A user equipment (UE) includes at least one processor configured to identify a channel access mechanism to gain access to an operating channel of unlicensed band, perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation over the operating channel according to the identified channel access mechanism and obtain a channel occupancy time (COT) for transmission and reception on the operating channel after the LBT operation is successful, and identify, within the COT, one or more switching points for the UE to switch from uplink (UL) transmission to downlink (DL) reception or from the DL reception to the UL transmission. The UE further includes a transceiver configured to transmit to or receive from a base station (BS) over the operating channel during the COT, and switch from the UL transmission to the DL reception or from the DL reception to the UL transmission based on the identified one or more switching points.