A communication method and related device

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and related devices, the method comprising: sending N data packets out of M data packets to an access network device via an air interface; sending M‑N data packets out of M data packets to the access network device via a first relay link, the first relay link comprising a first link and a second link, the first link being a link between a terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link being a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; sending a request message to the access network device when the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, the request message being used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, the second relay link comprising a third link and a fourth link, the third link being a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link being a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device. The implementation of the embodiments of the present application reduces the generation of the problem of unreliable data transmission due to obstructions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related devices. Background Art

[0002] Currently, carrier aggregation (CA) repeated transmission technology or dual connectivity (DC) repeated transmission technology is generally used to improve the reliability of data transmission.

[0003] However, because it is easily affected by obstructions, in some complex environments, CA repeated transmission technology cannot meet the reliability requirements of service transmission. Specifically, when there are obstructions between the base station and the user equipment, even if there are multiple carriers between the base station and the user equipment, there is a high probability that all carriers will not work, so the reliability of communication cannot be guaranteed. In addition, DC repeated transmission technology can solve the obstruction problem to a certain extent because the two base stations communicating with the user equipment are in different locations. However, in many scenarios, it is difficult to deploy DC due to deployment costs or environmental restrictions, so the use of DC repeated transmission technology to solve the obstruction problem will also have certain limitations. Therefore, the problem of how to improve the reliability of data transmission in the presence of obstructions needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a communication method and related devices. The implementation of the embodiments of the present application can reduce the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, applied to a terminal device, comprising:

[0006] Determine a first data packet, copy the first data packet to obtain M data packets, and send the M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission, where M is an integer greater than 1;

[0007] The sending of the M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission includes:

[0008] Sending N data packets of the M data packets to the access network device through an air interface, where N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M;

[0009] Sending MN data packets among the M data packets to the access network device through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0010] When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, a request message is sent to the access network device, wherein the request message is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, wherein the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, wherein the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0011] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the data packet is copied, at least one of the copied data packets is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one of the copied data packets is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, which reduces the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the first data packet belongs to a first service, and the method further includes:

[0013] Sending first indication information to the access network device;

[0014] The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the first service, a quality of service QoS requirement of the first service, a type of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, and a link quality of the first link.

[0015] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device sends indication information to the access network device, so that the access network device can judge according to the indication information that the service data corresponding to the service needs to be transmitted in a corresponding transmission mode, such as using an air interface and a relay link for repeated transmission to transmit data.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, applied to a terminal device, comprising:

[0017] Receiving J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner, where J is an integer greater than 1;

[0018] The receiving J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner includes:

[0019] Receiving K data packets among the J data packets sent by the access network device through an air interface, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J;

[0020] Receiving JK data packets among the J data packets through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0021] When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, a request message is sent to the access network device, wherein the request message is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, wherein the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, wherein the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0022] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, at least one data packet is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one data packet is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, reducing the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second relay terminal, an identifier of a PC5 interface between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, a link identifier of the third link, and a link quality of the third link.

[0024] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the relay link with poor link quality can be dynamically updated to avoid the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link being unable to be carried out due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by the inability to transmit repeatedly on the relay link can also be avoided.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0026] Send capability information to the access network device, wherein the capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following capabilities:

[0027] The terminal device supports communication with the access network device via a relay link;

[0028] The terminal device supports a first repeated transmission, wherein at least one link of the first repeated transmission is a relay link;

[0029] The terminal device supports second repeated transmission, where the second repeated transmission includes at least two links for carrier aggregation repeated transmission and at least one relay link;

[0030] The maximum number of relay links supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission;

[0031] The maximum number of relay terminals supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission.

[0032] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the reporting of terminal device capability information is realized, so that the access network device can determine what transmission mode the terminal device supports based on the capabilities of the terminal device, and then decide what transmission mode to use to communicate with the terminal device.

[0033] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0034] Sending second indication information to the access network device, the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: an identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a PC5 interface identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a relay link identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, and a link quality of at least one relay link that can be established with the terminal device.

[0035] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device reports the candidate relay terminals that meet the conditions to the access network device, so that the access network device can select a suitable relay terminal for the terminal device to perform repeated transmission based on the indication information reported by the terminal device.

[0036] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0037] Receive third indication information sent by the access network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the identifier of the first relay terminal or the PC5 interface identifier or the first link identifier for establishing the first relay link with the terminal device.

[0038] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device sends the relevant information of the selected relay terminal or relay link to the terminal device, and the terminal device can know which relay terminal or relay link to use for repeated transmission.

[0039] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0040] Send fourth indication information to the first relay terminal, where the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first relay terminal to establish the second link with the access network device.

[0041] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, by sending indication information to the relay terminal, the relay terminal can establish a second link with the access network device according to the indication information.

[0042] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0043] Configuration information is received, where the configuration information is used to configure a corresponding relationship between the first link and the second link.

[0044] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device can obtain the corresponding relationship between the links according to the configuration information, so as to complete the repeated transmission of the relay link in the subsequent process.

[0045] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0046] receiving a control signaling sent by the access network device, where the control signaling is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; or,

[0047] Receive fifth indication information sent by the first relay terminal, where the fifth indication information is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission.

[0048] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device can send signaling to control whether the state of each link for repeated transmission is activated or deactivated, including relay links and non-relay links.

[0049] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0050] When a first preset condition is met, activating at least one link for repeated transmission;

[0051] The first preset condition includes at least one of the following:

[0052] The link quality of the first link is less than or equal to the first preset quality threshold; or,

[0053] The link quality of the second link is less than or equal to a second preset quality threshold; or,

[0054] The bit error rate of the first data packet transmission is greater than or equal to a preset bit error rate threshold; or,

[0055] The number of retransmissions of the first data packet is greater than or equal to a preset number of retransmissions.

[0056] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device can decide whether to activate at least one link for repeated transmission according to preset conditions.

[0057] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to an access network device, including:

[0058] Receiving M data packets sent by a terminal device in a repeated transmission manner, where M is an integer greater than 1;

[0059] The receiving terminal device sends M data packets by repeated transmission, including:

[0060] Receiving N data packets among the M data packets sent by the terminal device through an air interface, the M data packets are sent by repeated transmission, and N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M;

[0061] Receiving MN data packets among the M data packets through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0062] Receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0063] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, at least one data packet is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one data packet is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, reducing the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0064] In conjunction with the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the M data packets belong to a first service, and the method further includes:

[0065] Receiving first indication information sent by the terminal device;

[0066] The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the first service, a quality of service QoS requirement of the first service, a type of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, and a link quality of the first link.

[0067] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device sends indication information to the access network device, so that the access network device can judge according to the indication information that the service data corresponding to the service needs to be transmitted in a corresponding transmission mode, such as using an air interface and a relay link for repeated transmission to transmit data.

[0068] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, applied to an access network device, comprising:

[0069] Sending J data packets to the terminal device by repeated transmission, where J is an integer greater than 1;

[0070] The sending of J data packets includes:

[0071] Sending K data packets out of J data packets to the terminal device through an air interface, wherein the J data packets are sent in a repeated transmission manner, wherein J is an integer greater than 1, and K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J;

[0072] Sending JK data packets among the J data packets to the terminal device through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0073] Receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0074] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, at least one data packet is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one data packet is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, reducing the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0075] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation, the request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second relay terminal, an identifier of the PC5 interface between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, a link identifier of the third link, and a link quality of the third link.

[0076] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the relay link with poor link quality can be dynamically updated to avoid the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link being unable to be carried out due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by the inability to transmit repeatedly on the relay link can also be avoided.

[0077] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the J data packets belong to a second service, and the method further includes:

[0078] receiving sixth indication information sent by the core network device; or,

[0079] Determining, according to a protocol data unit session established between the terminal device and the core network device, to send the service data of the second service by repeated transmission;

[0080] The sixth indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the second service and a quality of service QoS requirement of the second service.

[0081] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network equipment can determine whether the service data corresponding to the service needs to be transmitted in a corresponding transmission mode, such as using an air interface and a relay link for repeated transmission to transmit data.

[0082] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0083] Receive capability information sent by the terminal device, wherein the capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0084] The terminal device supports communication with the access network device via a relay link;

[0085] The terminal device supports a first repeated transmission, wherein at least one link of the first repeated transmission is a relay link;

[0086] The terminal device supports second repeated transmission, where the second repeated transmission includes at least two links for carrier aggregation repeated transmission and at least one relay link;

[0087] The maximum number of relay links supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission;

[0088] The maximum number of relay terminals supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission.

[0089] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the reporting of terminal device capability information is realized, so that the access network device can determine what transmission mode the terminal device supports based on the capabilities of the terminal device, and then decide what transmission mode to use to communicate with the terminal device.

[0090] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0091] Receive second indication information sent by the terminal device, the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: an identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a PC5 interface identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a relay link identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, and a link quality of at least one relay link that can be established with the terminal device.

[0092] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device reports the candidate relay terminals that meet the conditions to the access network device, so that the access network device can select a suitable relay terminal for the terminal device to perform repeated transmission based on the indication information reported by the terminal device.

[0093] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0094] Sending third indication information to the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the PC5 interface identifier of the first relay terminal or the first link identifier that establishes the first relay link with the terminal device.

[0095] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device sends the relevant information of the selected relay terminal or relay link to the terminal device, and the terminal device can know which relay terminal or relay link to use for repeated transmission.

[0096] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0097] Fourth indication information is sent to the first relay terminal through the terminal device, and the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first relay terminal to establish the second link with the access network device.

[0098] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, by sending indication information to the relay terminal, the relay terminal can establish a second link with the access network device according to the indication information.

[0099] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0100] Send configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure a corresponding relationship between the first link and the second link.

[0101] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device can obtain the corresponding relationship between the links according to the configuration information, so as to complete the repeated transmission of the relay link in the subsequent process.

[0102] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

[0103] Sending a control signaling to the terminal device, where the control signaling is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; or,

[0104] The control signaling is sent to the first relay terminal.

[0105] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device can send signaling to control whether the state of each link for repeated transmission is activated or deactivated, including relay links and non-relay links.

[0106] In a fifth aspect, a terminal device is provided, wherein the terminal device processing module and the transceiver module,

[0107] The processing module is used to determine a first data packet, and copy the first data packet to obtain M data packets, where M is an integer greater than 1;

[0108] The transceiver module is used to send the M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission;

[0109] When the M data packets are sent to the access network device by repeated transmission, the transceiver module is used to

[0110] Sending N data packets of the M data packets to the access network device through an air interface, where N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M;

[0111] Sending MN data packets among the M data packets to the access network device through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0112] When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, the transceiver module is used to send a request message to the access network device, and the request message is used to request to update the first relay link to a second relay link, and the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, the third link is the link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is the link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0113] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the first data packet belongs to a first service, and the transceiver module is further configured to send first indication information to the access network device;

[0114] The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the first service, a quality of service QoS requirement of the first service, a type of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, and a link quality of the first link.

[0115] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a terminal device, the terminal device comprising a transceiver module,

[0116] The transceiver module is used to receive J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner, where J is an integer greater than 1;

[0117] When receiving J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission mode, the transceiver module is used to

[0118] Receiving K data packets among the J data packets sent by the access network device through an air interface, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J;

[0119] Receiving JK data packets among the J data packets through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0120] When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, the transceiver module is used to send a request message to the access network device, and the request message is used to request to update the first relay link to a second relay link, and the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, the third link is the link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is the link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0121] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation, the request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second relay terminal, an identifier of the PC5 interface between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, a link identifier of the third link, and a link quality of the third link.

