Data forwarding method and apparatus, storage medium, relay device, network device

Abstract

The application provides a data forwarding method and device, a storage medium, a relay device and a network device, relates to the technical field of communication, and provides the following technical scheme: receiving indication information or directional information, the indication information is used for indicating that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, and the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding; receiving to-be-forwarded data; and forwarding the to-be-forwarded data according to the first forwarding mode, thereby providing a scheme in which a relay device selectively performs omnidirectional data forwarding or directional data forwarding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a data forwarding method and apparatus, storage medium, relay equipment, and network equipment. Background Technology

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 18 (R18) introduced Network-Controlled Repeaters (NCRs), also known as smart repeaters. Smart repeaters, under the control of the base station, can form beams and directionally transmit received data. Specifically, smart repeaters use Side Control Information (SCI) sent by the base station for directional signal forwarding, increasing coverage while reducing power waste.

[0003] However, directional forwarding is not necessary in all communication scenarios. For example, system information can be transmitted omnidirectionally, ensuring that all terminal devices served by the base station receive the same system-related information. Relay devices performing only directional forwarding result in low forwarding efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a data forwarding method and apparatus, a storage medium, a relay device, and a network device, and provides a solution to improve forwarding efficiency, so as to enable the relay device to selectively perform omnidirectional data forwarding or directional data forwarding.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, a data forwarding method is provided, comprising: receiving indication information or directional information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, wherein the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding; receiving data to be forwarded; and forwarding the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding mode.

[0007] Optionally, the indication information is carried in a system message.

[0008] Optionally, the first forwarding method is determined according to the indication information, and forwarding the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method includes: when the first forwarding method is the directed forwarding, forwarding the data to be forwarded in a directed manner according to the control information; and / or, when the first forwarding method is the omnidirectional forwarding, forwarding the data to be forwarded omnidirectionally.

[0009] Optionally, the first forwarding method is determined based on the directional information, and forwarding the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method includes: when the first forwarding method is the directional forwarding, forwarding the data to be forwarded in a directional manner according to the control information; and / or, when the first forwarding method is the omnidirectional forwarding, forwarding the data to be forwarded omnidirectionally.

[0010] Optionally, the indication information is specifically used to indicate that the forwarding method on the first time unit is the first forwarding method, or the orientation information is the orientation information corresponding to the first time unit, and forwarding the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method includes: forwarding the data to be forwarded on the first time unit according to the first forwarding method on the first time unit.

[0011] Optionally, the directional information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding.

[0012] Optionally, the orientation information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the orientation information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding.

[0013] Optionally, the orientation information includes an index of a first beam, which corresponds to the first forwarding method.

[0014] Optionally, the orientation information is carried in the control information.

[0015] Secondly, this application also discloses a data forwarding method, which includes: sending indication information or directional information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, wherein the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding; and sending data to be forwarded so that the relay device forwards the data to be forwarded in accordance with the first forwarding mode.

[0016] Optionally, the indication information is carried in a system message.

[0017] Optionally, the indication information is specifically used to indicate that the forwarding method on the first time unit is the first forwarding method, or the orientation information is the orientation information corresponding to the first time unit.

[0018] Optionally, the directional information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding.

[0019] Optionally, the orientation information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the orientation information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding.

[0020] Optionally, the orientation information includes an index of a first beam, which corresponds to the first forwarding method.

[0021] Optionally, the orientation information is carried in the control information.

[0022] Thirdly, this application also discloses a data forwarding device, which includes: a receiving module for receiving indication information or directional information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the forwarding method is a first forwarding method, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding method, wherein the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding; the receiving module is also used to receive data to be forwarded; and a sending module for forwarding the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method.

[0023] Optionally, the indication information is carried in a system message.

[0024] Optionally, the first forwarding method is determined according to the indication information, and the sending module forwards the data to be forwarded in a directed manner according to the control information when the first forwarding method is the directed forwarding; and / or, the sending module forwards the data to be forwarded omnidirectionally when the first forwarding method is the omnidirectional forwarding.

