE may be used for DL unicasting rather than Type 1 broadcasting. Moreover, the frequency /time resource in a third PRB and the same slot (PRB#(n+2), slot#k} may be used by vUE#2 for Type 2 broadcasting simultaneously with the unicasting used in PRB#(n+l). Thus, PRB #(n+l) and PRB #(n+2) may be multiplexed for vUE#2 using FDM.

[0079] The frequency/time resource in the first PRB and the second slot of the subframe { PRB #(n), slot#(k+l) } may be used by vUE#2 for DL unicasting. Thus, PRB #(n) may be multiplexed using TOM to provide resources for vUE#l and vUE#2. The frequency/time resource in (PRB#(n+l), slot#(k+ l)} may be used by vUE#l for Type 1 broadcasting. Thus, PRB #(n+l) may be multiplexed using TDM to provide unicast and broadcast resources for vUE#2. The frequency/time resource in {PRB#(n+2), slot#(k+l)} may be used by yet another vUE (vUE#3) for UL unicasting.

[008Θ] To initiate a broadcast, a vUE may first announce a broadcast in a control channel element. As above, the control channel element that carries the broadcast announcement may be a common control element that can be decoded by all vUEs satisfying a predefined rule generated by the vUE system. For example, the common control element may be scrambled using the vUE ID or an ID known to all receiving tUEs (e.g., vUEs). The control channel element, as shown in FIGS. 7 A and 7B, for example, may be transmitted in the first one or first few OFDM symbols in one or more PRBs. The vUE may select the time/frequency resource for transmitting the control channel element based on a set resource selection function. The resource selection function can either be predefined and stored in a memory of the vUE or transmitted to the vUE in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message from the EUTRAN or another vUE, for example. The vUEs that are not transmitting may monitor the control channel. Once a broadcasting announcement is detected, the vUEs may proceed to detect the corresponding broadcasting code blocks in the broadcast channel following the scheduling commands signaled in the control channel.

[0081 J The control channel elements (CCEs) for broadcasting announcement, DL unicast scheduling, UL imicast scheduling may be frequency division multiplexed among the frequency resources in the first one or a few OFDM symbols of a subframe. FIG. 9 illustrates frequency division multiplexing in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 9, four different frequency resource groups 910 are shown, with two frequency resource groups assigned to each of two different vUEs. In different embodiments, the frequency resource elements within a group can occupy a continuous or a discontinuous set of subcarriers.

[0082] FIG. 10 illustrates a control element information block in accordance with some embodiments. Each control channel element shown in FIG. 9 may contain the control element information block 1010. For the control element information block 1010 carrying the broadcast announcement, the control information payload may contain, as above, the broadcast vUE ID 1016, the broadcast/unicast indication 1012, the control channel type indication 1014, the indication of the time/frequency resource used for the broadcast data transmission 1022, the indication of the MCS level used for the broadcast 1018 and the CRC 1024. Although the fields of the control channel element 1010 are shown in a particular order in FIG. 10, in other embodiments, the fields may be in a different order, such as the vUE ID 1016 being disposed before the control channel type indication 1014. [0083] As indicated the indication of whether the broadcast channel contains a broadcast or unicast data may be disposed in the first bit of the control element information block 1010. In different embodiments, the time/frequency resource used for broadcasting the data transmission 1022 may or may not be explicitly signaled in the control element information block 1010. Depending on whether the resource scheduling is explicitly signaled, two types of control element information blocks 1010 may thus be used by the vUE. The control, channel type may be indicated by the control channel type indication field 1014. The control channel type indication 1014 may be disposed immediately after the broadcast unicast indication 1012 and before the broadcast vUE ID 1016. The control channel type indication 1014 may thus indicate the payload length of the control element information block 1010.

[0084J When the resource scheduling is not explicitly signaled by the time/frequency resource indication 1022, the broadcast resource may be inferred by the receiving vUE or nUE using a predetermined resource allocation function. In one example, the resource used for broadcasting can be a function of the vUE ID prov iding the broadcast and the frequency resource element group index in which the broadcast announcement is transmitted. The function may be, for example, a mathematical combination of the two (e.g., addition) and then application of a mod function to limit the PRE number.