[0122] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module is further used to send capability information to the access network device, wherein the capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following capabilities:

[0123] The terminal device supports communication with the access network device via a relay link;

[0124] The terminal device supports a first repeated transmission, wherein at least one link of the first repeated transmission is a relay link;

[0125] The terminal device supports second repeated transmission, where the second repeated transmission includes at least two links for carrier aggregation repeated transmission and at least one relay link;

[0126] The maximum number of relay links supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission;

[0127] The maximum number of relay terminals supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission.

[0128] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is also used to send second indication information to the access network device, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: an identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a PC5 interface identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a relay link identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, and a link quality of at least one relay link that can be established with the terminal device.

[0129] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is also used to receive third indication information sent by the access network device, and the third indication information is used to indicate the identifier of the first relay terminal or the PC5 interface identifier or the first link identifier that establishes the first relay link with the terminal device.

[0130] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is further used to send fourth indication information to the first relay terminal, and the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first relay terminal to establish the second link with the access network device.

[0131] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is further used to receive configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure a correspondence between the first link and the second link.

[0132] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module is further used

[0133] receiving a control signaling sent by the access network device, where the control signaling is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; or,

[0134] Receive fifth indication information sent by the first relay terminal, where the fifth indication information is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission.

[0135] In combination with the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the terminal device further includes a processing module, wherein the processing module is configured to

[0136] When a first preset condition is met, activating at least one link for repeated transmission;

[0137] The first preset condition includes at least one of the following:

[0138] The link quality of the first link is less than or equal to the first preset quality threshold; or,

[0139] The link quality of the second link is less than or equal to a second preset quality threshold; or,

[0140] The bit error rate of the first data packet transmission is greater than or equal to a preset bit error rate threshold; or,

[0141] The number of retransmissions of the first data packet is greater than or equal to a preset number of retransmissions.

[0142] In a seventh aspect, an access network device is provided, the access network device comprising a transceiver module, the transceiver module being configured to receive M data packets sent by a terminal device in a repeated transmission manner, where M is an integer greater than 1;

[0143] When receiving M data packets sent by the terminal device in a repeated transmission mode, the transceiver module is used to

[0144] Receiving N data packets among the M data packets sent by the terminal device through an air interface, the M data packets are sent by repeated transmission, and N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M;

[0145] Receiving MN data packets among the M data packets through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0146] The transceiver module is used to receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0147] In conjunction with the seventh aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the M data packets belong to a first service, and the transceiver module is further configured to receive first indication information sent by the terminal device;

[0148] The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the first service, a quality of service QoS requirement of the first service, a type of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, and a link quality of the first link.

[0149] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides an access network device, the access network device comprising a transceiver module, the transceiver module being configured to send J data packets to a terminal device by repeated transmission, where J is an integer greater than 1;

[0150] When J data packets are sent to the terminal device by repeated transmission, the transceiver module is used to

[0151] Sending K data packets out of J data packets to the terminal device through an air interface, wherein the J data packets are sent in a repeated transmission manner, wherein J is an integer greater than 1, and K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J;

[0152] Sending JK data packets among the J data packets to the terminal device through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0153] The transceiver module is used to receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0154] In combination with the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation, the request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second relay terminal, an identifier of the PC5 interface between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, a link identifier of the third link, and a link quality of the third link.

[0155] In conjunction with the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the access network device further includes a processing module.

[0156] The transceiver module is further used to receive sixth indication information sent by the core network device;

[0157] The processing module is used to determine, according to the protocol data unit session established between the terminal device and the core network device, to send the service data of the second service by repeated transmission;

[0158] The sixth indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the second service and a quality of service QoS requirement of the second service.

[0159] In combination with the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module is further used to receive capability information sent by the terminal device, wherein the capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0160] The terminal device supports communication with the access network device via a relay link;

[0161] The terminal device supports a first repeated transmission, wherein at least one link of the first repeated transmission is a relay link;

[0162] The terminal device supports second repeated transmission, where the second repeated transmission includes at least two links for carrier aggregation repeated transmission and at least one relay link;

[0163] The maximum number of relay links supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission;

[0164] The maximum number of relay terminals supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission.

[0165] In combination with the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is also used to receive second indication information sent by the terminal device, and the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: an identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a PC5 interface identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a relay link identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, and a link quality of at least one relay link that can be established with the terminal device.

[0166] In combination with the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is also used to send a third indication message to the terminal device, and the third indication message is used to indicate the identifier of the first relay terminal or the PC5 interface identifier or the first link identifier that establishes the first relay link with the terminal device.

[0167] In combination with the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is also used to send fourth indication information to the first relay terminal through the terminal device, and the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first relay terminal to establish the second link with the access network device.

[0168] In combination with the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation, the transceiver module is further used to send configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure a correspondence between the first link and the second link.

[0169] In combination with the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module is further used

[0170] Sending a control signaling to the terminal device, where the control signaling is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; or,

[0171] The control signaling is sent to the first relay terminal.

[0172] In the ninth aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, an input interface and an output interface, the input interface being used to receive information from other communication devices outside the terminal device, the output interface being used to output information to other communication devices outside the terminal device, the processor calling a computer program stored in the memory to implement a method in any possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0173] In one possible design, the terminal device may be a chip that implements the method in the first aspect or the second aspect, or a user device that includes a chip, an antenna and other devices.

[0174] In the tenth aspect, an access network device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, an input interface and an output interface, the input interface being used to receive information from other communication devices outside the access network device, the output interface being used to output information to other communication devices outside the access network device, the processor calling a computer program stored in the memory to implement a method in any possible implementation manner of the third aspect or the fourth aspect.

[0175] In one possible design, the access network device may be a chip for implementing the method in the third aspect or the fourth aspect, or a device including a chip, an antenna and other devices.

[0176] In the eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed, the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect is implemented, or the method in any possible implementation of the third aspect or the fourth aspect is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0177] The following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art.

[0178] in:

[0179] Figure 1 It is an architecture for improving data reliability transmission provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0180] Figure 2 It is the basic architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0181] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0182] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a data packet transmission provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0183] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of activating or deactivating at least one link for repeated transmission provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0184] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0185] Figure 7 The embodiment of the present application provides another communication architecture;

[0186] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device 70, a first relay terminal 71, and an access network device 72;

[0187] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a simplified structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0188] Fig.10 It is a structural diagram of a simplified access network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0189] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0190] The terms "first", "second" and the like in the specification and claims of this application and the above drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order.

[0191] First of all, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE) architecture, fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G), wireless local area networks (WLAN) systems, and the like.

[0192] The method provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applicable to but not limited to the following fields: device-to-device (D2D) equipment, vehicle to everything (V2X) equipment, unmanned driving (unmanned driving), automated driving (automated driving, ADS), driver assistance (driver assistance, ADAS), intelligent driving (intelligent driving), connected driving (connected driving), intelligent network driving (intelligent network driving), car sharing, etc.

[0193] Among them, vehicles obtain road condition information or receive information services in a timely manner through communication methods such as vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle to roadside infrastructure (V2I), vehicle to pedestrian (V2P) or vehicle to network (V2N). These communication methods can be collectively referred to as V2X communication. A typical application scenario of sidelink communication is V2X. In V2X, each vehicle is a terminal device or relay terminal. The terminal device or relay terminal can also be other devices, which is not limited in this application.

[0194] In order to make the embodiments of the present application clearer, some concepts or contents in the embodiments of the present application are briefly introduced here.

[0195] 1. Communication types supported on the sidelink

[0196] The communication types include broadcast communication, multicast communication and unicast communication. In the LTE system, the sidelink supports broadcast communication. In the NR system, the sidelink supports broadcast communication, multicast communication and unicast communication.

[0197] Broadcast communication is similar to the broadcast system information of access network equipment, that is, the terminal equipment sends broadcast service data to the outside without encryption. Any other terminal equipment within the effective receiving range can receive the data of the broadcast service if it is interested in the broadcast service.

[0198] Multicast communication refers to the communication between all terminals in a communication group. Any terminal device in the group can send and receive data of the multicast service.

[0199] Unicast communication is similar to data communication after establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection between a terminal device and an access network device, and requires a unicast connection to be established between the terminal device and the relay terminal. After the unicast connection is established, the terminal device and the relay terminal can communicate data based on the negotiated identifier, and the data can be encrypted or unencrypted. Compared with broadcasting, in unicast communication, unicast communication can only be performed between a terminal device and a relay terminal that have established a unicast connection.

[0200] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be used in a unicast communication scenario on a side link.

[0201] 2. Protocol stack in UE-to-Network relay system

[0202] From the perspective of the protocol stack, there are two types of UE-to-Network relay: L3 relay and L2 relay.

[0203] In L3 relay, the relay terminal performs relaying based on the Internet Protocol (IP) layer. In the user plane and the control plane, there is no equivalent protocol layer between the access network device and the terminal device. Therefore, the access network device cannot see the terminal device, but can only see the relay terminal. That is to say, when the information sent by the terminal device reaches the access network device, the access network device does not parse it and directly forwards it to the core network device. In this case, it can be considered that the terminal device communicates with the core network device through the relay terminal. Therefore, in the description below in this application, if it is described that "the terminal device communicates with the core network device through the relay terminal", it means that the UE-to-Network relay system is an L3 relay system.

[0204] In L2 relay, the relay terminal can relay based on the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer or the protocol layer below the PDCP layer (for example, the backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) layer (also called the adaptation layer), the radio link control (RLC) layer). In the user plane, the access network device and the terminal device can have a peer PDCP layer, a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, etc. In the control plane, there can be a peer RRC layer, a PDCP layer, etc. between the access network device and the terminal device. In other words, an RRC connection is established between the terminal device and the access network device, and RRC messages can be exchanged through the relay terminal. In this case, it can be considered that the terminal device communicates with the access network device through the relay terminal. Therefore, in the description below in this application, if it is described that "the terminal device communicates with the access network device through the relay terminal", it means that the UE-to-Network relay system is an L2 relay system.

[0205] 3. Repeated transmission

[0206] In the existing scheme, two architectures are proposed to improve the reliability of data transmission. One is CA repeated transmission and the other is DC repeated transmission. For details, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is an architecture for improving data reliability transmission provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, it can be seen that CA repeated transmission involves an access network device 10A and a terminal device 11 transmitting the same data packet using different carriers as different paths. DC repeated transmission involves two access network devices and a terminal device 11 transmitting the same data packet using different connections as different paths. Specifically, in the DC technology, the access network device 10B can transmit data packets with the terminal device 11, and the access network device 10C can transmit data packets with the terminal device 11, and the data packets transmitted by the access network device 10B and the terminal device 11 and the data packets transmitted by the access network device 10C and the terminal device 11 are the same data packets. It can be understood that in this scheme, CA repeated transmissions are all transmissions of the same data packet between a single access network device and a terminal device using different carriers as different paths, and DC repeated transmissions are all transmissions of the same data packet between two access network devices and a terminal device using different connections as different paths.

