Signal transmission method, network node, communication system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a signal transmission method, a network node, a communication system and a storage medium, wherein the method applied to the network node comprises: determining a forwarding beam pattern used in a duration of a PRACH transmission occasion associated with an SS / PBCH block according to an association relationship between the SS / PBCH block and the PRACH transmission occasion, and frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion; and performing signal forwarding processing based on the forwarding beam pattern in the duration of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block. The present disclosure can implicitly indicate the forwarding beam pattern used by the network node in the related process of random access without the need for the network side to issue additional control information, can save control signaling, improve the utilization of network resources and spectral efficiency, and improve the reliability of the network node for signal forwarding.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, in particular to a signal transmission method, a network node, a communication system and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] IRS (Intelligent Reflecting Surface) devices, RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface) devices and the like are composed of a large number of low-cost electromagnetic units, and by adjusting the parameters of each unit, such as adjusting the phase, the reflection / transmission direction of the signal incident to the intelligent surface of the IRS device, RIS device and the like can be controlled, and the signal can be reflected / transmitted to the desired direction. Due to the low cost, low power consumption and easy deployment of RIS, it can become a candidate technology for 6G wireless communication. The IRS device, RIS device and the like network nodes can be controlled by the base station and are transparent to the UE (User Equipment). At present, in the cell search stage, the network side needs to issue additional control information to indicate the forwarding pattern adopted by the IRS device, RIS device and the like network nodes to assist signal transmission. SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, the present application aims to solve the technical problem of providing a signal transmission method, a network node, a communication system and a storage medium.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present application, a signal transmission method applied to a network node is provided, comprising: determining a forwarding beam pattern adopted in a duration of a PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) transmission occasion associated with an SS / PBCH (Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel) block in an SS / PBCH block group according to an association relationship between the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission occasion, and frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion; and performing signal forwarding based on the forwarding beam pattern in the duration of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block.

[0005] Optionally, capability group information is sent to the network side, wherein the capability group information includes forwarding beam switching capability and / or forwarding beam pattern generation capability information; the configuration information of the SS / PBCH block group sent by the network side is received, wherein the network side configures the configuration information based on the capability group information; and the SS / PBCH block group is determined according to the configuration information.

[0006] Optionally, the forwarding beam switching capability information comprises: a maximum time length for the network node to switch between forwarding beam patterns; and the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information comprises: capability information of the network node to forward an incident beam to a desired direction at a same time.

[0007] Optionally, the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information is determined by one or more capability identification bits.

[0008] Optionally, the number of the one or more capability identification bits is two; and the values of the two capability identification bits comprise: a first value, a second value, a third value and a fourth value; the first value represents that the network node has the capability to forward an incident beam of a single incoming direction to the desired direction at the same time; and the second value, the third value and the fourth value respectively represent that the network node has the capability to forward incident beams in a first angle range, a second angle range and a third angle range to the same desired direction at the same time.

[0009] Optionally, the SS / PBCH block group comprises: at least one SS / PBCH block; and the SS / PBCH block comprises a synchronization signal block (SSB) index.

[0010] Optionally, a time domain interval between the SS / PBCH blocks satisfies the forwarding beam switching capability; and / or, in a case that a PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH blocks is in a frequency division multiplexing manner, or a case that the SS / PBCH blocks are associated with a same PRACH transmission occasion, the network node satisfies the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information.

[0011] Optionally, the determination of the forwarding beam pattern used in a duration of a PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH blocks in the SS / PBCH block group according to an association relationship between the SS / PBCH blocks in the SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission occasion and frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion comprises: in a case that the frequency multiplexing information is not frequency multiplexing, and the association relationship is that one SS / PBCH block in one SS / PBCH block group is associated with one or more PRACH transmission occasions, or in a case that the frequency multiplexing information is frequency multiplexing, and the association relationship is that all PRACH transmission occasions at a same time are associated with one SS / PBCH block in one SS / PBCH block group, determining the forwarding beam pattern according to a beam pattern used for forwarding the one SS / PBCH block.

[0012] Optionally, the determining the forwarding beam pattern according to the beam pattern used for forwarding the one SS / PBCH block comprises: in the case that the uplink and downlink beams are different, determining the forwarding beam pattern to be the same as the beam pattern used for forwarding the one SS / PBCH block.