[0025] Optionally, the first forwarding method is determined based on the directional information, and the sending module forwards the data to be forwarded in a directional manner according to the control information when the first forwarding method is the directional forwarding; and / or, the sending module forwards the data to be forwarded omnidirectionally according to the control information when the first forwarding method is the omnidirectional forwarding.

[0026] Optionally, the indication information is specifically used to indicate that the forwarding method on the first time unit is the first forwarding method, or the direction information is the direction information corresponding to the first time unit, and the sending module forwards the data to be forwarded on the first time unit according to the first forwarding method on the first time unit.

[0027] Optionally, the directional information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding.

[0028] Optionally, the orientation information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the orientation information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding.

[0029] Optionally, the orientation information includes an index of a first beam, which corresponds to the first forwarding method.

[0030] Optionally, the orientation information is carried in the control information.

[0031] Fourthly, this application also discloses a data forwarding device, which includes: a sending module for sending indication information or directional information, wherein the indication information indicates that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, wherein the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding; the sending module is further configured to send data to be forwarded so that the relay device forwards the data to be forwarded in accordance with the first forwarding mode.

[0032] Optionally, the indication information is carried in a system message.

[0033] Optionally, the indication information is specifically used to indicate that the forwarding method on the first time unit is the first forwarding method, or the orientation information is the orientation information corresponding to the first time unit.

[0034] Optionally, the directional information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding.

[0035] Optionally, the orientation information includes switch information, which is used to indicate whether to forward; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the orientation information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding.

[0036] Optionally, the orientation information includes an index of a first beam, which corresponds to the first forwarding method.

[0037] Optionally, the orientation information is carried in the control information.

[0038] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0039] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and the processor executes the computer program to perform any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0040] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, and the processor executes the computer program to perform any of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0041] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, on which a computer program is stored, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0042] Ninthly, a communication system is provided, including the aforementioned relay device and the aforementioned network device.

[0043] This application also provides a chip (or chip module) that stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the chip, it performs any one of the methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0044] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0045] In this technical solution, the network device is configured with indication information, which indicates that the forwarding method is a first forwarding method. The relay device determines the first forwarding method by receiving the indication information and forwards the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method. Alternatively, the network device sends direction information to the relay device, which corresponds to the first forwarding method. The relay device determines the first forwarding method by receiving the direction information and forwards the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method. In this technical solution, the relay device can determine the first forwarding method through the indication information or the direction information. The indication information or the direction information can guide the forwarding behavior of the relay device, enabling the relay device to clearly define the specific forwarding method. This is applicable to scenarios where the relay device needs to perform directional forwarding and omnidirectional forwarding, improving data forwarding efficiency and flexibility. Furthermore, when the first forwarding method is indicated as omnidirectional forwarding through the indication information, the terminal device can directly perform omnidirectional forwarding without parsing the control information, and the network device also does not need to send control information, thereby reducing signaling overhead. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture in the existing technology;

[0047] Figure 2 This is an interactive flowchart of a data forwarding method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 3 This is an interactive flowchart of another data forwarding method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of timing information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a data forwarding configuration provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a data forwarding device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The communication systems applicable to the embodiments of this application include, but are not limited to, long-term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th-generation (5G) systems, new radio (NR) systems, and future evolution systems or multiple converged communication systems. The 5G system can be a non-standalone (NSA) 5G system or a standalone (SA) 5G system. The technical solutions of this application are also applicable to different network architectures, including but not limited to relay network architectures, dual-link architectures, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) architectures.

[0053] This application primarily relates to communication between relay equipment and network equipment. Specifically:

[0054] The network device in this application embodiment can also be called an access network device, for example, it can be a base station (BS) (also called a base station device). A network device is a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions. For example, in second-generation (2G) networks, equipment providing base station functionality includes base transceiver stations (BTS); in third-generation (3G) networks, it includes NodeBs; in fourth-generation (4G) networks, it includes evolved NodeBs (eNBs); in wireless local area networks (WLANs), it is an access point (AP); in NR (Radio Frequency Identification), it includes next-generation nodebase stations (gNBs) and further evolved NodeBs (ng-eNBs). The gNB communicates with the terminal device using NR technology, while the ng-eNB communicates with the terminal device using Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) technology. Both gNBs and ng-eNBs can connect to the 5G core network. The network equipment in this application embodiment also includes equipment providing base station functionality in future new communication systems.

