Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and device. The method comprises: in a carrier aggregation scenario, a first network device communicates with a terminal device based on a first mode, the first mode being that, before a plurality of HARQ processes are all used up, there is at least one HARQ process in the plurality of HARQ processes, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies a plurality of time slots, wherein the first network device is a network device that does not receive a PUCCH sent by the terminal device. According to the scheme of the present application, the first network device communicates with the terminal device based on the first mode, and since at least one HARQ process in the plurality of HARQ processes occupies a plurality of time slots, compared with each HARQ process in the plurality of HARQ processes only occupying 1 time slot, the use of the HARQ process is saved, thereby the limited degree of the HARQ process can be alleviated, and the loss of the downlink rate is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more particularly, to a communication method and apparatus. Background Art

[0002] In a carrier aggregation scenario, for a network device (denoted as the first network device) that does not receive the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) sent by a terminal device, during the process of the first network device communicating with the terminal device, there is a possible situation where all hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes of the first network device have been used up, but the first network device has not received ACK or NACK information from any HARQ process. In this case, if the first network device needs to send a new physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) initial transmission, the first network device needs to wait for a certain HARQ process to be released, resulting in a decrease in the downlink rate of the first network device. Therefore, how to improve the downlink rate of the first network device is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus that can increase the downlink rate of a first network device.

[0004] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising:

[0005] In a carrier aggregation CA scenario, a first network device communicates with a terminal device based on a first mode, where the first mode is a mode in which, before multiple hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ processes are all used up, there is at least one HARQ process among multiple HARQ processes, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies multiple time slots, wherein the first network device is a network device that does not receive a physical uplink control channel PUCCH sent by the terminal device.

[0006] According to the solution of the present application, when the first network device communicates with the terminal device based on the first mode, since at least one HARQ process among the multiple HARQ processes occupies multiple time slots, compared with each HARQ process among the multiple HARQ processes occupying only one time slot, the use of the HARQ process is saved, thereby alleviating the degree of limitation of the HARQ process, and even the HARQ process is no longer limited, reducing the loss of the downlink rate, and even there is no loss of the downlink rate.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0008] The first network device receives first indication information from the second network device, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode; wherein the second network device is a network device that receives the PUCCH sent by the terminal device.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0010] The first network device determines whether to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode according to the first information; the first information includes one or more of the following:

[0011] The processing delay of the terminal device, the transmission delay between the terminal device and the second network device, the processing delay of the second network device, the transmission delay between the second network device and the first network device, and the difference in time domain configuration between the cell corresponding to the second network device and the cell corresponding to the first network device; wherein the second network device is a network device that receives the PUCCH sent by the terminal device.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the multiple time slots are continuous time slots; or, the multiple time slots are discontinuous time slots.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0014] The first network device transmits the same transport block TB in a plurality of time slots.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, multiple time slots correspond to different redundancy versions RV of the same TB.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0017] The first network device transmits different TBs in a plurality of time slots.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, multiple time slots correspond to the same RV of different TBs.

[0019] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising:

[0020] In a carrier aggregation CA scenario, the second network device generates first indication information, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on a first mode; the second network device sends the first indication information to the first network device; wherein, the first mode is a mode in which before multiple hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ processes are all used up, there is at least one HARQ process among multiple HARQ processes, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies multiple time slots, the first network device is a network device that does not receive the PUCCH sent by the terminal device, and the second network device is a network device that receives the PUCCH sent by the terminal device.

[0021] According to the solution of the present application, the second network device may send first indication information to the first network device, so that the first network device communicates with the terminal device based on the first mode according to the instruction of the first indication information.

[0022] In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes:

[0023] The second network device determines, based on the first information, whether the HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or whether the downlink rate of the first network device is impaired; the first information includes one or more of the following:

[0024] The processing delay of the terminal device, the transmission delay between the terminal device and the second network device, the processing delay of the second network device, the transmission delay between the second network device and the first network device, and the difference in time domain configuration between the cell corresponding to the second network device and the cell corresponding to the first network device.

[0025] The first indication information is generated when the HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or the downlink rate of the first network device is impaired.

