Time synchronization method and communication device

Abstract

The present application provides a method for time synchronization, by respectively recording the absolute time of the start time of the scheduling unresponsiveness in the first GAP cycle on the first network device side and the second network device side after the GAP is issued on the timing corresponding to the two network elements, and calculating the synchronization time deviation of the two network devices. The method does not rely on specific terminal devices, is universal to terminal devices, and can be implemented through the information interaction under the existing networking architecture on the network side, so that the time synchronization offset between the two network devices can be obtained at a low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to a time synchronization method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] The current solutions for inter-station time synchronization based on external equipment deployment and terminal measurement capabilities either have high hardware and labor costs or fail to meet certain requirements on the capabilities of the terminal equipment. Therefore, how to obtain inter-station time deviation information at a low cost and in a universal manner has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application provides a time synchronization method and communication device, which are universal to terminal devices and can obtain the time synchronization offset between two network devices at a low cost.

[0004] In a first aspect, a time synchronization method is provided, which can be applied to a first network device or to a component within the first network device (such as a chip, a chip system or a processor, etc.), including: the first network device receives GAP parameters from a second network device, the GAP parameters including a GAP cycle; the first network device determines information of a first moment, the first moment being the absolute time corresponding to the starting moment of measuring GAP within the first GAP cycle of the terminal device on the timing of the first network device; the first network device sends information of the first moment to the second network device, the information of the first moment is used to determine the absolute time deviation between the second network device and the first network device together with the information of the second moment, wherein the second moment is the absolute time corresponding to the starting moment of measuring GAP within the first GAP cycle of the terminal device on the timing of the second network device.

[0005] In the above technical solution, the absolute time of the start time of the GAP measured in the first GAP cycle after the GAP is issued on the corresponding timing of the two network devices is recorded to calculate the synchronization time deviation of the two network devices. This method does not rely on specific terminal devices and can be implemented through information interaction under the existing networking architecture on the network side, so that the time synchronization offset of the two network devices can be obtained at a low cost, which is universal for terminal devices.

[0006] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first network device determines a first moment, including: the first network device continuously sends PDCCH scheduling information to the terminal device on each TTI starting from the time when the terminal device measures the GAP to take effect; the first network device determines a first period, where the first period is a period during which the first network device fails to detect a response message to the PDCCH scheduling information on the PUCCH for a first time length, wherein the first time length is the duration of the GAP of the terminal device within a GAP period; when the first period is equal to the GAP period, the first network device determines the information of the first moment based on the information of the third moment and the first time offset, wherein the third moment is the starting moment when the first network device fails to detect a response message for the first time length, and the first time offset is the time interval for downlink scheduling feedback of the terminal device.

[0007] In the above technical solution, based on the fact that the terminal device measures the GAP period without responding to the scheduling authorization, and the fixed timing relationship between the downlink authorization and the scheduling feedback, the gNB actively initiates downlink data scheduling by continuously monitoring the downlink scheduling, and monitors the uplink feedback of the downlink scheduling, the absolute time of the start moment of the first GAP period scheduling without response on the first network device side is obtained on the timing of the first network device.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first time length is 6 ms.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first network device is a secondary network device, and the second network device is a primary network device.

[0010] In a second aspect, a time synchronization method is provided, which can be applied to a second network device or to a component within the second network device (such as a chip, a chip system or a processor, etc.), including: the second network device sends GAP parameters to a terminal device, the GAP parameters including a GAP period and a GAP offset; the second network device determines information of a second moment based on the GAP offset, the second moment being the absolute time corresponding to the starting moment of measuring GAP within the first GAP period of the terminal device on the timing of the second network device; the second network device receives information of a first moment from a first network device, the first moment being the absolute time corresponding to the starting moment of measuring GAP within the first GAP period of the terminal device on the timing of the first network device; the second network device determines the time deviation between the second network device and the first network device based on the information of the first moment and the information of the second moment.

[0011] For the technical effects of the second aspect, please refer to the description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0012] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before the second network device receives the first moment sent by the first network device, the method further includes: the second network device sends a GAP cycle to the first network device.

[0013] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first network device is a secondary network device, and the second network device is a primary network device.

[0014] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which has the function of implementing the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above functions.

[0015] In one example, the communication device may be a first network device.

[0016] In another example, the communication device may be a component (eg, a chip or an integrated circuit) installed in the first network device.

[0017] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which has the function of implementing the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above functions.

[0018] In an example, the communication device may be a second network device.

[0019] In another example, the communication device may be a component (eg, a chip or an integrated circuit) installed in the second network device.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to at least one memory, the at least one memory being used to store computer programs or instructions, and the at least one processor being used to call and run the computer program or instructions from the at least one memory, so that the communication device executes the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0021] In one example, the communication device may be a first network device.

[0022] In another example, the communication device may be a component (eg, a chip or an integrated circuit) installed in the first network device.

