A method for transmitting feedback information and a communication device

Abstract

This application provides a method and communication device for transmitting feedback information, relating to the field of wireless communication technology, to improve the efficiency of feedback information in ultra-reliable low-latency communication services and enhance the performance of these services. In this method, the communication device can receive at least one data message. This at least one data message may have at least one corresponding coverage enhancement level. Based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data message, the communication device can multiplex the feedback information of that at least one data message into control information. The communication device can transmit the control information through a first control channel or a first data channel. Based on this scheme, the feedback information of the data message can be multiplexed into control information transmission according to the coverage enhancement level, the transmission order of the feedback information can be determined according to the coverage enhancement level, feedback information conflicts can be effectively handled, and the performance of some services with high latency requirements can be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a method and communication device for transmitting feedback information. Background Technology

[0002] 5G new radio (NR) communication systems place higher demands on transmission speed, latency, and power consumption compared to previous generations of mobile communication systems. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines enhanced mobile broadband (EMBB), massive machine-type communication (MMTC), and ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) as the three typical services of future 5G.

[0003] URLLC, as one of the three typical business applications, can be mainly used in autonomous driving, telemedicine, and other fields. These applications place stringent requirements on reliability and latency. Therefore, ensuring the reliability and latency requirements of URLLC has become a major concern.

[0004] For example, when performing URLLC and eMBB services, the terminal device can send the corresponding feedback information separately when it receives the corresponding data. When there is feedback information to be sent in the URLLC service, it does not need to wait for the feedback information of the eMBB service to be sent together. This can avoid carrying too many bits on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource, thereby ensuring the reliability of the feedback information of the URLLC.

[0005] Currently, terminal devices support the transmission of multiple feedback messages using time-division multiplexing. That is, the terminal device can multiplex multiple feedback messages for transmission within the same time slot. However, there is a limit to the number of feedback messages that can be multiplexed in a single time slot. If the number of feedback messages to be multiplexed in a time slot exceeds this limit, the terminal device will multiplex the corresponding feedback messages according to the chronological order of data reception. This may result in some service-related feedback messages not being promptly relayed to the sending end, impacting service performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a method and communication device for transmitting feedback information, which improves the feedback efficiency of feedback information in ultra-reliable low-latency communication services and enhances the performance of ultra-reliable low-latency communication services.

[0007] Firstly, a method for transmitting feedback information is provided. This method can be executed by a communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication device can be a terminal device or a network device, or it can be a chip with functions similar to a terminal device or a network device. In this method, the communication device can receive at least one data message. The at least one data message can have a corresponding at least one coverage enhancement level. Based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data message, the communication device can multiplex the feedback information of the corresponding at least one data message into control information. The communication device can transmit the control information on a first control channel or a first data channel.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, the feedback information of the data information can be reused for the transmission of control information according to the coverage enhancement level of the data information. The sending order of the feedback information can be determined according to the coverage enhancement level, which can effectively handle the conflict of the feedback information and ensure the performance of some services with high latency requirements.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the amount of feedback information included in the control information does not exceed a threshold of feedback information that the communication device can reuse.

[0010] Based on the above scheme, the amount of feedback information that can be reused can be limited according to the threshold of feedback information that the communication device can reuse.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the communication device can report the number of reusable feedback messages.

[0012] Based on this scheme, the communication device can report the number of reusable feedback information. Therefore, the number of feedback information that the communication device can reuse within a control message can be limited according to the number of reusable feedback information reported.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the threshold for the feedback information that the aforementioned communication device can reuse is determined based on the number of reusable feedback information reported by the communication device.

[0014] Based on this scheme, the number of feedback information that a communication device can reuse can be determined according to the threshold reported by the communication device, thereby limiting the number of feedback information that a communication device can reuse on a control message.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the communication device can multiplex the feedback information of at least one data information into the control information in order of coverage enhancement level from high to low.

[0016] Based on the above scheme, when communication equipment reuses the feedback information of data information for control information, it can reuse the feedback information for control information in order of the coverage enhancement level of data information from high to low, so as to give priority to ensuring the performance of high-latency services.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the communication device can reuse at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information with the same coverage enhancement level for the control information.

[0018] Based on this scheme, communication equipment can reuse at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information with the same coverage enhancement level in the control information, thereby ensuring the performance of some services.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the communication device can multiplex at least one feedback message corresponding to at least one data message having a first coverage enhancement level and at least one feedback message corresponding to at least one data message having at least one second coverage enhancement level into control information. Here, the at least one second coverage enhancement level is lower than the first coverage enhancement level.

[0020] Based on this scheme, communication equipment can reuse feedback information of data information with different coverage enhancement levels in control information, which can save transmission resources while ensuring service performance.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is less than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0022] Based on this scheme, when all coverage enhancement levels are less than or equal to a preset threshold, it indicates that the coverage enhancement level is not very high, and therefore, high and low levels can be treated separately. Communication equipment can prioritize feedback information of data with higher coverage enhancement levels, and then feed back feedback information of data with lower coverage enhancement levels. This can ensure the performance of services with high latency requirements without affecting the performance of other services.

[0023] In one possible implementation, when the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the communication device reuses the feedback information of at least one data information for the control information in the order in which the at least one data information is received.

[0024] Based on this scheme, when the coverage enhancement level is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it indicates a relatively high coverage enhancement level. Therefore, feedback information can be directly fed back according to the order in which the data information is received. The communication device can reuse the feedback information for control information based on the order in which the data information is received, reducing complexity and ensuring that feedback information for high-priority data information is received sequentially.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the communication device may transmit control information in the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot; or, the communication device may transmit the control information in the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot and at least one time slot after the first time slot.

[0026] Based on this scheme, the communication device can multiplex the feedback information of at least one data information into the control information, and then send the control information through the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot and at least one time slot after the first time slot.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the communication device may reuse the feedback information of at least one data information in the control information in the first time slot; or, the communication device may reuse the feedback information of at least one data information in the first time slot and the control information in at least one time slot after the first time slot.

