Signal transmission method and communication device

Abstract

The application provides a signal transmission method and a communication device, which can flexibly send SSBs of different periods according to actual network parameters, is beneficial to improving the access success rate, the switching success rate and the service stability of a terminal device, and reduces the time domain resource proportion of SSBs. The method comprises the following steps: a first network device determines the sending number or the continuous sending time length of a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block (SSB) of a first period based on current network parameters; and the first network device sends the SSB of the first period according to the sending number or the sending time length on the basis of sending the SSB of a second period, the first period is less than or equal to 20 ms, and the second period is greater than or equal to 40 ms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, specifically to a signal transmission method and a communication device in the field of communications. Background Technology

[0002] The synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB, where PBCH is short for physical broadcast channel) is mainly composed of the primary synchronization signal (PSS), the secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the PBCH. The SSB can be transmitted by network devices via the broadcast channel. Before accessing the network, terminal devices need to search for the PSS and SSS to complete time synchronization and receive the PBCH channel to obtain cell information, preparing for access.

[0003] Currently, SSBs use a fixed transmission period, which can be configured as 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms. Periods of 40ms or longer are generally referred to as long periods, while periods of 20ms or shorter are generally referred to as short periods. In actual network applications, configuring a fixed long period for the SSB can lead to problems such as difficulty for terminal devices to search for networks, dropped calls, and access failures, affecting terminal device access, handover, and service stability. Conversely, configuring a fixed short period for the SSB can result in the SSB transmission consuming significant time domain resources, leading to resource and power waste. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a signal transmission method and communication device that can flexibly send SSBs of different periods according to actual network parameters, which is beneficial to improving the access success rate, handover success rate and service stability of terminal devices, and reducing the time domain resource ratio of SSBs.

[0005] In a first aspect, a signal transmission method is provided, comprising: a first network device determining, based on current network parameters, the number of times a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block (SSB) are transmitted in a first period or the duration of continuous transmission; the first network device, based on the transmission of an SSB in a second period, transmits the SSB in the first period according to the number of times or the duration of transmission, wherein the first period is less than or equal to 20 ms and the second period is greater than or equal to 40 ms.

[0006] The signal transmission method of this application embodiment, based on the current fixed long-period (i.e., the second period mentioned above) SSB transmission, dynamically adds a cluster of short-period (i.e., the first period mentioned above) SSBs. This has two advantages: firstly, the fixed long-period SSB configuration avoids the problem of dropped calls due to interference with terminal measurements, thus improving the service stability of the terminal equipment; secondly, dynamically sending additional short-period SSBs based on actual network parameters makes the SSB transmission of this application more flexible. Compared with the long-term fixed long-period SSB transmission scheme, it improves the access success rate and handover success rate of the terminal equipment. Compared with the long-term fixed short-period SSB transmission scheme, it reduces the time-domain resource ratio of SSBs, allowing for energy-saving benefits through symbol shutdown and improving resource utilization.

[0007] The transmission in this application embodiment generally refers to broadcasting, that is, the first network device sends SSB through a broadcast channel.

[0008] It should be understood that in the SA (Standalone) networking mode, the first network device is the network device in the SA, while in the NSA (Non-Standalone) networking mode, the first network device is the main network device (e.g., the main base station) in the NSA.

[0009] The second period in this application embodiment is predefined, such as as agreed in the protocol, and the first network device sends SSBs at a fixed second period. The second period can be, for example, 160ms. The first period in this application embodiment can also be predefined, such as as agreed in the protocol, or it can be determined by the first network device based on the current network parameters. The first period can be, for example, 20ms, and this application embodiment does not limit it in this way.

[0010] The number of transmissions or the duration of continuous transmission can be predefined, such as by a protocol, or determined by the first network device based on current network parameters. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first network device determines the number of times a synchronization signal and a Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SSB) are transmitted or the duration of continuous transmission for a first period based on current network parameters. This includes: the first network device acquiring at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users, wherein the number of remote users represents the number of users corresponding to devices with signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the current network; and when at least one of the load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the first network device determines the number of times an SSB is transmitted or the duration of continuous transmission for the first period.

[0012] For example, the current network load can correspond to a first preset threshold, the number of online active users can correspond to a second preset threshold, and the number of remote users can correspond to a third preset threshold. These three preset thresholds are predefined, such as those agreed upon in a protocol. Furthermore, these three preset thresholds can be the same or different, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0013] The embodiments of this application can be understood as follows: the current network parameters include at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users; the conditions for sending the first period's SSB include at least one of the following:

[0014] 1. The current network load is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold;

[0015] 2. The number of online activated users is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold;

[0016] 3. The number of remote users is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold;

[0017] If at least one of the above conditions is met, the first network device may determine that one or more additional clusters of short-cycle SSBs are needed to ensure effective access and handover of terminal devices.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first network device determining the transmission period of the SSB cluster, the SSB cluster being composed of a plurality of consecutive SSBs of the first period; the first network device, based on the transmission of SSBs of the second period, transmitting SSBs of the first period according to the number of transmissions or the transmission duration, including: the first network device, based on the transmission of SSBs of the second period, transmitting SSBs of the first period according to the transmission period of the SSB cluster and the number of transmissions or the transmission duration.

[0019] It should be understood that multiple SSBs transmitted consecutively in the first cycle can form an SSB cluster. In this embodiment, the first network device can periodically transmit multiple SSB clusters according to the actual network conditions. Therefore, the first network device needs to determine the transmission cycle of the SSB cluster, which can also be called the "cluster transmission cycle" or other names. The transmission cycle of the SSB cluster can be predefined, such as that agreed upon by the protocol, or it can be determined by the first network device according to the actual network conditions. No limitation is made here.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, after the first network device sends the first period of SSBs according to the number of transmissions or the transmission duration based on the transmission of the second period of SSBs, the method further includes: the first network device stopping the transmission of the first period of SSBs based on the current network parameters.