[0013] Optionally, the determining the forwarding beam pattern according to the beam pattern used for forwarding the one SS / PBCH block comprises: in the case that the uplink and downlink beams are different, determining the forwarding beam pattern to be the same as the beam pattern used for forwarding the one SS / PBCH block.

[0014] Optionally, the determining the forwarding beam pattern according to the association between the SS / PBCH blocks in the SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission occasion, and the frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion comprises: in the case that the frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion indicates no frequency multiplexing, and the association is that multiple SS / PBCH blocks in one SS / PBCH block group are associated with one PRACH transmission occasion, or in the case that the frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion indicates that frequency multiplexing is used, and the association is that multiple PRACH transmission occasions at the same time are associated with multiple SS / PBCH blocks in one SS / PBCH block group, determining the forwarding beam pattern according to the beam pattern used for forwarding the multiple SS / PBCH blocks.

[0015] Optionally, the determining the forwarding beam pattern according to the beam pattern used for forwarding the multiple SS / PBCH blocks comprises: determining multiple incident angle parameters according to the beam lobe directions of the beam pattern used for forwarding the multiple SS / PBCH blocks; and generating the forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device according to the multiple incident angle parameters.

[0016] Optionally, the network node comprises a wireless forwarding device with beamforming function.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a network node is provided, comprising: a pattern determination module configured to determine a repeating beam pattern to be used in a duration of a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission occasion associated with a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block in a SS / PBCH block group according to an association between the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission occasion and frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion; and a signal repeating module configured to perform a signal repeating process based on the repeating beam pattern in the duration of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block.

[0018] Optionally, an information reporting module is configured to report capability group information to a network side, wherein the capability group information comprises repeating beam switching capability and / or repeating beam pattern generation capability information; a configuration receiving module is configured to receive configuration information of the SS / PBCH block group sent by the network side, wherein the network side configures the configuration information based on the capability group information; and a block group determination module is configured to determine the SS / PBCH block group according to the configuration information.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a network node is provided, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method as described above based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising the network node as described above.

[0021] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is provided, the computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions, the instructions being executed by a processor to perform the method as described above.

[0022] The signal transmission method, the network node, the communication system and the storage medium of the present disclosure can implicitly indicate the repeating beam pattern to be used by the network node in the related process of random access without the need of additional control information issued by the network side, which can effectively save control signaling, improve the utilization of network resources and spectrum efficiency, and improve the reliability of data signal repeating of the network node; and has less demand for protocol changes and good practicability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: The accompanying drawings are provided to aid in understanding the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. The same or corresponding elements are referred to with the same or corresponding reference numerals in the several figures.

[0024] Figure 1 Flowchart for one embodiment of a signal transmission method according to the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 2 Flowchart for determining a SS / PBCH block group in one embodiment of a signal transmission method according to the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Diagram for generating a forwarding beam pattern;

[0027] Figure 5 Module diagram for one embodiment of a network node according to the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 Module diagram for another embodiment of a network node according to the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7 Module diagram for a pattern determination module in one embodiment of a network node according to the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 8 Module diagram for yet another embodiment of a relay terminal according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, all features that are described in the embodiments are not necessarily recited. It should be appreciated that many design choices can have been made in the development of an embodiment in order to achieve the specific objectives, such as compliance with business-related and device-related constraints that can vary from one implementation to another. Further, it should be appreciated that the development of an embodiment can be a very complex and time-consuming process that would necessitate a substantial expenditure of resources. However, the instant disclosure is not a description, enablement, or suggestion of the exact embodiment or design, and equally encompasses any alternative embodiment, substitute or design that is within the scope of the appended claims.

[0032] It should be noted that the relative arrangement of the components and steps illustrated in the embodiments set forth herein are not limiting of the scope of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the numerical expressions and values set forth in the specification and claims are approximations.

[0033] Those skilled in the art can understand that the terms "first", "second" and the like in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different steps, devices or modules, and do not represent any specific technical meaning, nor do they represent the inevitable logical sequence between them.

[0034] It should also be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, "multiple" can mean two or more, and "at least one" can mean one, two or more.

[0035] It should also be understood that for any component, data or structure mentioned in the embodiments of the present disclosure, it can be understood as one or more in general, without explicit limitation or in the context of the opposite indication.

[0036] In addition, the term "and / or" in the present disclosure is only a description of the association relationship between the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B together, and the existence of B alone. In addition, the character " / " in the present disclosure generally represents an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects.

