Communication method and apparatus, computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and device and a computer readable storage medium. The communication method comprises: sending quality of service (QoS) of at least one link in a multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the at least one link is determined according to at least end-to-end QoS. The application provides a scheme capable of splitting the QoS of a service in each link of the multi-hop relay communication link.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In New Radio (NR) evolution communication systems, it is necessary to study multi-hop terminal and terminal-to-UE relay (U2U relay) communication, that is, indirect communication between source edge terminal and target edge terminal through at least two relay terminals.

[0003] In multi-hop U2U relays, how to implement the Quality of Service (QoS) decomposition of services is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a scheme that enables the QoS of services to be split into different segments of a multi-hop relay communication link.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided for a terminal in a multi-hop relay communication link, the communication method comprising: sending the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the at least one segment of the link is determined at least based on end-to-end QoS.

[0007] Optionally, the Quality of Service (QoS) of the at least one link segment is determined based at least on the end-to-end QoS and the channel quality of the current link segment.

[0008] Optionally, the QoS of the at least one link is the QoS of each of the links in the multi-hop relay communication link. The QoS of each link is determined by the source edge terminal based at least on the end-to-end QoS and the first information, whereby the first information indicates the channel quality or suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link.

[0009] Optionally, before sending the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link, the method further includes: the source edge terminal receiving the first information.

[0010] Optionally, the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link includes: the source edge terminal sending the QoS of the corresponding segment of the link to each relay terminal and the target edge terminal.

[0011] Optionally, the QoS of the at least one link segment is the QoS of the current link segment, and the first user determines the QoS of the current link segment based on the end-to-end QoS. The first user is either the sending user or the receiving user of each link segment.

[0012] Optionally, the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link includes: the first user sending at least one of the following: the QoS of the current segment, the remaining QoS, and the remaining number of hops.

[0013] Optionally, the first user is the sending user of each link segment, and the first user sending the QoS, remaining QoS and remaining hop count of the current link segment includes: the first user sending the QoS, remaining QoS and remaining hop count of the current link segment to the receiving user of the current link segment.

[0014] Optionally, the first user is the receiving user of each link segment, and the first user sending the QoS, remaining QoS and remaining hop count of the current link segment includes: the first user sending the QoS of the current link segment to the sending user of the current link segment, and sending the remaining QoS and remaining hop count to the receiving user of the next link segment.

[0015] Optionally, before sending the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, the method further includes: the first user receiving first information, wherein the first information indicates the channel quality or suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link.

[0016] Optionally, the first information indicates the sum of suggested QoS of other links, or the suggested QoS of each of the other links, which are links in a multi-hop relay communication link other than the current segment link.

[0017] Optionally, receiving the first information includes: receiving the first information from the sending user in each link segment, or receiving the first information from the receiving user in each link segment.

[0018] Optionally, the first user is a relay terminal of the first segment of the multi-hop relay communication link, and before determining the QoS of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link based at least on the end-to-end QoS, the method further includes: the first user receiving second information, the second information indicating the end-to-end QoS of the source edge terminal and the target edge terminal and the total number of hops.

[0019] Secondly, this application also provides a communication method applied to a terminal in a multi-hop relay communication link, the communication method comprising: receiving at least the QoS of the current segment of the multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the current segment is determined at least based on the end-to-end QoS.

[0020] Optionally, before receiving at least the QoS of the current link segment, the method further includes: a second user sending first information, the first information indicating the channel quality or suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the second user is the sending user or receiving user of each link segment.

[0021] Optionally, receiving at least the QoS of the current link segment includes receiving the QoS of the current link segment, the remaining QoS, and the remaining hop count.

[0022] Optionally, before receiving at least the QoS of the current link segment, the method further includes: the source edge terminal sending second information, the second information indicating the end-to-end QoS and total hop count of the source edge terminal and the target edge terminal.

[0023] Thirdly, this application also provides a communication device, which includes: a communication module for transmitting the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of a multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the at least one segment of the link is determined at least based on end-to-end QoS.

[0024] Fourthly, this application also provides a communication device, the communication device comprising: a communication module, configured to receive at least the QoS of the current segment of a multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the current segment is determined at least based on the end-to-end QoS.

[0025] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0026] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and the processor executes the computer program to perform any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and the processor executes the computer program to perform any of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0028] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, on which a computer program is stored, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0029] Ninthly, a communication system is provided, including the aforementioned terminal equipment and the aforementioned network equipment.