[0055] In this application, "terminal equipment" can refer to various forms of access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations (MS), remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, wireless communication equipment, user agents, or user devices. Terminal equipment can also be cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal equipment in future 5G networks, or terminal equipment in future evolved Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), etc. This application does not limit the scope of these terms. Terminal equipment can also be called user equipment (UE), terminal, etc.

[0056] The relay device in this application embodiment refers to the smart relay device in 3GPP protocol R18, or the relay device in other evolved communication systems. This relay device supports omnidirectional and directional forwarding of data.

[0057] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 Functionally, relay equipment can be divided into two parts. The first part is the mobile terminal-oriented part, which mainly completes the control signaling transmission between network devices and relay equipment. The link between the network device and this part is called the control link (or C-link). The second part is the forwarding part, which realizes data exchange between network devices and terminal devices through amplification and forwarding. The link between the network device and this part is called the backhaul link (or B-link), and the link between the terminal device and this part is called the access link (or A-link).

[0058] The control signaling between network devices and relay devices may include at least one of the following:

[0059] 1. Beamforming information: Since relay equipment can transmit in a directional manner, and a beam can represent a transmission direction, beamforming information contains content related to the beam.

[0060] 2. ON-OFF information: controls the switching of the relay section, determining whether the relay equipment performs amplification and forwarding.

[0061] 3. Uplink and downlink Time Division Duplex (TDD) configuration information, used to allocate the time for uplink and downlink transmission.

[0062] As described in the background section, relay devices only perform targeted forwarding, resulting in low forwarding efficiency.

[0063] This application provides a method in which a network device is configured with indication information, which indicates that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode. A relay device determines the first forwarding mode by receiving the indication information and forwards the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding mode. Alternatively, the network device sends direction information to the relay device, which corresponds to the first forwarding mode. The relay device determines the first forwarding mode by receiving the direction information and forwards the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding mode. In this technical solution, the relay device can determine the first forwarding mode through indication information or direction information. The indication information or direction information can guide the relay device's forwarding behavior, enabling the relay device to clearly define the specific forwarding mode. This is applicable to scenarios requiring the relay device to perform directional forwarding and omnidirectional forwarding, improving data forwarding efficiency and flexibility. Furthermore, when the first forwarding mode is indicated as omnidirectional forwarding through indication information, the terminal device can directly perform omnidirectional forwarding without parsing control information, thus reducing signaling overhead.

[0064] See Figure 2 The methods provided in this application include:

[0065] Step 201: The network device sends indication information or direction information. The indication information indicates that the forwarding method is the first forwarding method, and the direction information corresponds to the first forwarding method, which is either omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding. Correspondingly, the relay device receives the indication information or direction information.

[0066] Understandably, if the network device sends an indication message, the relay device receives the indication message and determines the first forwarding method based on the indication message. If the network device sends a direction message, the relay device receives the direction message and determines the first forwarding method based on the direction message.

[0067] Step 202: The network device sends the data to be forwarded. Correspondingly, the relay device receives the data to be forwarded.

[0068] Step 203: The relay device forwards the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the data to be forwarded forwarded by the relay device.

[0069] It should be noted that the sequence number of each step in this embodiment does not represent a limitation on the execution order of each step.

[0070] It is understood that, in specific implementations, the data forwarding method can be implemented using software programs, which run within a processor integrated into the chip or chip module. This method can also be implemented using a combination of software and hardware; this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0071] In this embodiment, directional forwarding refers to forwarding in a specific direction, which can be determined by other parameters; omnidirectional forwarding refers to forwarding in all directions.

[0072] In this embodiment, the indication information can be pre-configured by the network device according to the actual application scenario. For example, in a scenario where omnidirectional forwarding by the relay device is required, the indication information is configured to indicate that the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding; in a scenario where directional forwarding by the relay device is required, the indication information is configured to indicate that the first forwarding method is directional forwarding.