[0028] Based on this scheme, the communication equipment can reuse the feedback information of at least one data information in the first time slot and the control information in at least one time slot after the first time slot for transmission, which can improve the performance of services with high latency requirements.

[0029] Secondly, a method for transmitting feedback information is provided. This method can be executed by a communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication device can be a terminal device or a network device, or it can be a chip with functions similar to a terminal device or a network device. In this method, the communication device can receive at least one data message. The at least one data message includes data message with a corresponding at least one coverage enhancement level and data message without a coverage enhancement level. The data message without a coverage enhancement level can be considered as data message with a coverage enhancement level of zero, or data message with the lowest coverage enhancement level. The communication device can multiplex the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data message into control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data message. The communication device can transmit the control information via a first control channel or the first data message.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the amount of feedback information included in the control information does not exceed a threshold of feedback information that the communication device can reuse.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the communication device can report the number of reusable feedback messages.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the threshold for the feedback information that the aforementioned communication device can reuse is determined based on the number of reusable feedback information reported by the communication device.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the communication device can multiplex the feedback information of at least one data information into the control information in order of coverage enhancement level from high to low.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the communication device can reuse at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information with the same coverage enhancement level for the control information.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the communication device can multiplex at least one feedback message corresponding to at least one data message having a first coverage enhancement level and at least one feedback message corresponding to at least one data message having at least one second coverage enhancement level into control information. Here, the at least one second coverage enhancement level is lower than the first coverage enhancement level.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is less than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0037] In one possible implementation, when the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the communication device reuses the feedback information of at least one data information for the control information in the order in which the at least one data information is received.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the communication device may transmit control information in the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot; or, the communication device may transmit the control information in the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot and at least one time slot after the first time slot.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the communication device may reuse the feedback information of at least one data information in the control information in the first time slot; or, the communication device may reuse the feedback information of at least one data information in the first time slot and the control information in at least one time slot after the first time slot.

[0040] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. This communication device may include various modules / units for performing the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof. For example, a processing unit and a communication unit.

[0041] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory. The memory stores computer-executable instructions. When the controller is running, the processor executes the computer-executable instructions in the memory to utilize the hardware resources in the controller to perform the operational steps of the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0042] Fifthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above.

[0043] Sixthly, this application provides a computer program product that stores instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described above.

[0044] Furthermore, the beneficial effects of aspects two through six can be found in the beneficial effects described in aspect one. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 2 An exemplary flowchart of the feedback information transmission method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 3 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a method for reusing feedback information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 4 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a method for reusing feedback information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 5 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a method for reusing feedback information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 6 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a method for reusing feedback information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 7 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a method for reusing feedback information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 8 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a method for reusing feedback information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 9 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a method for reusing feedback information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a device with communication function provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the terminal device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 12 This is a block diagram of a device with communication function provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The following explanations of some terms used in the embodiments of this application are provided to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0058] 1) Coverage enhancement level, also known as coverage level, service level, service type level, service recovery level, or enhancement level. Service type includes at least one of latency, power consumption, speed, modulation and coding scheme, or resource usage. Resource usage can be understood as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), the number of symbols in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), or a combination of PRBs and symbols. In actual network deployments, cell edges face significant interference from other cells; cellular communication technology can achieve coverage enhancement and latency reduction.

[0059] 2) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application are used interchangeably. "Multiple" refers to two or more, and other quantifiers are similar. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. Furthermore, for elements appearing in the singular forms "a," "an," and "the," unless the context explicitly specifies otherwise, it does not mean "one or only one," but rather "one or more than one." For example, "a device" means one or more such devices. Moreover, "at least one of..." means one or any combination of subsequent related objects; for example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC.

[0060] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication system, future 5th Generation (5G) systems, such as new radio access technology (NR), and future communication systems, such as 6G system, etc.

[0061] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0062] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0063] This application's embodiments can be applied to both traditional typical networks and future UE-centric networks. UE-centric networks introduce a non-cell network architecture, deploying a large number of small cells within a specific area to form a hypercell. Each small cell serves as a transmission point (TP) or transmission and reception point (TRP) within the hypercell and is connected to a centralized controller. When a UE moves within the hypercell, network-side equipment selects a new sub-cluster to serve the UE, thus avoiding actual cell handover and ensuring UE service continuity. The network-side equipment includes wireless network devices. Alternatively, in a UE-centric network, multiple network-side devices, such as small cells, can have independent controllers, such as a distributed controller. Each small cell can independently schedule users, and long-term interaction between small cells provides flexibility in providing collaborative services to the UE.

[0064] In this application embodiment, different base stations can be base stations with different identifiers, or they can be base stations with the same identifier deployed in different geographical locations. Since a base station does not know whether it will be involved in the scenario applied in this application embodiment before deployment, the base station or baseband chip should support the method provided in this application embodiment before deployment. It is understood that the aforementioned base stations with different identifiers can be base station identifiers, cell identifiers, or other identifiers.

[0065] In this application, some scenarios are illustrated using NR networks in wireless communication networks as examples. It should be noted that the solutions in this application can also be applied to other wireless communication networks, and the corresponding names can be replaced by the names of the corresponding functions in other wireless communication networks.

[0066] In this application, the communication device can be a terminal device or a network device. When the communication device is a terminal device, it reuses feedback information for the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); when the communication device is a network device, it reuses feedback information for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0067] It should also be noted that when the communication device is a terminal device, the terminal device can report the number of reusable feedback messages to the network device.

[0068] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to wireless communication between communication devices. Wireless communication between communication devices can include: wireless communication between network devices and terminal devices, wireless communication between network devices, and wireless communication between terminal devices. In this application, the term "wireless communication" can also be abbreviated as "communication," and the term "communication" can also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," or "transmission."

[0069] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, let's first take... Figure 1 The communication system shown is used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the communication method of embodiments of this application is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 includes a terminal device 101 and a network device 102. Both the terminal device 101 and the network device 102 may be configured with multiple antennas. Optionally, the communication system may also include a terminal device 103, which may also be configured with multiple antennas.

