Communication method, device and system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method, device and system, and the method comprises the steps that a first module of a repeater obtains a first timing, the first timing is at least used for the first module to receive a signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and / or the first module of the repeater obtains a second timing, and the second timing is at least used for the first module to receive a signal from a second network device in a second frequency band; the second timing is at least used for the first module to send a signal to the first network device in a first frequency band; the first module obtains a third timing at least for a second module of the repeater to receive a third signal from a second network device at a second frequency band, the third signal being used for being forwarded, and / or the first module obtains a fourth timing at which the second module receives a third signal from a second network device at a second frequency band, the third signal being used for being forwarded. The fourth timing is at least used for the second module to forward a processed fourth signal from the terminal equipment to the second network equipment in a second frequency band; the first frequency band and the second frequency band are not overlapped in a frequency domain.

Description

Communication method, device and system Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications. Background Art

[0002] Compared to traditional 2G (second-generation mobile communication technology), 3G (third-generation mobile communication technology), and 4G (fourth-generation mobile communication technology) systems, 5G (fifth-generation mobile communication technology) systems offer greater bandwidth and higher data rates, and can support a wider range of terminal types and vertical services. To this end, the frequency band range / operating bandwidth supported by 5G systems is significantly larger than that of 2G, 3G, and 4G systems, and 5G systems support higher carrier frequencies. For example, 5G systems can be deployed in the millimeter wave band.

[0003] However, the higher the carrier frequency, the more severe the signal fading during transmission. Therefore, in the actual deployment of 5G systems, especially in the millimeter wave band, how to better enhance cell coverage has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0004] To better address coverage issues in practical deployments of cellular mobile communication systems, RF relays (RF repeaters) are commonly used to amplify and forward signals between devices. RF repeaters are widely used in 2G, 3G, and 4G system deployments. Their advantages include low cost, ease of deployment, and minimal latency. Generally speaking, an RF repeater is a device that amplifies and forwards signals between devices in the RF domain. In other words, an RF repeater is a non-regenerative relay node that simply amplifies and forwards all received signals.

[0005] Furthermore, traditional RF transponders lack communication capabilities. In other words, they cannot exchange information with other devices (e.g., base stations / terminal devices). Specifically, in terms of reception, traditional RF transponders do not support measurement, demodulation, or decoding of received signals. In terms of transmission, traditional RF transponders only amplify and forward received RF signals and do not support signal generation or transmission.

[0006] Therefore, the operational configuration of traditional RF repeaters (e.g., antenna direction (beam direction and / or width (or size)), forwarding direction, on / off state, amplification gain, etc.) is not controlled by the network and is usually manually set or adjusted. For example, antenna direction is often manually set and adjusted during initial installation so that the base station antenna points in the direction of the base station's incoming waves and the terminal antenna points to the location where the enhanced deployment is required.

[0007] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is merely intended to provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of this application and facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Simply because these solutions are described in the background technology section of this application, it should not be assumed that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0008] Summary of the Invention

[0009] The inventors have discovered that using traditional RF repeaters for coverage enhancement is a viable solution to the coverage issues encountered during 5G system deployment. However, because the operating configuration of traditional RF repeaters (e.g., antenna direction (beam direction and / or width (or size)), forwarding direction, switching state, amplification gain, etc.) is not controlled by the network, on the one hand, their effectiveness in amplifying and forwarding the target signal may not be ideal, and on the other hand, they may cause significant interference to other devices in the network, increasing the system's noise and interference levels, and thus reducing network throughput.

[0010] Taking antenna direction as an example, compared with 2G, 3G and 4G systems, 5G systems use more advanced and complex MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) technology. In 5G systems, especially for higher carrier frequencies, directional antennas become basic components of base stations and terminal devices, and sending and receiving signals based on beamforming technology is the basic signal transmission method in 5G systems. The (analog) beam direction, width (size), etc. of base stations and terminal devices may change dynamically due to factors such as position changes (that is, beam switching). However, the antenna of a traditional RF repeater cannot dynamically adjust its direction and has a wider beam. The beam direction and beam width of its transceiver antenna cannot flexibly match the position of the base station and terminal equipment and the dynamic changes in the beam direction and width of the transceiver antenna.

[0011] Figure 1 is an example of a transceiver antenna of an RF transponder deployed in a 5G system. As shown in Figure 1, when such an RF transponder is configured in a 5G system, on the one hand, the performance / effect of amplifying / enhancing the target signal may not be significant due to the mismatch between the beam direction and beam width of its transceiver antenna and the dynamic changes in the beam direction and width of the transceiver antennas of the base station and terminal equipment. On the other hand, due to the use of a wider transmission beam, it may also cause significant interference to other devices (such as base stations or terminal equipment) within a larger range, thereby increasing the noise and interference level of the entire system and thereby reducing network throughput.

[0012] To address at least one of the aforementioned issues, the network (base station) can exercise some control over the operational configuration of the RF transponder. To enable network control of the RF transponder's operational configuration, information exchange between the network (base station) and the RF transponder is required, enabling the RF transponder to set and / or adjust operational configurations, such as antenna direction (beam direction and / or width (or size)), forwarding direction, on / off status, and amplification gain, based on instructions from the network (base station). In other words, the RF transponder has communication capabilities to receive (demodulate / measure / decode / interpret, etc.) information sent by the network (base station) and / or to send information to the network (base station).

[0013] However, there is currently no specific method for how to support the above information interaction and how the radio frequency repeater works while supporting the above information interaction.

[0014] To address the above issues, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, apparatus, and system to support information interaction between a network device (base station) and a radio frequency repeater, so that the radio frequency repeater operates while supporting the above information interaction.

[0015] In the embodiment of the present application, it relates to the timing for transmitting and receiving signals by a radio frequency repeater when supporting information interaction with a network.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, configured in a repeater, the device comprising a first module and a second module, wherein:

[0017] The first module acquires a first timing, where the first timing is at least used for the first module to receive a signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and / or the first module acquires a second timing, where the second timing is at least used for the first module to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band;

[0018] The first module acquires a third timing, where the third timing is at least used for the second module to receive a third signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, where the third signal is to be forwarded; and / or the first module acquires a fourth timing, where the fourth timing is at least used for the second module to forward a processed fourth signal from the terminal device to the second network device in the second frequency band;

[0019] The first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0020] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application is that: according to the embodiments of the present application, by obtaining the first timing and / or the second timing, communication (information interaction) between the repeater and the base station (first network device) can be achieved. In addition, by obtaining the third timing and / or the fourth timing, the repeater can forward the signal between the base station (second network device) and the terminal device.

[0021] With reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, indicating the manner in which the principles of the present application can be employed. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the embodiments of the present application include many variations, modifications and equivalents.

[0022] Features described and / or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The elements and features described in one figure or one embodiment of the present application can be combined with the elements and features shown in one or more other figures or embodiments. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals represent corresponding parts in several figures and can be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one embodiment.

[0024] The included drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application, which constitute a part of the specification, are used to illustrate the implementation methods of the present application, and together with the text description, explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive work. In the drawings:

[0025] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a transceiver antenna of a radio frequency transponder deployed in a 5G system;

[0026] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an example of NCR;

[0027] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an example of an implementation scenario of an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the link and the frequency range of NCR;

[0029] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture corresponding to the method of FIG5 ;

[0031] FIG7 is another schematic diagram of a network architecture corresponding to the method of FIG5 ;

[0032] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a timing advance;

[0033] FIG9 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between a frequency range (FR) and a frequency band within the frequency range in terms of frequency;

[0034] FIG10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between a frequency band and a carrier in the frequency band in terms of frequency;

[0035] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an example of a repeater receiving a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another example of a repeater receiving a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of an example of a repeater sending a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of another example of a repeater receiving a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of an example of a repeater forwarding a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a transponder according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The above and other features of the present application will become apparent through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description and the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, which illustrate some embodiments in which the principles of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the described embodiments. On the contrary, the present application includes all modifications, variations and equivalents that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different elements from the name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or temporal order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprising", "including", "having", etc. refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components or components.