[0030] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a chip (or data transmission device) on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by the chip, the steps of the above method are implemented.

[0031] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application also provide a system chip for use in a terminal. The chip system includes at least one processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected via a line. The at least one processor is used to execute instructions to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0033] In this application's technical solution, the terminal device transmits the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of a multi-hop relay communication link. The QoS of this at least one segment is determined based on the end-to-end QoS. This technical solution allows any terminal device in the multi-hop relay communication link to determine the QoS of at least one segment, for example, by determining the QoS of all link segments or the QoS of the current link segment. This achieves the decomposition of the service's QoS into the QoS of each link segment, ensuring communication quality.

[0034] Furthermore, in the technical solution of this application, the QoS of at least one link is the QoS of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The QoS of each link segment is determined by the source edge terminal based at least on the end-to-end QoS and the first information, whereby the first information indicates the channel quality or suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link. Other terminal devices in this technical solution can send the channel quality or suggested QoS of each link segment, so that the terminal device splitting the QoS can complete the QoS splitting of the service based on the above information, thereby matching the QoS of each link segment with the channel quality of that link segment, further ensuring communication quality. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a single-hop relay communication scenario in the prior art; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-hop relay communication scenario in the prior art; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is an interactive flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is an interactive flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is an interactive flowchart of another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is an interactive flowchart of another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is an interactive flowchart of another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 9 This is an interactive flowchart of another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The communication systems applicable to the embodiments of this application include, but are not limited to, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th-generation (5G) systems, New Radio (NR) systems, and future evolution systems or multiple converged communication systems. The 5G system can be a non-standalone (NSA) 5G system or a standalone (SA) 5G system. The technical solutions of this application are also applicable to different network architectures, including but not limited to relay network architectures, dual-connectivity architectures, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication architectures.

[0048] This application primarily relates to terminal devices and communication between terminal devices. Specifically:

[0049] In this application, "terminal equipment" can refer to various forms of access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations (MS), remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, wireless communication equipment, user agents, or user devices. Terminal equipment can also be cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal equipment in future 5G networks, or terminal equipment in future evolved Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), etc. This application does not limit the scope of these terms. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as User Equipment (UE), terminal, etc.

[0050] The network device in this application embodiment can also be called an access network device, for example, it can be a base station (BS) (also called a base station device). A network device is a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions. For example, in second-generation (2G) networks, the equipment providing base station functionality includes base transceiver stations (BTS); in third-generation (3G) networks, the equipment providing base station functionality includes nodes (NodeB); in fourth-generation (4G) networks, the equipment providing base station functionality includes evolved nodes (eNB); in wireless local area networks (WLANs), the equipment providing base station functionality is the access point (AP); in NR, the equipment providing base station functionality includes next-generation node base stations (gNBs) and further evolved nodes (ng-eNBs). gNBs and terminal devices communicate using NR technology, while ng-eNBs and terminal devices communicate using evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) technology. Both gNBs and ng-eNBs can connect to the 5G core network. The network devices in this application embodiment also include devices that provide base station functions in future new communication systems.

[0051] In existing technologies, to improve transmission coverage, a relay terminal can be introduced between the sending end (also known as the source edge terminal) and the receiving end (also known as the target edge terminal). The relay terminal can forward the received data to the receiving end, thereby expanding the sending range of the sending end.

[0052] Traditional relay terminals are responsible for forwarding data from terminal devices to the base station, or vice versa. However, with the introduction of direct communication between new terminal devices, a new type of relay terminal is needed to forward data between them, i.e., UE-to-UE relay. Specifically, in the New Radio (NR) version 18 system, single-hop U2U relay communication has been introduced, such as... Figure 1As shown, indirect communication between the source remote UE and the target remote UE is achieved through a relay UE. In multi-hop U2U relay communication scenarios, as... Figure 2 The two-hop U2U relay communication shown means that there are two relay terminals, relay UE1 and relay UE2, in this link.

[0053] QoS refers to the level of service (QoS) that allows terminal devices to achieve a predictable level of service in terms of packet loss rate, latency, jitter, and bandwidth during network communication. Existing technologies define different QoS Class Identifiers (QCIs) corresponding to different priorities and attributes of bearer types, providing different QoS levels for different services. In relay communication, the end-to-end communication quality (i.e., from the source edge terminal to the target edge terminal) still needs to meet the QoS requirements of the service. This involves how to distribute the end-to-end QoS across the various segments of the multi-hop relay communication link. When each segment meets the distributed QoS, the entire link naturally meets the QoS requirements of the service.