[0037] It should also be understood that the description of various embodiments of the present disclosure focuses on the differences between various embodiments, and the same or similar parts can be referred to each other, and for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated.

[0038] At the same time, it should be understood that in order to facilitate the description, the size of each part shown in the drawings is not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0039] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or uses.

[0040] Techniques, methods, and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art can not be discussed in detail, but should be considered part of the specification where appropriate.

[0041] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings represent similar items, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be discussed further in subsequent drawings.

[0042] In addition, in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure due to unnecessary details, only the processing steps and / or device structures closely related to the scheme according to the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, and other details not closely related to the present disclosure are omitted. It should also be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the drawings indicate similar items, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be discussed further in subsequent drawings.

[0043] In the related art known to the inventors, when a user performs initial random access, PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) configuration information is indicated by a physical random access channel configuration index prach-ConfigurationIndex parameter in SIB1 (System Information Block 1), which has a value of an index value of 0-255, corresponding to a row index in a random access configuration table, and specifically indicates the following information: preamble format, system frame number of PRACH transmission, subframe number, starting OFDM symbol position, number of slots in a subframe for PRACH transmission, number of PRACH time domain transmission occasions in a PRACH slot, and number of PRACH symbols. The number of PRACH frequency domain transmission occasions is indicated by a msg1-FDM parameter of SIB1, which can be configured as {1, 2, 4, 8}. The total number of PRACH transmission occasions in a slot is determined by the number of PRACH time domain transmission occasions and the number of PRACH frequency domain transmission occasions.

[0044] A parameter ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB in SIB1 indicates the number of PRACH transmission occasions associated with each SSB (Synchronization Signal block) index, and has a value including {oneEighth, oneFourth, oneHalf, one, two, four, eight, sixteen}. For example, a value of "oneHalf" indicates that 1 SSB index is associated with 2 PRACH transmission occasions, and a value of "two" indicates that 2 SSB indexes are associated with 1 PRACH transmission occasion. Each value can correspond to a set of enumerated values, indicating the number of contention-based random access preambles corresponding to each SSB index. A value of "oneHalf{n4}" indicates that 1 SSB index is associated with 2 PRACH transmission occasions, and each SSB index corresponds to 4 contention preambles.

[0045] Each SSB index is associated with at least one PRACH transmission occasion, and the base station can indirectly obtain the SSB index information by detecting the PRACH transmission occasion adopted by the user. When the system is configured with N SSB indexes, the N SSB indexes are sequentially associated with the corresponding PRACH transmission occasions according to a certain rule; after completing one round of association, if there are remaining PRACH transmission occasions, these SSB indexes will continue to be associated with the remaining PRACH transmission occasions until the remaining PRACH transmission occasions are insufficient to support a complete round of SSB index association mapping. According to the related art, the remaining PRACH transmission occasions do not perform PRACH transmission.

[0046] The IRS device, RIS device, and the like network node can be controlled by the base station and is transparent to the UE (User Equipment), that is, the UE does not know the existence of the IRS device, RIS device, and the like network node. In the cell search stage, the IRS device, RIS device, and the like network node can use different beams to forward the broadcast signal (SSB) to different areas to expand the network coverage, so in the random access stage, the Msg1 sent by the user needs to be forwarded to the network side in different ROs (Random Access Channel Occasions), and the network side needs to issue additional control information to indicate the forwarding pattern adopted by the IRS device, RIS device, and the like network node for assisting signal transmission.

[0047] Figure 1 For the flowchart of one embodiment of the signal transmission method according to the present disclosure, the signal transmission method of the present disclosure is applied to a network node, such as Figure 1 as shown:

[0048] In step 101, according to the association relationship between the Synchronization / Physical Broadcast Channel block (SS / PBCH block) in the SS / PBCH block group and the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission occasion, and the frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion, a forwarding beam pattern is determined to be used in the duration of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group.

[0049] In one embodiment, the forwarding beam pattern can also be referred to as a reflection pattern and the like, and the forwarding beam pattern refers to the beamforming pattern adopted by the network node when forwarding the signal. The forwarding beam pattern represents a specific electromagnetic wave spatial field strength formed by beamforming, for example, the forwarding beam pattern can be a certain electromagnetic wave pattern with a specific reflection / transmission pattern formed by adjusting the electromagnetic elements, or it can be a reflection / transmission electromagnetic wave pattern pointing to a certain specific direction.