[0045] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc. include plural forms and should be broadly understood to mean "a" or "a type" rather than being limited to "one." Furthermore, the term "said" should be understood to include both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the term "according to" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", and the term "based on" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0046] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" may refer to a network that complies with any of the following communication standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), enhanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A, LTE-Advanced), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc.

[0047] Furthermore, communication between devices in the communication system may be carried out according to communication protocols of any stage, for example, including but not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and future 5G, New Radio (NR), etc., and / or other currently known or future communication protocols to be developed.

[0048] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device in a communication system that connects a terminal device to the communication network and provides services to the terminal device. Network devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: base station (BS), access point (AP), transmission reception point (TRP), broadcast transmitter, mobile management entity (MME), gateway, server, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), etc.

[0049] Base stations may include, but are not limited to, NodeBs (NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), and 5G base stations (gNBs), among others. They may also include remote radio heads (RRHs), remote radio units (RRUs), relays, or low-power nodes (e.g., femto and pico). The term "base station" may include some or all of these functions, and each base station may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. The term "cell" may refer to a base station and / or its coverage area, depending on the context in which it is used.

[0050] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "user equipment" (UE) refers to, for example, a device that accesses a communication network through a network device and receives network services, and may also be referred to as "terminal equipment" (TE). Terminal equipment may be fixed or mobile, and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), terminal, user, subscriber station (SS), access terminal (AT), station, etc.

[0051] Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, wireless communication devices, handheld devices, machine-type communication devices, laptop computers, cordless phones, smartphones, smart watches, digital cameras, etc.

[0052] For another example, in scenarios such as the Internet of Things (IoT), the terminal device can also be a machine or device for monitoring or measurement, including but not limited to: machine type communication (MTC) terminal, vehicle-mounted communication terminal, device-to-device (D2D) terminal, machine-to-machine (M2M) terminal, and so on.

[0053] In order to make the embodiments of the present application easier to understand, the terms and scenarios involved in the embodiments of the present application are illustrated below.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, the radio frequency repeater with the aforementioned communication function may be called an NCR (network-controlled repeater) or an SR (smart repeater), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0055] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of the NCR. As shown in Figure 2, the NCR 21 is functionally divided into two parts: NCR-MT (Mobile Termination) 211 and NCR-Fwd (Forwarding) 212. The NCR-MT 211 is used to communicate with the gNB 22 via a control link (C-link) to exchange information. The exchanged information includes, for example, side control information. The control link is based on the Uu interface of the NR, and the side control information is used to control at least the NCR-Fwd 212. In addition, the NCR-Fwd 212 is used to perform UL (uplink) and / or DL ​​(downlink) radio frequency (RF) signal amplification and forwarding between the gNB 22 and the UE 23 via the backhaul link (B-link) and the access link (A-link). The behavior of the NCR-Fwd 212 is controlled according to the side control information and / or other information received from the gNB 22.

[0056] In the above example, the number of gNBs 22 and UEs 23 can be one or more. The gNBs communicating with the NCR-MT and the gNBs whose RF signals are amplified and forwarded by the NCR-Fwd may or may not overlap.

[0057] Currently, NR supports a wide frequency range. As of NR Rel-17, multiple frequency ranges have been defined, such as FR1 and FR2. FR2 can be further divided into FR2-1 and FR2-2.

[0058] Because high frequencies (such as FR2) have a smaller coverage area, using them to ensure basic coverage (e.g., supporting initial UE access and establishing / reestablishing RRC connections) requires deploying a large number of sites at a high density, which is costly. Therefore, in current deployments, some operators use low frequencies (e.g., FR1) to ensure basic coverage, while high frequencies (e.g., FR2) are used as hotspot coverage for traffic offload or capacity enhancement, but not for ensuring basic coverage (e.g., not supporting initial UE access and establishing / reestablishing RRC connections).

[0059] At the same time, since high-frequency coverage is small and signals are easily blocked, NCR may only be used to amplify and forward high-frequency signals, but not to amplify and forward low-frequency signals.

[0060] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example implementation scenario of an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3 , NCR 31 communicates with first gNB 32 via a control link (C-link) to exchange information. The control link is based on the NR Uu interface. In addition, NCR 31 can also perform UL (uplink) / DL (downlink) radio frequency signal amplification and forwarding between second gNB 34 and UE 33 via a backhaul link and an access link. For example, it can perform amplification and forwarding based on information received from first gNB 32.

[0061] In addition, in the scenario of Figure 3, NCR 31 performs signal amplification and forwarding operations between the second gNB 34 and UE 33 at a high frequency (e.g., FR2), and performs communication operations with the first gNB 32 at a low frequency (e.g., FR1), but the present application is not limited to this. The scenario of Figure 3 is only an example. For example, NCR 31 can also perform signal amplification and forwarding operations between the first gNB 32 and UE 33 at a low frequency (e.g., FR1), and / or perform communication operations with the first gNB 32 at a high frequency (e.g., FR2); for another example, the second gNB 34 and the first gNB 32 can also be the same, etc.

[0062] In the example of Figure 3, the first gNB 32 and the second gNB 34 can be the same network device or different network devices. The meaning of the network device has been explained above and will not be repeated here.

[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the NCR link and the frequency range. As shown in Figure 4, the frequency range involved in the control link is FR1 or FR1 and FR2, that is, the NCR-MT can receive and / or send physical signals in FR1 or FR1 and FR2; the frequency range involved in the backhaul link and the access link is FR2, that is, the NCR-Fwd amplifies and forwards the RF signal in FR2.

[0064] The following describes various implementations of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These implementations are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0065] Embodiments of the first aspect

[0066] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method.

[0067] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG5 , the method includes:

[0068] 501: A first module of a repeater obtains a first timing, where the first timing is at least used for the first module to receive a signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and / or the first module of the repeater obtains a second timing, where the second timing is at least used for the first module to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band.

[0069] 502: The first module obtains a third timing, and the third timing is at least used for the second module of the repeater to receive a third signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, and the third signal is used to be forwarded, and / or the first module obtains a fourth timing, and the fourth timing is at least used for the second module to forward the processed fourth signal from the terminal device to the second network device in the second frequency band; the first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present application, the first timing and / or the second timing are used for the first module of the repeater to communicate with the network device (first network device) in the first frequency band; the third timing and / or the fourth timing are used for the second module of the repeater to forward the signal (radio frequency signal) between the network device (second network device) and the terminal device in the second frequency band. Thus, it is possible to realize communication (information interaction) between the repeater and the base station (first network device) in the first frequency band, and the repeater forwards the signal between the base station (second network device) and the terminal device in the second frequency band. In addition, the first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap in the frequency domain, and the repeater can operate in a network deployment scenario where different frequency bands are used for basic coverage and hotspot coverage respectively. For example, the first frequency band is at a low frequency for basic coverage, and the second frequency band is at a high frequency for hotspot coverage. The first module of the repeater communicates with the network in the first frequency band, and the network controls the second module of the repeater through side control information and / or other information on how / whether to amplify and forward the radio frequency signal in the second frequency band to expand the hotspot coverage.

[0071] In an embodiment of the present application, the first module is at least used to receive and / or transmit physical signals, such as synchronization signals (e.g., PSS, SSS), physical layer broadcast channels (e.g., PBCH), reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS, TRS, SRS, PRS, DMRS, PT-RS), physical layer control channels (e.g., PDCCH, PUCCH), physical layer data channels (e.g., PDSCH, PUSCH), etc. The first module is, for example, a mobile termination (MT) of a repeater, such as the aforementioned NCR-MT. In addition, the first module may also be called by other names.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present application, the second module is at least used to amplify and forward radio frequency signals. The second module is, for example, a forwarding module / unit of a repeater, such as the aforementioned NCR-Fwd. In addition, the second module may also be called by other names.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second module is only used to amplify and forward radio frequency signals.