[0070] The terminal equipment involved in this application includes devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users. Specifically, it includes devices that provide voice connectivity to users, or devices that provide data connectivity to users, or devices that provide both voice and data connectivity to users. For example, it may include a handheld device with wireless connectivity or a processing device connected to a wireless modem. The terminal can communicate with the core network via a radio access network (RAN), exchanging voice or data with the RAN, or interacting with the RAN for both voice and data. The terminal may include user equipment (UE), wireless terminal, mobile terminal, device-to-device (D2D) terminal, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) terminal, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) terminal, Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, or user device, etc. For example, it may include mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers with mobile terminals, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, or computer-embedded mobile devices, etc. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). It also includes limited devices, such as those with low power consumption, limited storage capacity, or limited computing power. Examples include information sensing devices such as barcode scanners, radio frequency identification (RFID), sensors, global positioning systems (GPS), and laser scanners.

[0071] As an example and not a limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0072] The various terminals described above, if located in a vehicle (e.g., placed inside or installed inside a vehicle), can be considered vehicle-mounted terminals, also known as on-board units (OBUs).

[0073] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the terminal's functions can be a terminal itself, or a device capable of supporting the terminal in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal. In this application embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. The technical solutions provided in this application embodiment are described using the example of a terminal as the device for implementing the terminal's functions.

[0074] The network devices involved in this application, such as access network (AN) devices, like base stations (e.g., access points), can refer to devices in the access network that communicate with wireless terminals via one or more cells over the air interface, or, for example, a roadside unit (RSU) in a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology. The base station can be used to convert received air frames to and from IP packets, acting as a router between the terminal and the rest of the access network, which may include an IP network. The RSU can be a fixed infrastructure entity supporting V2X applications and can exchange messages with other entities supporting V2X applications. The network device can also coordinate the management of air interface attributes. For example, network equipment may include evolved base stations (NodeBs, eNBs, or e-NodeBs) in long-term evolution (LTE) systems or long-term evolution-advanced (LTE-A) systems, or may include next-generation node Bs (gNBs) in evolved packet core (EPC), the 5th generation (5G), or new radio (NR) systems (also referred to as NR systems). It may also include centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs) in cloud radio access networks (Cloud RAN) systems. The embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0075] Network equipment may also include core network equipment, such as access and mobility management functions (AMF).

[0076] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the function of the network device is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0077] Currently, communication equipment can send corresponding feedback information separately when it receives service data. The equipment supports the multiplexing of feedback information; that is, it can transmit multiple feedback messages in the same time slot. However, there is a limit to the number of feedback messages that can be multiplexed in a single time slot. If the number of feedback messages to be multiplexed in a time slot exceeds this limit, the equipment will multiplex the corresponding feedback messages according to the chronological order of the received data. This may result in some service-related feedback information not being promptly returned to the sender, impacting service performance.

[0078] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This communication method can be applied to wireless communication systems, for example, Figure 1 The communication system shown may include at least one network device and at least one terminal device. The network device and the terminal device can communicate wirelessly over an air interface. In this embodiment, the communication device may be a terminal device, such as... Figure 1 The terminal devices 101 and 103 shown, or communication devices, can also be network devices, such as... Figure 1 The network device 102 shown.

[0079] like Figure 2 The diagram shown is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided in this application embodiment, presented from the perspective of device interaction, and may include the following steps.

[0080] Step 201: The first communication device receives at least one data message.

[0081] In this system, the first communication device can receive multiple data from the second communication device. The first communication device can be a network device or a terminal device. Similarly, the second communication device can be either a network device or a terminal device. The communication devices can receive at least one identical data message or at least one different data message.

[0082] For example, at least one data message may have a corresponding coverage enhancement level. It should be understood that data message without a coverage enhancement level can be considered to have a coverage enhancement level of zero or the lowest. Having a corresponding coverage enhancement level includes a coverage level of 0 or no coverage level. Having a corresponding coverage enhancement level can also be referred to as having a corresponding coverage enhancement level. The coverage level can be represented by a corresponding dB value. As an example, a coverage enhancement level of 0 can represent a required coverage enhancement of 0 dB. As an example, a coverage enhancement level of 1 can represent a required coverage enhancement of 2 dB. As an example, a coverage enhancement level of 2 can represent a required coverage enhancement of 3 dB. As an example, a coverage enhancement level of 3 can represent a required coverage enhancement of 5 dB. When a second communication device sends a data message to a first communication device, it can repeatedly send the data message according to the coverage enhancement level of that data message. At this time, the first communication device receives at least one identical data message.

[0083] For example, when the second communication device sends data to the first device, a data message can be sent only once, without being retransmitted, or different redundant versions of the same data message can be sent. In this case, the first communication device receives at least one different data message.

[0084] Step 202: The communication device reuses the feedback information of at least one data information for the control information based on the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information.

[0085] Feedback information corresponding to at least one data point can be understood as feedback information corresponding to at least one data point.

[0086] The communication device can multiplex feedback information of at least one data message into control information in a first time slot and at least one time slot thereafter. The at least one data message can correspond to a single feedback message. For example, when the first communication device receives multiple identical data messages, it can generate a single feedback message for those identical data messages. Alternatively, the first communication device can generate separate feedback messages for different received data messages. Or, when the first communication device receives different redundant versions of a data message, it can generate a single feedback message for each redundant version of that data message. Multiplexing feedback information of at least one data message into control information can be understood as carrying feedback information of at least one data message within the control information, or including feedback information of at least one data message within the control information.

[0087] The communication device can maintain a correspondence between coverage enhancement levels and data information. Upon receiving at least one piece of data information, it can multiplex feedback information into control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one piece of data information. The network device can also pre-configure a threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can multiplex in a time slot. The network device can send this threshold to the first communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) signaling message. The threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can multiplex in a time slot is the number of bits of feedback information that the first communication device can multiplex in a time slot. Therefore, in step 203, the total number of feedback information multiplexed in the control information by the first communication device should be less than or equal to this threshold. Optionally, this threshold can be specified by a protocol.