[0054] The technical solution of this application determines the QoS of at least one segment of the link by any terminal device in the multi-hop relay communication link, such as determining the QoS of all segments of the link, or determining the QoS of the current segment of the link, thereby realizing the decomposition of the QoS of the service to the QoS of each segment of the link and ensuring communication quality.

[0055] In this embodiment of the application, the source edge terminal refers to the terminal that needs to send data, that is, the terminal that initiates data transmission.

[0056] In this embodiment, the relay terminal is the terminal that forwards data.

[0057] In this embodiment of the application, the target terminal refers to the terminal that needs to receive data, that is, the target receiving terminal of the data.

[0058] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] See Figure 3 The method provided in this application specifically includes the following steps:

[0060] Step 302: The terminal device sends the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link.

[0061] Among them, the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one link is determined based on the end-to-end QoS.

[0062] In this embodiment, at least one link segment can be the current link segment. For example, with Figure 2 Taking the multi-hop relay communication link as an example, when the terminal device is a source edge terminal, the current link segment is the link between the source edge terminal and relay terminal 1; when the terminal device is relay terminal 1, the current link segment is the link between the source edge terminal and relay terminal 1; correspondingly, when the terminal device is relay terminal 2, the current link segment is the link between relay terminal 1 and relay terminal 2. In other words, the terminal device can determine QoS only for the current link segment.

[0063] In this embodiment, at least one link can also be all links in a multi-hop relay communication link. That is, the terminal device can determine QoS for all links in a multi-hop relay communication link.

[0064] In this embodiment, the terminal device can be the source edge terminal, the target edge terminal, or any relay terminal in a multi-hop relay communication link.

[0065] Furthermore, the terminal device can also execute step 301, whereby the terminal device obtains the first information.

[0066] In this embodiment, the first information includes the channel quality of the current link segment. That is, the terminal device determines the QoS of at least one link segment based on the end-to-end QoS and the channel quality of the current link segment.

[0067] In this embodiment, channel quality can be Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ), Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), or other appropriate parameters that can characterize channel quality.

[0068] Furthermore, the first information also includes the channel quality or proposed QoS of other segments of the multi-hop relay communication link besides the current segment. In this case, the channel quality or proposed QoS of the other segments is obtained by the terminal device from other terminal devices in the multi-hop relay communication link. For example, the terminal device is a source edge terminal, and the other terminal devices can be relay terminals and target edge terminals.

[0069] The following descriptions will be based on different embodiments, depending on the terminal performing QoS allocation for at least one link, the first information, and the content being sent. Several embodiments will be described using a two-hop relay communication link as an example, where the link between the source edge terminal and relay terminal 1 is link 1, the link between relay terminal 1 and relay terminal 2 is link 2, and the link between relay terminal 2 and the target edge terminal is link 3.

[0070] In practical applications, multi-hop relay communication links can also be any other implementable links, such as 3-hop relay communication links, 4-hop relay communication links, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions on them.

[0071] Example 1: The QoS of all segments in a multi-hop relay communication link is determined by the source edge terminal. The first information indicates the channel quality of at least one segment in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the transmitting node of each segment.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 4 In step 401, relay terminal 2 sends the channel quality of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal. Specifically, the channel quality of segment link 3 can be relayed to the source edge terminal via relay terminal 1.

[0073] In step 402, relay terminal 1 sends the channel quality of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0074] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 402, relay terminal 1 may also send the channel quality of segment link 2 and the channel quality of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal together after receiving the channel quality of segment link 3.

[0075] In step 403, the source edge terminal assigns its own QoS to each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link. Specifically, the source edge terminal can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 1, and then determine the QoS of each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link based on the end-to-end QoS, the channel quality of segment link 1, the channel quality of segment link 2, and the channel quality of segment link 3. That is, the QoS of segment link 1, the QoS of segment link 2, and the QoS of segment link 3.

[0076] Regarding the specific method of QoS allocation, the source edge terminal can allocate the end-to-end QoS to each link segment according to the channel quality of each link segment, or any other feasible method, and this application does not limit this.

[0077] In step 404, the source edge terminal sends the QoS of segment link 1, the QoS of segment link 2, and the QoS of segment link 3 to relay terminal 1.