[0074] In some embodiments, in addition to amplifying and forwarding radio frequency signals, the second module is also used to receive and / or send physical signals, such as synchronization signals (e.g., PSS, SSS), physical layer broadcast channels (e.g., PBCH), reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS, TRS, SRS, PRS, DMRS, PT-RS), physical layer control channels (e.g., PDCCH, PUCCH), physical layer data channels (e.g., PDSCH, PUSCH), etc.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the third signal is used to be forwarded, which means that the third signal is processed by the repeater and then forwarded. The processing here includes amplification. For example, the repeater receives the third signal in the radio frequency domain (that is, the third signal is a radio frequency signal), amplifies the third signal, and then forwards it.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the fourth signal originates from the terminal device and is processed by the repeater, where processing also includes amplification. For example, the repeater receives the signal from the terminal device, amplifies the signal to obtain the fourth signal, and then forwards the fourth signal to the second network device.

[0077] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the network architecture corresponding to the method of Figure 5. In Figure 6, the first module is NCR-MT and the second module is NCR-Fwd. As shown in Figure 6, NCR-MT obtains the first timing / second timing / third timing / fourth timing. NCR-MT uses the first timing to receive a signal from the first network device in the first frequency band and uses the second timing to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band. In addition, NCR-Fwd uses the third timing to receive a third signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, processes the third signal, and then forwards the processed third signal to the UE in the second frequency band. In addition, NCR-Fwd also receives a fourth signal from the UE in the second frequency band, processes the fourth signal, and then forwards the processed fourth signal to the second network device in the second frequency band using the fourth timing.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the example of the repeater forwarding signals in the second frequency band is used for explanation, but the present application is not limited thereto. The repeater can also forward signals in the first frequency band, wherein the operation of forwarding signals in the first frequency band can be incorporated into the second module, or can be implemented by other modules (third modules) independent of the second module. For example, the repeater includes two forwarding modules (NCR-Fwd), the first forwarding module is used to forward signals in the first frequency band, and the second forwarding module is used to forward signals in the second frequency band, and the side control information and / or other information from the network device is used to control the first forwarding module and / or the second forwarding module of the repeater. That is, the second module includes the first forwarding module and the second forwarding module; or, the second module includes the second forwarding module, and the other module (third module) independent of the second module includes the first forwarding module.

[0079] In some embodiments, the third module is only used to amplify and forward radio frequency signals.

[0080] In some embodiments, in addition to amplifying and forwarding radio frequency signals, the third module is also used to receive and / or send physical signals, such as synchronization signals (e.g., PSS, SSS), physical layer broadcast channels (e.g., PBCH), reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS, TRS, SRS, PRS, DMRS, PT-RS), physical layer control channels (e.g., PDCCH, PUCCH), physical layer data channels (e.g., PDSCH, PUSCH), etc.

[0081] For example, in some embodiments, the first timing and / or the second timing are further used by the second module or the third module of the repeater to forward a signal (radio frequency signal) between a network device (first network device) and a terminal device in the first frequency band. For example, the first timing is further used by the second module or the third module of the repeater to receive a first signal from the first network device in the first frequency band, the first signal being forwarded, and / or the second timing is further used by the second module or the third module to forward a processed second signal from the terminal device to the first network device in the first frequency band.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the first signal is used to be forwarded, which means that the first signal is processed by the repeater and then forwarded. The processing here includes amplification. For example, the repeater receives the first signal in the radio frequency domain (that is, the first signal is a radio frequency signal), amplifies the first signal, and then forwards it.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the second signal originates from the terminal device and is processed by the repeater, where processing also includes amplification. For example, the repeater receives the signal from the terminal device, amplifies the signal to obtain the second signal, and then forwards the second signal to the first network device.

[0084] FIG7 is another schematic diagram of a network architecture corresponding to the method of FIG5 . In FIG7 , the first module is NCR-MT and the second module is NCR-Fwd as an example. As shown in FIG7 , the NCR-MT obtains the first timing / second timing / third timing / fourth timing. The NCR-MT uses the first timing to receive a signal from the first network device in the first frequency band and uses the second timing to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band. In addition, the NCR-Fwd uses the third timing to receive a third signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, processes the third signal, and then forwards the processed third signal to the UE in the second frequency band. In addition, the NCR-Fwd also receives a fourth signal from the UE in the second frequency band, processes the fourth signal, and then forwards the processed fourth signal to the second network device in the second frequency band using the fourth timing. In addition, NCR-Fwd uses a first timing to receive a first signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, processes the first signal, and forwards the processed first signal to the UE in the first frequency band. In addition, NCR-Fwd also receives a second signal from the UE in the first frequency band, processes the second signal, and uses a second timing to forward the processed second signal to the first network device in the first frequency band.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the example of the repeater communicating with the network device (first network device) in the first frequency band is used for explanation, but the present application is not limited to this. The repeater can also communicate with the network device (second network device) in the second frequency band, wherein the operation of communicating in the second frequency band can be incorporated into the first module, or can be implemented by other modules (fourth modules) independent of the first module. For example, the repeater includes two mobile terminals (NCR-MT), the first mobile terminal is used to communicate with the network device in the first frequency band, and the second mobile terminal is used to communicate with the network device in the second frequency band. That is, the first module includes the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal; or, the first module includes the first mobile terminal, and the other module (fourth module) independent of the second module includes the second mobile terminal.

[0086] For example, in some embodiments, the third timing and / or the fourth timing are further used for the first module or the fourth module of the repeater to communicate with the network device (the second network device) in the second frequency band. For example, the third timing is further used for the first module or the fourth module of the repeater to receive a signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, and / or the fourth timing is further used for the first module or the fourth module to send a signal to the network device (the second network device) in the second frequency band.

[0087] In the embodiments of the present application, the first network device and the second network device may be the same or different. Taking the scenario in Figure 3 as an example, the first network device may be the first gNB 32, and the second network device may be the second gNB 34. However, the present application is not limited thereto. As shown in Figure 2 , the first network device and the second network device may both be the first gNB 32 or both be the second gNB 34.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first timing is a reference timing for the second timing. That is, the forwarder (e.g., NCR-MT) determines the second timing based on the first timing. For example, the first timing is downlink frame timing, or downlink receive timing; the second timing is uplink frame timing, or uplink transmit timing. The forwarder can determine the second timing based on the first timing and the timing advance relative to the first timing (e.g., Timing Advance TA).

[0089] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a timing advance. In the example of FIG8 , the timing advance is (N TA +N TA offset )×T c , but the application is not limited thereto.

[0090] In some embodiments, the third timing is a reference timing of the second timing, which has a similar meaning to the aforementioned “the first timing is a reference timing of the second timing” and is not repeated here.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first timing is a reference timing for the fourth timing, which has a similar meaning to the aforementioned “the first timing is a reference timing for the second timing” and is not further described here.

[0092] In some embodiments, the third timing is a reference timing for the fourth timing, which has a similar meaning to the aforementioned “the first timing is a reference timing for the second timing” and is not further described here.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first timing is a reference timing for the third timing. That is, the repeater (e.g., NCR-MT) determines the third timing based on the first timing. For example, the first timing is the first downlink frame timing, or the first downlink receive timing; the third timing is the second downlink frame timing, or the second downlink receive timing. The repeater can determine the third timing based on the first timing and the timing offset relative to the first timing.

[0094] In some embodiments, the second timing is a reference timing for the fourth timing. That is, the repeater (e.g., NCR-MT) determines the fourth timing based on the second timing. For example, the second timing is the first uplink frame timing or the first uplink transmission timing, and the fourth timing is the second uplink frame timing or the second uplink transmission timing. The repeater can determine the third timing based on the second timing and the timing offset relative to the second timing.