[0026] In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes:

[0027] The second network device communicates with the terminal device based on the second mode; the second mode is a mode in which each of the multiple HARQ processes occupies one time slot before all the multiple HARQ processes are used up.

[0028] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit for executing the method of the first aspect or various implementations thereof.

[0029] According to a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit for executing the method according to the second aspect or various implementations thereof.

[0030] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a communication interface and at least one processor. The memory is configured to store a computer program. When the communication device is running, the processor executes the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the method of the first aspect or its various implementations. Alternatively, the communication device performs the method of the second aspect or its various implementations.

[0031] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method of the first aspect or its various implementations. Alternatively, the computer is caused to execute the method of the second aspect or its various implementations.

[0032] In a seventh aspect, a chip is provided, wherein a processing circuit is provided on the chip, and the processing circuit is used to execute the method of the first aspect or its various implementations. Alternatively, the processing circuit is used to execute the method of the second aspect or its various implementations.

[0033] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when executed, causes a computer to perform the method of the first aspect or its various implementations. Alternatively, it causes a computer to perform the method of the second aspect or its various implementations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 The system architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0035] Figure 2 A communication method proposed in this application is shown.

[0036] Figure 3 An example of the first mode is shown.

[0037] Figure 4 Another example of the first mode is shown.

[0038] Figure 5 Another example of the first mode is shown.

[0039] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of the communication device provided in this application is shown.

[0040] Figure 7 Another schematic block diagram of the communication device provided by the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), future sixth generation (6G) system, etc.

[0043] Figure 1 The present invention shows a communication system applicable to the embodiment of the present application, which includes a first network device, a second network device, and a terminal device.

[0044] The first network device is a network device that does not receive a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) sent by the terminal device, and the second network device is a network device that receives a PUCCH sent by the terminal device.

[0045] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5G network or a terminal device in an evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0046] The network device in the embodiment of the present application can be a device for communicating with a communication device. The network device can be a base station (Base Transceiver Station, BTS) in a Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system or a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, or a base station (NodeB, NB) in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, or an evolved base station (Evolutional NodeB, eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a wireless controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenario, or the network device can be a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a network device in a 5G network or a network device in an evolved PLMN network, and a network device in a future 6G network, etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not limited.

[0047] In a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a first network device is typically unable to directly receive acknowledgment (ACK) or non-acknowledgment (NACK) information corresponding to certain hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes of the first network device from a terminal device. Generally speaking, the first network device obtains ACK or NACK information corresponding to certain HARQ processes (e.g., HARQ process #1 to HARQ process #3) in the following steps:

[0048] Step 1: The terminal device sends information #A to the second network device, where the information #A includes ACK or NACK information corresponding to the HARQ process #1-HARQ process #3 of the first network device.

[0049] The information #A is carried on the PUCCH. That is, the terminal device sends the information #A to the second network device via the PUCCH.

[0050] It should be understood that information #A may also include ACK or NACK information corresponding to the HARQ process of other network devices.

[0051] Step 2: The second network device parses the information #A to obtain the ACK or NACK information corresponding to the HARQ process #1 to the HARQ process #3 of the first network device.

[0052] Step 3: The second network device sends the ACK or NACK information corresponding to the HARQ process #1 to the HARQ process #3 of the first network device to the first network device.

[0053] The first network device then determines whether to release HARQ process #1-HARQ process #3 according to the ACK or NACK information corresponding to HARQ process #1-HARQ process #3.

[0054] For example, in a 4G system, the total number of HARQ processes is 8; in a 5G system, the total number of HARQ processes is 16.

[0055] As a situation, all HARQ processes of the first network device have been used up, but the first network device has not received ACK or NACK information from any HARQ process. That is, the first network device cannot release any HARQ process. At this time, if the first network device needs to send a new physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) initial transmission, the first network device needs to wait for a certain HARQ process to be released before it can occupy the HARQ process to send the PDSCH initial transmission. That is, at this time, the first network device cannot send the PDSCH initial transmission in the slot where the PDSCH initial transmission could have been sent, and the HARQ process of the first network device is limited, resulting in a decrease in the downlink rate of the first network device.