[0088] In one example, the threshold mentioned above can be determined based on the number of reusable feedback messages reported by the communication device. For example, the threshold can be the same as the number of reusable feedback messages reported by the communication device, or the threshold can be a function of the number of reusable feedback messages reported by the communication device.

[0089] The following describes in detail a method for a first communication device to multiplex feedback information into control information based on the coverage enhancement level, which may include methods 1-4. Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, a higher coverage enhancement level corresponds to a lower coverage enhancement level value, and vice versa. For example, among coverage enhancement level values ​​1, 2, and 3, a coverage enhancement level of 1 has the highest coverage enhancement level, a coverage enhancement level of 2 has the second highest, and a coverage enhancement level of 3 has the lowest. Alternatively, a higher coverage enhancement level corresponds to a higher coverage enhancement level value, and vice versa. For example, a coverage enhancement level of 3 has the highest coverage enhancement level, a coverage enhancement level of 2 has the second highest, and a coverage enhancement level of 1 has the lowest. The following uses the first scenario as an example to specifically explain methods 1-4.

[0090] Method 1: According to the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information in descending order, the feedback information of the corresponding at least one data information is reused in the control information.

[0091] For example, a first communication device receives data information 1, data information 2, and data information 3. Data information 1 has the highest coverage enhancement level (e.g., level 1), data information 2 has the highest coverage enhancement level (e.g., level 1), and data information 3 has the second highest coverage enhancement level (e.g., level 2). The threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can reuse is 2. Therefore, the first communication device can reuse the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 2 in first control information and transmit this first control information in a first time slot. The first communication device can also carry the feedback information of data information 3 in second control information and transmit this second control information in a time slot following the first time slot.

[0092] In one example, the first communication device can determine the coverage enhancement level of a data message based on the total number of identical data messages received. For instance, the first communication device receives a total of 4 data messages 1, 2 data messages 2, and 1 data message 3. Therefore, the first communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of data message 1 is higher than that of data message 2, and the coverage enhancement level of data message 2 is higher than that of data message 3.

[0093] Optionally, the first communication device can also determine the coverage enhancement level based on the identification information carried in the data. This identification information can characterize the service to which the data belongs. The first communication device can pre-store the correspondence between the identification information and the coverage enhancement level. Therefore, when the first communication device receives data, it can look up the corresponding coverage enhancement level based on the identification information.

[0094] See Figure 3 The first communication device receives data information 1 repeated once, data information 2 repeated twice, data information 3 repeated twice, and data information 4 repeated once. Therefore, the first communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of data information 2 is the same as that of data information 3, and higher than the coverage enhancement levels of data information 1 and data information 4. Furthermore, the coverage enhancement level of data information 1 is the same as that of data information 4. The first communication device determines that a collision occurs in the first time slot for transmitting the feedback information of the aforementioned data information 1-data information 4, and that the threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can reuse is 2. The first communication device can reuse the feedback information of data information 2 and data information 3, which have the highest coverage enhancement level, as first control information, and transmit this first control information in the first time slot. The first communication device can reuse the feedback information of data information 3 and data information 4, which have the second highest coverage enhancement level, as second control information, and transmit this second control information in the second time slot.

[0095] Method 2: Reuse at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information with the same coverage enhancement level into the control information.

[0096] The first communication device can reuse feedback information of one or more data information with the same coverage enhancement level in the control information. If the number of feedback information of the aforementioned one or more data information is less than the aforementioned threshold, the remaining resources of the control information can be set to idle resources. In other words, the first communication device only reuses feedback information of data information with the same coverage enhancement level in the control information.

[0097] For example, a first communication device receives data information 1, data information 2, and data information 3. Data information 1 has the highest coverage enhancement level (e.g., level 1), data information 2 has the highest coverage enhancement level (e.g., level 1), and data information 3 has the second highest coverage enhancement level (e.g., level 2). The threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can reuse is 2. Therefore, the first communication device can reuse the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 2 in first control information and transmit this first control information in a first time slot. The first communication device can also carry the feedback information of data information 3 in second control information and transmit this second control information in a time slot following the first time slot.

[0098] Furthermore, if the number of feedback messages belonging to the same coverage enhancement level to be sent by the first communication device exceeds the threshold number supported by the first communication device, the first communication device can send the corresponding feedback messages according to the receiving order of the data messages. It should be understood that the receiving order of at least one data message here can be the time sequence of the receiving time of at least one data message. For example, the first communication device receives data messages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in chronological order. Among them, data message 1 has the highest coverage enhancement level, data message 2 has the highest coverage enhancement level, data message 3 has the highest coverage enhancement level, data message 4 has the second highest coverage enhancement level, and data message 5 has the second highest coverage enhancement level. The threshold for the feedback messages that the first communication device can reuse is 2. Since the threshold for the reused feedback messages is less than the number of feedback messages for the data message with the highest coverage enhancement level, the first communication device can reuse the feedback messages of data messages 1 and 2 for the first control information according to the receiving order of the data messages with the highest coverage enhancement level, and send the first control information in the first time slot. Since the coverage enhancement levels of the data information corresponding to the feedback information included in the control information must be the same, although two feedback information can be reused in the second control information, only one feedback information (the feedback information of data information 3) remains for the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level. Therefore, the first communication device only carries the feedback information of data information 2 in the second control information and transmits the second control information in the second time slot. The first communication device can reuse the feedback information of data information 4 and data information 5 in the third control information and transmit the third control information in the third time slot. The time domain position of the first time slot precedes the time domain position of the second time slot, and the time domain position of the second time slot precedes the time domain position of the third time slot.

[0099] In one example, the first communication device can determine the coverage enhancement level of a data message based on the total number of identical data messages received. For instance, the first communication device receives a total of 4 data messages 1, 2 data messages 2, and 1 data message 3. Therefore, the first communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of data message 1 is higher than that of data message 2, and the coverage enhancement level of data message 2 is higher than that of data message 3.

[0100] Optionally, the first communication device can also determine the coverage enhancement level based on the identification information carried in the data. This identification information can characterize the service to which the data belongs. The first communication device can pre-store the correspondence between the identification information and the coverage enhancement level. Therefore, when the first communication device receives data, it can look up the corresponding coverage enhancement level based on the identification information.