[0095] In some embodiments, the MT of the repeater receives information for indicating the second timing and / or the third timing and / or the fourth timing. The information for indicating the second timing and / or the third timing and the fourth timing refers to information used by the repeater to determine the second timing and / or the third timing and / or the fourth timing, that is, the repeater needs to determine the second timing and / or the third timing and / or the fourth timing based on the information. For example, the information for indicating the second timing includes information used by the repeater to determine the timing advance of the second timing relative to the first timing, and then the repeater can determine the second timing based on the first timing and the timing advance. For another example, the information for indicating the fourth timing includes information used by the repeater to determine the timing advance of the fourth timing relative to the third timing, and then the repeater can determine the fourth timing based on the third timing and the timing advance. For another example, the information for indicating the fourth timing includes information used by the repeater to determine the offset of the fourth timing relative to the second timing, and then the repeater can determine the fourth timing based on the second timing and the offset.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first timing is the same as or different from the third timing.

[0097] In some embodiments, the second timing and the fourth timing are the same or different.

[0098] In some embodiments, the timing reference cells and / or uplink timing advances applied in different frequency bands (or cells or carriers) are the same or different. The timing reference cells are used to determine downlink timing and / or track changes in frame timing.

[0099] In some embodiments, the forwarder determines the first timing and / or the second timing based on the frame timing of the first timing reference cell. For example, the first timing is equal to the downlink frame timing of the first timing reference cell (received by the forwarder), and the second timing is determined based on the first timing and the corresponding timing advance.

[0100] In some embodiments, the forwarder determines the third timing and / or the fourth timing based on the frame timing of the second timing reference cell. For example, the third timing is equal to the downlink frame timing of the second timing reference cell, and the fourth timing is determined based on the third timing and the corresponding timing advance.

[0101] In some embodiments, the repeater (eg, NCR-MT) needs to track (follow) the frame timing of the timing reference cell, and then adjust the first timing and / or the second timing and / or the third timing and / or the fourth timing accordingly.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first timing reference cell and the second timing reference cell are the same or different.

[0103] In some embodiments, the timing reference cell of the first frequency band (or cell or carrier) is the first cell.

[0104] In some embodiments, the timing reference cell of the second frequency band (or cell or carrier) is the second cell or the first cell.

[0105] In the embodiment of the present application, the first frequency band and the second frequency band may belong to different timing advance groups (TAGs, Timing Advance Groups or Timing Alignment Groups). For example, the first frequency band and the second frequency band may belong to different timing advance groups (TAGs) of the MT. In the embodiment of the present application, the concept of frequency band is replaced by cell or carrier and the same applies. For example, the first frequency band and the second frequency band may belong to different timing advance groups (TAGs) of the first module. When the concept of frequency band is replaced by cell, the first cell and the second cell may belong to different TAGs; similarly, when the concept of frequency band is replaced by carrier, the first carrier and the second carrier may belong to different TAGs.

[0106] In some embodiments, the timing reference cells and applied uplink timing advances of frequency bands (or cells or carriers) in different TAGs are different.

[0107] In the embodiment of the present application, the first frequency band and the second frequency band may be located in different frequency ranges. For example, the first frequency band is located in a first frequency range, and the second frequency band is located in a second frequency range.

[0108] In an embodiment of the present application, the first frequency range and the second frequency range do not overlap in frequency and each include one or more operating bands. For example, the first frequency range is FR1 and the second frequency range is FR2. For another example, the first frequency range is FR1 and the second frequency range is FR2-1. For another example, the first frequency range is FR2-1 and the second frequency range is FR2-2.

[0109] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the first frequency range and the second frequency range are different. Here, different means not completely the same or completely different (no intersection). For example, the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency range can be 15kHz and / or 30kHz, and the subcarrier spacing of the second frequency range can be 60kHz and / or 120kHz. For another example, the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency range can be 15kHz and / or 30kHz and / or 60kHz, and the subcarrier spacing of the second frequency range can be 60kHz and / or 120kHz.

[0110] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacing of a frequency range refers to the subcarrier spacing defined for the frequency range. The subcarrier spacing defined for the frequency band within the first frequency range is a subset of the subcarrier spacing defined for the frequency range.

[0111] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different. Different means not completely the same or completely different (no intersection). For example, the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency band can be 15kHz and / or 30kHz, and the subcarrier spacing of the second frequency band can be 60kHz and / or 120kHz. For another example, the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency band can be 15kHz and / or 30kHz and / or 60kHz, and the subcarrier spacing of the second frequency band can be 60kHz and / or 120kHz.

[0112] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacing of a frequency band refers to the subcarrier spacing defined for the frequency band. For example, as shown in the table below, the subcarrier spacing of band n1 / n2 is 15, 30, and 60 kHz. Carriers configured within the frequency band may use one or more subcarrier spacings defined for the frequency band (different BWPs within a carrier may use the same or different subcarrier spacings).

[0113]

[0114] In some embodiments, the first frequency band includes a first carrier (or a first cell), and the first carrier (or the first cell) includes a first downlink carrier and / or a first uplink carrier. The fact that the first frequency band includes the first carrier means that, in terms of frequency, the first carrier is within the first frequency band. That is, the bandwidth of the first carrier is within the bandwidth of the first frequency band. The first frequency band is TDD (time division duplex) (unpaired) or FDD (frequency division duplex) (paired) or SDL or SUL. If the first frequency band is FDD, the first frequency band includes a first downlink frequency band and a first uplink frequency band, the first downlink frequency band includes the first downlink carrier, and the first uplink frequency band includes the first uplink carrier. The fact that the first frequency band includes the first cell means that the carrier of the first cell (including the first downlink carrier and / or the first uplink carrier) is within the first frequency band.

[0115] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between a frequency range (FR) and a frequency band within the frequency range. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between a frequency band and a carrier within the frequency band.

[0116] In the above embodiment, the first downlink carrier and the first uplink carrier may be co-frequency (ie, located at the same position in the frequency domain) or different-frequency (ie, not overlapping in the frequency domain).

[0117] In some embodiments, the second frequency band includes a second carrier (or a second cell), and the second carrier (or the second cell) includes a second downlink carrier and / or a second uplink carrier. The second frequency band including the second carrier means that, in terms of frequency, the second carrier is within the second frequency band. That is, the bandwidth of the second carrier is within the bandwidth of the second frequency band. The second frequency band is TDD (unpaired) or FDD (paired) or SDL or SUL. If the second frequency band is FDD, the second frequency band includes a second downlink band and a second uplink band, the second downlink band includes a second downlink carrier, and the second uplink band includes a second uplink carrier. The second frequency band includes the second cell, which means that the carrier of the second cell (including the second downlink carrier and / or the second uplink carrier) is within the second frequency band.

[0118] In the above embodiment, the second downlink carrier and the second uplink carrier may be co-frequency (ie, located at the same position in the frequency domain) or different-frequency (ie, not overlapping in the frequency domain).

[0119] In the aforementioned embodiments, the same location in the frequency domain means the same center frequency (frequency point) (i.e., the corresponding frequency band is TDD). In addition, in the aforementioned embodiments, non-overlapping in the frequency domain includes different center frequencies (frequency points) (i.e., the corresponding frequency band is FDD).

[0120] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacing of the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier is different. Wherein, different means not completely the same or completely different (no intersection). For example, the SCS of the first downlink carrier is 15 kHz, and the SCS of the second downlink carrier is 120 kHz.

[0121] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacing of the first uplink carrier and the second uplink carrier is different. Wherein, different means not completely the same or completely different (no intersection). For example, the SCS of the first uplink carrier is 15 kHz, and the SCS of the second uplink carrier is 120 kHz.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first module can receive (including demodulation, and / or measurement, and / or decoding, and / or interpretation, etc.) and / or send (including physical resource mapping, etc.) signals in the second frequency band.