[0023] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to at least one memory, the at least one memory being used to store computer programs or instructions, and the at least one processor being used to call and run the computer program or instructions from the at least one memory, so that the communication device executes the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0024] In an example, the communication device may be a second network device.

[0025] In another example, the communication device may be a component (eg, a chip or an integrated circuit) installed in the second network device.

[0026] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is used to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof is implemented.

[0027] In the specific implementation process, the processor can be a chip, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the processing circuit can be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation methods of the processor and various circuits.

[0028] In an eighth aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is used to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof is implemented.

[0029] In the specific implementation process, the processor can be a chip, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the processing circuit can be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation methods of the processor and various circuits.

[0030] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof is executed.

[0031] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof is executed.

[0032] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program code, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be executed.

[0033] In a twelfth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program code, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be executed.

[0034] In the thirteenth aspect, the present application provides a chip comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive a signal and transmit the signal to the processor, and the processor processes the signal so that the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof is executed.

[0035] In a fourteenth aspect, the present application provides a chip comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive a signal and transmit the signal to the processor, and the processor processes the signal so that the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof is executed.

[0036] In a fifteenth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, comprising the communication device as described in the fifth aspect and the communication device as described in the sixth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 The architecture of the communication system applicable to the embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 2 The present invention is applicable to the architecture of some other communication systems of the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the communication method and communication device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 4 It is a schematic flow chart of a time synchronization method provided by the present application.

[0041] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the absolute time offset between eNB and gNB.

[0042] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in the present application.

[0043] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in this application.

[0044] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of the communication device 10 provided in this application.

[0045] Fig. 9 A schematic structural diagram of the communication device 20 provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0047] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a fifth generation (5G) system, or a communication system after 5G.

[0048] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5G network or a terminal device in other communication systems, etc., and the present application does not limit this.

[0049] The wireless access network device in the embodiment of the present application can be any device with wireless transceiver function. The access network device includes but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home evolved NodeB (or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP), wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP) or transmission and reception point (TRP), etc. It can also be a gNB or transmission point in a 5G system, or it can also be a network node constituting a gNB or transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), etc.

[0050] The embodiments of the present application are mainly intended to explain the scenario of multiple connectivity (MC). For ease of understanding, the following takes the scenario where the multiple connectivity MC includes two connections, namely, dual connectivity (DC) as an example to introduce several deployment scenarios of dual connectivity.

[0051] In this application, DC can include multiple combinations, several of which are listed below.

[0052] (1) The core network is an evolved packet core (EPC), with LTE base stations as primary base stations and NR base stations as secondary base stations.

[0053] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 is a communication system architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application. Figure 1As shown, there is an X2 interface between the LTE base station and the NR base station, at least a control plane connection, and also a user plane connection. There is an S1-U interface between the LTE base station and the EPC, that is, there can be a user plane connection. In this networking situation, the LTE base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one LTE cell, and the at least one LTE cell is called a master cell group (MCG). Correspondingly, the NR base station can also provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, and the at least one NR cell is called a secondary cell group (SCG).

[0054] (2) The core network is 5GC, the LTE base station is the primary base station, and the NR base station is the secondary base station.

[0055] There is an Xn interface between the LTE base station and the NR base station, with at least a control plane connection and a user plane connection. There is an NG interface between the LTE base station and the 5GC, with at least a control plane connection and a user plane connection. There is an NG-U interface between the NR base station and the 5GC, that is, there can be a user plane connection. In this networking scenario, the LTE base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one LTE cell, and the at least one LTE cell is called an MCG. Correspondingly, the NR base station can also provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, and the at least one NR cell is called an SCG.

[0056] (3) The core network is 5GC, the NR base station is the primary base station, and the LTE base station is the secondary base station.

[0057] There is an Xn interface between the NR base station and the LTE base station, with at least a control plane connection and a user plane connection. There is an NG interface between the NR base station and the 5GC, with at least a control plane connection and a user plane connection. There is an NG-U interface between the NR base station and the 5GC, that is, there can be a user plane connection. In this networking situation, the NR base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, and the at least one NR cell is called MCG. Correspondingly, the LTE base station can also provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one LTE cell, and the at least one LTE cell is called SCG.

[0058] (4) The core network is 5GC, and both the host station and auxiliary base station are NR base stations.

[0059] The interface between the main base station and the secondary base station is an Xn interface, which has at least a control plane connection and can also have a user plane connection. There is an NG interface between the main base station and 5GC, which has at least a control plane connection and can also have a user plane connection. There is an NG-U interface between the secondary base station and 5GC, that is, there can be a user plane connection. In this networking situation, the main base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, and the at least one NR cell is called MCG. Correspondingly, the secondary base station can also provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, and the at least one NR cell is called SCG.