[0050] The network node includes a beamforming-enabled wireless forwarding device, such as an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) device, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) device, a network-controlled relay, and the like.

[0051] At step 102, the signal is forwarded based on the forwarding beam pattern within the duration of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block.

[0052] In one embodiment, the network node uses the determined forwarding beam pattern to assist transmission within the duration of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with each SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group. The network node can use different beams to forward broadcast signals to different areas to expand network coverage during the cell search stage, and needs to forward the random access sequence Msg1 sent by the user to the network side on different ROs during the random access stage.

[0053] The signal transmission method of the present disclosure determines the forwarding beam pattern of the network node for assisting random access according to the correlation between the SSB and the RO, which can implicitly indicate the forwarding beam pattern used by the network node in the relevant process of random access without the need for the network side to issue additional control information, thereby effectively saving control signaling, improving the utilization of network resources and spectral efficiency, and improving the reliability of data signal forwarding by the network node.

[0054] Figure 2 A flowchart for determining the SS / PBCH block group in one embodiment of the signal transmission method according to the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 2A. Figure 2

[0055] At step 201, the capability group information is sent to the network side, wherein the capability group information includes forwarding beam switching capability and / or forwarding beam pattern generation capability information, and the like.

[0056] In one embodiment, the forwarding beam switching capability information includes the maximum duration of switching between forwarding beam patterns by the network node, i.e., the maximum value of the switching time required by the network node to switch from any forwarding beam pattern (reflection pattern) to another forwarding beam pattern, which can be in units of symbol number, time slot number, or common time unit, such as seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, and the like.

[0057] ​The forwarding beam pattern generation capability information includes information of the capability of the network node to forward incident beams to a desired direction at the same time, i.e., whether the network node has the capability to forward beams of different incoming directions to the same desired direction at the same time. The forwarding beam pattern generation capability information can be determined by one or more capability identification bits, and the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information can be transmitted using one or more capability identification bits. When the number of capability identification bits is one bit, the value of the capability identification bit is 0, indicating that the network node does not have the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information; the value of the capability identification bit is 1, indicating that the network node has the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information.

[0058] When the number of capability identification bits is two, the values of the two capability identification bits include a first value, a second value, a third value and a fourth value. The first value represents that the network node has the capability to forward incident beams of a single incoming direction to a desired direction at the same time; the second value, the third value and the fourth value respectively represent that the network node has the capability to forward incident beams in a first angle range, a second angle range and a third angle range to the same desired direction at the same time.

[0059] For example, the first value, the second value, the third value and the fourth value are "00", "01", "10" and "11" respectively. The value of the two capability identification bits is "00", indicating that the network node can only forward incident beams of a single direction to a desired direction; the value of the two capability identification bits is "01", indicating that the network node can simultaneously forward multiple beams in a first angle range to the same desired direction; the value of the two capability identification bits is "10", indicating that the network node can simultaneously forward multiple beams in a second angle range to the same desired direction; the value of the two capability identification bits is "11", indicating that the network node can simultaneously forward multiple beams in a third angle range to the same desired direction. The first angle range, the second angle range and the third angle range represent that a specific incident angle range can be set to multiple angle ranges. For example, the first angle range, the second angle range and the third angle range are -30°-30°, -45°-45° or -60°-60° of the normal line of the antenna or surface of the network node, etc.

[0060] Step 202, receiving the configuration information of the SS / PBCH block group sent by the network side; wherein the network side configures the configuration information of the SS / PBCH block group based on the capability group information.

[0061] In one embodiment, the SS / PBCH block group includes at least one SS / PBCH block, the SS / PBCH block is configured with a synchronization signal block (SSB) index, and the SS / PBCH block contains the SSB index. The device on the network side includes a base station and the like, and the network node determines the SS / PBCH block group according to the configuration information sent by the base station and the like on the network side. The SS / PBCH block group on the network side includes one or more SS / PBCH blocks, and the plurality of SS / PBCH blocks have different SSB indexes.

[0062] The time domain interval between the SS / PBCH blocks satisfies the forwarding beam switching capability. In the case of frequency division multiplexing of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block, or the case where a plurality of SS / PBCH blocks are associated with the same PRACH transmission occasion, the network node satisfies the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information.