[0021] When the first network device sends SSB clusters according to the SSB cluster transmission cycle, the SSBs of the first cycle are continuously sent. After sending the SSBs of the first cycle, the first network device can continue to periodically obtain the current network parameters and make a judgment based on the current network parameters. If the current network parameters are lower than the above-mentioned preset threshold, the transmission of the SSBs of the first cycle will be stopped to reduce the proportion of time domain symbols of the SSBs and save resources.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first network device stops sending SSBs for the first period based on current network parameters, including: the first network device periodically acquiring at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users, wherein the number of remote users represents the number of users corresponding to devices with signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the current network; when at least one of the load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users is less than a preset threshold, the first network device stops sending SSBs for the first period.

[0023] It should be understood that the preset threshold here can be the same as the preset threshold in the conditions for sending the SSB in the first cycle mentioned above.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first network device receiving indication information from the second network device, the indication information being used to indicate that a terminal device requests access, the first network device being the primary network device and the second network device being the secondary network device; the first network device, based on the indication information, sending a third period of SSB in addition to sending the second period of SSB, the third period being less than or equal to 20ms.

[0025] In an NSA network, a terminal device can access a first network device through a second network device. After the terminal device successfully accesses the second network device, the second network device can notify the first network device of the presence of the terminal device. The first network device can then dynamically and quickly add a cluster of short-cycle SSBs (Segments of Service), i.e., the third-cycle SSB in this embodiment, to address the issue of terminal device access failure due to synchronization failure between the terminal device and the first network device when accessing the network under an NSA network. This ensures normal access and service experience for the terminal device even when the NSA network configuration has a long cycle.

[0026] The aforementioned third period is predefined, for example, as agreed upon in a protocol. For instance, the third period can be 20ms or 10ms. The third period can be the same as or different from the first period; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, after the first network device sends a third period of SSB based on the indication information and on top of sending the second period of SSB, the method further includes: after the terminal device successfully accesses the first network device, the first network device stops sending the third period of SSB.

[0028] Successful access of the terminal device can be understood as the completion of RRC connection reconfiguration on the first network device side. In this embodiment, after the terminal device successfully accesses the first network device, the transmission of the third-cycle SSB is stopped. This ensures successful access for the terminal device while reducing the time-domain symbol ratio of the SSB, thus saving resources.

[0029] In a second aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for executing the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above. Specifically, the apparatus includes a module for executing the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0030] Thirdly, this application provides yet another communication device, including a processor coupled to a memory, which can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the method in any of the possible implementations of the first aspect described above. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0031] In one implementation, the communication device is a network device. When the communication device is a network device, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0032] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a network device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a network device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0033] Fourthly, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive signals through the input circuit and transmit signals through the output circuit, causing the processor to execute the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0034] In specific implementation, 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, gate circuit, flip-flop, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be output to, for example, but not limited to, a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0035] Fifthly, a processing apparatus is provided, including a processor and a memory. The processor is used to read instructions stored in the memory and to receive signals via a receiver and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the method in any of the possible implementations of the first aspect described above.

[0036] Optionally, the processor may be one or more, and the memory may be one or more.

[0037] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separated from the processor.

[0038] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or set on different chips. The embodiments of this application do not limit the type of memory or the way the memory and processor are set.

[0039] It should be understood that the relevant data interaction process, such as sending indication information, can be the process of outputting indication information from the processor, and receiving capability information can be the process of the processor receiving input capability information. Specifically, the processed output data can be output to the transmitter, and the input data received by the processor can come from the receiver. Here, the transmitter and receiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0040] The processing device in the fifth aspect above can be a chip. The processor can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc. When implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. The memory can be integrated into the processor or located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0041] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when the computer program is run, causes a computer to perform the method in any of the possible implementations of the first aspect described above.

[0042] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods in any of the possible implementations of the first aspect described above. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0044] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the networking scenarios applicable to the embodiments of this application is shown;

[0045] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating another networking scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0046] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating another network scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0047] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating another network scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0048] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating another network scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0049] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating another network scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0050] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating another network scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0051] Figure 9 A schematic diagram illustrating another network scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0052] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating another network scenario to which the embodiments of this application are applicable is shown;

[0053] Figure 11 A schematic flowchart of a signal transmission method according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0054] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of signal transmission according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0055] Figure 13A schematic flowchart of another signal transmission method according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0056] Figure 14 A schematic flowchart illustrating another signal transmission method according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0057] Figure 15 Another signal transmission schematic diagram according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0058] Figure 16 A schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0059] Figure 17 A schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication system, future 5th generation (5G) system, or new radio (NR), etc.

[0062] It should also be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can also be applied to various communication systems based on non-orthogonal multiple access technologies, such as sparse code multiple access (SCMA) systems. Of course, SCMA can also be called by other names in the field of communication. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to multi-carrier transmission systems that adopt non-orthogonal multiple access technologies, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM), and filtered-OFDM (F-OFDM) systems.