[0056] As another case, if the HARQ preemption technology is used, the first network device still needs to wait for the terminal device to send the above-mentioned information #A, but the first network device no longer waits for the second network device to parse out the ACK or NACK information corresponding to the HARQ process #1-HARQ process #3 of the first network device from the information #A, and directly occupies these HARQ processes. On the one hand, since the first network device still needs to wait for the terminal device to send the above-mentioned information #A, it is also possible that the HARQ process of the above-mentioned first network device is limited, resulting in a decrease in the downlink rate of the first network device. On the other hand, since the first network device no longer waits for the second network device to parse out the ACK or NACK information corresponding to the HARQ process #1-HARQ process #3 of the first network device from the information #A, and directly occupies these HARQ processes, when the terminal device does not correctly receive a certain PDSCH initial transmission, the first network device does not retransmit the PDSCH, which will eventually lead to a decrease in the downlink rate.

[0057] Based on this, Figure 2 As shown, the present application provides a communication method 200 for solving the above problems. The method 200 is applicable to Figure 1 For ease of description, the following description will be made by taking the terminal device as a UE and the network device as a base station as an example. The method 200 includes:

[0058] S210, in a CA scenario, base station #1 (an example of a first network device) communicates with UE #1 based on a first mode.

[0059] The first mode is a mode in which at least one HARQ process exists among the multiple HARQ processes before all the HARQ processes are used up, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies multiple time slots.

[0060] As a possible scenario, each of the multiple HARQ processes occupies multiple time slots. Optionally, each of the multiple HARQ processes occupies the same number of time slots.

[0061] Optionally, the first mode may be implemented based on TTI bundling or slot aggregation technology, or other technologies.

[0062] Optionally, when the first mode is implemented based on slot aggregation technology, the number of transmission layers supported by the slot aggregation transmission mode can be greater than or equal to 1 (that is, the rank can be greater than or equal to 1), and either a single stream or multiple streams can be used when sending PDSCH.

[0063] The base station #1 may be one or more base stations, and the UE #1 may be one or more UEs, which is not limited in this application.

[0064] It should be understood that in a CA scenario, the base stations associated with UE#1 include base station #1 and base station #2 (an example of a second network device). Base station #2 is the base station that receives the PUCCH sent by UE#1. For example, base station #2 can be the base station corresponding to the primary cell or the base station corresponding to the PUCCH-secondary cell (PUCCH-SCell).

[0065] Optionally, the frequency range (FR) of base station #1 is FR2, and the frequency band range of base station #2 is FR1, that is, a high-low frequency CA scenario.

[0066] The first mode will be described in detail below.

[0067] Case 1:

[0068] The multiple slots occupied by each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process may be consecutive slots.

[0069] For example, Figure 3 As shown, when base station #1 communicates with UE #1, HARQ process #0 occupies slot #0 and slot #1, HARQ process #1 occupies slot #2 and slot #3, and HARQ process #2 occupies slot #4 and slot #5.

[0070] Case 2:

[0071] The multiple slots occupied by each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process may be discontinuous slots.

[0072] Case 3:

[0073] Base station #1 can transmit the same transport block (TB) on multiple slots occupied by one HARQ process.

[0074] For example, Figure 4 As shown, HAQR process #0 occupies slot #0 and slot #1, and base station #1 transmits TB #0 in slot #0 and also transmits TB #0 in slot #1. Optionally, the redundancy versions (RVs) of TB #0 in slot #0 and slot #1 are different. For example, the RV of TB #0 in slot #0 is RV #0, and the RV of TB #0 in slot #1 is RV #1.

[0075] Case 4:

[0076] Base station #1 can transmit different TBs on multiple slots occupied by one HARQ process.

[0077] For example, Figure 5 As shown, HAQR process #0 occupies slot #0 and slot #1, and base station #1 transmits TB #0 in slot #0 and TB #1 in slot #1. Optionally, the RV of TB #0 in slot #0 is the same as the RV of TB #1 in slot #1. For example, the RV of TB #0 in slot #0 is RV #0, and the RV of TB #1 in slot #1 is RV #0.