[0063] For example, the network side configures the time domain interval between the SS / PBCH blocks in the SS / PBCH block group to satisfy the forwarding beam switching capability of the network node. If the network side configures the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group to be frequency division multiplexed, or a plurality of SS / PBCH blocks are associated with the same PRACH transmission occasion, the network node satisfies the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information. The SS / PBCH blocks in the SS / PBCH block group are forwarded to different directions by the network node using beamforming, realizing coverage of different areas.

[0064] Step 203, determining the SS / PBCH block group according to the configuration information.

[0065] In one embodiment, a plurality of methods can be used to determine the forwarding beam pattern of the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group in the duration of the associated PRACH transmission occasion. In the case of no frequency reuse and the association relationship of one SS / PBCH block in one SS / PBCH block group being associated with one or more PRACH transmission occasions, or in the case of frequency reuse and the association relationship of all PRACH transmission occasions at the same time being associated with one SS / PBCH block in one SS / PBCH block group, the forwarding beam pattern is determined according to the beam pattern used by the forwarding SS / PBCH block.

[0066] The forwarding beam pattern can be determined using various methods according to the beam pattern adopted by the SS / PBCH block. For example, in the case of the existence of uplink-downlink beam reciprocity, the forwarding beam pattern is determined to be the same as the beam pattern adopted by the forwarded SS / PBCH block; in the case of the absence of uplink-downlink beam reciprocity, the incident angle parameter is determined according to the beam lobe direction of the beam pattern adopted by the forwarded SS / PBCH block, and the forwarding beam pattern is determined according to the incident angle parameter, that is, the forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device is generated according to the incident angle parameter, and the network device includes various base stations and the like.

[0067] In one embodiment, the network node determines the forwarding beam pattern adopted by the network node in the one or more PRACH transmission occasions associated with each SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group according to the association relationship between the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group and the one or more PRACH transmission occasions, the frequency multiplexing parameter of the PRACH transmission occasion configured by the network side, and the network node.

[0068] In the case where the PRACH transmission occasion configured by the network side has no frequency multiplexing (for example, the value of the frequency multiplexing parameter of the PRACH transmission occasion configured by the network side is 1), and according to the association relationship between the SS / PBCH block group and the one or more PRACH transmission occasions, it is determined that the one or more PRACH transmission occasions are only associated with one SS / PBCH block in one SS / PBCH block group, or in the case where the PRACH transmission occasion configured by the network side has frequency multiplexing (for example, the value of the frequency multiplexing parameter of the PRACH transmission occasion configured by the network side is not 1, but 2, 4, 8, etc.), and according to the association relationship between the SS / PBCH block group and the one or more PRACH transmission occasions, it is determined that all frequency multiplexed PRACH transmission occasions at the same time are only associated with one SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group, the network node determines the forwarding beam pattern adopted by the network node in the one or more PRACH transmission occasions according to one SS / PBCH block. The network node determines the forwarding beam pattern adopted by the network node in the one or more PRACH transmission occasions according to the beam pattern adopted by the forwarded SS / PBCH block, as shown in Figure 3 .

[0069] In the case where the uplink-downlink beam reciprocity exists, the forwarding beam pattern adopted by the network node in the one or more PRACH transmission occasions is determined to be consistent with the forwarding beam pattern adopted by the forwarded SS / PBCH block. In the case where the uplink-downlink beam reciprocity does not exist, the incident angle parameter is determined according to the beam lobe direction of the beam pattern adopted by the SS / PBCH block (the incident angle is the opposite direction of the beam lobe direction), and the forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device such as a base station is generated according to the incident angle parameter.

[0070] In one embodiment, in the case that the frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion is no frequency multiplexing, and the association relationship is that multiple SS / PBCH blocks are associated with one PRACH transmission occasion, or in the case that the frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion is frequency multiplexing, and the association relationship is that multiple PRACH transmission occasions at the same time are associated with multiple SS / PBCH blocks, the forwarding beam pattern is determined according to the beam pattern used by the forwarding SS / PBCH block. The forwarding beam pattern can be determined in various ways, for example, multiple incident angle parameters are determined according to the beam main lobe direction of the beam pattern used by the forwarding multiple SS / PBCH blocks; and the forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device is generated according to the multiple incident angle parameters.