[0063] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, firstly, in conjunction with Figure 1 The communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application is described in detail. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to embodiments of this application is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 may include at least one network device, such as Figure 1 The network device 110 shown; the communication system 100 may also include at least one terminal device, such as Figure 1 The terminal device 120 is shown. Network device 110 and terminal device 120 can communicate via a wireless link. Each communication device, such as network device 110 or terminal device 120, can be configured with multiple antennas, which may include at least one transmitting antenna for transmitting signals and at least one receiving antenna for receiving signals. Additionally, each communication device also includes a transmitter chain and a receiver chain, which, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, may include multiple components (e.g., processors, modulators, multiplexers, demodulators, demultiplexers, or antennas) related to signal transmission and reception. Therefore, network device 110 and terminal device 120 can communicate via multi-antenna technology.

[0064] The terminal device in this application embodiment can communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (RAN). This terminal device can be referred to as an access terminal, user equipment (UE), user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user apparatus. The access terminal can be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle device, wearable device, terminal device in a future 5G network, or terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0065] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device for communicating with terminal devices. The network device can be a base station (BTS) in a global system for mobile communications (GSM) or code division multiple access (CDMA) system, a base station (NodeB, NB) in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Alternatively, the network device can be a relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, or a network device in a future 5G network or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network, etc. This application embodiment does not limit this. For example, a gNB in ​​an NR system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), an antenna panel (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), etc.

[0066] In some deployments, a gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and a distribution unit (DU). A gNB may also include a radio unit (RU). The CU implements some of the gNB's functions, and the DU implements others. For example, the CU implements radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer functions, while the DU implements radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layer functions. Since RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is derived from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can be considered to be sent by the DU, or by the DU+CU. It is understood that network devices can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices including both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, the CU can be classified as a network device in the radio access network (RAN) or as a network device in the core network (CN), and this application does not limit this.

[0067] The term "network device" can also refer to all devices on the network side. For example, when multiple TRPs are used to transmit data to terminal devices, these multiple TRPs can be collectively referred to as network devices.

[0068] In this embodiment, the terminal device or network device includes a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on top of the hardware layer, and an application layer running on top of the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory (also called main memory). The operating system can be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, such as Linux, Unix, Android, iOS, or Windows. The application layer includes applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software. Furthermore, this embodiment does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution entity of the method provided in this embodiment, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in this embodiment by running a program that records the code of the method provided in this embodiment. For example, the execution entity of the method provided in this embodiment can be a terminal device or a network device, or a functional module in the terminal device or network device that can call and execute a program.

[0069] Furthermore, various aspects or features of this application can be implemented as methods, apparatus, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein encompasses a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). Additionally, the various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0070] For ease of understanding, the relevant terms used in the embodiments of this application will be introduced below.

[0071] 1. SSB

[0072] SSB is a collective term for 5G synchronization signals and PBCH blocks, mainly composed of PSS, SSS, and PBCH. SSB can be sent by network devices through broadcast channels. Before accessing the network, terminal devices need to search for PSS and SSS to complete time synchronization and receive PBCH channels to obtain cell information in preparation for access.

[0073] Currently, SSB uses a configured fixed period for transmission, which can typically be configured to 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms. Periods of 40ms or longer (including 40ms) are generally referred to as long periods, while periods of 20ms or shorter (including 20ms) are generally referred to as short periods.

[0074] 2. Network Topology

[0075] The current networking methods include two types: standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA).

[0076] SA refers to the newly built 5G network, which includes new base stations, backhaul links, and the core network. SA introduces entirely new network elements and interfaces, and will also adopt new technologies such as network virtualization and software-defined networking on a large scale, and combine with NR. At the same time, the technical challenges it faces in protocol development, network planning and deployment, and interoperability will surpass those of the fourth generation (4G) system.

[0077] NSA refers to the deployment of 5G networks using existing 4G infrastructure. 5G carriers based on the NSA architecture only carry user data; control signaling is still transmitted through the 4G network.

[0078] NSA requires a dual-connectivity architecture, in which terminal devices can simultaneously use the radio resources of at least two different base stations (a primary base station and a secondary base station) while in connected mode. In this architecture, the base station responsible for the control plane is called the control plane anchor point. Since user data needs to be split across the two paths of dual connectivity for independent transmission, the location of this splitting is called the data splitting control point.

[0079] Figure 2 This illustrates a typical networking scenario for SA. Figure 2 The network scenario shown is called Option 2. The Option 2 architecture connects the NR (i.e., 5G base station) to the 5G core network (5G core, 5GC). The interface between the NR and 5GC is called the NG interface. The NG interface is divided into the NG-control plane (NG-C) interface and the NG-user plane (NG-U) interface, which are used to transmit control signaling and user data, respectively. Figure 2Option 2, as shown, can introduce 5G base stations and 5G core networks in one step without relying on the existing 4G network, and has the shortest evolution path. In Option 2, the brand-new 5G base stations and 5G core networks can support all the new functions and services introduced by the 5G network.

[0080] Figures 3 to 10 Several typical networking scenarios for NSA are shown.

[0081] Figure 3 The network scenario shown is called Option 3. In Option 3, the NR cannot directly connect to the 4G core network, i.e., the evolved packet core (EPC). Therefore, it connects to the LTE (i.e., the 4G base station) and then to the EPC via LTE. The interface between LTE and EPC is called the S1 interface. The S1 interface is divided into the S1-control plane (S1-C) interface and the S1-user plane (S1-U) interface, which are used to transmit control signaling and user data, respectively. The data offloading control point in Option 3 is on the LTE. This means that the LTE is not only responsible for control and management but also for splitting the data from the EPC into two paths: one path is sent to the terminal device itself, and the other path is offloaded to the NR, which then sends it to the terminal device.

[0082] Figure 4 The network scenario shown is called Option 3a. Option 3a is similar to Option 3 above, except that Option 3a connects the NR user plane directly to the EPC, while the NR control plane remains anchored to LTE.