[0085] The MCS index 1018 may indicate the MCS that is being used by the transmission, based on channel conditions of the broadcast resource to be used. The MCS determination may be made based on measurements made by- one or more vUEs on ceil specific reference signals transmitted on the broadcast resource to be used. The CRC 1 24 may be used by the receiving vUE for error detection of the control element information block 1010.

[0086J FIG. 11 illustrates a data block in accordance with some embodiments. The broadcast channel may contain a data block 1110 of a predetermined number of bits. As above, the data block 110 may contain a broadcast TB index 1 112, a broadcast code block (CB) index 1 114, and a broadcast code block 1116. As shown, the TB index 1112 and CB index 1114 may be concatenated with the broadcast code block 1116 containing data to be broadcast. The vUE may encode and repeat the broadcast TB dependent on the data contained within the broadcast. For example, each mission critical broadcast TB may be encoded using a low rate (e.g., compared to a non-mission critical broadcast TB) and repeated multiple times to enhance reliability.

Θ087] The TB and CB of each TB may be indexed to ensure ordered reception. The TB index 1 1 12 and the CB index 11 14 can be carried in layer 2 (L2) PDU header. To achieve coherent combining gam if beamforming is used, the TB index 11 12 and the CB index 11 14 may be signaled in the L data packet. The TB index 11 12 and the CB index 11 14 can be decoded initially after reception by the recei ving vUE. Following decoding of the TB index 1112 and the CB index 1 14, different broadcast channels carrying the same TB and CB (e.g., that use different PRBs, such as PRBs that have been FDMed) can be coherently combined and decoded. As above, although the fields of the data block 1110 are shown in a particular order in FIG. 11, in otlier embodiments, the fields may be in a different order, such as the TB index 1112 and the CB index 1 114 positions being swapped.

[0088] FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart of providing a broadcast in accordance with some embodiments. The operations of the flowchart may be performed by any of the vUEs shown in FIGs. 1-4. Other operations to communicate broadcast data may not be shown for convenience. Although transmission of the announcement and the broadcast are shown as split in FIG. 12, the

[0089] At operation 1202, the vUE may select one or more

time/frequency resources (PRB) on which to transmit a broadcast. The vUE may select the time/frequency resource for transmitting a control channel element and data based on a resource selection function that is predefined or indicated from the EUTRAN or another vUE via RRC signaling.

[0090J The vUE may at operation 1204 announce a broadcast in a control channel element of a broadcast subframe in the time/frequency resource selected. A common control element may be used that can be decoded by all vUEs and may be transmitted in the first one or few OFDM symbols in one or more PRBs. The control channel element may contain a broadcast vUE ID of the vUE broadcasting, the broadcast/unicast indication, the control channel type indication, the indication of the time/frequency resource used for the broadcast data transmission, the indication of the MCS level used for the broadcast and the CRC. The control channel elements for a broadcasting announcement, DL unicast scheduling, UL unicast scheduling may be FDMed among the frequency resources in the first one or a first 2-4 OFDM symbols of the broadcast subframe. The frequency resource elements within a group can occupy a continuous or discontinuous number of subcarriers. The time/frequency resource used for the broadcast data transmission may or may not be explicitly signaled in the control channel. A control channel type indication in the control channel element may indicate whether the time/frequency resource for broadcasting data transmission is or is not explicitly signaled in the control channel.

[0091] At operation 1206, the vUE may broadcast data in the broadcast channel. The vUE may use either a Type 1 broadcast subframe that contains broadcast data only in the broadcast channel, or a Type 2 broadcast subframe that contains broadcast and unicast data in the broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may be scrambled by the vUE ID of the vUE broadcasting the data. The unicast data in a Type 2 broadcast subframe may be scrambled by the vUE ID of the vUE receiving the unicast data. The broadcast data may contain a broadcast code block index, a transport block index and a broadcast code block.