[0078] In step 405, relay terminal 1 sends the QoS of segment link 2 and the QoS of segment link 3 to relay terminal 2.

[0079] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 405, relay terminal 1 may also send the QoS of segment link 1, the QoS of segment link 2, and the QoS of segment link 3 to relay terminal 2.

[0080] In step 406, relay terminal 2 sends the QoS of segment link 3 to the target edge terminal.

[0081] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 406, relay terminal 2 may also send the QoS of segment link 1, segment link 2, and segment link 3 to the target edge terminal.

[0082] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the steps in this embodiment do not represent a limitation on the execution order of the steps. For example, steps 401 and 402 can be executed simultaneously or separately at different times; correspondingly, steps 404 to 406 can be executed simultaneously or separately at different times.

[0083] Example 2: The QoS of all segments in the multi-hop relay communication link is determined by the source edge terminal. The first information indicates the suggested QoS of at least one segment in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the sending node of each segment.

[0084] Continue to refer to Figure 4 Unlike Embodiment 1, in step 401 of Embodiment 2, the target edge terminal sends the proposed QoS of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal. Specifically, the QoS of segment link 3 can be relayed to the source edge terminal via relay terminal 1 and relay terminal 2.

[0085] In step 402, relay terminal 2 sends the suggested QoS of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0086] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 402, relay terminal 1 may also send the suggested QoS of segment link 2 and the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal together after receiving the suggested QoS of segment link 3.

[0087] In step 403, the source edge terminal assigns its own QoS to each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link. Specifically, the source edge terminal can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment 1, and then determine the QoS of each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link based on the end-to-end QoS, the channel quality of segment 1, the proposed QoS of segment 2, and the proposed QoS of segment 3. That is, the QoS of segment 1, the QoS of segment 2, and the QoS of segment 3.

[0088] For more specific implementation details of steps 404 to 406, please refer to the aforementioned Embodiment 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0089] Example 3: The QoS of all segments in the multi-hop relay communication link is determined by the source edge terminal. The first information indicates the channel quality of at least one segment in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the receiving node of each segment.

[0090] Please refer to Figure 5 In step 501, the target edge terminal sends the channel quality of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal. Specifically, the channel quality of segment link 3 can be relayed to the source edge terminal via relay terminal 1 and relay terminal 2.

[0091] In step 502, relay terminal 2 sends the channel quality of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0092] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 502, after receiving the channel quality of segment link 3, relay terminal 2 may also send the channel quality of segment link 2 and the channel quality of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal via relay terminal 1.

[0093] In step 503, the source edge terminal assigns its own QoS to each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link. Specifically, the source edge terminal can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 1, and then determine the QoS of each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link based on the end-to-end QoS, the channel quality of segment link 1, the channel quality of segment link 2, and the channel quality of segment link 3. That is, the QoS of segment link 1, the QoS of segment link 2, and the QoS of segment link 3.

[0094] For more specific implementation methods of steps 504 to 506, please refer to steps 404 to 406 in the aforementioned Embodiments 1 and 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0095] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the steps in this embodiment do not represent a limitation on the execution order of the steps. For example, steps 501 and 502 can be executed simultaneously or separately at different times; correspondingly, steps 504 to 506 can be executed simultaneously or separately at different times.

[0096] Example 4: The QoS of all segments of the multi-hop relay communication link is determined by the source edge terminal. The first information indicates the suggested QoS of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the receiving node of each segment.

[0097] Continue to refer to Figure 5 Unlike Embodiment 3, in step 501 of Embodiment 4, the target edge terminal sends the proposed QoS of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal. Specifically, the QoS of segment link 3 can be relayed to the source edge terminal via relay terminal 1 and relay terminal 2.

[0098] In step 502, relay terminal 2 sends the suggested QoS of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0099] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 502, relay terminal 1 or relay terminal 2 may also send the suggested QoS of segment link 2 and the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal together after receiving the suggested QoS of segment link 3.

[0100] In step 503, the source edge terminal assigns its own QoS to each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link. Specifically, the source edge terminal can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment 1, and then determine the QoS of each segment of the multi-hop relay communication link based on the end-to-end QoS, the channel quality of segment 1, the proposed QoS of segment 2, and the proposed QoS of segment 3. That is, the QoS of segment 1, the QoS of segment 2, and the QoS of segment 3.