[0083] Figure 5 The network scenario shown is called Option 3x. Option 3x is similar to Option 3 above, except that Option 3x divides the user plane data into two parts. The part that would cause a bottleneck for LTE is migrated to NR, while the remaining part continues to use LTE.

[0084] Figure 6 The network scenario shown is called Option 4. Option 4 replaces the EPC in Option 3 with 5GC. Enhanced LTE (eLTE) and NR share 5GC. NR connects to 5GC, and eLTE connects to NR, which in turn connects to 5GC. In Option 4, NR is the primary base station, and eLTE is the secondary base station. The data offloading control point in Option 4 is on NR. This means that NR is responsible not only for control and management but also for splitting the data from 5GC into two paths: one path is sent to the terminal device itself, and the other path is offloaded to eLTE, which then sends the data to the terminal device. It is important to note that because the core network is 5GC, in this network scenario, LTE needs to be upgraded to eLTE hardware.

[0085] Figure 7 The network scenario shown is called Option 4a. Option 4a is similar to Option 4 above, except that Option 4a connects the eLTE user plane directly to 5GC, while the eLTE control plane remains anchored to NR.

[0086] Figure 8 The networking scenario shown is called Option 7. Option 7 replaces EPC in Option 3 with 5GC, and the corresponding interfaces also become NG-C and NG-U interfaces. The control plane anchor point and data offloading control point are similar to those in Option 3, and will not be described in detail here.

[0087] Figure 9 The networking scenario shown is called Option 7a. Option 7a replaces EPC in Option 3a with 5GC, and the corresponding interfaces also become NG-C and NG-U interfaces. The control plane anchor point and data offloading control point are similar to those in Option 3a, and will not be described in detail here.

[0088] Figure 10 The networking scenario shown is called Option 7x. Option 7x replaces EPC in Option 3x with 5GC, and the corresponding interfaces also become NG-C and NG-U interfaces. The control plane anchor point and data offloading control point are similar to those in Option 3x, and will not be described in detail here.

[0089] As can be seen from the various networking scenarios described above, the SA architecture is relatively simpler, while the NSA architecture is slightly more complex. However, under the NSA networking, the coverage of 5G can be expanded by leveraging the existing mature 4G network, and 5G base stations can utilize the existing 4G core network, eliminating the need for the construction of a separate 5G core network.

[0090] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application can be applied to the above-mentioned various networking scenarios, which will be described in detail later.

[0091] In practical network applications, configuring a fixed long period for the SSB can lead to problems such as difficulty for terminal devices to search for networks, dropped calls, and access failures, affecting terminal device access, handover, and service stability. Therefore, the current network configuration uses a short-period SSB.

[0092] However, fixed-period short-cycle SSBs result in a large wasted time-domain resource allocation (e.g., a fixed-period 20ms SSB allocates 7.69% of its time-domain resources), and the SSB transmission slots cannot benefit from symbol shutdown for energy-saving compression. Furthermore, with the development of communication technology, the problem of excessive power consumption in terminal devices is becoming increasingly prominent. Reducing the power consumption of terminal devices is crucial for conserving social resources, improving product competitiveness, and helping operators reduce costs. In certain scenarios (such as low user load), the fixed-period short-cycle SSB transmission method undoubtedly occupies a large amount of time-domain resources, cannot perform symbol shutdown for energy saving, and results in resource and power waste.

[0093] In view of this, the embodiments of this application provide a signal transmission method and a communication device that can flexibly send SSBs of different periods according to actual network parameters, which is beneficial to improving the access success rate, handover success rate and service stability of terminal devices, and reducing the time domain resource ratio of SSBs.

[0094] Before introducing the methods provided in the embodiments of this application, the following points should be noted.

[0095] First, in the embodiments of this application, "predefined" can be achieved by pre-saving the corresponding code, table or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices). This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0096] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the terms and abbreviations, such as radio resource control (RRC), synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB), are merely exemplary examples given for ease of description and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future protocols.

[0097] Third, the first, second, and various numerical designations used in the embodiments shown below are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they may be used to distinguish different network devices.

[0098] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as LTE protocol, NR protocol and related protocols applied to future communication systems, and this application does not limit it.

[0099] Fifth, "at least one" means one or more, while "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0100] The method and apparatus provided in this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the technical solutions of this application can be applied to wireless communication systems, for example, Figure 1 The communication system 100 shown herein. Two communication devices within the wireless communication system may have a wireless communication connection, and one of these two communication devices may correspond to… Figure 1 The terminal device 120 shown can be, for example, a Figure 1 The terminal device shown can also be a chip configured in the terminal device; the other communication device of the two communication devices can correspond to Figure 1 The network device 110 shown can be, for example, a Figure 1 The network device shown can also be a chip configured in the network device.

[0101] Figure 1 The communication system 100 shown can adopt the above-mentioned Figures 2 to 10 In any of the networking methods shown, the network device 110 can be a 4G network device or a 5G network device, but this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0102] Without loss of generality, the signal transmission method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below using the interaction process between terminal devices and network devices as an example.

[0103] Figure 11 A schematic flowchart of a signal transmission method 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The method 1100 includes:

[0104] S1101, the first network device regularly sends a second period of SSB, the second period being greater than or equal to 40ms; correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second period of SSB;

[0105] S1102, the first network device determines the number of times the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) are sent or the duration of continuous transmission based on the current network parameters.