[0060] When the core network is 5GC, the above networking architectures and interfaces between network elements can be found in Figure 2 shown. Figure 2 Some other communication system architectures applicable to the embodiments of the present application. Figure 2 (a), (b) and (c) can correspond to the network architectures described in the above examples (2), (3) and (4) respectively, and will not be repeated here.

[0061] This application does not limit the specific DC architecture and is applicable to both the EN-DC of the traditional LTE and MR-DC and other future DC architectures.

[0062] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the communication method and communication device of the embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the communication system 400 may include at least one network device, such as Figure 3 The network device 410 and the network device 420 shown; the communication system 400 may also include at least one terminal device, such as Figure 3 The terminal device 430 shown in FIG. 4 can be mobile or fixed. The network device 410 and the network device 420 are devices that can communicate with the terminal device 430 via a wireless link, such as a base station or a base station controller. Each network device can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with terminal devices located in the coverage area (cell). The wireless communication system 400 can also include at least one core network, such as Figure 3 The core network 440 shown may be a 4G core network or a 5G core network, etc.

[0063] The core network 440 and the terminal device 430 can form a dual-link architecture of the deployment scenario described above. For example, the network device 410 is an LTE base station as a primary base station, the network device 420 is an NR base station as an auxiliary base station, the core network 440 is a 4G core network EPC, there is a control plane connection and a data plane connection between the network device 410 and the core network 440, there is a data plane connection between the network device 420 and the core network 440, and the network devices 410 and 420 both provide air interface transmission resources for data transmission between the terminal device 430 and the core network 440. That is, it constitutes Figure 1 The deployment scenario of the dual link is shown in FIG. At this time, the network device 410 corresponds to Figure 1 The eNB shown, the network device 420 corresponds to Figure 1 The gNB shown, the core network corresponds to Figure 1 EPC shown. Similarly, Figure 3 The communication system shown can also form a dual-link architecture of other deployment scenarios described above.

[0064] Figure 3 Two network devices and one terminal device are shown exemplarily, but this should not constitute any limitation to the present application. Optionally, the communication system 400 may include more network devices, and each network device may include other number of terminal devices within its coverage. Optionally, the communication system 400 may also include multiple core network devices. This embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0065] The above-mentioned communication equipment, such as Figure 3 The network device 410, network device 420 or terminal device 430 in the embodiment may be configured with multiple antennas. The multiple antennas may include at least one transmitting antenna for sending signals and at least one receiving antenna for receiving signals. In addition, each communication device also additionally includes a transmitter chain and a receiver chain. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that they may include multiple components related to signal transmission and reception (such as processors, modulators, multiplexers, demodulators, demultiplexers or antennas, etc.). Therefore, the network device and the terminal device may communicate via multi-antenna technology.

[0066] Optionally, the wireless communication system 400 may also include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0067] In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, a brief introduction is given to the relevant concepts involved in the application embodiments.

[0068] 1. Measurement GAP: Usually, UE has only one receiver and can only receive signals at one frequency at the same time, so it cannot do two things at the same time. Therefore, measurement GAP is a time interval agreed upon by the network device and UE for measurement, allowing the UE to leave the current frequency and go to other frequencies for measurement. During this time, since the network device has agreed not to require the UE to transmit or receive, the UE can focus on measurement without transmitting or receiving data. In essence, measurement GAP is a mechanism for time-sharing data transmission and reception and mobility measurement. Measurement GAP is used for inter-frequency measurement and inter-system measurement. In inter-frequency and inter-system measurements, the UE only performs measurements within the measurement GAP.

[0069] 2. In wireless communication systems, the time domain can be divided into multiple radio frames. Each radio frame is 10ms long and is divided into 10 subframes, numbered #0 to #9. Each subframe has a duration of 1ms. In the LTE system, since there is only one type of subcarrier spacing, that is, 15khz, each subframe has 2 slots, each of which is 0.5ms. However, in the NR system, the length of the slot depends on the subcarrier spacing. There are 5 optional subcarrier spacings, including 15khz, 30khz, 60khz, 120khz, and 240khz. The wider the subcarrier spacing, the shorter the duration of the slot. For example, when the subcarrier is 30khz, each subframe has 2 slots, each of which is 0.5ms. Then each radio frame contains 20 slots, numbered #0 to #20.

[0070] 3. Transmission time interval (TTI): A time parameter commonly used in existing communication systems, which is the time unit for scheduling data in communication systems. In LTE systems, it is generally believed that the time length of a TTI is 1ms, which corresponds to the time length of a subframe, that is, the time length of two time slots. In the NR system, a transmission unit (TTI) is 1 time slot. Since the larger the subcarrier spacing, the shorter the time length of a time slot, the larger the subcarrier spacing in NR, the shorter the TTI, the lower the air interface transmission delay, and the higher the corresponding system requirements.

[0071] 4. System frame number (SFN): the number assigned to each subframe or time slot in each radio frame.