[0123] For example, the first module receives a signal from the first network device in the second frequency band using the third timing, and / or the first module sends a signal to the first network device in the second frequency band using the fourth timing.

[0124] In the aforementioned embodiments, the first module can receive signals on one or more carriers of the first frequency band and / or the second frequency band, such as receiving SSB, CSI-RS, PDCCH, PDSCH, etc., and the first module can also send signals on one or more carriers of the first frequency band and / or the second frequency band, such as sending PRACH, SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, etc.

[0125] In the above embodiment, when the first module receives signals on multiple carriers of the first frequency band and / or the second frequency band, the types of signals received by the first module in different frequency bands or different carriers are the same or different, that is, the signals to be received in different frequency bands or carrier configurations are the same or different. For example, the first module receives the same type of signals in two frequency bands or carriers, both including SSB, CSI-RS, PDCCH, PDSCH, etc.; for another example, the first module receives different types of signals in two frequency bands or carriers, and receives SSB, CSI-RS, PDCCH, PDSCH, etc. on one downlink carrier and only receives SSB and CSI-RS on the other downlink carrier. The above is just an example, and the present application is not limited to this.

[0126] In the above embodiment, when the first module transmits signals on multiple carriers in the first frequency band and / or the second frequency band, the types of signals transmitted by the first module in different frequency bands or carriers are the same or different, that is, the signals to be transmitted in different frequency bands or carrier configurations are the same or different. For example, the types of signals transmitted by the first module in two frequency bands or carriers are the same, both including PRACH, SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, etc.; for another example, the types of signals transmitted by the first module in two frequency bands or carriers are different, with PRACH, SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, etc. transmitted on one uplink carrier and only PRACH transmitted on the other uplink carrier.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first module may receive an SSB on the aforementioned first downlink carrier and / or the second downlink carrier to obtain the aforementioned first timing and / or third timing. For example, the SSB may be received on the aforementioned first downlink carrier to obtain the aforementioned first timing, and the SSB may be received on the aforementioned second downlink carrier to obtain the aforementioned third timing. For another example, the SSB may be received on the aforementioned first downlink carrier to obtain the aforementioned first timing, and then the third timing may be determined based on the first timing. For example, the repeater (NCR-MT) receives information indicating the offset between the first timing and the third timing, and then the third timing may be determined based on the first timing and the offset. For another example, the SSB may be received on the aforementioned second downlink carrier to obtain the aforementioned third timing, and then the first timing may be determined based on the third timing. For example, the repeater (NCR-MT) receives information indicating the offset between the first timing and the third timing, and then the first timing may be determined based on the third timing and the offset.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first module may send a preamble sequence on the aforementioned first uplink carrier and / or the second uplink carrier to obtain the aforementioned second timing and / or the aforementioned fourth timing.

[0129] For example, a preamble sequence may be sent on the first uplink carrier to obtain the second timing, and a preamble sequence may be sent on the second uplink carrier to obtain the fourth timing.

[0130] For another example, a preamble sequence is sent on the aforementioned first uplink carrier to obtain the aforementioned second timing, and then the fourth timing is determined based on the second timing. For example, the repeater (NCR-MT) receives information indicating the offset between the second timing and the fourth timing, and then determines the fourth timing based on the second timing and the offset. For another example, the repeater (NCR-MT) determines the fourth timing based on the offset between the first timing and the third timing and the second timing.

[0131] For another example, a preamble sequence is sent on the aforementioned second uplink carrier to obtain the aforementioned fourth timing, and then the second timing is determined based on the fourth timing. For example, the repeater (NCR-MT) receives information indicating the offset between the second timing and the fourth timing, and then determines the second timing based on the fourth timing and the offset. For another example, the repeater (NCR-MT) determines the second timing based on the offset between the first timing and the third timing and the fourth timing.

[0132] In some embodiments, the first module may further receive information indicating the second timing and / or fourth timing, and determine or acquire the second timing and / or fourth timing according to the information or in combination with the information.

[0133] In some embodiments, to obtain the fourth timing, the first module sends a preamble sequence in the second frequency band (second uplink carrier) and receives information indicating the fourth timing in the first frequency band (first downlink carrier) or the second frequency band (second downlink carrier).

[0134] In the above embodiment, the above information can be carried by dynamic signaling and / or semi-static signaling. The dynamic signaling here includes but is not limited to downlink control information DCI, physical downlink control channel PDCCH, etc. The semi-static signaling here includes but is not limited to MAC CE (Media Access Control Element) signaling, RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, etc.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the above information may include one or more of RAR (Random Access Response), TA command (Timing Advance Command), and TA offset (Timing Advance Offset) (e.g., n-TimingAdvanceOffset), but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, RAR and TA command are used to indicate N TA The value of TA offset is used to indicate N TA offset The value of , and then the corresponding uplink sending timing (second timing and / or fourth timing) can be determined according to the above method.

[0136] In the aforementioned embodiments, the first frequency band and the second frequency band refer to operating bands or passbands, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0137] In the embodiment of the present application, the carrier of the MT receiving signal (downlink carrier) and / or the carrier of the MT sending signal (uplink carrier) of the repeater is called the carrier of the MT of the repeater. The carrier of the MT of the repeater includes one or more carriers.

[0138] In the embodiments of the present application, a plurality refers to more than one, or two or more.

[0139] In some embodiments, the carrier of the MT of the repeater is not within the frequency band (or passband or carrier) of the forwarding module of the repeater. That is, the forwarding module of the repeater does not forward the signal (RF signal) on the carrier of the MT of the repeater.

[0140] In some embodiments, at least one carrier of the MT of the repeater is within the frequency band (or passband or carrier) of the forwarding module of the repeater. That is, the forwarding module of the repeater forwards the signal (RF signal) on at least one carrier of the MT of the repeater.

[0141] In some embodiments, at least one carrier of the MT of the repeater is within the frequency band (or passband or carrier) of the forwarding module of the repeater, and at least one carrier of the MT of the repeater is not within the frequency band (or passband or carrier) of the forwarding module of the repeater. In other words, the forwarding module of the repeater forwards the signal (RF signal) on the at least one carrier of the MT of the repeater, and the forwarding module of the repeater does not forward the signal (RF signal) on the at least one carrier of the MT of the repeater.

[0142] In the aforementioned embodiments, the frequency band (or passband or carrier) of the forwarding module of the repeater refers to the frequency band (or passband or carrier) of the signals forwarded by the forwarding module of the repeater, or in other words, the operating band of the forwarding module of the repeater. The frequency band (or passband or carrier) of the forwarding module of the repeater includes one or more frequency bands (or passbands or carriers).

[0143] In some embodiments, the repeater (MT or forwarding module) does not receive a physical control channel (e.g., PDCCH) and / or a physical data channel (e.g., PDSCH) on the second downlink carrier. For example, the repeater only receives SSB and / or CSI-RS on the second downlink carrier.

[0144] In some embodiments, the repeater (MT or forwarding module) does not transmit a physical control channel (eg, PUCCH) and / or a physical data channel (eg, PUSCH) on the second uplink carrier. For example, the repeater only receives PRACH and / or SRS on the second uplink carrier.

[0145] In some embodiments, the repeater sends capability information to the network device, where the capability information is used to indicate the working frequency band supported by the MT and / or forwarding module of the repeater, and / or the number of TAGs (timing advance groups) supported by the MT of the repeater, and / or whether the MT of the repeater supports carrier aggregation, and / or the maximum number of carriers supported by the MT of the repeater, and / or whether the forwarding module of the repeater can receive signals.

[0146] The method of the embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to specific examples.