[0073] Specifically, whether a relay device performs omnidirectional or targeted forwarding depends on its purpose and the type of data service. For example, if the relay device is deployed for regional / local broadcasting, it needs to perform omnidirectional forwarding; or, if it needs to send system information, it also needs omnidirectional forwarding. As another example, if the relay device is deployed to cover blind spots in a certain area, it needs to be configured for targeted forwarding; or, if it needs to forward data to a specific terminal, it needs to perform targeted forwarding for that terminal.

[0074] In this embodiment, the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding method. Directional information refers to parameters related to directional forwarding, such as beamforming information and switching information. Beamforming information contains beam-related content, where each beam can cover a sector area in a certain direction. Switching information is used to indicate whether the relay device should forward the signal.

[0075] The following explanation uses the example of the instruction message indicating that the forwarding method is the first forwarding method.

[0076] In this embodiment, the indication information can be carried in a system message. Specifically, the indication information can be carried in a System Information Block (SIB). More specifically, the indication information can be carried in SIB1.

[0077] In a non-limiting embodiment, where the first forwarding method is determined based on indication information, i.e., the network device sends indication information and the relay device receives indication information, step 203 may include, in specific implementation:

[0078] When the first forwarding method is directed forwarding, the data to be forwarded is forwarded in a directed manner according to the control information; and / or,

[0079] When the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding, the data to be forwarded is forwarded omnidirectionally.

[0080] In one specific embodiment, the indication information occupies 1 bit, and the value of this bit is 1, which indicates that the first forwarding mode is directional forwarding and omnidirectional forwarding, respectively. When the value of this bit is 1, the relay device needs to parse the control information sent by the network device and amplify and forward the signal according to the control information, such as amplifying and forwarding the signal according to the beam information in the control information; when the value of this bit is 0, the relay device completely reverts to the device relay device in R17, that is, it directly transmits the received signal omnidirectionally, and does not need to interpret the control information sent by the network device.

[0081] Furthermore, if the higher-layer signaling sent by the network device does not contain this bit, it indicates that the first forwarding method is directed forwarding. Alternatively, if the higher-layer signaling sent by the network device does not contain this bit, it indicates that the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding.

[0082] In a specific example, the instruction information added in SIB1 has two methods: Method 1 and Method 2.

[0083] Method 1. Enable R18 NCR, ENUMBERATED{enabled}, OPTIONAL,--Need R.

[0084] Method 2. Enable R18 NCR, ENUMBERATED{disabled}, OPTIONAL,--Need R.

[0085] Where "Enable R18 NCR" is the field name; "ENUMBERATED{enabled}" indicates that the field can take the values ​​{enabled, disabled}; "OPTIONAL" indicates that the field can be configured or not; "Need R" indicates that the field's value is released only when the received message does not contain this field, otherwise the current value is retained. When this field is set to enabled, the relay device will parse the control information from the network device and perform targeted forwarding according to the parameters in the control information; when this field is set to disabled, the relay device will not parse the control information and will directly perform omnidirectional forwarding.

[0086] In a specific application scenario, since the technology of intelligent repeaters was introduced in Release 18, only network devices of Release 18 and above support intelligent repeaters, while other network devices cannot interact with them. Therefore, if it can be guaranteed that the network devices connected to the intelligent repeaters are all Release 18 or higher network devices, then method 1 is used, that is, the intelligent repeaters connected by default operate under the instructions of the control information; if the type of network device cannot be determined, then method 2 is used, that is, the intelligent repeaters connected by default are radio frequency repeaters, in order to at least guarantee omnidirectional forwarding of network signals to achieve signal coverage.

[0087] In this embodiment, higher-layer signaling guides the forwarding behavior of relay devices, enabling them to directly determine their forwarding mode without parsing control information, thus improving data forwarding efficiency. Furthermore, when the first forwarding mode is indicated as omnidirectional forwarding via indication information, the terminal device can directly perform omnidirectional forwarding without parsing control information, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0088] In a non-limiting embodiment, the indication information is specifically used to indicate that the forwarding mode on the first time unit is a first forwarding mode. The first time unit may specifically be one or more time slots, one or more symbols, one or more radio frames, one or more subframes, etc.