[0071] In one embodiment, the network side configured PRACH transmission occasion has no frequency multiplexing (for example, the value of the frequency multiplexing parameter of the network side configured PRACH transmission occasion is 1), and according to the association relationship between the SS / PBCH block group and one or more PRACH transmission occasions, it is determined that one PRACH transmission occasion is associated with multiple SS / PBCH blocks in the SS / PBCH block group, or the network side configures the frequency multiplexed PRACH transmission occasion (for example, the value of the frequency multiplexing parameter of the network side configured PRACH transmission occasion is not 1, but 2, 4, 8, etc.), and according to the association relationship between the SS / PBCH block group and one or more PRACH transmission occasions, it is determined that multiple (all) frequency multiplexed PRACH transmission occasions at the same time are associated with multiple SS / PBCH blocks in the SS / PBCH block group, the network node determines multiple incident angle parameters according to the beam main lobe direction of the beam pattern used by the forwarding multiple SS / PBCH blocks (the multiple incident angles are the opposite directions of the multiple beam main lobe directions), and generates a forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device according to the multiple incident angle parameters, as shown in Figure 4 The forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device can be generated according to the multiple incident angle parameters using various existing methods.

[0072] The signal transmission method of the present disclosure determines the forwarding beam pattern of the network node assisted random access according to the correlation between the SSB and the RO, which can implicitly indicate the forwarding beam pattern used by the network node in the related process of random access without the need for the network side to issue additional control information. By implicitly indicating the forwarding pattern, control signaling can be effectively saved, the utilization of network resources and the spectral efficiency are improved, and the reliability of the network node in forwarding data signals is improved. In addition, the demand for protocol changes is small, and it has good practicability.

[0073] In one embodiment, as Figure 5As shown, the present disclosure provides a network node 50, comprising: a pattern determining module 51 and a signal forwarding module 52. The pattern determining module 51 determines a forwarding beam pattern used in a duration of a PRACH transmission occasion associated with a SS / PBCH block according to an association relationship between the SS / PBCH block in a SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission occasion, and frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion. The signal forwarding module 52 performs signal forwarding processing based on the forwarding beam pattern in the duration of the PRACH transmission occasion associated with the SS / PBCH block.

[0074] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 6 The network node 50 further comprises an information reporting module 53, a configuration receiving module 54 and a block group determining module 55. The information reporting module 53 sends capability group information to the network side, the capability group information including information such as forwarding beam switching capability and / or forwarding beam pattern generation capability information. The configuration receiving module 54 receives configuration information of the SS / PBCH block group sent by the network side, and the network side configures the configuration information of the SS / PBCH block group based on the capability group information; the block group determining module 55 determines the SS / PBCH block group according to the configuration information.

[0075] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 7 The pattern determining module 51 comprises a first determining unit 511 and a second determining unit 512. The first determining unit 511 determines the forwarding beam pattern according to a beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block in the case that the frequency multiplexing information is not using frequency multiplexing, and the association relationship is that one SS / PBCH block in one SS / PBCH block group is associated with one or more PRACH transmission occasions, or, the first determining unit 511 determines the forwarding beam pattern according to a beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block in the case that the frequency multiplexing information is using frequency multiplexing, and the association relationship is that all PRACH transmission occasions at the same time are associated with one SS / PBCH block in one SS / PBCH block group.

[0076] The first determining unit 511 determines that the forwarding beam pattern is the same as the beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block in the case that the uplink and downlink beam reciprocity exists. The first determining unit 511 determines an incident angle parameter according to a beam main lobe direction of the beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block in the case that the uplink and downlink beam reciprocity does not exist, and determines the forwarding beam pattern according to the incident angle parameter.

[0077] When the frequency reuse information of the PRACH transmission timing is that frequency reuse is not used and the association relationship is that multiple SS / PBCH blocks are associated with one PRACH transmission timing, or when the frequency reuse information of the PRACH transmission timing is that frequency reuse is used and the association relationship is that multiple PRACH transmission timings at the same time are associated with multiple SS / PBCH blocks, the second determining unit 512 determines the forwarding beam pattern based on the beam pattern adopted by the SS / PBCH block.

[0078] The second determining unit 512 determines multiple incident angle parameters based on the main lobe direction of the beam pattern used for forwarding multiple SS / PBCH blocks, and generates a forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device based on the multiple incident angle parameters.