[0147] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an example of a repeater receiving a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0148] As shown in Figure 11, in this example, the carrier of the MT of the repeater (first downlink carrier C1) is not within the frequency band of the forwarding module of the repeater (second frequency band B2). The first module of the repeater (NCR-MT) receives signals on the first downlink carrier C1 of the first frequency band B1, such as one or more of the SSB, CSI-RS, PDCCH, PDSCH, etc. The forwarding module of the repeater (NCR-Fwd) forwards signals in the second frequency band B2.

[0149] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another example of a repeater receiving a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0150] As shown in Figure 12, in this example, the repeater receives signals on two or more carriers in the first frequency band B1 and / or the second frequency band B2. The two carriers are referred to as the first downlink carrier C1 and the second downlink carrier C2, respectively. The MT of the repeater receives signals on the first downlink carrier C1, such as one or more of the SSB, CSI-RS, PDCCH, and PDSCH.

[0151] In addition, for the second downlink carrier C2, in some cases, the MT (NCR-MT) of the repeater receives signals on the second downlink carrier C2, such as receiving SSB and / or CSI-RS, that is, at least one carrier (first downlink carrier C1) of the MT of the repeater is not within the frequency band (second frequency band B2) of the forwarding module of the repeater, and at least one carrier (second downlink carrier C2) is within the frequency band (second frequency band B2) of the forwarding module of the repeater; in other cases, the forwarding module (NCR-Fwd) of the repeater receives signals on the second downlink carrier C2, such as receiving SSB and / or CSI-RS, that is, the carrier (first downlink carrier C1) of the MT of the repeater is not within the frequency band (second frequency band B2) of the forwarding module of the repeater, and the forwarding module of the repeater receives signals from the carrier (second downlink carrier C2) within its frequency band (second frequency band B2).

[0152] In the above example, the first downlink carrier C1 and / or the second downlink carrier C2 are subordinate to or not subordinate to a cell, for example, the first downlink carrier C1 is subordinate to a cell, and the second downlink carrier C2 is not subordinate to a cell. In the case where the first downlink carrier C1 and the second downlink carrier C2 are subordinate to a cell, the first downlink carrier C1 and the second downlink carrier C2 belong to the same cell or different cells. In FIG12 , it is assumed that the first downlink carrier C1 and the second downlink carrier C2 belong to different cells, the first downlink carrier C1, for example, belongs to a Pcell (that is, the first downlink carrier C1 is the downlink carrier of the Pcell), and the second downlink carrier C2, for example, belongs to a PScell ​​or an Scell ​​(that is, the second downlink carrier C2 is the downlink carrier of the PScell ​​or the Scell), but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0153] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of an example of a repeater sending a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0154] As shown in Figure 13, in this example, the carrier of the MT of the repeater (first uplink carrier C3) is not within the frequency band of the forwarding module of the repeater (second frequency band B2). The first module of the repeater (NCR-MT) transmits signals on the first uplink carrier C3 of the first frequency band B1, such as one or more of the PRACH, SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, etc. The forwarding module of the repeater (NCR-Fwd) forwards signals in the second frequency band B2.

[0155] From the perspective of center frequency and / or the cell to which they belong, the first uplink carrier C3 and the first downlink carrier C1 are the same or different. That is, the first uplink carrier C3 and the first downlink carrier C1 can be the uplink carrier and downlink carrier of the same cell (e.g., Pcell), respectively. Both can be TDD or FDD.

[0156] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of another example of a repeater sending a signal according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0157] As shown in Figure 14, the repeater transmits signals on two or more carriers in the first frequency band B1 and / or the second frequency band B2, where the two carriers are referred to as the first uplink carrier C3 and the second uplink carrier C4, respectively. The MT of the repeater transmits signals on the first uplink carrier C3, such as one or more of the PRACH, SRS, PUCCH, and PUSCH.

[0158] For the second uplink carrier C4, in some cases, the MT (NCR-MT) of the repeater sends signals on the second uplink carrier C4, such as sending PRACH and / or SRS, etc., that is, at least one carrier (first uplink carrier C3) of the MT of the repeater is not within the frequency band (second frequency band B2) of the forwarding module of the repeater, and at least one carrier (second uplink carrier C4) is within the frequency band (second frequency band B2) of the forwarding module of the repeater; in other cases, the forwarding module (NCR-Fwd) of the repeater sends signals on the second uplink carrier C4, such as sending PRACH and / or SRS, etc., that is, the carrier (first uplink carrier C3) of the MT of the repeater is not within the frequency band (second frequency band B2) of the forwarding module of the repeater, and the forwarding module of the repeater sends signals on the carrier (second uplink carrier C4) within its frequency band (second frequency band B2).

[0159] From the perspective of center frequency and / or cell to which they belong, the first uplink carrier C3 is the same as or different from the first downlink carrier C1, and the second uplink carrier C4 is the same as or different from the second downlink carrier C2. That is, the first uplink carrier C3 and the first downlink carrier C1 can be the uplink carrier and downlink carrier, respectively, of the same cell (e.g., PCell). Both can use TDD or FDD. The second uplink carrier C4 and the second downlink carrier C2 can be the uplink carrier and downlink carrier, respectively, of the same cell (e.g., PScell / Scell). Both can use TDD or FDD.

[0160] In the above example, the first downlink carrier C1 and / or the second downlink carrier C2 and / or the first uplink carrier C3 and / or the second uplink carrier C4 belong to or do not belong to a cell. In the case that the first downlink carrier C1 and the second downlink carrier C2 belong to a cell, the first downlink carrier C1 and the second downlink carrier C2 belong to the same or different cells. In the case that the first uplink carrier C3 and the second uplink carrier C4 belong to a cell, the first uplink carrier C3 and the second uplink carrier C4 belong to the same or different cells. Wherein, for the case that the first downlink carrier C1 and the second downlink carrier C2 belong to the same cell, for example, the first downlink carrier C1 is the NDL carrier of the cell, and the second downlink carrier C2 is the SDL carrier of the cell, or vice versa; for the case that the first uplink carrier C3 and the second uplink carrier C4 belong to the same cell, for example, the first uplink carrier C3 is the NUL carrier of the cell, and the second uplink carrier C4 is the SUL carrier of the cell, or vice versa.

[0161] In the above example, it is assumed that the first downlink carrier C1 / the first uplink carrier C3 and the second downlink carrier C2 / the second uplink carrier C4 belong to different cells. For example, the first downlink carrier C1 / the first uplink carrier C3 belong to a Pcell, and the second downlink carrier C2 / the second uplink carrier C4 belong to a PScell ​​or an Scell, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0162] In the examples of FIG. 11 to FIG. 14 , in some implementations, the first module receives a signal in a downlink BWP of a downlink carrier and / or sends a signal in an uplink BWP of an uplink carrier, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0163] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a forwarder forwarding signals according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 15 , forwarder 151 receives an SSB on the second downlink carrier C2 and / or transmits a PRACH on the second uplink carrier C4, thereby determining the downlink receive timing (third timing) and / or uplink transmit timing (fourth timing) of the second module. Based on the downlink receive timing and / or uplink transmit timing, or in combination with other information from first gNB 152, forwarder 151 determines the downlink transmit timing (fifth timing) and / or uplink receive timing (sixth timing) of the second module.

[0164] According to the above-mentioned downlink reception timing (third timing), the forwarder (second module) 151 can receive a signal from the second gNB 153, process (amplify) the received signal, and then forward the processed signal to the UE 154 according to the above-mentioned downlink transmission timing (fifth timing); in addition, according to the above-mentioned uplink reception timing (sixth timing), the forwarder (second module) 151 can receive a signal from the UE 154, process (amplify) the received signal, and then forward the processed signal to the second gNB 153 according to the above-mentioned uplink transmission timing (fourth timing).

[0165] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0166] The above only describes the steps or processes related to the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto. The method of the embodiment of the present application may also include other steps or processes. For the specific content of these steps or processes, reference may be made to the relevant art.