[0078] According to the solution of the present application, when the first network device communicates with the terminal device based on the first mode, since at least one HARQ process among the multiple HARQ processes occupies multiple time slots, compared with each HARQ process among the multiple HARQ processes occupying only one time slot, the use of the HARQ process is saved, thereby alleviating the degree of limitation of the HARQ process, and even the HARQ process is no longer limited, reducing the loss of the downlink rate, and even there is no loss of the downlink rate.

[0079] Optionally, based on S210, base station #1 can further communicate with UE #1 based on HARQ preemption technology. That is, base station 1 can communicate with UE #1 based on both the method of S210 and HARQ preemption technology. For details about HARQ preemption technology, please refer to the description above.

[0080] According to the solution of the present application, based on the method of S210 and the HARQ preemption technology, the limitation of the HARQ process can be further alleviated and the loss of downlink rate can be reduced.

[0081] Optionally, the method may further include S220:

[0082] S220: In the CA scenario, base station #2 communicates with UE #1 based on the second mode.

[0083] The second mode is a mode in which each of the multiple HARQ processes occupies only one slot before all the multiple HARQ processes are used up.

[0084] The second mode will not be described in detail below.

[0085] Optionally, as a first possible scenario, before S210, the method further includes S201 and S202:

[0086] S201: Base station #2 determines, based on first information, whether the HARQ process on base station #1 is limited and / or whether the downlink rate of base station #1 is impaired.

[0087] The first information includes one or more of the following:

[0088] The processing delay of UE#1, the transmission delay between UE#1 and base station #2, the processing delay of base station #2, the transmission delay between base station #2 and base station #1, and the difference in time domain configuration between the cell corresponding to base station #2 and the cell corresponding to base station #1.

[0089] The time domain configuration includes one or more of the following:

[0090] Time division duplex (TDD) configuration, frequency division duplex (FDD) configuration, time slot length configuration, and TDD time slot ratio.

[0091] Regarding the first information, no further details will be given below.

[0092] For example, if one or more of the following situations occur, it may be considered that the HARQ process on base station #1 is limited, and / or it may be determined that the downlink rate of base station #1 is impaired:

[0093] UE#1's processing delay is greater than threshold #1, the transmission delay between UE#1 and base station #2 is greater than threshold #2, the processing delay of base station #2 is greater than threshold #3, the transmission delay between base station #2 and base station #1 is greater than threshold #4, and the sum of these four delays is greater than threshold #5. It should be understood that other situations are possible and are not listed here. It should be understood that, as a possible approach, the above thresholds can be preconfigured in base station #1.

[0094] S202: When the HARQ process on base station #1 is limited and / or the downlink rate of base station #1 is impaired, base station #2 generates first indication information and sends the first indication information to base station #1. The first indication information is used to instruct base station #1 to communicate with UE #1 based on a first mode.

[0095] It should be understood that when the HARQ process on base station #1 is not restricted and / or the downlink rate of base station #1 is not damaged, base station #2 does not send the first indication information to base station #1.

[0096] Optionally, as a second possible scenario, before S210, the method further includes S203:

[0097] S203: Base station #1 determines whether to communicate with UE #1 based on the first mode according to the first information.

[0098] That is, if base station #1 determines, based on the first information, that the HARQ process on base station #1 is limited and / or that the downlink rate is impaired, base station #1 determines to communicate with UE #1 based on the first mode. If base station #1 determines, based on the first information, that the HARQ process on base station #1 is not limited and / or that the downlink rate is not impaired, base station #1 determines not to communicate with UE #1 based on the first mode.

[0099] It should be understood that, when base station #1 determines not to communicate with UE #1 based on the first mode, base station #1 communicates with UE #1 based on the second mode.

[0100] Optionally, the method further includes S230:

[0101] S230, in a CA scenario, when the HARQ process on base station #2 is limited and / or the downlink rate is impaired, base station #2 communicates with UE #1 based on the first mode.

[0102] In one example, base station #2 may determine whether the HARQ process on base station #2 is limited and / or whether the downlink rate is impaired based on one or more of the following information:

[0103] Processing delay of UE#1, transmission delay between UE#1 and base station #2, and processing delay of base station #2.