[0072] 5. Frame number (FN): the number of each wireless frame.

[0073] The technical solution provided by this application is described in detail below.

[0074] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 It is a schematic flow chart of a time synchronization method provided by the present application.

[0075] As an example, the EN-DC scenario is used as an example for illustration in this application, wherein eNB is the primary network device (i.e., an example of the second network device) and gNB is the secondary network device (i.e., an example of the first network device). As an example and not a limitation, in an embodiment of the present application, FN / SFN=X / Y in the LTE system represents the subframe numbered Y in the Xth frame, wherein the 10 subframes in each wireless frame are numbered #0 to #9, respectively. FN / SFN=X / Y in the NR system represents the time slot numbered Y in the Xth frame, wherein each subframe has 2 time slots, each time slot is 0.5ms, and each wireless frame contains 20 time slots, numbered #0 to #20.

[0076] S401, the eNB sends GAP parameters to the terminal device, where the GAP parameters include a GAP offset and a GAP period.

[0077] It should be understood that the GAP modes are divided into gp0 and gp1. The GAP period of the gp0 mode is 40ms, and the GAP period of the gp1 mode is 80ms. Regardless of the GAP mode, the duration of each GAP is 6ms (i.e., the first time length). Optionally, the range of the GAP offset (also referred to as gapOffset) in the gp0 mode is 0-39, and the range of the gapOffset in the gp1 mode is 0-79. When the GAP period and gapOffset are known, the terminal device and the eNB can determine the specific GAP moment.

[0078] As an example, this embodiment is described by taking the GAP period of 40 ms (ie, the length of 4 radio frames) and gapOffset=3 as an example.

[0079] S402, the eNB determines information of the second time according to the GAP offset. The second time is the absolute time corresponding to the start time of measuring the GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device on the timing of the eNB side. Figure 5 Take this as an example to illustrate.

[0080] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the absolute time offset between eNB and gNB.

[0081] The UE determines the time to measure GAP based on the GAP parameters, and the timestamp corresponding to the LTE side is: Figure 5The subframes numbered #3 to #8 in each GAP period shown in FIG. 1 are FN / SFN=0 / 3 to 0 / 8, 4 / 3 to 4 / 8, 8 / 3 to 8 / 8, ... It can be seen that at the second moment Figure 5 The LTE side is FN / SFN=0 / 3.

[0082] S403, gNB receives GAP parameters from eNB, where the GAP parameters include a GAP period.

[0083] It should be understood that there is no temporal order between S401 and S403. For example, S401 and S403 may be sent at the same time, or S401 or S403 may be sent first.

[0084] S404, the gNB determines the information of the first moment, where the first moment is the absolute time corresponding to the start moment of measuring the GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device on the timing of the gNB side.

[0085] Depend on Figure 5 It can be seen that the starting time FN / SFN=0 / 0 of LTE is aligned with FN / SFN=123 / 3 of NR. Figure 5 It can be seen that the absolute time deviation between the eNB and gNB network elements is 123*10+3*0.5=1231.5ms. In practice, the gNB cannot directly know the position of the frame alignment with the eNB side. When the second moment in S402 is known, as long as the first moment aligned with the second moment is known, the absolute time deviation between the eNB and gNB network elements can be obtained. As an example, this application provides a method for determining the first moment. The specific steps are as follows:

[0086] S601. When the terminal device measures the GAP and starts to take effect, the gNB continuously sends physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) scheduling information to the terminal device in each TTI, and records the uplink TTI timing relationship in which the PDCCH scheduling information is unresponsive.

[0087] Optionally, the PDCCH scheduling information includes one or more of uplink authorization, downlink authorization, and medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) information.

[0088] As an example, this embodiment uses the PDCCH scheduling information as a downlink grant (DL grant) as an example for explanation. During the effective period of the UE measuring the GAP, the gNB continues to send the DL grant to the UE every TTI, and records the TTI in which the gNB cannot detect the response message of the DL grant. Taking FDD NR as an example, the gNB sends the DL grant in time slot N, and then the gNB detects the response message of the DL grant in time slot (N+4), where the time difference 4 is the relationship between the downlink scheduling hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing (i.e., an example of the first time offset). It can be understood that the first time offset is the time offset from the gNB sending the PDCCH scheduling information to the receiving of the response message of the PDCCH scheduling information. As can be seen from the above, the UE does not detect the PDCCH scheduling information during the measurement of the GAP. Therefore, if the time slot N is in the GAP measurement period, the gNB will not be able to detect the corresponding uplink feedback in the time slot (N+4).

[0089] It should be noted that the UE downlink scheduling HARQ timing is fixed, that is, the above-mentioned first time offset is fixed, which means that for the gNB, the gNB can predict in advance in which time unit to receive the response message of the PDCCH scheduling information.