[0207] In the embodiments of the present application, repeated transmission refers to repeated transmission at a high level, which may be repeated transmission at the PDCP layer or repeated transmission at the MAC layer, which can be understood as establishing multiple transmission paths, copying the data packet into multiple copies, and transmitting each copy through different paths to obtain diversity transmission gain and improve transmission reliability. Among them, the time when multiple data packets are transmitted on different paths may be simultaneous transmission or chronological transmission, without limitation. When transmitted chronologically, the data packet may be first transmitted on one of the paths, and then a copy of the data packet may be stored in a buffer, and then the buffered data packet may be transmitted on another path. In addition, the repeated transmission in the embodiments of the present application mainly refers to repeated transmission of relay links, that is, among the multiple links in which repeated transmission is performed, at least one link is implemented through a relay link.

[0208] Further, combined with Figure 1 , because it is easily affected by obstructions, in some complex environments, CA repeated transmission technology cannot meet the reliability requirements of business transmission. Specifically, when there are obstructions between the base station and the user equipment, even if there are multiple carriers between the base station and the user equipment, there is a high probability that all carriers will not work, so the reliability of communication cannot be guaranteed. In addition, DC repeated transmission technology can solve the obstruction problem to a certain extent because the two base stations communicating with the user equipment are in different locations. However, in many scenarios, it is difficult to deploy DC due to deployment costs or environmental restrictions, so the use of DC repeated transmission technology to solve the obstruction problem will also have certain limitations. Therefore, the problem of how to improve the reliability of data transmission in the presence of obstructions needs to be solved urgently.

[0209] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application proposes a communication method to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the embodiment of the present application is introduced in detail below.

[0210] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is the basic architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the communication system may include a terminal device 20, an access network device 21, at least one relay terminal 22, and a core network device 23. The terminal device 20 may communicate with the relay terminal 22, and the access network device 21 may communicate with the terminal device 20, the relay terminal 22, and the core network device 23 respectively. The at least one relay terminal 22 may include relay terminal 1 to relay terminal n, where n may be an integer greater than 0.

[0211] Among them, the relay terminal 22 and the terminal device 20 are two independent devices in the service area covered by the access network device 21 or the antenna of the access network device 21, or the relay terminal 22 and the terminal device 20 are two independent devices in the cell or beam coverage of the access network device 21. Further, the terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 can be a chip, or a user device including a chip. Further, the terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 is an entity on the user side for receiving signals, or sending signals, or receiving signals and sending signals. The terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 is used to provide one or more of voice services and data connectivity services to users. It can be understood that when the terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 is a chip, the chip may include a processor and an interface. When the terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 is a user device including a chip, the terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 can be a device that includes a wireless transceiver function and can cooperate with the access network device to provide communication services to users. Specifically, the terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 may refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 may also be a vehicle to everything (V2X) device, such as a smart car (smart car or intelligent car), a digital car (digital car), an unmanned car (unmanned car or driverless car or pilotless car or automobile), an automatic car (self-driving car or autonomous car), a pure electric vehicle (pureEV or Battery EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (hybrid electric vehicle, HEV), a range extended EV (range extended EV, REEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (plug-in HEV, PHEV), a new energy vehicle (newenergy vehicle), etc. The terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 may also be a device to device (D2D) device, such as an electric meter, a water meter, etc.The terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 may also be a drone, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a station (ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a cordless phone, a wireless data card, a tablet computer, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a laptop computer, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device (also referred to as a wearable smart device). The terminal device 20 or the relay terminal 22 may also be a terminal in a 5G system, or a terminal in a next-generation communication system, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0212] The access network device 21 may be a chip for communicating with the terminal device 20, the relay terminal 22, and the core network device 23, or may be a device including a chip for communicating with the terminal device 20, the relay terminal 22, and the core network device 23. The access network device 21 is an entity on the network side for sending signals, or receiving signals, or sending and receiving signals. It can be understood that when the access network device 21 is a chip, the chip may include a processor and an interface. When the access network device 21 is a device including a chip, the access network device 21 may be a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions for the terminal device 20 and the relay terminal 22, for example, a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station, or various forms of control nodes. For example, a network controller, a wireless controller, a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, etc. Specifically, the access network device can be various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points (AP), etc., or it can be an antenna panel of a base station. The control node can connect to multiple base stations and configure resources for multiple terminals covered by multiple base stations. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functions may be different. For example, it can be an evolved base station (evolutional nodeB, eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or a (new radio nodeB, gNB) in 5G, or the access network device 21 can be a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a network-side device in a network after 5G, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network, etc. This application does not limit the specific name of the base station.

[0213] The core network device 23 corresponds to different devices in different communication systems, for example, in a 3G system it corresponds to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and / or a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN), in a 4G system it corresponds to an MME or S-GW, in a 5G system it corresponds to an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF) or a user plane function (UPF), etc.

[0214] Further, for example, the access network device 21 and the terminal device 20 can be regarded as a communication system, in which the access network device 21 can send downlink data to the terminal device 20, and of course, the terminal device 20 can also send uplink data to the access network device 21. In addition, the access network device 21, the terminal device 20 and the relay terminal 1 can also be regarded as a communication system, in which the access network device 21 can also send downlink data to the relay terminal 1, and the relay terminal 1 then sends the downlink data to the terminal device 20, and of course, the terminal device 20 can also send uplink data to the relay terminal 1, and the relay terminal 1 then sends the uplink data to the access network device 21.

[0215] The following describes the process of transmitting uplink data between the terminal device and the access network device. Figure 3 , Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 , Figure 3 The terminal device in is Figure 2 The terminal device 20 in Figure 3 The access network equipment in Figure 2 The access network device 21 in Figure 3 The first relay terminal in can be Figure 2 The relay terminal 22 in Figure 3 The second relay terminal in can be Figure 2 The relay terminal 22 in Figure 3 The core network equipment in the Figure 2 The core network device 23 in the Figure 3 As shown, the method includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0216] 301. The terminal device determines a first data packet, copies the first data packet to obtain M data packets, and sends the M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission.

[0217] Wherein, M is an integer greater than 1.

[0218] The first data packet may be a data packet of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a data packet of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a data packet of a media access control (MAC) layer, or a data packet of a transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP). It is understandable that when the first data packet is a data packet of a PDCP layer, the terminal device may copy the first data packet at the PDCP layer of the terminal device; when the first data packet is a data packet of an RLC layer, the terminal device may copy the first data packet at the RLC layer of the terminal device; when the first data packet is a data packet of a MAC layer, the terminal device may copy the first data packet at the MAC layer of the terminal device; when the first data packet is a data packet of a TCP / IP layer, the terminal device may copy the first data packet at the transport layer of the terminal device.

[0219] Among them, the terminal device sends M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission, including: the terminal device sends N data packets out of the M data packets to the access network device through the air interface, N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M; the terminal device sends MN data packets out of the M data packets to the access network device through the first relay link, the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device.

[0220] The air interface is a name, and the air interface may be a communication interface between an access network device and a terminal device. For example, in 5G, the air interface is called a new radio (NR).

[0221] The terminal device sends N data packets out of M data packets to the access network device through the air interface, including: the terminal device sends N data packets to the access network device through P links on the air interface. Further, the P links correspond to P carriers, that is, the terminal device sends N data packets to the access network device through P carriers. The P can be the N or an integer greater than the N, and is not limited here.

[0222] Among them, the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal can be connected through a PC5 interface, which can also be called a side link (SL). In addition, the interface between the first relay terminal and the access network device can be called an air interface. In this application, the air interface, PC5 interface and sidelink are all names or codes, which may change in different communication systems, but their roles and functions are similar, so the present invention uses these names as description examples without limiting the names.

[0223] It should be noted that the terminal device can establish other links except the first link with the first relay terminal. In addition, the first relay terminal can be at least one first relay terminal, and the first relay link can be at least one first relay link. That is, the terminal device can establish multiple first links with the same relay terminal for repeated transmission, and can also establish multiple first links with different relay terminals for repeated transmission, which is not limited here.

[0224] It can be understood that the terminal device can communicate with the access network device through multiple links, and the multiple links may include at least one relay link.

[0225] Wherein, when the first data packet is a data packet of the PDCP layer, the M data packets are M data packets of the PDCP layer. Further, the terminal device can send the M data packets of the PDCP layer to the access network device by repeated transmission. For details, see Figure 4 , Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a data packet transmission provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, for the terminal device, the protocol stack involved includes the PDCP layer, the radio link layer control protocol (radio link control, RLC) layer, the MAC layer, and the physical (physical, PHY) layer. In addition, the protocol stack corresponding to the terminal device may also include other layers above the PDCP layer, which are not limited here. For example, in LTE, the protocol stack corresponding to the terminal device may also include a transport layer and an application layer; in 5G, the protocol stack corresponding to the terminal device may also include a service data adaptation protocol (service data adaptation protocol, SDAP) layer, a transport layer, and an application layer.

[0226] For the first relay terminal, the protocol stack involved may include an RLC layer, a MAC layer, and a PHY layer.

[0227] For access network equipment, the protocol stack involved includes the PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer. In addition, the protocol stack corresponding to the access network equipment may also include other layers above the PDCP layer, which are not limited here. For example, in LTE, the protocol stack corresponding to the access network equipment may also include the transport layer and the application layer; in 5G, the protocol stack corresponding to the access network equipment may also include the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, the transport layer, and the application layer.

[0228] Furthermore, the terminal device can process N PDCP layer data packets among the M PDCP layer data packets through the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer of the terminal device respectively to obtain N PHY layer data packets, and send the N PHY layer data packets to the access network device through the air interface.

[0229] In addition, the terminal device can also forward MN PDCP layer data packets among the M PDCP layer data packets to the access network device through the first relay terminal. Specifically, the terminal device can send MN PDCP layer data packets to the first relay terminal through the first link. Furthermore, the protocol stack corresponding to the first link may include an RLC layer, a MAC layer, and a PHY layer, and the protocol stack corresponding to the first link may also be a transport layer protocol stack. Specifically, the transport layer protocol stack may include a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol layer, a TCP / IP layer, a user datagram protocol (UDP) layer, etc.

[0230] Further, combined with Figure 4 , when the first data packet is a data packet of the PDCP layer, the protocol stack corresponding to the first link includes the RLC layer, the MAC layer and the PHY layer. At this time, the terminal device can process the data packets of MN PDCP layers through the protocol stack corresponding to the first link to obtain the data packets of MN PHY layers corresponding to the first link. When the first relay terminal receives the data packets of MN PHY layers, the data packets of MN PHY layers corresponding to the first link can be processed through the protocol stack corresponding to the first link to obtain the data packets of MN RLC layers. Furthermore, the first relay terminal can process the data packets of MN RLC layers through the MAC layer and PHY layer of the first relay terminal to obtain the data packets of MN PHY layers corresponding to the first relay terminal. Then, the first relay terminal sends the data packets of MN PHY layers corresponding to the first relay terminal to the access network device through the second link.

[0231] Further, the access network device may receive N PHY layer data packets and MN PHY layer data packets corresponding to the first relay terminal. Figure 4 The access network device may process N PHY layer data packets through the PHY layer, MAC layer, and RLC layer of the access network device to obtain N RLC layer data packets corresponding to the access network device. The access network device may also process MN PHY layer data packets corresponding to the first relay terminal through the PHY layer, MAC layer, and RLC layer of the access network device to obtain MN RLC layer data packets corresponding to the access network device. Furthermore, the access network device may sort and / or deduplicate the N RLC layer data packets corresponding to the access network device and the MN RLC layer data packets corresponding to the access network device at the PDCP layer of the access network device, and then submit them to the upper layer of the PDCP layer of the access network device.