[0089] Taking the first time unit as an example, the indication information indicates that the relay device uses the first forwarding method in one or more time slots. In this case, the relay device forwards the data to be forwarded in each time slot according to the first forwarding method in each time slot. It should be noted that the forwarding methods in different time slots indicated by the indication information can be the same or different, and this application does not impose any restrictions. For example, if the indication information indicates the forwarding method in three time slots, where the forwarding method in time slots 1 and 3 is omnidirectional forwarding, then the first forwarding method corresponding to time slots 1 and 3 is omnidirectional forwarding; and the forwarding method in time slot 2 is directional forwarding, then the first forwarding method corresponding to time slot 2 is directional forwarding.

[0090] For example, step 203 may include: the terminal device forwarding the data to be forwarded in the first time unit according to the first forwarding method in the first time unit. That is, the terminal device can determine the forwarding method in the first time unit as the first forwarding method according to the indication information, and thus forward the data to be forwarded in the first time unit according to the first forwarding method. Specifically, when the first forwarding method is directional forwarding, the data to be forwarded is directionally forwarded in the first time unit according to the control information; and / or, when the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding, the data to be forwarded is omnidirectionally forwarded in the first time unit.

[0091] The following explanation uses the first forwarding method, which determines the direction based on the information, as an example.

[0092] Optionally, directional information is carried in the control information. The directional information may include beam information and / or switching information. Beam information may include at least one of the following: beam index, reference signal index, offset angle relative to a reference direction, TCI state, SRI, DMRS port; switching information is used to indicate whether to perform forwarding.

[0093] In a non-limiting embodiment of this application, the first forwarding method is determined based on directional information, i.e., when the network device sends directional information and the relay device receives directional information, step 103 may include: when the first forwarding method is directional forwarding, forwarding the data to be forwarded in a directional manner according to control information, for example, amplifying and forwarding the signal according to the beam information in the control information; and / or, when the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding, forwarding the data to be forwarded omnidirectionally.

[0094] In one specific implementation, the directional information is carried within the control information. In this case, the relay device needs to first parse the control information to obtain the directional information. The relay device then forwards the data to be forwarded either directionally or omnidirectionally based on the control information.

[0095] In another specific implementation, the directional information is carried within non-control information, such as Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. Therefore, if the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding, the relay device can directly forward the data to be forwarded omnidirectionally without parsing the control information.

[0096] In a non-limiting embodiment of this application, the orientation information is the orientation information corresponding to the first time unit. The first time unit can specifically be one or more time slots, one or more symbols, one or more radio frames, one or more subframes, etc. Taking one or more time slots as an example, the orientation information can indicate the forwarding method (i.e., the first forwarding method) on those one or more time slots. In this case, the relay device forwards the data to be forwarded in each time slot according to the first forwarding method on each time slot.

[0097] It should be noted that the forwarding methods on different time slots among the multiple time slots indicated by the indication information can be the same or different, and this application does not impose any restrictions. For example, if the indication information indicates the forwarding methods on three time slots, where the forwarding method on time slots 1 and 3 is omnidirectional forwarding, then the first forwarding method corresponding to time slots 1 and 3 is omnidirectional forwarding; and the forwarding method on time slot 2 is directional forwarding, then the first forwarding method corresponding to time slot 2 is directional forwarding.

[0098] For example, step 203 may include: the terminal device forwarding the data to be forwarded in the first time unit according to the first forwarding method in the first time unit. That is, the terminal device can determine the forwarding method in the first time unit as the first forwarding method based on the orientation information, and thus forward the data to be forwarded in the first time unit according to the first forwarding method. Specifically, when the first forwarding method is directional forwarding, the data to be forwarded is directionally forwarded in the first time unit according to the control information; and / or, when the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding, the data to be forwarded is omnidirectionally forwarded in the first time unit according to the control information.