[0101] See Figure 4 The first communication device receives data information 1 repeated twice, data information 2 repeated twice, data information 3 repeated once, and data information 4 repeated once. Therefore, the first communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of data information 1 is the same as that of data information 2, and higher than the coverage enhancement levels of data information 3 and 4. Furthermore, the coverage enhancement level of data information 3 is the same as that of data information 4. The first communication device determines that a collision occurs in the first time slot for transmitting the feedback information of the aforementioned data information 1-data information 4, and that the threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can reuse is 2. The first communication device can determine that the number of feedback information of the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level is 2 (i.e., the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 2), which is equal to the aforementioned threshold. Therefore, the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 2 can be reused for the first control information, and this first control information can be transmitted in the first time slot. The first communication device can determine that there are two feedback messages for the data information with the second highest coverage enhancement level (i.e., feedback messages for data 3 and data 4). Therefore, the feedback messages for data information 3 and data information 4 can be multiplexed for the second control information and transmitted in the second time slot.

[0102] See Figure 5 The first communication device receives data information 1 repeated 3 times, data information 2 repeated 2 times, data information 3 repeated 3 times, and data information 4 repeated 2 times. Therefore, the first communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of data information 1 is the same as that of data information 2, and higher than the coverage enhancement levels of data information 3 and 4. Furthermore, the coverage enhancement level of data information 3 is the same as that of data information 4. The first communication device determines that a collision occurs in the first time slot for transmitting the feedback information of the aforementioned data information 1-data information 4, and that the threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can reuse is 3. The first communication device can determine that there are two feedback information instances (feedback information of data information 1 and data information 3) for the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level; therefore, the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 3 can be reused for the first control information and transmitted in the first time slot. Although the first control information can carry three feedback information, since the coverage enhancement level corresponding to the feedback information contained in the control information must be the same, the first communication device can reuse the feedback information of data information 2 and data information 4, which have a coverage enhancement level lower than that of data information 1 and data information 3, for the second control information and transmit them on the second time slot.

[0103] Method 3: Multiplex at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having a first coverage enhancement level and at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having a second coverage enhancement level into the control information.

[0104] For example, a first communication device receives data information 1, data information 2, and data information 3. Data information 1 has the highest coverage enhancement level (e.g., level 1), data information 2 has the second highest (e.g., level 2), and data information 3 has the lowest (e.g., level 3). The first communication device determines that a collision occurred in the first time slot for transmitting the feedback information of data information 1-data information 3, and that the threshold for multiplexing feedback information is 2. The first communication device can determine that there is one feedback information for the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level (the feedback information of data 1), but the control information can carry two feedback information. Therefore, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 1 and the feedback information of data information 2 or data information 3, which has a lower coverage enhancement level than data information 1, into the control information. For example, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 2 into the first control information and transmit it in the first time slot. The first communication device can also carry the feedback information of data information 3 into the second control information and transmit it in the second time slot after the first time slot. Alternatively, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 3 into the first control information and transmit it in the first time slot. The first communication device can also carry the feedback information of data information 2 in the second control information and transmit it in the second time slot after the first time slot.

[0105] In this embodiment, data information with coverage enhancement level x can be understood as data information having coverage enhancement level x. Feedback information of the data information can be understood as the feedback information corresponding to the data information. Here, x can be a coverage enhancement level value. For example, data information with coverage enhancement level 1 can be understood as data information having coverage enhancement level 1.

[0106] In one example, if the number of feedback messages for data information of the same coverage enhancement level to be sent by the first communication device exceeds the threshold of feedback messages that the first communication device can reuse, the first communication device can send the corresponding feedback messages in the order in which the data information was received. For example, the first communication device receives data information 1, data information 2, data information 3, data information 4, and data information 5 in chronological order. Among them, data information 1 has the highest coverage enhancement level, data information 2 has the highest coverage enhancement level, data information 3 has the highest coverage enhancement level, data information 4 has the second highest coverage enhancement level, and data information 5 has the second highest coverage enhancement level. The first communication device determines that a collision occurred in the first time slot for sending the feedback messages of the aforementioned data information 1 to data information 5, and the threshold of feedback messages that the first communication device can reuse is 2. The first communication device can determine that there are 3 feedback messages for the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level (the feedback messages of data information 1, data information 2, and data information 3). Since the control information can carry a threshold of 2 for feedback information, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 2 into the first control information according to the data information reception order, and transmit it in the first time slot. At this time, there is one feedback information remaining for the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level (i.e., the feedback information of data information 3), while the control information can carry two feedback information. Therefore, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 3 and the feedback information of data information with the second highest coverage enhancement level (i.e., data information 4 and data information 5) into the second control information, and transmit it in the second time slot. The first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 3 and data information 4 into the second control information according to the data information reception order, and transmit it in the second time slot. The first communication device can carry the feedback information of data information 5 into the third control information and transmit it in the third time slot.

[0107] The first communication device can determine the coverage enhancement level of the data information based on the total number of identical data information received. For example, if the first communication device receives a total of 4 data information 1s, 2 data information 2s, and 1 data information 3, then the first communication device can determine that the coverage enhancement level of data information 1 is higher than that of data information 2, and the coverage enhancement level of data information 2 is higher than that of data information 3. Since the first communication device receives a total of 1 data information 3, data information 3 can be ordinary data, meaning it may not have a coverage enhancement level, or its coverage enhancement level may be the lowest.

[0108] Optionally, the first communication device can also determine the coverage enhancement level based on the identification information carried in the data. This identification information can characterize the service to which the data belongs. The first communication device can pre-store the correspondence between the identification information and the coverage enhancement level. Therefore, when the first communication device receives data, it can look up the corresponding coverage enhancement level based on the identification information.