[0232] 302. The access network device receives the request information sent by the terminal device.

[0233] The request information is used to request to update the first relay link to the second relay link, the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, the third link is the link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is the link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0234] Wherein, when the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, the terminal device may send a request message to the access network device. Wherein, the first preset quality threshold may be predetermined in the protocol, or may be carried in the configuration information sent by the access network device to the terminal device. It is understandable that in the present application, the link quality may be a reference signal received power (reference signal received power, RSRP) or a reference signal received quality (reference signal received quality, RSRQ), etc. In addition, the request message may also be used to request that the first relay terminal be updated to the second relay terminal.

[0235] The link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal may be connected via a PC5 interface, which may also be called a sidelink. The interface between the second relay terminal and the access network device may be an air interface.

[0236] It should be noted that the terminal device can establish other links except the third link with the second relay terminal. In addition, the second relay terminal can be at least one relay terminal, and the second relay link can be at least one relay link. Furthermore, the second relay terminal is a device different from the first relay terminal, and the second relay terminal, the first relay terminal and the terminal device are all within the service area covered by the access network device or the antenna of the access network device, or the second relay terminal, the first relay terminal and the terminal device are all within the cell of the access network device or within the beam coverage.

[0237] In addition, the request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second relay terminal, an identifier of a PC5 interface between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, a link identifier of the third link, and a link quality of the third link.

[0238] In addition, the access network device can measure the link quality between the terminal device and the access network device. When the link quality between the terminal device and the access network device is greater than or less than the third preset quality threshold, the access network device can update the first relay link to the second relay link, or update the first relay terminal to the second relay terminal. The access network device can also measure the link quality of the second link. When the link quality of the second link is greater than or less than the second preset quality threshold, the access network device can update the first relay link to the second relay link, or update the first relay terminal to the second relay terminal. Of course, the first relay terminal can also measure the link quality of the first link. When the link quality of the first link is greater than or less than the first preset quality threshold, the first relay terminal can send the request information to the access network device. It can be understood that the first relay terminal can also measure the link quality of the second link. When the link quality of the second link is greater than or less than the second preset quality threshold, the first relay terminal can send the request information to the access network device. Further, the access network device can send a release message to the first relay terminal and send a message to establish a fourth link to the second relay terminal. The third preset quality threshold may be predetermined in the protocol or carried in the configuration information sent by the access network device to the terminal device. The second preset quality threshold and the third preset quality threshold may be predetermined in the protocol or determined by the access network device.

[0239] It can be understood that the second preset quality threshold may also be carried in the configuration information sent by the access network device to the terminal device.

[0240] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the data packet is copied, at least one of the copied data packets is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one of the copied data packets is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, which reduces the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0241] In a possible implementation manner, the first data packet belongs to a first service, and the method further includes: the terminal device sends first indication information to the access network device.

[0242] The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the first service, a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the first service, a type of terminal equipment, location information of the terminal equipment, and a link quality of the first link.

[0243] It is understandable that the access network device can receive the first indication information. Further, the access network device can determine, based on the first indication information, that the first service needs to be transmitted by repeated transmission through a relay link. It is understandable that when the terminal device is located in an area that is easily obstructed, the access network device can determine, based on the location information of the terminal device, that the first service needs to be transmitted by repeated transmission through a relay link. In addition, the access network device can also determine, based on preset content and the first indication information, that the first service needs to be transmitted by repeated transmission through a relay link. Among them, the preset content can specify at least one of the following: a preset device type, a type identifier of a preset service, a QoS requirement of a preset service, and a preset link quality between a terminal device and a relay terminal. When the preset content meets certain conditions, the access network device can decide that the first service needs to be transmitted by repeated transmission through a relay link.

[0244] The preset device type is a type of device that has high requirements for data transmission reliability. For example, the device belonging to the preset device type may be a device in an industrial park or a device that performs high-frequency transmission. The type identifier of the preset service is a type identifier of a service that has high requirements for data transmission reliability. For example, the preset service may be a service that needs to be transmitted in a scene that is susceptible to obstruction.

[0245] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device sends indication information to the access network device, so that the access network device can judge according to the indication information that the service data corresponding to the service needs to be transmitted in a corresponding transmission mode, such as using an air interface and a relay link for repeated transmission to transmit data.

[0246] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0247] The terminal device sends capability information to the access network device, where the capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following capabilities:

[0248] The terminal equipment supports communication with the access network equipment through the relay link;

[0249] The terminal device supports the first repeated transmission, and at least one link of the first repeated transmission is a relay link;

[0250] The terminal device supports second repeated transmission, where the second repeated transmission includes at least two links for carrier aggregation repeated transmission and at least one relay link;

[0251] The maximum number of relay links supported by the terminal device for repeated transmissions;

[0252] The maximum number of relay terminals supported by the terminal device for repeated transmissions.

[0253] Among them, the first repeated transmission refers to repeated transmission including a relay link repeated transmission mode; the second repeated transmission refers to repeated transmission including a CA repeated transmission mode and a relay link repeated transmission mode; if the terminal device only reports the maximum number of relay links supported for repeated transmission, it means that the terminal capability does not limit the maximum number of relay terminals. For example, if the maximum number of relay links is 4, it means that it can be achieved through 1 to 4 relay terminals; if the terminal device only reports the maximum number of relay terminals supported for repeated transmission, it means that the terminal capability does not limit the maximum number of relay links. For example, if the maximum number of relay terminals is 4, it means that transmission can be carried out through up to 4 relay terminals, but the maximum number of relay links for each relay terminal is not limited; in addition, it is also possible to report both the maximum number of relay links and the maximum number of relay terminals, or to report the maximum number of relay links for repeated transmission on each relay terminal, thereby limiting both the maximum number of supported relay terminals and the maximum number of relay links.

[0254] In addition, before the terminal device sends the capability information to the access network device, the terminal device may receive a message requesting the capability information sent by the access network device.

[0255] It should be noted that the relay link may be at least one relay link corresponding to one relay terminal, or at least two relay links corresponding to different relay terminals. Further, the relay link includes a link between a terminal device and a relay terminal, and a link between a relay terminal and an access network device.

[0256] In addition, the access network device can receive the capability information and determine the communication mode that the terminal device can support based on the capability information.

[0257] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the reporting of terminal device capability information is realized, so that the access network device can determine what transmission mode the terminal device supports based on the capabilities of the terminal device, and then decide what transmission mode to use to communicate with the terminal device.

[0258] In a possible implementation, the method also includes: the terminal device sends second indication information to the access network device, the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: an identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a PC5 interface identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a relay link identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, and a link quality of at least one relay link that can be established with the terminal device.

[0259] The at least one relay terminal may include the first relay terminal or may not include the first relay terminal. When the at least one relay terminal does not include the first relay terminal, the terminal device may determine the identifier of the first relay terminal, may determine the PC5 interface identifier of the first relay terminal, may determine the relay link identifier of the first relay terminal, and may determine the link quality of the first relay link.

[0260] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device reports the candidate relay terminals that meet the conditions to the access network device, so that the access network device can select a suitable relay terminal for the terminal device to perform repeated transmission based on the indication information reported by the terminal device.

[0261] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0262] The terminal device receives the third indication information sent by the access network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the identifier of the first relay terminal or the PC5 interface identifier or the first link identifier that establishes the first relay link with the terminal device.

[0263] It is understandable that when selecting a relay terminal, the access network device may not be limited to the relay terminal in the second indication information, but may select at least one terminal device other than the terminal device as the first relay terminal within the service area covered by the access network device or the antenna of the access network device, within the cell of the access network device, or within the beam coverage of the access network device.

[0264] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device sends the relevant information of the selected relay terminal or relay link to the terminal device, and the terminal device can know which relay terminal or relay link to use for repeated transmission.

[0265] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device sends fourth indication information to the first relay terminal, where the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first relay terminal to establish a second link with the access network device.

[0266] It can be understood that the first relay terminal is in an idle state or an inactive state. That is, the terminal device sends the fourth indication information to the first relay terminal in an idle state or an inactive state. Further, the second link is an RRC connection.

[0267] It should be noted that the access network device may send the fourth indication information to the terminal device, and then the terminal device may send the fourth indication information to the first relay terminal in an idle state or an inactive state. The access network device may also send a paging message to the first relay terminal in an idle state or an inactive state. The access network device may also send indication information to the core network device, and the core network device may send a paging message to the first relay terminal in an idle state according to the indication information.

[0268] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, by sending indication information to the relay terminal, the relay terminal can establish a second link with the access network device according to the indication information.

[0269] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device and / or the first relay terminal receiving configuration information, the configuration information being used to configure the correspondence between the first link and the second link or to configure the association between the PDCP entity located on the terminal device and the RLC entity located on the first relay terminal.

[0270] It should be noted that the terminal device can receive the configuration information sent by the access network device through the air interface, or it can receive the configuration information sent by the access network device through the first relay link, that is, the configuration information is first sent to the relay terminal, and then the relay terminal forwards it to the terminal device, which is not limited here.

[0271] The configuration information can be used to configure the first link, and the configuration information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second link, an RLC identifier located at the first relay terminal, a logical channel identifier, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first relay terminal, a PDCP entity identifier located on the terminal device, or a radio bearer identifier corresponding to the second link. The configuration information can also be used to configure a mapping relationship, which includes an identifier of the first link and an identifier of the second link; or, an identifier of the first relay terminal and an identifier of the second link; or, a PC5 interface identifier of the first relay terminal and an identifier of the second link, to characterize that the identifiers of the two links constitute a mapping relationship.

[0272] Further, the configuration information may also include at least one of the following: first radio bearer configuration information, PDCP entity configuration information, RLC entity configuration information located on the terminal device, and RLC entity configuration information located on the first relay terminal. The first radio bearer configuration information may include PDCP entity configuration information, RLC entity configuration information located on the terminal device, radio bearer identifier corresponding to the second link, radio bearer type corresponding to the second link, etc. The PDCP entity configuration information may include PDCP sequence number, encryption parameters, header compression parameters, etc. The configuration information of the RLC entity located on the terminal device or the configuration information of the RLC entity located on the first relay terminal may include radio bearer identifier, logical channel number, RLC sequence number, RLC mode, etc. The RLC mode may be an acknowledgement mode (AM) mode, an unacknowledgement mode (UM) mode, or a transparent mode (TM) mode. The radio bearer type corresponding to the second link is the type of radio bearer corresponding to the second link used for repeated transmission. Furthermore, the radio bearer type corresponding to the second link is used to indicate that the PDCP entity corresponding to the radio bearer is located on the terminal device, and the RLC entity corresponding to the radio bearer is located on the first relay terminal.

[0273] In another possible implementation, the configuration information may also be used to configure the second link, wherein the configuration information may be second radio bearer configuration information. The second radio bearer configuration information may include a radio bearer identifier corresponding to the second link or a radio bearer type corresponding to the second link. Further, the second radio bearer configuration information may also include a PC5 interface identifier or a first link identifier. The PC5 interface identifier or the first link identifier may be used to indicate which first link the corresponding RLC entity corresponds to. Further, the correspondence between the first link and the PDCP entity on the terminal device has been established through other configuration information, so the corresponding correspondence between the PDCP entity and the RLC is also established.

