Method and device for sending or receiving downlink control information, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a method and device for transmitting or receiving downlink control information, and a storage medium, applied to the technical field of wireless communication, a communication method executed by a terminal comprising: receiving downlink control information DCI sent by a network device, the DCI comprising first information, the first information being used for indicating the use of the DCI. In the invention, the DCI comprises the first information used for indicating the purpose of the DCI, so that the scheduling flexibility of the network equipment can be improved, and the terminal can effectively distinguish and classify different purposes of the DCI and reasonably apply the DCI with different purposes.

Description

Method, device and storage medium for sending or receiving downlink control information Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular to a method, device, and storage medium for sending or receiving downlink control information (DCI). Background Art

[0002] In some possible embodiments, a network device sends DCI to a terminal to schedule data, either uplink or downlink. The terminal monitors and detects the DCI, extracting its own DCI. This is known as blind DCI detection. The more complex the blind detection process, the greater the terminal's energy consumption.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus, and storage medium for sending or receiving downlink control information.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for receiving downlink control information is provided, which is performed by a terminal. The method includes:

[0006] Receive downlink control information DCI sent by a network device, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate a purpose of the DCI; and the purpose of the DCI is one of the following:

[0007] Schedule uplink data, schedule downlink data, schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data, send control information, send control information and schedule uplink data, send control information and schedule downlink data, send control information and schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data.

[0008] In some possible embodiments, the control information includes at least one of the following commands:

[0009] Request the terminal to send positioning related information,

[0010] Require the terminal to report environmental measurement related information,

[0011] The terminal is required to update system information.

[0012] In some possible embodiments, the method further includes:

[0013] Receive signaling sent by the network device, where the signaling is used to indicate which commands in the command set are included in the control information.

[0014] In some possible embodiments, the first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

[0015] In some possible embodiments, the bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

[0016] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value agreed upon by a protocol, or the number of bits is a value configured by the network device.

[0017] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is scrambled by a terminal-specific RNTI, a group-common RNTI, or a broadcast RNTI.

[0018] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for sending downlink control information is provided, which is performed by a network device. The method includes:

[0019] Sending downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate a purpose of the DCI; and the purpose of the DCI is one of the following:

[0020] Schedule uplink data, schedule downlink data, schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data, send control information, send control information and schedule uplink data, send control information and schedule downlink data, send control information and schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data.

[0021] In some possible embodiments, the control information includes at least one of the following commands:

[0022] Request the terminal to send positioning related information,

[0023] Require the terminal to report environmental measurement related information,

[0024] The terminal is required to update system information.

[0025] In some possible embodiments, the method further includes:

[0026] Sending signaling to the terminal, where the signaling is used to indicate which commands in the command set are included in the control information.

[0027] In some possible embodiments, the first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

[0028] In some possible embodiments, the bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

[0029] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value agreed upon by a protocol, or the number of bits is a value configured by the network device.

[0030] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is scrambled by a terminal-specific RNTI, a group-common RNTI, or a broadcast RNTI.

[0031] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, configured in a terminal, the device including:

[0032] A transceiver module is configured to receive DCI sent by a network device, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate a purpose of the DCI; and the purpose of the DCI is one of the following:

[0033] Schedule uplink data, schedule downlink data, schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data, send control information, send control information and schedule uplink data, send control information and schedule downlink data, send control information and schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data.

[0034] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication apparatus configured in a network device, the apparatus comprising:

[0035] A transceiver module is configured to send DCI to a terminal, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate a purpose of the DCI, where the purpose of the DCI is one of the following:

[0036] Schedule uplink data, schedule downlink data, schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data, send control information, send control information and schedule uplink data, send control information and schedule downlink data, send control information and schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data.

[0037] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including a processor and a memory, wherein:

[0038] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0039] The processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0040] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which instructions are stored. When the instructions are called and executed on a computer, the computer executes the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0041] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure.

[0042] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by including the first information for indicating the purpose of the DCI in the DCI, the scheduling flexibility of the network device can be improved, and the terminal can also effectively distinguish and classify the different uses of the DCI and reasonably apply the DCI for different purposes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] 2a-2b are interactive schematic diagrams showing a communication method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0046] 3a-3b are flowcharts of a method for receiving downlink control information according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0047] 4a-4b are flowcharts of a method for sending downlink control information according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0048] 5a-5b are structural diagrams of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0049] 6a-6b are structural diagrams of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0051] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0052] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0053] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0055] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one of", "at least one of", "atleast one of", "one or more", "a plurality of", "multiple", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0056] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, descriptions such as “at least one of A, B, C…”, “A and / or B and / or C…”, etc. include the situation where any one of A, B, C… exists alone, and also include any combination of any multiple of A, B, C…, and each situation can exist alone; for example, “at least one of A, B, C” includes the situation where A exists alone, B exists alone, C exists alone, the combination of A and B, the combination of A and C, the combination of B and C, and the combination of A, B, and C; for example, A and / or B includes the situation where A exists alone, B exists alone, and the combination of A and B.