[0109] See Figure 6 The first communication device receives data information 1 (repeated 3 times), data information 2 (repeated 2 times), data information 3 (repeated 2 times), and data information 4 (repeated 1 time) in chronological order. Therefore, the first communication device determines that data information 1 has the highest coverage enhancement level, data information 2 and data information 3 have the second highest coverage enhancement levels, and data information 4 has the lowest coverage enhancement level. The first communication device determines that a collision occurs in the first time slot for transmitting the feedback information of data information 1-data information 4, and that the threshold for multiplexing feedback information is 2. The first communication device determines that there is one feedback information for the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level (i.e., the feedback information of data information 1), but the control information can carry two feedback information. Therefore, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 1 and the feedback information of the data information with the second highest coverage enhancement level (data information 2 or data information 3) into the first control information. The first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 2 into the first control information according to the order in which the data information is received, and transmit it in the first time slot. The first communication device can determine that there is one feedback information for data information with a coverage enhancement level of the second highest level, and the control information can carry two feedback information. Therefore, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 3 and the feedback information of data information (data information 4) with a coverage enhancement level of the lowest level into the second control information, and transmit them in the second time slot after the first time slot.

[0110] See Figure 7The first communication device receives data information 1 (repeated 3 times), data information 2 (repeated 2 times), data information 3 (repeated 3 times), data information 4 (repeated 1 time), and data information 5 (repeated 1 time) in chronological order. Therefore, the first communication device determines that data information 1 and data information 3 have the highest coverage enhancement level, data information 2 has the second highest coverage enhancement level, and data information 4 and data information 5 have the lowest coverage enhancement level. The first communication device determines that the time-domain resources for sending the feedback information of the aforementioned data information 1-data information 5 collide, and the threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can reuse is 2. The first communication device determines that there are two feedback information messages for the data information with the highest coverage enhancement level (the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 3). Since control information can carry two feedback information messages, the first communication device can reuse the feedback information of data information 1 and data information 3 for the first control information and transmit it in the first time slot. The first communication device can determine that there is one feedback message for the data information with the second highest coverage enhancement level (the feedback message of data information 2), but the control information can carry two feedback messages. Therefore, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback message of data information 2 and the feedback message of the data information with the lowest coverage enhancement level (the feedback message of data information 4 or the feedback message of data information 5) into the second control information and transmit it in the second time slot after the first time slot. The first communication device can also multiplex the feedback messages of data information 2 and data information 4 into the second control information according to the order of data information reception, carry the feedback message of data information 5 into the third control information, and transmit it in the third time slot.

[0111] Method 4: When the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the feedback information of at least one data information is reused for the control information according to the receiving order of at least one data information.

[0112] When the first communication device determines that the coverage enhancement level of m data messages is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it can multiplex the feedback information of the m data messages into control information according to the receiving order of the m data messages. Here, m can be an integer greater than or equal to 0. When the first communication device determines that the coverage enhancement level of n data messages is less than the preset threshold, it can multiplex the feedback information of the n data messages into control information according to the aforementioned method 1 and / or method 2 and / or method 3. Here, n can also be an integer greater than or equal to 0. It should be understood that the aforementioned preset threshold can be sent to the first communication device by the network device through signaling, or it can be predetermined by the protocol; this application does not make specific limitations.

[0113] Based on the above scheme, when the coverage enhancement level is greater than the threshold, it indicates that the coverage enhancement levels are all relatively high. Therefore, the feedback information can be multiplexed for the control information according to the temporal order. That is, when the priorities are all high, the feedback information can be multiplexed according to the order in which the data information is received, which can reduce complexity and ensure that high-priority feedback information is fed back in sequence.

[0114] In this embodiment of the application, signaling transmission can be transmitted via at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, media access control (MAC) signaling, or physical layer signaling.

[0115] See Figure 8 The first communication device received data information 1 (repeated twice), data information 2 (repeated three times), data information 3 (repeated three times), data information 4 (repeated twice), and data information 5 (repeated once) in chronological order. The first communication device determined that data information 1, 2, and 3 had the highest coverage enhancement level, exceeding a preset threshold; data information 4 had the second highest coverage enhancement level, below the preset threshold; and data information 5 had the lowest coverage enhancement level, also below the preset threshold. The first communication device determined that the feedback information from sending data information 1 to 5 collided in the first time slot, and that the threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device could reuse was 2. Since the coverage enhancement levels of data information 1, 2, and 3 were above the preset threshold, the first communication device could reuse the feedback information from data information 1 to 3 in the first control information according to the order in which the data information was received. Since the control information could carry two feedback information messages, the first communication device reused the feedback information from data information 1 and data information 2 in the first control information and transmitted it in the first time slot. The first communication device carries the feedback information of data information 3 in the second control information and transmits it in the second time slot. Since the feedback information of data information 4 and data information 5 is below a preset threshold, the first communication device can transmit the feedback information of data information 4 and data information 5 in descending order of coverage enhancement level. For example, the first communication device transmits the feedback information of data information 4 and data information 5 according to method 1 described above. Since the coverage enhancement levels of data information 4 and data information 5 are different, the first communication device can carry the feedback information of data information 4 in the third control information and transmit it in the third time slot, and carry the feedback information of data information 5 in the fourth control information and transmit it in the fourth time slot.

[0116] In this embodiment, a collision occurring in the x-th time slot can be understood as the information to be transmitted exceeding the amount of information that can be transmitted, or the information to be transmitted exceeding the amount of information that can be multiplexed, in that x-th time slot. The information to be transmitted may include feedback information. For example, a collision occurring in the first time slot can be understood as the amount of information to be transmitted in that first time slot exceeding the amount of information that can be transmitted, or it can also be understood as the amount of information to be transmitted in the first time slot exceeding the amount of information that can be multiplexed. A collision occurring in the first time slot can also be understood as the power of the information to be transmitted in that first time slot exceeding the maximum power that can be transmitted, or it can also be understood as the power of the information to be transmitted in the first time slot exceeding the maximum power that can be multiplexed. The information that can be multiplexed can be understood as the number of bits that can be transmitted simultaneously for HARQ feedback.

[0117] Optional, such as Figure 9 As shown, the first communication device can transmit the feedback information of data information 4 and data information 5 according to method 2 described above. For example, although the coverage enhancement levels of data information 4 and data information 5 are different, the control information can carry two feedback information. Therefore, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 4 and data information 5 into the third control information and transmit it in the third time slot.