[0274] The first relay terminal can receive the configuration information sent by the access network device through the air interface, or can receive the configuration information sent by the access network device through the terminal device, that is, the configuration information is first sent to the terminal device, and then the terminal device forwards it to the relay terminal, which is not limited here. Further, the access network device can send the configuration information of the RLC entity located on the first relay terminal to the terminal device, and the terminal device then sends the configuration information of the RLC entity located on the first relay terminal to the first relay terminal in an idle state or an inactive state. The access network device can also send the fourth indication information to the terminal device, and then the terminal device sends the fourth indication information to the first relay terminal in an idle state or an inactive state. After the first relay terminal enters the connected state from the idle state or the inactive state, the access network device can also send the configuration information of the RLC entity located on the first relay terminal to the first relay terminal in the connected state.

[0275] Among them, the idle state, inactive state and connected state are all used to describe the state of the first relay terminal. For the first relay terminal in the idle state, the user plane bearer and control plane bearer of the air interface, as well as the user plane bearer between RAN-CN have been released (release). When the first relay terminal initiates a call or service request, it is necessary to first establish the control plane bearer of the air interface, then establish the user plane bearer between RAN-CN, and configure the user plane bearer of the air interface while establishing the user plane bearer between RAN-CN. For the first relay terminal in the inactive state, the user plane bearer of the air interface has been suspended (suspend), and the user plane bearer and control plane bearer between RAN-CN are still maintained. When the first relay terminal initiates a call or service request, it is necessary to activate the user plane bearer of the air interface, and reuse the existing user plane bearer and control plane bearer between RAN-CN. For the first relay terminal in the connected state, the control plane bearer of the air interface has been established, and the default user plane bearer (including the user plane bearer of the air interface and the user plane bearer between RAN-CN) has been established. If the default user plane bearer cannot meet the QoS requirement of the service, a dedicated user plane bearer (including the user plane bearer of the air interface and the user plane bearer between RAN-CN) is established.

[0276] The terminal device can send M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission according to the configuration information.

[0277] It should be noted that the configuration information may also include seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the initial states of the first relay link used for repeated transmission and other links.

[0278] It can be understood that the seventh indication information can indicate that the initial state of some links is activated and the initial state of another part of the links is inactivated, or that the initial state of all links is activated or inactivated.

[0279] Furthermore, when the link is in an activated state, the terminal device can perform repeated transmissions with the access network device on the link. For example, when the first relay link is in an activated state, the PDCP entity of the terminal device can send data packets to the RLC entity of the first relay terminal. When the first relay link is in an inactive state, the PDCP entity of the terminal device does not send data packets to the RLC entity of the first relay terminal.

[0280] For example, if the state of the first relay link is inactive, and the state of the link on the air interface between the access network device and the terminal device is active, then the terminal device can communicate with the access network device on the link on the air interface. If the state of the first relay link is active, and the state of the link on the air interface between the access network device and the terminal device is inactive, then the terminal device can communicate with the access network device through the first relay link.

[0281] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device can obtain the corresponding relationship between the links according to the configuration information, so as to complete the repeated transmission of the relay link in the subsequent process.

[0282] In a possible implementation, the method also includes: the terminal device receives control signaling sent by the access network device, the control signaling is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; or, the terminal device receives fifth indication information sent by the first relay terminal, the fifth indication information is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission.

[0283] The control signaling or the fifth indication information may include a PDCP control protocol data unit (PDU), an RLC control PDU, a MAC control element (CE), an RRC signaling or downlink control information (DCI).

[0284] Specifically, the access network device can send control signaling to the terminal device through the air interface, or the access network device can send control signaling to the terminal device through the first relay link. For example, if the link quality between the terminal device and the access network device is greater than the fourth preset quality threshold, the access network device can send control signaling to the terminal device through the air interface. If the link quality between the terminal device and the access network device is less than the fourth preset quality threshold, the access network device can send control signaling to the terminal device through the first relay link. In addition, the access network device can also send control signaling to the first relay terminal, and the first relay terminal then sends fifth indication information to the terminal device based on the control signaling. The fifth indication information can be the above-mentioned control signaling or can also be the interface signaling between the first relay terminal and the terminal device.

[0285] Among them, the fourth preset quality threshold can be preset by the protocol or determined by the access network device. The access network device decides to send control signaling to the terminal device through the air interface or through the first relay link based on the comparison result between the downlink quality reported by the terminal and the fourth preset quality threshold.

[0286] Furthermore, the terminal device can also switch between different transmission modes based on control signaling or the fifth indication information. It can be understood that in the present application, the transmission mode includes: CA repeated transmission, repeated transmission including one relay terminal, repeated transmission including multiple relay terminals, and repeated transmission including both relay terminals and CA repeated transmission. CA repeated transmission refers to repeated transmission between the terminal device and the access network device through at least two links of the air interface; repeated transmission including one relay terminal means that at least one link for repeated transmission is a relay link, and only one relay terminal is involved in the repeated transmission; repeated transmission including multiple relay terminals means that at least one link for repeated transmission is a relay link, and multiple relay terminals are involved in the repeated transmission, wherein at least one relay link can be distributed on multiple relay terminals; repeated transmission including both relay terminals and CA repeated transmission means that at least two links for repeated transmission are transmitted through the air interface, and at least one other link is a relay link.

[0287] It can be understood that the control signaling or the fifth indication information can indicate that the status of some links performing repeated transmission is activated and the status of other links is inactive, or it can indicate that the status of all links performing repeated transmission is activated, or it can indicate that the status of all links performing repeated transmission is inactive.

[0288] For example, there are 3 relay links between the terminal device and relay terminal 1, 2 relay links between the terminal device and relay terminal 2, and 2 links between the terminal device and the access network device. Figure 5 , Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of activating or deactivating at least one link for repeated transmission provided by an embodiment of the present application. Assume that the three relay links on relay terminal 1 are all in an activated state, the relay link 4 on relay terminal 2 is in a deactivated state, the relay link 5 on relay terminal 2 is in an activated state, and among the links between the terminal device and the access network device, link 6 is in a deactivated state and link 7 is in an activated state. Assume that control signaling or the fifth indication information is used to activate relay link 4 and deactivate the three relay links on relay terminal 1. Then, when the terminal device receives the control signaling or the fifth indication information, the terminal device can activate relay link 4 and deactivate the three relay links on relay terminal 1.

[0289] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device can send signaling to control whether the state of each link for repeated transmission is activated or deactivated, including relay links and non-relay links.

[0290] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: when a first preset condition is met, the terminal device activates at least one link for repeated transmission;

[0291] The first preset condition includes at least one of the following: the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to the first preset quality threshold; or, the link quality of the second link is less than or equal to the second preset quality threshold; or, the bit error rate of the first data packet transmission is greater than or equal to the preset bit error rate threshold; or, the number of repetitions of the first data packet is greater than or equal to the preset number of retransmissions.

[0292] The second preset quality threshold may be preset in the protocol, or may be carried in configuration information sent by the access network device to the terminal device.

[0293] In addition, when a second preset condition is met, the terminal device can deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; the second preset condition includes at least one of the following: the link quality of the first link is greater than or equal to the first preset quality threshold; or, the link quality of the second link is greater than or equal to the second preset quality threshold; or, the bit error rate of the first data packet transmission is less than or equal to the preset bit error rate threshold; or, the number of retransmissions of the first data packet is less than or equal to the preset number of retransmissions.

[0294] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device can decide whether to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission according to preset conditions.

[0295] The following describes the process of transmitting downlink data between the terminal device and the access network device. Figure 6 , Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 , Figure 6 The terminal device in is Figure 2 The terminal device 20 in Figure 6 The access network equipment in Figure 2 The access network device 21 in Figure 6 The first relay terminal in can be Figure 2 The relay terminal 22 in Figure 6 The second relay terminal in can be Figure 2 The relay terminal 22 in Figure 6 The core network equipment in the Figure 2 The core network device 23 in the Figure 6 As shown, the method includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0296] 601. A terminal device receives J data packets sent by an access network device through repeated transmission.

[0297] Wherein, J is an integer greater than 1.

[0298] It is understandable that the access network device can determine the second data packet, copy the second data packet to obtain J data packets, and send the J data packets to the terminal device by repeated transmission. Among them, the second data packet can be a data packet of the PDCP layer, a data packet of the RLC layer, or a data packet of the MAC layer. Further, the second data packet can be a TCP / IP data packet. It is understandable that when the second data packet is a data packet of the PDCP layer, the access network device can copy the second data packet at the PDCP layer of the access network device; when the second data packet is a data packet of the RLC layer, the access network device can copy the second data packet at the RLC layer of the access network device; when the second data packet is a data packet of the MAC layer, the access network device can copy the second data packet at the MAC layer of the access network device; when the second data packet is a data packet of the TCP / IP layer, the access network device can copy the second data packet at the transport layer of the access network device.

[0299] The terminal device receives J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner, including:

[0300] The terminal device receives K data packets among J data packets sent by the access network device through the air interface, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J;

[0301] The terminal device receives JK data packets out of J data packets through the first relay link. The first relay link includes a first link and a second link. The first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device.

[0302] Here, K can be, for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, etc.

[0303] For the air interface, please refer to Figure 3 The contents of step 301 regarding the air interface are not elaborated here.

[0304] The terminal device receives K data packets out of J data packets sent by the access network device through the air interface, including: the terminal device receives K data packets sent by the access network device through P links on the air interface. That is, the terminal device receives K data packets sent by the access network device through P carriers. Further, P can also be K, or an integer greater than K, which is not limited here.

[0305] For the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, please refer to Figure 3 The content of step 301 in the description regarding the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal will not be elaborated here.

[0306] When the J data packets are data packets of the J PDCP layer, the access network device may send the data packets of the J PDCP layer by repeated transmission. Figure 4 Regarding the protocol stack involved in the terminal device, you can Figure 3 The content of the protocol stack involved in the terminal device in step 301 is not repeated here. Regarding the protocol stack involved in the first relay terminal, Figure 3 The content of the protocol stack involved in step 301 of the first relay terminal is not repeated here. Regarding the protocol stack involved in the access network device, Figure 3 The contents of the protocol stack involved in the access network device in step 301 are not described in detail here.

[0307] Further, the access network device can process K PDCP layer data packets among the J PDCP layer data packets through the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer of the access network device respectively to obtain K PHY layer data packets, and send the K PHY layer data packets to the terminal device through the air interface. When the terminal device receives the K PHY layer data packets, the terminal device can process the K RLC layer data packets through the PHY layer, MAC layer, and RLC layer of the terminal device to obtain K RLC layer data packets.

[0308] In addition, the access network device can also send JK PDCP layer data packets out of the J PDCP layer data packets to the terminal device through the first relay terminal. Specifically, the access network device can process the JK PDCP layer data packets through the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer of the access network device respectively to obtain JK PHY layer data packets, and send the JK PHY layer data packets to the first relay terminal. Further, the first relay terminal can process the JK PHY layer data packets through the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer of the first relay terminal to obtain JK RLC layer data packets corresponding to the first relay terminal. Then, the first relay terminal can process the JK RLC layer data packets corresponding to the first relay terminal through the protocol stack corresponding to the first link to obtain JK PHY layer data packets corresponding to the first link. Among them, regarding the protocol stack corresponding to the first link, it can be Figure 3 The contents of the protocol stack corresponding to the first link in step 301 are not elaborated here. It can be understood that when the protocol stack corresponding to the first link includes the RLC layer, the MAC layer and the PHY layer, at this time, the first relay terminal can process the data packets of the JK RLC layers corresponding to the first relay terminal through the protocol stack corresponding to the first link, and obtain the data packets of the JK PHY layers corresponding to the first link. Further, the first relay terminal can send the data packets of the JK PHY layers corresponding to the first link to the terminal device. When the terminal device receives the data packets of the JK PHY layers corresponding to the first link, the data packets of the JK PHY layers corresponding to the first link can be processed through the protocol stack corresponding to the first link to obtain the data packets of the JK RLC layers.