[0090] It should be understood that since the GAP duration in a GAP cycle is 6ms, the duration of each time the gNB fails to detect a response message for a DL grant during the GAP period is also 6ms. When the period (i.e., the first period) during which the gNB fails to detect a response message for a DL grant on the expected PUCCH for 6ms is consistent with the GAP period, it is considered that the DL grant is unresponsive because the DL grant falls into the UE measurement GAP period. For example, the gNB will Figure 5 As shown, no DL grant response message is periodically detected on the PUCCHs of FN / SFN=123 / 13-124 / 4, 127 / 13-128 / 4, 131 / 13-132 / 4, ...

[0091] S602, the gNB determines information of a third moment. The third moment is the starting moment when the gNB fails to detect a response message of a DL grant for the first time for a first time length. It should be understood that the third moment here is the absolute moment corresponding to the gNB timing. For example: the third moment is Figure 5 FN / SFN=123 / 13 is shown.

[0092] S603. gNB determines the information of the first moment based on the information of the third moment and the first time offset.

[0093] Taking the first time offset equal to 4 and the third moment FN / SFN=123 / 13 as an example, the gNB shifts the third moment forward by 4 time slots based on the first time deviation, and calculates that the first moment FN / SFN=123 / 9 is the absolute time corresponding to the start moment of measuring GAP in the first GAP cycle of UE measuring GAP on the timing of gNB.

[0094] In the above S603 and S604, the third moment is first determined, and then the first moment is determined according to the UE downlink scheduling HARQ timing. In the present application, the time unit of the response message of the periodic failure to detect the DL grant can also be shifted forward by 4 time slots according to the UE downlink scheduling HARQ timing, and then the first moment is determined, for example, see S603' and S604':

[0095] S603', gNB Figure 5 The corresponding PUCCH unresponsive time slots FN / SFN=123 / 13~124 / 4, 127 / 13~128 / 4, 131 / 13~132 / 4, ... are shifted forward by 4 time slots, and it is inferred that the UE did not respond to the DL grant at 123 / 9~124 / 0, 163 / 9~125 / 0, 203 / 9~204 / 0, ...

[0096] S604', gNB determines the sending position of the DL grant with no response for 6 consecutive TTIs for the first time since the UE measures the GAP, that is, the starting time of measuring GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device measuring GAP is FN / SFN=123 / 9 in the absolute time of the NR air interface (that is, the first moment).

[0097] The above method is based on the fact that the terminal device does not respond to the scheduling authorization during the GAP period, and the fixed timing relationship between the downlink authorization and the scheduling feedback. By continuously monitoring the gNB to actively initiate downlink data scheduling and monitoring the uplink feedback of the downlink scheduling, the absolute time of the first slot with no response to the GAP period scheduling on the NR side is obtained.

[0098] S405. gNB sends the information of the first moment to eNB.

[0099] Optionally, the gNB may also send the starting GAP period information of DL grant without response to the gNB, for example, the starting GAP period of DL grant without response is FN / SFN=123 / 9~124 / 0.

[0100] S406. The eNB determines the time deviation between the eNB and the gNB based on the information of the first moment and the information of the second moment.

[0101] Based on the first moment FN / SFN=123 / 9 and the local second moment FN / SFN=0 / 3, the eNB calculates the absolute time deviation between the eNB and the gNB, that is, (123*10+9*0.5)-(0*10+3*1)=1231.5ms.

[0102] Optionally, the eNB may also send the second moment to the gNB, and the gNB may calculate the time deviation between the two. Alternatively, the first moment and the second moment may be sent to other network devices, and the other network devices may calculate the time deviation between the two network elements. This application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0103] In the above technical solution, the absolute time of the start time of the scheduling unresponsiveness in the first GAP cycle on the LTE side and the NR side after the GAP is issued is recorded on the timing corresponding to the two network elements, and the synchronization time deviation of the LTE side and the NR side is calculated. This method does not rely on specific terminal equipment and can be implemented through information interaction under the existing networking architecture on the network side, so that the time synchronization offset of the LTE side and the NR side can be obtained at a low cost, which is universal for terminal equipment.

[0104] The above is a detailed description of the method for time synchronization provided by the present application. The following is an introduction to the communication device provided by the present application.

[0105] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 1 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in this application. Figure 6 , the communication device 1000 includes a receiving unit 1100, a processing unit 1200 and a sending unit 1300.

[0106] A receiving unit 1100 is used to receive GAP parameters from a second network device, wherein the GAP parameters include a GAP cycle; a processing unit 1200 is used to determine information of a first moment, wherein the first moment is an absolute time corresponding to a start moment of measuring GAP within a first GAP cycle of a terminal device and a timing of the first network device; a sending unit 1300 is used to send information of the first moment to a second network device, wherein the information of the first moment is used together with information of the second moment to determine an absolute time deviation between the second network device and the first network device, wherein the second moment is an absolute time corresponding to a start moment of measuring GAP within a first GAP cycle of the terminal device and a timing of the second network device.