Independent of the broadcast subframe type, the broadcast subframe may contain the control channel and a gap period to permit switching between the transmit and receive chain in the broadcast vUE, In a Type 2 broadcast subframe, which may contain multiple gap periods, UL sensing may be performed by the broadcast vUE during a portion of one or more of the gap periods. The broadcast subframe can be TDMed (same subframe) and/or FDMed with a unicast subframe. In some embodiments, the vUE may FDM or TDM a DL unicast transmission and a Type 2 broadcast transmission. The vUE may also TDM a UL unicast transmission and either Type 1 or Type 2 broadcast transmission. The DL or UL unicast transmissions and Type 1 or 2 broadcast transmission of different vUEs may also be FDMed or TDMed.

[0092] vUEs that are not transmitting may monitor the control channel.

Once the broadcasting announcement of operation 1204 is detected, the vUEs may proceed to detect the corresponding broadcasting code blocks in the broadcast channel following the scheduling commands signaled in the control channel.

[0093] Examples

[0094] Example 1 is an apparatus of user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: a memory; and processing circuitry in communication with the memory and arranged to: encode, for broadcast to another UE through a sideiink interface, a broadcast subframe comprising a broadcast subframe structure, the broadcast subframe structure comprising a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) and a broadcast channel (BC) following the DLCC, the BC comprising data and an index associated with the data, the broadcast subframe structure having a different subframe structure than a unicast subframe structure;

configure the broadcast subframe and another subframe in at least one of a frequency division multiplex (EDM) subframe structure in which the broadcast subframe and another subframe are provided in different frequency resources at a same time or a time division multiplex (TDM) subframe structure in which the broadcast subframe and the other subframe are provided in a same frequency resource in different slots of the broadcast subframe; and send, for broadcast through the sideiink interface, the broadcast subframe in accordance with either the EDM or TOM subframe structure.

[0095] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 optionally includes, wherein: the broadcast subframe structure further comprises a gap period adjacent to the BC, the DLCC comprises a broadcast identity (ID) that indicates an ID of the UE to scramble the BC, a broadcast-unicast indication that indicates a type of subframe structure, broadcast or unicast, and if broadcast, which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data is contained in the broadcast subframe structure, a control channel type that indicates whether a time- frequency resource is present in the DLCC, the time-frequency resource indicates a resource used for the broadcast data transmission, a modulation and coding (MCS) level used for the BC, and the cyclic redundancy code (CRC), and the DLCC is scrambled with a UE ID different from the broadcast ID, the UE ID and broadcast ID stored in the memory. [0096] In Example 3, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples

1-2 optionally include, wherein: the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast structure type of the broadcast subframe, the broadcast structure type comprises a first structure type and a second structure type, and the first structure type comprises fewer than two BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs.

[0097] In Example 4, the subject matter of Example 3 optionally includes, wherein: a first BC in the second stmcture type comprises a data type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast- unicast type subframe, the data type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast.

[0098] In Example 5, the subject matter of Example 4 optionally includes, wherein: a number of symbols in one of the first and second BC is independent of a number of symbols in another of the first and second BC.

[0099] In Example 6, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples

3-5 optionally include, wherein: a broadcast gap period is disposed between a first and second BC of the broadcast subframe structure.

[00100] In Example 7, the subject matter of Example 6 optionally includes, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: detect uplink (UL) data from the other UE during a sensing period of the broadcast gap period, and adjust broadcast of a next broadcast subframe after the broadcast subframe in response to a determination that the UL data is control data that indicates a transmission characteristic of the next broadcast subframe is to be adjusted.

[00101] In Example 8, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples

3-7 optionally include, wherein: the FDM subframe structure comprises a plurality of different physical resource blocks (PRBs) in a slot of the broadcast subframe, FDM subframe structures in the different PRBs independent of each other and selected from among a unicast structure, the first structure type and the second structure type, and the TDM subframe stmcture comprises TDM subframe structures in different slots of the broadcast subframe, the TDM subframe structures configured to occupy a same PRB, the TDM subframe structures independent of each other and selected from among the unicast stmcture, the first stmcture type and the second stmcture type. [00102] In Example 9, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples

1-8 optionally include, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send, for transmission to the other UE, a broadcast announcement that indicates a physical resource block (PRB) of the BC, the broadcast announcement transmitted in a channel control element of a predetermined PRB that is decodable by a plurality UEs, the predetermined PRB one of predefined in a standard and stored in the memory or provided in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[00103] In Example 10, the subject matter of Example 9 optionally includes, wherein: the broadcast announcement is contained in discontinuous subcarriers of a set of continuous subcarriers that form a frequency resource group element.