[0167] In the embodiments of the present application, the repeater can be a repeater, a radio frequency repeater, a radio frequency repeater, a repeater node, a repeater node, a repeater node, an intelligent repeater, an intelligent repeater, an intelligent repeater node, an intelligent repeater node, an intelligent repeater node, etc., but the present application is not limited to this and can also be other devices.

[0168] According to the method of the embodiment of the present application, by obtaining the first timing and / or the second timing, communication (information interaction) between the repeater and the base station (first network device) can be achieved. In addition, by obtaining the third timing and / or the fourth timing, the repeater can forward the signal between the base station (second network device) and the terminal device.

[0169] Embodiments of the second aspect

[0170] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be, for example, a repeater, or may be one or more components or assemblies configured in the repeater.

[0171] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is the same as the method of the embodiment of the first aspect, its specific implementation can refer to the implementation of the method of the embodiment of the first aspect, and the same contents will not be repeated.

[0172] As shown in FIG. 16 , the communication device 1600 according to the embodiment of the present application includes a first module 1601 and a second module 1602 .

[0173] In an embodiment of the present application, the first module 1601 obtains a first timing, which is at least used for the first module 1601 to receive a signal from the first network device in the first frequency band, and / or, the first module 1601 obtains a second timing, which is at least used for the first module 1601 to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band. In addition, the first module 1601 also obtains a third timing, which is at least used for the second module 1602 to receive a third signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, the third signal being forwarded, and / or, the first module 1601 also obtains a fourth timing, which is at least used for the second module 1602 to forward a processed fourth signal from the terminal device to the second network device in the second frequency band. In an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned first frequency band and the above-mentioned second frequency band do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0174] In some embodiments, the first frequency band and the second frequency band belong to different timing advance groups (TAGs).

[0175] In some embodiments, the first network device and the second network device are the same or different.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first timing is also used for the second module 1602 to receive a first signal from the first network device in the first frequency band, and the first signal is used to be forwarded, and / or, the second timing is also used for the second module 1602 to forward the processed second signal from the terminal device to the first network device in the first frequency band.

[0177] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency band and the second frequency band is different.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first frequency band includes a first carrier, and the first carrier includes a first downlink carrier and / or a first uplink carrier.

[0179] In some embodiments, the first uplink carrier and the first downlink carrier are located at the same position in the frequency domain or do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0180] In some embodiments, the second frequency band includes a second carrier, and the second carrier includes a second downlink carrier and / or a second uplink carrier.

[0181] In some embodiments, the second uplink carrier and the second downlink carrier are located at the same position in the frequency domain or do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0182] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacings of the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier are different.

[0183] In some embodiments, the subcarrier spacings of the first uplink carrier and the second uplink carrier are different.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first module 1601 also receives and / or transmits signals in a second frequency band.

[0185] In some embodiments, the first module 1601 further receives SSB on the first downlink carrier and / or the second downlink carrier to obtain the aforementioned first timing and / or third timing.

[0186] In some embodiments, the first module 1601 further sends a preamble sequence on the first uplink carrier and / or the second uplink carrier to obtain the aforementioned second timing and / or fourth timing.

[0187] In some embodiments, the first module 1601 further receives information indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing.

[0188] In some embodiments, the information for indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing is carried by dynamic signaling and / or semi-static signaling.

[0189] The dynamic signaling is, for example, downlink control information DCI or physical downlink control channel PDCCH, and the semi-static signaling is, for example, MAC CE signaling or RRC signaling.

[0190] In some embodiments, the information indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing includes RAR and / or TA command and / or TA offset.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first frequency band is within a first frequency range, and the second frequency band is within a second frequency range.

[0192] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0193] In the embodiments of the present application, the repeater can be a repeater, a radio frequency repeater, a radio frequency repeater, a repeater node, a repeater node, a repeater node, an intelligent repeater, an intelligent repeater, an intelligent repeater node, an intelligent repeater node, an intelligent repeater node, etc., but the present application is not limited to this and can also be other devices.

[0194] According to the apparatus of the embodiment of the present application, by obtaining the first timing and / or the second timing, communication (information interaction) between the repeater and the base station (first network device) can be achieved. In addition, by obtaining the third timing and / or the fourth timing, the repeater can forward the signal between the base station (second network device) and the terminal device.

[0195] Embodiments of the third aspect

[0196] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes a network device, a repeater, and a terminal device.

[0197] In the embodiments of the present application, existing services or future services can be transmitted between the network device and the terminal device. For example, these services may include but are not limited to: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc.

[0198] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device is configured to send signals to a repeater (NCR-MT) and / or receive signals from a repeater (NCR-MT); and / or, the network device is configured to send signals to a terminal device through a repeater (NCR-Fwd) and / or receive signals from a terminal device through a repeater (NCR-Fwd); the repeater is configured to execute the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect, the contents of which are incorporated herein and will not be repeated here.

[0199] An embodiment of the present application also provides a repeater, which can be, for example, a repeater, a radio frequency repeater, a radio frequency repeater, a repeater node, a repeater node, a repeater node, an intelligent repeater, an intelligent repeater, an intelligent repeater node, an intelligent repeater node, an intelligent repeater node, etc., but the present application is not limited to this and can also be other devices.

[0200] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a repeater according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 17 , repeater 1700 may include a processor 1710 and a memory 1720. Memory 1720 stores data and programs 1730 and is coupled to processor 1710. It should be noted that this diagram is exemplary; other types of structures may be used to supplement or replace this structure to implement telecommunications or other functions.

[0201] For example, the processor 1710 may be configured to execute a program to implement the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0202] As shown in Figure 17 , the transponder 1700 may further include: a network-side transceiver 1740-1 and a network-side antenna 1750-1, a terminal-side transceiver 1740-2 and a terminal-side antenna 1750-2, and a signal amplification circuit 1760, etc. The functions of these components are similar to those in the prior art and are not described here in detail. It is worth noting that the transponder 1700 does not necessarily include all of the components shown in Figure 17 ; furthermore, the transponder 1700 may also include components not shown in Figure 17 , for which reference may be made to the prior art.

[0203] An embodiment of the present application also provides a network device.

[0204] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 18 , network device 1800 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 1801 and a memory 1802 ; the memory 1802 is coupled to the CPU 1801 . The memory 1802 may store various data and information processing programs, which are executed under the control of the CPU 1801 to receive various information sent by terminal devices and send various information to the terminal devices.

[0205] For example, the processor 1801 may be configured to execute a program to send a signal to the MT of the repeater and / or receive a signal from the MT of the repeater. The interaction between the network device and the repeater has been described in detail in the previous embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0206] In addition, as shown in FIG18 , network device 1800 may further include: a transceiver 1803 and an antenna 1804; wherein, the functions of the above components are similar to those in the prior art and are not described in detail here. It is worth noting that network device 1800 does not necessarily include all the components shown in FIG18 ; in addition, network device 1800 may also include components not shown in FIG18 , and reference may be made to the prior art for details.

[0207] The present application also provides a network device. The network device includes a transmitting unit configured to transmit a signal to a mobile terminal of a repeater, and / or a receiving unit configured to receive a signal from the mobile terminal of the repeater. The relevant details regarding the network device have been described in the aforementioned embodiments and are incorporated herein and will not be further elaborated upon.

[0208] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable program, wherein when the program is executed in a repeater, the program causes a computer to execute the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect in the repeater.

[0209] An embodiment of the present application further provides a storage medium storing a computer-readable program, wherein the computer-readable program enables a computer to execute the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect in a repeater.

[0210] The above devices and methods of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software. The present application relates to such a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the devices or components described above, or enables the logic component to implement the various methods or steps described above. The logic component is, for example, a field programmable logic component, a microprocessor, a processor used in a computer, etc. The present application also relates to a storage medium for storing the above program, such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, etc.