[0107] Optionally, in one embodiment, the processing unit 1200 is specifically used to: at the beginning of the measurement of GAP by the terminal device, continuously send PDCCH scheduling information to the terminal device on each TTI; the first network device determines a first period, and the first period is a period during which the first network device fails to detect a response message of the PDCCH scheduling information on PUCCH for a first time length, wherein the first time length is the duration of the GAP of the terminal device within a GAP period; when the first period is equal to the GAP period, the first network device determines the information of the first moment based on the information of the third moment and the first time offset, wherein the third moment is the starting moment when the first network device fails to detect the response message for the first time length for the first time, and the first time offset is the time interval for downlink scheduling feedback of the terminal device.

[0108] Optionally, in one embodiment, the first time length is 6 ms.

[0109] Optionally, the sending unit 1300 and the receiving unit 1100 may also be integrated into a transceiver unit, which has both receiving and sending functions, which is not limited here.

[0110] In one implementation, the communication device 1000 may be the first network device in the method embodiment. In this implementation, the sending unit 1300 may be a transmitter, and the receiving unit 1100 may be a receiver. The receiver and the transmitter may also be integrated into a transceiver. The processing unit 1200 may be a processing device.

[0111] In another implementation, the communication device 1000 may be a chip or an integrated circuit installed in the first network device. In this implementation, the sending unit 1300 and the receiving unit 1100 may be communication interfaces or interface circuits. For example, the sending unit 1300 is an output interface or output circuit, the receiving unit 1100 is an input interface or input circuit, and the processing unit 1200 may be a processing device.

[0112] Among them, the functions of the processing device can be implemented by hardware, or by executing corresponding software implementations through hardware. For example, the processing device may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor reads and executes the computer programs stored in the memory, so that the communication device 1000 performs the operations and / or processing performed by the first network device in each method embodiment. Optionally, the processing device may include only a processor, and the memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device. The processor is connected to the memory through circuits / wires to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory. For another example, the processing device may be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0113] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 Schematic block diagram of the communication device 2000 provided in this application. Figure 7 The communication device 2000 includes a sending unit 2100, a processing unit 2200 and a receiving unit 2300.

[0114] A sending unit 2100 is used to send GAP parameters to a terminal device, wherein the GAP parameters include a GAP period and a GAP offset; a processing unit 2200 is used to determine information of a second moment based on the GAP offset, wherein the second moment is an absolute time corresponding to a start moment of measuring GAP within a first GAP period of the terminal device and a timing of the second network device; a receiving unit 2300 is used to receive information of a first moment from a first network device, wherein the first moment is an absolute time corresponding to a start moment of measuring GAP within a first GAP period of the terminal device and a timing of the first network device; the second network device determines a time deviation between the second network device and the first network device based on the information of the first moment and the information of the second moment.

[0115] Optionally, in one embodiment, before the first moment when the receiving unit first network device sends, the receiving unit 2300 is further configured to send the GAP cycle to the first network device.

[0116] Optionally, the sending unit 2100 and the receiving unit 2300 may also be integrated into a transceiver unit, which has both receiving and sending functions, which is not limited here.

[0117] In one implementation, the communication device 2000 may be a second network device in the method embodiment. In this implementation, the sending unit 2100 may be a transmitter, and the receiving unit 2300 may be a receiver. The receiver and the transmitter may also be integrated into a transceiver. The processing unit 2200 may be a processing device.

[0118] In another implementation, the communication device 2000 may be a chip or an integrated circuit installed in the second network device. In this implementation, the sending unit 2100 and the receiving unit 2300 may be communication interfaces or interface circuits. For example, the sending unit 2100 is an output interface or output circuit, the receiving unit 2300 is an input interface or input circuit, and the processing unit 2200 may be a processing device.

[0119] Among them, the functions of the processing device can be implemented by hardware, or by executing corresponding software implementations through hardware. For example, the processing device may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor reads and executes the computer programs stored in the memory, so that the communication device 2000 performs the operations and / or processing performed by the second network device in each method embodiment. Optionally, the processing device may include only a processor, and the memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device. The processor is connected to the memory through circuits / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. For another example, the processing device may be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0120] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the communication device 10 provided in this application. Figure 8 The communication device 10 includes: one or more processors 11, one or more memories 12, and one or more communication interfaces 13. The processor 11 is used to control the communication interface 13 to send and receive signals, the memory 12 is used to store a computer program, and the processor 11 is used to call and run the computer program from the memory 12, so that the process and / or operation performed by the first network device in each method embodiment of the present application is executed.

[0121] For example, the processor 11 may have Figure 6 The functions of the processing unit 1200 shown in FIG. 1 and the communication interface 13 may have Figure 6 Specifically, the processor 11 may be used to execute the processing or operation performed by the first network device in the above method embodiment, and the communication interface 13 is used to execute the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the first network device in the above method embodiment.