[0309] Further, combined with Figure 4 The terminal device can sort and / or deduplicate K RLC layer data packets and JK RLC layer data packets at the PDCP layer of the terminal device, and then further submit them to the upper layer of the PDCP layer of the terminal device.

[0310] 602. The access network device receives the request information sent by the terminal device.

[0311] For request information, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the request information in step 301 is not described in detail here.

[0312] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, at least one data packet is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one data packet is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, and the problem of how to improve the reliability of data transmission in the presence of obstructions is solved. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link being unable to be performed due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link being unable to be performed.

[0313] Optionally, the J data packets belong to the second service, and the method further includes: the access network device receives sixth indication information sent by the core network device; or the access network device determines to send the service data of the second service by repeated transmission according to the protocol data unit session established between the terminal device and the core network device;

[0314] The sixth indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the second service, a quality of service QoS parameter of the second service, a type of QoS flow, and a protocol data unit session type.

[0315] The quality of service QoS parameters of the second service include a QoS classification identifier (QCI), an allocation and retention priority (ARP), etc. Different from the QOS parameters, the type of QoS flow is used to indicate that the QoS flow carries the second service, and the type of QoS flow is used to indicate that the base station transmits the second service carried by the QoS flow by means of relay repeated transmission; the protocol data unit session type is used to indicate that the protocol data unit session is used to carry the second service, and the protocol data unit session type is used to indicate that the base station transmits the second service carried by the protocol data unit session by means of relay repeated transmission.

[0316] It is understandable that the access network device may determine to send the service data of the second service by repeated transmission based on the sixth indication information. Further, the access network device may determine to send the service data of the second service by repeated transmission based on the preset protocol rule and the sixth indication information.

[0317] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network equipment can determine whether the service data corresponding to the service needs to be transmitted in a corresponding transmission mode, such as using an air interface and a relay link for repeated transmission to transmit data.

[0318] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0319] The terminal device sends capability information to the access network device.

[0320] For capability information, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the capability information in step 302 is not described in detail here.

[0321] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the reporting of terminal device capability information is realized, so that the access network device can determine what transmission mode the terminal device supports based on the capabilities of the terminal device, and then decide what transmission mode to use to communicate with the terminal device.

[0322] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device sending second indication information to the access network device.

[0323] For the second indication information, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the second indication information in step 302 is not elaborated here.

[0324] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device reports the candidate relay terminals that meet the conditions to the access network device, so that the access network device can select a suitable relay terminal for the terminal device to perform repeated transmission based on the indication information reported by the terminal device.

[0325] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device receives third indication information sent by the access network device.

[0326] For the third indication information, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the third indication information in step 302 is not elaborated here.

[0327] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device sends the relevant information of the selected relay terminal or relay link to the terminal device, and the terminal device can know which relay terminal or relay link to use for repeated transmission.

[0328] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the terminal device sending fourth indication information to the first relay terminal.

[0329] For the fourth indication information, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the fourth indication information in step 302 is not elaborated here.

[0330] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, by sending indication information to the relay terminal, the relay terminal can establish a second link with the access network device according to the indication information.

[0331] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device receives configuration information.

[0332] For configuration information, please refer to Figure 3The content of the configuration information in step 302 is not described in detail here.

[0333] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device can obtain the corresponding relationship between the links according to the configuration information, so as to complete the repeated transmission of the relay link in the subsequent process.

[0334] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device receiving control signaling sent by the access network device; or the terminal device receiving fifth indication information sent by the first relay terminal.

[0335] For control signaling, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the control signaling in step 302 is not described in detail here. Figure 3 The content of the fifth indication information in step 302 is not elaborated here.

[0336] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the access network device can send signaling to control whether the state of each link for repeated transmission is activated or deactivated, including relay links and non-relay links.

[0337] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: when a first preset condition is met, the terminal device activates at least one link for repeated transmission.

[0338] Among them, regarding the first preset condition, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the first preset condition in step 302 is not repeated here.

[0339] In addition, when the second preset condition is met, the terminal device may deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission.

[0340] Regarding the second preset condition, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the second preset condition in step 302 is not repeated here.

[0341] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the terminal device can decide whether to activate / deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission according to preset conditions.

[0342] Here is another communication architecture. Figure 7 , Figure 7 The present application embodiment provides another communication architecture. The communication architecture includes a terminal device 70, a first relay terminal 71 and an access network device 72. The terminal device 70 can be applied to the above Figures 3 to 6 In the method shown, the first relay terminal 71 can be applied to the above Figures 3 to 6 In the method shown, the access network device 72 can be applied to the above Figures 3 to 6In the method shown.

[0343] like Figure 7 As shown, the terminal device includes a processing module 701 and a transceiver module 702 ; the first relay terminal 71 includes a transceiver module 711 ; and the access network device 72 includes a transceiver module 721 .

[0344] In a first aspect, a processing module 701 is used to determine a first data packet, and to copy the first data packet to obtain M data packets, where M is an integer greater than 1; a transceiver module 702 sends the M data packets to an access network device by repeated transmission;

[0345] Among them, when M data packets are sent to the access network device by repeated transmission, the transceiver module 702 is used to send N data packets of the M data packets to the access network device through the air interface, where N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M; send MN data packets of the M data packets to the access network device through the first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, where the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0346] When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, the transceiver module 702 is used to send a request message to the access network device, and the request message is used to request to update the first relay link to the second relay link, and the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link. The third link is the link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is the link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0347] For the first data packet, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the first data packet in step 301 is not described in detail here. Figure 3 The content of the air interface in step 301 of FIG. 1 is not repeated here. For the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal in step 301 is not repeated here. For the request information, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the request information in step 302 is not described in detail here. Figure 3 The content of the first preset threshold in step 302 is not repeated here.

[0348] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, the data packet is copied, at least one of the copied data packets is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one of the copied data packets is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, which reduces the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0349] In a second aspect, the transceiver module 702 is used to receive J data packets sent by the access network device through repeated transmission, where J is an integer greater than 1;

[0350] Among them, when receiving J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner, the transceiver module 702 is used to receive K data packets among the J data packets sent by the access network device through the air interface, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J; receive JK data packets among the J data packets through the first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0351] When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, the transceiver module 702 is used to send a request message to the access network device, and the request message is used to request to update the first relay link to the second relay link, and the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link. The third link is the link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is the link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0352] Among them, for J data packets, please refer to Figure 6 The contents of the J data packets in step 601 are not described in detail here. Figure 6 The content of repeated transmission in step 601 of FIG. 1 is not described in detail here. For the air interface, please refer to Figure 6 The content of the air interface in step 601 is not repeated here. For the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, please refer to Figure 6 The content of the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal in step 601 is not repeated here. For the request information, please refer to Figure 6 The content of the request information in step 602 is not described in detail here. Figure 3 The content of the first preset threshold in step 302 is not repeated here.

[0353] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, at least one data packet is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one data packet is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, reducing the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0354] Further, for a more detailed description of the above-mentioned transceiver module 701 and the processing module 702, reference may be made to the relevant description in the above-mentioned method embodiment, which will not be described again here.

[0355] In a third aspect, the transceiver module 721 is used to receive M data packets sent by the terminal device in a repeated transmission manner, where M is an integer greater than 1;

[0356] Among them, when receiving M data packets sent by the terminal device in a repeated transmission manner, the transceiver module 721 is used to receive N data packets among the M data packets sent by the terminal device through the air interface, where the M data packets are sent in a repeated transmission manner, and N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M; receive MN data packets among the M data packets through the first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, where the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0357] The transceiver module 721 is used to receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0358] For the first data packet, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the first data packet in step 301 is not described in detail here. Figure 3 The content of the air interface in step 301 of FIG. 1 is not repeated here. For the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal in step 301 is not repeated here. For the request information, please refer to Figure 3 The content of the request information in step 302 is not described in detail here. Figure 3The content of the first preset threshold in step 302 is not repeated here.

[0359] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, at least one data packet is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one data packet is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, reducing the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0360] In a fourth aspect, a transceiver module 721 is configured to send J data packets to a terminal device by repeated transmission, where J is an integer greater than 1;

[0361] Wherein, when J data packets are sent to the terminal device by repeated transmission, the transceiver module 721 is used to send K data packets among the J data packets to the terminal device through the air interface, the J data packets are sent by repeated transmission, J is an integer greater than 1, and K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J; JK data packets among the J data packets are sent to the terminal device through the first relay link, the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device;

[0362] The transceiver module 721 is used to receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

[0363] Among them, for J data packets, please refer to Figure 6 The contents of the J data packets in step 601 are not described in detail here. Figure 6 The content of the air interface in step 601 is not repeated here. For the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, please refer to Figure 6 The content of the link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal in step 601 is not repeated here. For the request information, please refer to Figure 6 The content of the request information in step 602 is not described in detail here. Figure 3 The content of the first preset threshold in step 302 is not repeated here.

[0364] It can be seen that in the above technical solution, at least one data packet is transmitted through the air interface, and at least one data packet is transmitted through the first relay link, so that the same data packet is copied and transmitted through different paths, reducing the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by obstructions. In addition, when the quality of the existing relay link is poor, the dynamic update of the relay link avoids the problem of repeated transmission of the relay link due to poor link quality in the presence of obstructions, and also avoids the problem of unreliable data transmission caused by repeated transmission of the relay link.

[0365] Further, for a more detailed description of the above-mentioned transceiver module 721, reference may be made to the relevant description in the above-mentioned method embodiment, which will not be described again here.

[0366] For further information, see Figure 8 , Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal device 70, the first relay terminal 71, and the access network device 72 is as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the terminal device 70 may include a first PDCP entity 8011, a first RLC entity 8012, a second RLC entity 8013, a first MAC entity 8014, a second MAC entity 8015, a first PHY entity 8016, and a second PHY entity 8017. Among them, the first PDCP entity 8011 is connected to the first RLC entity 8012, the first RLC entity 8012 is connected to the first MAC entity 8014, and the first MAC entity 8014 is connected to the first PHY entity 8016. There is an association relationship between the first PDCP entity 8011 and the second RLC entity 8013. The second RLC entity 8013 is connected to the second MAC entity 8015, and the second MAC entity 8015 is connected to the second PHY entity 8017. It can be understood that the second RLC entity 8013 may include at least one second RLC entity, the second MAC entity 8015 may include at least one second MAC entity, and the second PHY entity 8017 may include at least one second PHY entity.