[00104] In Example 11, the subject matter of any one or more of

Examples 1-10 optionally include, wherein: the data comprises a broadcast code block of the BC and the index of the BC comprises a transport block index and code block index disposed before the broadcast code block, the transport block index configured to indicate a sequence of the BC and the code block index configured to indicate a sequence of the broadcast code block.

[00105] In Example 12, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1- 11 optionally include, wherein: the UE is a vehicle UE.

[00106] In Example 13, the subject matter of any one or more of

Examples 1-12 optionally include, wherein: the processing circuitry comprises a baseband processor, and the apparatus further comprises a transceiver configured to communicate with the other UE.

[00107] Example 14 is an apparatus of user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: a memory; and processing circuitry in communication with the memory and arranged to: decode a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) received from another UE through a sidelink interface; determine from the DLCC that a broadcast channel (BC) after the DLCC comprises broadcast data, the DLCC and BC configured to form a broadcast subframe structure; decode an index associated with the broadcast data, the index received from the other UE through the sidelink; and coherently combine and decode, dependent on the index, a code block comprising the broadcast data, the code block received from the other UE through the sidelink.

[00108] In Example 15, the subject matter of Example 14 optionally includes, wherein; the DLCC comprises a broadcast identity (ID) that indicates an ID of the UE that scrambled the BC, a broadcast-unicast indication that indicates a type of subframe structure, broadcast or unicast, and if broadcast, which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data, is contained in the broadcast subframe structure, a control channel type that indicates whether a time- frequency resource is present in the DLCC, the time-frequency resource indicates a resource used for the BC, a modulation and coding (MCS) level used for the BC, and the cyclic redundancy code (CRC), and the DLCC is scrambled with a UE ID different from the broadcast ID, the UE ID and broadcast ID stored m the memory.

[00109] In Example 16, the subject matter of Example 15 optionally includes, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: determine the resource used for the BC based on at least one of the UE ID and a frequency resource element group index in which the DLCC is transmitted in response to the DLCC being free from the time-frequency resource,

[00110] In Example 17, the subject matter of any one or more of

Examples 14- 16 optionally include, wherein: the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast stracture type of the broadcast subframe, the broadcast structure type comprises a first structure type and a second structure type, and the first structure type comprises fewer than two BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs.

[00111] In Example i 8, the subject matter of Example 17 optionally includes, wherein: a first BC in the second structure type comprises a data type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast- unicast type subframe, the data type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast.

[00112] In Example 19, the subject matter of Example 18 optionally includes, wherein: a number of symbols in one of the first and second BC is independent of a number of symbols in another of the first and second BC. [00113] In Example 20, the subject matter of any one or more of

Examples 17-19 optionally include, wherein: the broadcast subframe structure further comprises a broadcast gap period between a first and second BC of the broadcast subframe structure.

[00114] In Example 21, the subject matter of Example 20 optionally includes, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: generate, for transmission to the other UE, uplink (UL) data during a sensing period of the broadcast gap period, and adjust reception of another BC on a same set of frequency resources used by the BC after the BC in response to an indication in the UL data that a characteristic of the BC is to be adjusted.

[00115] In Example 22, the subject matter of any one or more of

Examples 17—21 optionally include, wherein: the processing circuitry is further configured to decode one of a frequency division multiplex (FDM) subframe structure or a time division multiplex (TDM) subframe structure comprising the broadcast subframe structure, the FDM subframe structure comprises a plurality of different physical resource blocks (PRBs) in a slot of a broadcast subframe comprising the broadcast subframe structure, FDM subframe structures in the different PRBs independent of each other and selected from among a unicast structure, the first structure type and the second structure type, and the TDM subframe structure comprises TDM subframe structures in different slots of the broadcast subframe, the TDM subframe structures configured to occupy a same PRB, the TDM subframe structures independent of each other and selected from among the unicast structure, the first structure type and the second structure type.