[0104] It should be understood that when the HARQ process on base station #2 is not restricted and / or the downlink rate is not impaired, base station #2 communicates with UE #1 based on the second mode.

[0105] According to the above method, Figure 6A communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a transceiver unit 601 and a processing unit 602.

[0106] The transceiver unit 601 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 601 can also be called a communication interface or a communication unit. The processing unit 602 can be used to perform processing operations.

[0107] Optionally, the device further includes a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 602 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the device implements the actions of the device in the aforementioned various method embodiments.

[0108] As a first design, the apparatus may be the first network device in the aforementioned embodiment, or may be a component (such as a chip) of the first network device.

[0109] Among them, the transceiver unit is used to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode.

[0110] In one case, the transceiver unit is further used to receive first indication information from the second network device, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode.

[0111] In another case, the processing unit is configured to determine, according to the first information, whether to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode.

[0112] In another case, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit the same transport block TB in multiple time slots occupied by one HARQ process.

[0113] In another case, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit different transport blocks TB in multiple time slots occupied by one HARQ process.

[0114] As a second design, the apparatus may be the second network device in the aforementioned embodiment, or may be a component (such as a chip) of the second network device.

[0115] Among them, the processing unit is used to generate first indication information, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode; the transceiver unit is used to send the first indication information to the first network device.

[0116] In one scenario, the processing unit is further configured to determine, based on the first information, whether a HARQ process on the first network device is limited, and / or determine whether a downlink rate of the first network device is impaired.

[0117] In another case, the transceiver unit is further configured to communicate with the terminal device based on the second mode.

[0118] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0119] It should also be understood that the device here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a merged logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device may be specifically the first network element in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the first network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments, or the device may be specifically the network management network element in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the network management network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0120] The above-mentioned communication device has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the device in the above-mentioned method. The functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing unit, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the sending and receiving operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0121] In addition, the transceiver unit 601 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing unit may be a processing circuit.

[0122] It should be pointed out that Figure 6 The device in the embodiment can be the device in the aforementioned method, or it can be a chip or chip system, such as a system on chip (SoC). The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit can be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. This is not limited here.

[0123] The present application also provides a communication device, such as Figure 7As shown, the system includes a processor 701 and a communication interface 702. The processor 701 is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in a memory 703, or read data stored in the memory 703, to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, there may be one or more processors 701. The communication interface 702 is configured to receive and / or transmit signals. For example, the processor 701 is configured to control the communication interface 702 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0124] Alternatively, as Figure 7 As shown, the communication device further includes a memory 703, which is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 703 can be integrated with the processor 701, or can be separately provided. Optionally, there are one or more memories 703.

[0125] Optionally, the processor 701, the communication interface 702, and the memory 703 are interconnected via a bus 704; the bus 704 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus. The bus 704 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus. For ease of representation, Figure 7 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0126] As a solution, the communication device is used to implement the operations performed by the first network device or the second network device in the above various method embodiments.

[0127] For example, the processor 701 is configured to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory 703 to implement the relevant operations of the first network device in each of the above method embodiments.

[0128] For another example, the processor 701 is configured to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory 703 to implement the relevant operations of the second network device in each of the above method embodiments.

[0129] It should be understood that the processors mentioned in the embodiments of the present application (such as processor 701) can be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor can further include a hardware chip. The above-mentioned hardware chip can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The above-mentioned PLD can be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0130] It should also be understood that the memory (such as memory 703) mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0132] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0133] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0134] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0135] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0136] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0137] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: In a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a first network device communicates with a terminal device based on a first mode, where the first mode is a mode in which, before all hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes are used up, at least one HARQ process exists among the multiple HARQ processes, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies multiple time slots, wherein the first network device is a network device that does not receive a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) sent by the terminal device; The first network device receives first indication information from the second network device, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode, and the first indication information is generated when a HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or a downlink rate of the first network device is impaired. Whether the HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or whether the downlink rate of the first network device is impaired is determined by the second network device based on the first information. The first information includes one or more of the following: the processing delay of the terminal device, the transmission delay between the terminal device and the second network device, the processing delay of the second network device, the transmission delay between the second network device and the first network device, and the difference in time domain configuration between the cell corresponding to the second network device and the cell corresponding to the first network device; The second network device is a network device that receives the PUCCH sent by the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The multiple time slots are consecutive time slots; or, The multiple time slots are discontinuous time slots.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network device transmits the same transport block TB in the multiple time slots.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The multiple time slots correspond to different redundancy versions RV of the same TB.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first network device transmits different TBs in the multiple time slots.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The multiple time slots correspond to the same RV of the different TBs.