[0367] Further, combined with Figure 8, the first relay terminal 71 may include a third RLC entity 8111, a fourth RLC entity 8112, a third MAC entity 8113, a fourth MAC entity 8114, a third PHY entity 8115 and a fourth PHY entity 8116. Among them, there is an association relationship between the first PDCP entity 7011 and the third RLC entity 8111, and there is an association relationship between the third RLC entity 8111 and the fourth RLC entity 8112. The third RLC entity 8111 is connected to the third MAC entity 8113, and the third MAC entity 8113 is connected to the third PHY entity 8115. The fourth RLC entity 8112 is connected to the fourth MAC entity 8114, and the fourth MAC entity 8114 is connected to the fourth PHY entity 8116. It can be understood that the third RLC entity 8111 may include at least one third RLC entity, the third MAC entity 8113 may include at least one third MAC entity, and the third PHY entity 8115 may include at least one third PHY entity.

[0368] The access network device 72 may include a second PDCP entity 8211, a fifth RLC entity 8212, a sixth RLC entity 8213, a fifth MAC entity 8214, a sixth MAC entity 8215, a fifth PHY entity 8216, and a sixth PHY entity 8217. Among them, the second PDCP entity 8211 is connected to the fifth RLC entity 8212, the fifth RLC entity 8212 is connected to the fifth MAC entity 8214, and the fifth MAC entity 8214 is connected to the fifth PHY entity 8216. There is an association relationship between the second PDCP entity 8211 and the sixth RLC entity 8213. The sixth RLC entity 8213 is connected to the sixth MAC entity 8215, and the sixth MAC entity 8215 is connected to the sixth PHY entity 8217. It can be understood that the sixth RLC entity 8213 may include at least one sixth RLC entity, the sixth MAC entity 8215 may include at least one sixth MAC entity, and the sixth PHY entity 8217 may include at least one sixth PHY entity.

[0369] Further, combined with Figure 8 When the first data packet is a data packet of the PDCP layer, the M data packets are M data packets of the PDCP layer. When the M data packets are sent to the access network device by repeated transmission, the first PDCP entity 8011 is used to deliver N data packets of the PDCP layer among the M data packets of the PDCP layer to the first RLC entity 8012, and deliver MN data packets of the PDCP layer among the M data packets of the PDCP layer to the second RLC entity 8013.

[0370] Further, the first RLC entity 8012 is used to process data packets of N PDCP layers to obtain data packets of N RLC layers, and deliver the data packets of N RLC layers to the first MAC entity 8014; the first MAC entity 8014 is used to process data packets of N RLC layers to obtain data packets of N MAC layers, and deliver the data packets of N MAC layers to the first PHY entity 8016; the first PHY entity 8016 is used to process data packets of N MAC layers to obtain data packets of N PHY layers. Further, the transceiver module 702 is used to send data packets of N PHY layers to the access network device 72 through the air interface. The transceiver module 721 of the access network device 72 is used to receive data packets of N PHY layers. Further, the fifth PHY entity 8216 is used to deliver N PHY layer data packets to the fifth MAC entity 8214; the fifth MAC entity 8214 is used to process N PHY layer data packets, obtain N MAC layer data packets, and deliver the N MAC layer data packets to the fifth RLC entity 8212; the fifth RLC entity 8212 is used to process N MAC layer data packets, obtain N RLC layer data packets, and deliver the N RLC layer data packets to the second PDCP entity 8211.

[0371] Further, the second RLC entity 8013 is used to process the data packets of MN PDCP layers, obtain the data packets of MN RLC layers, and deliver the data packets of MN RLC layers to the second MAC entity 8015; the second MAC entity 8015 is used to process the data packets of MN RLC layers, obtain the data packets of MN MAC layers, and deliver the data packets of MN MAC layers to the second PHY entity 8017; the second PHY entity 8017 is used to process the data packets of MN MAC layers, obtain the data packets of MN PHY layers. Further, the transceiver module 702 is used to send the data packets of MN PHY layers to the first relay terminal 71. The transceiver module 711 of the first relay terminal 71 is used to receive the data packets of MN PHY layers. Further, the third PHY entity 8115 is used to deliver MN PHY layer data packets to the third MAC entity 8113; the third MAC entity 8113 is used to process MN PHY layer data packets to obtain MN MAC layer data packets, and deliver the MN MAC layer data packets to the third RLC entity 8111; since there is an association relationship between the third RLC entity 8111 and the fourth RLC entity 8112, the third RLC entity delivers the processed MN data packets to the fourth RLC entity 8112, and the fourth RLC entity 8112 is used to process MN data packets to obtain MN RLC layer data packets, and deliver the MN RLC layer data packets to the fourth MAC entity 8114; the fourth MAC entity 8114 is used to process MN RLC layer data packets to obtain MN MAC layer data packets, and deliver the MN MAC layer data packets to the fourth PHY entity 8116; the fourth PHY entity 8116 is used to process MN MAC layer data packets to obtain MN PHY layer data packets. Further, the transceiver module 711 is used to send MN PHY layer data packets to the access network device 72. The transceiver module 721 of the access network device 72 is used to receive MN PHY layer data packets. Further, the sixth PHY entity 8217 is used to deliver MN PHY layer data packets to the sixth MAC entity 8215; the sixth MAC entity 8215 is used to process MN PHY layer data packets, obtain MN MAC layer data packets, and deliver MN MAC layer data packets to the sixth RLC entity 8213; the sixth RLC entity 8213 is used to process MN MAC layer data packets, obtain MN RLC layer data packets, and deliver MN RLC layer data packets to the second PDCP entity 8211.

[0372] Furthermore, the second PDCP entity 8211 may sort and / or deduplicate the data packets of N RLC layers and the data packets of MN RLC layers, and then submit them to the corresponding entity of the upper layer of the PDCP layer.

[0373] It should be noted that when the J data packets are data packets of J PDCP layers, the transceiver module 702 is used to send the data packets of J PDCP layers by repeated transmission. Specifically, the second PDCP entity 8211 of the access network device is used to deliver the data packets of K PDCP layers among the data packets of J PDCP layers to the fifth RLC entity 8212, and deliver the data packets of JK PDCP layers among the data packets of J PDCP layers to the sixth RLC entity 8213.

[0374] Further, the fifth RLC entity 8212 is used to process K PDCP layer data packets to obtain K RLC layer data packets, and deliver the K RLC layer data packets to the fifth MAC entity 8214; the fifth MAC entity 8214 is used to process K RLC layer data packets to obtain K MAC layer data packets, and deliver the K MAC layer data packets to the fifth PHY entity 8216; the fifth PHY entity 8216 is used to process K MAC layer data packets to obtain K PHY layer data packets. Further, the transceiver module 721 is used to send to the terminal device 70 via the air interface. The transceiver module 702 of the terminal device 70 is used to receive K PHY layer data packets. Further, the first PHY entity 8016 is used to deliver K PHY layer data packets to the first MAC entity 8014; the first MAC entity 8014 is used to process K PHY layer data packets, obtain K MAC layer data packets, and deliver the K MAC layer data packets to the first RLC entity 8012; the first RLC entity 8012 is used to process K MAC layer data packets, obtain K RLC layer data packets, and deliver the K RLC layer data packets to the first PDCP entity 8011.

[0375] Further, the sixth RLC entity 8213 is used to process JK PDCP layer data packets to obtain JK RLC layer data packets, and deliver the JK RLC layer data packets to the sixth MAC entity 8215; the sixth MAC entity 8215 is used to process JK RLC layer data packets to obtain JK MAC layer data packets, and deliver the JK MAC layer data packets to the sixth PHY entity 8217; the sixth PHY entity 8217 is used to process JK MAC layer data packets to obtain JK PHY layer data packets. Further, the transceiver module 721 is used to send JK PHY layer data packets to the first relay terminal 71. The transceiver module 711 of the first relay terminal 71 is used to receive JK PHY layer data packets. Further, the fourth PHY entity 8116 is used to deliver JK PHY layer data packets to the fourth MAC entity 8114; the fourth MAC entity 8112 is used to process JK PHY layer data packets to obtain JK MAC layer data packets, and deliver the JK MAC layer data packets to the fourth RLC entity 8112; since there is an association between the third RLC entity 8111 and the fourth RLC entity 8112, the fourth RLC entity delivers the processed JK data packets to the third RLC entity 8111, and the third RLC entity 8111 is used to process JK data packets to obtain JK RLC layer data packets, and pass the JK RLC layer data packets to the third MAC entity 8113; the third MAC entity 8113 is used to process JK RLC layer data packets to obtain JK MAC layer data packets, and pass the JK MAC layer data packets to the third PHY entity 8115; the third PHY entity 8115 is used to process JK MAC layer data packets to obtain JK PHY layer data packets. Further, the transceiver module 711 is used to send JK PHY layer data packets to the terminal device 70. The transceiver module 702 of the terminal device 70 is used to receive JK PHY layer data packets. Further, the second PHY entity 8017 is used to pass the JK PHY layer data packets to the second MAC entity 8015; the second MAC entity 8015 is used to process the JK PHY layer data packets, obtain the JK MAC layer data packets, and pass the JK MAC layer data packets to the second RLC entity 8013; the second RLC entity 8013 is used to process the JK MAC layer data packets, obtain the JK RLC layer data packets, and pass the JK RLC layer data packets to the first PDCP entity 8011.

[0376] Furthermore, the first PDCP entity 8011 is used to sort and / or deduplicate the data packets of K RLC layers and JK RLC layers, and then submit them to the corresponding entity of the upper layer of the PDCP layer.

[0377] In a possible implementation, when the terminal device or the access network device is a chip, the transceiver module 701 or the transceiver module 721 may be an interface, a pin or a circuit, etc. The interface may be used to input data to be processed into the processor, and may output the processing result of the processor to the outside. In a specific implementation, the interface may be a general purpose input output (GPIO) interface, which may be connected to multiple peripheral devices (such as a display (LCD), a camera (camara), a radio frequency (RF) module, an antenna, etc.). The interface is connected to the processor via a bus. For example, the interface may be used to send M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission.

[0378] The processing module 702 may be a processor that can execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage module to enable the chip to execute Figures 3 to 6 Embodiments relate to methods.

[0379] Furthermore, the processor may include a controller, an arithmetic unit and a register. Exemplarily, the controller is mainly responsible for instruction decoding and sends control signals for operations corresponding to the instructions. The arithmetic unit is mainly responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, etc., and may also perform address operations and conversions. The register is mainly responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during the execution of instructions. In a specific implementation, the hardware architecture of the processor may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) architecture, a microprocessor without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS) architecture, an advanced RISC machines (ARM) architecture, or a network processor (NP) architecture, etc. The processor may be single-core or multi-core.

[0380] The storage module may be a storage module within the chip, such as a register, a cache, etc. The storage module may also be a storage module located outside the chip, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0381] It should be noted that the functions corresponding to the processor and the interface can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software, and there is no limitation here.

[0382] Fig. 9 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. For ease of understanding and illustration, Fig. 9 In this article, a mobile phone is used as an example of a terminal device. Fig. 9 As shown, the terminal device includes at least one processor, and may also include a radio frequency circuit, an antenna, and an input-output device. Among them, the processor can be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and can also be used to control the terminal device, execute software programs, process the data of software programs, etc. The terminal device may also include a memory, which is mainly used to store software programs and data. These programs involved can be loaded into the memory when the communication device leaves the factory, or loaded into the memory when needed later. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used for conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and processing of radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used to send and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input-output devices, such as touch screens, display screens, keyboards, etc., are mainly used to receive data input by users and output data to users. It should be noted that some types of terminal devices may not have input-output devices.