[00116] In Example 23, the subject matter of any one or more of

Examples 14 22 optionally include, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: decode, from the other UE, a broadcast announcement that indicates a physical resource block (PRB) of the BC, the broadcast

announcement transmitted in a channel control element of a predetermined PRB that is decodable by a plurality UEs, the predetermined PRB one of predefined in a standard and stored in the memory or provided in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[00117] In Example 24, the subject matter of any one or more of

Examples 14-23 optionally include, wherein: the data comprises a broadcast code block of the BC and the index of the BC comprises a transport block index and code block index disposed before the broadcast code block, the transport block index configured to indicate a sequence of the BC and the code block index configured to indicate a sequence of the broadcast code block.

[00118] Example 25 is a computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a vehicle user equipment (vUE), the one or more processors to: broadcast to another vUE through a sidelink interface in a broadcast subframe comprising a broadcast subframe structure, the broadcast subframe stmcture comprising a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) and a broadcast channel (BC) following the DLCC, the DLCC comprising a broadcast-unicast indication that indicates that the broadcast subframe comprises the broadcast subframe structure and which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data is contained in the broadcast subframe structure, the BC comprising data and an index associated with the data that enables the data to be coherently combined and decoded; and broadcast the broadcast subframe to the other UE through the sidelink interface.

[00119] In Example 26, the subject matter of Example 25 optionally includes, wherein: the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast structure type of the broadcast subframe, the broadcast stmcture type comprises a first stmcture type and a second stmcture type, the first stmcture type comprises fewer than two BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs separated by a broadcast gap period, and a first BC in the second stmcture type comprises a data type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast-unicast type subframe, the data type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast,

[00120] In Example 27, the subject matter of Example 26 optionally includes, wherein the instmctions further instruct the processor to: detect sensing data from the other vUE during a sensing period of the broadcast gap period, and adjust transmission on a resource in which the BC is transmitted after transmission of the BC based on the sensing data.

[00121] Example 28 is an apparatus of a vehicle user equipment (vUE), the apparatus comprising: means for broadcasting to another vUE through a sidelink interface in a broadcast subframe comprising a broadcast subframe structure, the broadcast subframe structure comprising a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) and a broadcast channel (BC) following the DLCC, the DLCC comprising a broadcast-unicast indication that indicates a type of subframe structure, broadcast or unicast, and if broadcast, which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data is contained in the broadcast subframe structure, the BC comprising data and an index associated with the data that enables the data to be coherently combined and decoded; and means for broadcasting the broadcast subframe to the oilier UE through the si delink interface.

[00122] In Example 29, the subject matter of Example 28 optionally includes, wherein: the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast structure type of the broadcast subframe, the broadcast structure type comprises a first structure type and a second structure type, the first structure type comprises fewer than two BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs separated by a broadcast gap period, and a first BC in the second structure type comprises a data type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast-unicast type subframe, the data type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast,

[00123] In Example 30, the subject matter of Example 29 optionally includes, further comprising: means for detecting sensing data from the other vUE during a sensing period of the broadcast gap period, and means for adjusting transm ission on a resource in which the BC is transmitted after transmission of the BC based on the sensing data.

[00124] Example 31 is a method of broadcasting for a vehicle user equipment (vUE), the method comprising: broadcasting to another vUE through a sidelink interface in a broadcast subframe comprising a broadcast subframe structure, the broadcast subframe structure comprising a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) and a broadcast channel (BC) following the DLCC, the DLCC comprising a b oadcast-unicast indication that indicates that the broadcast subframe comprises the broadcast subframe structure and which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data is contained in the broadcast subframe structure, the BC comprising data and an index associated with the data that enables the data to be coherently combined and decoded; and broadcasting the broadcast subframe to the other UE through the sidelink interface. [00125] In Example 32, the subject matter of Example 31 optionally includes, wherein: the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast structure type of the broadcast subframe, the broadcast structure type comprises a first structure type and a second structure type, the first structure type comprises fewer than two BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs separated by a broadcast gap period, and a first BC in the second structure type comprises a data type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast-unicast type subframe, the data type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast.

[00126] In Example 33, the subject matter of Example 32 optionally includes, further comprising: detecting sensing data from the other vUE during a sensing period of the broadcast gap period, and adjusting transmission on a resource in which the BC is transmitted after transmission of the BC based on the sensing data.