[0057] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "in one case A, in another case B," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B," may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: executing A independently of B, i.e., in some embodiments, A; executing B independently of A, i.e., in some embodiments, B; selectively executing A and B, i.e., selecting between A and B for execution in some embodiments; and executing both A and B, i.e., in some embodiments, A and B. The same applies when there are more branches, such as A, B, and C.

[0058] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0059] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0060] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0061] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0062] In some embodiments, devices, etc. can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as "device", "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", and "subject" can be used interchangeably.

[0063] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)", "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station" "fixed station", "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0064] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0065] In some embodiments, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device can be replaced by a terminal. For example, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to a structure in which the communication between the access network device, the core network device, or the network device and the terminal is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (for example, it can also be called device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, it can also be set as a structure in which the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. In addition, language such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced by language corresponding to communication between terminals (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channels, downlink channels, etc. can be replaced by side channels, and uplinks, downlinks, etc. can be replaced by side links.

[0066] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device may have a structure that has all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0067] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codeword", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0068] In some embodiments, terms such as "uplink", "uplink", "physical uplink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "downlink", "downlink", "physical downlink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "side", "sidelink", "side communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", "direct link communication" can be interchangeable with each other.

[0069] In some embodiments, the terms "downlink control information (DCI)", "downlink (DL) assignment", "DL DCI", "uplink (UL) grant", "UL DCI" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0070] In some embodiments, the terms "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" may be used interchangeably, and the terms "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data" may be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, the terms "radio," "wireless," "radio access network (RAN)," "access network (AN)," and "RAN-based" may be used interchangeably.

[0071] In some embodiments, the terms "search space", "search space set", "search space configuration", "search space set configuration", "control resource set (CORESET)", "CORESET configuration" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0072] In some embodiments, terms such as "synchronization signal (SS)", "synchronization signal block (SSB)", "reference signal (RS)", "pilot", and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0073] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0074] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)", "cell", "frequency carrier", "carrier frequency" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0075] In some embodiments, terms such as "resource block (RB)", "physical resource block (PRB)", "sub-carrier group (SCG)", "resource element group (REG)", "PRB pair", "RB pair", and "resource element (RE)" can be used interchangeably.

[0076] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform may be used interchangeably.

[0077] In some embodiments, the terms "precoding", "precoder", "weight", "precoding weight", "quasi-co-location (QCL)", "transmission configuration indication (TCI) state", "spatial relation", "spatial domain filter", "transmission power", "phase rotation", "antenna port", "antenna port group", "layer", "the number of layers", "rank", "resource", "resource set", "resource group", "beam", "beam width", "beam angular degree", "antenna", "antenna element", "panel" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0078] In some embodiments, terms such as "frame", "radio frame", "subframe", "slot", "sub-slot", "mini-slot", "symbol", "symbol", and "transmission time interval (TTI)" can be used interchangeably.

[0079] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "obtain", "receive", "transmit", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0080] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0081] In some embodiments, "predetermined" and "preset" can be interpreted as pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or can be interpreted as a pre-set action performed by a device, etc.

[0082] In some embodiments, determining can be interpreted as judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, searching, looking up, retrieving, ascertaining, receiving, transmitting, inputting, outputting, accessing, resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, “assuming,” “expecting,” “considering,” broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, assigning, etc., but is not limited to the foregoing.

[0083] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0084] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network (eg, access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.).

[0085] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the recipient to respond to the content sent.

[0086] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0087] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0088] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0089] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 1 , a communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102 .

[0091] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0092] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0093] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, but is not limited thereto.

[0094] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0095] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0096] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or may be a plurality of devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of one or more network elements. A network element may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), and a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0097] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0098] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in Figure 1, or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in Figure 1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in Figure 1, or may include other entities outside of Figure 1. The number and form of the entities may be arbitrary. The connection relationship between the entities is illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0099] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), future radio access (FRA), new radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR), new radio access (NX), future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these methods. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0100] FIG2a is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2a, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is used in a communication system 100, and the method includes:

[0101] S2101, the network device 102 sends DCI to the terminal 101.