[0122] In one implementation, the communication device 10 may be the first network device in the method embodiment. In this implementation, the communication interface 13 may be a transceiver. The transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter.

[0123] Optionally, the processor 11 may be a baseband device, and the communication interface 13 may be a radio frequency device.

[0124] In another implementation, the communication device 10 may be a chip installed in the first network device. In this implementation, the communication interface 13 may be an interface circuit or an input / output interface.

[0125] See also Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the communication device 20 provided in this application. Fig. 9The communication device 20 includes: one or more processors 21, one or more memories 22, and one or more communication interfaces 23. The processor 21 is used to control the communication interface 23 to send and receive signals, the memory 22 is used to store a computer program, and the processor 21 is used to call and run the computer program from the memory 22, so that the process and / or operation performed by the second network device in each method embodiment of the present application is executed.

[0126] For example, the processor 21 may have Figure 7 The functions of the processing unit 2200 shown in FIG. 2 , the communication interface 23 may have Figure 7 Specifically, the processor 21 can be used to execute the processing or operation performed by the second network device in the above method embodiment, and the communication interface 23 is used to execute the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the second network device in the above method embodiment.

[0127] In one implementation, the communication device 20 may be the second network device in the method embodiment. In this implementation, the communication interface 23 may be a transceiver. The transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter.

[0128] Optionally, the processor 21 may be a baseband device, and the communication interface 23 may be a radio frequency device.

[0129] In another implementation, the communication device 20 may be a chip installed in the second network device. In this implementation, the communication interface 23 may be an interface circuit or an input / output interface.

[0130] Optionally, the processor and memory in the above-mentioned device embodiments may be physically independent units, or the memory may be integrated with the processor, which is not limited in this document.

[0131] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the operations and / or processes performed by the first network device in each method embodiment of the present application are executed.

[0132] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the operations and / or processes performed by the second network device in each method embodiment of the present application are executed.

[0133] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code or instructions. When the computer program code or instructions are run on a computer, the operations and / or processes performed by the first network device in each method embodiment of the present application are executed.

[0134] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code or instructions. When the computer program code or instructions are run on a computer, the operations and / or processes performed by the second network device in the various method embodiments of the present application are executed.

[0135] The present application also provides a chip, the chip comprising a processor. A memory for storing a computer program is provided independently of the chip, and the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the operation and / or processing performed by the first network device in any method embodiment is executed.

[0136] Furthermore, the chip may further include a communication interface. The communication interface may be an input / output interface, or an interface circuit, etc. Furthermore, the chip may further include the memory.

[0137] The present application also provides a chip, the chip comprising a processor. A memory for storing a computer program is provided independently of the chip, and the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the operation and / or processing performed by the second network device in any method embodiment is executed.

[0138] Furthermore, the chip may further include a communication interface. The communication interface may be an input / output interface, or an interface circuit, etc. Furthermore, the chip may further include the memory.

[0139] In addition, the present application also provides a communication system, including the first network device, the second network device and the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application.

[0140] The processor in the embodiment of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with the ability to process signals. In the implementation process, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by the hardware integrated logic circuit or software instructions in the processor. The processor can be a general processor, a digital signal processor (digital signal processor, DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (application specific integrated circuit, ASIC), a field programmable gate array (field programmable gate array, FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The general processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware coding processor to perform, or the hardware and software modules in the coding processor are combined to perform. The software module can be located in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, and other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0141] The memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a 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 (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DRRAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0142] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0143] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0144] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0145] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0146] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0147] The term "and / or" in this application is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. Among them, A, B and C can all be singular or plural, without limitation.

[0148] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0149] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A time synchronization method, characterized in that: include: The first network device receives a gap GAP parameter from the second network device, wherein the GAP parameter includes a GAP period; The first network device determines information of a first moment, where the first moment is an absolute time corresponding to the start moment of measuring the GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device and the timing of the first network device; The first network device sends information about the first time to the second network device, and the information about the first time is used to determine the absolute time deviation between the second network device and the first network device together with information about the second time, wherein the second time is the absolute time corresponding to the start time of measuring the GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device and the timing of the second network device; The first network device determining the first time includes: The first network device starts to measure the GAP of the terminal device and continuously sends physical downlink control channel PDCCH scheduling information to the terminal device in each transmission time interval TTI; The first network device determines a first period, where the first period is a period during which the first network device fails to detect a response message of the PDCCH scheduling information on a physical uplink control channel PUCCH for a first time length, wherein the first time length is a duration of a GAP of the terminal device within a GAP period; When the first period is equal to the GAP period, the first network device determines the information of the first moment based on the information of the third moment and the first time offset, wherein the third moment is the starting moment when the first network device fails to detect the response message for the first time length for the first time, and the first time offset is the time interval for downlink scheduling feedback of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first time length is 6 ms.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first network device is a secondary network device, and the second network device is a primary network device.