[0118] Optionally, the first communication device can transmit the feedback information of data information 3, data information 4, and data information 5 according to method 2 described above. For example, although the coverage enhancement levels of data information 3 and data information 4 are different, the control information can carry two feedback information. Therefore, the first communication device can multiplex the feedback information of data information 3 and data information 4 into the second control information and transmit it in the second time slot. The first communication device can also carry the feedback information of data information 5 into the third control information and transmit it in the third time slot.

[0119] Optionally, the first communication device receives data information 1 (repeated twice), data information 2 (repeated three times), and data information 3 (repeated three times) in chronological order. The first communication device determines that the coverage enhancement levels of data information 1, 2, and 3 are all higher than a preset threshold. The first communication device determines that the feedback information transmitted from data information 1 to data information 3 collides in the first time slot, and the threshold for the feedback information that the first communication device can reuse is 3. Since the coverage enhancement levels of data information 1, 2, and 3 are higher than the preset threshold, the first communication device can reuse the feedback information from data information 1 to data information 3 in the order of data information reception as first control information. Since control information can carry three feedback information messages, the first communication device reuses the feedback information from data information 1, data information 2, and data information 3 as first control information and transmits it in the first time slot.

[0120] Based on the above scheme, when the coverage enhancement level is less than the threshold, it means that the coverage enhancement level is not very high. Therefore, the high and low coverage enhancement levels can be treated separately. Thus, the feedback information corresponding to the data information with the high coverage enhancement level can be fed back first, and then the feedback information corresponding to the data information with the low coverage enhancement level can be fed back.

[0121] In this embodiment, data information can be understood as a transport block. It should also be noted that the multiplexing method for feedback information in any of methods 1-4 can be pre-set, protocol-defined, or sent by the network device to the first terminal device via RRC signaling; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0122] Step 203: The communication device sends control information on the first control channel or the first data channel.

[0123] The communication device may transmit the control information via a first control channel or a first data channel in a first time slot and at least one time slot thereafter. The control information may be carried on the first control channel or the first data channel.

[0124] Alternatively, the communication device may transmit the control information via a first control channel or a first data channel in a first time slot. The control information may be carried on either the first control channel or the first data channel.

[0125] Based on the same technical concept as the methods described above, such as Figure 10 As shown, a device 1000 with communication function is provided. The device 1000 is capable of performing the various steps of the communication device described above; to avoid repetition, these steps will not be detailed here. The device 1000 includes: a communication unit 1010, a processing unit 1020, and optionally, a storage unit 1030. The processing unit 1020 can be connected to both the storage unit 1030 and the communication unit 1010, and the storage unit 1030 can also be connected to the communication unit 1010. The processing unit 1020 can be integrated with the storage unit 1030.

[0126] The storage unit 1030 is used to store computer programs;

[0127] For example, communication unit 1010 is used to receive at least one data message. Processing unit 1020 is used to multiplex feedback information corresponding to the at least one data message into control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data message. Communication unit 1010 is also used to transmit the control information via a first control channel or a first data channel. A description of the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data message can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 2 The relevant descriptions in the embodiments of the method are as follows.

[0128] In one design, the amount of feedback information included in the control information does not exceed a threshold of feedback information that the communication device can reuse. A description of this threshold of reusable feedback information can be found in... Figure 2 The method embodiments shown are described.

[0129] In one design, when the processing unit 1020 reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information for the control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, it is specifically used to: reuse the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information for the control information in descending order of the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information.

[0130] In one design, when the processing unit 1020 reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information for the control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, it is specifically configured to: reuse at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having a first coverage enhancement level and at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having at least one second coverage enhancement level for the control information; wherein, the at least one second coverage enhancement level is lower than the first coverage enhancement level.

[0131] In one design, the processing unit 1020 is further configured to determine that the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information is less than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0132] In one design, the processing unit 1020 is further configured to, when the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the communication device reuses the feedback information of the at least one data information in the order in which the at least one data information is received for the control information.

[0133] In one design, when the communication unit 1010 transmits the control information on the first control channel or the first data channel, it is specifically used to: transmit the control information on the first control channel or the first data channel in a first time slot; or transmit the control information on the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot and at least one time slot after the first time slot.

[0134] In one design, when the processing unit 1020 reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information for the control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, it is specifically used to: reuse the feedback information of the at least one data information for the control information in the first time slot; or reuse the feedback information of the at least one data information for the control information in the first time slot and at least one time slot after the first time slot.

[0135] The aforementioned device can also be a chip, wherein the communication unit can be the chip's input / output circuit or interface, and the processing unit can be a logic circuit. The logic circuit can process the data to be processed according to the steps described in the above method to obtain the processed data. The data to be processed can be at least one of the aforementioned data information, and the processed data can be the aforementioned control information. The output circuit / interface is used to output the processed data.

[0136] Figure 11 A simplified schematic diagram of a terminal device is shown. This is for ease of understanding and illustration. Figure 11 In this context, the terminal device is taken as a mobile phone. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the terminal device includes a processor, memory, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, antenna, and input / output devices. The processor is primarily used for processing communication protocols and data, controlling the terminal device, executing software programs, and processing software program data. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The RF circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user. It should be noted that some types of terminal devices may not have input / output devices.

[0137] When data needs to be sent, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then processes the baseband signal and transmits it outward as electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts it into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor then converts the baseband signal back into data and processes it. For ease of explanation, Figure 11 Only one memory and processor are shown in the illustration. In actual terminal device products, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. Memory may also be referred to as storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory may be set up independently of the processor or integrated with the processor; this application does not limit this.