[00127] Although an embodiment has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The

accompanying drawings that form a part hereof show, by way of illustration, and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[00128] The subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term "embodiment" merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and oilier embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

[00129] In this document, the terms "a" or "an" are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of "at least one" or "one or more." In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B," unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein." Also, in the following claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, a system, UE, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[00130] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim . Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

processing circuitry in communication with the memory and arranged to: encode, for broadcast to another UE through a sidelink interface, a broadcast subframe comprising a broadcast subframe structure, the broadcast subframe structure comprising a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) and a broadcast channel (BC) following the DLCC, the BC comprising data and an index associated with the data, the broadcast subframe structure having a different subframe structure than a unicast subframe structure;

configure the broadcast subframe and another subframe in at least one of a frequency division multiplex (FDM) subframe structure in which the broadcast subframe and another subframe are provided in different frequency resources at a same time or a time division multiplex (TDM) subframe structure in which the broadcast subframe and the other subframe are provided in a same frequency resource in different slots of the broadcast subframe; and

send, for broadcast through the sidelink interface, the broadcast subframe in accordance with either the FDM or TDM subframe structure .

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the broadcast subframe structure further comprises a gap period adjacent to the BC,

the DLCC comprises a broadcast identity (ID) that indicates an ID of the UE to scramble the BC, a broadcast-unicast indication that indicates a type of subframe structure, broadcast or unicast, and if broadcast, which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data is contained in the broadcast subframe structure, a control channel type that indicates whether a time-frequency resource is present in the DLCC, the time-frequency resource indicates a resource used for the broadcast data transmission, a modulation and coding (MCS) level used for the BC, and the cyclic redundancy code (CRC), and

the DLCC is scrambled with a UE ID different from the broadcast ID, ths UE ID and broadcast ID stored in the memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast structure type of the broadcast subframe, the broadcast structure type comprises a first structure type and a second structure type, and the first structure type comprises fewer than twc BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

a first BC in the second structure type comprises a data type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast-unicast typ« subframe, the data type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

a number of symbols in one of the first and second BC is independent of a number of symbols in another of the first and second BC.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

a broadcast gap period is disposed between a first and second BC of the broadcast subframe structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

detect uplink (UL) data from the other UE during a sensing period of the broadcast gap period, and

adjust broadcast of a next broadcast subframe after the broadcast subframe in response to a determination that the UL data is control data that indicates a transmission characteristic of the next broadcast subframe is to be adj usted.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the FDM subframe structure comprises a plurality of different physical resource blocks (PRBs) in a slot of the broadcast subframe, FDM subframe structures in the different PRBs independent of each other and selected from among a unicast structure, the first structure type and the second structure type, and

the TDM subframe structure comprises TDM subframe stmctures in different slots of the broadcast subframe, the TDM subframe stmctures configured to occupy a same PRB, the TDM subframe stmctures independent of each other and selected from among the unicast structure, the first stmcture type and the second structure type.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

send, for transmission to the other UE, a broadcast announcement that indicates a physical resource block (PRB) of the BC, the broadcast

announcement transmitted in a channel control element of a predetermined PRB that is decodable by a plurality UEs, the predetermined PRB one of predefined in a standard and stored in the memory or provided in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling,

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the broadcast announcement is contained in discontinuous subcarriers of a set of continuous subcarriers that form a frequency resource group element.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the data comprises a broadcast code block of the BC and the index of the BC comprises a transport block index and code block index disposed before the broadcast code block, the transport block index configured to indicate a sequence of the BC and the code block index configured to indicate a sequence of the broadcast code block.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the UE is a vehicle UE.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the processing circuitry comprises a baseband processor, and the apparatus further comprises a transceiver configured to communicate with the other UE.