[0101] For more specific implementation details of steps 504 to 506, please refer to the aforementioned Embodiment 3, which will not be repeated here.

[0102] Example 5: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the transmitting node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the channel quality of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the transmitting node of each link segment.

[0103] Please refer to Figure 6 In step 601, relay terminal 2 sends the channel quality of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal and relay terminal 1.

[0104] In step 602, relay terminal 1 sends the channel quality of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0105] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 602, relay terminal 1 may also send the channel quality of segment link 2 and the channel quality of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal together after receiving the channel quality of segment link 3.

[0106] In step 603, the source edge terminal determines the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 1. Specifically, the source edge terminal can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 1 itself, and then determine the QoS of segment link 1 based on the end-to-end QoS, the channel quality of segment link 1, the channel quality of segment link 2, and the channel quality of segment link 3. Simultaneously, the source edge terminal can also determine the remaining QoS and the remaining hop count. For example, the remaining hop count is 2.

[0107] Regarding the specific method of QoS allocation, the source edge terminal can allocate the end-to-end QoS to each link segment according to the channel quality of each link segment, or any other feasible method, and this application does not limit this.

[0108] In step 604, the source edge terminal sends the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 1 to relay terminal 1.

[0109] In step 605, relay terminal 1 determines the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 2. Specifically, relay terminal 1 can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 2 itself. Then, relay terminal 1 determines the QoS of segment link 2 based on the remaining QoS received from the source edge terminal, the channel quality of segment link 2, and the channel quality of segment link 3. Simultaneously, relay terminal 1 can also determine the remaining QoS and remaining hop count at this time. For example, the remaining hop count is 1.

[0110] In step 606, relay terminal 1 sends the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 2 to relay terminal 2.

[0111] In this two-hop relay communication scenario, after relay terminal 1 allocates the QoS of segment link 2 to segment link 2, the remaining QoS is the QoS of segment link 3. That is, relay terminal 1 sends the QoS of segment link 2, the QoS of segment link 3, and the remaining hop count of 0 to relay terminal 2.

[0112] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 606, relay terminal 1 may also send the QoS of segment link 2 and the QoS of segment link 3 to relay terminal 2, and no longer send the remaining hop count.

[0113] In step 607, relay terminal 2 sends the QoS of segment link 3 to the target edge terminal.

[0114] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the steps in this embodiment do not represent a limitation on the execution order of the steps. For example, steps 601 and 602 can be executed simultaneously, or they can be executed separately at different times.

[0115] Example 6: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the transmitting node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the transmitting node of each link segment.

[0116] Continue to refer to Figure 6 Unlike Embodiment 5, in step 601 of Embodiment 6, relay terminal 2 sends the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to source edge terminal and relay terminal 1.

[0117] In step 602, relay terminal 1 sends the proposed QoS of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0118] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of step 602, relay terminal 1 may also send the suggested QoS of segment link 2 and segment link 3 together to the source edge terminal after receiving the suggested QoS of segment link 3, that is, the sum of the suggested QoS of segment link 2 and segment link 3. Taking latency as an example, if the suggested QoS of segment link 2 is 4ms and the suggested QoS of segment link 3 is 4ms, then relay terminal 1 can send the suggested QoS of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal as 4ms, or it can directly send the sum of the suggested QoS as 8ms.

[0119] In step 603, the source edge terminal determines the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 1. Specifically, the source edge terminal can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 1, and then determine the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 1 in the multi-hop relay communication link based on the end-to-end QoS, the channel quality of segment link 1, the proposed QoS of segment link 2, and the proposed QoS of segment link 3.

[0120] Accordingly, in step 605, relay terminal 1 determines the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 2 based on the remaining QoS received from the source edge terminal, the proposed QoS of segment link 2, and the proposed QoS of segment link 3. Specifically, relay terminal 1 determines the QoS of segment link 2, the QoS of segment link 3, and the remaining hop count of 0.

[0121] For more specific implementation methods of steps 604, 606 and 607, please refer to the aforementioned Embodiment 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0122] Example 7: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the transmitting node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the channel quality of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the receiving node of each link segment.

[0123] Please refer to Figure 7 In step 701, the target edge terminal sends the channel quality of segment link 3 to the source edge terminal and relay terminal 1.

[0124] In step 702, relay terminal 2 sends the channel quality of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0125] For more specific implementation methods of steps 703 to 707, please refer to steps 703 to 707 in the aforementioned embodiment 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0126] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the steps in this embodiment do not represent a limitation on the execution order of the steps. For example, steps 701 and 702 can be executed simultaneously, or they can be executed separately at different times.