[0102] In some possible embodiments, the terminal 101 receives the DCI.

[0103] The DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate the purpose of the DCI.

[0104] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is used for one of the following purposes:

[0105] Scheduling uplink data,

[0106] Scheduling downlink data,

[0107] Schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data,

[0108] Send control information,

[0109] Send control information and schedule uplink data,

[0110] Send control information and schedule downlink data,

[0111] Send control information and schedule uplink and downlink data.

[0112] In some possible embodiments, the first information occupies one or more information fields.

[0113] In one example, the DCI is used to schedule uplink data, and the first information occupies an information field.

[0114] In another example, the DCI is used to schedule uplink data and downlink data, and the first information occupies two information fields, one of which is used to indicate the scheduling of uplink data, and the other is used to indicate the scheduling of downlink data.

[0115] In another example, the purpose of the DCI is to send control information and schedule uplink and downlink data, and the first information occupies three information fields, one of which is used to indicate the sending of control information, another is used to indicate the scheduling of uplink data, and the last is used to indicate the scheduling of downlink data.

[0116] In some possible embodiments, the control information includes at least one of the following three commands:

[0117] Request the terminal 101 to send positioning related information,

[0118] Require the terminal 101 to report environmental measurement related information,

[0119] The terminal 101 is required to update system information.

[0120] In an example, the positioning-related information includes at least one of the following: a positioning-related reference signal (RS) and a positioning measurement result.

[0121] In one example, the environmental measurement related information includes at least one of the following: a temperature measurement result, a humidity measurement result, and a sample measurement result; the sample may be a sample of at least one chemical substance.

[0122] In some possible embodiments, the first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

[0123] In some possible embodiments, the bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

[0124] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value agreed upon by the protocol.

[0125] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is the number of bits corresponding to the maximum number of uses included in the uses of the DCI indicated by the first information.

[0126] In an example, the DCI is used for one of the following: scheduling uplink data, scheduling uplink data and downlink data, sending control information and scheduling uplink and downlink data.

[0127] Among multiple uses for which DCI is applicable, if the number of bits corresponding to the use with the largest number of DCI bits is 24 bits, then the number of bits of the DCI is determined to be 24. When the first information in the DCI indicates the first use, the 24 bits include 5 valid bits and 19 padding bits, of which the 19 padding bits can serve as a reserved information field.

[0128] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value configured by the network device. For example, the number of bits is configured by the network device through higher-layer signaling. The number of bits of DCI for different purposes is set to the number of bits configured by the higher-layer signaling, and bit padding is performed based on the number of valid bits. Because the network device takes into account various application scenarios, the number of bits configured through higher-layer signaling will not exceed the number of valid bits.

[0129] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is scrambled by the terminal-specific RNTI, the group-common RNTI, or the broadcast RNTI.

[0130] In one example, the terminal-specific RNTI is transmitted specifically for a certain terminal, the group-common RNTI is the RNTI common to a group of terminals, the DCI scrambled using the group-common RNTI is the DCI sent to the group of terminals, and the broadcast RNTI can be the RNTI common to all terminals in a cell, or it can be the RNTI defined by the protocol. The DCI scrambled using the broadcast RNTI can be sent to all terminals in the cell.

[0131] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by including the first information for indicating the purpose of the DCI in the DCI, the scheduling flexibility of the network device can be improved, and the terminal can also effectively distinguish and classify the different uses of the DCI and reasonably apply the DCI for different purposes.

[0132] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when more than one purpose is indicated in the same DCI, the number of times the terminal blindly detects the DCI can be reduced, saving the energy consumption of the terminal. It can also reduce the number of times the network device sends DCI, reducing the resource consumption of the network device.

[0133] Given that, when performing DCI blind detection, terminal 101 needs to know the number of DCI bits (also called DCI size) in advance and then perform blind detection based on the number of bits. If terminal 101 needs to receive multiple DCIs with different numbers of bits, terminal 101 needs to perform blind detection for different numbers of bits, thereby increasing the blind detection overhead of terminal 101 and further increasing the energy consumption of terminal 101.

[0134] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of bits of the DCI is the same when the purpose of the DCI indicated by the first information is different, so that the terminal 101 uses the same number of bits for blind detection and demodulation for DCI of different purposes, which can reduce the number of blind detections of the terminal 101 and achieve energy saving.