14. An apparatus of user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

processing circuitry in communication with the memory and arranged to: decode a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) received from another UE through a side link interface:

determine from the DLCC that a broadcast channel (BC) after the DLCC comprises broadcast data, the DLCC and BC configured to form a broadcast subframe structure:

decode an index associated with the broadcast data, the index received from the other UE through the sidelink; and

coherently combine and decode, dependent on the index, a code block comprising the broadcast data, the code block received from the other UE through the sidelink.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the DLCC comprises a broadcast identity (ID) that indicates an ID of the UE that scrambled the BC, a broadcast-unicast indication that indicates a type of subframe structure, broadcast or unicast, and if broadcast, which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data is contained in the broadcast subframe structure, a control channel type that indicates whether a time-frequency resource is present in the DLCC, the time-frequency resource indicates a resource used for the BC, a modulation and coding (MCS) level used for the BC, and the cyclic redundancy code (CRC), and

the DLCC is scrambled with a UE ID different from the broadcast ID, the UE ID and broadcast ID stored in the memory.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine the resource used for the BC based on at least one of the UE ID and a frequency resource element group index in which the DLCC is transmitted in response to the DLCC being free from the time -frequency resource.

17. The apparatus of any one or more of claims 14-16, wherein:

the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast structure type of the broadcast subframe, the broadcast structure type comprises a first structure type and a second structure type, and the first structure type comprises fewer than two BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

a first BC in the second structure type comprises a data type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast-unicast type subframe, the data, type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

a number of symbols in one of the first and second BC is independent of a number of symbols in another of the first and second BC.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the broadcast subframe structure further comprises a broadcast gap period between a first and second BC of the broadcast subframe structure.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

generate, for transmission to the other UE, uplink (UL) data during a sensing peri od of the broad cast gap period, and adjust reception of another BC on a same set of frequency resources used by the BC after the BC in response to an indication in the UL data that a characteristic of the BC is to be adjusted.

22. Hie apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the processing circuitry is further configured to decode one of a frequency division multiplex (FDM) subframe structure or a time division multiplex (TDM) subframe structure comprising the broadcast subframe structure,

the FDM subframe structure comprises a plurality of different physical resource blocks (PRBs) in a slot of a broadcast subframe comprising the broadcast subframe stmcture, FDM subframe structures in the different PRBs independent of each oilier and selected from among a unicast structure, the first structure type and the second structure type, and

the TDM subframe stmcture comprises TDM subframe structures in different slots of the broadcast subframe, the TDM subframe structures configured to occupy a same PRE, the TDM subframe structures independent of each other and selected from among the unicast stmcture, the first stmcture type and the second structure type.

23. The apparatus of any one or more of claims 14- 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

decode, from the other UE, a broadcast announcement that indicates a physical resource block (PRB) of the BC, the broadcast announcement transmitted in a channel control element of a predetermined PRB that is decodable by a plurality UEs, the predetermined PRB one of predefined in a standard and stored in the memory or provided in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

24. The apparatus of any one or more of claims 14-16, wherein:

the data comprises a broadcast code block of the BC and the index of the BC comprises a transport block index and code block index disposed before the broadcast code block, the transport block index configured to indicate a sequence of the BC and the code block index configured to indicate a sequence of the broadcast code block.

25. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a vehicle user equipment (vUE), the one or more processors to:

broadcast to another vUE through a sidelink interface in a broadcast subfrarne comprising a broadcast subframe structure, the broadcast subframe structure comprising a downlink (DL) control channel (DLCC) and a broadcast channel (BC) following the DLCC, the DLCC comprising a broadcast-unicast indication that indicates a type of subframe structure, broadcast or umcast, and if broadcast, which of at least one of unicast or broadcast data is contained in the broadcast subframe structure,, the BC comprising data and an index associated with the data, that enables the data, to be coherently combined and decoded; and broadcast the broadcast subframe to the other UE through the sidelink interface.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein:

the DLCC comprises an indication of a broadcast structure type of the broadcast subframe,

the broadcast structure type comprises a first stracture type and a second structure type,

the first structure type comprises fewer than two BCs and the second type comprises a plurality of BCs separated by a broadcast gap period, and

a first BC in the second structure type comprises a data, type that is independent of the data type in at least a second BC in the broadcast-unicast type subframe, the data type of each of the first and second BC selectable among broadcast and unicast.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions further instruct the processor to:

detect sensing data from the other vUE during a sensing period of the broadcast gap period, and adjust transmission on a resource in which the BC is transmitted after transmission of the BC based on the sensing data.