[0106] S1103, the first network device sends SSB of the first period according to the number of times or duration of transmission, based on the fixed transmission of SSB of the second period, and the first period is less than or equal to 20ms; correspondingly, the terminal device receives the SSB of the first period.

[0107] The term "terminal device" here is used generically and may include one or more terminal devices. The terminal device in S1101 may be the same as or different from the terminal device in S1103. The transmission in this embodiment generally refers to broadcasting, i.e., the first network device transmits an SSB through a broadcast channel.

[0108] It should be understood that the first network device can be understood as... Figure 1 Network device 110. In SA networking mode, the first network device is the network device in SA; in NSA networking mode, the first network device is the main network device (e.g., the main base station) in NSA.

[0109] It should also be understood that the first cycle mentioned above can also be called a short cycle, and the second cycle can also be called a long cycle.

[0110] The second period in this application embodiment is predefined, such as as agreed in the protocol, and the first network device sends SSBs at a fixed second period. The second period can be, for example, 160ms. The first period in this application embodiment can also be predefined, such as as agreed in the protocol, or it can be determined by the first network device based on the current network parameters. The first period can be, for example, 20ms, and this application embodiment does not limit it in this way.

[0111] The number of SSBs and the duration of continuous transmission mentioned above can be derived from each other. Given a fixed first period, the number of SSBs to be transmitted in the first period can be determined, and the SSBs can be transmitted according to that first period and that number of transmissions. Similarly, given a fixed first period, the duration of continuous transmission for the SSBs in the first period can be determined, and the SSBs can be transmitted according to that first period and that duration of continuous transmission. For example, a first period of 20ms and a duration of continuous transmission of 500ms is equivalent to a first period of 20ms and a number of SSBs to be transmitted of 25.

[0112] The number of transmissions or the duration of continuous transmission can be predefined, such as by a protocol, or determined by the first network device based on current network parameters. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0113] The signal transmission method of this application embodiment, based on the current fixed long-period (i.e., the second period mentioned above) SSB transmission, dynamically adds a cluster of short-period (i.e., the first period mentioned above) SSBs. This has two advantages: firstly, the fixed long-period SSB configuration avoids the problem of dropped calls due to interference with terminal measurements, thus improving the service stability of the terminal equipment; secondly, dynamically sending additional short-period SSBs based on actual network parameters makes the SSB transmission of this application more flexible. Compared with the long-term fixed long-period SSB transmission scheme, it improves the access success rate and handover success rate of the terminal equipment. Compared with the long-term fixed short-period SSB transmission scheme, it reduces the time-domain resource ratio of SSBs, allowing for energy-saving benefits through symbol shutdown and improving resource utilization.

[0114] As an optional embodiment, the method further includes: a first network device determining the transmission period of an SSB cluster, the SSB cluster being composed of a plurality of consecutive SSBs in the first period; in step S1103 above, the first network device, based on the transmission of SSBs in the second period, transmits SSBs in the first period according to the number of transmissions or the transmission duration, including: the first network device, based on the transmission of SSBs in the second period, transmits SSBs in the first period according to the transmission period of the SSB cluster and the number of transmissions or the transmission duration.

[0115] It should be understood that multiple SSBs transmitted consecutively in the first cycle can form an SSB cluster. In this embodiment, the first network device can periodically transmit multiple SSB clusters according to the actual network conditions. Therefore, the first network device needs to determine the transmission cycle of the SSB cluster, which can also be called the "cluster transmission cycle" or other names. The transmission cycle of the SSB cluster can be predefined, such as that agreed upon by the protocol, or it can be determined by the first network device according to the actual network conditions. No limitation is made here.

[0116] For example, Figure 12 A schematic diagram of signal transmission based on an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 12 In this configuration, the first period is 20ms, and four SSBs are sent. The second period is 160ms. Four SSBs with a period of 20ms each form an SSB cluster, and the transmission period of this SSB cluster can be 200ms. In this case, the first network device sends four SSBs with a period of 20ms every 200ms, based on the fixed transmission period of 160ms for SSBs. Figure 12 The transmission of SSBs (i.e. SSB clusters) with a period of 20ms is triggered by the first network device.

[0117] It should be understood that there may be overlap between the SSB of the first cycle and the SSB of the second cycle, such as... Figure 12The second SSB in the intermediate time domain can be referred to as either the SSB of the first period or the SSB of the second period.

[0118] As an optional embodiment, in S1102 above, the first network device determines the number of times the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) are transmitted or the duration of continuous transmission based on the current network parameters. This includes: the first network device acquiring at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users, where the number of remote users represents the number of users corresponding to devices with signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the current network; and when at least one of the load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the first network device determines the number of times the SSB is transmitted or the duration of continuous transmission in the first period.

[0119] For example, the current network load can correspond to a first preset threshold, the number of online active users can correspond to a second preset threshold, and the number of remote users can correspond to a third preset threshold. These three preset thresholds are predefined, such as those agreed upon in a protocol. Furthermore, these three preset thresholds can be the same or different, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0120] The embodiments of this application can be understood as follows: the current network parameters include at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users; the conditions for sending the first period's SSB include at least one of the following:

[0121] 1. The current network load is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold;

[0122] 2. The number of online activated users is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold;

[0123] 3. The number of remote users is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold;

[0124] If at least one of the above conditions is met, the first network device may determine that one or more additional clusters of short-cycle SSBs are needed to ensure effective access and handover of terminal devices.