[0127] Example 8: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the sending node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the receiving node of each link segment.

[0128] Continue to refer to Figure 7 Unlike Embodiment 7, in step 701 of Embodiment 8, relay terminal 2 sends the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to source edge terminal and relay terminal 1.

[0129] In step 702, relay terminal 2 sends the suggested QoS of segment link 2 to the source edge terminal.

[0130] For more specific implementation methods of steps 703 to 707, please refer to steps 703 to 707 in the aforementioned embodiment 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0131] Example 9: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the receiving node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the channel quality of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the sending node of each link segment.

[0132] Please refer to Figure 8 In step 801, relay terminal 2 sends the channel quality of segment link 3 to relay terminal 1.

[0133] In step 802, the source edge terminal sends the channel quality of segment link 1 to relay terminal 1.

[0134] Furthermore, the source edge terminal sends the end-to-end QoS and total hop count to relay terminal 1.

[0135] In step 803, relay terminal 1 determines the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 1. Specifically, relay terminal 1 can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 2, and then determine the QoS of segment link 1 based on the end-to-end QoS, the channel quality of segment link 1, the channel quality of segment link 2, and the channel quality of segment link 3. Simultaneously, relay terminal 1 can also determine the remaining QoS and remaining hop count. For example, the remaining hop count is 2.

[0136] Regarding the specific method of QoS allocation, relay terminal 1 can allocate the end-to-end QoS to each link segment according to the channel quality of each link segment, or any other feasible method, and this application does not limit this.

[0137] In step 804, relay terminal 1 sends the QoS of segment link 1 to the source edge terminal.

[0138] In step 805, relay terminal 1 sends the remaining QoS and remaining hop count to relay terminal 2.

[0139] In step 806, relay terminal 2 determines the QoS of segment link 2 and the QoS of segment link 3. Specifically, relay terminal 2 can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 3 itself, and can obtain the channel quality of segment link 2 from relay terminal 1; then, relay terminal 2 determines the QoS of segment link 2 and the QoS of segment link 3 based on the remaining QoS received from relay terminal 1, the channel quality of segment link 2, and the channel quality of segment link 3.

[0140] In step 807, relay terminal 2 sends the QoS of segment link 2 to relay terminal 1.

[0141] In step 808, relay terminal 2 sends the QoS of segment link 3 to the target edge terminal.

[0142] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the steps in this embodiment do not represent a limitation on the execution order of the steps. For example, steps 801 and 802 can be executed simultaneously or separately at different times; steps 804 and 805 can be executed simultaneously or separately at different times; steps 807 and 808 can be executed simultaneously or separately at different times.

[0143] Example 10: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the receiving node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the sending node of each link segment.

[0144] Continue to refer to Figure 8 Unlike the aforementioned embodiment 9, in step 801, relay terminal 2 transmits the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to relay terminal 1.

[0145] In step 802, the source edge terminal sends the proposed QoS of segment link 2 to relay terminal 1.

[0146] Furthermore, the source edge terminal sends the end-to-end QoS and total hop count to relay terminal 1.

[0147] Accordingly, in step 803, relay terminal 1 determines the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of segment link 1. Specifically, relay terminal 1 can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 2, and then relay terminal 1 determines the QoS of segment link 1 based on the end-to-end QoS, the proposed QoS of segment link 1, the channel quality of segment link 2, and the proposed QoS of segment link 3. Simultaneously, relay terminal 1 can also determine the remaining QoS and remaining hop count. For example, the remaining hop count is 2.

[0148] Accordingly, in step 806, relay terminal 2 determines the QoS of segment link 2 and the QoS of segment link 3. Specifically, relay terminal 2 can measure and obtain the channel quality of segment link 3 itself, and can obtain the suggested QoS of segment link 2 from relay terminal 1; then, relay terminal 2 determines the QoS of segment link 2 and the QoS of segment link 3 based on the remaining QoS received from relay terminal 1, the suggested QoS of segment link 2, and the channel quality of segment link 3.

[0149] For more specific implementation methods of steps 804, 805, 807 and 808, please refer to the aforementioned embodiment 9, which will not be repeated here.

[0150] Example 11: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the receiving node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the channel quality of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the receiving node of each link segment.