[0099] When the first forwarding method is determined based on the targeted information, refer to Figure 3 The above method may include steps 301, 302, 202, and 203 in its implementation:

[0100] Step 301: The network device sends control information, which includes direction information. Correspondingly, the relay device receives the control information. At this point, the relay device needs to first parse the control information from the network device to obtain the direction information. Step 202: The relay device determines the first forwarding method based on the direction information.

[0101] In another alternative implementation of step 301, the network device directly sends direction information, for example, the network device sends RRC signaling, which includes direction information.

[0102] After step 302, steps 202 and 203 can be executed. For a description of steps 202 and 203, please refer to the above text, which will not be repeated here.

[0103] In one specific embodiment of step 302, the relay device determines the first forwarding mode based on the switch information and beam information in the directional information.

[0104] Specifically, when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding. And / or, when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information also includes beam information, the first forwarding mode is directional forwarding.

[0105] Reference Figure 4 When the first time unit is one or more time slots, the relay device obtains the beam information and switching information for each time slot after parsing the control information. Figure 4 Each rectangular area represents a time slot, and each time slot has corresponding beam information and switching information. ON indicates forwarding, OFF indicates no forwarding; 0 indicates no beam information, and 1 indicates beam information. In time slot 0, the switch is OFF, there is no beam information, so the relay device does not forward; time slots 1 and 9 are similar. In time slot 2, the switch is ON, there is beam information, so the relay device can determine that the first forwarding mode for this time slot is directional forwarding; time slots 4, 5, and 6 are similar. In time slot 3, the switch is ON, there is no beam information, so the relay device can determine that the first forwarding mode for this time slot is omnidirectional forwarding; time slots 7 and 8 are similar.

[0106] It should be noted that in practical applications, the switch information does not have to be displayed; the switch information can be implicitly indicated through control information, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0107] This application embodiment determines the first forwarding mode by reusing known control information, namely, reusing switch information and beam information, without requiring network devices to additionally indicate the first forwarding mode, thus saving signaling overhead.

[0108] In another specific embodiment of step 302, the relay device determines the first forwarding mode based on the beam information in the orientation information. The orientation information includes an index of the first beam, which corresponds to the first forwarding mode, and the first beam refers to the beam between the network device and the relay device.

[0109] In this embodiment of the application, the relationship between the first beam and the first forwarding method can be pre-configured, for example, it can be pre-configured by the network device or pre-agreed in the communication standard protocol.

[0110] In a specific example, there is a one-to-one correspondence between beams and synchronization signal blocks (SSBs). Therefore, the index of the first beam can also be considered as the index of the synchronization signal block corresponding to the first beam.

[0111] Network devices and relay devices can agree that synchronization signal blocks with index 'a' correspond to omnidirectional forwarding, while synchronization signal blocks with indices 'b' and 'c' correspond to directional forwarding. When a relay device receives the indices of synchronization signal blocks 'b' and 'c', it performs directional forwarding according to the control information. When a relay device receives the index of synchronization signal block 'a', it directly performs omnidirectional forwarding according to the power control, uplink / downlink time configuration, and other parameters in the control information.

[0112] It should be noted that beams are not directly defined in the protocol, but can be indirectly represented through associations. For example, a beam can be represented by a reference signal transmitted in a certain direction at a certain time-frequency location (i.e., a resource), so a beam can be regarded as a reference signal resource. Since the reference signal transmitted on a reference resource has a unique and definite representation, a beam can also be specifically represented by various reference signal identifiers, such as the resource index of the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), the index of the SSB, the resource index of the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), and the resource index of the Tracking Reference Signal (TRS). In addition, a beam corresponds to a Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) port, a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI), or an SRS Resource Indicator (SRI) (used for uplink data transmission). Therefore, different beams can also be represented by different DMRS ports, TCIs, or SRIs.