[0135] In addition to being a terminal that supports 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G or 6G communication networks, the terminal 101 in the disclosed embodiment may be a NB-IoT terminal, a Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) terminal, or an Ambient-IoT terminal. An Ambient-IoT terminal is a type of IoT terminal. Compared to NB-IoT, an Ambient-IoT terminal has lower complexity, manufacturing cost, and maintenance cost. It may not be equipped with a battery and may be excited and powered by the electromagnetic signal it receives, or it may be equipped with a battery with only a small amount of electrical storage function. The battery does not need to be manually charged and can directly obtain energy from the outside world, for example, by obtaining a small amount of energy from external electromagnetic waves, thermal energy, kinetic energy, etc.

[0136] FIG2b is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2b, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is used in a communication system 100, and the method includes:

[0137] S2201, the network device 102 sends a signaling to the terminal 101.

[0138] The signaling is used to indicate which commands in a command set are included in the control information in the purpose of the DCI. The command set includes at least one of the following:

[0139] Request the terminal to send positioning related information,

[0140] Require the terminal to report environmental measurement related information,

[0141] The terminal is required to update system information.

[0142] In an example, the positioning-related information includes at least one of the following: a positioning-related reference signal (RS) and a positioning measurement result.

[0143] In one example, the environmental measurement related information includes at least one of the following: a temperature measurement result, a humidity measurement result, and a sample measurement result; the sample may be a sample of at least one chemical substance.

[0144] In some possible embodiments, the first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

[0145] S2202, the network device 102 sends DCI to the terminal 101.

[0146] In some possible embodiments, the terminal 101 receives the DCI.

[0147] The DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate the purpose of the DCI.

[0148] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is used for one of the following purposes:

[0149] Send control information,

[0150] Send control information and schedule uplink data,

[0151] Send control information and schedule downlink data,

[0152] Send control information and schedule uplink and downlink data.

[0153] In some possible embodiments, the first information occupies one or more information fields.

[0154] In one example, the DCI is used to send control information, and the first information occupies an information field.

[0155] In another example, the DCI is used to send control information and schedule uplink data, and the first information occupies two information fields, one of which is used to indicate the sending of control information, and the other is used to indicate the scheduling of uplink data.

[0156] In another example, the purpose of the DCI is to send control information and schedule uplink and downlink data, and the first information occupies three information fields, one of which is used to indicate the sending of control information, another is used to indicate the scheduling of uplink data, and the last is used to indicate the scheduling of downlink data.

[0157] In some possible embodiments, the bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

[0158] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value agreed upon by the protocol.

[0159] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is the number of bits corresponding to the maximum number of uses included in the uses of the DCI indicated by the first information.

[0160] In an example, the purpose of the DCI is one of the following: sending control information, sending control information and scheduling uplink data, sending control information and scheduling downlink data, sending control information and scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data.

[0161] Among multiple uses for which DCI is applicable, if the number of bits corresponding to the use with the largest number of DCI bits is 24 bits, then the number of bits is determined to be 24. When the first information in the DCI indicates the first use, the 24 bits include 5 valid bits and 19 padding bits, of which the 19 padding bits can be used as a reserved information field.

[0162] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value configured by the network device. For example, the number of bits is configured by the network device through higher-layer signaling. The number of bits of DCI for different purposes is set to the number of bits configured by the higher-layer signaling, and bit padding is performed based on the number of valid bits. Because the network device takes into account various application scenarios, the number of bits configured through higher-layer signaling will not exceed the number of valid bits.

[0163] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is scrambled by the terminal-specific RNTI, the group-common RNTI, or the broadcast RNTI.

[0164] In one example, the terminal-specific RNTI is transmitted specifically for a certain terminal, the group-common RNTI is the RNTI common to a group of terminals, the DCI scrambled using the group-common RNTI is the DCI sent to the group of terminals, and the broadcast RNTI can be the RNTI common to all terminals in a cell, or it can be the RNTI defined by the protocol. The DCI scrambled using the broadcast RNTI can be sent to all terminals in the cell.

[0165] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by including the first information for indicating the purpose of the DCI in the DCI, the scheduling flexibility of the network device can be improved, and the terminal can also effectively distinguish and classify different DCIs and reasonably apply DCIs of different purposes; and indicating more than one purpose in the same DCI can reduce the number of times the terminal blindly detects the DCI, saving the energy consumption of the terminal, and can also reduce the number of times the network device sends DCI and reduce the resource consumption of the network device; and, by indicating which commands in the command set are included in the control information in the purpose of the DCI through signaling, the scheduling flexibility of the network device can be improved, and the terminal can also effectively distinguish and classify different control information and reasonably respond to and apply different control information.