[0151] Unlike the aforementioned embodiment 9, in step 901, the target edge terminal sends the channel quality of segment link 3 to relay terminal 2.

[0152] In step 902, relay terminal 2 sends the channel quality of segment link 2 and the channel quality of segment link 3 to relay terminal 1.

[0153] For more specific implementation details of steps 903 to 908, please refer to the aforementioned embodiment 9, which will not be repeated here.

[0154] Example 12: The QoS of the current link segment is determined by the receiving node of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The first information indicates the suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link, and the first information is provided by the receiving node of each link segment.

[0155] Unlike the aforementioned embodiment 11, in step 901, the target edge terminal sends the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to the relay terminal 2.

[0156] In step 902, relay terminal 2 sends the suggested QoS of segment link 2 and the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to relay terminal 1. Alternatively, relay terminal 2 sends the sum of the suggested QoS of segment link 2 and the suggested QoS of segment link 3 to relay terminal 1.

[0157] For more specific implementation details of steps 903 to 908, please refer to the aforementioned embodiment 10, which will not be repeated here.

[0158] It is understood that, in specific implementations, the communication method can be implemented using a software program, which runs in a processor integrated within the chip or chip module. The method can also be implemented using a combination of software and hardware; this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0159] Please refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 A communication device 100 is shown, which may include:

[0160] The communication module 1001 is used to send the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of a multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the at least one segment of the link is determined at least based on the end-to-end QoS.

[0161] In another embodiment, the communication module 1001 is configured to receive at least the QoS of the current segment of a multi-hop relay communication link, the QoS of the current segment being determined at least based on the end-to-end QoS.

[0162] In specific implementations, the aforementioned communication device 100 may correspond to a chip with communication function in a terminal device, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a baseband chip, etc.; or to a chip module in a terminal device that includes a power control parameter determination function; or to a chip module with a data processing function; or to a terminal device.

[0163] Other relevant descriptions of the communication device 100 can be found in the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0164] Regarding the modules / units included in the various devices and products described in the above embodiments, they can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or a combination of both. For example, for devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs running on a processor integrated within the chip, while the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip module, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components of the chip module, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. The implementation is achieved through a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the chip module. The remaining modules / units (if any) can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For various devices and products applied to or integrated into terminal equipment, each of their modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components within the terminal equipment. Alternatively, at least some modules / units can be implemented using a software program that runs on a processor integrated within the terminal equipment, while the remaining modules / units (if any) can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits.

[0165] This application also discloses a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon. The computer program can be executed when it runs. Figures 1 to 3 The steps of the method shown are illustrated. The storage medium may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk, etc. The storage medium may also include non-volatile memory or non-transitory memory, etc.

[0166] Please refer to Figure 11 This application also provides a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device. The device includes a processor 1101, a memory 1102, and a transceiver 1103.

[0167] Processor 1101 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of the program according to the present application. Processor 1101 may also include multiple CPUs, and processor 1101 can be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. Here, processor can refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0168] The memory 1102 can be a ROM or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, RAM or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or it can be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer. This application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this. The memory 1102 can exist independently (in this case, the memory 1102 can be located outside or inside the device) or it can be integrated with the processor 1101. The memory 1102 may contain computer program code. The processor 1101 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 1102 to implement the method provided in this application embodiment.

[0169] The processor 1101, memory 1102, and transceiver 1103 are connected via a bus. The transceiver 1103 is used to communicate with other devices or communication networks. Optionally, the transceiver 1103 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The device in the transceiver 1103 that implements the receiving function can be considered as a receiver, and the receiver is used to perform the receiving steps in the embodiments of this application. The device in the transceiver 1103 that implements the transmitting function can be considered as a transmitter, and the transmitter is used to perform the transmitting steps in the embodiments of this application.

[0170] when Figure 11The schematic diagram shown illustrates the structure of the terminal device involved in the above embodiments. The processor 1101 is used to control and manage the actions of the terminal device. For example, the processor 1101 supports the terminal device in performing the actions described in the embodiments of this application. The processor 1101 can communicate with other network entities through the transceiver 1103, for example, with the other terminal devices mentioned above. The memory 1102 is used to store the program code and data of the terminal device.

[0171] In this application embodiment, a one-way communication link from the access network to the terminal device is defined as a downlink, and the data transmitted on the downlink is called downlink data. The transmission direction of the downlink data is called the downlink direction. On the other hand, a one-way communication link from the terminal device to the access network is defined as an uplink, and the data transmitted on the uplink is called uplink data. The transmission direction of the uplink data is called the uplink direction.