[0113] For ease of description, this application uses the SSB index as an example to describe the solution provided in this application embodiment. Since the resource indices of DMRS ports, TCI, SRI, CSI-RS, SRS, and TRS can all represent beams, the SSB index mentioned above can also be replaced with the resource indices of DMRS ports, TCI, SRI, CSI-RS, SRS, and TRS, and this replacement does not change the essence of the method provided in this application embodiment.

[0114] The embodiments of this application enable relay devices to more easily determine the first forwarding method by establishing a direct association between the beam index and the forwarding method, without requiring network devices to send additional indication information, thus saving signaling overhead.

[0115] For more specific implementations of the embodiments of this application, please refer to the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0116] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 A data forwarding device 50 is shown, which may include a receiving module 501 and a sending module 502.

[0117] In specific implementations, the aforementioned data forwarding device 50 may correspond to a chip with data forwarding function in a relay device, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a baseband chip, etc.; or correspond to a chip module in a relay device that includes a data forwarding function; or correspond to a chip module with a data processing function; or correspond to a relay device.

[0118] In this configuration, the receiving module 501 is used to receive indication or direction information, and also to receive data to be forwarded. The sending module 502 is used to forward the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method.

[0119] In specific implementations, the aforementioned data forwarding device 50 may correspond to a chip in a network device that has data forwarding functionality, such as a SOC or baseband chip; or to a chip module in a network device that includes a chip module with data forwarding functionality; or to a chip module with a chip that has data processing functionality; or to a network device.

[0120] In this case, the sending module 502 is used to send indication information or direction information, and also to send data to be forwarded.

[0121] Other relevant descriptions of the data forwarding device 50 can be found in the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0122] Regarding the modules / units included in the various devices and products described in the above embodiments, they can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or a combination of both. For example, for devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs running on a processor integrated within the chip, while the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip module, all modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components of the chip module, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs. The software program runs on the processor integrated inside the chip module, and the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For each device or product applied to or integrated into the data forwarding device 50, each of its modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components within the data forwarding device 50. Alternatively, at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs that run on the processor integrated inside the data forwarding device 50, and the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits.

[0123] This application also discloses a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon. The computer program can be executed when it runs. Figures 1 to 3 The steps of the method shown are illustrated. The storage medium may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk, etc. The storage medium may also include non-volatile memory or non-transitory memory, etc.

[0124] Please refer to Figure 6 This application also provides a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device. The device includes a processor 601, a memory 602, and a transceiver 603.

[0125] Processor 601 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of the program according to the present application. Processor 601 may also include multiple CPUs, and processor 601 can be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. Here, processor can refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0126] The memory 602 can be a ROM or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, RAM or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or it can be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer. This application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this. The memory 602 can exist independently (in this case, the memory 602 can be located outside or inside the device) or it can be integrated with the processor 601. The memory 602 may contain computer program code. The processor 601 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 602, thereby implementing the method provided in this application embodiment.

[0127] The processor 601, memory 602, and transceiver 603 are connected via a bus. The transceiver 603 is used to communicate with other devices or communication networks. Optionally, the transceiver 603 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The device in the transceiver 603 that implements the receiving function can be considered as a receiver, which is used to perform the receiving steps in the embodiments of this application. The device in the transceiver 603 that implements the transmitting function can be considered as a transmitter, which is used to perform the transmitting steps in the embodiments of this application.

[0128] when Figure 6 The schematic diagram shown illustrates the structure of the relay device involved in the above embodiments. The processor 601 is used to control and manage the actions of the relay device. For example, the processor 601 is used to support the relay device in performing... Figure 2 Steps 201, 202, and 203 in the text, or Figure 3 The relay device performs actions in steps 301, 302, 202, and 203, and / or other processes described in the embodiments of this application. The processor 601 can communicate with other network entities via the transceiver 603, for example, with the aforementioned network device. The memory 602 is used to store the relay device's program code and data.

[0129] when Figure 6 The schematic diagram shown illustrates the structure of the network device involved in the above embodiments. The processor 601 is used to control and manage the actions of the network device; for example, the processor 601 is used to support the network device in performing... Figure 2 Steps 201, 202, and 203 in the text, or Figure 3 The processor 601 performs actions performed by the network device in steps 301, 302, 202, and 203, and / or other processes described in the embodiments of this application. The processor 601 can communicate with other network entities via the transceiver 603, for example, with the aforementioned relay device. The memory 602 is used to store the program code and data of the network device.