[0383] When data needs to be sent, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit performs RF processing on the baseband signal and then sends the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data. For ease of explanation, Fig. 9 Only one memory and processor are shown. In an actual terminal device product, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device. The memory may be set independently of the processor or may be integrated with the processor, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0384] In the embodiments of the present application, the antenna and the radio frequency circuit with transceiver functions may be regarded as the receiving unit and the sending unit of the terminal device (also collectively referred to as the transceiver unit), and the processor with processing function may be regarded as the processing unit of the terminal device. Fig. 9 As shown, the terminal device includes a receiving module 31, a processing module 32 and a sending module 33. The receiving module 31 may also be called a receiver, a receiver, a receiving circuit, etc., and the sending module 33 may also be called a transmitter, a transmitter, a transmitter, a transmitting circuit, etc. The processing module 32 may also be called a processor, a processing board, a processing device, etc.

[0385] For example, the processing module 32 is used to execute Figure 3 Functions of the terminal device in step 301 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0386] Fig.10 It is a simplified structural diagram of an access network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The access network device includes a radio frequency signal transceiver and conversion part and a part 42, and the radio frequency signal transceiver and conversion part includes a receiving module 41 part and a sending module 43 part (also collectively referred to as a transceiver module). The radio frequency signal transceiver and conversion part is mainly used for the transceiver of radio frequency signals and the conversion of radio frequency signals and baseband signals; part 42 is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the access network device, etc. The receiving module 41 can also be called a receiver, a receiver, a receiving circuit, etc., and the sending module 43 can also be called a transmitter, a transmitter, a transmitter, a transmitting circuit, etc. Part 42 is usually the control center of the access network device, which can usually be called a processing module, which is used to control the access network device to perform the above-mentioned Figures 3 to 6 For details, please refer to the description of the above related parts.

[0387] Part 42 may include one or more boards, each of which may include one or more processors and one or more memories, and the processor is used to read and execute the program in the memory to realize the baseband processing function and the control of the access network device. If there are multiple boards, each board can be interconnected to increase the processing capacity. As an optional implementation, multiple boards may share one or more processors, or multiple boards may share one or more memories, or multiple boards may share one or more processors at the same time.

[0388] For example, the receiving module 41 is used to execute Figure 3 The function of the access network device in step 302 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0389] The embodiment of the present application also provides a terminal device / access network device, which is used to execute the above communication method. Part or all of the above communication can be implemented by hardware or software.

[0390] Optionally, the terminal device / access network device may be a chip or an integrated circuit in specific implementation.

[0391] Optionally, when part or all of the communication methods of the above embodiments are implemented through software, the terminal device / access network device includes: at least one processor for executing a program, so that when the program is executed, the terminal device / access network device can implement the communication method provided by the above embodiments, and the terminal device / access network device may also include a memory for storing necessary programs. These programs involved can be loaded into the memory when the terminal device / access network device leaves the factory, and can also be loaded into the memory when needed later.

[0392] Optionally, the above-mentioned memory may be a physically independent unit or may be integrated with the processor.

[0393] Optionally, when part or all of the communication method in the above embodiment is implemented by software, the terminal device / access network device may also include only at least one processor. The memory for storing the program is located outside the terminal device / access network device, and the processor is connected to the memory through a circuit / wire to read and execute the program stored in the memory.

[0394] Each processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and a NP.

[0395] Optionally, each processor may include a hardware chip. The hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD) or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL) or any combination thereof.

[0396] The memory may include volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM); the memory may also include non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD); the memory may also include a combination of the above types of memory.

[0397] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed, the following is achieved: Figures 3 to 6 A method in any possible implementation.

[0398] The above specific implementation methods further illustrate the purpose, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application in detail. It should be understood that the above are only specific implementation methods of the present application and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made on the basis of the technical solutions of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to terminal equipment, including: Determine a first data packet, copy the first data packet to obtain M data packets, and send the M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission, where M is an integer greater than 1; The sending of the M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission includes: Sending N data packets of the M data packets to the access network device through an air interface, where N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M; Sending MN data packets among the M data packets to the access network device through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, a request message is sent to the access network device, wherein the request message is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, wherein the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, wherein the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first data packet belongs to a first service, and the method further includes: Sending first indication information to the access network device; The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the first service, a quality of service QoS requirement of the first service, a type of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, and a link quality of the first link.

3. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to terminal equipment, including: Receiving J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner, where J is an integer greater than 1; The receiving J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner includes: Receiving K data packets among the J data packets sent by the access network device through an air interface, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J; Receiving JK data packets among the J data packets through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, a request message is sent to the access network device, wherein the request message is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, wherein the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, wherein the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second relay terminal, an identifier of a PC5 interface between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, a link identifier of the third link, and a link quality of the third link.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Send capability information to the access network device, wherein the capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following capabilities: The terminal device supports communication with the access network device via a relay link; The terminal device supports a first repeated transmission, wherein at least one link of the first repeated transmission is a relay link; The terminal device supports second repeated transmission, where the second repeated transmission includes at least two links for carrier aggregation repeated transmission and at least one relay link; The maximum number of relay links supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission; The maximum number of relay terminals supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Sending second indication information to the access network device, the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: an identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a PC5 interface identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a relay link identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, and a link quality of at least one relay link that can be established with the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Receive third indication information sent by the access network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the identifier of the first relay terminal or the PC5 interface identifier or the first link identifier for establishing the first relay link with the terminal device.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send fourth indication information to the first relay terminal, where the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first relay terminal to establish the second link with the access network device.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: Configuration information is received, where the configuration information is used to configure a corresponding relationship between the first link and the second link.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: receiving a control signaling sent by the access network device, where the control signaling is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; or, Receive fifth indication information sent by the first relay terminal, where the fifth indication information is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission.

11. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When a first preset condition is met, activating at least one link for repeated transmission; The first preset condition includes at least one of the following: The link quality of the first link is less than or equal to the first preset quality threshold; or, The link quality of the second link is less than or equal to a second preset quality threshold; or, The bit error rate of the first data packet transmission is greater than or equal to a preset bit error rate threshold; or, The number of retransmissions of the first data packet is greater than or equal to a preset number of retransmissions.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to access network equipment, including: Receiving M data packets sent by a terminal device in a repeated transmission manner, where M is an integer greater than 1; The receiving terminal device sends M data packets by repeated transmission, including: Receiving N data packets among the M data packets sent by the terminal device through an air interface, the M data packets are sent by repeated transmission, and N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M; Receiving MN data packets among the M data packets through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; Receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The M data packets belong to a first service, and the method further includes: Receiving first indication information sent by the terminal device; The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the first service, a quality of service QoS requirement of the first service, a type of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, and a link quality of the first link.

14. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to access network equipment, including: Sending J data packets to the terminal device by repeated transmission, where J is an integer greater than 1; The sending of J data packets to the terminal device by repeated transmission includes: Sending K data packets out of J data packets to the terminal device through an air interface, wherein the J data packets are sent in a repeated transmission manner, wherein J is an integer greater than 1, and K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J; Sending JK data packets among the J data packets to the terminal device through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; Receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

15. The method according to claim 12 or 14, characterized in that The request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the second relay terminal, an identifier of a PC5 interface between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, a link identifier of the third link, and a link quality of the third link.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The J data packets belong to a second service, and the method further includes: receiving sixth indication information sent by the core network device; or, Determining, according to a protocol data unit session established between the terminal device and the core network device, to send the service data of the second service by repeated transmission; The sixth indication information includes at least one of the following: a type identifier of the second service and a quality of service QoS requirement of the second service.

17. The method according to claim 12 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive capability information sent by the terminal device, wherein the capability information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The terminal device supports communication with the access network device via a relay link; The terminal device supports a first repeated transmission, wherein at least one link of the first repeated transmission is a relay link; The terminal device supports second repeated transmission, where the second repeated transmission includes at least two links for carrier aggregation repeated transmission and at least one relay link; The maximum number of relay links supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission; The maximum number of relay terminals supported by the terminal device for repeated transmission.

18. The method according to claim 12 or 14, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Receive second indication information sent by the terminal device, the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: an identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a PC5 interface identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, a relay link identifier of at least one relay terminal that can establish a relay link with the terminal device, and a link quality of at least one relay link that can be established with the terminal device.

19. The method according to claim 12 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending third indication information to the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the identifier of the first relay terminal or the PC5 interface identifier or the first link identifier that establishes the first relay link with the terminal device.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The method further comprises: Fourth indication information is sent to the first relay terminal through the terminal device, and the fourth indication information is used to instruct the first relay terminal to establish the second link with the access network device.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send configuration information, where the configuration information is used to configure a corresponding relationship between the first link and the second link.

22. The method according to claim 12 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending a control signaling to the terminal device, where the control signaling is used to activate or deactivate at least one link for repeated transmission; or, The control signaling is sent to the first relay terminal.

23. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device includes a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module is used to determine a first data packet, and copy the first data packet to obtain M data packets, where M is an integer greater than 1; The transceiver module is used to send the M data packets to the access network device by repeated transmission; When the M data packets are sent to the access network device by repeated transmission, the transceiver module is used to Sending N data packets of the M data packets to the access network device through an air interface, where N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M; Sending MN data packets among the M data packets to the access network device through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, the transceiver module is used to send a request message to the access network device, and the request message is used to request to update the first relay link to a second relay link, and the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, the third link is the link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is the link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

24. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device comprises a transceiver module. The transceiver module is used to receive J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner, where J is an integer greater than 1; Wherein, when receiving J data packets sent by the access network device in a repeated transmission manner, the transceiver module is used to receive K data packets among the J data packets sent by the access network device through an air interface, where K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J; receive JK data packets among the J data packets through a first relay link, where the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, where the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; When the link quality of the first link is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, the transceiver module is used to send a request message to the access network device, and the request message is used to request to update the first relay link to a second relay link, and the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, the third link is the link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is the link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

25. An access network device, characterized in that: The access network device includes a transceiver module, and the transceiver module is used to receive M data packets sent by the terminal device in a repeated transmission manner, where M is an integer greater than 1; Wherein, when receiving M data packets sent by a terminal device in a repeated transmission manner, the transceiver module is used to receive N data packets of the M data packets sent by the terminal device through an air interface, the M data packets are sent in a repeated transmission manner, and N is an integer greater than 0 and less than M; receive MN data packets of the M data packets through a first relay link, the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and a first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; The transceiver module is used to receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

26. An access network device, characterized in that: The access network device includes a transceiver module, and the transceiver module is used to send J data packets to the terminal device by repeated transmission, where J is an integer greater than 1; Wherein, when J data packets are sent to the terminal device by repeated transmission, the transceiver module is used to send K data packets among the J data packets to the terminal device through the air interface, the J data packets are sent by repeated transmission, J is an integer greater than 1, and K is an integer greater than 0 and less than J; JK data packets among the J data packets are sent to the terminal device through a first relay link, the first relay link includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal device and the first relay terminal, and the second link is a link between the first relay terminal and the access network device; The transceiver module is used to receive request information, where the request information is used to request that the first relay link be updated to a second relay link, where the second relay link includes a third link and a fourth link, where the third link is a link between the terminal device and the second relay terminal, and the fourth link is a link between the second relay terminal and the access network device.

27. A terminal device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the processor calls a computer program stored in the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

28. An access network device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the processor calls a computer program stored in the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 12 to 20.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 20 is implemented.

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