[0125] Figure 13 A schematic flowchart of another signal transmission method 1300 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Method 1300 is performed by the aforementioned first network device and may include the following steps:

[0126] S1301, The first network device periodically acquires the current network parameters;

[0127] S1302, the first network device determines whether the current network parameters have reached (i.e., are greater than or equal to) a preset threshold;

[0128] If the current network parameters reach the preset threshold, execute the following two steps:

[0129] S1303, determine the first cycle, the number of SSBs in the first cycle, or the duration of continuous transmission;

[0130] S1304, send the first cycle's SSB.

[0131] If the current network parameters do not reach (i.e. are less than) the preset threshold, continue to execute S1301.

[0132] In one possible implementation, multiple preset thresholds for the aforementioned current network parameters can be configured according to actual business conditions. The first network device can determine the first period, the number of SSBs in the first period, or the continuous transmission duration based on the thresholds reached by the current network parameters. Optionally, the first network device can also determine the transmission period of the SSB cluster based on the thresholds reached by the current network parameters.

[0133] For example, assuming the number of gradients mentioned above is 3, and taking the current network load as an example, the condition for sending the first period of SSB is that the current network load is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold. In this embodiment, the current network load corresponds to 3 first preset thresholds, and the correspondence between these 3 first preset thresholds and the transmission parameters of the SSB cluster (including the cluster transmission period, the transmission period of the SSB within the cluster (i.e., the first period), and the number of transmissions) is shown in Table 1 below.

[0134] Table 1

[0135]

[0136] When the current network load is greater than or equal to 50 and less than 100, the first network device can choose to send an SSB cluster with a first period of 20ms, a number of transmissions of 10, and a transmission period of 200ms for the SSB cluster; when the current network load is greater than or equal to 100 and less than 200, the first network device can choose to send an SSB cluster with a first period of 10ms, a number of transmissions of 15, and a transmission period of 100ms for the SSB cluster; when the current network load is greater than or equal to 200, the first network device can choose to send an SSB cluster with a first period of 5ms, a number of transmissions of 20, and a transmission period of 80ms for the SSB cluster.

[0137] It should be understood that Table 1 above can be predefined, such as by protocol agreement. It should also be understood that the correspondence between each preset threshold and the transmission parameters of the SSB cluster in Table 1 above, as well as the specific values, are merely examples for ease of understanding. In actual network operation, other values ​​or other correspondences can be configured, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0138] The above example only illustrates one network parameter. When the current network parameters include multiple network parameters, each of these parameters can correspond to its own preset threshold, and each preset threshold includes multiple gradients. For example, the current network parameters include the current network load, the number of online active users, and the number of remote users. When the current network load is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, the number of online active users is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold, and the number of remote users is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold, the first network device sends the first cycle of SSBs. The first preset threshold includes gradients 11, 12, and 13; the second preset threshold includes gradients 21, 22, and 23; and the third preset threshold includes gradients 31, 32, and 33. Gradients 11, 21, and 31 correspond to the transmission parameters of one SSB cluster, gradients 12, 22, and 32 correspond to the transmission parameters of another SSB cluster, and gradients 13, 23, and 33 correspond to the transmission parameters of yet another SSB cluster. These can be pre-configured to the first network device in a manner similar to Table 1 above. In this way, the first network device can determine the transmission parameters of the SSB cluster corresponding to the given gradient, provided that all network parameters have reached their respective preset threshold gradients. The case for multiple network devices is similar to that for a single network parameter, and will not be explained in detail here.

[0139] As an optional embodiment, after S1103, the method further includes: the first network device stopping the transmission of the SSB of the first period based on the current network parameters.

[0140] When the first network device sends SSB clusters according to the SSB cluster transmission cycle, the SSBs of the first cycle are continuously sent. After sending the SSBs of the first cycle, the first network device can continue to periodically obtain the current network parameters and make a judgment based on the current network parameters. If the current network parameters are lower than the above-mentioned preset threshold, the transmission of the SSBs of the first cycle will be stopped to reduce the proportion of time domain symbols of the SSBs and save resources.

[0141] For example, the first network device may periodically acquire at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users, wherein the number of remote users represents the number of users corresponding to devices with signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the current network; if at least one of the load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users is less than a preset threshold, the first network device stops sending the SSB for the first period.

[0142] The preset threshold here is the same as the preset threshold in the conditions for sending the first period of SSB mentioned above. In other words, in this embodiment of the application, the first period of SSB can be sent when the conditions for sending the first period of SSB are met, and the first period of SSB can be stopped when the conditions for sending the first period of SSB are not met, so as to reduce the proportion of time domain symbols of SSB and save resources.

[0143] As an optional embodiment, the method further includes: the first network device receiving indication information from the second network device, the indication information being used to indicate that a terminal device requests access, the first network device being the primary network device and the second network device being the secondary network device; the first network device, based on the indication information, sending a third period of SSB in addition to sending the second period of SSB, the third period being less than or equal to 20ms.

[0144] This application embodiment applies to the aforementioned NSA networking method, where the second network device is a secondary network device (e.g., a secondary base station) within the NSA network. Under NSA networking, a terminal device can access the first network device through the second network device. Successful access of the terminal device to the second network device can be understood as the completion of a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment on the second network device side.

[0145] After the terminal device successfully connects to the second network device, the second network device can inform the first network device that a terminal device has connected. The first network device can then dynamically and quickly add a cluster of short-cycle SSBs, namely the third-cycle SSB in this embodiment, to solve the problem that the terminal device fails to connect when it connects to the first network device under NSA networking due to synchronization failure. This ensures normal access and service experience for the terminal device when NSA networking is configured for a long period.

[0146] The aforementioned third period is predefined, for example, as agreed upon in a protocol. For instance, the third period can be 20ms or 10ms. The third period can be the same as or different from the first period; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0147] As an optional embodiment, after the first network device sends a third period of SSB based on the indication information and sends the second period of SSB, the method further includes: after the terminal device successfully accesses the first network device, the first network device stops sending the third period of SSB.