[0130] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0131] In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0132] The descriptions of "first," "second," etc., appearing in the embodiments of this application are for illustrative purposes and to distinguish the objects being described. They have no order and do not indicate any special limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of this application, nor do they constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0133] In this application, the term "connection" refers to various connection methods, such as direct connection or indirect connection, to achieve communication between devices. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0134] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means.

[0135] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes 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.

[0136] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods, apparatuses, and systems can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units is merely a logical functional division, and other division methods may exist in actual implementation; for example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0137] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0138] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be physically included separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0139] The integrated unit implemented as a software functional unit described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This software functional unit, stored in a storage medium, includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute some steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0140] While this application discloses the above information, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of this application; therefore, the scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A data forwarding method, characterized in that, include: The system receives indication information or directional information. The indication information indicates that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, which is either omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding. The indication information is carried in system messages. The directional information is carried in control information, including beam information and / or switch information. The switch information is used to indicate whether to perform forwarding. The directional information includes switch information. When the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding. Receive data to be forwarded; The data to be forwarded is forwarded according to the first forwarding method.

2. The data forwarding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first forwarding method is determined according to the indication information, and forwarding the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method includes: When the first forwarding method is the directed forwarding, the data to be forwarded is forwarded in a directed manner according to the control information; and / or, When the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding, the data to be forwarded is forwarded omnidirectionally.

3. The data forwarding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first forwarding method is determined based on the orientation information, and forwarding the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method includes: When the first forwarding method is the directed forwarding, the data to be forwarded is forwarded in a directed manner according to the control information; and / or, When the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding, the data to be forwarded is forwarded omnidirectionally.

4. The data forwarding method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The indication information is specifically used to indicate that the forwarding method on the first time unit is the first forwarding method, or the orientation information is the orientation information corresponding to the first time unit, and the forwarding of the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method includes: The data to be forwarded is forwarded in the first time unit according to the first forwarding method in the first time unit.

5. The data forwarding method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The directional information includes the index of the first beam, which corresponds to the first forwarding method.

6. A data forwarding method, characterized in that, include: Sending indication information or directional information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, wherein the first forwarding mode is omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding; the indication information is carried in system messages; the directional information is carried in control information, including beam information and / or switch information, wherein the switch information is used to indicate whether to perform forwarding; The directional information includes switch information. When the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding. Send data to be forwarded.

7. The data forwarding method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The indication information is specifically used to indicate that the forwarding method on the first time unit is the first forwarding method, or the orientation information is the orientation information corresponding to the first time unit.

8. The data forwarding method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The directional information includes the index of the first beam, which corresponds to the first forwarding method.

9. A data forwarding device, characterized in that, include: A receiving module is used to receive indication information or directional information. The indication information indicates that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, which is either omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding. The indication information is carried in system messages. The directional information is carried in control information, including beam information and / or switch information. The switch information is used to indicate whether to perform forwarding. The directional information includes switch information. When the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding. The receiving module is also used to receive data to be forwarded; The sending module is used to forward the data to be forwarded according to the first forwarding method.

10. A data forwarding device, characterized in that, include: A sending module is used to send indication information or directional information. The indication information indicates that the forwarding mode is a first forwarding mode, and the directional information corresponds to the first forwarding mode, which is either omnidirectional forwarding or directional forwarding. The indication information is carried in system messages. The directional information is carried in control information, including beam information and / or switch information. The switch information is used to indicate whether to perform forwarding. The directional information includes switch information. When the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information does not include beam information, the first forwarding method is omnidirectional forwarding; when the switch information is used to indicate forwarding and the directional information also includes beam information, the first forwarding method is directional forwarding. The sending module is also used to send data to be forwarded.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is run by the processor, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is performed.

12. A relay device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor runs the computer program, it performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

13. A network device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor runs the computer program, it performs the method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

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