[0166] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of bits of the DCI is the same when the purpose of the DCI indicated by the first information is different, so that the terminal 101 uses the same number of bits for blind detection and demodulation for DCI of different purposes, which can reduce the number of blind detections of the terminal 101 and achieve energy saving.

[0167] In addition to being a terminal that supports 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G or 6G communication networks, the terminal 101 in the embodiment of the present disclosure can also be an NB-IoT terminal, a Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) terminal, or an Ambient-IoT terminal.

[0168] FIG3a is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3a, the present disclosure embodiment relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0169] S3101, receive DCI sent by the network device.

[0170] The optional implementation of step S3101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2a and will not be repeated here.

[0171] FIG3b is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3b, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0172] S3201, receiving signaling sent by a network device.

[0173] The optional implementation of step S3201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2201 in Figure 2b and will not be repeated here.

[0174] S3202, receive DCI sent by the network device.

[0175] The optional implementation of step S3202 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2202 in Figure 2b and will not be repeated here.

[0176] FIG4a is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4a, the present disclosure embodiment relates to a communication method, which is executed by the network device 102 and includes:

[0177] S4101, sends DCI to terminal 101.

[0178] The optional implementation of step S4101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2a and will not be repeated here.

[0179] FIG4b is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4b, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0180] S4201, send signaling to terminal 101.

[0181] The optional implementation of step S4201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2201 in Figure 2b and will not be repeated here.

[0182] S4202, send DCI to terminal 101.

[0183] The optional implementation of step S4202 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2202 in Figure 2b and will not be repeated here.

[0184] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0185] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above devices is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above devices, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0186] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of a hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document to implement the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0187] Figure 5a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5a, the communication device includes a transceiver module 5101. Optionally, the transceiver module 5101 is configured to execute steps related to the communication method performed by terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which are not further described here. Optionally, the device also includes a processing module 5102, which is configured to execute steps related to processing unrelated to transceiver processing performed by terminal 101 in any of the above methods.

[0188] The transceiver module 5101 is configured to receive downlink control information DCI sent by a network device, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate a purpose of the DCI; the purpose of the DCI is one of the following:

[0189] Schedule uplink data, schedule downlink data, schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data, send control information, send control information and schedule uplink data, send control information and schedule downlink data, send control information and schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data.

[0190] In some possible embodiments, the control information includes at least one of the following commands:

[0191] Request the terminal to send positioning related information,

[0192] Require the terminal to report environmental measurement related information,

[0193] The terminal is required to update system information.

[0194] In some possible embodiments, the transceiver module 5201 is further configured to receive signaling sent by the network device, where the signaling is used to indicate which commands in the command set are included in the control information.

[0195] In some possible embodiments, the first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

[0196] In some possible embodiments, the bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

[0197] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value agreed upon by a protocol, or the number of bits is a value configured by the network device.

[0198] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is scrambled by a terminal-specific RNTI, a group-common RNTI, or a broadcast RNTI. In one example, the processing module 5102 is configured to scramble the DCI using a terminal-specific RNTI, a group-common RNTI, or a broadcast RNTI.

[0199] Figure 5b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5b, the communication device includes a transceiver module 5201. Optionally, the transceiver module 5201 is used to execute the steps related to the communication method performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, and will not be further described here. Optionally, the communication device 5200 also includes a processing module 5202, which is used to execute the steps related to processing unrelated to transceiver processing performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods.

[0200] The transceiver module 5201 is configured to send downlink control information (DCI) to the terminal, where the DCI includes first information indicating a purpose of the DCI; the purpose of the DCI is one of the following:

[0201] Schedule uplink data, schedule downlink data, schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data, send control information, send control information and schedule uplink data, send control information and schedule downlink data, send control information and schedule uplink data and schedule downlink data.

[0202] In some possible embodiments, the control information includes at least one of the following commands:

[0203] Request the terminal to send positioning related information,

[0204] Require the terminal to report environmental measurement related information,

[0205] The terminal is required to update system information.

[0206] In some possible embodiments, the transceiver module 5201 is further configured to send signaling to the terminal, where the signaling is used to indicate which commands in the command set are included in the control information.

[0207] In some possible embodiments, the first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

[0208] In some possible embodiments, the bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

[0209] In some possible embodiments, the number of bits is a value agreed upon by a protocol, or the number of bits is a value configured by the network device.