7. A communication method, characterized in that: include: In a carrier aggregation CA scenario, the second network device generates first indication information, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode; The second network device sends the first indication information to the first network device; The first mode is a mode in which, before all hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ processes are used up, at least one HARQ process exists among the multiple HARQ processes, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies multiple time slots; the first network device is a network device that does not receive the PUCCH sent by the terminal device, and the second network device is a network device that receives the PUCCH sent by the terminal device; The second network device determines, based on the first information, whether the HARQ process on the first network device is limited, and / or determines whether a downlink rate of the first network device is impaired; The first information includes one or more of the following: The processing delay of the terminal device, the transmission delay between the terminal device and the second network device, the processing delay of the second network device, the transmission delay between the second network device and the first network device, and the difference in time domain configuration between the cell corresponding to the second network device and the cell corresponding to the first network device; The first indication information is generated when the HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or the downlink rate of the first network device is impaired.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second network device communicates with the terminal device based on a second mode; The second mode is a mode in which each of the multiple HARQ processes occupies one time slot before all of the multiple HARQ processes are used up.

9. A first network device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver unit, and a processing unit connected to the transceiver unit; In a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, the transceiver unit is configured to communicate with a terminal device based on a first mode, where the first mode is a mode in which, before all hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes are used up, at least one HARQ process exists among the multiple HARQ processes, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies multiple time slots, wherein the first network device is a network device that does not receive a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) sent by the terminal device; The transceiver unit is further configured to receive first indication information from a second network device, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode, where the first indication information is generated when a HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or a downlink rate of the first network device is impaired, and whether the HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or whether the downlink rate of the first network device is impaired is determined by the second network device based on the first information, where the first information includes one or more of the following: The processing delay of the terminal device, the transmission delay between the terminal device and the second network device, the processing delay of the second network device, the transmission delay between the second network device and the first network device, and the difference in time domain configuration between the cell corresponding to the second network device and the cell corresponding to the first network device.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The multiple time slots are consecutive time slots; or, The multiple time slots are discontinuous time slots.

11. The device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit the same transport block TB in the multiple time slots.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The multiple time slots correspond to different redundancy versions RV of the same TB.

13. The device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit different TBs in the multiple time slots.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that The multiple time slots correspond to the same RV of the different TBs.

15. A second network device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver unit, and a processing unit connected to the transceiver unit; In a carrier aggregation CA scenario, the processing unit is configured to generate first indication information, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first network device to communicate with the terminal device based on the first mode; The transceiver unit is configured to send the first indication information to the first network device; The first mode is a mode in which, before all hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ processes are used up, at least one HARQ process exists among the multiple HARQ processes, and each HARQ process in the at least one HARQ process occupies multiple time slots; the first network device is a network device that does not receive the PUCCH sent by the terminal device, and the second network device is a network device that receives the PUCCH sent by the terminal device; The processing unit is further configured to determine, based on the first information, whether the HARQ process on the first network device is limited, and / or determine whether a downlink rate of the first network device is impaired; The first information includes one or more of the following: The processing delay of the terminal device, the transmission delay between the terminal device and the second network device, the processing delay of the second network device, the transmission delay between the second network device and the first network device, and the difference in time domain configuration between the cell corresponding to the second network device and the cell corresponding to the first network device; The first indication information is generated when the HARQ process on the first network device is limited and / or the downlink rate of the first network device is impaired.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to communicate with the terminal device based on the second mode; The second mode is a mode in which each of the multiple HARQ processes occupies one time slot before all of the multiple HARQ processes are used up.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A communication interface and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The method comprises a computer program or an instruction, which, when the computer program or the instruction is run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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