4. A time synchronization method, characterized in that: include: The second network device sends a gap GAP parameter to the terminal device, where the GAP parameter includes a GAP period and a GAP offset; The second network device determines information of a second moment according to the GAP offset, where the second moment is an absolute time corresponding to the start moment of measuring the GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device and the timing of the second network device; The second network device receives information of a first time from the first network device, where the first time is an absolute time corresponding to the start time of measuring the GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device and the timing of the first network device; The second network device determines, according to the information of the first moment and the information of the second moment, a time offset between the second network device and the first network device; The first time is determined by the first network device in the following manner: The first network device starts to measure the GAP of the terminal device and continuously sends physical downlink control channel PDCCH scheduling information to the terminal device in each transmission time interval TTI; The first network device determines a first period, where the first period is a period during which the first network device fails to detect a response message of the PDCCH scheduling information on a physical uplink control channel PUCCH for a first time length, wherein the first time length is a duration of a GAP of the terminal device within a GAP period; When the first period is equal to the GAP period, the first network device determines the information of the first moment based on the information of the third moment and the first time offset, wherein the third moment is the starting moment when the first network device fails to detect the response message for the first time length for the first time, and the first time offset is the time interval for downlink scheduling feedback of the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that Before the second network device receives the first moment sent by the first network device, the method further includes: The second network device sends the GAP cycle to the first network device.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first network device is a secondary network device, and the second network device is a primary network device.

7. A communication device, applied to a first network device, characterized in that: include: A receiving unit, configured to receive a gap GAP parameter from a second network device, wherein the GAP parameter includes a GAP period; A processing unit, configured to determine information of a first moment, where the first moment is an absolute time corresponding to a start moment of measuring a GAP in a first GAP cycle of a terminal device and a timing of the first network device; A sending unit, configured to send information about the first moment to a second network device, wherein the information about the first moment is used together with information about the second moment to determine an absolute time deviation between the second network device and the first network device, wherein the second moment is an absolute time corresponding to a start moment of measuring a GAP in a first GAP cycle of the terminal device and a timing of the second network device; The processing unit is specifically used for: After the terminal device measures the GAP and starts to take effect, continuously sending physical downlink control channel PDCCH scheduling information to the terminal device in each transmission time interval TTI; The first network device determines a first period, where the first period is a period during which the first network device fails to detect a response message of the PDCCH scheduling information on a physical uplink control channel PUCCH for a first time length, wherein the first time length is a duration of a GAP of the terminal device within a GAP period; When the first period is equal to the GAP period, the first network device determines the information of the first moment based on the information of the third moment and the first time offset, wherein the third moment is the starting moment when the first network device fails to detect the response message for the first time length for the first time, and the first time offset is the time interval for downlink scheduling feedback of the terminal device.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first time length is 6 ms.

9. The communication device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The first network device is a secondary network device, and the second network device is a primary network device.

10. A communication device, applied to a second network device, characterized in that: include: A sending unit, configured to send a gap GAP parameter to a terminal device, wherein the GAP parameter includes a GAP period and a GAP offset; A processing unit, configured to determine information of a second moment according to the GAP offset, where the second moment is an absolute time corresponding to the start moment of measuring the GAP in the first GAP cycle of the terminal device and the timing of the second network device; A receiving unit, configured to receive information of a first moment from a first network device, where the first moment is an absolute time corresponding to a start moment of measuring a GAP in a first GAP cycle of the terminal device and a timing of the first network device; The second network device determines, according to the information of the first moment and the information of the second moment, a time offset between the second network device and the first network device; The first time is determined by the first network device in the following manner: The first network device starts to measure the GAP of the terminal device and continuously sends physical downlink control channel PDCCH scheduling information to the terminal device in each transmission time interval TTI; The first network device determines a first period, where the first period is a period during which the first network device fails to detect a response message of the PDCCH scheduling information on a physical uplink control channel PUCCH for a first time length, wherein the first time length is a duration of a GAP of the terminal device within a GAP period; When the first period is equal to the GAP period, the first network device determines the information of the first moment based on the information of the third moment and the first time offset, wherein the third moment is the starting moment when the first network device fails to detect the response message for the first time length for the first time, and the first time offset is the time interval for downlink scheduling feedback of the terminal device.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that: Before the receiving unit receives the first moment sent by the first network device, the receiving unit is further configured to send the GAP cycle to the first network device.

12. The communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first network device is a secondary network device, and the second network device is a primary network device.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises at least one processor coupled to at least one memory, and the at least one processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the at least one memory, so that the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises at least one processor coupled to at least one memory, and the at least one processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the at least one memory, so that the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is executed.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 4 to 6 is executed.

17. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is executed.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 4 to 6 is executed.

19. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system comprises a first network device and a second network device, the first network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and the second network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

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