[0138] In this embodiment, the antenna and radio frequency circuit with transceiver functions can be considered as the communication unit of the terminal device, and the processor with processing functions can be considered as the processing unit of the terminal device. Figure 11 As shown, the terminal device includes a communication unit 1110 and a processing unit 1120. The communication unit can also be called a transceiver, transceiver device, or transceiver unit. The processing unit can also be called a processor, processing board, processing module, or processing device. Optionally, the device in the communication unit 1110 used to implement the receiving function can be considered as a receiving unit, and the device in the communication unit 1110 used to implement the transmitting function can be considered as a transmitting unit; that is, the communication unit 1110 includes both a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The communication unit can sometimes also be called a transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver unit. The receiving unit can sometimes be called a receiver, receiver, or receiving circuit. The transmitting unit can sometimes be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0139] It should be understood that the communication unit 1110 is used to perform the sending and receiving operations on the first communication device side in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1120 is used to perform other operations on the first communication device in the above method embodiment besides the sending and receiving operations.

[0140] For example, in one implementation, the communication unit 1110 is used to perform... Figure 2 The receiving and / or transmitting operations on the first communication device side in steps 201-203, and / or the communication unit 1110 is also used to perform other receiving and transmitting steps on the first communication device side in this embodiment. The processing unit 1120 is used to perform other processing steps on the first communication device side in this embodiment.

[0141] When the terminal device is a chip-based device or circuit, it may include a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit may be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing unit may be an integrated processor, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit.

[0142] like Figure 12 The diagram shows a communication-functional device 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application, used to implement the functions of the communication device in the above method. This device may be a first communication device, a chip with similar functions to the first communication device, or a device compatible with the first communication device.

[0143] The device 1200 includes at least one processor 1220 for implementing the functions of the first communication device in the method provided in this application embodiment. The device 1200 may also include a communication interface 1210. In this application embodiment, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface for communicating with other devices via a transmission medium. For example, the communication interface 1210 enables the device in the device 1200 to communicate with other devices. When the device 1200 is the first communication device, the processor 1220 can perform tasks such as... Figure 10 The processing unit 1020 shown has the following functions, and the communication interface 1210 can perform the following tasks: Figure 10 The function of the communication unit 1010 shown.

[0144] The device 1200 may further include at least one memory 1230 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 1230 is coupled to the processor 1220. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1220 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1230. The processor 1220 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 1230. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.

[0145] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the communication interface 1210, processor 1220, and memory 1230. This application embodiment... Figure 12 The memory 1230, processor 1220, and communication interface 1210 are connected via a bus 1240. Figure 12 The connections between other components are shown in bold and are for illustrative purposes only, not as limiting information. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 12 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0146] As another embodiment of this invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, which, when executed, perform the method on the first communication device side of the above method embodiment.

[0147] As another form of this embodiment, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when executed, perform the method on the first communication device side of the above method embodiment.

[0148] As another embodiment of this invention, a communication system is provided, which may include at least one first communication device and at least one second communication device as described above.

[0149] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present invention can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0150] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present invention can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0151] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) is integrated into the processor.

[0152] It should be noted that the memories described herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0153] It should be understood that, in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this invention.

[0154] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples 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 implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art 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.

[0155] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0156] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0157] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0158] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0159] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as 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 this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0160] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting feedback information, characterized in that, include: The communication device receives at least one data message; wherein the at least one data message has a corresponding coverage enhancement level; The communication device reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information as control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information. The communication device transmits the control information through a first control channel or a first data channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of feedback messages included in the control information does not exceed the threshold of feedback messages that the communication device can reuse.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The communication device, based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information in the control information, including: The communication device reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information in the control information in descending order of coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The communication device, based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information in the control information, including: The communication device reuses at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information with the same coverage enhancement level for the control information.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The communication device, based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information in the control information, including: The communication device multiplexes at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having a first coverage enhancement level and at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having at least one second coverage enhancement level into the control information; wherein the at least one second coverage enhancement level is lower than the first coverage enhancement level.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The communication device determines that the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is less than or equal to a preset threshold.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: When the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the communication device reuses the feedback information of the at least one data information in the control information according to the receiving order of the at least one data information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 6, and 7, characterized in that, The communication device transmits the control information on the first control channel or the first data channel, including: The communication device transmits the control information via the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot. Alternatively, the communication device may transmit the control information via the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot and at least one time slot after the first time slot.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 6, and 7, characterized in that, The communication device, based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information in the control information, including: The communication device reuses the feedback information of the at least one data information in the first time slot; Alternatively, the communication device may reuse the feedback information of the at least one data information in the first time slot and in the control information of at least one time slot after the first time slot.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processing unit and communication unit; The communication unit is used to receive at least one data message; wherein the at least one data message has a corresponding coverage enhancement level; The processing unit is used to reuse the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information as control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information. The communication unit is also used to transmit the control information on a first control channel or a first data channel.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The number of feedback messages included in the control information does not exceed the threshold of feedback messages that the communication device can reuse.

12. The device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, When the processing unit reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information for the control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, it specifically performs the following functions: The feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information is reused in the control information in descending order of coverage enhancement level.

13. The device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, When the processing unit reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information for the control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, it specifically performs the following functions: At least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having a first coverage enhancement level and at least one feedback information corresponding to at least one data information having at least one second coverage enhancement level are multiplexed in the control information; wherein the at least one second coverage enhancement level is lower than the first coverage enhancement level.

14. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The processing unit is also used for: The coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is determined to be less than or equal to a preset threshold.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The processing unit is also used for: When the coverage enhancement level of at least one data information is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the communication device reuses the feedback information of the at least one data information in the control information according to the receiving order of the at least one data information.

16. The device according to any one of claims 10, 11, 14, and 15, characterized in that, When the communication unit transmits the control information on the first control channel or the first data channel, it is specifically used for: The control information is transmitted via the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot; or The control information is transmitted via the first control channel or the first data channel in the first time slot and at least one time slot following the first time slot.

17. The device according to any one of claims 10, 11, 14, and 15, characterized in that, When the processing unit reuses the feedback information corresponding to the at least one data information for the control information based on the coverage enhancement level of the at least one data information, it specifically performs the following functions: The feedback information of the at least one data piece is reused for the control information in the first time slot; or The feedback information of the at least one data information is reused in the control information of the first time slot and at least one time slot after the first time slot.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions in memory, such that the method of any one of claims 1-9 is performed.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when invoked by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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