[0079] In one embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, a network node may include a memory 81, a processor 82, a communication interface 83, and a bus 84. The memory 81 is used to store instructions, and the processor 82 is coupled to the memory 81. The processor 82 is configured to execute the signal transmission method described above based on the instructions stored in the memory 81.

[0080] The memory 81 can be a high-speed RAM, non-volatile memory, or a memory array. The memory 81 may also be divided into blocks, and these blocks can be combined into virtual volumes according to certain rules. The processor 82 can be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the signal transmission method of this disclosure.

[0081] In one embodiment, this disclosure provides a communication system including network nodes as described in any of the above embodiments. The communication system can be a 5G (5th generation) communication system, a 6G (6th generation) communication system, etc. The network nodes include intelligent reflective surface (IRS) devices and reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) devices.

[0082] In one embodiment, this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0083] The computer readable storage medium can take the form of one or more combinations of any type of computer readable media. The computer readable media can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium can include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disc, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0084] Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be a computer program product which includes computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of the methods described in the above “Exemplary Methods” section according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0085] The signal transmission method, network node, communication system and storage medium in the above embodiments determine the forwarding beam pattern of the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group in the duration of the associated PRACH transmission occasion and perform signal forwarding processing based on the forwarding beam pattern according to the association relationship between the SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission occasion and the frequency multiplexing information of the PRACH transmission occasion; the forwarding beam pattern of the network node assisted random access can be determined according to the correlation between the SSB and the RO, the forwarding beam pattern used by the network node in the related process of random access can be implicitly indicated without the need for the network side to issue additional control information, the forwarding pattern can be implicitly indicated to effectively save control signaling, improve the utilization of network resources and spectral efficiency, and improve the reliability of the network node in forwarding data signals; the demand for protocol changes is small, and it has good practicability; it can save network deployment cost, ensure service quality, and improve user experience.

[0086] The above describes the basic principles of the present disclosure in combination with specific embodiments, but it should be pointed out that the advantages, advantages, effects and the like mentioned in the present disclosure are only examples and not limitations, and these advantages, advantages, effects and the like cannot be considered as the must-have of each embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, the above specific details are only for the purpose of example and for the purpose of understanding, and are not limited to the above specific details, and the above specific details do not limit the present disclosure to be implemented by the above specific details.

[0087] Each of the embodiments described in this specification has at least one advantage in terms of the following aspects 1 to 10.

[0088] The block diagrams of the devices, apparatuses, equipment, systems involved in the present disclosure are only illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the connection, arrangement, configuration must be as shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, equipment, systems can be connected, arranged, configured in any manner. Words such as "include", "contain", "have", and the like are open-ended words, mean "including but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably. The words "or" and "and" used herein mean the word "and / or", and can be used interchangeably unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The word "such as" used herein means the phrase "such as but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably.

[0089] It should also be noted that in the devices, apparatuses and methods of the present disclosure, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined. These decompositions and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions of the present disclosure.