[0148] Successful access of the terminal device can be understood as the completion of RRC connection reconfiguration on the first network device side. In this embodiment, after the terminal device successfully accesses the first network device, the transmission of the third-cycle SSB is stopped. This ensures successful access for the terminal device while reducing the time-domain symbol ratio of the SSB, thus saving resources.

[0149] Figure 14 A schematic flowchart of another signal transmission method 1400 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Method 1400 is applied to NSA networking scenarios and may include the following steps:

[0150] S1401, the first terminal device sends an access request to the second network device, and correspondingly, the second network device receives the access request, and the first terminal device begins to access the second network device.

[0151] S1402, after the first terminal device successfully accesses the second network device (i.e., the RRC connection is successfully established), the second network device sends an indication message to the first network device. This indication message is used to indicate that the first terminal device has accessed the network. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the indication message.

[0152] Optionally, the above indication information can be sent via X2 interface messages, for example, via custom messages, or reused in existing secondary gNB addition request messages.

[0153] S1403, based on the instruction information, the first network device sends a third period of SSB on top of the fixed second period of SSB, until the first terminal device successfully connects to the first network device.

[0154] It should be understood that the aforementioned first terminal device refers to a specific terminal device currently requesting access, so as to facilitate the differentiation of terminal devices in the aforementioned method 1100.

[0155] For example, Figure 15 Another signal transmission schematic diagram based on an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 15 In this process, the second period is 160ms, and the third period is 20ms. The SSB in the third period is continuously sent until the terminal device successfully connects to the first network device. For example... Figure 15As shown, a first terminal device connects to a second network device. The second network device notifies the first network device of the presence of a terminal device via an X2 message. Based on this X2 message, the first network device triggers the transmission of a Service Buffer (SSB) with a period of 20ms. Specifically, the first network device, in addition to a fixed transmission period of 160ms for SSBs, sends one SSB every 20ms. After sending five SSBs, the terminal device successfully connects to the first network device, and the first network device stops sending SSBs with a period of 20ms. After a period of time, if another terminal device connects, the first network device can re-trigger the transmission of SSBs with a period of 20ms. The specific process is similar to the above and will not be repeated here.

[0156] It should be understood that there may be overlap between the SSB of the third cycle and the SSB of the second cycle, such as... Figure 15 The second SSB in the intermediate time domain can be referred to as either the SSB of the third period or the SSB of the second period.

[0157] After the first terminal device successfully connects to the first network device, the first network device can determine whether to send the first period of SSB based on the current network parameters, and determine the number of SSBs to be sent or the duration of continuous transmission in the first period, i.e., execute the above method 1100, which will not be explained in detail here.

[0158] It should be understood that 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 application.

[0159] The above text combines Figures 1 to 15 The present application describes in detail the signal transmission method according to the embodiments of this application. The following will be combined with... Figure 16 and Figure 17 The present application provides a detailed description of a communication apparatus according to embodiments thereof.

[0160] Figure 16 A communication device 1600 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. In one design, the device 1600 may be a network device or a chip within a network device. The device 1600 includes a processing unit 1610 and a transceiver unit 1620.

[0161] The processing unit 1610 is used to determine the number of times the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) of the first period are sent or the duration of continuous transmission based on the current network parameters; the transceiver unit 1620 is used to send the SSB of the first period according to the number of times or the duration of transmission based on the transmission of the SSB of the second period, wherein the first period is less than or equal to 20ms and the second period is greater than or equal to 160ms.

[0162] Optionally, the processing unit 1610 is specifically used to: obtain at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users, wherein the number of remote users represents the number of users corresponding to devices with signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the current network; and determine the number of SSBs sent or the duration of continuous transmission in the first period when at least one of the load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0163] Optionally, the processing unit 1610 is further configured to: determine the transmission period of the SSB cluster, wherein the SSB cluster consists of a series of consecutive SSBs in the first period; the transceiver unit 1620 is specifically configured to: based on the transmission of SSBs in the second period, transmit the SSBs of the first period according to the transmission period of the SSB cluster and the number of transmissions or the transmission duration.

[0164] Optionally, the processing unit 1610 is further configured to: control the transceiver unit 1620 to stop sending the SSB of the first period based on the current network parameters.

[0165] Optionally, the processing unit 1610 is specifically configured to: periodically acquire at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users, wherein the number of remote users represents the number of users corresponding to devices with signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the current network; and control the transceiver unit 1620 to stop sending the SSB of the first period when at least one of the load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users is less than a preset threshold.

[0166] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1620 is further configured to: receive indication information from a second network device, the indication information being used to indicate that a terminal device requests access, the device being a primary network device and the second network device being a secondary network device; and based on the indication information, send a third period of SSB in addition to sending the second period of SSB, the third period being less than or equal to 20ms.

[0167] Optionally, the processing unit 1610 is further configured to: after the terminal device successfully accesses the device, control the transceiver unit 1620 to stop sending the SSB of the third cycle.

[0168] It should be understood that the device 1600 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuitry, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a proprietary processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1600 may specifically be the first network device in the above embodiments. The device 1600 may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the first network device in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, these will not be described further here.

[0169] The apparatus 1600 of each of the above schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the first network device in the above methods; the function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. For example, the transceiver unit 1620 may include a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit can be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the transceiver unit for performing the sending action, and the receiving unit can be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the transceiver unit for performing the receiving action. The sending unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit can be replaced by a receiver, respectively performing the transmission and reception operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0170] In the embodiments of this application, Figure 16 The device 1600 can also be a chip or a chip system, such as a system on a chip (SoC). Correspondingly, the transceiver unit 1620 can be the transceiver circuit of the chip, which is not limited here.