[0211] The method / device described in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. For example, one or more of the functional block diagrams shown in the figure and / or one or more combinations of functional block diagrams can correspond to various software modules of the computer program flow or to various hardware modules. These software modules can respectively correspond to the various steps shown in the figure. These hardware modules can be implemented by solidifying these software modules, for example, using a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0212] The software module may be located in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium may be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. The software module may be stored in the memory of the mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a large-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a large-capacity flash memory device, the software module may be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the large-capacity flash memory device.

[0213] One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any appropriate combination thereof for performing the functions described in this application. One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0214] The present application has been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application based on the spirit and principles of the present application, and such modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0215] Regarding the above implementation methods disclosed in this embodiment, the following additional notes are also disclosed:

[0216] 1. A communication method, wherein the method comprises:

[0217] The first module of the repeater obtains a first timing, where the first timing is at least used for the first module to receive a signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and / or the first module of the repeater obtains a second timing, where the second timing is at least used for the first module to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band;

[0218] The first module acquires a third timing, where the third timing is at least used for the second module of the repeater to receive a third signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, where the third signal is to be forwarded; and / or the first module acquires a fourth timing, where the fourth timing is at least used for the second module to forward a processed fourth signal from the terminal device to the second network device in the second frequency band;

[0219] The first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0220] 2. The method according to Note 1, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band belong to different timing advance groups (TAGs).

[0221] 3. The method according to any one of Notes 1-2, wherein the first network device and the second network device are the same or different.

[0222] 4. A method according to any one of Notes 1-3, wherein the first timing is also used for the second module of the repeater to receive a first signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and the first signal is used to be forwarded, and / or the second timing is also used for the second module to forward a processed second signal from a terminal device to the first network device in the first frequency band.

[0223] 5. The method according to any one of Notes 1-4, wherein the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency band and the second frequency band is different.

[0224] 6. The method according to any one of Notes 1-5, wherein the first frequency band includes a first carrier, and the first carrier includes a first downlink carrier and / or a first uplink carrier.

[0225] 7. The method according to Note 6, wherein the first uplink carrier and the first downlink carrier are located at the same position in the frequency domain or do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0226] 8. The method according to any one of Notes 1-7, wherein the second frequency band includes a second carrier, and the second carrier includes a second downlink carrier and / or a second uplink carrier.

[0227] 9. The method according to Note 8, wherein the second uplink carrier and the second downlink carrier are located at the same position in the frequency domain or do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0228] 10. The method according to any one of Notes 6-9, wherein the subcarrier spacing of the first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier is different.

[0229] 11. The method according to any one of Notes 6-10, wherein the subcarrier spacing of the first uplink carrier and the second uplink carrier is different.

[0230] 12. The method according to any one of Notes 1 to 11, further comprising:

[0231] The first module receives and / or transmits signals in the second frequency band.

[0232] 13. The method according to any one of Notes 6 to 12, further comprising:

[0233] The first module receives an SSB on the first downlink carrier and / or the second downlink carrier to obtain the first timing and / or the third timing.

[0234] 14. The method according to any one of Notes 6 to 13, wherein the method further comprises:

[0235] The first module sends a preamble sequence on the first uplink carrier and / or the second uplink carrier to acquire the second timing and / or the fourth timing.

[0236] 15. The method according to any one of Notes 6 to 14, further comprising:

[0237] The first module receives information indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing.

[0238] 16. The method according to Note 15, wherein the information for indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing is carried by dynamic signaling and / or semi-static signaling.

[0239] 17. The method according to Note 16, wherein the dynamic signaling is downlink control information DCI or physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

[0240] 18. The method according to any one of Notes 16-17, wherein the semi-static signaling is MAC CE signaling or RRC signaling.

[0241] 19. The method according to any one of Notes 15-18, wherein the information used to indicate the second timing and / or the fourth timing includes RAR and / or TA command and / or TA offset.

[0242] 20. The method according to any one of Notes 1 to 19, wherein the first frequency band is located within a first frequency range, and the second frequency band is located within a second frequency range.

[0243] 21. A repeater comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of Notes 1 to 20.

[0244] 22. A network device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to send a signal to a MT of a repeater and / or receive a signal from the MT of the repeater.

[0245] 23. A communication system comprising a network device, a terminal device and a repeater, wherein:

[0246] The network device is configured to send a signal to the repeater (NCR-MT) and / or receive a signal from the repeater (NCR-MT); and / or, the network device is configured to send a signal to the terminal device through the repeater (NCR-Fwd) and / or receive a signal from the terminal device through the repeater (NCR-Fwd);

[0247] The repeater is configured to perform the method described in any one of Notes 1 to 20.

Claims

1. A communication device, configured in a repeater, wherein: The device comprises a first module and a second module, The first module acquires a first timing, where the first timing is at least used for the first module to receive a signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and / or the first module acquires a second timing, where the second timing is at least used for the first module to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band; The first module acquires a third timing, where the third timing is at least used for the second module to receive a third signal from the second network device in the second frequency band, where the third signal is to be forwarded; and / or the first module acquires a fourth timing, where the fourth timing is at least used for the second module to forward a processed fourth signal from the terminal device to the second network device in the second frequency band; The first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap in the frequency domain.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The first frequency band and the second frequency band belong to different timing advance groups.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein The first timing is also used for the second module to receive a first signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and the first signal is used to be forwarded, and / or the second timing is also used for the second module to forward a processed second signal from a terminal device to the first network device in the first frequency band.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein The subcarrier spacings of the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein The first frequency band includes a first carrier, and the first carrier includes a first downlink carrier and / or a first uplink carrier.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein The first uplink carrier and the first downlink carrier are located at the same position in the frequency domain or do not overlap in the frequency domain.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein The second frequency band includes a second carrier, and the second carrier includes a second downlink carrier and / or a second uplink carrier.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein The second uplink carrier and the second downlink carrier are located at the same position in the frequency domain or do not overlap in the frequency domain.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein The first downlink carrier and the second downlink carrier have different subcarrier spacings.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein The first uplink carrier and the second uplink carrier have different subcarrier spacings.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein The first module receives and / or transmits signals in the second frequency band.

12. The device according to claim 5, wherein The first module receives an SSB on the first downlink carrier and / or the second downlink carrier to obtain the first timing and / or the third timing.

13. The device according to claim 5, wherein The first module sends a preamble sequence on the first uplink carrier and / or the second uplink carrier to acquire the second timing and / or the fourth timing.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein The first module receives information indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein The information indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing is carried by dynamic signaling and / or semi-static signaling.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein The dynamic signaling is a downlink control information physical downlink control channel.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein The semi-static signaling is media access control element signaling or radio resource control signaling.

18. The device according to claim 14, wherein The information indicating the second timing and / or the fourth timing includes a random access response and / or a timing advance command and / or a timing advance offset.

19. A network device, comprising: a sending unit, configured to send a signal to a mobile terminal of the repeater, and / or The receiving unit is configured to receive a signal from the mobile terminal of the repeater.

20. A communication system comprising a network device, a terminal device and a repeater, wherein: The network device is configured to send signals to the repeater and / or receive signals from the repeater; and / or, the network device is configured to send a signal to the terminal device via the repeater and / or receive a signal from the terminal device via the repeater; The forwarder is configured to: Acquiring, by the first module, a first timing, where the first timing is at least used by the first module to receive a signal from a first network device in a first frequency band, and / or acquiring, by the first module, a second timing, where the second timing is at least used by the first module to send a signal to the first network device in the first frequency band; Acquiring, by the first module, a third timing, where the third timing is at least used by the second module to receive, in the second frequency band, a third signal from the second network device, where the third signal is to be forwarded; and / or acquiring, by the first module, a fourth timing, where the fourth timing is at least used by the second module to forward, in the second frequency band, a processed fourth signal from the terminal device to the second network device; The first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap in the frequency domain.

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