[0090] The above description of disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0091] The above description has been given for the purpose of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description does not intend to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although a number of example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the above-described embodiments can be combined, modified, or replaced without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A signal transmission method applied to a network node, comprising: Based on the correlation between the synchronization signal and the SS / PBCH block in the physical broadcast channel SS / PBCH block group and the transmission timing of the physical random access channel PRACH, and the frequency reuse information of the PRACH transmission timing, the forwarding beam pattern to be used during the duration of the PRACH transmission timing associated with the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group is determined. During the duration of the PRACH transmission opportunity associated with the SS / PBCH block, the signal is forwarded based on the forwarding beam pattern; The determination of the forwarding beam pattern used during the duration of the PRACH transmission opportunity associated with the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group includes: When the frequency reuse information indicates that frequency reuse is not used, and the association is that one SS / PBCH block in an SS / PBCH block group is associated with one or more PRACH transmission opportunities, or when the frequency reuse information indicates that frequency reuse is used, and the association is that all PRACH transmission opportunities at the same time are associated with one SS / PBCH block in an SS / PBCH block group, the forwarding beam pattern is determined based on the beam pattern used to forward the SS / PBCH block.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Send capability group information to the network side; wherein, the capability group information includes: forwarding beam switching capability and / or forwarding beam pattern generation capability information; The network side receives configuration information for the SS / PBCH block group sent by the network side; wherein the network side configures the configuration information based on the capability group information. The SS / PBCH block group is determined based on the configuration information.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein, The forwarding beam switching capability information includes: the maximum duration for which the network node switches between forwarding beam patterns; The forwarding beam pattern generation capability information includes: the ability of the network node to forward the incident beam to the desired direction at the same time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The forwarding beam pattern generation capability information is determined by one or more capability identifier bits.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The number of the multiple capability identifier bits is two; The values ​​of the two capability identifier bits include: a first value, a second value, a third value, and a fourth value; The first value represents the ability of the network node to forward the incident beam from a single direction of arrival to the desired direction at the same time; The second value, the third value, and the fourth value respectively characterize the network node's ability to forward incident beams within the first angle range, the second angle range, and the third angle range to the same desired direction at the same time.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein, The SS / PBCH block group includes: at least one SS / PBCH block; the SS / PBCH block contains a synchronization signal block SSB index.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The time-domain interval between the SS / PBCH blocks satisfies the forwarding beam switching capability; and / or When the PRACH transmission timing associated with the SS / PBCH block is in frequency division multiplexing mode, or when multiple SS / PBCH blocks are associated with the same PRACH transmission timing, the network node satisfies the forwarding beam pattern generation capability information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the forwarding beam pattern based on the forwarding beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block comprises: In the case of uplink and downlink beam heterogeneity, it is determined that the forwarding beam pattern is the same as the beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the forwarding beam pattern based on the forwarding beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block comprises: In the absence of uplink and downlink beam heterogeneity, the incident angle parameters are determined based on the main lobe direction of the beam pattern used in forwarding the SS / PBCH block. Based on the incident angle parameters, the forwarding beam pattern pointing towards the network device is generated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the forwarding beam pattern used during the duration of the PRACH transmission opportunity associated with the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group, based on the association between the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission opportunity, and the frequency reuse information of the PRACH transmission opportunity, comprises: When the frequency reuse information of the PRACH transmission timing indicates no frequency reuse and the association is that multiple SS / PBCH blocks in an SS / PBCH block group are associated with a PRACH transmission timing, or when the frequency reuse information of the PRACH transmission timing indicates the use of frequency reuse and the association is that all PRACH transmission timings at the same time are associated with multiple SS / PBCH blocks in an SS / PBCH block group, the forwarding beam pattern is determined based on the beam pattern used to forward the multiple SS / PBCH blocks.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the forwarding beam pattern based on the beam pattern used for forwarding the plurality of SS / PBCH blocks comprises: Multiple incident angle parameters are determined based on the beam main lobe direction of the beam pattern used by the multiple SS / PBCH blocks being forwarded; Based on the multiple incident angle parameters, a forwarding beam pattern pointing to the network device is generated.

12. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The network nodes include: wireless forwarding devices with beamforming capabilities.

13. A network node, comprising: The pattern determination module is used to determine the forwarding beam pattern to be used during the duration of the PRACH transmission opportunity associated with the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block group, based on the correlation between the synchronization signal and the SS / PBCH block in the physical broadcast channel SS / PBCH block group and the PRACH transmission opportunity, and the frequency reuse information of the PRACH transmission opportunity. The signal forwarding module is used to perform signal forwarding processing based on the forwarding beam pattern during the duration of the PRACH transmission opportunity associated with the SS / PBCH block. The pattern determination module includes: The first determining unit is configured to determine the forwarding beam pattern based on the beam pattern used for forwarding the SS / PBCH block when the frequency reuse information indicates that frequency reuse is not used and the association relationship is that one SS / PBCH block in an SS / PBCH block group is associated with one or more PRACH transmission opportunities, or when the frequency reuse information indicates that frequency reuse is used and the association relationship is that all PRACH transmission opportunities at the same time are associated with one SS / PBCH block in an SS / PBCH block group.

14. The network node of claim 13, further comprising: The information reporting module is used to send capability group information to the network side; wherein, the capability group information includes: forwarding beam switching capability and / or forwarding beam pattern generation capability information; A configuration receiving module is configured to receive configuration information of the SS / PBCH block group sent by the network side; wherein the network side configures the configuration information based on the capability group information; The block group determination module is used to determine the SS / PBCH block group based on the configuration information.

15. A network node, comprising: Memory; And a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12 based on instructions stored in the memory.

16. A communication system, comprising: The network node as described in any one of claims 13 to 15.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that are executed by a processor according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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