[0171] Figure 17 Another communication device 1700 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The device 1700 includes a processor 1710, a transceiver 1720, and a memory 1730. The processor 1710, transceiver 1720, and memory 1730 communicate with each other via an internal connection path. The memory 1730 is used to store instructions, and the processor 1710 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1730 to control the transceiver 1720 to transmit and / or receive signals.

[0172] The processor 1710 is used to: determine the number of times the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) of the first period are transmitted or the duration of transmission based on the current network parameters; the transceiver 1720 is used to: transmit the SSB of the first period according to the number of times or the duration of transmission based on the transmission of the SSB of the second period, wherein the first period is less than or equal to 20ms and the second period is greater than or equal to 160ms.

[0173] It should be understood that the device 1700 may specifically be the first network device in the above embodiments, and may be used to execute the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the first network device in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memory 1730 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 1710 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 1710 executes instructions stored in the memory, the processor 1710 is used to execute the various steps and / or processes of the above method embodiments corresponding to the first network device. The transceiver 1720 may include a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter may be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the transceiver for performing a transmitting action, and the receiver may be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the transceiver for performing a receiving action.

[0174] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the processor of the above-described device can be a central processing unit (CPU), which can also be 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, etc.

[0175] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as execution by a hardware processor, or as a combination of hardware and software units within the processor. The software units can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory, combining them with its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0176] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the method steps and units described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the steps and components of each embodiment have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. 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.

[0177] Those skilled in the art will clearly 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.

[0178] In the 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 couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, apparatuses, or units, or they may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms of connection.

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

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

[0181] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it 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 all or part 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.

[0182] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered 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 signal transmission method, characterized in that, include: The first network device obtains at least one of the current network load or the number of online active users; If at least one of the load or the number of online active users is greater than or equal to its corresponding preset threshold, the first network device determines the number of times or the duration of transmission of the synchronization signal and the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) for the first period. The first network device sends SSBs of the first period according to the number of transmissions or the transmission duration, based on the transmission of SSBs of the second period, wherein the first period is shorter than the second period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first period is less than or equal to 20ms, and the second period is greater than or equal to 40ms.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first network device determines the transmission period of the SSB cluster, wherein the SSB cluster consists of a series of consecutive SSBs in the first period; The first network device, based on sending the second period of SSBs, sends the first period of SSBs according to the stated number of transmissions or transmission duration, including: The first network device, based on the transmission of the second period of SSBs, transmits the first period of SSBs according to the transmission period of the SSB cluster and the number of transmissions or transmission duration.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, After the first network device sends the SSB of the first period according to the number of transmissions or the transmission duration, based on the transmission of the SSB of the second period, the method further includes: Based on the current network parameters, the first network device stops sending the SSB of the first period.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first network device, based on current network parameters, stops sending SSBs for the first period, including: The first network device periodically obtains at least one of the current network load or the number of online active users; If at least one of the load or the number of online active users is less than its corresponding preset threshold, the first network device stops sending the SSB of the first period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-3 and 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first network device receives an indication from the second network device, the indication being used to indicate that a terminal device is requesting access. The first network device is the primary network device, and the second network device is the secondary network device. Based on the indication information, the first network device sends a third period of SSB in addition to sending the second period of SSB, wherein the third period is less than or equal to 20ms.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, After the first network device sends a third period of SSB based on the indication information and the second period of SSB, the method further includes: After the terminal device successfully connects to the first network device, the first network device stops sending the SSB of the third cycle.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The processing unit is used to obtain at least one of the current network load or the number of online active users; If at least one of the load or the number of online active users is greater than or equal to its corresponding preset threshold, determine the number of times the synchronization signal and the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) are transmitted or the transmission duration for the first period. The transceiver unit is used to transmit the SSB of the first period according to the number of transmissions or the transmission duration, based on the transmission of the SSB of the second period, wherein the first period is shorter than the second period.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first period is less than or equal to 20ms, and the second period is greater than or equal to 40ms.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The processing unit is also used for: The transmission period of the SSB cluster is determined, wherein the SSB cluster consists of a series of consecutive SSBs in the first period; The transceiver unit is specifically used for: Based on the transmission of the second period of SSBs, the first period of SSBs are transmitted according to the transmission period of the SSB cluster and the number of transmissions or transmission duration.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, The processing unit is also used for: Based on the current network parameters, the transceiver unit is controlled to stop sending the SSB of the first period.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The processing unit is specifically used for: Periodically acquire at least one of the current network load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users, wherein the number of remote users represents the number of users corresponding to devices with signal strength greater than or equal to a preset threshold in the current network; If at least one of the load, the number of online active users, or the number of remote users is less than a preset threshold, the transceiver unit is controlled to stop sending the SSB of the first period.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 8-10, 12, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used for: The device receives an indication from a second network device, the indication being used to indicate that a terminal device is requesting access. The device is the primary network device, and the second network device is the secondary network device. Based on the indicated information, in addition to sending the SSB of the second period, a third period of SSB is sent, wherein the third period is less than or equal to 20ms.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The processing unit is also used for: After the terminal device successfully connects to the device, the transceiver unit is controlled to stop sending the SSB of the third cycle.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program, which, when invoked by the processor, causes the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

16. A chip, characterized in that, include: A processor and an interface for calling and running a computer program stored in memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Used to store a computer program, the computer program including instructions for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

18. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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