[0210] In some possible embodiments, the DCI is scrambled by a terminal-specific RNTI, a group-common RNTI, or a broadcast RNTI.

[0211] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 6100 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 6100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., a user equipment, etc.), a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a network device implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a terminal implementing any of the above methods. Communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0212] As shown in Figure 6a, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, baseband chip, terminal device, terminal device chip, DU or CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The processor 6101 is used to call instructions to enable the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0213] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6102 may be located outside the communication device 6100.

[0214] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6103. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6103, the communication steps such as sending and receiving in the above method are performed by the transceiver 6103, and the other steps are performed by the processor 6101.

[0215] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0216] Optionally, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more interface circuits 6104, which are connected to the memory 6102. The interface circuits 6104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 6102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 6102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 6104 can read instructions stored in the memory 6102 and send the instructions to the processor 6101.

[0217] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited by FIG. 6a. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0218] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 6200 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. For communication device 6100, which may be a chip or a chip system, see the schematic diagram of chip 6200 shown in Figure 6b, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201, which are configured to invoke instructions to cause chip 6200 to execute any of the above methods.

[0219] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202, which are connected to memory 6203. Interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive signals from memory 6203 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read instructions stored in memory 6203 and send the instructions to processor 6201. Optionally, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver are interchangeable.

[0220] In some embodiments, the chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside the chip 6200.

[0221] The present disclosure also provides a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed on the communication device 6100, causes the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0222] The present disclosure further provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 6100, enables the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0223] The present disclosure also provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the above methods. Industrial Applicability

[0224] The scheduling flexibility of network devices can be improved, and the terminal can also effectively distinguish and classify different uses of DCI and reasonably apply DCI of different uses.

Claims

1. A method for receiving downlink control information, performed by a terminal, the method comprising: Receive downlink control information DCI sent by a network device, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate a purpose of the DCI; and the purpose of the DCI is one of the following: Scheduling uplink data, scheduling downlink data, scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data, sending control information, sending control information and scheduling uplink data, sending control information and scheduling downlink data, sending control information and scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: The control information includes at least one of the following commands: Request the terminal to send location related information, Require the terminal to report environmental measurement related information, The terminal is required to update system information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein: The method further comprises: A signaling sent by the network device is received, where the signaling is used to indicate which commands in the command set are included in the control information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein: The bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein: The number of bits is a value agreed upon by a protocol, or the number of bits is a value configured by the network device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The DCI is scrambled by a terminal-specific RNTI, a group-common RNTI, or a broadcast RNTI.

8. A method for sending downlink control information, performed by a network device, the method comprising: Sending downlink control information DCI to a terminal, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate a purpose of the DCI; The purpose of the DCI is one of the following: Scheduling uplink data, scheduling downlink data, scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data, sending control information, sending control information and scheduling uplink data, sending control information and scheduling downlink data, sending control information and scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein: The control information includes at least one of the following commands: Request the terminal to send location related information, Require the terminal to report environmental measurement related information, The terminal is required to update system information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein: The method further comprises: Sending signaling to the terminal, where the signaling is used to indicate which commands in the command set are included in the control information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein: The first information indicates that different DCIs for different purposes have the same number of bits.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein: The bit information of the DCI includes valid information bits and padding bits.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein: The number of bits is a value agreed upon by a protocol, or the number of bits is a value configured by the network device.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein: The DCI is scrambled by a terminal-specific RNTI, a group-common RNTI, or a broadcast RNTI.

15. A communication device, configured in a terminal, comprising: The transceiver module is configured to receive downlink control information DCI sent by a network device, wherein the DCI includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate the purpose of the DCI; the purpose of the DCI is one of the following: Scheduling uplink data, scheduling downlink data, scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data, sending control information, sending control information and scheduling uplink data, sending control information and scheduling downlink data, sending control information and scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data.

16. A communication device, configured in a network device, comprising: The transceiver module is configured to send downlink control information DCI to the terminal, where the DCI includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate the purpose of the DCI; the purpose of the DCI is one of the following: Scheduling uplink data, scheduling downlink data, scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data, sending control information, sending control information and scheduling uplink data, sending control information and scheduling downlink data, sending control information and scheduling uplink data and scheduling downlink data.

17. An electronic device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein: The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-7 or 8-14.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the instructions are called and executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7 or 8-14.

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