[0172] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0173] In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0174] The descriptions of "first," "second," etc., appearing in the embodiments of this application are for illustrative purposes and to distinguish the objects being described. They have no order and do not indicate any special limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of this application, nor do they constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0175] In this application, the term "connection" refers to various connection methods, such as direct connection or indirect connection, to achieve communication between devices. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0176] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means.

[0177] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0178] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods, apparatuses, and systems can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units is merely a logical functional division, and other division methods may exist in actual implementation; for example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0179] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0180] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be physically included separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0181] The integrated unit implemented as a software functional unit described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This software functional unit, stored in a storage medium, includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute some steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0182] While this application discloses the above information, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of this application; therefore, the scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, A terminal applied in a multi-hop relay communication link, the communication method includes: Send the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of a multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the at least one segment is determined at least based on the end-to-end QoS.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Quality of Service (QoS) of the at least one link segment is determined based on at least the end-to-end QoS and the channel quality of the current link segment.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The QoS of the at least one link is the QoS of each link segment in the multi-hop relay communication link. The QoS of each link segment is determined by the source edge terminal based at least on the end-to-end QoS and the first information, which indicates the channel quality or suggested QoS of at least one link in the multi-hop relay communication link.

4. The communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Before sending the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link, the following is also included: The source edge terminal receives the first information.

5. The communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link includes: The source edge terminal sends the QoS of the corresponding segment link to each relay terminal and the target edge terminal.

6. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The QoS of the at least one link segment is the QoS of the current link segment. The first user determines the QoS of the current link segment based on the end-to-end QoS. The first user is either the sending user or the receiving user of each link segment.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link includes: The first user sends at least one of the following: the QoS of the current link segment, the remaining QoS, and the remaining hops.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first user is the sending user for each link segment. The first user sends the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count for the current link segment, including: The first user sends the QoS of the current link segment, the remaining QoS, and the remaining hop count to the receiving user of the current link segment.

9. The communication method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first user is the receiving user for each link segment. The first user sends the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count for the current link segment, including: The first user sends the QoS of the current link segment to the sending user of the current link segment, and sends the remaining QoS and the remaining hop count to the receiving user of the next link segment.

10. The communication method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Before sending the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link, the following is also included: The first user receives first information, which indicates the channel quality or suggested QoS of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link.

11. The communication method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first information indicates the sum of suggested QoS for other links, or the suggested QoS for each of the other links, which are links in a multi-hop relay communication link other than the current segment link.

12. The communication method according to claim 4 or 10, characterized in that, The receipt of the first information includes: Receive the first information from the sending user in each link segment, or, Receive the first information from the receiving user in each link segment.

13. The communication method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first user is a relay terminal in the first segment of the multi-hop relay communication link. Before determining the QoS of at least one segment of the multi-hop relay communication link based at least on end-to-end QoS, the method further includes: The first user receives second information, which indicates the end-to-end QoS and total hop count of the source edge terminal and the target edge terminal.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, A terminal applied in a multi-hop relay communication link, the communication method includes: At least the QoS of the current segment of the multi-hop relay communication link is received, and the QoS of the current segment is determined at least based on the end-to-end QoS.

15. The communication method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Before receiving at least the QoS of the current link segment, the following is also included: The second user sends a first message, which indicates the channel quality or suggested quality of service (QoS) of at least one link in a multi-hop relay communication link. The second user is either the sending user or the receiving user of each link.

16. The communication method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The QoS of at least receiving the current segment link includes: Receive the QoS, remaining QoS, and remaining hop count of the current link segment.

17. The communication method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Before receiving at least the QoS of the current link segment, the following is also included: The source edge terminal sends a second message, which indicates the end-to-end QoS and total hop count for both the source edge terminal and the target edge terminal.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A communication module is used to transmit the Quality of Service (QoS) of at least one segment of a multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the at least one segment is determined based at least on the end-to-end QoS.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A communication module is configured to receive at least the QoS of the current segment of a multi-hop relay communication link, wherein the QoS of the current segment is determined at least based on the end-to-end QoS.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is run by the processor, it performs the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, or performs the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 14 to 17.

21. A communication device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor runs the computer program, it performs the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

22. A communication device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor runs the computer program, it performs the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 14 to 17.

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